|
|
|
Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church
|
Weekly News for
Sunday,
September 28, 2014
| |
 Dear Friends,
A couple of weeks ago, I attended my 40th high school reunion. I've been to most of the reunions, held every 5 years. It's good to see old friends and catch up on each other's lives.
This time around, I noticed something had changed. At previous reunions, there was a lot of talk about careers and personal achievements. A number of us seemed eager to impress.
This gathering was different. I don't recall hearing anyone talk about jobs or promotions or business successes. This time it was all about people: especially kids and grandkids, brothers and sisters, parents still living and the challenges of caring for them.
There are a number of very successful people in our class, some of whom were there that evening. But they seemed less interested in trumpeting their career achievements. And their classmates showed little interest in asking.
That happens naturally, I suppose, as the hairs on our heads grow grayer (or aren't there anymore). My classmates and I have all climbed the ladder of success. None of us have reached the top, but from our vantage-point we've discovered there's no end to the climb. That ladder only extends maddeningly higher into the sky, its upper rungs vanishing into the mist.
Writing to the Christians of Philippi, the Apostle Paul advises them to "look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others." Climbing the success-ladder is all about pursuing our own interests. But that grows old after a while. Those among us who are lucky - no, who are blessed - learn that the greatest joy is found in living for others, not ourselves.
The good news is, we don't need to wait till a 40th reunion (or higher) to realize that. It's just as true on the first rung of the ladder as it is on the hundredth. The way of Christ is a way of service. It's what we were made for. At the end of the day, loving others brings greater fulfillment than ladder-climbing.
Come to worship this Sunday, as we explore this wise apostle's words that are still so relevant today!
Pastor Carl
|
|
|
This Sunday
Sunday, September 28
Philippians 2:1-13
Dr. Wilton preaching: "SUCCESS IS NOT A LADDER" 9:00 a.m. - Youth Connection 10:00 a.m. Worship/Chancel Choir/Noisy Offering 10:00 a.m. - Sunday School begins in Worship 1:00 p.m. - Memorial Service for Elder Audrey Pearce 2:30 p.m. - Claremont Care Center Service
|
|
|
|
"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 28 is the Parrott family. Let us be prayerfully aware of Jason, Christina, Kailyn, and Rylan, as well as all our members and friends.
Other prayer concerns: The family of George Lund; the family of Audrey Pearce; Cherisse Petruzzi; Margaret Olsavsky; Les Thornton; Robin Mason; Jerry Stover; Katherine Feldman; Karen Larsen; Fred Johnson; Trudy Pedersen; all those in the military, as well as those struggling with addictions and mental illness
A SERVICE OF WITNESS TO THE RESURRECTION, giving thanks to God for the life of Elder Audrey Pearce, will take place this Sunday, September 28 at 1:00 pm, in the Sanctuary.
A SERVICE OF WITNESS TO THE RESURRECTION, giving thanks to God for the life of George Lund (the husband of Barbara Lund, who plays in the Choral Bells), will take place this Sunday, September 28 at 5:00 pm, at The Church in Brielle.
|
 CHRISTMAS DINNER COORDINATOR NEEDED - We are in need of someone to coordinate the Christmas Dinner on Christmas Day. We have a lot of people who volunteer on Christmas Day but we are in need of someone to coordinate the logistics of the day. Jacque Thornton will arrange for the food to be ordered ahead of time. For questions or more information please speak with Jacque or with the Rev. Linda Chase.
USHERS NEEDED - Each Sunday our ushers quietly blend into our service as quiet guides and servers. We are in need of a few more ushers to fill out our many teams. If this kind of quiet serving is something that appeals to you, please contact Scott Smith at 732-840-0279.
YOUTH CONNECTION Now Meeting Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. in the Basement. Come join us!
|
|
Inquirers Group
 An Inquirers Group, for those exploring membership in the church, will take place next Sunday, October 5, 2014. We will begin at the Communion Brunch following the service that Sunday. We will continue until 2:30 p.m. Child care can be made available upon prior request. New members will be received in worship on October 19.
Please call the Church Office to sign up, or to find out more!
|
|
COVENANT BIBLE STUDY:
Still room for a few more!
|
| |
The Covenant Bible Study first unit, "Creating the Covenant," is now under way. There are two separate groups, meeting weekly:
Mondays, 10:00-11:30 am, led by Rev. Linda Chase
Wednesdays at 7:00-8:30 pm, led by Rev. Dr. Carl Wilton
If you're interested in joining one of these groups, please call or email the church office - or, just come to a group's first meeting this week!
You can learn more about the program at the CovenantBibleStudy.com website. |
 Sunday School
Sunday School (grades Pre-K through 6) is off to a GREAT start! If there's a kid in your house who hasn't signed up, then please call the Church Office for a Sunday School registration form (or just stop by the Education Annex a few minutes early on Sunday).
We have a need for a few more teachers. You need not teach every week (although continuity is important for the kids, so we ask you to consider signing up for a series of consecutive weeks - one month, for example). There's an excellent, teachable curriculum, so you don't need to build lessons from scratch - the curriculum tells you everything you need to know (even Bible background, so you don't need to be a fount of biblical wisdom). You just need to love the Lord, and love the kids. Contact Church School Coordinator Tricia Stoffers for more information.
|
Point Beach Prep News
What better book to read for "B" week than "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?"
Most of the children know the book already but we added a twist with beautiful felt pieces made by a church member to go along with the animals in the book. Our students enjoyed placing each animal on the board.
|
|
SEEKING A CHURCH TREASURER
|
| |
 The Session's Finance Team has rewritten the job description for PPPC's volunteer Church Treasurer position. This key position in the life of the church has been completely redesigned, so as to require a visit to the church office just one or two times per week, for about 3-5 hours total. Got some financial savvy? Got basic computer skills? Want to help your church's many ministries have the strong support they deserve? If so, please give a call to the church office. We're eager to tell you more!
|
|
Peacemaking Offering now called Peace and Global Witness Offering
 What you've known as the Peacemaking Offering has been transformed into the Peace & Global Witness Offering. This new Offering will have a greater global reach, more significant impact, and bring peace to people through Christ. The Peace & Global Witness Offering is received next Sunday on World Communion Sunday. A gift to the Peace & Global Witness Offering enables the church to promote the Peace of Christ by addressing systems of injustice across the world. Individual congregations are encouraged to utilize up to 25% of this Offering to sustain their local peacemaking ministries.
|
IHN Needs EXTRA-LONG Twin Sheets
 Do you have any good-condition, EXTRA-LONG twin sheets you could donate to the church, for use by our Interfaith Hospitality Network guests?
These are NOT regular-sized twin sheets. They are the extra-long size, commonly used in college dormitories. This is the size that fits our Volunteer Village bunks.
Maybe you have some in your attic, left over from the time when you, or a son or daughter, went to college?
|
|
Groups Staying in the Volunteer Village
 | | Webster Presbyterian Church |
Here are the groups that are currently scheduled to stay in our Volunteer Village:
Sept 28-Oct 4 Presbytery of Detroit and Webster Presbyterian Church, NY
Oct 5-11 Rosedale Gardens Presbyterian Church Livonia, MI
Oct 12-17 Lend A Hand (Carlisle Presbytery, Pennsylvania) with Young Adult Volunteers
Oct 19-25 Scioto Valley Presbytery, Columbus, OH
Feb 6 Abington Presbyterian Church, Abington, PA
June 7 Trinity United Presbyterian Church, Modesto, CA
June 14 Macalester Plymouth United Church, St, Paul MN
|
|
The latest edition of the church calendar is available online, on the church's website. 
Sunday, September 28
9:00 a.m. - Youth Connection
10:00 a.m. Worship/Chancel Choir/Noisy Offering
10:00 a.m. - Sunday School begins in Worship
1:00 p.m. - Memorial Service for Audrey Pearce
2:30 p.m. - Claremont Care Center
Monday, September 29
10:00 a.m. - Covenant Bible Study, Chittick Lounge
6:15 p.m. - Choral Bells, Fellowship Room
Tuesday, September 30
Wednesday, October 1
9:00 a.m. - Women's Breakfast at the Rainbow Diner
5:00 p.m. - Dove Choir, Choir Room
7:00 p.m. - Covenant Bible Study, Chittick Lounge
Thursday, October 2
7:30 a.m. - Men's Breakfast, US Subs
7:30 p.m. - Chancel Choir Rehearsal
Friday, October 3
6:30 p.m. Weblos Den, Basement
Saturday, October 4
Sunday, October 5
9:00 a.m. - Youth Connection
10:00 a.m. Worship/Chancel Choir/Communion
10:00 a.m. - Sunday School begins in Worship
11:00 a.m. - Communion Brunch, CE Annex
11:15 a.m. - Inquirers Group, CE Annex
4:00 p.m. - Weblos, Basement
|
|
 Birthday Blessings
Sept 28 Quintessa Baker
Sept 29 Rylie Rampone, Leigh Reinwald
Sept 30 Donna Fahey, Dalton Garner, Taylor Van Wagenen
Oct 1 Elizabeth Bell, Michael Iadarola, James Williams
Oct 2 Owen DeBenedett
Oct 3 Robert Desiderio, Gail Watson, Kristin Murat, Bill Shoppell, Edna Soper
Oct 4 John Liotta, Caden Lucich, Aaron Semanski
Oct 5 Kerry Jones, Brandon Rodgers
Oct 6 James Liotta, Kathleen Schmidt
Oct 7 Cyrus Marden, Donald Quimby
Oct 8 Min Curtis
Oct 9 Bruce Larsen, Keith Reilly Jr
Oct 10 Bob Martin, Steven McDermitt
Oct 11
Oct 12 Ginger Decker, Jane Stryker
Oct 13
Oct 14
Oct 15 Jacquelin Woods
Oct 16
Oct 17 Thomas Bamburak
Oct 18 Jessica Holloway, Zachary Paulus
Oct 19 Jamie Jaekels, Marjorie McGhee
Oct 20 Phyllis King, Carol Reid
Oct 21
Oct 22 William Smykowski
Oct 23
Oct 24 W N Smith
Oct 25 Riley Fiorentino, Adrian Jensen
Oct 26
Oct 27 Joan Reitmeyer
Oct 28 Sydney Hurley, Cynthia Kells, Carl Wilton
Oct 29
Oct 30 Claude Hurley, John Pasola, Lisa Simpson
Oct 31
|
|
Being An Advocate For Social Witness
Sponsored by Presbyterian Women of Monmouth Presbytery
Saturday, November 8, 2014
BRICK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
9 am to 12:30 pm
Speaker: Ryan Smith,
Presbyterian Office at the United Nations Plaza
Being an Advocate for:
- Violence against Women and Girls
- Human Trafficking - ECPAT - USA
- Gun Safety and Gun Control
- Red Hand Mission Project - stop children from carrying guns in countries like Iraq, Israel, etc.
- Factory Farming - produce grown in factories
BRING A SANDWICH - DESSERT & COFFEE PROVIDED |
Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendar 
October 18 - Presbytery "Nuts and Bolts" Officer and Leader Training event
October 19 - CROP Walk
October 25 - Monmouth Presbytery PW Fall Gathering
Additional information will follow
|
|
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
Music Staff
Sara Hoey, Organist
William Shoppell, Chancel Choir and Choral Bells Director
Rebecca Muraglia, Acting Dove Choir Director
Christian Education Staff
Courtney Rzeplinski, Youth Connection Coordinator
Tricia Stoffers, Sunday School Coordinator
Devlin House, Point Beach Prep Preschool Director
|
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 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
