Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church 
Weekly News For
Sunday, Nov 22, 2015
If you've already submitted an estimate of giving for 2016, THANK YOU!

Still pondering your decision? The Session would appreciate receiving your estimate of giving card in the near future, so they can budget responsibly for the coming year.

Please download and print out a copy of the estimate of giving card - or, you can send a confidential email to Donna Ferry, the church's financial secretary, at [email protected]



Friends,

Thanksgiving is the simplest of holidays, relatively unsullied by commercialism (although, with the recent encroachment of Black Friday shopping on Thanksgiving Day itself, that may be gradually changing).

Like the holiday, the virtue of gratitude is likewise pretty straightforward. It requires an honest assessment of who we are, what we have and what we're called to do as disciples of Jesus Christ.

It takes thoughtful, disciplined reflection to realize that, in the great scheme of things, none of us can take credit for the wealth, possessions and position we enjoy in this life. The "self-made" man or woman is a myth. Everything - yes, everything - is God's gift. Maybe some of us are confident enough to commend ourselves for faithful stewardship of those gifts, but that doesn't make them ours. They came from the Creator, and to the Creator they will one day return.

God's greatest gift to us is wrapped up in the word "grace." Grace is the oil that makes the machinery run, the boost that gets us over the wall, the assurance that, in the end, when our poor efforts at faithfulness aren't enough, God will make up the difference. That promise comes to us through our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior, and our promise to follow him as best we can.

Amongst the many things we can be thankful for on Thanksgiving, grace is the greatest gift of all.

Come and join the worshiping community this Sunday, as we celebrate that good news!

Pastor Carl
This Sunday
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Thirty Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time 
1 Corinthians 1:1-8

Dr. Wilton preaching:  "OF GRACE AND GRATITUDE"

9:00 a.m. - Deacons' Blood Drive
10:00 a.m. - Worship/Special Music/Noisy Offering
10:00 a.m. - Sunday School begins in Worship
2:30 p.m. - Claremont Care Center

Noisy Offering This Sunday
 
We will be accepting contributions to Cents-Ability, a hunger ministry of the Presbytery of Monmouth.


COFFEE HOUR will be in the CE Annex this Sunday (not in the Chittick Lounge).  We would love for you to join us for coffee and fellowship following the service.

Thank you to Celishia Scarpone for the creative display of harvest abundance on the Communion table.

This Sunday in the Annex
Give the gift of life.
 
The Deacons have arranged for the Central Jersey Blood Center to have a blood drive this Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the CE Annex.

Donors must present signature ID and must be healthy, 17 years of age or older and weigh at least 120 pounds.  

Prayerfully Consider
 
"Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."  Philippians 4:6
  
The Prayer Person for the week of November 22 is Jean Campbell. Let us be prayerfully aware of Jean, as well as all our members and friends.

Prayer concerns: Jean DeMartino; Rosa and Vito DeTrizio (Rosanna Maimone's parents); Susan Larsen; Jacob Mendelsohn; Courtney Norton Rzeplinski; Brandon Shoppell; Les Thornton; Bill Williams.

Long term concerns: Bill Blauvelt (Jacque Thornton's brother in law); Cliff Brendler; Kathryn Feldman (Bill Shoppell's sister); George Griffiths (Cousin of Heidi Steinert); Kim Kearns (Sister in Law Rusty and Mindy Gilbert); Ethel Lemke (mother in law of Scott Smith); Margie McGhee; Erna Meyerle (friend of Susan Robbins); Jim Millar; Gerda Mooney; Cherisse Petruzzi; Edith Pula; Gemma Roberts; Mary Steinert; Stan Thornton; those struggling with addictions and mental illness.

Military: Michael Fahey III; Matthew Warren; all those in our nation's service.

         PPPC NEWS


apple-pie.jpg
Last Sunday to Get Your Orders In
 
They are perfect for gifts or to share over your Christmas celebrations! First come, first served baked goods are limited!

We are selling:
9 inch Apple Pies Ready for Oven for $12 
   1 doz. assorted cookies in Christmas tins for $5

Your money must be submitted with your form, you can use cash or a check made out to Presbyterian Woman.

You may drop off you order to Kim in front office or place it in your tithes and offerings plate during service.

All orders must be submitted by Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015. Pick up will be Dec 6, 2015 in Fellowship Hall following Sunday Service.

Any further questions please contact  Heidi Steinert 732-779-3680 or Kerry Jones 732-312-6747

Thank you for all your support 
Order Forms are online or in the Narthex
Thanksgiving dinner
Free Thanksgiving Dinners
 
Ocean County Hunger Relief has announced the following locations around Ocean County that will be proving free Thanksgiving meals.

Church of the Epiphany 615 Thiele Road, Brick. November 27 at 1:00 p.m. RSVP 732-458-0200 before November 22. Deliveries may be made upon request)

Salvation Army/Hearty Helpings 1738 Rt. 37 West, Toms River, Wednesday November 25th 5:00 p.m. sharp.

St. Gregory's Pantry in partnership with the Elks at 820 Arnold Ave., Point Pleasant Beach. November 26th 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Call 732-892-8105 to RSVP with number attending and if you need a ride.

St. Martha's Church 3800 Herbertsville Rd., Point Pleasant. November 27th Delivery or pick-ups by 12:00 noon upon request. Must call in advance 732-295-3630
Hanging of the Greens
 
Next Sunday, November 29th is the First Sunday of Advent. Following the service next Sunday, we invite you to join us for our traditional "Hanging of the Greens." Many hands are needed, young and old, to help decorate the sanctuary, narthex and Chittick Lounge.  
 
Plan on wearing comfortable clothes and shoes next Sunday. The men of Buildings and Grounds will be doing the heavier labor but they are in need of "decorators."    
At their meeting of November 17, 2015, the Session took the following actions:

1. Agreed to communicate to the congregation a "Go Fund Me" appeal from Monmouth Presbytery's newest congregation, the Cornerstone Presbyterian Church of Jackson.

2. Decided that, on Sundays when an Adult Education class or Bible study is being held after the worship service, it will take place in the Chittick Lounge, with the coffee hour taking place in the Fellowship Room.

3. Noted that Greg Hall will be available to take photos for the new church directory on several upcoming Sundays (to be announced). Photos may also be submitted to the church office by email.

4. Heard a report that, in the first week of the We Have a Story generosity campaign, thirty-three family units have submitted estimates of giving for 2016, for a total to date of $99,056.

5. Decided to issue a follow-up letter encouraging further responses to the We Have a Story stewardship campaign. This letter will go out in early December.

6. Revised user fees for outside groups using the Education Annex. New rates will be $100 for half a day or $200 for a whole day, including use of the kitchen. Special arrangements will be made for certain non-profit groups, such as 12-step groups.

7. Learned that more reliable commercial-grade toilets will soon be installed in the Education Annex rest rooms.

8. Reviewed responses to the Christmas Eve survey and decided to keep the traditional Christmas Eve worship times of 4:00 pm (service for families with young children), 7:00 pm and 11:00 pm.
Ways To Be Generous this Christmas
 
We are fortunate to have so many ministries that serve a variety of people. These ministries could not operate on their own without the support of the congregation. Please consider some of the ways you can help.

Deacons' Blood Drive - Sunday, November 22 is the day for qualified donors to offer a pint of blood through the Central Jersey Blood Center. Please sign up if you're able!

Deacons' Assistance - Tough economic times continue to affect everyone. The Deacons' ministry assists people with utility bills and rent as well as providing gift and gas cards for those in need. A donation to the Deacons can be made in the Deacons envelope that is in the pews every Communion Sunday. Envelopes for the Deacons' fund will be in the pews on December 6. 

IHN Christmas Families - Interfaith Hospitality Network continues to give hope to homeless families in our area. We are grateful to the many volunteers of this church who have continually volunteered during our hosting weeks.  Over the years, you have made a meaningful impact in the lives of many struggling families. This Christmas we will be buying gifts for the families in the program. If you would like to help us in providing a donation to assist us in purchasing these gifts, please indicate "IHN Christmas" on the memo line of your check.

Joan Valentine House Giving Tree - The Valentine House is a non-profit residential home for adults living with mental illness. Starting in December there will be a Giving Tree in the Narthex that will include envelopes with the names of Valentine House residents with their Christmas list. Members are asked to purchase only TWO items from the list in order to preserve a sense of equality among all the residents. Wrapped gifts with a gift tag indicating who the gift is for, can be put under the tree in the Sanctuary no later than Christmas Eve. Gifts are handed out at an Epiphany Party early in January.

Music Ministry - Donations are needed for the string quartet of professional musicians who will be presenting Handel's Messiah during our worship service on December 13. In order to keep the music line of the church budget down, we depend on individual donations to cover this expense. If you would like to make a donation, please indicate "Messiah" on the memo line of your check. 

St. Gregory's Pantry Christmas Distribution -The Pantry accepts unwrapped NEW toys for the Christmas clients. Through your generosity, 2-3 gifts per child are given to needy families. Gifts for teenagers are especially needed - CDs, gift cards, sweaters, hats, nail polish, etc. After Thanksgiving, please leave them - clearly marked for St Gregory's - or deliver them to St. Mary's By-the-Sea, 804 Bay Ave, Pt. Pleasant Beach. Cash donations can also be given for gift card purchases.

Give of yourself on Christmas Day - Once again we will be hosting Christmas Dinner in the CE Annex, from 12:00-2:00 p.m on Christmas Day for those who, for whatever reason, have no place to go for Christmas and would like to enjoy an old-fashioned holiday feast with congenial company. In order to make this dinner a continual success, we need Cookie Bakers and Christmas Day Volunteers for set-up,  deliveries and clean-up.  Cookies can be dropped off at the church during the week of Christmas.  More information on volunteering will soon follow.
Help the Cornerstone Church Move Into Their New Home!

Jackson's Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, formed in 2000 and chartered in 2005, is Monmouth Presbytery's newest congregation. For the past 15 years, the church has been holding its Sunday worship services in various schools in Jackson Township.

While the church has planned for some time to build on a 17-acre tract of land the Presbytery purchased for them, another very attractive offer became available to them that has led to a change in plans. Jackson Township, which owns the building and land of the historic former Harmony Methodist Church, is making the building available to Cornerstone at no cost through a 35-year lease, as long as they put at least $200,000 into upgrading the building and constructing a new, larger meeting house on the property.

Cornerstone intends to pay for that new construction with the sale of their other land, as well as with other funds they will raise in the coming years.

The more immediate goal, however, is to be in their new church home in time to hold Christmas services this year. Some more construction work needs to happen in the next few weeks in order to enable that to happen.

The Cornerstone Church has set up a Go Fund Me web page, and are asking for online contributions from Presbyterians from neighboring  congregations.

You can help our friends at Cornerstone have a Merry Christmas, by making a gift of whatever size through their Go Fund Me page.

Thank you!
                               SUNDAY SCHOOL

Hello everyone!
 
I can't believe Thanksgiving is here!  

Last week we had a very sweet lesson, which wrapped up our unit on the Disciples. We learned about the story of the "Ichthys" symbol, and how people identified themselves as Christians back in the days of Jesus.  The older kids made fish out of the beads and ironed them so they would melt together, then everyone got to decorate their own sugar cookie. We made an Ichthys out of frosting, then decorated it with 12 mini M&Ms to represent the Disciples.  Then, the best part, we got to eat them!

This week, Ms. O'Connor will be joining us to lead our annual Thanksgiving party where we will be making Christmas ornaments for the tree in the sanctuary.  We will have some delicious Fall snacks, too.  We are asking each child to bring in a picture of themselves for our ornaments - those little wallet-sized ones we all get with their school pictures would be perfect! 

See you on Sunday!
Peace and Blessings, 
 
Tricia Stoffers
CALLING ALL CHRISTMAS CHILDREN 
 
We're seeking performers for the pageant that's part of the kids-and-family-oriented 4:00 pm Christmas Eve service. Several small speaking roles are available for those who register by December 6 and attend our rehearsals. 
 
Rehearsal Schedule: 
December 6:  Registration and short meeting with participants and parents at 11:15 downstairs in the Annex. (This will take place after Sunday School.)  Those who cannot make the meeting and registration, please email Tricia Stoffers or call the church office. 
 
December 20:  Rehearsal in the Church Sanctuary from 11:15-12:30 

December 24:  Meet at Sanctuary at 3 p.m. for the service that begins at 4 p.m.

POINT BEACH PREP

This week our Pre-K class met Mr. H and his happy heart.  We learned American Sign Language for the letter "h" and "happy."  Our sight word was "have."

We used teamwork to decorate an enormous house.  We hammered with plastic hammers.  At our project table we made individual houses and placed them in the hallway in our "church neighborhood."  We also did some hot chocolate math and counted with real marshmallows.

Our Nursery class met H the hippopotamus.  They made hippo paintings, houses, hats, used heart stamps and played in a hamburger stand.  They read Never Babysit Hippopotamuses, Hand Hand Fingers Thumb, Hungry Harry, and Hats.

We have all been very busy practicing songs for our Thanksgiving Show. We are looking forward to our Thanksgiving Feast next week, when we will break bread as classmates and give thanks.

      VOLUNTEER VILLAGE

"A Letter to the Saints of Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church"
 
 
First Presbyterian Church Warren_ PA

                     PPPC IMAGE OF THE WEEK

   
Thank you to everyone who participated in 
Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child.
Fifty-one boxes were collected this year.

      THIS WEEK'S CALENDAR

 
CHURCH CALENDAR - The latest edition of the church calendar is available online, on the church's website. 

Sunday, November 22
9:00 a.m. - Deacons' Blood Drive
10:00 a.m. - Worship/Special Music/Noisy Offering
10:00 a.m. - Sunday School begins in Worship
2:30 p.m. - Claremont Care Center
 
Monday, November 23
9:00 a.m. - PW Coordinating Team
12:00 p.m. - Lunch at the Rainbow Diner, all welcome
5:30 p.m. - Wolf Den
6:15 p.m. Choral Bells

Tuesday, November 24
7:00 p.m. - Sarah Hope Circle

Wednesday, November 25
9:00 a.m. - Women's Breakfast at the Rainbow Diner
11:15 a.m. - Point Beach Prep Thanksgiving
5:00 p.m. - Dove Choir Rehearsal 
6:00 p.m. - Bear Den, Basement
6:30 p.m. - Youth Connection, Chittick Lounge

Thursday, November 26
thanksgiving-turkey-header.jpg


Friday, November 27
Office Closed for Thanksgiving
 
Saturday, November 28
12:00 p.m. Court of Honor, CE Annex

Sunday, November 29
First Sunday of Advent
10:00 a.m. - Worship/Special Music
10:00 a.m. - Sunday School begins in Worship
11:30 a.m. - Hanging of the Greens
BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS

Nov 22 Linda Chase, Sherri Hall, Zachary Snyder
Nov 23 Kieran Hughes, Tommy Reinstadler, Jennifer Quimby
Nov 24
Nov 25
Nov 26 Jane Jensen, Jacque Miscavage, Scott Whitman
Nov 27 Mandy Rauffer
Nov 28 Nikolas Marsala
Nov 29 Diane Cerveny, Holly Najdzinowicz
Nov 30 Ronald Panuska, Sandi Shekon
 
      COMING UP


                   Coming Soon
 
November 29 - Hanging of the Greens
December 2 - PW Christmas Service
 

       CONTACT US

 

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

Quick Links 

Full Calendar of Events

Make a Safe, Online Contribution

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: [email protected]