Do you still remember the name of your favorite grade school teacher? I do. Mine was Mrs. Riggin. She was gentle and loving and taught us every subject that a third grader needed to know from one small classroom at the end of the hall. In the afternoon before dismissal she would always read to us, a chapter a day, from the reading corner where we kids sat on a cozy rug and she would always sit on a not-too-tall chair nestled among us. She captivated us with stories like James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Choco- late Factory, and my favorite, Oliver Butterworth’s The Enor- mous Egg. It was then that I learned the joy of reading, being read to, and the art of story-telling. We at First Presbyterian Church have some marvelous learning programs for children, including our Sunday church school, our puppet ministry, and children’s chapel time, where we apply the joy of learning, reading, and problem-solving to Bible stories, ethical decision-making, and social justice concerns. For example, our new Family Mission Club, which meets monthly after worship, creates a connection for our youngest congregants and their families between what we teach from Scripture in church and what we do as Chris- tians in the world. All of our teaching, learning, and mission projects depend on both congregational leadership and congregant funding, by everyone. Now, with October upon us, we begin the budget process for 2016 to ensure the con- tinued funding of our magnificent programs in ministry and mission. You can help us by making a pledge to the church by October 18 th . Making a pledge means you write down your promise to contribute a specific amount to the church on a pledge card and submit your pledge to the church by mail, in the offering plate, or drop it off directly at the office. Your pledge promise helps us make a budget that is realis- tic, affordable, and planned. The dollars that you send in, as promised by your pledge, pay for our ministry and mission work here at church, in town, for our youth, and for our world. We do a lot! Think about what you love at First Presbyterian – and what your dollars pay for: our music program (including concerts and hand-bell choirs), Wednesday night youth group, First Friday Club, congregational picnics and fellow- ship gatherings, Bible studies, Indonesian Fellowship, the Junior Club, mission trips, our staff members, and even Sunday worship. Every autumn we ask for your pledge in order to help us to budget for the year ahead. First we need your pledges, then we need your payments. This year, the Stewardship Committee is asking for church members who have never pledged before to make a pledge – even for those of you who always contribute generously, we still need your pledge to do so (so we can plan). Please tell us by October 18 th how much you can contribute for 2016. In addition, Stewardship is asking that every member give just ten dollars more per week ($520 per year) in order to make our revenues stronger, and as a result, our ministry more robust. Inside this issue: Pastor’s Peace (continued) Fall New Member Class 2 Pastor’s Reading Corner 3 Stewardship 2016 “Stronger Together” 4 “Cabaret” Night with Janus 5 Fear Not: Spirituality Mini- Retreat and Breakfast—Oct. 17 6 Presbyterian Women 7 Long-time Members See a Bright Future at FPC 8 CROP Walk Pumpkin Family Fellowship Join a Choir 9 Treasurer’s Two Cents Puppies Come and Puppies Go 10 Rose in Remembrance 11 Church Staff—FPC Metuchen 12 First Presbyterian Church 270 Woodbridge Avenue, Metuchen, NJ 08840 Telephone: 732-491-2300 www.fpcweb.org http://www.facebook.com/FPCMetuchen Sunday Morning Worship starts at 9:30 AM The Parish News PASTOR’S PEACE October 2015 Rev. Ellen Clark Clémot Daylight Saving Time Ends Sunday, November 1
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Transcript
Do you still remember the name of your favorite grade school teacher? I do. Mine was Mrs. Riggin. She was gentle and loving and taught us every subject that a third grader needed to know from one small classroom at the end of the hall. In the afternoon before dismissal she would always read to us, a chapter a day, from the reading corner where we kids sat on a cozy rug and she would always sit on a not-too-tall chair nestled among us. She captivated us with stories like James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Choco-late Factory, and my favorite, Oliver Butterworth’s The Enor-mous Egg. It was then that I learned the joy of reading, being read to, and the art of story-telling.
We at First Presbyterian Church have some marvelous learning programs for children, including our Sunday church school, our puppet ministry, and children’s chapel time, where we apply the joy of learning, reading, and problem-solving to Bible stories, ethical decision-making, and social justice concerns. For example, our new Family Mission Club, which meets monthly after worship, creates a connection for our youngest congregants and their families between what we teach from Scripture in church and what we do as Chris-tians in the world. All of our teaching, learning, and mission projects depend on both congregational leadership and congregant funding, by everyone.
Now, with October upon us, we begin the budget process for 2016 to ensure the con-tinued funding of our magnificent programs in ministry and mission. You can help us by making a pledge to the church by October 18th. Making a pledge means you write down your promise to contribute a specific amount to the church on a pledge card and submit your pledge to the church by mail, in the offering plate, or drop it off directly at the office. Your pledge promise helps us make a budget that is realis-tic, affordable, and planned. The dollars that you send in, as promised by your pledge, pay for our ministry and mission work here at church, in town, for our youth, and for our world.
We do a lot! Think about what you love at First Presbyterian – and what your dollars pay for: our music program (including concerts and hand-bell choirs), Wednesday night youth group, First Friday Club, congregational picnics and fellow-ship gatherings, Bible studies, Indonesian Fellowship, the Junior Club, mission trips, our staff members, and even Sunday worship.
Every autumn we ask for your pledge in order to help us to budget for the year ahead. First we need your pledges, then we need your payments. This year, the Stewardship Committee is asking for church members who have never pledged before to make a pledge – even for those of you who always contribute generously, we still need your pledge to do so (so we can plan). Please tell us by October 18th how much you can contribute for 2016. In addition, Stewardship is asking that every member give just ten dollars more per week ($520 per year) in order to make our revenues stronger, and as a result, our ministry more robust.
Inside this issue:
Pastor’s Peace (continued)
Fall New Member Class
2
Pastor’s Reading Corner 3
Stewardship 2016 “Stronger Together”
4
“Cabaret” Night with Janus 5
Fear Not: Spirituality Mini-Retreat and Breakfast—Oct. 17
6
Presbyterian Women 7
Long-time Members See a Bright Future at FPC
8
CROP Walk
Pumpkin Family Fellowship
Join a Choir
9
Treasurer’s Two Cents
Puppies Come and Puppies Go
10
Rose in Remembrance 11
Church Staff—FPC Metuchen 12
First Presbyterian Church 270 Woodbridge Avenue, Metuchen, NJ 08840
Telephone: 732-491-2300 www.fpcweb.org
http://www.facebook.com/FPCMetuchen Sunday Morning Worship starts at 9:30 AM
The Parish News PASTOR’S PEACE October 2015
Rev. Ellen Clark Clémot
Daylight Saving Time Ends
Sunday, November 1
Page 2 The Parish News October 2015
PASTOR’S PEACE (continued)
We need pledges in order to plan. Then, based on those pledges and plans, we need your dollars to follow on a regular basis in order to implement our budgeted expenses. Pledge packets are in the mail; a pledge card is in this newsletter, and you can even pledge online at www.fpcweb.org.
Our Stewardship theme this year is “Stronger Together” - and we are! Thank you for all you do – for this church, and for each other, as Christians contributing time, talent and treasure to our church.
First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen, NJ Parish News — October 2015
Page 3
Pastor’s Reading Corner by Reverend Ellen Clark Clémot
I just finished reading This Odd and Wondrous Calling by Lillian Daniel and Martin Copenhaver. The book’s subtitle: “The public and private lives of two ministers,” reveals all. It offers a glimpse of the experiences of two Congregationalist minis-ters, one an older man from New England and son of a pastor and the other a younger woman who left the confines of the Episcopalian church to join the “low church” of the UCC. They share the surprises, challenges, and learnings they each experienced in discerning, exploring and acting upon their respective calls to min-istry. Both have now served congregations for many years as senior pastors, but they share stories from early in their careers, and childhood upbringing when glimpses of God’s call on their lives were just beginning to shine through. It has been illuminating for me to read about their experiences: trusting in prayer among strangers, learning to be a better person from saintly congregants, confess-ing the unexpected of life before seminary, like being a drummer in a rock n roll band. But the one experience expressed which I share and value more than any other is the discovery of what an honor and privilege it is to serve as a minister. In sharing life’s mysteries, celebrations, and even catastrophes, with faithful people, I have discovered God’s grace in every new day and in every person I meet. It makes me grateful for this “odd and wondrous calling” to ministry, and above all, to serve as a minister to our First Presbyterian Church.
This month I wanted to share another favorite
poem, this time by Elizabeth Bishop who died in
1979. Her poem “One Art” is a masterpiece.
Bishop wrote it in villanelle style, a pattern that
has a strict metric structure, but which she
handles so deftly it flows like free verse. And
the topic, which is on the problem of losing, and
loss, also flows easily, and deceptively, from an
innocent, humorous exposition on forgetfulness
— lost keys, lost things — to a jarring ending on
what the real loss is, the loss of someone close.
It stops us short and makes us pause – have we
treated the people in our lives as carelessly as a
set of house keys? Interestingly, it is often in
this off-hand way that we express our disasters:
first talking about the mundane, and then, as a
last-minute after-thought, we let loose the crux
of what is on our hearts, almost in passing, as
we get up to leave, or just as we are saying
goodbye. That’s when the truth comes out.
The most important thing. The hard thing to
say. Losing you – is disaster.
Here is Elizabeth Bishop’s poem, “One Art.”
The art of losing isn’t hard to master; so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster. Lose something every day. Accept the fluster of lost door keys, the hour badly spent. The art of losing isn’t hard to master. Then practice losing farther, losing faster: places, and names, and where it was you meant to travel. None of these will bring disaster. I lost my mother’s watch. And look! my last, or next-to-last, of three loved houses went. The art of losing isn’t hard to master. I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster, some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent. I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster. —Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident the art of losing’s not too hard to master though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.
Page 4 The Parish News October 2015
Where is Your Heart?
This Stewardship season, we are reflecting on the strength and vitality of our Church. This year’s theme- Stronger Together- is a reminder that when we join our hearts together in worship and service, the whole of our congregation is indeed greater than the sum of its parts. This collective strength is built upon the individual commitment that each of us is called to make as a Chris-tian. We are called to participate actively, giving from our hearts of our time and talents. We are also called to commit our financial support to our church, and to confirm our commitment by making our annual pledge.
Throughout this Stewardship season you will notice a poster in the narthex (see picture on the right), on which we will indicate the number of pledges received to date along with the total amount pledged. This will enable the Stewardship team to share progress as the campaign advances through the coming weeks.
We are asking that you search your heart and prayerfully consider how you will fulfill your commitment to providing our church with the financial support needed to continue its ministries and programs. As Luke reminds us, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
As much as we want to be different commonality unites. Not just systems that keep us on schedule. It’s the way we love, laugh, listen. The sound of a smile, sharing of a joke; the still lingering day with a loved one. Then suddenly we scatter into our different spaces. With death and grief we are brought to common ground.
Each memory different; yet the one life unites and that only brings us peace within our collective loss.
I wrote this poem in response (on September 2, 2015) to all the loss we share in our world and in our church community. I hope you find how God unites us in peace within our common grief.
—Mary Kay Dangremond
Page 5 First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen, NJ Parish News — October 2015
“Cabaret” Night with Janus
First Presbyterian Church Metuchen Food Pantry Benefit — Please bring a canned food item with you.
$15.00 Admit One
Janus Koons Wojcik will be appearing at the Old Franklin Schoolhouse at 491 Middlesex Avenue (Route 27
North) in Metuchen on Saturday October 17, 2015 at 8:00 P.M. This “Cabaret” performance will benefit the
Food Pantry at the First Presbyterian Church in Metuchen and the Old Franklin Schoolhouse. The Food Pantry
assists approximately sixty families a month in the Metuchen-Edison area. The Schoolhouse is a historical one
room school house built in 1807. Tickets are $15 per person and includes a complimentary snack and drink .
Tickets may be obtained at Marafiki, 20 New Street in Metuchen or by accessing the Borough Improvement
League’s website at http://www.boroughimprovementleague.org — the tickets are $15.75 (The $.75 charge is
a processing fee for use of a credit card). Advance ticket sales are suggested. Karen Keithler, a church member,
also has tickets for sale.
Janus, who resides in Somerset, NJ, has been in the music industry for most of her adult life. Her musical ability
has been attributed to her entire family; as far back as three generations on both sides of the family. Her father,
Richard Koons, was a prominent trumpet player and teacher.
Janus has been featured in print ads for Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine. She recorded vocals in commer-
cials for Pepsi, RC Cola, Purina Dog Chow, Macco Auto Body, and more, and was a successful contestant on the
ever popular Star Search. In 1994, Janus was the winner of the Samuel Adams Talent Contest in Point Pleasant,
NJ. Janus was a regular singer with the Johnny Martin Orchestra, appearing at The Manor in West Orange, NJ.
During earlier years, she was the featured singer in numerous bands.
Janus' regional theatre experience includes the lead role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl and Sally Bowles in
Cabaret. One of her most rewarding experiences was a featured singing part on the soundtrack in the movie
"Stitches".
Janus studied vocal music with Sharon Alexander of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ, and has
worked with famous writers and producers, Tony Camillo, Paul Vance, Tony Bongiovi, and Dale Ashby.
Janus currently enjoys doing her "music therapy" with the mentally and physically challenged and the elderly,
in addition to being an elder care giver. Janus also sings in her church choir. She is frequently called upon to
perform special music at her church and local benefits.
For more information, contact Karen Keithler at 732-425-6016 or 732-494-7391.
Page 7 First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen, NJ The Parish News — October 2015
PW Booth at the Metuchen Country Fair — Saturday, October 3, 10 AM to 4 PM—Main Street, Metuchen.
Bible Study Circles — Monday, October 5, Esther Circle — at 10:30 AM in the Church Library located in the Education Building; Mary Ruth Circle—at 7:30 PM at Ruth Endicott’s home.
PW Coordinating Team Meeting — Wednesday, October 7, at 7:00 PM in Room 109 located in the Education Building and Wednesday, November 4, at 7:00 PM in the PW Lounge located in the Social Center.
PW Craft Circle — Friday, October 23, at 10:00 AM — Come join us for an hour of fellowship, easy craft-ing and refreshments! A new project will be offered at each meeting or you may bring your own. Our goal is to have an assortment of handmade items for the 2015 Metuchen Country Fair and the Holly Fair. Anyone interested in presenting a craft and instructing the group would be welcome! The next meeting will be October 23, 2015 at 10AM in the PW Lounge, located in the Social Center. For further information, please contact Susan Short at 732-287-1333.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH! To the many people who supported the Fall Rummage Sale in any way, the Presbyterian Women offer a grateful and sincere thank you. We couldn't have done it without you. Our proceeds from this sale were $8,690! Praise the Lord!
Time for a quick meal and fellow-ship before opening the doors at 5PM on Friday for the Rum-mage Sale to begin. Thank you all for your support!
Presbyterian Women
Page 8 The Parish News October 2015
Bill and Beverly Cummings have been stalwart mem-bers of the FPC family since the Eisenhower admin-istration, and they have served in many high-profile roles: Bev as a Sunday School teacher, Bill as an elder/trustee and president of the former Men’s Club. But when you ask Bill and Bev what the church has meant to them, they describe it in more personal terms: that their three children were all baptized in the church; that daughters Susan and Joan were married in the church just 10 weeks apart, in 1982; that Bill’s years of helping to lead confirmation classes and organizing Sunday greeters has forged deep relationships with many church members.
As such long-time members, Bill and Bev of course speak fondly of the past, particularly the tenure of the Rev. Bob Beringer, the pastor emeritus. But they also trumpet the wonderful ministries and talents of the church in its present day, from the youth program to the music ministry to the many gifted and spiritual laypeople, and they see a bright future. Bev and Bill emphasize that while the church is now in a period of transition as it begins the search for a permanent pastor, the church ulti-mately is about its people.
“The church is the cake, and the minister is the icing on the cake,” Beverly says.
Bill Cummings and Beverly John both grew up in Had-donfield, in South Jersey, but they didn’t really know each other until after a chance meeting on a bus. Bev later asked Bill to a nurs-es’ dance in Camden, and they still remember the date of that first date: April 28, 1951. They were married the following year and migrated north to Perth Amboy, to be closer to Bill’s marketing job with PSE&G. Two years later, when they moved to Metuchen, they transferred their membership from the Perth Amboy Presbyterian Church.
Bev, a registered nurse, worked for more than two dec-ades at Muhlenberg Hospital and for many years as a home health manager. Bill worked mostly in Newark, commuting on early-1900s trains that he remembers as being so old and rusty that “you could see through to the track below.” Bill retired from PSE&G in 1988.
Even with their work schedules and raising son Alan and the girls, the Cummings found time to be very active mem-bers. Bev served as a Parish Nurse for about five years, serving the congregation with blood-pressure and other health screenings, and each fall she would address the congregation about the importance of good hygiene during cold-and-flu season.
“Remember to cough in your elbow and wash your hands frequently…while you count to 20 or, better still, while you sing ‘Happy Birthday to Me’ all the way through,” Bev would urge congregants.
The annual announcements gave Bev the chance, she says, to tackle one of her own fears: Public speaking. While she was fine once she reached the front of the
church, Bev says the walk-up was the scary part. “I used to pray that I wouldn’t collapse on the way,” she says.
Bill counts among his highlights his confirmation class and Sunday greeter duties. He recalls reaching out to con-gregants with a phone call and getting such a response that occasionally peo-ple would reach out to him, asking to be a greeter.
Bill also provided the inspiration a few years back to turn Julie Walton Shav-
er’s cast photo of the Christmas pageant into jigsaw puzzles to be sold to congregants, which raised $1,000. In more recent years, Bill organized and helped hand out groceries from the food pantry.
Both Bill and Beverly speak glowingly of the Rev. Ellen Clark Cle mot, and Beverly says the temporary pastor got it exactly right during her first sermon in July, when she was relaying advice she got from Rev. Beringer on how to approach our congregation.
“What they need is a loving presence,” Rev. Cle mot says Rev. Beringer told her. “People can overlook many things, but have a loving heart, and they will open theirs to you.”
Long-time Members See a Bright Future at First Presbyterian Church By David Kozo
Bill and Bev Cummings
The Parish News October 2015
Page 9 First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen, NJ The Parish News — October 2015
Join and Help Fight Hunger!
Follow the link below and you can either support the First Presbyterian Team by donating or you can join the team and walk with us on October 18.
Unlike many walks 25% of funds raised come back to the Metuchen-Edison Interfaith Association to help families in Metuchen and Edison. Pa-per-walker forms can be obtained from the church office or from a mem-ber of the Mission Commission.
On Sunday, October 18, the Sunday school will have a CROP Walk to the food pantry in support of the local and national need to feed the hungry.
Sid’s Cans for CROP
How else can I help?
You can contribute non-perishable food items (cereal, oatmeal, parma-lat milk, pancake mix w/water, maple syrup, peanut butter & jelly, juices, canned vegetables, canned meats, canned spaghetti sauce, granola bars, pop tarts, crackers, cookies, pudding, jello, etc.) to our food pantry, which is in need of replenishing, for the 10th Annual Sid’s Cans for CROP.
What is Sid’s Cans for CROP?
In June 2003, after many years as a faithful member of the Mission Commission and countless volun-teer hours, Sid Riddlestorffer retired from the commission.
[Sid Riddlestorffer]
On October 16, 2005, and continu-ing each CROP WALK Sunday thereafter, Mission sponsors Sid’s Cans for CROP, a drive to feed the hungry.
On January 20, 2008, our Church lost a true “miracle” worker with the passing of Sid Riddlestorffer. Anyone who knew Sid, will attest to the fact that one of his goals always was to fight hunger—both here and around the globe. Every year when the CROP Walk rolled around, Sid was always on the front line signing up and encour-aging walkers.
Sid was a firm believer that a con-gregation — as blessed as ours — has a responsibility to do all it can for those in need.
Whether you walk for CROP, support a walker, or
fight hunger in other ways, “Sid’s Cans for CROP”
will give you another chance to help your own community.
Pumpkin
Fellowship Sunday, October 25
Social Center Plans are under way for this year's Pumpkin Fellowship, which will be held immediately after worship and ending at 2:00 PM.
Bring a pumpkin to carve and children’s crafts. Costumes definitely welcome.
More details to follow in the Son-Day Paper.
If you are interested in leading a craft or volunteering your time, please contact Nancy or Tracy Regan: [email protected].
Nancy and Tracy Regan
JOIN A
CHOIR!!
If you enjoy singing but have never had the courage to join a choir, now is the perfect time to give it a try. All of our choirs have just begun rehearsing and would love to welcome YOU! Reading music is not necessary – just a desire to sing and praise God through music.
Youth Mission $ 21,322.61 [$2,381 balance for Triennium]
Zundel Fund $ 1,394.41
I&E Balance 8/31/15 $ 4,334,377.60
Budget vs. Actual 8/31/15 Actual YTD Projected YTD Difference
Income $ 564,128.76 $ 569,061.60 $ -4,932.84
Expense $ 558,343.92 $ 591,093.58 $ -32,749.66
Net Income $ 5,784.84 $ -22,031.98 $ 27,816.82
Puppies Come and Puppies Go
Hi, my name is Bogey – I’m a sable German shepherd. Mason has told me so many great things about my new church…wonderful music and lots of friendly faces.
Sorry all of your guesses on my name weren’t right – no Bailey or Brody or even Bumblebee; but I’ll try to stop by and say hello and thank you for thinking of me!
Please see Mason and wish him “good luck” . . . he is off to school soon!
Hope to see you on Sunday . . . I think I might be greeting!
Yours in Mission,
Bogey G
Mason and Bogey are service seeing-eye dogs in training, and their foster parents are Diane & Tom Giordano.
Mason and Bogey
The Parish News October 2015
Page 11 First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen, NJ The Parish News — September 2015
A ROSE IN REMEMBRANCE
November 1, 2015
All Saints’ Day is the Church’s observance of remembrance of departed loved ones. The Worship and Spiritual Life Commission is offering our Church family an opportunity to place a memorial rose in the Sanctuary for the Sunday morning worship on November 1. The names of the deceased (not the donors) will be listed in the worship bulletin, and the roses can be taken home after the service.
Please send this form, along with your check made payable to
First Presbyterian Church, to the FPC Office,
P. O. Box 385, 270 Woodbridge Avenue, Metuchen, NJ 08840
DEADLINE: MONDAY — October 26
Number of Roses _____ X $5.00 = Check Amount $___________
Your Name (print)_______________________________________________
Your Telephone No._____________________________________________
The Parish News October 2015 First Presbyterian Church P. O. Box 385 270 Woodbridge Avenue Metuchen, NJ 08840
TO:
Address Service Requested
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE PAID
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ
PERMIT 746
The information contained herein is for Church use only. Individuals using this information must receive permission of the Session of the First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen, NJ.