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Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church
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Weekly News for
Sunday,
Sept. 22, 2013
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 Friends,
"There is a balm in Gilead..."
The line comes from a well-known spiritual. Generations of children, sitting in church, have mis-heard it, thinking Gilead is not such a nice place, because there's an explosive device hidden somewhere in it. While the word "balm" may not be so familiar today, lots of us do know it refers to a soothing ointment with healing properties.
The balm of Gilead, a tree resin, was renowned for its medicinal properties. It's no wonder that the despairing Jeremiah, wondering if there's anything that can save his wayward people, asks God to send some of that Gilead-Balm over to the children of Israel - they of the "sin-sick soul."
Their ailment? Sin. A tiny, but very misunderstood word. Jeremiah seems to approach the subject of sin using a medical model. Is that a valid approach, to view sin as a sort of sickness? And if so, what sort of balm do we have that brings relief?
The message this Sunday will be on the subject of healing, of the very deepest sort.
See you in church!
Pastor Carl
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This Sunday
Sunday, September 22
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Dr. Wilton preaching: "TO HEAL THE SIN-SICK SOUL"
9:00 a.m. - Parents and Youth Confirmation Meeting, Fellowship Room
9:00 a.m. - Youth Connection Begins, CE Annex Classroom 2
10:00 a.m - Worship/Baptism/Special Music/Noisy Offering
10:00 a.m. - Church School begins in Worship
11:30 a.m - Sarah Hope Circle, Chittick Lounge
2:30 p.m. - Claremont Care Center Service
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RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM this morning is
Kellan Michael Iadarola
Son of Michael and Kelly Iadarola
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Confirmation Meeting This Sunday
 We are making plans for the Confirmation Classes to begin this Fall. Confirmation is for young people in grades 7 and up.
Classes will take place on Sundays at various times throughout the year.
There will be an organizational meeting for parents and young people this Sunday, September 22 at at 9:00 a.m. in the Chittick Lounge.
We will be using the book Way To Live, Christian Practices for Teens, edited by Dorothy Bass and Don Richter. Books are available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble in Brick. A few are also available for purchase in the Church office for $16. If you are unable to attend the informational meeting and would like to participate in this years class or purchase a book, please call the church office at 732-899-0587 |
Prayerfully Consider
"Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God's people." - Ephesians 6:18 (CEV)
The Prayer family for the week of September 22 is the Pasola family. Let us be prayerfully aware of Jack and Sandy, as well as all our members and friends.
Other prayer concerns: Jon Crate; Jean DeMartino; Jake Yersin (nephew of Donna Norton); Marion Fittin; Allison Driver and family, Ralph Smith; Steven Budrick; Eric Erlandsen; all those in the military, as well as those struggling with addictions and mental illness.
Please pray for our Volunteer Village work group for this week, coming from the Presbytery of Detroit, Michigan.
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 THESE DAYS DEVOTIONAL BOOKLETS for the months of October, November and December are now available in the Narthex or Church Office. Booklets are $3 each. ATTENTION ALL SINGERS - Would you like to sing in a choir but cannot make a long-term commitment? Then we have just the choir for you this Sunday. There will once again be a "Pick Up" Choir singing two easy, fun songs on Sunday. We will practice on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the Choir Room. If interested, stop in the Choir Room before the service. INQUIRERS GROUP TO MEET - An Inquirers Group, for those exploring membership in the church, will take place on Sunday, October 6, 2013. We will start with Communion Brunch in the Annex around 11:15 a.m. and will continue until 2:00 p.m. Child care can be made available upon prior request. New members will be received in worship on October 13. Please call the Church Office to sign up, or to find out more!
SEAFOOD FESTIVAL - This Saturday, September 21, is Point Pleasant Beach's annual Festival of the Sea. This has no effect on our worship service the next day - UNLESS there is bad weather on Saturday, AND the town decides to postpone the Festival to its rain date, which is Sunday. In the unlikely event of a postponed Seafood Festival (with all the difficulties finding parking places that entails), please plan accordingly.
LUNCH AT THE RAINBOW DINER - This Monday, September 23, members of our congregation will be meeting for Lunch at the Rainbow Diner in Brick. Lunch begins at 12 noon. Stop in and have lunch with some laughs.
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CHILD PROTECTION TRAINING - SEPTEMBER 25
Child Protection Training, which is required for all who work with children or youth in our Church, will take place Wednesday, September 25 at 7:00 p.m. Elder Jim McGuire will lead a Child Protection Training session. Jim is an experienced trainer with the Boy Scouts of America. At the training, forms will be available to apply for the criminal background check the church requires. Certifications are only valid for two years. All initial certifications will need to be renewed. No one will be able to work with children or youth without participating in this training. To register for this training event please email or call the Church office.
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Prayers for our Church
If you are interested in praying each month for Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church, please join Linda Chase in the sanctuary the first Monday of each month at 9:30 a.m. Our first gathering will be October 7th.
The purpose of this gathering is to offer prayers for our church; prayers of thanksgiving as well as prayers for guidance, intercession and direction. Mainline denominational churches such as ours are experiencing difficult times in an increasingly secular society. More than ever, we need to be guided and undergirded by prayer.
This prayer time for our church is open to anyone who has an interest. We will meet from 9:30 to 10.00 a.m. Should you have questions or should you like to express an interest in this new endeavor, please speak to Linda Chase.
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Come Join Us For a Sunday Morning Bible Study
We will be studying an excellent book by Marcus Borg called The Heart of Christianity." Borg is a top notch Biblical scholar who writes in a manner which everyone can understand.
An excerpt from the book:
"We live in an exciting time in the life of the church. In the past few decades, an emerging vision of Christianity has begun to take root among both clergy and laity in mainline denominations in North America. It is a vision of Christianity that takes the Bible, God, and Jesus just as seriously as did the earlier vision of Christianity.
But the emerging vision removes the unnecessary intellectual stumbling blocks generated by the earlier vision. Rather than seeing the Bible as an inerrant or infallible divine product, it recognized that the Bible is the product of ancient Israel and early Christianity. As such, it tells us about our spiritual ancestors' lives with God: their experiences of God, their stories about God, and what they thought life with God involved. Rather than emphasizing a literal-factual reading of the Bible, it recognizes that the Bible often uses the language of metaphor and poetry to speak about God and God's relation to the world. And rather than emphasizing what we must do or believe in order to have a blessed afterlife, the emerging Christian vision emphasizes relationship with God in the present that transforms our lives in this life."
If you want to tackle the thought-provoking insights written in this book, come join me (and hopefully others) on the following Sundays: October 13, 20, 27, November 3 and 17. (I will be away on the 10th). The class will be from 11:30 - 12:30 p.m. We will meet in the CE Annex and on the Sundays when we have food, we will get our food and eat together.
Each participant will need a book and the cost is $15. Monies are available to help with the cost if needed.
There are actually 6 more lessons but I have found that 11 sessions in a row are too many for most people's schedules. So we will plan together for the remainder of the book.
Let me know if you want a book ordered for you, or sign up in the narthex.
Pastor Linda
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Hearts of Remembrance Family Retreat Day
Saturday, October 5th
10am-3pm
Rumson, NJ
A one day bereavement camp for families that have experienced the death of a loved one. This event gives families the opportunity to learn how to support themselves and each other with their grief.
Our trained hospice professionals and volunteers will facilitate activities for adults, teens and children to help them become more aware of what family members are going through, improve communication, and learn new skills to cope with their loss. Join us for a day of healing, coping, playing, communicating, remembering, and hoping. *Pre-Registration is required.
For more information please contact Pauline DePalma at 732-224-6933 or Pauline.Depalma@vnahg.org
Sponsored by the VNA Health Group
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Sunday School This Week
 All youth are invited to come to Sunday School after the Time for Children at 10:20. Families can pick up their children in the Education Annex across the street after 11:20. We are off to a great start, we have over 25 children registered and are hoping to grow even more. We are studying the children of the Bible and the important roles they play. Last week we learned about Abraham, Sarah and Isaac. We played games to get to know one another, made a fun "All About Me" craft, and started our murals on the characters. Our main focus on this story was that God fulfilled the promise of a child to Sarah and Abraham. Our featured verse was "Is there anything too wonderful for the Lord?" - Genesis 18:14
This week we are learning about Miriam, the guardian of Moses (Exodus 2:1-10). The ancient Hebrew people became enslaved in Egypt. The Egyptians were afraid that the Hebrews might eventually overcome them, so they ordered that male babies be killed at birth. The Hebrew women did everything they could to save their sons. One particular mother, in desperation and hope, placed her son in a basket and set him afloat on the Nile River. His sister ran along the bank of the river, keeping her eyes on him. Amazingly, the basket found its way to the feet of the pharaoh's daughter. She recognized the baby as a Hebrew child, but she felt compassion for the infant. With great courage the baby's sister Miriam stepped forward and talked to the pharaoh's daughter. This action would have been unheard of or quite dangerous. Miriam offered her mother's services to help take care of the baby and the pharaoh's daughter accepted. This helped her family be together and safe once again. Our featured verse for this week is "His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him." - Exodus 2. Be sure to come to Sunday School to hear this amazing story and to do some fun activities!
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First Communion Instruction
 Please join us if you have a child in Kindergarten or above who has not received instruction about First Communion. We will be having a mini-class on September 29 at 11:00 am, directly following Church School.
Please let Sarah Morrison know, if you would like your child to receive First Communion on October 6 during the worship service. World Communion will be celebrated that Sunday. We encourage you to invite your family to share in this joyous occasion.
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Youth Connection
Friday, September 27th
Meet at the Church at 5:45 p.m.
Bring a $5 deposit
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Jr. and Sr. High Team Building Retreat
A Team Building Retreat will take place on October 4-6 at Camp Johnsonburg. With the help of our Johnsonburg facilitators, our group will get to know each other with some team-building exercises, do some group dynamics work on our low ropes course, and return home enthusiastic and excited about the upcoming year. We will leave on Friday night and return Sunday evening. A $25 deposit to hold your spot is due to Courtney Norton by September 29.
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Pumpkin Carving Night
 The Youth Connection will be carving pumpkins on Friday, October 11. We will be having "Pumpkins and Pies." We will gather at 5:30 to begin carving. Pizza will served starting at 6 p.m.
Members and families of the congregation are invited to join us as well. Pumpkins will be provided. If anyone has carving tools that they can let the Youth borrow, please speak with Courtney Norton.
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 This week our letter doll friend Miss A came to visit! We learned the different sounds A makes and what it looks like as a capital and lower case letter. We wrote the letter A with chalk, markers, paint and even with shaving cream! We read numerous stories that began with A. Some favorites were Ten Apples Up On Top and Animal Snackers. We talked about who the author and the illustrator of the stories were.
At our project table we made alligators, ants, apple prints, angels and more! At snack time we sampled red, yellow and green apples to see which one was our favorite. We then colored and cut out our favorite choice and put it on an apple graph. The children said they were juicy and yummy! We learned about sign language and how to talk with our hands. This week we learned "A" and "alligator". What an amazing week! Sincerely, Ms. Devlin
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HURRICANE SANDY RECOVERY NEWS
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Sandy Recovery Volunteer Hosting in the CE Annex
Volunteer workers will once again be arriving in the Volunteer Village this Sunday night. The following is the latest schedule of groups who will be staying in the CE Annex. This list will be changing as more groups are added. Watch for an up-to-date list, to include cooking teams to posted on the bulletin board in the kitchen upstairs in the Annex.
Sept 22-28 Presbytery of Detroit, Detroit, MI
Sept 29-Oct 5 Pass A Grille Beach Community Church St. Pete Beach, FL and Presbytery of GenesseeValley, Rochester, NY
Oct 6-12 Westminster Presbyterian Church, Ann Arbor, MI and Helping Hands, Allentown, PA
Oct 13-18 Lend A Hand
 Oct 27-Nov 2 Scioto Valley Presbytery, Columbus, OH
Nov 3- 9 First Presbyterian Church, Pittsford NY and Summerville Presbyterian Church,
Summerville, SC
Nov 10-15 Lend A Hand
Dec 1-6 Lend A Hand
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(908-675-7287)
is serving as our church's Hurricane Recovery Coordinator. (732) 580-1857 is coordinating the Volunteer Village. (732) 978-0940 is coordinating job assignments for the work teams.
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Calendar For The Week
 The latest edition of the church calendar is available online, on the church's website.
Sunday, September 22
9:00 a.m. - Parents and Youth Confirmation Meeting, Fellowship Room
9:00 a.m. - Youth Connection Begins, CE Annex Classroom 2
10:00 a.m - Worship/Baptism/Special Music/Noisy Offering
10:00 a.m. - Church School begins in Worship
11:30 a.m - Sarah Hope Circle, Chittick Lounge
2:30 p.m. - Claremont Care Center Service
Monday, September 23
9:15 a.m. - PW Coordination Team
12:00 p.m. - Lunch at the Rainbow Diner, all welcome
6:15 p.m. - Choral Bells, Fellowship Room
Tuesday, September 24
10:00 a.m. - Busy Hands, Fellowship Room
10:00 a.m. - Eye Openers, Chittick Lounge
7:00 p.m. - Girl Scout Leadership Meeting, Chittick Lounge
Wednesday, September 25
9:00 a.m. - Women's Breakfast, Rainbow Diner, all women welcome
5:00 p.m. - Dove Choir Rehearsal
7:00 p.m. - Child Protection Seminar, Fellowship Room
Thursday, September 26
7:30 a.m. - Men's Breakfast, US Subs, all men welcome
7:30 p.m. - Chancel Choir Rehearsal
Friday, September 27
5:45 p.m. - Youth Connection Bowling Night
Saturday, September 28
Sunday, September 29
9:00 a.m. - Youth Connection Begins, CE Annex Classroom 2
10:00 a.m - Worship/Dove and Chancel Choirs/
10:00 a.m. - Church School begins in Worship
11:00 a.m - Communion Instruction, CE Annex
11:00 a.m - Confirmation Mentoring Meeting, CE Annex
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 Birthday Blessing
September Birthdays
Sept 21
Sept 22 Sharon Morris, Ann Van Wagenen, Jonathan Viggiano
Sept 23 Kate Norby, Logan Milancewich, Jessica Pazienza
Sept 24 John Wisniewski
Sept 25
Sept 26 John Brzyski Jr., Kathy Durante, Robin Fiorentino
Sept 27 David Mowder
Sept 28 Quintessa Baker
Sept 29 Rylie Rampone, Leigh Reinwald
Sept 30 Donna Fahey, Dalton Garner, Taylor Van Wagenen
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Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendar
Sat., October 6 - Leadership Retreat for Church officers and Staff of our church at Brick Presbyterian
October 19 - Youth Connection Oktoberfest
October 20 - CROP Walk, Toms River
Additional information will follow
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Pastors
The Rev. Carl Wilton, Ph.D., Pastor
The Rev. Linda Chase, Associate Pastor
Office Staff
Kim Gaydos, Church Secretary
Donna Ferry, Financial Secretary
Dee D'Amore, Volunteer Village Bookkeeper
Nancy Stout, Treasurer
Music Staff
Sara Hoey, Organist
William Shoppell, Chancel Choir and Choral Bells Director
Rebecca Muraglia, Acting Dove Choir Director
Christian Education Staff
Courtney Norton, Youth Connection Coordinator
Sarah Morrison, Church School Coordinator
Devlin House, Point Beach Prep Preschool Director
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Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church
701 Forman Avenue, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742
(Corner of Bay and Forman Avenues)
Church Office: 732-899-0587 Fax: 732-899-2946
Visit us at http://www.pointpresbyterian.org
Church Office: mail@pointpresbyterian.org |
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