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Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church
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Weekly News for
Sunday,
May 25, 2014
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 Dear Friends, Sometime, maybe long ago, you may have been in a Sunday School class, and the teacher placed a box of crayons in the middle of the table, saying, "Draw a picture of God." Then, you had some decisions to make. What color crayons? What sort of background? Draw a human-like figure, or something more abstract? What sort of picture would you draw, today? We all talk about God, but our mental pictures are mostly indistinct. So much about God is mysterious, distant --- "wholly other," as the theologians say. Is God avoiding us, "playing hard to get"? Or, is God's nature so grand, so glorious, that if we ever met the Lord face to face, we could never begin to take it all in? In Athens, the apostle Paul preached a famous sermon "to an unknown God." (You can read it in Acts 17:22-31 --- and we'll read it in worship this Sunday.) He was talking to a sophisticated, intellectual people who thought they had the whole god thing pretty much figured out. They didn't, of course. The gods represented by the statues in their elegant temples didn't begin to approach the majesty of the "unknown God," who's near at hand, but always just enough out of our field of vision that we can't catch a glimpse. I invite you to make time for worship, this Memorial Day weekend! We'll do some thinking, together, about how we may come to know God better. We'll also remember our nation's fallen, in prayer and music. You just may get a better idea of what color God really is. Pastor Carl
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This Sunday
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Acts 17:22-31
Dr Wilton preaching: "WHAT COLOR IS GOD?"
10:00 a.m. - Worship/Special Music/Baptism
10:00 a.m. Sunday School Begins in Worship
11:15 a.m. - Confirmation Class
11:30 a.m. - Sarah Hope Circle, Chittick Lounge
2:30 p.m. - Claremont Care Center
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Noisy Offering
 Sunday is our monthly collection for the "Noisy Offering." We will be accepting contributions to Cents-Ability, a hunger ministry of the Presbytery of Monmouth. Don't forget to bring your change.
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Receiving the Sacrament of Baptism
This morning is
Cody Robert Santos
Son of Robert and Dee Santos
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In observance of Memorial Day the Church office will be closed on Monday. We extend a special thank you to all who serve in our nation's military.
May all our members a safe holiday weekend.
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"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 May 25 is the Williams family. Let us be prayerfully aware of Bill, Terri, Megan, Dan, Tim and Jamie, as well as all our members and friends.
Other prayer concerns: Alyssa (young friend of Hannah Ploskonka); Lizzy Scotland; Nicholas Hudnut; Ralph Smith; all those in the military, as well as those struggling with addictions and mental illness. |
A MEETING OF THE CONGREGATION of the Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church will take place Sunday, June 1, at 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary. The purpose of the meeting is to act on the report of the Nominating Committee, which will be presenting the following names for election/re-election as church officers:
Endowment & Emergency Fund Trustees, Class of 2017Brian Potter Frank Scarpone Deacons, Class of 2017Glenavie Gauer Nicholas Cox Kevin Conheeney Gregory Hall Heidi Steinert Youth Deacon: Madeline D'Amore Deacon, Class of 2015William Williams Elders, Class of 2017  Carol Bonebrake Elaine Conheeney Craig Lambie Douglas Petersen Jacque Thornton Terri Williams Youth Elder: to be announced
The Ordination and Installation of new officers is planned for Sunday, June 8th.
CAREGIVER VOLUNTEERS OF CENTRAL JERSEY 7th Annual Women of Distinction Fashion Show and Gift Auction - Thursday, June 12, 2014 at the Toms River Hotel Atlantis Ball Room Doors open at 6 p.m. for Gift Auction preview! The Fashion Show begins at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are only $40 and must be paid for in advance. Price includes: All you can eat desert buffet and 1 drawing into the door prize. To order tickets call Rebecca at 732-505-2273, ext. 203 or order online.
 A WEDDING INVITATION - Donna and Bob Norton invite you to the wedding of their daughter, Courtney Leigh Norton to John Robert Rzeplinski, next Saturday, May 31 at 4:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Dr. Wilton and the Rev. Robin Lostetter will be co-officiating.
LINDA CHASE ON VACATION THIS WEEK Linda is on vacation this week and will return next Sunday, June 1.
THANK YOU FROM THE SMITHS -
Dear Carl, Linda and Church Members,
Thank you so much for honoring us on our upcoming (June 19th) 60th Wedding Anniversary and our 56 years of Church Membership. We have enjoyed being a part of this congregation. Also thanks to Sue Hankins and Marilyn Rice for delivering the lovely silver picture frame to us - they braved my germs!! We were so sorry not to be able to attend the service. Ralph was not up to par and I had a horrible cold!!
Fondly, Ralph and Nancy Smith
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 GERANIUMS FOR PENTECOST - Pentecost will be celebrated on Sunday, June 8, 2014. Once again we will decorate the Sanctuary with geraniums on Pentecost. Afterwards we will be planting them around the Church. We invite you to purchase a geranium as a way to celebrate someone whose faithful Christian witness has been an inspiration to you.
Do to a new distributor, the Geraniums will now come in 4" pots and cost $5.00 each. We were able to get them at a cheaper price.
Please fill out the order form in the bulletin or online. Payment must be included with this order form. Checks should be made payable to PPPC, and please be sure to indicate "Pentecost Flowers" on the memo line! Order form and payment may be placed in the offering plate or mailed/delivered to the church office. |
We're Looking for a Sunday School Coordinator
 We've been very pleased to have Sarah Morrison on the church staff this year, leading our Sunday School program. Sarah has recently informed us that she is going to be resigning her position as of the end of June, in order to move to the Houston, Texas area, where she will be pursuing some employment leads for full-time public-school teaching.
Sarah has made a great impression on everyone connected with the Sunday School, and she will be missed!
We are now searching for someone to fill this part-time, paid position. A job description is available online. If you are aware of anyone who is interested in applying, please contact the Church Office. |
 At its meeting on May 20, 2014, the Session took the following actions:
1. Heard a report about difficulties finding volunteers to do minor repair jobs in a timely way, and also about possible upcoming changes in our cleaning service. Decided to advertise one or more part-time sexton positions to meet these needs.
2. Received with regret the resignation of Diane Sikora as Clerk of Session, effective after the June Session meeting, and voted to elect Sue Hankins as the new Clerk. Diane will continue as Assistant Clerk, filling in when Sue is not available.
3. Received with regret the resignation of Sarah Morrison as Sunday School coordinator at the end of the current school year, and elected Maria O'Connor, Liz Ploskonka and Jacque Miscavage Thornton as a search committee to find someone to fill this position.
4. Heard that both Dr. Carl Wilton and Ruling Elder Jim McGuire will be attending the PC(USA) General Assembly in Detroit, June 14-21. Carl is attending as Monmouth Presbytery's Stated Clerk, and Jim as an elected commissioner of the Presbytery.
5. Learned that the Rev. Linnda Chase will be on vacation from May 23-31, and Kim Gaydos from June 3-5.
6. Heard a report from the Nominating Committee on the names of those who are being nominated as church officers (see above for the list of names, just below the call to the June 1st, 11:00 a.m. Congregational Meeting).
7. Set tentative dates for new officer training: Sundays, June 1 and June 8, 9:00 a.m.
8. Approved Erica Ferguson, a senior in the M.Div. program at New Brunswick Theological Seminary, as the Volunteer Village Summer Intern. We are still seeking an intern for the 2014-2015 academic year.
9. Approved the TextInChurch.com email/texting follow-up service for outreach to potential members, for a trial period through the end of 2014.
10. Learned that there will be at least one work group staying in the Volunteer Village most weeks throughout the summer.
11. Set the dates for the Mission Fair, December 6-7.
12. Decided to apply for a Cents-Ability grant from the Presbytery, for St. Gregory's Pantry (the Cents-Ability program is supported by our monthly Noisy Offering).
13. The Glory to God hymnals have arrived, and will be introduced in worship on a Sunday morning in the near future, ideally at a Hymn Festival worship service - although, if it appears that the Hymn Festival service must take place a little later, we will start using the new hymnals sooner. Once the old hymnals have been removed from the Sanctuary, we will offer donated copies back to the donors for a period of several weeks. After that, remaining copies will be offered to other churches that can use them. The Lakehurst Presbyterian Church has expressed an interest in some of the old hymnals.
14. Heard a report on the results of the worship survey recently conducted; 79 responses were received. A large majority favors retaining the single Sunday service at 10:00 am. The Session voted to continue the present Sunday-morning schedule.
15. A significant number of people are interested in an alternative worship at a different time. The Alternative Worship Team will continue to meet and explore various options that include an evening service (perhaps on Saturdays) or an earlier Sunday-morning service.
16. Learned that the church's Point Beach Prep preschool is near capacity for 2014-2015, and that there is a waiting list for most age-groups - with the exception of pre-K, for which there are still a few time slots available.
17. Approved Point Beach Prep's request to conduct a Summer Enrichment Program during the month of July. This opportunity for pre-school children will be a bit more relaxed than the school-year program, but will still focus on educational readiness.
18. Reviewed a proposal for maintenance and replacement of several of the boilers and furnaces in the Sanctuary building and Education Annex. Two of these in particular are in need of replacement, which will result in greater energy efficiency as well as avoiding breakdowns. Funds are not currently available for this major capital expense. The Session will be talking in the coming months about the possibility of a targeted capital campaign to meet this urgent need.
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What's New In Glory to God?
 The new Glory to God Presbyterian hymnal we'll introduce later this spring includes all the familiar hymns we're used to singing, but offers a whole range of new hymns as well. Each week in this space, we'll share a video highlighting one of the great new songs from Glory to God. This week's selection is "Will You Come and Follow Me (The Summons)." Click on the image below to have a listen!
 | | "My Sout Cries Out With a Joyful Shout (Canticle of the Turning)" |
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This week in Sunday School we will be learning about the miraculous netful of fish the disciples caught after listening to Jesus when he appeared to them at the Sea of Galilee after his resurrection (John 21: 1-14). In Sunday School we are going to act out the story and play a fishing game to review this story and others. We will also practice signing the Lord's Prayer and "Jesus Loves Me." Be sure to come out to Sunday School and bring a friend!
Upcoming Events
Friday Fun Night June 6th 6-8 p.m.
Games, Face Painting, Crafts, Movie and Pizza, cost $2
Parents can drop off their children or stay and enjoy the fun!
End of the Year Sunday School and Dove Choir Pool Party
Sunday June 15th - stay tuned for more information
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 This week we learned numbers 7 and 8. We talked about the seven days of the week, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, seven colors of a rainbow, and Seven Up soda. For eight we talked about a spider, octopus tentacles, a package of hot dogs, an 8 pack of Crayola markers, an octagon (the shape of a stop sign) and 8 hours of sleep. Our book selection was The Seven Silly Eaters, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, Eight Silly Monkeys , Spots : Counting Creatures From Sky to Sea, Ten, Nine, Eight, and The Three Little Pigs, the Wolf, and the Seven Magic Shapes. We have been diligently practicing our handwriting with numbers and have been counting, counting, counting!
We are announcing our 1st Point Beach Prep Summer Camp! We will offer a 5 day program 8:30am - 12pm June 30th-August 1st. We are very excited! For information about our school, please contact Devlin House at 732-701-9900.
Have a wonderful weekend!
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Groups Staying in the Volunteer Village
 | | Detroit Presbytery Volunteers Have a Great Time Restoring the Shore |
We have a full complement of work groups staying in our Volunteer Village this summer. Following is our latest list of groups scheduled:
May 26-31 Presbytery of Detroit June 8-14 Trinity United Presbyterian Church, Modesto, CA
June 15-20 Lend A Hand June 18-22 Faith Presbyterian Church, Emmaus, PA
June 22-28 Presbytery of Western Kentucky, Henderson, KY
July 6-12 First Presbyterian Church OKC, Oklahoma
July 7-12 York United Presbyterian Church, York, NY
July 20-26 Presbyterian Church Morristown, Morristown, NJ
July 27-Aug 1 Canfield Presbyterian Church Aug 3-9 Fairfield and Timber Ridge Presbyterian Churches, VA Aug 10-16 The Presbyerian Church of Woodbury, Woodbury, NJ Aug 17-21 Lend A Hand
Sep 7-13 Pass A Grille Beach Community Church, St. Pete Beach, FL
Sep 14-20 Crossroads Community Presbyterian Church, Leechburg, PA Sept 28-Oct 4 Presbytery of Iowa October 12-17 Lend A Hand Oct 19-25 Scioto Valley Presbytery, Columbus, OH Nov 9-14 Lend A Hand |
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Calendar For The Week
 The latest edition of the church calendar is available online, on the church's website.
Sunday, May 25
10:00 a.m. - Worship/Special Music/Baptism
10:00 a.m. Sunday School Begins in Worship
11:15 a.m. - Confirmation Class
11:30 a.m. - Sarah Hope Circle, Chittick Lounge
2:30 p.m. - Claremont Care Center
Monday, May 26
Memorial Day - Office Closed
Tuesday, May 27
9:30 a.m. - Busy Hands, Fellowship Room
10:00 a.m. - Eye Openers, Chittick Lounge
6:45 p.m. - Scouts
Wednesday, May 28
9:00 a.m. - Women's Breakfast at the Rainbow Diner
12:30 p.m. - Staff Meeting
5:00 p.m. - Dove Choir Rehearsal
Thursday, May 29
7:30 a.m. - Men's Breakfast
7:00 p.m. - Buildings and Grounds Meeting
7:30 p.m. - Chancel Choir Rehearsal
Friday, May 30
6:00 p.m. Norton/Rzeplinski Wedding Rehearsal
Saturday, May 31
4:00 p.m. Norton/Rzeplinski Wedding
Sunday, June 1
9:00 a.m. - Officer Training
10:00 a.m. Worship/Communion/Dove Choir Recognition
10:00 a.m. Sunday School Begins in Worship
11:00 a.m. - Congregational Meeting to New Elect Officers
11:00 a.m. - Communion Brunch
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 Birthday Blessings
May 25 Deirdre D'Amore, Diane Legreide, Hannah Ploskonka
May 26 Jane Lambie, Matthew Savage
May 27 Alexander Grebel, Rylan Parrott
May 28 Jo Anne Adamo, Diane Manzo
May 29 Bernard Fiorentino III, Ryan Pasola
May 30 Ryan Grebel, Jeffrey Johnson
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Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendar 
June 1 - Congregational Meeting to Elect Officers
June 6 - Sunday School Family Fun Night
June 8 - Pentecost/Confirmation
June 15 - Chancel Choir Recognition
June 15 - Sunday School/Dove Choir Pool Party
August 17 - All-Church Picnic
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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