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POMPTON REFORMED CHURCH NEWSLETTER December 2012
59 Hamburg Turnpike
Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442
973 835-0541
www.pomptonreformed.org
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From Darkness to Light
Dear Pompton Community,
"From Darkness to Light," is our Advent theme this year. As we approach Bethlehem's stable, we will
first pass through the wilderness, where John the Baptist holds court, and hear his call to repent.
How is Advent looking for you? What are the areas of darkness you pray our Lord's light to
penetrate? What are the areas in which we need to do an about face, retiring certain attitudes or
practices that are counter-productive to our faith journey?
From the Winter's Promise vespers service, to The Longest Night time of worship, to
the visit from beloved former pastors, to our sacred Christmas Eve celebrations, and all else going
on through these days, may the promise and hope of Jesus' coming and his coming again
accompany you throughout these days and nights.
~Two poems, reprinted with permission:
On another note, several PRC members are nearing completion of reading through the entire Bible
during 2012. We began the year meeting monthly to encourage one another, but that good practice
vanished somewhere near Easter. If it's a journey you would like to resume, or start anew, we have
"Through the Bible in a Year" guides that I am glad to place into your hands. A worthy pursuit, and
you will be amazed at how much you learn!
A blessed season to all, in the name of our Savior Jesus,
Pastor Tom Bartha
Lord,
I ask no blazing path
to lead me on.
Though I walk in the dark,
knowing that You
are both ahead and close behind
is light enough
for me. ---Nancy Spiegelbert
He is there...
a hug from a friend
an encouraging note
a shoulder to cry on
a guide in a foreign land
a familiar scripture
a light in the darkness
a still small voice
beckoning me toward Him
assuring me of His
unconditional love
always right beside me
He is there. ---Leslie Seifert
Service is defined as “work done for others,” and by implication, without
compensation. Some folks must be born with a service gene; they are volunteer
firemen and members of the ambulance squads, they are Elks and Rotarians, they populate the staffs
of the local libraries, the Chambers of Commerce and societies of all description. And some satisfy
this ‘itch’ for service in their local church. I believe that this service to the church is vastly different than
the service to social organizations, because I believe those who serve the church are called to
service. That call may come in very subtle ways, from many diverse sources and covers a myriad of
subjects.
While a member at Pompton Reformed, a friend asked if I knew anything about our
cemetery. I jokingly replied that our Boy Scout troop had been based in the church, and as a scout, I
often used the cemetery as a playground and as a very dark spot to learn to identify the stars and
constellations. Apparently, that was more knowledge that anyone else at PRC possessed, and,
accordingly, I was recruited to ‘straighten out’ the cemetery records. Those records consisted of a box
of deeds dating back to the pre-Revolutionary War period, a number of old, out-dated plot maps and
nothing else. Was I discouraged? Boy, was I ever! Yet, as it turned out, the study of the cemetery
saved the church from a serious financial problem. To this day, over 20 years since Jane and I left
PRC, their members remember me as “the guy who straightened out the cemetery.” Certainly a
strange way to be remembered, but it was a source of great satisfaction to me and of great value to
my church and I believe that playing kids games in the local cemetery became, in fact, a call to
service.
And what about Hawley United Methodist Church? Immediately after joining the church,
Jane and I were chatting with some congregation members, when a rather short lady looked Jane
right in the eye and stated she was looking for a liturgist to occasionally read the Bible during Sunday
service. Jane replied, “I don’t do that, but my husband does.” So without an avenue of escape, I
became a liturgist. Jane’s reluctance to speak in front of others and that HUMC member’s
determination brought me to service in an area I enjoy. Was it a coincidence of events among three
people? I prefer to believe that I was called.
I became a nearly 20-year member of the HUMC Finance Committee because I agreed
to audit a few of the many church accounts that first December of my membership. My audit
comments were well received and resulted in an invitation to serve on the Finance Committee, a set
of duties I found to be of value to the church and gratifying to me. Was I called to service? I prefer to
believe that, indeed, was the case.
I was also a 20-year member of the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee. I have a feeling
they only needed a warm body for this committee and I have had to push myself to serve on this
committee. The duties are not a good fit to my interests or abilities, yet I have a real sense of
satisfaction that I was able to lend my voice to the discussions that ultimately resulted in the
placement of our new pastor at HUMC. How did the need for a body in a committee lead to my being
a part of a most important process- the selection of our spiritual leader? That was not chance-I was
called to service.
As I step down from both committees at the end of this year, I can’t help but wonder
what is next in store for me. I do know that I’ll be listening with an open mind and heart, for Jesus said
in Mark 10:45, “Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” Amen to that.
The following is an edited version of the Testimony given by Jim Pellington, a long-time member of PRC, for Laity Sunday 2012. In the 1990s, he and his wife, Jane, relocated to Hawley, PA, where they became members of the Hawley United Methodist Church. In his testimony, Jim describes how the seeds for service were planted at Pompton Reformed Church. Jim and Jane Pellington were married in our sanctuary 59 years ago this month.
Advent at Pompton Reformed “From Darkness to Light”
December 2 First Sunday in Advent
“From Darkness to Light: Remember the Future”
Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
Reception of New Members 4 p.m. - Vespers – “Winter’s Promise” - a reflective service of
prayers, anthems from our Chancel Choir, and congregational
hymns. A wonderful entry into the Advent season.
December 9 Second Sunday in Advent
Worship led by former PRC Pastors, L’Anni Hill and Peter Hausmann 3 p.m. - Harmony Singers Christmas Concert, in our sanctuary
December 16 Third Sunday in Advent
“From Darkness to Light: God Breaks In”
Healing Service
Annual Congregational Meeting immediately following worship
December 21 (Friday) 7 p.m. - Longest Night Service - All are invited to this service on
the longest night of the year, designed especially for those who have
experienced loss or difficulty over the past year.
December 23 Fourth Sunday in Advent
“From Darkness to Light: Unto Us, a Child” - Children’s pageant
December 24 Christmas Eve Worship at 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
Full details forthcoming for this very sacred and joyous evening.
Legacy 200
Since coming to Pompton Reformed in August of 2002, I have had the privilege (not sure if this is
the right word) of presiding over many funerals of those who worshipped, or who were affiliated
with Pompton Reformed Church. Mary and I have given a gift to the Legacy 200 Endowment
Fund in memory of these loved ones. Their names are listed below and were included in the
Legacy 200 reading during our November 25th worship.
“For all the saints, who from their labors rest…”
Mary and Tom Bartha
Emily Pellington
Fred Jenny
John Wood
Nip Willis
Frances Bierwas
William Beiner
Evelyn Stevenson
Doris Poole
Helen Wright
Dorothy MacKay
Esther Scarmazzo
Leone Niven
Hans Preuss
Paul Geyer
Vernice Appel
Roberta Martin
Billy Herz
James Wildey
Ingrid Herink
Georgeanna Heemstra
Dorothy Branford
Tony Mead
Bea Weir
Helen Beaman
Allan Ball
Blenda Ball
Ruth Reichert
Evelyn Mulqueen
Craig Short
Henry Thaler
Dorothy Williams
Julia Sherwood
Gertrude Cozzens
Calvin Waldeck
John Roon, Sr.
Jean Anne Christie
Marilyn Corbett
Virginia Sherwood
Chuck Braunlin
Ann Sisco
Karin Mugavero
Cathy Lee Iczkowski
Donald Wright
Mary Camps
John Petrides
Joan Merecky
Phil Cockefair
Ethel Henry
Kay Short
Esther Gibian
Kay Peacock
Caroline Dunnican
Edith Wildebush
Sue Dillon
Verna Sinke
Cynthia Groslinger
Robert Finke
Peg Jochem
Sally Rowen
Katherine Stevens
Ruth Van Orden
Anna Sinkway
Scotty Corbett
Robin Russell
Elizabeth Wedemeir
Grace Babcock
Gerry Poppen
Mickey Backer
Perry Babcock
Ralph Hegner
Jan Dutches
John Branford
Evelyn Dingle
Joseph Shaw
Shirley Shaw
Esther Pilkington
Woody Ball
Helen Jenny
I have also presided over memorial services for beloved friends and family
members of many Pompton Reformed members.
Those names are not included in this Legacy 200 list.
From In Memory of Designation
Corinne Tyndall & Doris McKeon Harold Magill Building Fund
Carmella & Jim Hollenback Helen Jenny Undesignated
Trish & Rich Wright Helen Jenny Undesignated
Ronnie & Sandy Caparotto Helen Jenny Undesignated
Marilyn & Gerry Kind Helen Jenny Undesignated
Judy & Jim Fields Helen Jenny Undesignated
Linda & Bob Monaco Helen Jenny Undesignated
Carolyn Stevens Wesley R. Stevens Endowment
Ellen Lockwood Ruth Mason Endowment
Ellen Lockwood Dorothy Goddard Endowment
Tom & Mary Bartha Many Beloved Saints Endowment
Elaine Peacock Albert and Kathryn Peacock Endowment
Dot Ploch Walt Ploch Endowment
Dot Ploch Lilly Gagg Endowment
Dot Ploch Mae Hansen Endowment
Dot Ploch Edith & Ernie Norman Endowment
Dot Ploch Cathy Lee Iczkowski Endowment
Dot Ploch Gertrude Cozzens Endowment
Dot Ploch Tommie Lund Endowment
Dot Ploch Gene Meerdink Endowment
Dot Ploch Valerie Germer Endowment
Dot Ploch Helen Jenny Endowment
Cas & Jean Stark Mae Hansen Endowment
Cas & Jean Stark Anita Dykstra Endowment
Cas & Jean Stark Walter Hojnicki Endowment
Cas & Jean Stark Georgeanna Heemstra Endowment
Megan Rene Lockwood
Mark Warner
Lorna Carroll
Leslie Carroll
Betty Sisco
Each week our sanctuary is beautified by flowers behind our altar in loving memory, in honor of a loved one, or to
commemorate a special occasion. If you’d like to schedule flowers for any Sunday, notify the church office. Cost is $30.
FALL & WINTER HAPPENINGS December 12th – SENIOR LUNCHEON The seniors will have a Christmas luncheon at their December meeting.
December 16th - COOKIE SOCIAL If you love cookies….and I know you do, join us after worship on December 16th. Bring a
batch of your favorite cookies to share with your PRC family and enjoy the baking talents of
others.
Thanks to the PRC
Dear Ladies:
It has been exciting and encouraging to see so many donations of yarn come in to support your
wonderful efforts. The community’s response has been an overflowing affirmation of their interest in
joining with you in providing for the needs of those entrusted to our care.
It is equally exciting and also humbling to see how you ladies spend hours and hours to
turn all of this colorful yarn into beautiful quilts, lap robes and shawls. When I peek into the Church
Office on Sunday mornings and often see one or more precious pieces of work resting there, it puts a
smile on my face to know how much these gifts will mean to our residents and patients when I deliver
them the next day.
Thank you for your continued generosity of time and talent to bring Christ’s love into the
lives of those cared for at Christian Health Care Center. Your labors of love not only bring a smile to my
face, but an even greater one to those who proudly cling to your gifts as something made so especially
and lovingly for them.
“Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have
done it unto me.” When I read that passage from Matthew 25:40, I think of you . . . and when Jesus
spoke those words, He must have surely been thinking of you as well. May He bless and keep you.
Joining with you in His service,
Douglas A. Struyk
President and CEO
Christian Health Care Center
Happy New Year to the Church Family by Carol O’Neill
What calendar are you looking at?
Did it seem as if the “Happy New Year” greeting was a little ahead of its time? Did we skip December
altogether and have arrived at the “New Year” already? No, we haven’t jumped into January already, but it
is appropriate to think of the New Year of the Church. The Church calendar marks the first Sunday after
Thanksgiving as Advent. The dates may vary but there are four Sundays in Advent. It is the time of
preparation and waiting for the birth of the Baby, but it is also a time for looking forward and beginning a
new Church year.
What is important about a New Year?
Several things happen when an old year is ending and a new year lies ahead. It is common to set goals at
this time. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul says, “…I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward
call of God in Christ Jesus”. This goal was one that consumed Paul and it is interpreted to mean that it
refers to that heavenly goal promised through Christ Jesus.
How do we press on to that goal?
Looking forward in the Church includes being active for Christ. Oswald Chambers, in his well-known book,
My Utmost for His Highest, describes this as being “poured out wine and broken bread for the world.”
Looking forward in the New Year of the Church allows us to recognize that God is giving us the gift of time
to become this ‘poured out wine and broken bread.’ The choice of the form this takes for each of us is a
personal choice.
Old Testament prophecies
Isaiah 43 v. 18-19 speak of God’s promises for the future. The arrival of His Son as a Baby is the fulfillment
of a promise. The New Year of the Church is a gift filled with expectation. In this passage, the prophet is
clear that God’s message is that He will restore His people when He says, “Behold I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” It is a comfort and exciting to realize that God will do a ‘new
thing’ in this New Church Year.
The following is taken from The Bible Illustrator:
I Am the New Year
I am the New Year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.
I am your next chance at the art of living. I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life
during the past twelve months.
All that you sought and didn’t find is hidden in Me, waiting for you to search again but with more
determination.
All the good that you tried for and didn’t achieve is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting desires.
All that you dreamed but didn’t dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will, all the faith that you claimed
but did not have – these slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of a strong purpose.
I am your opportunity to renew your allegiance to Him who said, “Behold, I make all things new.”
The Parish Health Ministry wishes you an Advent and Christmas filled with expectation and joy and the
blessings of God’s peace
-Carol is Nancy Begin's mother, and serves as Parish Nurse at Old Paramus Reformed Church
Most weeks, you see in our bulletin and newsletter the appeal for food pantry and personal care items. Your response is consistently gracious, and the food is distributed and restocked nearly as fast
as it comes in. In recent days, we were able to distribute complete Thanksgiving dinners to a number of households in this area. People gratefully received, and commented on what a difference this makes. So thank you! Thank you! Those cans of soup, boxes of pasta, toothpaste and soap, canned vegetables and peanut butter are bringing genuine help and comfort to many.
Just What I Always Wanted By Elaine Peacock How many Christmas mornings, as you opened that special gift, do you remember saying, “This is just what I always wanted!” When you think back, what you always wanted has changed over the years. So what is that one thing you want right now? More than likely it’s something quite different and it’s probably not a ‘thing’ at all. Maybe it’s some quiet time with a close friend or family member, maybe it’s time to reflect with a cup of hot chocolate away from all the hustle of shopping for that perfect gift, or maybe it’s hearing a favorite Christmas carol that brings back a flood of special memories from years ago. GOD knows his special gift to all of us, his precious Son, is the greatest gift of all. Trust GOD to know it’s ‘just what we always wanted.’
Merry Christmas PRC.
Consistory Roundtable of Thanks! (from November Consistory) Valerie and Cyndi Petrides, Donna DeBlock, Joanie Warner and Patti Kitchell for the lovely sanctuary decorating for the Advent season. For all who have so graciously donated to our food pantry over recent weeks!!
Christmas Eve Reflections from 2011
by Caroline Winter
As I listened to the Christmas Eve services last year, I found myself completely taken in by my surroundings – as usual. The sights and sounds of church on Christmas Eve: the togetherness of worshippers; the decorations and lights throughout the sanctuary, the familiar music, and The Message - the wonderfully hopeful Message of Christmas. A question came up during the sermon. Why did God choose to reveal Himself in such a humble way? We hear the same story every year. And it is wonderful! But what is also wonderful is that there is always something new to take away, a new “ingredient” we may not have considered before. In effect, the story is indeed timeless – never old, forever new. I think God planned it that way. In the days following Christmas, I continued to ponder that question: why, indeed did God reveal Himself that way and under those circumstances? The prophet Isaiah foretold the lineage and the place of Jesus’s birth. He also said that His name would be God-With-Us. How better for God to really be with us then to be born a baby into a family of ordinary people – like us? Having the angels announce the glorious event reminds us that Jesus is sometimes referred to as ‘The Angel of the Lord.’ Some biblical scholars hold that Jesus was present as the miraculous angel with Daniel’s three comrades in Nebuchadnezzar’s oven. Why were the shepherds and lowly sheep there? Well, Jesus is also called both the Lamb of God and the Good Shepherd: the humble Sacrificer and the Caretaker. Okay. Check and check. And, let’s not forget the Magi – the three kings. Well, Jesus is also called Christ the King and the King of Kings. So by being humbly born a human baby in Bethlehem with all the afore-mentioned as witnesses and participants, Jesus reached us all at once. The humbleness and yet the majesty of Jesus’s birth – the low and the mighty – for and among all of us, was part of God’s very special plan to reach the world.
Halleluiah!
AspenWind: Aftermath
-by Tom DeVries, General Secretary of the RCA.
It was written and sent in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the week before Thanksgiving.
Its history dates back to 1831. As Terry Troia, an RCA pastor and director of Project Hospitality on
Staten Island, my wife Laura, and I walk the halls of Bayley Seton Hospital; we see the marks of
abandonment and the hurried response to make it usable again. We walk into a large room that
once housed surgeries; it now is a dormitory for single men. Metal cots are lined up and down the
walls, providing a place for victims from Hurricane Sandy to find respite – their only remaining
possessions stacked next to these makeshift beds.
There are rooms for couples and families, and even a room for homeless animals – 40
dogs, 20 cats, and 1 bunny. There are five showers available inside and five mobile showers
outside. This is now "home" to 177 Staten Island residents. They will spend Thanksgiving here.
This is one of two shelters being staffed by Project Hospitality, a ministry started out of
the Brighton Heights Reformed Church in 1982. The other is Mount Manresa, a Jesuit retreat center
that once hosted experiences for spiritual direction, and now provides a place to discern what a
family's future direction might comprise. As I talk with Alice, who represents the New York City
Department of Homeless Services at Mount Manresa, she describes how a masters degree in
disaster and emergency management provides direction on how to respond following Hurricane
Sandy, but it is her passion for the people of Staten Island, her home, that drives her desire to offer
help and hope to the residents that are her friends and neighbors.
Over 40 families are currently living at Mount Manresa. The school bus stops there
each morning to pick children up for school. Windowsills are overloaded with canned goods, and
cleaning supplies fill nooks and crannies. Our drive into the impacted areas shows boats in the
street, houses off their foundations, and work crews in breathing masks continuing to bring order in
the aftermath of this storm.
One pastor said to me: "Tom, Sandy was a tsunami of suffering, but she has been
followed by a tsunami of compassion." The gratitude and appreciation for the response and
presence of the RCA in this community – one of many, and only a small part – was significant to all
that I talked with.
Police roam the halls in both of these shelters. FEMA and Red Cross workers are
diligent and vigilant in their efforts to help. The need to help continues. You and your congregation
can participate – through giving, through volunteering. After Thanksgiving will come Christmas. After
Christmas, a new year filled with new questions, and anxiety and wondering about what will come
with this new future. As the RCA, we have an opportunity to offer help and hope, while we are
engaged in the process of healing. Our response needs to be immediate; it needs to be long-term.
We are responding through Reformed Church World Service, through World Renew,
through our local congregations, and individuals who are willing to give, to help, to serve. Please
continue to pray for those who are serving in the midst of this tragedy; for the staff at Project
Hospitality; for RCA congregations on Staten Island and other affected areas in New York and New
Jersey who are actively extending the love of Christ; for strength in the midst of fatigue, for hope in
the midst of hopelessness, for God's grace to be present in abundance.
Bayley Seton, a downgraded hospital with over a century and a half of serving is now being called
on once again to be a place of healing, and as the body of Christ we are being asked to be engaged
as the hands of Christ in the midst of distress and difficulty.
Thank you for caring.
Tom
One of the missions our church supports is Jared Cave (married to Sarah Bartha) serving the CCO
(Coalition for Christian Outreach), an organization serving college campuses throughout the United
States. Jared is serving in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and will speak during one of our worship services in February of 2013. Here is his current newsletter.
The Deadline for Newsletter Articles is the last Sunday of the month.
Please send submissions to [email protected] or feel free to drop it
in the mail slot in the church office!
The deadline for January’s newsletter is
Sunday, December 23, 2012.
Jell-o, pudding, *fruit, *cereal, *tuna, soup, peanut butter, jelly,
pasta sauce, rice and beans. Low-fat, sugar-free and low sodium food
items are always welcome. We also accept personal items such as
shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, liquid clothes detergent and
deodorant.
Thank you for supporting this important mission needed by so many!
* items are very low
1st Wed., Dec. 5: 6:30 pm Operations Committee
7:30 pm Worship Committee
2nd Sun., Dec. 9: 11:30 am Youth Team
2nd Mon., Dec. 10: 7 pm Finance Committee
2nd Wed., Dec. 12: 7:30 pm Missions Team
3rd Mon., Dec. 17: 7:15 pm Christian Education Committee
3rd Wed., Dec. 19: 7:00 pm Consistory
4th Wed., Dec. 26: 7:30 pm Fellowship Committee
Every Tuesday: 1:30 pm Knitters
~Bell Choir meets on Tues. evenings and/or Sundays. See Janine for details~