T he B ell R inger
The Newsletter of Niccolls Memorial Presbyterian Church
May 2015
Niccolls Memorial
Presbyterian Church
PO Box 605, 228 Crosby Blvd.
Old Forge, NY 13420
Our Mission:
To Live Out Christ’s Love
By Nurturing Spiritual Growth
and Fellowship
and by Reaching Out
in Faith and Love
Pastor
Rev. Lawrence Bartel
Pastor Emeritus
Rev. James L. Ulrich
Organists
Judith Barker
Susann Rundell
Secretary / Editor
Mary Brophy-Moore
Sunday Schedule
Early Worship: 7:30 am
Worship Service: 10:00 am
Sunday School 10:00 am
Sunday Service Broadcast on
WBRV-900 AM, 101.3 FM
WLLG-FM 99.3
Online (live): themoose.net
Office Hours
Mon Fri: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Phone: 369-3475
Fax: 369-6172
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.niccolls.org:
Here you’ll find weekly worship
bulletins & audio recordings of
the sermon.
Mountain Meditation
by Rev. Lawrence Bartel
What a bright and mild and spring day! I just returned from a walk
with our family dog, Casey. This morning we walked over the TOBIE Trail
Bridge to Thendara. Birdsong filled the air and a deer grazed near the
riverbank. Gazing over the Moose River from that same bridge we’ve
recently observed muskrat browsing the shoreline for food, a mallard pair
preparing a nest and a solitary heron patiently waiting for a snack.
Exploring the woods and waterways outside of our Adirondack
communities yields even more creatures. On our walk yesterday to Lock and
Dam, Casey and I were momentarily stopped in our tracks by the explosion
of a ruffed grouse taking off from a hiding spot near the trail.
God’s creatures are also an integral part of our lives much closer to
home. Inside our homes, pets provide companionship and delight for all
ages. Outside, we’ve created partnerships with countless animals that bring
food to our tables, including horses and cattle, chicken and goats, bees and
pigs and so many more.
If Niccolls Church is one of God’s many dwelling places, then the
building has also hosted its share of creatures. Throughout the week, you’re
likely to find Casey or Doogie in the office assisting our daily work of
ministry. On more than one occasion, we’ve welcomed into a memorial
service the canine companion who faithfully stayed by the side a person who
suddenly passed away until others arrived on the scene.
As the last of winter’s snow recedes, let’s join our voices with all
creation praising the Lord. Read Psalm 148 today, outside if possible.
I find myself so grateful for the signs of new life in God’s creation all
around us. I’m so aware that I’m part of this renewal, not apart from it.
William Coperthwaite observed, there is no such thing as self-sufficiency. It is
a myth – a delusion. One is either arrogant, ignorant or naïve to believe it. We are an
interdependent species – dependent on others of our own plus countless other species for our
existence.
Pause with me to reflect for a moment. What part of the growing and
harvesting, processing and cooking did you have in the food on your plate
today? If you have a bouquet of flowers on the table, did you plant and grow,
cut and arrange them? We are so dependent on others!
I treasure the Apostle Paul’s illustration in 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 as he
acknowledges his interdependence on others in the sharing the gospel, I
planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth …for we are God’s servants, working
together, you are God’s field, God’s building.
This spring and early summer, join me, and the Niccolls Church family,
in expressing our heartfelt gratitude to the Lord as the source of all life. Let’s
gather for a series of “blessings.” This ancient practice of faith beckons us to
meet in the very places we form interdependent relationships with all of
God’s creation.
On Sunday, May 17th at 1:00 p.m. bring your dogs and cats, gerbils
(continued on page 2)
May 2015
The BellRinger
Mountain Meditation (continued from page 1)
and birds to join the horses and donkeys, chickens and goats
of the Moose River Farm for a “Blessing of the Animals.” All
animals are welcome and must be securely restrained. The
stables and trails around the farm of Anne and Rod Phinney
offer a splendid setting to give thanks that All God’s Critters Got
a Place in the Choir as our youth choir has sung.
On Sunday, June 21st at 1:00 p.m. we will gather among
the gardens of Bette and Joe Rintrona for a “Blessing of the
Blooms.” As flowers open to the light and reveal their God
given beauty to the world, this time will invite us to open our
senses to God’s grace proclaimed by the “flowers of the field.”
On Sunday, July 19th at 1:00 p.m. Star and Jeff
Livingstone’s gardens will be the setting of a “Blessing of the
Field and Table.” This cornucopia offers a wonderful location
to engage our senses once again as we give thanks to the Lord
for all who sow, cultivate, harvest, and process tomorrow’s
food for our tables.
Don’t wait for these gatherings to express your
gratitude to the Lord for the gift of our interdependent lives.
Before returning to the inside of your home after reading
Psalm 148, linger outside and why lift up this simple song of
praise:
All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.
Stewardship Snapshot as of March 2015
March 2015 Actual Income & Expenses
Income $ 12,096.84
Expenses 16,956.85
($ 4,860.01)
Fiscal Year-to-Date: Actual
Budgeted
Income $128,809.81
$ 92,875.08
Expenses 100,958.50
105,698.16
$ 27,851.31
($ 12,823.08)
The next time you come to worship or see an example
of our faith in action, remember that our ministry is not
possible because of someone else’s stewardship. Our ministry IS
possible due to OUR stewardship as an entire church family.
For more information on tithing, planned giving, or bequests,
please talk with Pastor Lawrence, one of our financial officers
or visit our website – niccolls.org
Page 2
Transitions
Each month we share “transitional experiences”
within the Niccolls family. Please call the church for
more information or if you have an individual to add.
Compassion
Gerry Grassman – home in PA
Pat Johnston – home in SC
Jean Kull – home in FL
Margie O’Hara – home
Condolences
Sharon Graham
Dorothy Hagbloom
David Leach
Worship Broadcast
One of our 3 congregational goals is by
2016, we will have improved communication with the
congregation and community through creative use of
existing and emerging technologies.
We’ve taken great strides over the last year
to meet this goal. In addition to the local
radio listeners, we hear from Niccolls Church
family members who listen online to our live
worship broadcast from New York to New
Mexico, Florida to Colorado. As the
congregation celebrates communion in the
sanctuary one family who listens online joins
in from their home over half way across this
continent.
With this growth, we are seeking
additional media (radio) engineers to bring
our worship experience to the radio and
digital congregation. Over the years women
and men from teens through seniors have
served as our engineers.
Are you our next media engineer? All that
is required of you is your availability on Sunday morning from 9:45 through the end of
worship once every couple of weeks. Onsite
training will be provided, joyfully of course!
Help us make the connection with the
Niccolls Church family near and far.
Breakfast & a Book
Anne Lamott said this about Tattoos of the Heart: “An astonishing book…about
suffering and dignity, death and resurrection, one of my favorite books in years. It is lovely and tough and tender
beyond my ability to describe and left me in tears of both sorrow and laughter.” For our next Faith and
Fellowship Group known as Breakfast and a Book, we’ll be reading Tattoos of the Heart by Fr. Greg Boyle. All
are welcome to join us for a lively discussion at the Front Door Diner on Tuesday, May 19 at 7:30 a.m.
May 2015
The BellRinger
Page 3
Assistance for Nepal
No doubt you have heard about the disaster in Nepal resulting from
an earthquake of over 7.8 on the Richter scale. As of this morning, the
official death toll has reached 3,800, but rescuers have only begun to dig
through the rubble in Katmandu, and many small isolated villages near the
quake’s epicenter have yet to be heard from. Many people are without food,
water and shelter. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is asking for donations to
help fund aid to Nepal. You can give in two ways. You can write a check to
Niccolls putting PDA – Nepal on the memo line. Return the check to the
church office or place it in the offering. The Mission Committee will match donations received up to $300. Or you
may go to http://www.presbyterianmission.org /donate/make-a-gift/gift-info/DR999999/ and make a gift
through the PCUSA web site. Thank you for your generosity.
Memorial Weekend Tag Sale
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 22, 23 and 24, we will once again hold a Benefit Tag Sale in the
Fellowship Hall. The main recipient of the proceeds will be the Project Planning Committee so they may
complete the new church carpeting project as well as begin a fund for the proposed new Mission Boutique
addition.
If you have any items in good condition, including furniture, household items, outdoor & recreation items,
jewelry, crafts, artwork, etc. that you would be willing
to donate to this fundraising effort, please bring them
to church beginning Sunday, May 17th.
Also, we will need help with setup, sales, food
and/or cleanup. We will have a brief planning
meeting on Sunday, May 3 after 10 a.m. worship. If
you can’t make the meeting, watch for a signup sheet
in the Narthex coming soon, or speak to Dee Kraft.
Mission Boutique Addition Proposal
The Project Planning
Committee and Mission
Boutique Team, in cooperation
with the Session, have been
hard at work on the plans for a
new addition to the church
which would house the
operation of the Mission
Boutique. The layout to the left
and artist’s rendering above
gives an idea of the work that
has gone into the project so
far. There are no definite plans
as of yet but we are being
intentional about the vision for
the future addition and the
many, many advantages of
seeing this project through.
You can help by contributing to the upcoming
Tag Sale both in items and in lending a hand with the
running of the sale. Please see the article above.
May 2015
The BellRinger
Niccolls Women’s Fellowship by Ruth Brussel
Our meeting in April was held at Ruth Brussel’s
home. We ate lunch and played a game called “He
loves me because …” We each pulled a petal from
a flower and told why we know that God loves us.
We sent cards to Kitty Blind and Jean Kull. We
hope they are getting better and will be back to their
beloved Adirondacks and Niccolls congregation soon.
We thank all who came and helped make the
soup for soup Sunday and to the congregation for
helping us raise $80.00 for the food pantry.
We will sponsor the Mother’s Day card sale
again this year to help women in African countries
to be healthy and have healthy families. On May 3rd,
Char and Jean will be at a table in the Narthex
where you can make a donation for a card that you
can give or send to a relative or friend. The cards
state that you have made a donation in their honor.
Watch the bulletins for our next meeting.
Bottles Anyone?
This summer we will again have
the Nickels for Niccolls program to raise
funds to install a Living Waters water
purification system in Honduras. Rather
than use non-recyclable water bottles, we
would like to use bottles that can be reused – such
as the kinds of bottles used for hiking or biking. If
you would like to donate extra bottles of this sort to
the Nickels for Niccolls effort, there will be a box in
the church narthex to collect them for the next few
weeks. Or drop them off in the office. Thanks!
Young Adult Volunteer
Leif Frymire was recently selected as a Young
Adult Volunteer (YAV) through the Presbyterian
Church. In September, Leif will begin a year of
service in Northern Ireland with congregations
leading faith-based initiatives which heal the decades
of conflict and discord that divided the Emerald Isle.
This month, Leif unveiled a blog to share the journey
with his Niccolls Church family. Read his first post
by clicking on the following link https://themightylyon.wordpress.com/
Page 4
Niccolls Elders and Deacons
Elders serving on Session:
Judy Barker
Lois Lowenberg
Letty Haynes
Sue Mahoney
Carol Hornick
Roger Pratt (winter)
Deb Langworthy
Cindy Rose
George Lapinsky
Sue Rundell
Shirley Lindsay (summer) Tom Ryan (summer)
Jeff Livingstone (winter)
Ken Strike
Deacons serving on the Board of Deacons:
Kelli Barcomb
Jean Kull (summer)
Debbie Brosemer
Ann Powley (winter)
Ellen Dreja (summer)
Barb Proper (summer)
Kristin Frymire
Linda Rodríguez (winter)
Paul Giessler (winter)
Linda Ryan (summer)
Cindy Hansen
Nancy Venetz (winter)
Vonnie Kinney (summer)
Please lift all of our church leaders up in prayer as they
PW Gathering
Feature
Lawrence
cultivate
grace-filledtoministry
and Pastor
mission throughout
th
Wednesday,
the entireOn
Niccolls
family.May 13 , the Presbyterian
Women will gather for their regular meeting at First
Presbyterian Church of Boonville.
We will gather at 9:30 when we will have a
chance to write a letter to our elected representatives
about the child nutrition program while enjoying light
refreshments. At 10:00 there will be a short business
meeting and a time of worship together. For our lunch
time, bring a dish to share and the recipe for it; dessert
and table service will be provided by Boonville.
Following lunch we will hear from Pastor Lawrence.
Pastor Lawrence will share his experiences of
the Mosaic of Peace journey to Israel and Palestine last
May. The journey took participants to Jerusalem,
Bethlehem, Jericho and Nazareth where they met
many Christian leaders as well as Jewish and Muslim
religious leaders. In addition to hearing the stories of
these “living stones” of the Holy Land, they also
visited the sites sacred to these three Abrahamic faith
traditions. A vital component of this presentation will
be a dialogue about our role as Presbyterians in this
kairos moment for the church.
All women are welcome to join the worship,
fellowship and learning at this and every Presbyterian
Women event.
Niccolls Family Tree
As the trees begin to bud and leaf around the Adirondacks, we’d like to add more
and more “leaves” to our Niccolls Family Tree in the hallway. Please take a picture with your smartphone or
digital camera and email it to [email protected] We’ll print out the image and place it on the tree.
~ May 2015 ~
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
DEACON OF THE MONTH:
Nancy Venetz
3
4
5
7:30 am Early Worship
10 am Worship Service
11:15 am Tag Sale
planning meeting
10
11
7:30 am Early Worship
10 am Worship Service
17
18
7:30 am Early Worship
10 am Worship Service
1 pm Blessing of the
Animals at
Moose River Farm
24 Pentecost
7
1
2
10am-12pm Mission
Boutique Open
7-8:30pm Mission
Boutique Open
10am-12pm Mission
Boutique Open
8
9
9:30 am Mission
12:30 pm Bible Study
Boutique Sorting
10-3 Senior Program Food Sense
Orders due
6 pm Fellowship Wed.
10am-12pm Mission
Boutique Open
7-8:30pm Mission
Boutique Open
10am-12pm Mission
Boutique Open
12
15 10am-12pm
16
13
14
10 am Staff Meeting 9:30 am Mission
Boutique Sorting
12 pm CE Meeting
9:30 am PW Gathering
in Boonville 7 pm Session
12:30 pm Bible Study
Meeting
10-3 Senior Program
6 pm Fellowship Wed.
Mission Boutique Open 10am-12pm Mission
3 pm Youth Group to
Boutique Open
Hope House
7 pm Living the
Questions group
7-8:30pm Mission
Boutique Open
19
20
22 9-3 Tag Sale
23
7:30 am Breakfast &
a Book @ the Front
Door Diner
9:30 am Mission
Boutique Sorting
10-3 Senior Program
10am-12pm Mission
Boutique Open
12:30pm Food Sense
6:30 Youth Group
Faith & Film
7-8:30pm Mission
Boutique Open
9-3 Tag Sale
10am-12pm Mission
Boutique Open
29
30
10am-12pm Mission
Boutique Open
7-8:30pm Mission
Boutique Open
10am-12pm Mission
Boutique Open
21
6 pm Fellowship Wed.
25
26
Office Closed
5 pm Presbytery Mtg. 9:30 am Mission
Boutique Sorting
in Cooperstown
10-3 Senior Program 7 pm All Committee
Meeting Night
6 pm Fellowship Wed.
Sunday
7:30 am Early Worship
10 am Worship Service
11:15-12:30 Tag Sale
6
Sat
27
28
31
7:30 am Early Worship
10 am Worship Service
AA meets in the Social Room: Sun. 5:30pm, Wed. 8pm, Fri. 9am & 8pm, Sat. 8pm.
Sarah Kelly
Caroline Pepper
Mackenzie Smith
Zachary Brombacher
May 3
Katie Boesche
Dawn Schweinsberg
Page Schweinsberg
George Lapinsky
5/1
5/6
5/16
5/22
May 10
Chris & Dee Kraft
Lynda & Tom Ryan
May
Birthdays
May 17
Char Pylman
Howard Quimby
Marcia Macdonald
Jean Kull
Margo Boylan
5/24
Dave Pierson
5/25
Colleen Brombacher Parker 5/30
May 24
Lois Lowenberg
Hailey Craig
Cindy & Nick Rose
May 31
Dave & Deb
Langworthy
Leslie Bailey
Fern Bailey
Niccolls Memorial
Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 605
Old Forge, New York
13420
Niccolls Memorial Presbyterian Church
Our Mission:
To Live Out Christ’s Love
by Nurturing Spiritual Growth and Fellowship
and by Reaching Out in Faith and Love
Non-Prof
US Postage PAID
Old Forge, NY 13420
Permit No. 3