1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

Community Presbyterian Church News
March, 2015
Community Presbyterian
Church
P.O. Box 148
Chester, NJ 07930
Community Presbyterian Church
Holy Week Worship
March 29 Palm/Passion Sunday, 10 am family worship
April 2nd Maundy Thursday Service, 7:00 pm
Celebrate and contemplate the first Lord’s Supper in a quiet and reverent
service in Fellowship Center.
April 3rd Good Friday Service at 7:00 pm
Pastor’s Pages
2-3
Christian Ed, Youth
Fellowships, BYG
3-4
Church Life-Mission 5-6
The Good Friday Service will be a Tenebrae Service or service of
darkness and shadows.
March Anniversaries 7
Easter Sunday , April 5th
HE HAS RISEN!
HE HAS RISEN INDEED!
Easter Sunrise Service, 6:30 am
Join us on the hill at Alstede’s Farm, Route 24. Dress warmly.
In the event of inclement weather, we will gather at CPC.
Easter Breakfast at CPC. 7:15 a.m.
Hot food, warm fellowship!
Easter Sunday Family Worship Services: 8:30 am & 10:00 am
Inside this issue
The
choir, as per tradition, wants to invite anyone to come forward on Easter to sing
the Hallelujah Chorus at Benediction.
Easter Lily/Tulip
Order form
8
March Calendar
9
From Your Pastor . . .
Community is in our name, and it is really important to remember that. Sometimes we forget, not
that it is there, but what it has meant, what it means, and what it can mean, and those are all
important things to think about. One of our previous Session members mentioned that he
thought we used the initials “CPC” or “CPCC” too much and that this quickening and simplifying
made it too easy to forget that “Community” especially. I have changed the way I think, speak,
and write, because I agree with that thought, and the “Community” aspect of who we are is so
important.
A few months ago, we had our “Community Sunday Luncheon” following worship. We heard
testimonials from a dozen or so members and leaders of local groups who use our space for
free, speak as to the importance of the Community Presbyterian Church simply being here on
Main Street. A recording of those speakers is still linked to our website at cpcchester.org if
you would like to listen to it.
Community is very important in our lives, and we all belong to many different communities, both
in person and some very significant communities online. If you stop to think about it for a
moment, the number of communities of which we are a part can be surprising. We have the
community of our family, the people with whom we work, friends and neighbors. Many of us
have communities that center around our children with school and activities and sports;
communities that we belong to based upon our age, or common interests, values and faith.
Online communities are very popular for our more esoteric interests. All of these are valuable to
feed and nurture various parts of who we are.
Your current Session has been working during this time to wonder together about Community;
hearkening to the past, examining the present, and imagining together what the future might
look like.
One of the new things our Church officers and I will be doing over the next year is getting into
the habit of visiting with our members. This might be done in your home, or in the Fireplace
Room in Fellowship Center in small groups. The idea of this is to strengthen our community; to
hear about your thoughts and experiences of where Community Presbyterian Church has been
and what it will be; to simply “be the Church” in a new way. It is a way of building community
and another way of increasing communication within the congregation. I feel that through
strengthening the bonds within our own community, we can be much more effective in reaching
out to our local community and far beyond.
Many of us belong to communities that relate to our hobbies or other pursuits that we engage in
for fun and relaxation. One of the things that I love about these groups is how I can benefit from
the creativity and ideas that others have come up with. Some of these ideas cause me to think,
“Why didn't I think of that!” and others present challenges to my skills and interest. Others are
just simply delightful to see and warm my heart to see others enjoying similar interests that bring
us both joy. These are the kinds of ideas and thoughts that we can share in our Church
Community.
2
From Your Pastor . . . cont’d
Congregations can so easily get into habits and the answer to, “Why do we do this?” is too
often, “Because we have always done it that way.” Sometimes that is the best and most solid
answer, other times it begs the question to be further investigated. Those times of wondering an
questioning together strengthen who we are as a community by providing identity and history,
and at other times they can help us to move out of bad habits and into healthier ones, and the
question is always good to ask and ponder.
So this is where the Spirit has led us over the past months, into wondering about community.
As the Scriptures tell us from the prophet Joel: “Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all
flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your
young men shall see visions.” (Joel 2:28 NRSV)
It is time for us to talk about and expect those dreams and visions from God’s Spirit, and to
share them with each other. It is an exciting time of exploring both newness and tradition, and
that is always a good thing for us to do together.
In the Community of Christ,
Your Pastor,
Rev. Chris Scrivens
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
CHURCH SCHOOL NEWS
Lisa S. Burns, Director of Family Ministries
As we continue through the Season of Lent, we will be re-living” Holy Week in Sunday School,
starting March 1st. We will be using the Group curriculum “Walk With Jesus.” If it sounds familiar,
it is! Last year, we followed in Jesus’ footsteps through Holy Week and it was such a meaningful,
thought-provoking Unit that it bears repeating.
The Christian Education Center will be transformed into Jerusalem and we invite EVERY church
member to visit it during Lent. You will be able to start at Palm Sunday, enjoy the Last Supper,
feel the anxiety in the Garden of Gethsemane, and then the joy at the resurrection! We invite you
to experience Sunday School for all ages!!!
3
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION/FAMILY MINISTRIES/YOUTH FELLOWSHIPS
Youth Fellowships
March 7th – Junior Highs at 5:00 pm & Confirmation at 6:30 pm
March 8th – BYG Coffee House from 5 - 7 pm
March 14th – Youth Club beginning at 4 pm
March 21st – Junior Highs at 5:00 pm & Confirmation at 6:30 pm
March 22nd – Senior Highs (possible Insurgent movie outing!) beginning at 5 pm
March 29th – Palm Sunday
March 30 – April 3 – School Break
April 5th – Easter / No regular Sunday School
Vacation Bible School
Although it’s only March, and Summer feels so far away…it’s time to start thinking about VBS!!!
The dates are Monday, August 10th – Friday, August 14th and the theme is…Lifeway’s “Journey Off
the Map!”
Mark the dates now and we can’t wait until VBS arrives! The music is great (catchy, of course!), and
the themes even better. Let Lisa know if you are available to lend a hand in any way!
BYG WORK CAMP
PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT
Friday, March 13th
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm.
Cost is $12 for first kid, $10 for each additional.
Friends are always welcome to join so please pass it on!
Each event will include games, crafts and a movie
with popcorn and drinks for your children! Fun is had by all and you
can enjoy a night out.
4
CHURCH LIFE
WOMEN’S BREAKFAST
PARISH LIFE
Our next breakfast will be Saturday,
March 7 beginning at 8 a.m. Come join us
at the Chester Diner and enjoy warm
friendship and delicious food ~ and bring a
friend. If possible, please sign up in Fellowship Center or give us a call at the Church
Office and we’ll add your name to the list
so we can give an approximate count to the
Diner.
Thank you and hope to see you at
Breakfast!
On February 8, Parish Life sponsored a delicious
Soup-er Soup Tasting. For all who made soups,
please send the recipe to the Church Office or
email it to the office so we can all duplicate (at
least attempt) the favorites. There certainly
were so many yummy choices!
Coming up on March 15, Parish Life is
planning an Irish Spud Fest following
the Worship Service. There will be
salad, dessert and of course, SPUDS ~
and different toppings to choose from, such as
chili, cheese, sour cream, chives, etc. Please
sign up in Fellowship Center, or call and we will
put you on the list, so we have an idea of how
many to plan for. Hope to see you then!
‘CULTURED PURLS’
‘Cultured Purls’ will hold their
next meeting Tuesday, March 3,
beginning at 1 pm in the Fireplace Room
at Community Presbyterian Church.
(pray for good weather)
SUNSHINE SQUAD
Hope Hollenbeck and Teddie Hutter
will be your hostesses. If you think you
would like to join this group, please
come or call Teddie Hutter at 908-8797890 for information.
If you, or someone you know has
chores or small projects that you
can’t get done because of illness or
some other incapacity, the SUNSHINE SQUAD is
here to help!
A group of us here at Community Presbyterian
Church are volunteering our time one Saturday a
month to lend a hand with some of these projects.
PRAYER CHAIN
With Spring on the way...soon we hope! there
might be small things you would like cleaned up
outdoors, or do you need some items put up in
your attic or straightened out in your garage or
basement?
Messages for Prayer requests are handled
by one person each month. This person is
in charge of passing on all information to
each of the prayer chain members.
All you have to do is call Jeanne Perry at
(908) 879-6269 and she will add you to the
schedule. They usually do this the third Saturday
of the month ~ watch bulletins for more info.
For March please call Cindy Zimmer
(908) 234-2559 or [email protected]
We could really use more prayer chain
volunteers ~ if interested, please contact
the office or any volunteer.
We are looking for jobs to do as well as volunteers
to help us. This is a great way for teens to meet
their service hour requirements! Give us a try and
give yourself a break.
5
CHURCH LIFE & MISSION
Scrip Card Order Placement 2015
SCRIP NOTE & REMINDER: Nancy Case usually takes orders for Scrip cards the second
Sunday of each month and gift cards are delivered during the same week.** Some people
have been taking advantage of this program for a few years now. There are many
merchants that participate in the Scrip program so it’s also a good way to order special
occasion gift cards. Scrip cards for Birthdays, Anniversaries, Promotions, Graduations, or . . . just
because. See Nancy Case for specifics--- .
** PLEASE NOTE: Orders may be placed online and brought by the office. Payment must be made by
cash or check (made out to CPC ~ PW) .
Sign up for ShopWithScrip! It’s easy!
1. The enrollment code for CPC is L147FFF327421
2. Go to www.ShopWithScrip.com, and click on “Create Account.”
3. Fill in all required information and click “I Accept.”
4. Choose two challenge questions from the list and provide answers.
The Deacons are continuing their Mini-Food Drive to help fill the Food baskets given out in
time for Easter . Some needs are: Peanut Butter, jelly, canned fruits, tuna fish, boxed foods
such as mac and cheese; canned dinners i.e. Ravioli, spaghettios. (Please ~ NO GLASS JARS);
single-serve packets of oatmeal and cocoa. Donations can be placed in the trunk in Fellowship
Center. Thank you.
Boxes for donations of food and diapers are
located to Fellowship Center. One of our deacons checks it weekly and takes the donations
over to the pantry. Thank you in advance for
your generosity.
CHESTER FOOD PANTRY: Donations are always appreciated
and gratefully accepted. If you would like to volunteer to
spend 2-3 hours to help, or for any other reason, call
Jackie at (908) 879-2548.
FOOD - OF -THE - MONTH: PEANUT BUTTER
BYG still recycling! We accept old GPS’, MP3
players, digital cameras or laptops as well as
used ink cartridges & cell phones. Place recycling items in the boxes in Fellowship Center. Contact Christy Young, [email protected] or 908-310-6211 with any
questions.
YOUR PARISH NURSES: Suzanne Bailey,
Marilyn Guerin, Hope LeFrancis, Nancy
Pappas, and Betty Wright.
Please feel free to contact anyone of them if they
may be of assistance.
6
MARCH ANNIVERSARIES and BIRTHDAYS
The following is a list of March Anniversaries and Birthdays according
to our church records. If there are any additions or corrections, please
let the church office know so that we able to update our files. THANK
YOU!
Anniversaries
Donald and Carol Pfleger
Marc and Faith Moffitt
3/15/53
3/27/99
Birthdays
Tyler Babcock
Jen Bergmann
Bradley Ellmann
Steven Lomelo
Henry Jacobson
Erin Farley
Jennifer Nordmark
Taylor Nordmark
Matthew Paccione
Richard LaClair
Hope Hollenbeck
Andrew Volante
Bryan Hayes
Adam Schuetz
Ella Chomiak
3/01
3/01
3/02
3/02
3/03
3/04
3/04
3/04
3/04
3/06
3/08
3/08
3/10
3/11
3/13
Martha Smith
Sage Tonnesen
Marie Duryea
Marylou Wynja
Mary Robinson
Judy Treutlein
Stephen Gallo
Heather Ronco
John Durand
Marilyn Guerin
Mauricette Moffitt
Ainsley Ronco
Adam Sorchini
Rick Adey
Robin Chu
3/13
3/14
3/15
3/15
3/17
3/17
3/18
3/19
3/20
3/20
3/20
3/20
3/21
3/22
3/22
Andrew Fortunato
3/22
Katherine Fortunato 3/22
Kelly Hurley
3/22
Christina Yerdon
3/22
Kayleigh Yerdon
3/22
Teddy Yerdon
3/22
Lauren Stephens Scarfo 3/23
Amy LaClair
3/25
Kalee Green
3/26
P.J. Rundzieher, Jr. 3/27
Abigail Seel
3/27
Chris Hayes
3/28
Joseph Hutchinson 3/28
Luke Hutchinson
3/28
REMINDER: DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS on SUNDAY, MARCH 8
SO BE SURE TO
YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD ONE HOUR BEFORE GOING
TO BED ON SATURDAY!
Our Flower Calendar has lots of open dates. Flowers are supplied by Stony Hill
Gardens, Route 24, Chester. Cost is $35/Sunday (or you may order a larger
arrangement if you choose.) The Deacons will deliver them to one of our shut-ins
or you may pick them up after the service. Checks can be made out to Community
Presbyterian Church, and a note on memo line for flowers. Call the Church office and we will
be happy to help you.
7
Easter Lilies and Tulips
We are offering everyone the opportunity
to purchase the traditional Easter Lily
AND / OR
a pot of Tulips
for Easter Sunday
Use this form to order and drop it in the offering plate, or bring / mail to the Church Office. Please
make checks payable to Community Presbyterian Church. You may pick up your plant(s) after the
last Worship Service on Easter Sunday or leave them for the Deacons for delivery to our sick and
shut-ins.
______ Easter Lilies ordered at 10.25 ea.
Total: $___________
______ Pot(s) of Tulips ordered @ 13.25 ea. Total: $ ___________
Grand Total: $ ___________
In honor of: ______
and / or
In memory of: _______
(please put below how you would like it to appear in bulletin)
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Given by: Name/Names:___________________________________
Telephone Number:
____________________________________
_______ I will pick up my plant(s) following the 10:00 Service
_______ I would like the Deacons to deliver my plant(s) to one of our sick or shut-ins
DEADLINE for ordering is Wednesday, March 25th.
8
MARCH 2015
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
1
2
3
4
5
9:00 Ch. School/
Adult Ed
9:15 Senior Choir
10:00 Worship/
Nurs.
11:00 Fellowship
& Coffee
6:00 ESC/SATS
10:00 Al-Anon
Midday Friendship
9:00 Aerobics
10:00 Music Lessons
1:00 ‘Cultured Purls’
10:30 Healthy Bones
Midday Friendship
9:00 Aerobics
8
9:00 Ch. School/
Adult Ed
9:15 Senior Choir
10:00 Worship/
Nurs.
11:00 Fellowship
& Coffee
Scrip Orders
5:00 Coffee House
6:30 ESC/SATS
5:30 Lifelong Fitness
7:15 Boy Scouts
6:00 Lifelong Fitness
7:30 Jubilee Ringers
7:30 Senior Choir
9
10
11
12
10:00 Al-Anon
Midday Friendship
9:00 Aerobics
10:00 50+ Club
Music Lessons
Presbytery Meeting
Chatham Township
10:30 Healthy Bones
Midday Friendship
9:00 Aerobics
5:30 Lifelong Fitness
7:15 Boy Scouts
7:30 COUNCILS
15
16
9:00 Ch. School/
Adult Ed
9:15 Senior Choir
10:00 Worship/
Nurs.
11:00 Irish Spud
Fest
10:00 Al-Anon
5:30 Lifelong Fitness
7:15 Boy Scouts
7:30 SESSION
6
7
8:00 Lifeline
Screening
10:00 Al-Anon
8:00 Women’s
Breakfast
8:30 Men’s Bible
Study
5:00 Relay for Life
6:00 ESC/SAT
7:00 Book Club
Sat
5:00 Junior Highs
6:30 Confirmation
Class
Turn Clocks Ahead
one hour before bed
13
14
9:30 Beginners Mtg.
10:00 Al-Anon
8:30 Men’s Bible
Study
4:00 Youth Club
7:00 Book Club
7:00 FP Bluegrass Fest.
Mtg.
6:00 Lifelong Fitness
7:00 Girl Scout Ldrs.
7:30 Boy Scout Ccl.
7:30 Jubilee Ringers
7:30 Senior Choir
17
18
19
20
21
10:30 Healthy Bones
Midday Friendship
9:00 Aerobics
10:00 Al-Anon
8:30 Men’s Bible
Study
7:00 Book Club
6:00 Lifelong Fitness
7:30 Jubilee Ringers
7:30 Senior Choir
7:00 PEO Magic
Show
5:00 Junior Highs
6:30 Confirmation
Class
Midday Friendship
9:00 Aerobics
10:00 Music Lessons
7:00 Boy Scout Adv.
Workshop
6:00 Parents Night
Out
APRIL NEWSLETTER
DEADLINE
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
9:00 Ch. School
/Adult Ed
9:15 Senior Choir
10:00 Worship/
Nursery
11:00 Fellowship
& Coffee
10:00 Al-Anon
Midday Friendship
9:00 Aerobics
10:00 50+ Club
10:00 Music Lessons
10:30 Healthy Bones
Midday Friendship
9:00 Aerobics
9:30 Beginners Mtg.
10:00 Al-Anon
8:30 Men’s Bible
Study
9:30 Camera Club
5:00 Senior Highs
5:30 Lifelong Fitness
7:15 Boy Scouts
7:00 Book Club
29
30
31
PALM SUNDAY
9:00 Ch. School /
Adult Ed
9:15 Senior Choir
10:00 Worship/
Nursery
11:00 Fellowship
& Coffee
10:00 Al-Anon
Midday Friendship
9:00 Aerobics
10:00 50+ Club
10:00 Music Lessons
SCHOOLS CLOSED
Deadline for ordering
Lilies/Tulips
9 - 3 NP ‘Retreat’
6:00 Lifelong Fitness
7:30 Jubilee Ringers
7:30 Senior Choir
Communion Set-Up:
March: Bart Case
April:
Flowers:
Tom Perry, Paul Beam
March: Carolyn Bearlepp
April:
Steve Huck and ALL DEACONS
after EASTER SUNDAY
5:00 DEACONS ~
Baskets
7:15 Boy Scouts
Food of the Month:
Peanut Butter
Prayer Chain Contact: Cindy Zimmer
7:00 Book Club
9
[email protected]
or 908-234-2559