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Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church
| Weekly News For
Sunday, Jan 17, 2016 | |
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 Friends,
Our New Testament reading for this Sunday is Matthew 5:14-16 where Jesus told his disciples, "You are the light of the world." This is such an incredible statement for Jesus to make for Jesus said of himself in John's gospel, "I am the light of the world..." He then tells his disciples that they too are the light, the light that is to shine in the world. The same light that shone through Jesus can shine through us.... when we allow it to.
It is not difficult to allow the light of Christ to shine through us when we are the faith community gathered for worship or when we are in safe places and among safe people. It is often more difficult to be a light when faced with dark places and scary people. Yet as disciples of Jesus Christ we are called to go into the darkness for that is where the love of God and the mercy of Christ are most needed. We are to be light not just in our own homes and neighborhoods but in the whole world. Jesus needs for us to bring light to a dark and broken world. Jesus said that we are the light, not you can be if you want to be. We are the light,
So come this Sunday to worship. Maybe your light is flickering and about to be extinguished. Maybe you feel it is out and cannot be re-lit. Maybe it is shining brightly. No matter where you are on the light spectrum, come; come and be strengthened by the love and light of God in Christ.
Peace and Blessings,
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Sunday, January 17, 2016
Second Sunday of Ordinary Time
The Rev. Linda Chase preaching: "INTO THE DARKNESS"
10:00 a.m. - Worship/New Members/Chancel Choir
10:00 a.m. - Sunday School begins in Worship
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 Coffee Hour
Please join us for coffee hour in the CE Annex after the service this Sunday.
You will not want to miss the Youth Connection event while enjoying the fellowship of friends.
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This Sunday, Join us for the Youth Connection
Re-Gifting Silent Auction Fundraiser
Following the service this Sunday please join us in the Annex and place a bid on that "special gift." Participates will have the opportunity to walk around and place a bid on wrapped items. Minimum bids begin at $5 and gifts go up in value.
Winners will be announced after everyone has had an opportunity to place their bids and open them before all.
All donations will be going to help our youth participate in the Presbyterian Youth Triennium being held this July at Purdue University in Indiana. Thank you to everyone who has donated gifts.
It's still not too late to donate for this fun event. Please bring your wrapped gift this Sunday and place it in the box by the Church door entrance.
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"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 January 17 is Jean Stoll. Let us be prayerfully aware of Jean, as well as all our members and friends.
Prayer Concerns: The family of William Leach; the family of Walter Oelerich; Laura Burton (relative of Donna Fahey); Bill O'Dell; John Meklin; Brian Satterlee; Les Thornton; Stan Thornton; Jean DeMartino; Jim Millar; Rod Smith; Shirley Wilton.
Long term concerns: Bill Blauvelt (Jacque Thornton's brother-in-law); Cliff Brendler; Elsie Cason; Kathryn Feldman (Bill Shoppell's sister); George Griffiths (Cousin of Heidi Steinert); Kim Kearns (sister-in-law of Rusty and Mindy Gilbert); Maryanne Leach; Ethel Lemke (mother-in-law of Scott Smith); Margie McGhee; Gerda Mooney; Edith Pula; Gemma Roberts; Mary Steinert; Bill Williams; those struggling with addictions and mental illness.
Military: Michael Fahey III; Matthew Warren; all those in our nation's service.
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2015 YEAR END GIVING STATEMENTS - Have been either emailed or mailed out this past Friday. If you do not receive yours in the next few days or have any questions, please contact Donna Ferry. Donna is usually available in the office on Monday, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
FLOWER CHART - A new flower chart is posted outside the church office. Please consider signing up to donate money for fresh flowers to mark a special occasion or "just because." The flower prices for 2016 remain the same, $20 per vase or $25 for a bowl of flowers. An order form next to the chart can be filled out and sent into the office along with your payment. Future events such as Anniversaries and Birthdays can be reserved on the flower chart and payment can be submitted closer to the date. Flowers are God's gift to us all!
 AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS (AGO) OCEAN COUNTY CHAPTER will be presenting Sacred Choral and Organ Music on January 31, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. This choir festival will take place at Christ Episcopal Church, Washington Street in Toms River. A free will offering will be accepted. PASTOR CARL WILL BE AWAY ON STUDY LEAVE from Sunday afternoon, January 17 through Friday, January 22. In case of pastoral emergency, please contact Pastor Linda.
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Lenten Adult Bible Study
Are you up for a fun Lenten study this year? Then sign up for this one called BREAD AND BROTH. Each week we will look at a character from the Bible and pair it with a soup. For example, session one is Jacob and the soup is lentil. (See Genesis 25:29-30.)
This is a 6 week study and would begin Monday, February 15th. The class will run from 11:00 a.m until Noonish. Recipes for the soups are included and we would share the fun of making (or buying) the soups for the rest of the class. The cost of the book is $10.
There is a sign up for the class (and soups) in the Narthex or call the church office or speak to Linda Chase. Come join us for this first ever kind of class.
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This Sunday We'll Welcome the Following New Members
Debbie and Cliff Brendler, Seaside Park
We are glad to welcome Debbie and Cliff who have transferred their membership from another Presbyterian church. Cliff was born in Trenton and lived in Pennington for a time. He is a Mechanical Engineer at NAVAIR in Lakehurst. Cliff has been a Youth Advisor in his previous church and enjoys Ice Hockey and Surfing. Debbie has also been very involved in various Church ministries. She is an Ordained Deacon as has been a youth leader, Council Head and Confirmation Class Facilitator, each for over 10 years. Besides church activies, Debbie enjoys sports, crafting and shore life. Cliff and Debbie have two children Tim and Katie. Tim is the worship leader at the First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, Pennsylvania and Katie has a Masters Degree in Engineering from Villanova University and is now a student at San Francisco Theological Seminary.
Joseph and Andrea Michigan, Point Pleasant
Joe and Andrea are also transferring their membership from another local church. The Michigans have three children: Kiera (age 10), Andrew (8) and Connor (7) who are active in our Dove Choir and Sunday School. Joe is a Police Lieutenant and has been at the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department for the past 21 years. He is a Marine Corps Veteran and a Member of the Ocean Fire Company #1 here in the Beach. He enjoys sports and coaching his children's sports teams. Andrea is a Registered Nurse at a surgery center. Andrea's father was a Methodist minister; she grew up in South Jersey. She is an active Girl Scout leader and volunteers with a community garden and a school PTO. She loves to watch her children participate in their many sports and activities.
Kathy and Bill Nicholson, Lavallette
Both Bill and Kathy attended Hope College in Holland, Michigan and they have lived all over the country. The Nicholsons have transferred their membership from the East Brentwood Presbyterian Church in Tennessee. Kathy was born in Elizabeth and grew up in Linden and later earned a degree in Math Education. She works for H&R Block seasonally. Kathy and Bill both enjoy singing in the choir and have been involved with Bell and Brass choirs. She and Bill have joined our Chancel Choir. Bill was born in Tennessee and is a U.S. Army veteran. Bill was ordained as a Reformed Church Elder. He's also been involved in former churches as a youth director, and in youth mission trips. He enjoys music, working with the American Cancer Society, traveling and his grandchildren.
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Leadership Training: Equipping the Saints
NEXT Saturday, January 23, 2016
9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Princeton Theological Seminary
There's something for everyone at the "Equipping the Saints" Leadership Training Day, sponsored by Monmouth Presbytery in partnership with Elizabeth and New Brunswick Presbyteries. It's for church leaders of every kind: elders, deacons, pastors, educators, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, volunteers of every description.  It's a day of workshops, worship and fellowship to support and equip church members in their ministries. Workshops are led - almost exclusively - by volunteer experts in their fields. You can download a copy of the brochure, which lists the full array of workshops. The day is FREE - except for the $12 cost of the hot buffet lunch (if you prefer, you're welcome to bring a brown-bag lunch instead). You do have to register online, though, on the Princeton Seminary website. Register early for your first choice of workshops! Are you planning to attend? If so, please register online, then call Kim to let us know you're going. Kim will help make connections between participants, for car pooling. |
Annual Congregational Meeting
 The Annual General Meeting of the Congregation and Corporation of the Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church will take place on Sunday, January 24 at 11:00 a.m.The Congregation will elect officers, elect the Nominating Committee (for the election of officers), approve the Pastor's terms of call, and conduct any other business that may properly come before the Congregation. The 2015 Annual Report is available in the Narthex or can be found online.An extended program for Church School children will be available in the Education Annex, so parents may attend the Annual Meeting.
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Interfaith Hospitality Network
Arriving February 7
February 7 we will once again host families from IHN of Ocean County. Sign up sheets are now in the Narthex. Help is need with
- Meals
- Set-up
- Evening Fellowship
- Overnight Hosting
- Laundry
- A vehicle with a hitch to move the trailer. (Please call Dorothy Tolley if you can help with this).
Please indicate where you can help. Questions? Please contact Dorothy Tolley at 732-892-9306. Thank you!
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 We have been off to a great start in 2016!
This week, we are wrapping up our unit on "Body of Christ". For this unit, we have been talking about 1 Corinthians 12, where Paul reminds us that just as the parts of the body are all important, so are we in Christ. Using this lesson, we have also been talking about how important we all are in our church. From our 3 year old Pre-K students all the way up to Pastor Carl and Pastor Linda, we all make up the church, and we all have important roles. Just as the whole body wouldn't work if it were one big eye, or one big foot, our church wouldn't work if it were just the choir, or just the pastors speaking. Our church is better because of all of us, together.
To further demonstrate this, we will be doing a really fun craft this weekend. Also, last week, we made monkey bread to demonstrate that we are all individuals, working as part of the whole, and we donated it to the church breakfast. This week, I will make one for all of us to enjoy.
Its going to be a great day to come to Sunday School!
See you on Sunday
Peace and Blessings,
Tricia Stoffers
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Point Beach Prep Preschool will be having an Open House on Saturday, January 30th from 10am-12 pm. This is the time to register for our 2016/2017 school year. The registration will be half price ($50) for anyone who registers that day. Space is limited-if you are interested, please check us out!
 Point Beach Preschool makes learning fun, while building self-esteem and a positive attitude toward learning! We promote kindergarten readiness and provide the tools to prepare the children for school and life.We are open Monday-Friday 8:30am-12pm, with an optional lunch bunch 12pm-1pm. Call us today 732-701-9900 or visit us on the web: www.pointbeachprep.com
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This Week at Point Beach Prep
We read a story about Martin Luther King, Jr. and talked about being kind to all people. Our lesson was that the color of our skin may be different on the outside, but on the inside we all have feelings and thus should be treated equally and with respect.
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Blanket Sunday This Sunday, January 17
 This Sunday, January 17, we will be collecting money for Church World Service Blankets+. Contributions to CWS Blankets mean Church World Service will be ready to help families around the world recover from disasters and displacement, and build viable, sustainable lives and communities. CWS helps to provide primary health care for displaced and other families in need. In such far-flung places as Sudan, Pakistan and Nicaragua, CWS gives comfort and care to moms and babies, and helps children get the nutrition they need to grow up strong and healthy
And here in the U.S., CWS Blankets provide comfort in many communities hit by disaster, and in shelters or agencies assisting those experiencing hard times.
- $50 can provide five warm blankets for a family left homeless by a tornado or other disaster.
- $110 can provide an emergency food package for a family of five for one month.
- $200 can provide 20 mosquito nets to help keep families safe from the bite of mosquitos and the illnesses they bring.
- $1,000 can equip a village well with a pump and provide hygiene training.
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Cents-ability Supports the Ecologic Development Fund
 The Cents-ability Committee of Monmouth Presbytery has awarded $5,300 to the Ecologic Development Fund of Guatemala. Ecologic empowers rural and indigenous peoples to restore and protect tropical ecosystems in Central America and Mexico. They collaborate with local communities to identify, evaluate, and prioritize their conservation and natural resource needs and then work with them to obtain the skills, financing, materials, and other support needed to sustainably use their natural resources and rehabilitate damaged and degraded natural places. Ecologic helps communities identify and put in place a variety of strategies to increase their economic self-sufficiency, environmental health and adaptability in response to climate change and extreme weather events in ways that also encourage the long-term survival of the biodiversity around them.
 When those coins we contribute on Cents-ability Sundays are joined together with other coins contributed throughout the Presbytery, they surely do some great work. Thanks for your generous support! |
 The church is selling its contractor van,
which has been used for the Volunteer Village.
It's a 2004 GMC3500 with 85,000 miles.
Know someone who's interested?
Please call the church office. |
CHURCH CALENDAR - The latest edition of the church calendar is available online, on the church's website. 
Sunday, January 17
10:00 a.m. - Worship/New Members/Chancel Choir
10:00 a.m. - Sunday School begins in Worship
Point Beach Prep Closed
6:15 p.m. - Choral Bells
6:30 p.m. - Wolf Den
Tuesday, January 19
7:00 p.m. - Committee Meetings
8:00 p.m. - Session Meeting
Wednesday, January 20
9:00 a.m. - Women's Breakfast at the Rainbow Diner
5:00 p.m. - Dove Choir, Sanctuary
6:30 p.m. - Youth Connection
7:00 p.m. - Bear Den
7:30 p.m. - Troop 6, CE Annex
Thursday, January 21
8:00 a.m. - Men's Breakfast at US Subs
6:00 p.m. - Pinewood Derby Setup
7:30 p.m. - Chancel Choir Rehearsal
7:30 p.m. - Tiger Den
8:00 p.m. - Webelos Den
Friday, January 22
Saturday, January 23
10:00 a.m. - Pinewood Derby
Sunday, January 24 10:00 a.m. - Worship/Choral Bells/Noisy Offering 10:00 a.m. - Sunday School begins in Worship 11:15 a.m. - Congregational Meeting
2:30 p.m. - Claremont Care Center |
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BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS
Jan 17 Allison Milancewich
Jan 18 Patricia Hewitt
Jan 19 Ann Lappke
Jan 20 Lauren Braaten, Mary Beth Schroeder
Jan 21
Jan 22 Michele Cleveland, Donald May, Trevor Sellman, Londa Scarpone, Joan Vitale
Jan 23
Jan 24
Jan 25 Jason Braaten, Christopher Muraglia
Jan 26
Jan 27 Samantha Trainor
Jan 28 Jordan Cooper, Connor Durante, Joe Michigan
Jan 29 Blake Birdsong, Jaime Williams
Jan 30 Michael Fanizzo, Ronald Krayl
Jan 31 Donna Ferry, Maria Tirpak
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February 7 - Interfaith Hospitality Network Arrives
February 10 - Ash Wednesday Soup Supper
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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
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
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