What Christmas Eve Worship - Amazon S3...Christmas Eve Worship We joyfully offer four Christmas Eve...

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December, 2019 The Colts Neck Reformed Church PO Box 57 139 Route 537 Colts Neck NJ 07722 732-462-4555 [email protected] www.coltsneckreformed.org INSIDE THIS ISSUE Focus on Faith ...................... 2 Advent Focus ........................ 2 Christmas Concert ................ 2 Christmas Camp .................. 2 Christmas Happenings ......... 3 Church School....................... 4 Christmas Parenting Tips ..... 4 Womens Retreat .................. 5 Fellowship—Youth ................ 5 Our Ongoing Groups ............ 5 Music .................................... 6 Mission ................................. 7 Congregational Care ............. 8 Health & Wellness ................ 8 Welcome New Members ....... 9 Worship Schedule ............... 10 Covenant House Flyer ........ 13 Christmas Concert Flyer ..... 13 Christmas Camp Flyer ........ 12 Contact Information ........... 13 Whats going on this December? REFORMED Informe r Colts Neck Reformed Church Christmas Eve Worship We joyfully offer four Christmas Eve worship services for all to share in the jubilation of the message that This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.(Luke 2:12) 1:00 p.m—A family service in which the message of Good News is con- veyed in an interactive way that is especially geared to children of all ages. Our impromptu pageant is a tradition! The service is in the sanctuary. 4:00 p.m—A traditional Christmas Eve service with carols and candles. Music is offered by Celebration Ringers (our high school+ aged handbell choir) and by Jubilation! (our 7-12+ grade vocal choir). The service is in the sanctuary. Nursery care is available. 7:00 p.m.—A traditional Christmas Eve service with carols and candles. Music is offered by Exultation Ringers (our adult handbell choir) and by Sanctuary Choir (our adult vocal choir). The service is in the sanctuary. Nursery care is available. 9:00 p.m.—A traditional Christmas Eve service with carols and candles. The service is identical to the 7:00 p.m. service with music offered by Ex- ultation Ringers (our adult handbell choir) and by Sanctuary Choir (our adult vocal choir). The service is in the sanctuary. THE SEASON OF ADVENT Advent is the time when we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The name of this season is taken from the Latin word adventus and it means coming”, for not only do we celebrate the birth of Jesus, but we also receive the blessing of the coming of Jesus dai- ly into our hearts, and we anticipate the second coming of Christ in his glory. There are four Sundays in Advent—December 1, 8, 15, and 22. Each week in the four-week season of Advent, well be looking at a stanza of the carol Joy to the World”. The decorations in our sanctuary will reflect this theme as will the ornaments on our tree. During these Sunday worship (Continued on page 11)

Transcript of What Christmas Eve Worship - Amazon S3...Christmas Eve Worship We joyfully offer four Christmas Eve...

Page 1: What Christmas Eve Worship - Amazon S3...Christmas Eve Worship We joyfully offer four Christmas Eve worship services for all to share in the jubilation of the message that “This

December, 2019

The Colts Neck Reformed Church ⬧ PO Box 57 ⬧ 139 Route 537 ⬧ Colts Neck ⬧ NJ ⬧ 07722

732-462-4555 ⬧ [email protected] ⬧ www.coltsneckreformed.org

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Focus on Faith ...................... 2

Advent Focus ........................ 2

Christmas Concert ................ 2

Christmas Camp .................. 2

Christmas Happenings ......... 3

Church School....................... 4

Christmas Parenting Tips ..... 4

Women’s Retreat .................. 5

Fellowship—Youth ................ 5

Our Ongoing Groups ............ 5

Music .................................... 6

Mission ................................. 7

Congregational Care ............. 8

Health & Wellness ................ 8

Welcome New Members ....... 9

Worship Schedule ............... 10

Covenant House Flyer ........ 13

Christmas Concert Flyer ..... 13

Christmas Camp Flyer ........ 12

Contact Information ........... 13

What’s going on this December?

REFORMED Informer Colts Neck Reformed Church

Christmas Eve Worship We joyfully offer four Christmas Eve worship services for all to share in

the jubilation of the message that “This will be a sign to you: You will find

a baby wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12)

1:00 p.m—A family service in which the message of Good News is con-

veyed in an interactive way that is especially geared to children of all ages.

Our impromptu pageant is a tradition! The service is in the sanctuary.

4:00 p.m—A traditional Christmas Eve service with carols and candles.

Music is offered by Celebration Ringers (our high school+ aged handbell

choir) and by Jubilation! (our 7-12+ grade vocal choir). The service is in

the sanctuary. Nursery care is available.

7:00 p.m.—A traditional Christmas Eve service with carols and candles.

Music is offered by Exultation Ringers (our adult handbell choir) and by

Sanctuary Choir (our adult vocal choir). The service is in the sanctuary.

Nursery care is available.

9:00 p.m.—A traditional Christmas Eve service with carols and candles.

The service is identical to the 7:00 p.m. service with music offered by Ex-

ultation Ringers (our adult handbell choir) and by Sanctuary Choir (our

adult vocal choir). The service is in the sanctuary.

THE SEASON OF ADVENT

Advent is the time when we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord and

Savior, Jesus Christ. The name of this season is taken from the Latin

word adventus and it means “coming”, for not only do we celebrate the

birth of Jesus, but we also receive the blessing of the coming of Jesus dai-

ly into our hearts, and we anticipate the second coming of Christ in his

glory.

There are four Sundays in Advent—December 1, 8, 15, and 22. Each week

in the four-week season of Advent, we’ll be looking at a stanza of the carol

“Joy to the World”. The decorations in our sanctuary will reflect this

theme as will the ornaments on our tree. During these Sunday worship

(Continued on page 11)

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“For all we really need is God’s love and our love for God and others.”

FOCUS ON FAITH

Dear Friends,

Thanksgiving has passed and we

are in the season of Advent. This

time of year is busy with all the

Christmas preparations—the deco-

rating, baking, shopping, wrapping,

writing cards, and all the activities

that make this season special.

But I am not quick to let go of the

blessing of Thanksgiving. We all

know that Thanksgiving gets lost in

the crush toward Christmas and

seems to find only a few days of its

own. But, perhaps because of its

name, it is a holiday where the em-

phasis is on family and friends and

the giving of thanks for all we have.

For all we really need is God’s love

and our love for God and others.

We need to give thanks for each day

that our Father lays out for our

lives. We come from our Creator

with a stamp on us that says,

“Fragile. Handle with care.” Try as

we might, we can’t add additional

days to our lives or to the lives of

others. We can’t outlive our own

humanity. We can live in thankful-

ness for God’s mercy and grace.

Let us keep thanks in our hearts for

those we love today and those we (Continued on page 11)

BARCLAY CHRISTMAS FIGURES ON DISPLAY IN

OUR LIBRARY

Thank you to Tom Russell for sharing his Barclay Christmas figurines. The figures, made of lead, are each about three inches tall and date back to the 1950s and 1960s. Together the figurines make a Christmas scene. Many of the figures in the scene were displayed below Tom’s family Christ-mas tree as he was growing up. As an adult, Tom has added a few more skaters and skiers to the collection, and a horse drawn sleigh; the horse wears a delicate and quite fragile red blan-ket made of aluminum foil. The “bottle brush” trees in the scene are also from the 195os and 1960s.

For several reason, please don’t touch the figurines, but do come and look and enjoy the whimsical display.

See a picture of the display here.

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“SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS” CONCERT When: Sunday, December 8, at 2:00 p.m.

Where: Our sanctuary

What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than by listening to beauti-

ful Christmas music in our sanctuary? Bells, instruments, and voices of our

Celebration Ringers, Alleluia Jazz, and Jubilation! choir will combine in an

afternoon of Christmas music . Invite your family, friends, and neighbors to

this free concert which will be enjoyed by all ages! See flyer

CHRISTMAS CAMP When: Saturday, December 14, 10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.

Where: Fellowship Hall

Who: Children ages 2.5 to 9 years old

Cost: $25 per child which includes snack, lunch, drinks, and activities

Do you need a few hours to get some Christmas shopping or errands done?

Leave your kids with some of Santa’s helpers (the nursery school summer-

time camp counselors) who will spend four hours with your little ones mak-

ing Christmas crafts, decorating Christmas cookies, singing Christmas car-

ols, watching a Christmas movie, and much, much more! See flyer

Reservations are required and payment must be received before the event.

Contact: Stacey Savage— [email protected], 732-462-4662.

“JOY TO THE WORLD”—OUR FOCUS FOR ADVENT “Joy to the World” is 300 years old! It is a favorite carol, closing our Christ-mas Eve worship services and is the most published Christmas hymn in North America. Based on Psalm 98 and Genesis 3, Isaac Watts penned the text in 1719. The tune to which we are accustomed to singing with this text is “Antioch” and was not written until 129 years after the text, in 1848 by

(Continued on page 11)

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POINSETTIAS FOR THE SANCTUARY A beautiful display of Poinsettia plants will grace the sanctuary on Christ-mas Eve. If you would like to contribute to the beauty of this display, you may purchase a Poinsettia in either white or red for $12.50 per plant. To order, you can print a form, use a form from the weekly announcements in the Sunday bulletin, or call the church office. All orders must be received by Monday, December 16.

You can pick up your poinsettias following the 9:00 p.m. service on Christmas Eve or after the 11:00 a.m. service on Sunday, December 29th. We kindly ask that you not remove your Poinsettias from the sanctuary prior to the end of the 9:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service to allow those who worship with us at the later services to experience the full beauty of the display.

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ANNUAL ADULT CHRISTMAS PARTY

When: Friday, December 20, 7:00 p.m.—10:00 p.m.

Where: The home of Kathie and Wayne Nolte—93 Stone Hill Road, Colts Neck

What do I bring?: An appetizer or dessert plus $8 per person to help cover expenses

Kathie and Wayne Nolte will once

again graciously open their home

to host the annual adult Christmas

party. This is a wonderful time of

fellowship where newer members

and long-time congregants can get

to know one another while enjoy-

ing good food, beverages, and the

White Elephant Gift Exchange

(back by popular demand!). To

participate in the White Elephant

Gift Exchange, please bring a

wrapped gift—that’s it, no rules! It

can be a fruit cake that you re-

(Continued on page 11)

IS THERE CHURCH WHEN IT SNOWS?

If there is a snowstorm or other weather emergency, there are ways you can find updates about the church service sched-ule:

The church website will be up-dated with any pertinent mes-sages listed on the front page—just scroll down. www.coltsneckreformed.org

A bulk email will be sent detail-ing any changes to the morning worship schedule (if you cur-rently are NOT receiving the weekly (Friday) email from the church office, you will NOT get the weather email. Call the church office if you need to be added to this email list.

So, just because there’s snow on the ground, don’t assume that church is cancelled—remember, our minister has a very short commute (just a few steps) to get to church!

CHURCH FAMILY CHRISTMAS CARD EXCHANGE

December can be a little less hectic and costly if you join the annual Church Family Christ-mas card exchange. It enables you to send just one card to the entire church family. The cards will be posted on the bul-letin boards throughout the Community Center for all to enjoy! If you choose to partici-pate, please submit your card to the church office by Sunday, December 15th.

Note: If you haven’t yet updat-ed your address book, don’t forget that the church address has changed to 139 Route 537 and Scott and Kay Brown’s address has changed to 135 Route 537.

CHRISTMAS GIFT PROGRAM

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” ~Winston Churchill

Our Christmas Gift Program sign-

up is in full swing, but the deadline

is drawing near—December 8 is

the last day for signing up. De-

tails are available at the Coffee Hour

Connections table during Coffee

and Fellowship and in the narthex

of the church before and after the

11:00 a.m. worship services. You

can also find information on the

Mission bulletin board in Fellow-

ship Hall.

Give Locally: On December 15,

we will host a Christmas celebration

dinner and party in Fellowship Hall

for 15 young adults who are resi-

dents of Covenant House. In addi-

tion, we will be “adopting those 15

young adults, plus an additional 30

who currently live at Covenant (Continued on page 11)

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’TIS THE OVERSTIMULATED CHILDREN SEASON! BY STACEY SAVAGE

The holiday season is upon us, and

for many people that means deco-

rating the house, baking cookies,

and shopping at the mall. The

sound of Christmas music is heard

everywhere you turn. Unfortunate-

ly, all the sounds of the season

aren’t happy ones! The sounds that

often get overlooked at this time of

year are the ones coming from chil-

dren who are suffering from stress

and overload associated with the

holiday season.

Families want their holidays to be

special and happy for everyone, es-

pecially their children, but what

many parents fail to remember is

that the holiday season can be a

time of hustle and bustle and a nev-

er-ending whirlwind of stress for

their children.

You can help your children manage

their holiday stress by following

these tips:

Limit TV and video games—It’s

very easy at this time of the year to

allow the TV and video games to

become the baby sitter, but children

who are stressed need some type of

physical activity or exercise, so

don’t forget to work some run-

around time into each day.

Remember routines—For par-

ents of small children, this is espe-

cially important advice. During the

holidays, children will find their

routines disrupted. They are often

dragged along on shopping expedi-

tions or taken to events which inter-

rupt their usual routines. When a

routine is broken, stress can result,

so try to keep disruptions to a mini-

mum!

Nutrition—Do you ever notice the

lines at the fast food restaurants as

we get closer to the holidays? They

are getting longer because parents

typically are too busy to go home

and cook a nutritious meal. Factor

in all of those sugary holiday treats,

and you end up with a stressed out,

hungry family. Try to plan at least

one healthy meal as a family every

day, and don’t forget to toss in a

healthy snack when you’re visiting

the mall.

Family traditions—Many people

underestimate how important tradi-

tions are to themselves and their

(Continued on page 12)

COFFEE AND FELLOWSHIP

This refreshment time only

happens with the help of vol-

unteer hosts, like you! Team

up with friends or as part of a

church group (church school

class, a Bible study group, a book

group, etc.) The hosts provide

finger foods (store-bought or

homemade cookies, brownies,

doughnuts, etc.) and milk for

coffee. Everything else is provid-

ed (coffee, tea, paper products,

lemonade mix) along with de-

tailed instructions. Hosts also

serve and clean up.

To make it easy on yourself, re-

member:

Keep it simple! Coffee and Fellowship is meant to provide a bite to eat, not a meal.

Keep the focus! This is a time of fellowship and sharing. Items need not be homemade—it’s not a baking contest!—store-bought is perfectly fine.

Keep in touch! Contact Dianne O’Hara

([email protected]) or Pam Licata ([email protected])—with questions or to be paired up with another family.

OUR NEWSLETTER PRIVACY PRACTICES

You may notice that throughout the newsletter, we don’t disclose the email addresses, phone num-bers, or physical addresses of our volunteers (unless the volunteer has specifically asked us to do so). We do this to protect their priva-cy. It would certainly make it easier for you to contact them if we included their contact infor-mation in our articles, but doing so exposes their information to anyone, anywhere who finds the information on the internet. We ask that you look for their infor-mation in your church directory (updated directories are availa-ble in the church office), check the weekly bulletin announce-ments, or contact the church of-fice and we will make the infor-mation available to you. We will continue to print contact infor-mation for staff members. Thanks for understanding!

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CHURCH SCHOOL CLASSES SHOW THEIR LOVE Our Church School classes are keeping up with

The Story lessons as they learn along with our

congregation the stories of the Old Testament.

Along with learning Bible lessons, they also take

time to care about others. Our kindergarten/1st

grade class made a card for Reverend Brown

(see picture at right) showing the things for

which they are thankful.

Other classes send notes of prayer and thanks along with their offerings.

Several classes have written letters to Morgan Kinobe, our Compassion child

in Uganda (see page 4 of the November newsletter for more information

about Morgan). They send cards to members of our congregation who are

no longer able to attend church. For Thanksgiving, the children were encour-

aged to bring in food to donate to Open Door, a food pantry in Freehold. Our

Church School teachers and assistants find many ways to encourage our chil-

dren to love God and to love others. May this lesson of blessing continue to

grow in their hearts.

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OUR ONGOING GROUPS (click the group’s title for de-tailed information on the group)

Women’s Book Discussion Group: Dec. 10, noon—Origin by Dan Brown. Hostess: Pam Russo. Contact: Lynne Garner

Women of D’Vine: Dec. 3, 7:00 p.m. Hostess: Sandy Anderson. Contact: Sandy Anderson

Sunday Morning Bible Study: Sundays, 11:00 a.m., Fellowship Hall. Dec. schedule varies—Contact: Ben Zaccaria

Young Women’s Bible Study: Various Sundays, 11:00 a.m., Ministry Center Conference Room. Contact: Nancy Holm

Women’s Coffee Break Bible Study: Thursdays, 9:30 a.m., Ministry Center Conference Room. Contact: Barb Tucker

Thursday Evening Bible Study: Thursdays, 6:00 p.m., Ministry Center Conference Room. Con-tact: Debi Jensen

Senior Bible Study: Fridays, 10:00 a.m., Ministry Center Con-ference Room. Contact: Scott Brown

Men’s Breakfast Bible Study: Saturday, Dec. 7, 7:30 a.m., Fel-lowship Hall. Contact: Art Peslak

Knit One, Pray Too!: Contact: Donna Mulligan for Dec. schedule

Piece Makers Quilting Group: Mondays, 5:30 p.m., Fellowship Hall. Contact: Nancy Feuster

Holy Yoga: see schedule. There will be no HY the weeks of Dec. 23 and Dec. 30. Contact: Barb Tucker

Chronic Pain and Illness: Monday, Dec. 2, 11:00 a.m., Per-kins Restaurant, Colts Neck

Single Active Seniors: Our Single Active Seniors group is on hiatus while the group’s leader, Gerry Romano, focuses on her health. Please pray for Gerry.

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WOMEN’S RETREAT 2020

Offsite: When: Friday, January 24, 7:00 p.m. — Saturday January 25, 5:00 p.m.

Where: Chateau Inn and Suites, Spring Lake, New Jersey

Onsite: When: Sunday, January 26, Noon — 4:30 p.m.

Where: Ministry Center

Searching for and Creating Sanctuary: In most cases, when we use the

word “sanctuary”, we are talking about the place where we gather each week

to worship God and gather as His people. We come hoping to sense God’s

presence in those moments, but we know that God shows up in more mo-

ments than Sunday mornings. In fact, the word “sanctuary” can mean so

(Continued on page 12)

YOUTH GROUP HAPPENINGS (SR. HIGH+, ELEMEN-TARY YOUTH GROUP) Events are open to all church youth who would like to participate and to make a difference. We encourage parents to have their children join our youth groups (Elementary, Junior High, Senior High+) to serve Christ through their volun-teering and actions, and to make life-long friends. CONTACT: Debbie and Paul Horan [email protected].

Senior High+ Youth Group—grades 9-12+:

Christmas Party: The Senior High+ Youth Group will be meeting at Paul

and Debbie’s house, 28 Village Lane, for their annual Christmas party. We

are working on finding a date that works for everyone. We know it will be on

a December evening from 7:00—10:00 p.m. Please bring a White Elephant

gift (traditionally a funny or silly gift, but it can be a traditional gift if you

prefer) with a value of about $10 for the grab bag. Food will be provided.

Movie Night and Lock-in: Watch a good movie and stay all night with

(Continued on page 13)

The Fellowship team works hard each year coming up with ideas and

planning activities for the congregation to enjoy. Our team is always

looking for new members. There are many ways to be involved without

a huge time commitment. Contact Laurie Robinson if you are interest-

ed in helping out!

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“If you are interested in learning more about any of our musical groups for you or your children, contact Maggie Tripold…”

Our Morning Bells handbell choir will give Christmas concerts at the Arbors

in Spring Lake on Monday, December 2, and at Applewood Estates in Free-

hold on Monday, December 16, both at 10:30 a.m. If you know residents at

either location, please encourage them to come out and enjoy the Christmas

and holiday music!

EXULTATION RINGERS AT MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY

Our Exultation Ringers will ring at Monmouth University’s “Season’s Greet-

ings” concert which will be held on Thursday, December 12, at 7:30 p.m. in

Wilson Hall on the university campus. The concert will also feature the

Monmouth University Chamber Choir, Concert Chorus, Chamber Orchestra,

and Jazz Band as well as several soloists. It will be an evening filled with

glorious Christmas and holiday music in a beautiful setting! Tickets are $15

and can be purchased online at https://www.monmouth.edu/mca/ or by

calling the Monmouth University Box office at 732-263-6889. A limited

number of tickets will be available at the door on the night of the concert.

MORNING BELLS RING OUT DURING ADVENT OUR MUSICAL ENSEMBLES

Click on a group’s name to learn more about it)

Cherub Choir—vocal, pre-k and kindergarten

Angel Choir—vocal, grades 1-3

Alleluia Choir—vocal, grades 4-6

Jubilation!—vocal, grades 7-12+

Sanctuary Choir—vocal, adults

Singing With the Seniors—vocal, adults

Alleluia Jazz—instrumental, high school and adults

Echo Ringers—handbells, grade 3 and up

Joyful Ringers—handbells, grade 6 and up

Celebration Ringers—handbells, high school+

Exultation Ringers—handbells, adults

Morning Bells—handbells, adults

Brass Ensemble, instrumental, high school and adults

Men’s/Women’s Ensembles—vocal, adult men / adult women

Instrumentalists—high school and adult

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CHRISTMAS CAROLING WITH THE SENIORS! Do you like to sing Christmas carols? Come join us as we bring smiles to the

residents of the Reformed Church Home and Brandywine reflections! This is a

great opportunity for all ages to do some Christmas caroling!

Saturday, December 14, at Brandywine Reflections in Colts Neck.

Meet there at 11:15 a.m. or at church at 11:00 a.m. if you’d like to carpool.

Wednesday, December 18, at the Reformed Church Home in Old Bridge.

Meet there at 10:30 a.m. or at church at 10:00 a.m. if you’d like to carpool.

There is a signup sheet on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall to indicate

your availability. CONTACT: Maggie Tripold, [email protected]

MUSIC AND WORSHIP ARTS

JUBILATION ALUMNI

There are many Jubilation! alumni

out there who we hope will come

and sing with the current Jubila-

tion! choir on Tuesday, December

24, at the 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve

service! We’ll meet in the choir

room at 3:15 p.m. to rehearse.

We’d love to see many of you and

have you sing with us. CONTACT:

Maggie Tripold, mu-

[email protected]

CELEBRATION

RINGERS ALUMNI

If you have a young adult or college

student who “graduated” from Cele-

bration Ringers, please let him/her

know that, as has become our annu-

al tradition, we will be getting the

alumni ringers together to ring dur-

ing worship on Sunday, December

29. We will rehearse that morning

at 9:30 a.m. We will also be con-

tacting the ringers via email and

Facebook. CONTACT: Kay Brown

or Maggie Tripold, mu-

[email protected]

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ELECTION DAY EVENT WRAP-UP

For 153 years, the Colts Neck

Reformed Church has contin-

ued a tradition of fellowship

and outreach to our communi-

ty with the Election Day

Event.

This year, we cooked over 50

turkeys, filled over 500 volun-

teer slots, served over 800

meals, created three full

rooms of quilts, crafts, and

baked goods, and donated a

room full of art and another of

paintings! Wow!

The effort from everyone

raised over $14,000 for our

Benevolence Fund!

Thank you to EVERYONE who

contributed to this community

tradition.

Once again, we lived our faith

and shared it with our com-

munity. May God fill your

lives with the joy you share

with others.

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OCTOBER MISSION NEWS

MISSION TRIP When: February 22-29, 2020

Where: North Carolina

What: Mission trip

Mark your calendars now for the last week of February. We are in the early

stages of arranging a mission trip to North Carolina where volunteers will

assist with disaster recovery efforts as communities there continue to heal

from the devastating effects of Hurricane Florence which hit in the fall of

2018. Stay tuned for more information.

CONTACT: LuAnne Petrie

SATURDAY SOUP

When: Saturday, December 14, 9:30 a.m.—2:30 p.m.

Where: Trinity Church, 503 Asbury Avenue, Asbury Park, New Jersey

What: We need six to eight volunteers to help with Trinity’s Saturday Soup

program. Saturday Soup is a community meal prepared and served

by volunteers and shared with members in the vicinity of the

church who are in need of a nutritious meal. Volunteer social work-

ers and an acupuncturist are available during the meal who work to

empower the guests and expand their options for their futures.

Who: This is an intergenerational volunteer opportunity. Children must be

accompanied by an adult.

Sign up on the Mission bulletin board in Fellowship Hall.

CONTACT: LuAnne Petrie

CRAFTERS CHRISTMAS SALE

When: Sunday, December 8, during Coffee and Fellowship

Where: Fellowship Hall

Why: Raise money for our Benevolence Fund

We still have some unsold craft items from the Election Day Bazaar.

Come and find some unique gifts that have been handcrafted by our

canners, crafters, knitters, and quilters. All money goes to our Benevo-

lence Fund, so you get to give two gifts—one to the fund when you make

your purchase, and one when you give the gift to its lucky recipient!

CONTACT: Adrianne Spota Walker

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PRAYER CHAIN “What is a prayer chain?” you ask. It’s a group of people from the church who take time to pray for others. When someone needs prayers, his/her name and need is added to the list, the information is sent via email to those on the chain, and the prayers begin. To be added to this group, contact Dianne O’Hara ([email protected]).

If you have a prayer request that you would like to have sent out to the prayer chain and included in the weekly bulletin announcements, email Dianne ([email protected]) or call the church office. Email requests and requests left on voicemail that are received after 3:00 p.m. or on a Friday will be sent out on the next work-day. If you have an ur-gent request and Dianne is not available, speak to Pam Licata in the church office. The deadline to submit a request to be printed in the bulletin announcements is Friday, by 9:00 a.m.

Before submitting a request, please make sure you have permission from the person for whom we will be praying.

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YOUR DAILY PRAYERS ARE NEEDED Please include the following members of our church family in your prayers. In addition to your prayers, they may really appreciate an occasional card, call or (if local) visit. If you would like to be added to our rotating list of visi-tors, contact Dianne O’Hara ([email protected]). This requires a com-mitment of one visit every two to three months.

Gavin Femiano, treatment for neurofibromatosis (NF) Type 1 Kristin Howlett, daughter of Ken and Lonnie Howlett, ongoing health

concerns Daniel Kibler, son of Nancy and Robert Kibler, autoimmune diseases Noelle, a friend of the Horan family, dealing with depression Emma Sklair, health concerns Tim Slisky, son of Vera Santucci, ongoing medical concerns Ginny Yanchus, Beth Burke’s mother, ongoing health concerns All residents of the Reformed Church Home which includes Marge Flock

PRAYERS AND CONDOLENCES TO: Donna Otten and family on the death of her uncle, Dave Archer, on No-

vember 6, 2019 Matt and Becky Axtell and family on the death of their brother-in-law,

Jeffrey Grigg, on November 10, 2019 Bill and Barbara Burns and family on the death of Bill’s mother, Eleanor

Burns, on November 11, 2019 Paul and Debbie Horan and family on the death of their brother-in-law,

Alex Johansson, on November 11, 2019 Terry and Ellen Karl and family on the death of Terry’s mother, Jeanne

Karl, on November 12, 2019 Alicia and Tom Dimtsios and family on the death of Alicia’s mother, Ge-

nie Nash, on November 19, 2019 The family of Garrett Thompson, who passed away on November 23,

2019

CONGRATULATIONS AND BLESSINGS TO: JD Cerny and Hannah Brenner who were married in the sanctuary on

October 7, 2019

Please keep Rev. Scott Brown, Pastor Debi Jensen, or Dianne O’Hara informed as to when you or a family member is hospitalized AND discharged. Hospitals cannot provide this information to us.

See our website for

information on

our Health and

Wellness offer-

ings, including

Holy Yoga,

HERE. CHURCH-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES If you or someone you know is in need of low cost mental health services, please contact Lorrie McGough at [email protected] or 732-784-3394 and ask for a telephone screening. Lorrie is a licensed professional counselor who provides services on our church campus. She is available to see clients (church members and non-church members alike) during the week on our church campus. The fee for the services is a sliding scale sug-gested donation. Services will not be denied to anyone due to financial cir-cumstances.

No Holy Yoga

weeks of

Dec 23

and

Dec 30

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A JOYFUL WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS!

On November 24, we welcomed into the life of the Colts Neck Reformed Church several new

members. Find some time to say hello to them and to extend a warm, CNRC welcome!

Ginny Allen lives in Applewood where she is very active, having started a go-green commit-

tee, a monthly newsletter, and a yearly gift program for Applewood employees. Ginny is a re-

tired nurse and spent her career visiting colleges around the country helping them to start

nursing programs. She received her doctorate from Columbia University. She enjoys crafts

and is an accomplished pallet knife painter having sold and displayed her paintings over the

years.

Walter Deans has lived at Applewood for the past three years. He is retired from the insur-

ance industry. He is a friend of Ed and Laura Burke. Walter likes to read and enjoys the beach.

Bill and Debbie Eckert live in Eatontown. They met in high school and have been married

for 19-1/2 years. They have one child, Alex, who is 17 years old. Debbie works at JoAnn Fab-

rics. For fun, Debbie enjoys crafts and crocheting. Bill enjoys riding his motorcycles and work-

ing with wood.

Sebastian Raatz was born and raised in Hamburg, Germany. He grew up

from baptism to confirmation and beyond in the local suburban Lutheran

church. He came to America for a study-abroad program at Boston College,

and moved to northern New Jersey in 2007 for a job in magazine publishing.

Sebastian married his wife, Allie, in 2013 and they subsequently moved to

Colts Neck and had baby Annie in 2015. They are now divorced, and Sebas-

tian has moved back to Hoboken, and continues to come to Colts Neck every

Sunday to attend CNRC with Annie. Allie joins them occasionally.

Linda Steel lives in West Long Branch and works at J. Jill in the Grove.

She has spent many years volunteering in the community. Linda started

coming to the church with her family this past summer. For fun, Linda en-

joys the beach and reading.

Megan Steel lives in Long Branch with her daughter, Zoey. Megan works

for the West Long Branch Board of Education as a kindergarten teacher. Bri

and Sean Horan told her about CNRC; she and Zoey started coming this past

summer. For fun Megan enjoys the beach, travelling, and going to New York

City. Zoe is in 2nd grade and enjoys dancing, riding her bike, and basketball.

Samantha and Ian White live in Lincroft with their two sons—

Donovan who is in 1st grade and Beckett who is in 5th grade. Saman-

tha is the Director of Volunteer Services at Family and Children’s Ser-

vices in Long Branch, and Ian is Assistant Vice President for Academic

Initiatives and Infrastructure at Caldwell University. It’s an extended

family affair for Samantha—she is joining along with her mom, Linda

Steel, her sister Megan Steel, and her niece Zoey! (see above) Saman-

tha enjoys reading, going to the beach and doing things with the kids. Ian enjoys playing golf,

watching sports, and visiting his home state of Maine. Donovan and Beckett enjoy playing

baseball, swimming, and having fun with their friends and family.

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At the Colts Neck Reformed Church, the 9:15 a.m. worship service coordinates with our church school educational opportunities for 3-year-olds through 7th graders. As such, this service contains a “gospel for children” and also makes available a “family room” where the worship service is simulcast in a room where parents can bring in-fants and children who might be more comfortable in a less formal church environ-ment. Professional nursery care for infants and toddlers is provided at both the 9:15 and the 11:00 a.m. worship services. The 9:15 and 11:00 a.m. services provide the same sermon, hymns, prayers, and special music.

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DECEMBER WORSHIP SCHEDULE

We are taking a break from The Story in December and will resume with Chapter 11, “From Shepherd to King”, on January 5. During Ad-vent, we prepare for the coming of Jesus using phrases from the 300-year-old carol, “Joy to the World”.

SUNDAY, DEC. 1—FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT We light the first candle on the Advent wreath at the 9:15 and 11:00 a.m. worship op-portunities, and celebrate the Lord’s Supper at both services. Music is offered by the Joyful Ringers and Jubilation! The focus is on “Prepare Him Room!”. Children in grades pre-k through 3rd grade have a special lesson while the older children remain in worship.

SUNDAY, DEC. 8—SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT Two candles on the Advent wreath are lit as we anticipate the coming of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World! This morning at the 9:15 and 11:00 a.m. services, music is offered by the Echo Ringers and Sanctuary Choir. The worship phrase is “Repeat the Sounding Joy!”.

SUNDAY, DEC. 15—THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT We worship this morning at 9:15 and 11:00 a.m. as the light on the Advent wreath grows brighter. Music is offered at both services by the Sanctuary Choir. As we pre-sent our Christmas gifts, the theme is “Make His Blessings Flow… !”.

SUNDAY, DEC. 22—FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT Our Alleluia, Angel, and Cherub choirs provide service music at both worship opportu-nities—9:15 and 11:00 a.m. They share a special musical message which reflects “The Wonders of His Love!”.

TUESDAY, DEC. 24—CHRISTMAS EVE 1:00 p.m.—A family service in which the message of Good News is conveyed in an interactive way that is especially geared to children of all ages. Our impromptu pageant is a tradition! This service is in the sanctuary.

4:00 p.m.—Traditional Christmas Eve service with carols and candles. Music is offered by our teenaged Celebration Ringers and Jubilation! choir. Nursery care is available.

7:00 p.m.—Traditional Christmas Eve service with carols and candles. Music is offered by the Exultation Ringers, Sanctuary Choir, and instrumentalists. Nurse-ry care is available.

9:00 p.m.—Traditional Christmas Eve service with carols and candles Music is offered by the Exultation Ringers, Sanctuary Choir, and instrumentalists. (The service is identical to the 7:00 p.m. service.)

SUNDAY, DEC. 29—FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRIST-MAS We worship this morning at 11:00 a.m. only. Coffee and Fellowship will be prior to worship—at 10:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. Please bring a plate of Christmas cookies to share. Church School and youth choir rehearsals will not be held. Alumni Bells provides musical leadership.

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have loved in the past. As we move toward

Christmas, let us give thanks for the eternal

gift of Jesus Christ. God loves us all—His

weak, needy, guilty, and frail children and

He tells us, “I know you through and

through, and I love you anyway. Come to

me. Rest in me. Make me your Rock.”

Thanks be to God for this day and all days.

Pastor Debi Jensen

(Continued from page 2 - Focus on Faith)

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ceived from Aunt Mary last year, it can be an ugly

sweater, it can be a lovely hand-crafted quilt, it can

be something funny or tacky that you pull out of

your attic. Anything goes—funny, serious, lovely,

tacky—it’s your choice how you play it! If you are

attending as a couple, please bring only one gift in

order to keep the gift exchange to a reasonable

length of time!

The party is for adults only (see page 5 for our

youth activities), and the attire is casual.

Can you help with set-up and clean-up for the par-

ty?—contact Laurie Robinson.

Do you need a ride to the party?—contact Laurie,

and the Fellowship Committee will do their best to

help.

(Continued from page 3 - Adult Christmas Party)

services, we will have special Advent liturgies.

Keep Jesus at the center of your Christmas season with daily devotions. You can sign up to receive a dai-

ly Advent devotion from the Reformed Church in America in your email. Just sign up at www.rca.org/

adventdevos and the first devotion will show up in your inbox on the first Monday of Advent. If you’re

already on the list from years past, there is no need to re-subscribe; your emails will begin automatically.

(And, if you have found them valuable in the past, consider telling a friend!)

“At Home with the Word”, a daily Bible reading schedule, also restarts with Advent. Check out lection-

ary readings for 2019-2020 broken down day by day at www.rca,org/athome.

Please enjoy these devotions each day. They are a wonderful addition to your Christmas traditions.

(Continued from page 1 —The Season of Advent)

House, and providing them with Christmas gifts.

See flyer

Give Globally: Give a gift which contributes

to skill development and sustenance in countries

where there is a need. We are partnering with

RCA’s Gift of Hope program which has many

giving options, ranging from providing a child

with clean water, to providing health-care and

animals to rural communities.

(Continued from page 3—Christmas Gift Program)

Lowell Mason, who composed the tune by using bits and pieces of music by Handel.

Each week in the four-week season of Advent, we’ll be looking at a stanza of this carol, using it to frame our worship. In stanzas 1 and 2, Watts writes of heaven and earth rejoicing at the coming of the King. Stanza 3 speaks of Christ’s blessings extending victoriously over the realm of sin—certainly a cause for joy. Stanza 4 celebrates Christ’s rule over the nations and how God’s faith-fulness brings salvation to the world.

Isaac Watts grew up in a time when the music in every worship service consisted only of psalms or sections of scripture put to music. He found the practice monotonous. So his father issued a chal-lenge—he told Watts that if he struggled with the songs they sang, then he ought to do something about it; perhaps he should attempt to write something different. And he did! Watts authored over 750 hymns, including eighteen in our current hymnal, such as “I Sing the Mighty Power of God”, “Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun”, “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”, “When I Survey the Won-drous Cross”, and of course, “Joy to the World”!

(Continued from page 2—Joy to the World Advent Focus)

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children. Family traditions offer great comfort and security for children during the holiday season. Per-

haps your family would enjoy creating an Advent calendar together, or baking cookies and delivering

them to a local nursing home or soup kitchen.

Rest and relaxation—Everyone, especially children, needs to take a “time-out” over the holiday sea-

son to rest and relax—a well-rested child will be much happier on a trip to the mall than one who is in

desperate need of a nap. Schedule some rest and relaxation time for everyone in the family.

The holiday season doesn’t have to be a time of stress and exhaustion. You can do your part to make the

most wonderful time of the year live up to its reputation; you and your family will be glad you did!

(Continued from page 4—’Tis the Overstimulated Children Season!)

much more than a beautiful worship space. Sanctuary can be found in so many places, with a variety of

people, doing myriad things or nothing at all. One of our calls as Christians is to create and provide

sanctuary for one another as we journey as God’s children. In fact, women have been doing this since

the beginning of time. Think of Mary and Elizabeth as they sought out one another, embraced one an-

other, leaned into one another, and offered sanctuary in a moment that was filled with fear, questions,

and wonder. I wonder what sanctuary looks like for you—to desire it, create it, experience it, and share

it. Let’s gather together and share the ways we have experienced sanctuary, the ways we have missed it,

and the ways we can create and offer sanctuary to others so that all of us together may know God better

while remembering that none of us travels alone.

Our speaker this year is Dawn Alpaugh. Dawn has been an ordained pastor in the Reformed Church in

America since 2011. She writes, “Colts Neck Reformed supported, prayed for, and cared for me during

my seminary years! I have served two churches—one in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and most recently at

the First Reformed Church of Wynantskill in upstate New York. In October, I moved to Lambertville

with my husband, Jim. It has felt like coming home! I spend my time unpacking, walking into town,

reconnecting with friends and family , and wondering what God has in store next! Jim and I have two

grown children—Tori and Garrett. Tori is working towards a degree in nursing at Rutgers, Newark.

Garrett lives in Rhode Island after having graduated from Roger Williams in May; he works at Newport

Craft Brewery.”

There are two ways to participate in the ever-enriching, spiritually-nurturing, friendship-building wom-

en’s retreat—the offsite, two-day option and the compressed onsite one-day option. Both options will

contain the same content.

For those who enjoy the “get-away-from-home” opportunity to relax, renew, and refresh with other

women, the over-night offsite option is good for you. All rooms have a private bath. The cost ranges

from $85 to $145 dollars depending on room style (single, double, triple) and includes breakfast and

lunch on Saturday. You must sign up and be fully paid (check made out to Colts Neck Reformed Church,

with “women’s retreat” in the memo) by January 12. Details and a sign-up sheet are available in Fellow-

ship Hall.

A terrific option for those who prefer to sleep in their own beds or for whom a 22-hour time commit-

ment is too great, is the onsite one day option. The cost for this option is $30 which includes lunch. De-

tails and a sign-up sheet are also available for this option; however, payment is not due until January 19.

CONTACT: Kay Brown

(Continued from page 5—Women’s Retreat)

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return to article

Visit our

website for

lots of great

information

about the

Colts Neck

Reformed

Church

13

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return to article

your friends. Date to be determined.

Bible Study: We will continue to meet for Bible Study in Fellowship Hall in December to discuss The

Story. Please watch the bulletin announcements for information on times and dates.

Elementary Youth (EYG) - 2nd-5th grade:

We’re having a Gingerbread House Decorating Party led by Kristine Schmocker on Friday, December 6,

from 7:00—9:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. This event is back by popular demand because it was such a

hit last year! All supplies including candy decorations will be provided. If your child wants to bring

something special, we just ask that he/she brings enough for all to share. Please RSVP to Jeanne Sokol

by December 3—we need an accurate count for the pre-assembled houses. Bring your friends—we

know they will have a great time, too!

(Continued from page 5—Youth Group (Sr. High+ and EYG)

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ALL ARE WELCOME!

The Colts Neck Reformed Church welcomes you to come and be refreshed by the Word of God, times of prayer and praise, and the community of God’s people! We are a welcoming and affirming congregation, committed to affirm the beauty, value, and gifts of all people. These commitments are not subject to a person’s color, race, ethnicity, place of origin, age, sexual orien-tation, gender identity, rela-tionship status (single, mar-ried, separated, divorced), socio-economic situation, or a person’s mental, physical, or emotional health or abil-ity. All are invited to partic-ipate in worshipping our gracious God and all are included in a community of faith, service and joy.

COLTS NECK REFORMED CHURCH

P.O. Box 57 ⬧ 139 Route 537 ⬧ Colts Neck ⬧ NJ ⬧ 07722

Church office phone: 732-462-4555 ⬧ Nursery school phone: 732-462-4662

Fax: 732-866-9545 ⬧ Church office email: [email protected] ⬧ website: http://www.coltsneckreformed.org

Church office administrative hours: Monday—Friday, 8:30 a.m.—3:00 p.m. (summer hours vary)

OFFICE STAFF

Scott D. Brown—Minister

Extension 111; Home: 732-683-0530; email: [email protected]

Debi Jensen—Pastor

Extension 122; Home: 732-747-3963; email: [email protected]

Maggie Tripold—Director of Music and Worship Arts

Extension 114; email: [email protected]

Stacey Savage—Director of Early Childhood Ministries

Extension 108; Direct line: 732-462-4662; email: [email protected]

Dianne O’Hara—Congregational Care Coordinator, Director of Health and Wellness Ministries

Extension 112; email: [email protected]

Paul and Debbie Horan—Directors of Youth Ministries

email: [email protected]

David Tripold, Ph.D—Organist and Sanctuary Choir Director

Pam Licata—Church Administrator/Secretary

Extension 110; email: [email protected]

Joy Lenz—Administrative Assistant, Nursery School Secretary, Newsletter Editor

Extension 116; email: [email protected], [email protected]

CONSISTORY

Elders:

Reed Feuster Vice President

Barbara Battles Worship

Alyssa Giles Christian Education

Jane Rappleyea Administrative Leadership

Sean Horan Discipleship for Youth / Young Adult Ministries

Katie Gilpin Assimilation and Outreach

Deacons:

Guy Vander Vliet Clerk

Laurie Robinson Fellowship

Paul Anderson Stewardship and Finance

Morgan Savage Building and Grounds

LuAnne Petrie Mission—Hands-on Opportunities

Nancy Holm Mission—Benevolences

Articles for the Reformed Informer are due by the 10th of the month for the following month’s issue. Submissions may be edited. Email sub-

missions to [email protected].

Articles/pictures/video for the Reformed Journal should to be sent shortly after an event has been held. The media can be put on a flash

drive / memory card (which will be returned to you!) and brought to the church office, or email submissions to [email protected].

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