Annandale Reformed Church New Life Community

CONNECTIONSWeb Site: www.annandalereformedchurch.org

Our Mission StatementWe are a family in Christ called together by the Holy Spirit to serve God in our community. We

are placed here to worship, to nurture and serve, and to make the joyous life in Jesus Christ more accessible to our neighbors.

March Vol 26, No. 3The Pastor’s Monthly Column

When we say “springtime,” our thoughts usually go to such concepts as new life, freshness and vitality, and life which is already present showing itself in more and more robust ways.

The springtime of Christian faith puts Jesus Christ at the center.  He is our message.

It is Jesus Christ that we need to preach and proclaim, with his entire message of a call to conversion and an offer of salvation and new life.

As St. Paul wrote in Acts, “There can be salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men and women by which we must be saved!”

Therefore, when we think of the springtime of the faith, we think of renewed commitment to faith in Christ; of the fresh flowering of the Christian religion, and of the fervor among his disciples in beings his witnesses.

I pray for a society where Jesus is gratefully accepted as the one and only Messiah of all humanity.  It would help if all members of our extended faith family were on fire to share this faith with all who would freely listen.

I dream of a new world in which the right to religious freedom for every human being could be freely exercised.  This would mean lifting the ban against Christ in the middle eastern countries.  It would mean more baptisms in African and Asian countries.  It would include re-evangelization of areas in the world where the faith of Christians has grown cold.

It is important that the Church meet the culture in each country more and more, so that customs, celebrations, greetings, marriages, and burials,, may reflect that of a people who have absorbed the Christian faith and are living in dynamic, trustful way.

If there is a springtime of the faith, it also has to include more young people who embrace the tenants of Christ and sense what it is to be loved unconditionally, as is sorely needed.

Jesus told us that without him we can achieve nothing (John 15:5).  We absolutely need his grace and light, his guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit, so that we may not be lacking in anything.

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STAY HEALTHY.

We want you all to keep healthy. Don’t forget we have the hand sanitizer on the back table for your

March Mission of the Month

During the year, our church receives occasional donations for the Open Cupboard Food Pantry, located on 37 Old Highway 22, in Clinton.  As in mid to late winter the Pantry tends to run low, the Mission Committee would like to make this organization our main focus of giving this month.

Since 1993, the Pantry has served local men, women and children in need.  Its space is combined with the Open Cupboard Thrift Shop, whose proceeds go directly to the Pantry.  For more information, visit opencupboardfoodpantry.org

According to The Open Cupboard Food Pantry Manager, this place is in greatest need of the following items:      o Canned fruit (the shelves are stocked with plenty of canned vegetables), especially:

Peaches Pears Oranges Pineapple Coffee, both regular and

decaffeinated Soup, especially pea, beef, and lentil

Unsweetened cereals, such as regular Cheerios or puffed wheat.

It is also a good idea to bring in a can of tuna fish or peanut butter for protein in cold weather. 

You can leave your donations in the container in the narthex.  For your convenience, you can pick up a list of the above items on the table in the back of the church. 

Thank you for feeding our hungry neighbors.

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Church Closing?If the weather looks “iffy”, please check your email before leaving for church to be sure we haven’t made the decision to not have church that day due to inclement weather or travel conditions!

Those who do not have email will be contacted via phone!

“Not Angie’s List”, but “ARC’s List”

Notary Public:Lisa Zambito: 908-268-5340

Auto Repair:Quality Auto Service Center, LLCAll makes & models autos (and

boats and planes)Contact Owner/OperatorRick Lebbing: 908-806-6014

Avon Representative:Peg Weightman

908-832-2246

Consciousness: That annoying time between naps

Ladies SocietyThe next meeting will be Monday, March 14th at 12 noon and lunch will follow in Fellowship Hall..  In case of bad weather, the meeting will be held the following Monday, March 21st.

It is hoped that everyone will work on getting prizes, baskets and gift cards for the upcoming Tricky Tray on April 22nd.. 

If anyone has items for the Tricky Tray, please bring them to the meeting.

Please contact Peg Weightman @ 908-832-2246 if you have any questions .

150thWhat a great time we had at our 1866 Worship day. So many came dressed as they did in those days, the choir sang songs of the era as well was Ken’s message.

We were glad that none of the men chewed their tobacco during worship as we requested. Everyone paid their 10 cent pew rental and we enjoyed a wonderful luncheon prepared by the committee.

We learned of many other events that took place in 1866 in addition of the most important one, ..the formation of the First Dutch Reformed Church of Clinton Station.

The anniversary directory was distributed and we pointed out that there are 8 pages on chronological history on the first pages.

More history will be shared in the future.

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March UshersMar. 6 Vogel FamilyMar 13 Appollina FamilyMar 20 Porambo FamilyMar 27 EASTER SUNDAY

Please remember to insert one of the envelopes for the mission of the month if the box is on the table

Please remove old bulletins, etc. after the service. (See Usher Guidelines on door to closet in narthex and on bulletin board outside of the office downstairs). And please don’t forget to take the count when the service begins (it is easier to do when the children are sitting up front for the children’s sermon)

From the Desk of Peg Weightman

By and I would like to thank everyone for their prayers, well wishes and meals during my recuperation from total knee replacement on January 15th. 

It was such a help not having to think about meals and we certainly have wonderful cooks in our Faith Family!

Your visits were also very much appreciated. 

Thank you!  Peg

Lenten Gatherings

Lent is a special time to examine ourselves before God, to repent and re-direct our life to the Lord, as we look ahead to Easter and receiving the resurrected Christ.

We will continue gathering Wednesday evenings at 6:45 to enrich our experiences of the Season of Lent.  

Wednesdays   March 2, 9, 16

 

Service Dates to Remember:

March 24  at  7 PM   Maundy Thursday Communion Service

March 25  at  7 PM   Good Friday Service 

March 27     Easter Sunday Worship Service

Bible Study

Bible Study started again on February 21 prior to worship.  The title of this semester’s readings is, “Searching the Soul for Easter Glory.”

Each week, the group will read a story from Matthew 26 and 27, which recounts Jesus’ painful walk to the Cross.  We will then read a selection from the book of Romans to put the story into theological perspective and give us deeper insight.

As usual, all are welcome.  The format is open forum discussion, so the more ideas that are offered, the better.  We start at 9 a.m. with a breakfast snack, and then get into it.  The session ends about 45 minutes later.

Please join us for this meaningful and fascinating reading of the Bible.

Her Name Was Rose!

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.   I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.   She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?'   I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and she gave me a giant squeeze.   'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked.   She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids...'   'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!' she told me.   After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.   We became instant friends.  Every day for the next three months, we would leave class together and talk nonstop.  I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and experience with me..  

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Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.   At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.'   As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, ' We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.   We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!   There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.   If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.   Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets..   The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not

do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.'   She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose..'   She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.   One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS

OPTIONAL. We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.

  God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.. If God brings you to it, He will

bring you through it.

Sunday School

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I’ve learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person

That just one person saying to me, ‘You’ve made my day!' makes my day.

That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

The older children are studying the life of Jesus and how to be more like Him.  The younger children are hearing more Bible Stories, some for the first time, so this is very exciting for them. All the children should be reading their Bibles at home, from the reading assigned each week or on their own.

The children look forward to Mrs. Exley's Children's Sermon each week, we talk about it in class and they can't wait to see what she will teach them next.

Please don't forget the Pennies For Jesus Challenge! Children's Choir is practicing again with Mr. Hughes and will perform on Palm Sunday. We have some new children and would love more, ask your child to bring a friend!

We are preparing our hearts for Easter and can't wait for Spring! 

Spaghetti DinnerDon’t forget the Boy Scout spaghetti dinner on Sunday, March 6th,. They will be serving dinner from 4 to 7 pm. Tickets available at the door.

Try this idea!

Use a large muffin tin to cook stuffed peppers in the oven

- it will help keep them upright.

How old is Grandma?

 

Stay with this -- the answer is at the end... It will blow you away. 

One evening a grandson was talking to his grandmother  about current events. The grandson asked his grandmother what she thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and  just things in general. The Grandmother replied, "Well, let me think a minute, 

I was born before: television was mass produced

' penicillin ' polio shots ' frozen foods ' Xerox ' contact lenses ' Frisbees and ' the pill

 There were no:

' credit cards ' laser beams or ' ball-point pens

 Man had not yet invented:

' pantyhose ' air conditioners ' dishwashers ' clothes dryers ' and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and ' man hadn't yet walked on the moon

 Your Grandfather and I got married first, and then lived together. Every family had a father and a mother. Until I was 25, I called every man older than me, "Sir." And after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, "Sir." We were before gay-rights, computer-dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy.

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 Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense. We were taught to know the difference between right and  wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.

Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege. We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent.

Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins. Draft dodgers were those who closed front doors as the evening breeze started. Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends — not purchasing condominiums.

We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CD's, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings. We listened to Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the President's speeches on our radios. If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan ' on it, it was junk.

The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam. Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and instant coffee were unheard of.

We had 5 &10-cent (5 and dime) stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents. Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel. And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards.

 You could buy a new Ford Coupe for $600, but who could afford one? Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon. In my day:

"grass" was mowed, "coke" was a cold drink, "pot" was something your mother cooked in and "rock music" was your grandmother's lullaby. "Aids" were helpers in the Principal's office,"chip" meant a piece of wood,"hardware" was found in a hardware store and."software" wasn't even a word.

 We were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby.

We volunteered to protect our precious country.

No wonder people call us "old and confused" and say there is a generation gap. How old do you think I am?  Read on to see -- pretty scary if you think about it and pretty sad at the same time.

Are you ready????? This woman would be only 62 years old.She would have been born in late 1951

GIVES YOU SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. 

Lisa Beamer on Good Morning America

Lisa Beamer on Good Morning America - If you remember, she's the wife of Todd

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Beamer who said 'Let's Roll!' and helped take down the plane over Pennsylvania that was heading for Washington, DC back on 9/11. She said it's the little things that she misses most about Todd, such as hearing the garage door open as he came home, and her children running to meet him .Lisa recalled this story:

"I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband died suddenly of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she shared some of her insight with a classroom of students. As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down there. With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said, 'Class is over, I would like to share with all of you, a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important. Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at any moment. Perhaps this is the Power's way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day.

Her eyes, beginning to water, she went on, 'So I would like you all to make me a promise. From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. It doesn't have to be something you see, it could be a scent, perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house, or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the morning light catches one autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground. Please look for these things, and cherish them. For, although it may sound trite to some, these things are the "stuff" of life. The little things we are put here on earth to enjoy. The things we often take for granted. The class was completely quiet.

We all picked up our books and filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from

school than I had that whole semester. Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all overlook .Take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour today. Go barefoot. Or walk on the beach at sunset. Stop off on the way home tonight to get a double dip ice cream cone. For as we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do

St. Patrick

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, the saint’s religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast–on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

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03-02 Debra Silliman03-03 Mark Howe03-08 Sharon Riddle03-09 Brian Exley03-10 Carl Appolina03-14 Allison Gasparetti

David Lunger03-28 Nancy Gasparetti

Martha Kisielewski03-29 Kevin Mulligan03-30 Darin Vogel

To access the Google Group email, the address is arc7218@googlegroups.com

Remember, if you have information about someone sick, in need of some sort of assistance, celebrating a very special event, suffering from the loss of a loved one, or someone who needs our prayers and/or help, call Shirley Waldeck if a card is appropriate. (908-835-1371), Peg Weightman (908-832-2246) or Jill Meyer (908-545-4818) for any of the following:

Meals for someone who is sick, Transportation to and from

appointments Run small errands Or any other need that we can help

with.or

Joyce Murphy (908-963-3346) to request prayers and/or clergy needs.

To send a question to “Ask The Pastor”The email address is:

askthepastor@comcast.net

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Google Group Email for Prayer Concerns

Gift Certificates for Shop Rite are on sale downstairs following worship each

Sunday or call Sherry Howe at 638-6391

Nancy Gasparetti and Sharon Riddle are helping sell the certificates.

Send contributions for Connections to Joyce Murphy at

joyce@murphy.org

Next IssueMarch 27th

Contribution DeadlineMarch 20th

Church Office: 908-735-7218Church Email: arc@annandalereformedchurch.orgChurch Web Site: www.annandalereformedchurch.orgPastor: Kenneth Lobb: 610-837-1330 Email: kennethlobb@verizon.netElders:

Joyce Murphy 908-963-3346Cheryl Mulligan 908-638-0008Lynn Hughes 908-638-8887

Deacons:Rick Lebbing 908-713-4789Barbara Vogel 908-552-6000

ASK THE PASTOR

Caring

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