November; 2016

Dear Friends,

One of my favorite parables of Jesus is the parable of the talents

from Matthew 25:14-30. Jesus tells of a man who distributes

talents of silver to three of his servants. Two of his servants put the

money to work, and reap double their investments. One of the

servants is so afraid of losing what he has been given that he buries

it. When the master returns, the two who have doubled their money

are given great praise and entrusted with great responsibility. But

the one who has done nothing with his money has the small

amount that he hid taken away from him and he is chastised.

In thinking of this parable, the poet Ann Weems wrote this poem:

All of us from time to time

have dug our hiding places

and buried our songs

or our silver.

Thinking our voices too weak

and our offering too meager,

Out of fear

we have buried our talents,

What bothers us, of course,

is the reaction to the third servant,

for Jesus is talking

directly

to us,

the ones who have been entrusted with

God’s Word.

Jesus reminds us

that it is God’s gifts we bury.

Let us, in this new Church resolve

to unearth our talents

and offer unto God all that we have

and are!

This Thanksgiving season, we should remember to pause and give

thanks for all the blessings that we have received. And one of the

best ways we can give that thanksgiving is by using those gifts –

talents, treasures and time – to glorify God and share with all the

world what we have. When we live a life of service to the

kingdom, we live a life of thanksgiving.

I encourage you to live this life, not just in this season of turkeys

and cranberry sauce, but all year through. And to help, here is

Weems’ Prayer of Thanksgiving to add to your prayer life:

O Lord, you flower the gardens for us

and make green the wastelands.

The mountains burst forth with streams of water

and the fields are filled with your bounty.

Thank you, God, for all good gifts,

and make our hearts your home

that we might serve you all our days

and live in the hope of your peace. Amen.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving season.

Shalom,

Pastor Linda

Worship in November

November 6 Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost/All

Saints’ Sunday – Communion –

Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21

13 Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost –

Stewardship Sunday – Isaiah 65:17-25

20 Christ the King Sunday – “Singing the

Church Year”

20 7 pm -- Community Thanksgiving Service

with local churches at First Reformed

27 First Sunday of Advent –

Communion/Celebration of November

Birthdays – The Tastes of Christmas

I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 9:1 (NIV)

Please keep the following in your prayers this week: Stacy Maeurer, Jeaanne Holden, Janet Flory, Thomas Kenniff, Jennifer

Cabral, Kayla Verdino, Greg and Dorothy Doyle-Wandell, Mark Clingo,

Lydia Marcantonio, Thelma Whittaker, Joy Zomer, Rob Anderson,

Barbara Stalmack, Henry Wegmann, Elizabeth Artinger, Edward

Troster, Tina Banks, Carmela Carillo and family, Robert Zittel, Helen

Torok and family, Neil Troster, Elana Ficalora, Anne Johannson, Tina

McKinley, Charles Ayers, Paul Angenbroich, Richard Carboni, Mary

Weber, Judy Troster, Terry Hoffman, Mary McKeown, Rosemary Ricken,

Ruth Sottolano, Maria Bateman, Tony Artinger, Kathleen Hart Brumm,

Betty Farina, Tom McDonald, Matthew Lotz, Danny McCaffrey, Billy

Schmidt, Richie Schmidt, Catherine Raines, Jennifer Piatek, Ed Duggan,

Virginia Maresca, Dorothy Weis, Brian Giordano, Arlene Bealin,

Charles Kenney, Raymond & Cathy Wegmann, Carmela Oppedisano,

James Folmsbee, James Donaghy, Nick Markoulakis, Glenn Brown,

Maryann Hernandez, Barbara O’Keefe, Frank Basile, Don Bozzo,

Lucille Smith, Kristy Breen, Pam Crabtree, Pam Dobular, Rosie

Riollano, Tim Dolan, Grace Agunzo, Louis Werner, Renaldo Weaver,

Madalene Basile, Ralph Seizinger, Maria Negele, Debbie Tanico, Angela

McIntyre, Anna Lebel and family, Eric Rivera, Ronnie Sowa, Joyce M,

Catherine Norton, Eileen Poll, Darius Grayhall, Barbara Plitt, Andrew

Elizee, Margret Elizee, Arlene Stetzner, Gerhard Kern, Brianna

Brackett, Peter Gribbin, Ron Durham, Daphne Hanousek, Caren Mack,

Ernest Ackerman, Rudy Zachernegg, William Schutt, Doreen Ziegler,

Billy Newman, Jeff Ivins, Carina Basile, Barbara Garrick, Maureen

Kiley, Emily Garrick, Tina Fitton, Debie Guttilla, Christian Durham,

Amy Shluker, Lisa Auerbach, Janet Elbert, Joey Sottolano, Gertrude and

Jim Vitale, Patrick Gualtieri, Mariane Hark, Paula Massena, Barbara

Carson, Philip Dobuler, Frank Priore, Justin Meyers and his family,

Brian Goodwin, Mark Leone, Vivian Molnar, Dorothy Stanley, Lorraine

Lohmann, Maureen Kiley, Laura Ball Tomasello, Sandra Schutt, Gilda

Patterson, Heather Matosky Porter, Doris Stamer, Jack Donahue,

Marousa Gallagher, Ray Diaz, Mikey Moss, Joseph Santiago

All people in our nation and around the world affected by natural

disasters.

All veterans, those who serve our country and their families

If you have an update on anyone listed, please send it to

prayerrequests@frccp.org or call the Church Office

(718) 359-3956. Thank you.

We Give Thanks

Our Father in Heaven, We give thanks for the pleasure

Of gathering together for this occasion. We give thanks for this food Prepared by loving hands.

We give thanks for life,

The freedom to enjoy it all And all other blessings.

As we partake of this food, We pray for health and strength

To carry on and try to live as You would have us.

This we ask in the name of Christ,

Our Heavenly Father.

– Harry Jewell

NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS

01 Margory Hoffman

LaVonne Hanes

Arnold Rodriguez

05 Steven Tucker

06 Jessica Foley

08 Modesta Kraemer

Eileen Poll

10 Amy Hanna

Christopher Hoffman

14 Alyssa Michelle Brown

15 Susan Bryant

Edward Sottolano

20 Lucille Gruner

24 Alan Julian Kraemer

26 Amanda Kaju

27 Joseph Smith

Paul Di Scala

Kevin Stahl

28 Franciscka Ladolph

30 William Mieras

Church Chuckles

A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store for Thanksgiving Day, but couldn’t find one big enough

for her family.

She asked a stock boy, “Do these turkeys get any bigger?”

“No, ma’am. They’re dead.”

Provencal Potato Gratin

Ingredients

4 large clove garlic, smashed

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

1 red pepper, peeled, seeded and diced (3/4 cup)

1/4 cup dry white vermouth

2 pounds Yukon gold or other waxy potatoes (about 4 to 5), peeled

1 cup water

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1 pound plum tomatoes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub 1 of the garlic cloves all over the inside of a large 1 1/2 quart oval

casserole dish. Smear some of the olive oil all over the inside of the dish.

Mince the rest of the garlic.

Heat the rest of the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic,

onion, and pepper, season with the salt and pepper, and cook until tender,

about 8 minutes. Add the vermouth and simmer to reduce by about half.

Using a mandoline or vegetable slicer, slice the potatoes about 1/8-inch

thick and add them to the pan with the water, salt, pepper to taste. Bring

to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture has

thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the basil.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and shake the pan to

distribute the potatoes evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Slice the

tomatoes about a 1/4-inch thick and arrange them in a shingled pattern on

top of the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive

oil.

Bake, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender about 1 1/2 hours. Sprinkle

the cheese over the top and bake until brown and bubbly, about 15

minutes more. Remove from the oven and let casserole cool 10 minutes

before serving. This can also be served at room temperature.

The Greatest Thanksgiving

"Are you going grocery shopping today?" my husband, Roy asked

when I picked up the telephone.

"I plan to," I answered.

Thanksgiving was only a couple days away. Everyone in our family

would be coming to our house. My funds were limited, therefore my box

of coupons awaited me in the car. I knew I had to be creative in my

shopping that day. I had to stretch every dollar.

For a few seconds, Roy sat silently on the other end of the line.

"Why do you ask?" I uttered, fearing what he might say.

"Nancy, there's a family with a half dozen kids that will not have

anything to eat for Thanksgiving. The little one is only five-years-old."

"So what are you saying?" I whispered.

"While you're at the store could you possibly buy something for

them?" Roy's words echoed in my heart. “Groceries, a five-year-old,

eight in the family” My head began to spin thinking about the fifty

dollars I had reserved for our family's Thanksgiving dinner.

In the back of my mind I counted the hungry guests who would be

coming to our house for dinner. I put my head down on my desk,

already feeling defeated.

There's no way possible, I thought. But the compassion I heard in

my husband's voice struck a nerve inside me.

"Sure," I replied. "But only if God helps."

"Thanks, sweetheart," Roy whispered. "Just do what you can." He

then hung up the telephone. I finished my work and prayed all the way

to the nearest grocery store.

I entered the parking lot. I noticed a big sign in the grocery store

window: Turkeys - 29 cents a pound.

"This is the place, Lord" I whispered. I grabbed my box of coupons,

went inside, secured two buggies, and headed to the frozen foods. The

turkeys were indeed on sale, but I discovered one big problem. When I

read the sign posted on the freezer door my heart sank. "Limit one."

"But I need two," I uttered to myself. I decided to find the manager.

I explained the problem. He made an exception.

After tossing a turkey in each buggy, I began my shopping fury. It

was amazing how many buy-one, get-one free items were being featured

that day. The first item went into one buggy. The free item went in the

other. In addition, I had all the right coupons to get exactly what both

families needed for a hearty Thanksgiving dinner. I proceeded to the

register and held my breath while the cashier rang up my groceries.

To my surprise, I had enough money. I was even able to purchase a

package of cookies for the five-year-old who had stolen my heart, even

though I had never met her.

Later that afternoon, Roy and I made a special delivery to a home

filled with children of all ages. I will never forget the smiles on the six

kids' faces, as they made several trips from my car carrying numerous

bags of groceries inside.

This event reminded me of a story. Even though He only had a few

loaves and fishes, Jesus multiplied them and fed five thousand people.

And to top it off, there was food left over. I wondered if God was doing

the same thing that day.

By far, that was the greatest Thanksgiving Day of my life. My entire

family shared a hearty meal with us. We had plenty to eat. We even had

enough food left over for the evening meal.

That afternoon, when I had time to think about what had happened, I

imagined a home, not far from where I lived. There was a mother and a

father and six children sitting around the kitchen table, laughing and

rejoicing. They enjoyed the same meal that our family had shared

together that day.

Then I realized that miracles happen when we step out in faith and in

steps God. For with us, some things are impossible. But with God, all

things are possible.

~ Nancy B. Gibbs ~

ANNOUNCMENTS

Meyer Fund

Thanks to a large bequest from the estate of Irvin Meyer,

Consistory has established the Meyer Fund. This fund will be used

to make large capital repairs to improve the safety, security and

functionality of our buildings. We have replaced the gutters on the

church and parsonage, repaired water damage in both buildings,

fixed the front entrance steps of the sanctuary and replaced the

outside door by the front office. The sidewalks have been

repaired, and the painting on the Sanctuary and chapel are

completed. We have finally finished the roof repairs and have

fixed the water damage in the Sanctuary.

If you would like to partner in this ministry of upgrading and

improving our facilities, you may make a donation labeled

Meyer Fund. Any donations for the Gingerbread and Chimney

repairs should now be directed to the Meyer Fund.

Third Sunday Programs

Nov.13- Noon (Note: This is the second Sunday)- Thrivent- Christian

Financial presentation with Maria Rapino-

Dec. 18- 2:00pm Instead of a third Sunday program at the church, the

Poppenhusen Institute will have a live production of Charles Dickens, A

Christmas Carol" Members of the FRC will receive 50% discount off of

the ticket price Contact (718) 358-0067 or poppenhusen@juno.com for

additional ticket info.

Flowers and Bulletins

Please note that there are still weeks available if you would like to

give the gift of flowers or bulletins in memory or in honor of

friends or loved ones. Please speak to Doris Harris if you would

like to make a contribution. You can also call the Church Office

(718) 359-3956 or email us at office@frccp.org and we will pass

the information along to Doris.

Serving in Worship

If you are interested in ushering, greeting, reading or hosting

coffee hour and have not yet signed up, please contact the church

office (718) 359-3956 or office@frccp.org or sign up in the back

of the Sanctuary.

Bible Study

Monday Night Bible Study will resume on November 7th at 7 pm.

We will start with a four week study on the book of Jonah.

Please speak to Pastor Linda if you would like to join us.

Making a Difference

We would like to include “Making a Difference” as a regular

feature in our newsletter.

If you would like to contribute a testimonial of how our church is

making a difference in your life, please submit it to

newsletter@frccp.org

Can you Help at our Living Nativity?

Christmas Event Volunteer Form

First Reformed Church of College Point

Name_______________________________________

Phone Number________________________________

e-mail_______________________________________

I am able to do the following (please check all that you are

able to do):

Living Nativity – December 11 – 3:00-6:00pm

□ Bring 1-pound of cold cuts. Type_________________

□ Make a pot of soup. Type ______________________

□ Dress in costume for the Nativity

□ Read a section of Scripture

□ Provide music for the fellowship time

(sing or play an instrument)

□ Bake cookies for the fellowship time

□ Staff the fellowship table

□ Set up the display

□ Clean up at the end of the night

Thank you for your help!

Newsletter Ads

If you are interested in purchasing an ad to support our newsletter,

please complete this form and mail to:

First Reformed Church of College Point

118-17 14th Avenue

College Point, NY 11356

The Steeple of the First Reformed Church is sent out eleven times a

year to approximately three hundred homes, most of them in

College Point. It is also posted online on our website and linked to

through our Facebook page. Through your support we will be able

to defray the costs of this ministry, which is our main contact with

members who are shut in or out of state.

All ads must be submitted camera ready. Size may be

adjusted if needed.

All ads are 2 x 3-1/2 inches (the size of a business card)

Cost is $110 for publication in eleven issues of the

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Please enclose ad plus check made out to “First Reformed Church”

DO NOT STAPLE AD TO THIS FORM

Fall Spaghetti

Dinner

and Basket Raffle

Saturday, November 5th

Noon to 3 PM

$10 – Adults

$5 -- Children 12 and Under

No Reservations Necessary

Join us for a good meal and a fun

afternoon!

Raffle Drawing at 3 PM -- need not

be present to win!