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First Presbyterian Church of Englishtown
50 Main Street, Englishtown, NJ 07726
Rev. Cynthia Ritter Parker
Church Phone: 732-446-9506
Website: fpcenglishtown.org
Church Calendar
Sun., Nov., 30
Tues., Dec. 2
1st Sunday of Advent
9:30 AM Bible Study
1st Day of Chapter-a-Day Covenant Group
9:30 AM Sunday School
11 AM Worship-Rev. John Nolan preaching
Noon Fellowship
Sun., Dec. 21
4th Sunday of Advent
9:30 AM Bible Study
9:45 AM Sunday School
11 AM Worship
Noon Fellowship
12:30 PM Chapter-a-Day Covenant Group
10 AM–2 PM Pastor’s Office Hours
10 AM Chapter-a-Day Covenant Group
7 PM A.C.A. Meeting (Adult Children of Alcoholics)
7 PM Chapter-a-Day Covenant Group
Tues., Dec. 23
10 AM–2 PM Pastor’s Office Hours
10 AM Chapter-a-Day Covenant Group
7 PM A.C.A. Meeting (Adult Children of Alcoholics)
7 PM Chapter-a-Day Covenant Group
Wed., Dec. 3
2 PM Knit & Crochet
Wed., Dec. 24
Fri., Dec. 5
10 PM Narcotics Anonymous
Sun., Dec. 7
2nd Sunday of Advent
9:30 AM Bible Study
9:30 AM Christmas Pageant Rehearsal
11 AM Worship- Celebration of
the Lord’s Supper
Noon Fellowship
Session Reports Due in Mailboxes
Homebound Communion
Tues., Dec. 9
10 AM–2 PM Pastor’s Office Hours
10 AM Chapter-a-Day Covenant Group
7 PM A.C.A. Meeting (Adult Children of Alcoholics)
7 PM Chapter-a-Day Covenant Group
Wed., Dec. 10 7 PM Meeting of the Ruling Elders
Fri., Dec. 12
10 PM Narcotics Anonymous
Sun., Dec. 14
3rd Sunday of Advent
9:30 AM Bible Study
9:30 AM Christmas Pageant Rehearsal
11 AM Worship- Christmas Pageant
Noon Fellowship Deacon Bake Sale
12:30 PM Chapter-a-Day Covenant Group
2 PM Christmas Pageant to Pine Brook
Tues., Dec. 16
10 AM–2 PM Pastor’s Office Hours
10 AM Chapter-a-Day Covenant Group
7 PM A.C.A. Meeting (Adult Children of Alcoholics)
7 PM Chapter-a-Day Covenant Group
Wed., Dec. 17 Noon Men’s Lunch
Noon Lunch Bunch
January Messenger Deadline
Fri., Dec. 19
10 PM Narcotics Anonymous
6 PM Live Nativity at Old Tennent Church
7 PM Christmas Eve
Thurs., Dec. 25
Merry Christmas!
Fri., Dec. 26
10 PM Narcotics Anonymous
Sun., Dec. 28
11 AM Worship- Service of
Lessons & Carols
12:30 PM Chapter-a-Day Covenant Group
Tues., Dec. 30
10 AM–2 PM Pastor’s Office Hours
10 AM Chapter-a-Day Covenant Group
7 PM A.C.A. Meeting (Adult Children of Alcoholics)
7 PM Chapter-a-Day Covenant Group
Thurs., Jan. 1
Happy New Year! 2015
Fri., Jan. 2
10 PM Narcotics Anonymous
Sun., Jan. 4
Sun., Jan., 11
9:30 AM Bible Study
9:45 AM Sunday School
11 AM Worship
Noon Fellowship
11 AM Worship- Celebration of
the Lord’s Supper
12:30 PM Chapter-a-Day Covenant Group
Homebound Communion
Next Deacon Meeting after Worship
If you would like to receive this newsletter by e-mail please contact Elder Bob Musser:
[email protected]
The Adult Bible Study
Sunday’s at 9:30 AM in the Church Library
Leader: Lillian Patrick
Children’s Christmas Pageant
Journey to Bethlehem
Sunday School! 9:45 a.m.-10:45 a.m.
Hope is Born “And they will call him,
Emmanuel” Matthew 1:23
Leap of Faith: The birth of Jesus shows
God’s hope for the world.
Dec. 7 Mary and Joseph–Luke 1:26-47
Dec. 14 Mary and Elizabeth Luke 1:39-45
“Christmas Pageant”
Dec. 21 The Birth of Jesus Luke 2:1-20
Dec. 28 – No Sunday School
Jan. 4 The Wise Men Matthew 2:1-12
Leap on into Sunday School! We’re playing games,
doing crafts, dancing to music, and acting out the
Bible stories. Advent begins on Sunday, November 30th
and an ornament will be made each Sunday for Christmas.
We will also be rehearsing for the December 14th
Christmas Pageant.
If you can not make it to church on a Sunday,
go online to: growproclaimserve.com
Sunday School Leader: Vera Musser
cell # 732-685-3125 text or talk
Email:[email protected])
Sunday, Dec. 7 9:30 a.m. Dress Rehearsal
Sunday, Dec. 14 9:30 a.m.
Christmas Pageant / Pizza / Pine Brook
Volunteer Opportunities
Be a Member of the Cast, Costumes, Props, Sets, Pizza
Party, Pine Brook Liaison, Snacks
To Sign Up:
https://www.volunteersignup.org/QD93B
or call the church office (732) 446-9506
Live Nativity
6 PM-7 PM
Friday December 19, 2014
Old Tennent Church
(The Story of Jesus Birth, Live
animals, and Santa Claus)
Want to take a part call Renee Nadan
– 732-600-1968
Come by 5:30 P.M.
to Old Tennent Church
(732-446-6299)
Blue Christmas?
Is this a Blue Christmas for you? Did you suffer a loss this year?
A loved one? A job? A physical ability?
Are you grieving?
Contact Pastor Cynthia (609) 977-2325 to arrange
for a Blue Christmas home visit
A Care Team will bring supper to your home.
We will share the meal, fellowship, restorative prayer,
and the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper.
(You don’t have to host. If you prefer, we can fellowship in another home.)
_._._._._._._
Christmas Poinsettias
Orders to be in by Dec., 1st.
Poinsettias will be displayed
in church on Sunday, Dec.,
21st and Christmas Eve
when they will be taken home
or given to a shut-in.
Thanksgiving Food Baskets
Deacons prepared 6 baskets with turkeys
for families, plus 1 food
gift card and two turkeys for
a support group. Many thanks
to those who contributed to the
Thanksgiving Food Baskets and Samaritan
Center Food Drive.
Wednesday, December 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Worship @ FPC Englishtown
Sunday, December 7 Luke 1
Sunday, December 21 Luke 2
Sunday, December 14 Christmas Pageant
Wed., December 24 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Sunday, December 28 Service of Lessons & Carols
Monmouth
Presbytery
Meeting
January 27, 2015
From the Deacons
Sunday December 14th
Bake for and buy goodies.
Nida Haddad
at FPC Englishtown
Come out and meet, greet
and feed fellow Presbyterians.
Inspirational Worship
Service at 7 p.m.
Checkout Our New Updated Church Website at www.fpcenglishtown.org
Our updated website highlights/emphasizes/shows/proclaims that we are an active mission oriented family church.
Visit the Healthy Hearts web page “Walk and Talk “. We aspire to help communities incorporate healthy habits into
their lives of faith through physical movement and spiritual enrichment. Also check out the calendar page for
upcoming events. Listen to sermons online too!
MISSION MATTERS
Cents-Ability originated in 1976 as “Two-Cents-A-Meal,” a project begun by Presbyterian Women
to combat world hunger. By setting aside a few cents each meal, in month, change can really add
up to make a difference. Cents-Ability Offering Banks are available by contacting your
Mission Team. Fill them up, and pour out a blessing to the hungry each month into the
offering plate at church.
Samaritan Center Food Pantry: Non-perishable foods can be placed in the bin located in our fellowship hall.
The Samaritan Center is our local food pantry, distributing to needy families. There are other needs as well; many
families have expressed need of laundry detergent and paper products. We have been advised, The Samaritan Center
would be able to distribute these additional items, if they are donated.
Christmas Angels at Church…
How beautiful to see the smile on a child’s face when they unwrap a gift on
Christmas morning. Oh such joy it brings. There are children in our community,
who may not receive a gift this Christmas, but we can make it happen.
Together, through The Samaritan Center, we can show our love for these
children, by giving that gift.
Attached to each Angel you will find a tag. Written on each tag is a child, their
size, age, gender, and a hope for something special; for some it may be toy,
another a piece of warm clothing.
Spend no more than 20 dollars; attach the tag with child’s information to a
wrapped gift, and bring the tagged gift back to church by December 14th.
Keep the Angel in your home, remembering to pray for the child throughout
the season.
Blessings from Your Mission team
We would like to thank some of our sponsors for our 2014 Turkey Supper
Wegman’s Manalapan
55 US Highway 9
Manalapan, NJ 07726
732-625-4100
Sam’s Club Freehold
320 w. Main Street
Freehold, NJ 07728
732-780-3943
Shoprite Of Morganville
280 RT 9 North
Morganville NJ, 07751
732-780-3943
Phone 732446-7387
Fax 732-446-9690
11 Tennant Avenue
Englishtown, NJ 07726
The hospitality committee would like to personally thank all of their supporters for an amazing job well done,
from local stores donating goods, ticket sales, seating arrangements, kitchen help, servers from troop 180,
dessert room, bread and drink room, down to the generous people who donated and or cooked the many turkeys
that were needed for the fall Turkey supper. Even the local pizza restaurant gave us a discount price on pizza
to thank the boy scout troop 180 who has been serving us for years.
There is no way we can truly show out gratitude for all the support for both the turkey dinner and the spring
pancake breakfast. We all have done so well that there is a possibility of two seating for both next year.
“Now that is an amazing accomplishment” that we can thank all of you for. Bringing the community back to the
FPC of Englishtown.
Truly Yours,
The Hospitality Crew
Stewardship | Celebrating Our Church Family
“Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power
to get wealth” Deuteronomy 8:18
The Lord has blessed us with a vibrant year of ministry and mission!
Sunday Night Praise, our new ministry for families, started out with a bang! We were nourished by the fellowship
meal, THE GAME, worship with a storyteller and seminary musician, and a Samaritan Center mission project.
We have proven to be excellent stewards of our buildings by welcoming two recovery groups and by
making wise decisions, such as converting from oil to gas. To top it off, we have some fresh,
creative ideas to raise money for the renovation of our bathrooms.
In 2015, we want to increase our ministry and mission! Here are some of the possibilities:
children/families ministry, youth/young adult mission work, intergenerational event, support a foreign
missionary (maybe Pastor Cynthia’s seminary classmate who is serving in Costa Rica). Help us do this by
tithing as generously as you are called.
Mail in your pledges or drop them in the offering plate. We have been entrusted with this precious
church. Let’s meet our calling!
Stewardship of Our Time and Talent
Contact Barbara Kwaak to join the Buildings/Grounds
Ministry Team Call (732) 995-3057
Capital Improvements, Repairs, Maintenance, Landscaping &
Snow Removal, Church House Renovation
Contact Judi Thompson to join the Christian Education Ministry
Team Text/call (732)598-3680
Bible Study, Sunday School, Healthy Hearts, Book Group, Covenant
Group Reading through the Bible, and Walk, Talk, Pray
Contact Bob Musser to join the Communications Ministry Team [email protected] or
call (732)780-4896 The Messenger, Website, Directory, Maintain Contact List of Our Church Family and Friends
Contact George McLaughlin to join the Hospitality Ministry Team
Call/text (908)902-3112 [email protected]
Turkey Supper, Pancake Breakfast, Sunday Morning Fellowship, Hospitality Meals
Contact Barbara Blue to join the Mission Ministry Team
Call/text (732) 598-3836 [email protected]
Samaritan Center Donations and Liaison, Manna House Donations, Youth/Young Adult Mission Trip
Next Summer!, Restore the Shore, Meals Ministry (bag lunches once a month for the hungry)
Contact Mimie Cook to join the Stewardship Ministry Team
Text/call (848)459-5596 [email protected]
Faithful Stewardship of Our Time, Talent, and Treasure, Capital Campaign for Bathroom Renovation
Contact Roy Hoppock to join the Worship Ministry Team
Call/text (732) 261-4875
Sunday morning worship, Sunday Night Praise, Special Services (Christmas Eve, Easter)
Chapter-a-Day
Check the little box, helpful, establish a daily reading habit.
Tuesday, December 2 Genesis 3 Adam and Eve drink
“antioxidants” from pomegranate juice so as to live forever.
Doesn’t work out; God’s ticked. Exile.
Wednesday, December 3 Genesis 4 Kids are a problem.
Cain offs Abel. “Am I my bro’s keeper? Abel replaced with Seth.
Ouch.
Thursday, December 4 Genesis 5 Adam dies @ 930 years.
It’s all downhill from here as life span dwindles. Except for
Methuselah @ 969 years. He ate whole grains.
Friday, December 5 Genesis 6 Nephilim demigods sire
giants. Weirdest passage in Torah? God has maker’s remorse
and regrets humanity.
Saturday, December 6 Genesis 7 Weather alert! God
gives Noah 1 week eviction notice: ”Take 7 pairs of each clean
animal in ark to avoid flood. Oh, and BYO Renuzit.”
Happy Church New Year!
The beginning of the church year is Sunday,
November 30, the 1st Sunday of Advent. Our New
Year’s Resolution is to read through the Bible one chapter
at a time (with the help of author Jana Riess’ tweets).
Join one of our Covenant Groups that meet to
talk about the week’s readings: Sundays 12:30 p.m.,
Tuesdays 10:00 a.m., Tuesdays 7:00 p.m.
Scriptures: Click on http://bible.oremus.org
or Google Oremus Bible
(Jana Riess, “The Twible:
All the Chapters of the Bible
in 140 Characters or Less”)
Sunday, December 7 Luke 1 Teen girl Mary chosen by
God to bear the Savior! Pregnancy raises some eyebrows, but
double thumbs up to Joseph for loyalty. P.S. different Joseph :0)
Monday, December 8 Genesis 8 After 190+ days,
H2O subsides. However, a crummy vacation package requires
150 more days of waiting on the stinky ship.
Tues., December 9 Genesis 9 They’ve de-arked.
God sends a rainbow to promise no more flood.
Keeps earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes in reserve.
Wed., December 10 Genesis 10 Begat, begat, begat.
Name index includes Ludium, Lehabim and Jerah, all now
available by prescription. Ask your doctor about Ophir.
Thursday, December 11 Genesis 11 We built this city!
We built this city on rock and stone! Bad idea; God annoyed.
Language scattered. No puedo entenderte. (I can’t
understand you.)
Sunday, November 30 Genesis 1 After six days of creation, God’s totally wiped. Day off tomorrow! Key point: Human
beings very good.
Friday, December 12 Genesis 12 God promises land
and descendants. Abram responds by lying to Pharaoh
and not protecting wife Sarai. What a bright future.
Monday, December 1 Genesis 2 2nd creation story. God
forms Adam from dust; very green, 100% recycled
material. Don’t eat that tree. Yep, that one.
Saturday, December 13 Genesis 13 Abram, loaded with
cash, divides turf with nephew. Lot gets Sodom, a risky real
estate investment. Be sure to buy fire insurance.
Chapter-a-Day
Jana Riess, “The Twible:
All the Chapters of the Bible
in 140 Characters or Less”)
Sunday, December 14 Genesis 14 Four kings seize Lot.
Oh no! Abram comes to the rescue even though Lot’s the
village idiot. Maybe blood really is thicker than water.
Monday, December 15 Genesis 15 Abram: “Where’s
the heir you promised?” God: “Number the stars. So will your
offspring be. You’re gonna need a bigger tent.”
Tuesday, December 16 Genesis 16 Barren Sarai begs
Abram to overnight with her slave girl Hagar. This solution
spawns a son but also impressive catfights. Wednesday, December 17 Genesis 17 Abram now
Abraham. God was clearly not thinking ahead about the
Twitter character count. Name longer: foreskin shorter.
A tradeoff.
Thursday, December 18 Genesis 18 The Negotiator - A:
“What if 50 righteous are in Sodom?” G: “OK, I won’t torch if I
find 50.” A: “45? 40? 30? 10? G: “OK, OK!”
Friday, December 19 Genesis 19 Lot sacrifices his own
daughters to the raping hordes. BTW, Lot’s the “good” guy in
chapter 19. Just in case you were wondering.
Saturday, December 20 Genesis 20 Abe pulls the “she’s
my sister” act again; successfully “trades” Sarah for more sheep,
oxen, and slaves.
Sunday, December 21 Luke 2 “Ma’am, the rooms are full
at Bethlehem Inn, but there’s a rustic barn out back that is quite
charming. And the hay is complimentary.”
Monday, December 22 Genesis 21 Abe (100) and Sarah
(90) have Isaac without IVF. Wow! But they don’t need Hagar
anymore, so they throw her out.
Tuesday, December 23 Genesis 22 Ultimate loyalty test:
God commands sacrifice of Abe’s chosen son Isaac. Ram saves
day @ the last minute.
Wednesday, December 24 Genesis 23 Sarah dies at 127
and Abe nabs choice burial plot. (This chapter is mostly filler
after the drama of the-sacrifice-that-wasn’t. Yawn.)
Check the little box, helpful, establish a daily reading habit.
Thursday, December 25 Matthew 1:18-25 The Birth
of Jesus the Messiah, Luke 2:1-20 The Birth of Jesus,
The Shepherds and the Angels
Friday, December 26 Genesis 24 Meet-up #1 Isaac is told,
“Whoever waters the camels is your girl.” Rebecca wins!
See tabloids of spicy details and glam wedding pics.
Saturday, December 27 Genesis 25 Rebecca’s twins have
WWF - worthy prenatal throwdown. (PST! Foreshadowing.)
Esau’s 1stborn, but Jake’s a real trickster. Watch your back.
Sunday, December 28 Genesis 26 Like father, like son.
Isaac mimics the “she’s my sister” act to pimp out Rebecca.
Again leads to riches. We never learn.
Monday, December 29 Genesis 27 Jake tricks Isaac into
blessing him instead of big brother Esau. Isaac appears to have
facial recognition challenges.
Tuesday, December 30 Genesis 28 Jake gets outta
Dodge but suffers ladder-climbing dreams. This “stone for
a pillow” stuff is a far cry from Westin’s Heavenly Bed.
Wednesday, December 31 Genesis 29 Meet-up #2 Jake
works 24/7 to wed Rachel, but her dad pulls a sneaky switch
and substitutes Leah instead. Way to trick the trickster.
Thursday, January 1 Genesis 30 Rachel to God: “Gimme
kids!” Finally, Rachel has Joseph, one of Jake’s 11 (later 12) sons.
There’s also a daughter, or 6, or possibly 21!
Friday, January 2 Genesis 31 Rachel steals family idols
and sits on them. Says she’s having red tent issues, but Jake’s
the one who acts wacky.
Saturday, January 3 Genesis 32 Jake wrestles with an
angel. Man, he’’ll pick fights with anybody! Sunday, January 4 Luke 3 John the Baptist preaches that
if you have two coats, you should give one away. He donated
both of his, which explains the whole loincloth look.
Small Group Ministry Teams
<–––––––––––– O U T R E AC H ––––––––––––>
Knit and Crochet
Interested in learning how
to knit or crochet.
See Judi Thompson or Mary Ganczarski
Lunch Bunch (Ladies’ Lunch)
3rd Wed. of the Month
December 17th @ Noon
Longhorn
300 W. Main St., Freehold
Men’s Lunch
3rd Wed. of the Month
December 17th @ Noon
Gus’s Diner
135 Hwy 33, Manalapan
A.C.A.
Adult Children of Alcoholics
Narcotics Anonymous
Friday Nights @ 10 p.m.
http://www.na.org
Pastor Cynthia’s Contact Info:
Call/Text (609) 977-2325
[email protected]
#pastorecinzia
All are Welcome!
Tuesday Nights @ 7:00 p.m.
A.C.A. is a program for those who
grew up in alcoholic
or otherwise dysfunctional homes.
We take positive action,
finding freedom from the past
and a way to improve our lives today!
Contact: Bonnie McDonald
(732) 320-7198
Cub Scout Pack 154
For more information email:
[email protected],
call: 732-851-3130, website:
www.154scouts.org
Prayer Requests:
Elizabeth’s brother-in-law Ian Scott (cancer treatment),
Barbara Blue’s daughter Priscilla & son Gabriel (health),
Vilma (health), Jen (job hunting), Sarah Jane (CPA
exam), Bruce’s cousin Carolyn (stage 4 breast cancer),
Linda’s student Stephen (stage 4 Hodgkin’s
Lymphoma), Maria Coulson (bone marrow transplant),
Agnes & Alex’s grandson Branden (recovering),
Elizabeth Cunningham Fortel (health), Mary (vision),
Mary’s friends Paula (cancer) and Susan (failing health),
Barbara K. (treatment), Dean Gerad Sauchelli (new
state police officer), Carol Lewis’ husband (early
dementia), Vera’s mother Olga (hospice), our neighbor
Jane (health), George’s sister Bonnie (stage 4 breast
cancer), Joe McLaughlin (military service),
Nikki Palmer Hall (healthy pregnancy),
Rev. Katherine Parker (cancer), Gerry Parker
(lymphoma), Lil’s sister Doris (health), Lil’s nephew
Tim (cancer), Allan & James Russell (health), Dante’s
22 year old cousin (recovering from asthma attack),
family of Henry Reeves (death), Jennifer (Skiba) Barto
(healthy pregnancy), Judy Soden (health), Ruth Stiles
(health), Helen Strong (health), Gloria’s nephew Joey,
Judi (health), Norman Thompson (health), Justin’s
friend Jessica, Justin’s two McDonalds customers
(homeless), Tuckerton Presbyterian Church
(searching for an Interim Pastor), Sue Warren’s friend
Joe (open heart surgery), Bob & Linda’s friends Jack
(health) and Marlene (health), our friend Glenn
Higgins, Harold’s son Burke (cancer), Thomas A. Zak
(military service), all those serving in our armed forces
and their families
Welcome to our new member
Linda Houde
8 Washingtons Advance
Manalapan, NJ 07726
Not able to come to worship on the 1st Sunday of the Month?
We will bring the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper to your home!
Contact Pastor Cynthia (609)977-2325
Liturgists
Coffee Hour Hosts
Dec., 7
Dec., 14
Dec., 21
Dec., 24
Dec., 28
Dec., 7
Dec., 14
Dec., 21
Dec., 28
Joe Deak, Jr.
Christmas Program
John Deak
Elizabeth Atwater
Carols and Scripture
Deacons and Session
Linda Goedkoop
Mary Ganczarski
No Coffee Hour
Abundant Gratitude!
Pastor Parker is grateful for our
Church Family’s generosity
in recognizing her birthday.