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FEBRUARY 2012
A Monthly Publication of the Regional Synod to help keep all members of our churches informed about the -work of their Synod. Please download and share this information.
REGIONAL SYNOD WEBSITE IS UP and RUNNING…The address is www.nysynod.com. It contains the latest news and events, columns, prayer chapel, picture gallery, media player, and even your local classis pages. You may also find pictures of your pastors and friends on the site. Check it out!!!
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SPIRITUAL RETREAT: ENCOURAGING the NURTURE of a LISTENING HEART… To retreat is to step outside of our normal lives in order to reflect on where we have been and where we might be going; to catch a glimpse of how we might live differently; and to listen for the still, small voice of God that still whispers throughout the land. Using a variety of contemplative prayer practices we will nurture our desire for prayer, with a gracious rhythm of silence and sound, stillness and movement. Individual Spiritual Direction will be provided. Rest will be honored…Renewal encouraged Retreat guides: Ellen Ratmeyer, ordained Elder and Spiritual Director; Ella Campbell, ordained Elder and Spiritual Director; and Arlene Wilhelm, Minister of Word and Sacrament and Spiritual Director MARCH 6-8, 2012 LINWOOD SPIRITUAL CENTER, RHINEBECK, NY COST: $150.00 PER PERSON (includes $50 non-refundable deposit) MEALS: Tuesday lunch thru Thursday lunch For more information and commuter rates: contact Arlene Wilhelm 845-240-1690 or sophiaarw@ yahoo.com Registration is limited – Deadline to register is February 23, 2012
THE MEN’S FELLOWSHIP of CAMBRIA HEIGHTS COMMUNITY CHURCH invites you to join them for A Finger Snappin’, Toe Tappin’, Jazz, Gospel and Latin Concert on Saturday, February 18, 2012, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. in celebration of Black History Month. This diverse artistic offering honors the rich cultural, international and musical traditions, gifts and contributions of the church family. The cost is $35 and includes refreshments. RSVP by e-mail: revvms@gmail.com.
REFORMED CHURCH WOMEN’S MINISTRIES of NEW HACKENSACK REFORMED CHURCH, Wappingers Falls, NY will host a Kindness Breakfast on Saturday, February 25, 2012, 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. The Rev. Dr. Kathleen Edwards-Chase will speak on KINDNESS: A CHRISTIAN VIRTUE. She will be focusing our thoughts on how we think about kindness as we make our spiritual journey through Lent. Rev. Chase serves as pastor of First Reformed Church, Pompton Lakes, NJ; previously she was the pastor of Woodstock Reformed Church, Woodstock, NY. If you would like to attend, please call the church office, 845-462-0810 by February 23rd.
RURAL & MIGRANT MINISTRY and THE DAUGHTERS OF SARAH, A Rural Women’s Support Group, will hold their annual BLACK HERITAGE DINNER on Saturday, February 25, 2012, (snowdate: Sunday, February 26) at New Hurley Reformed Church, Wallkill, NY, at 6:30 p.m. Soul Food – Southern fried chicken, collard greens, sweet potato pie and more will be served followed by a program of inspirational dancing, gospel music, and storytelling by Dr. Lance Seunarine, Professor of Black History at SUNY New Paltz. For more information, contact Ruth at 845-444-4412 or Mona at 845-204-5822. The cost is $15 for Adults and $10 for students and children 3 – 10.
THE WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP of the REFORMED CHURCH of SHAWANGUNK will hold their 3rd Women’s Conference/Luncheon on Saturday, March 10, 2012, 11:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The guest speaker, Rev. Robin Hogle, pastor of the Hopewell Presbyterian Church, Thompson Ridge, NY will speak and lead a workshop entitled Partners in Hospitality: The Story, Relationship and Welcome of Mary and Martha. Special music will be offered. RSVP by calling the church office, 845-895-2952 or e-mail: nascar_nextel@frontiernet.net by March 3rd.
THE WOMEN’S MINISTRY TEAM of BRIGHTON HEIGHTS REFORMED CHURCH, Staten Island, NY, in celebration of Women’s History Month, will present a 48 hour conference, Inspire: Divine Expectations, March 23-25, 2012. The conference will be multi-cultural, multi-generational, ecumenical and inclusive. This is a time for women to share faith experiences, connect with others, strengthen their faith and discover hope and joy. For more information and registration visit them on Facebook or e-mail: bhrcinspire@gmail.com. The cost is $60 for the week-end.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED at THE WARWICK CENTER…During the month of March Scrapers and Painters are needed to work both inside and outside on East House. To volunteer, please contact Paul Nulton, RSNY/RSMA Volunteer Coordinator, pnulton@warwickconferencecenter.org or 845-598-1407. Free room and board will be arranged when possible.
MEMORY THEFT, by Rich Rockwood…Rev. Rockwood, former pastor of the First Reformed Church of Saugerties, Classis of Mid-Hudson, is pleased to announce the release of his first book. It was prompted by the sudden death of his wife in 2006 due to a brain aneurysm and discovering in his retirement that he had a passion for writing. This is a story about a man who’s receiving letters attacking the memory of his recently departed wife. They claim she had a gambling addiction and left a large debt which he must now pay. The book may be purchased through Wine Press Books or Amazon. The book is divided into 12 sessions with discussion questions making it handy for a reading group or adult Sunday School class. For more information, check Rich’s website: www.richrockwood.com.
GOD’S SURPRISING WONDERS…There was NO snow in Grand Rapids, February 1-4, temperatures were balmy and the sun actually made an appearance! The annual Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) conference was attended by Ivie Dawson, Rev. Micheal & Pamela Edwards, Leatha Johnson, Jane Konitz, Dr.Oliver & Irma Patterson, Kris Rice, Irma Williams and Rev. Clara Woodson from the RSNY. There were great speakers and over 80 workshops with great leaders to attend; worship was powerful and the Rev. Dr. George Brown, Professor and Dean at Western Seminary was honored as APCE Educator of the Year. Look for more notes from participants next month.
LIVING OUR STORIES: Living out our Authentic Selves by Listening & Sharing Our Transformational Faith Stories, will be the theme of the Annual NEACE Event for church educators to be held at Linwood Spiritual Center, Rhinebeck, NY. Rev. Shannon White, an award-winning TV news journalist, speaker, author, clergywoman, sought-after retreat leader and mom, will be the guest leader. Worship leader will be Rev. Julie Emery, Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Larchmont. Save the dates May 1-3, 2012 and plan to attend. Cost: $100 for APCE members and $115 for Non-members includes 2 nights in private accommodations, 6 meal and program leadership; commuters fee - $50 for APCE members and $65 for Non-members includes Tues. dinner and Wed. lunch and program leadership. Questions: Contact Jane Konitz, 845-297-5864 or e-mail: c.konitz@verizon.net
PRAYER CORNER…Prayers are asked for: · George Kuntz, husband of Jane Kuntz (RSNY Administrative Assistant), recently diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer · Rev. Conrad Strauch, RSNY Stated Clerk and pastor of St. Paul’s Reformed Church (Nassau/Suffolk), as he continues to experience debilitating cluster headaches. · Rev. Jon Norton, Executive Minister of RSNY, will be having DOUBLE knee replacement surgery on February 15th. Please keep Jon and his wife, Gloria, in your thoughts and prayers during his time of rehabilitation. ** Please know that the Synod Office will be covered during Rev. Norton’s absence. Please call with any questions or problems.) · Rev. John & June Neeham,(Mid-Hudson) both are recuperating following hospitalizations in December. · Rev. Robert Meyers and Family as they grieve the passing of their wife and mother, Lois, on January 14th. She died peacefully and will be greatly missed by many. Funeral services were held at the Wurtsboro Reformed Church (Orange Classis) on January 20th.
ABOUT THE SYNOD…
REMINDER: All APPROVED Summer & After School Grant Applications MUST be in the Synod Office no later than March 2, 2012. Any application received after that date will NOT be considered. Churches should check with their classis to be sure their applications have been received for approval and sent to the Synod Office. REGIONAL SYNOD OF NEW YORK
SECOND WEDNESDAY NEWS JANUARY 2012
A Monthly Publication of the Regional Synod to help keep all members of our churches informed about the work of their Synod. Please download and share this information.
REGIONAL SYNOD WEBSITE IS UP and RUNNING…The address is www.nysynod.com. It contains the latest news and events, columns, prayer chapel, picture gallery, media player, and even your local classis pages. You may also find pictures of your pastors and friends on the site. Check it out!!!
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BEING ALIVE IN A CRAZYBUSY WORLD…Notes from Professor Cynthia Rigby from Austin Theological Seminary, Austin, TX, delivered during the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Conference held in October, in San Antonio, Texas. - Printed in full in POAM Network News: Resource Guide for Older Adult Ministries Professor Rigby describes herself as “a Theologian who wants to serve the church.” In 3rd grade, Rigby’s teacher told the class, By the year 2000, technology will have advanced to the point where people will be able to do all of their work in half the time. Which means they will only work half time and the other half time will be leisure time. Her 3rd grade class spent the next month writing books about LEISURE TIME. It was the most memorable unit of my schooling! Today, the technology has arrived, but the leisure time has not. We live in a crazy busy world. Things are “super-sized.” Emphasis is on Bigger is Better. We think of the Sabbath as a time to refuel so we can go back to being crazy busy. What about the Sabbath as creating a space, in this crazy busy world, where we can be transformed? Recounting the story of the prophet Elijah, “After defeating the priests of Baal on Mt. Carmel, Elijah ran, and ran, and ran, then hid in a cave – he was afraid he would be killed. Then God spoke, ‘Elijah, what are you doing here? Go back the way you came!’” Our own challenge is to be enough of a person that God can find us. Briefly her key points… · Claiming our Christian Identity in a culture where people have lost their identity. At work people hear demoralizing things like, “No one in this company is irreplaceable.” The Internet is perhaps the dominant local force in our culture. Social Media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, chat rooms and blogging) isn’t just a fad; it’s a revolution! You just wham on people!… We are living in an era of declining membership in traditional churches. Visiting local mega churches Rigby found a) all the ministers were under 33 years of age and b) only one had any theological training. Another mega church in the area had no Cross, Baptismal Font, or Communion Table. When she asked, Why? The pastor said, We don’t really use those because they are too difficult for people to unpack and grasp. Another pastor offered that they didn’t want to spend money on a larger building, they encouraged people to worship at home! When questioned about how they participated in Holy Communion, the response was that stations were set up around the room and people could just do it for themselves. Talk about loss of identity!… We need to reclaim our role as Salt of the Earth, as Heirs of God’s Promise. · Being Enabled by God’s Grace – Grace is a bit like grits – all around you, even if you don’t ask for it. In our congregations there are two groups/communities: 15-20 year olds who are on Twitter and iPhones, and then there are the rest of us. How do you create a community of Believers when there are two, so very different groups? Rigby suggested that when there is diversity in a group, everyone’s experience is enriched. The next time the older adult group meets, they need to invite some young people. You cannot just announce that you are having an Intergenerational Event, you need to go and recruit. You have to be intentional about building those relationships. Most Americans believe in God. Many even go to church. But the key question is, is it transformative? In the world at large, everything is transactional, You do…because then you get…Our theology turns this around – we are God’s workmanship, prepared to do God’s work. What these bible verses are about is: When we swim in the waters of grace, we are free to do the work that God called us to do. Not, free to do what we want. · Being Empowered by God’s Love…How are we going to live in this crazy busy world? We need to reinforce our Christian identity, i.e. we are claimed by God’s promises, enveloped by God’s grace, and empowered by God’s love. We are to expect not just the possible – we are to expect the impossible!
A SPIRITUAL RETREAT: ENCOURAGING the NURTURE of a LISTENING HEART… To retreat is to step outside of our normal lives in order to reflect on where we have been and where we might be going; to catch a glimpse of how we might live differently; and to listen for the still, small voice of God that still whispers throughout the land. Using a variety of contemplative prayer practices we will nurture our desire for prayer, with a gracious rhythm of silence and sound, stillness and movement. Individual Spiritual Direction will be provided. Rest will be honored…Renewal encouraged Retreat guides: Ellen Ratmeyer, ordained Elder and Spiritual Director; Ella Campbell, ordained Elder and Spiritual Director; and Arlene Wilhelm, Minister of Word and Sacrament and Spiritual Director MARCH 6-8, 2012 LINWOOD SPIRITUAL CENTER, RHINEBECK, NY COST: $150.00 PER PERSON (includes $50 non-refundable deposit) MEALS: Tuesday lunch thru Thursday lunch For more information and commuter rates: contact Arlene Wilhelm 845-240-1690 or sophiaarw@ yahoo.com Registration is limited – Deadline to register is February 23, 2012
THEATER & ARTS PROGRAM at Shawangunk Reformed Church (Orange Classis)…. The First Dinner Theater will be held on Saturday, February 11, 2012 Agape Love Dinner & Theater with special entertainment A four course meal will be served: appetizers, salad, a choice of either Chicken Florentine Lasagna or Lasagna Primavera and dessert . Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. and the Dinner Theater will end at 6:30 p.m. Cost: $15.00/couple and $7.50/individual. Tickets may be purchased through Sunday, February 5th by calling the church office: 845-895-2952 or Harriet Wilkin, 845-476-8758. Come for a time of sharing God’s love with others!
ABOUT THE SYNOD… · Korean pastors in NY Synod gathered for New Year worship at New Hope Reformed Church in Yonkers on Monday, January 9, 2012. Special guest, Rev. John Lee, introduced a mission program to attendants. Lunch was provided for the participants by New Hope Church. · Annual consistory training for Korean church leaders of RSNY will be held at Shinkwang Church of NY in Bayside on Sunday, January 15th. · Jon Norton wil be conducting a workshop/retreat on Saturday, January 21st at the Brick Reformed Church in Montgomery (Orange Classis) on Growing the Church from the Inside Out. The workshop will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. will include such topics as: How can we recognize when a church is in the grip of chronic anxiety? and How can we deal with chronic anxiety’s power to slow down and block change? · The Classis of Rockland/Westchester will hold a Saturday morning “workshop” on January 21st , 9:30 a.m. to noon, for congregational leaders in the classis churches. This will be preliminary to the “Conversations” event in Florida in February, the discernment process for the new ten year goal of the RCA. Tamera Schreur will be the discernment leader for the morning. · Congratulations! The Brighton Heights Reformed Church (New York Classis) will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Rev. James Seawood as pastor on Sunday, January 29th at 3:30 p.m. ALL are INVITED! · On Tuesday, January 31st, Orange Classis Network Pastors’ Group will welcome Rodger Price, RCA Coordinator of Revitalization and Leader Development, for a conversation around mutual concerns facing congregations and the availability of resources for assistance in revitalization. · The Hopewell Reformed Church welcomes a new Youth and Young Adult Ministries Director. Warren and Lynette Jee come to them through a mission partner, J-Life, that the church works with in South Africa. · The Shandaken Reformed Church in Mt. Tremper (Average Worship Attendance –8) responded to the devastation caused by Hurricane Irene in their area by being a critically essential organizer for help for persons and families affected. They have received many notes of thanks but see their task as not yet finished. Elder Don Carragher, student pastor, serves this congregation. · Congratulations to Rev. Jeffrey Neevel and Kelly Krause on the occasion of their marriage, Sunday, January 1, 2012 at The Reformed Church, St. Thomas, VI. Jeff’s dad, Rev. James Neevel, officiated at the ceremony that followed worship that morning and was celebrated with the entire congregation. · Rev. Robert Williams writes: “ I am excited about one of the best Christmas presents I ever received. On Wednesday, December 7th, Cark & David Cameron-Gonzalez allowed me to perform their wedding at our church, the United Church of Spring Valley. I had truly married them nine years before at the Marble Collegiate Church, but this wedding, on the ninth anniversary of the original, has the force of New York State law. Hallelujah! |
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2012posted Jan 13, 2012 10:21 AM by Jon Norton [ updated Feb 8, 2012 8:27 AM ] |