The Blawenburg...

March 16, 2018

The Blawenburg Beacon Newsletter for the members and friends of the Blawenburg Reformed Church

This Issue

Includes:

Pastor’s

Greeting

1

Administra-

tion

2

Worship

4

Life-Long

Learning

7

BVS

Hospitality

9

10

Mission

Proclamation

11

14

Upcoming

Dates

16

… and more

Early Spring 2018

Partnership with Griggstown – Starting Sunday, April 8th!

This spring we will begin a new chapter of our church’s story as we begin a part-

nership with the Griggstown Reformed Church (GRC). For the Blawenburg Re-

formed Church (BRC) this partnership moves us towards a more faithful financial

arrangement while allowing the church to retain me, Pastor Jeff, as your minister.

For GRC the partnership fills their need for a part-time minister.

The partnership we have agreed to is a four-month test. It will begin on Monday,

April 2nd and end on Sunday, July 29th. Between April and July both our church-

es and I will work to understand if the partnership can be a long-term arrangement

and continue past July.

Under the four-month test, I will be leading worship at both churches each Sunday

morning. BRC will worship from 9am-10am and GRC will worship from 11am-

12pm. This is a change for BRC; rather than worshiping at 10am we will worship

one hour earlier at 9am! After worship I will have time to greet the congregation

at coffee hour before leaving for GRC around 10:30am. We are hoping that the

earlier worship time will be attractive to younger families, some of whom appreci-

ate earlier services on Sunday mornings. The first Sunday of this new arrangement

will be Sunday, April 8th, which is the first Sunday after Easter.

Beyond Sunday morning worship, I will be dividing this time according to a one-

third and two-thirds arrangement. Two-thirds of my time each week will be spent

working with BRC. One third of my time will be spent working with GRC. I will

offer pastoral care for both congregations and I will lead consistory at both

churches. For BRC I will also continue to teach Bible studies (Tuesday mornings

at 10am and Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm) and work with our ministry teams,

though at a lesser capacity compared to full-time ministry. I will have office hours

at both churches each week and will be available by appointment on Tuesdays,

Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Mondays and Saturdays will be my days off

and I will be always on call for pastoral-care emergencies.

There certainly is disappointment in not being able to continue in full-time minis-

try together. However, we are grateful for the opportunity to partner with a sister

congregation. Members of GRC have already joined our Tuesday morning Bible

study and we anticipate that there will be other crossover opportunities that will

strengthen and enrich both congregations.

I look forward to seeing what unexpected blessings God may have in store for us

through this partnership. Please pray for our church, for our staff, for our consisto-

ry and team leaders, for GRC, and for me and my family as we all engage in this

period of change and discernment. (Continued on page 2)

The Blawenburg Reformed Church is a covenant community of God’s people united in Christ

through the Holy Spirit. We commit our gifts to worship, hospitality, life-long learning,

serving those in need, and proclaiming the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.

The Blawenburg Early Spring Beacon 2018

For Your Planning Convenience

Beacon material is due to Karen ([email protected]) and Barb P.

([email protected]) by the date of the deadline. Also, if anyone would like to contribute

photos for future Beacons, we welcome them.

Deadline Date Publication Date

April 23 April 30

June 1 June 15

BRC Mission Statement

Run With Rotary! Sunday, April 22 - Have you signed up?

It’s that time again! Time to sign up for the Run with Rotary event. Last year we participated

in this event for the first time. Thousands of people from our local area gathered in Skillman

Park that Sunday morning and we had a team of twenty-five people complete the one-mile

ramble. Margot was number twenty-six, but rode in her stroller for the mile. Our team also

won the “Most Spirited” team award, which was a great honor.

This is a great event. It raises money for local and international relief work. This year there is

a special focus of raising money for SHIP in Somerville, NJ. SHIP will use the donated funds

to help purchase a new mobile soup kitchen and disaster response vehicle.

This year a team from our church will again participate in the one-mile ramble which takes

place at 10am. If you would prefer to run the 5k event go for it, but most of our teammates

will ramble. Our “Blawenburg Church” team is registered on the Run with Rotary website.

Find the registration at Runsignup.com/Race/NJ/Skillman/RunWithRotaryNJ . Where it asks for

your team, select “Blawenburg Church.” The registration fee is $15 for the one-mile ramble.

(Continued from page 1.)

Please also continue to support our church with the gifts God has called you to share. The

church needs your gifts, your involvement, and your prayers more than ever!

Pastor Jeff

Lost and Found

Can you claim these items?

ADMINISTRATION SECTION


ADMINISTRATION—Continued

Happy Birthday, Emma!

On February 9th, folks gathered in the Clancys’

home to wish Emma Tufano a happy 80th birthday.

Lay Recognition Dinner—March 9th

Joe Pavlicek was honored for his service to our church at the annual RCA Lay

Recognition Dinner held at the Imperia in Somerset last Friday, March 9th.

Joe is cheered on by his fans. The theme of the night was “Let Your Light Shine”.


Boy Scout Sunday—February 11

Kyle presents the Children’s Message

Children’s Sermon: Humming Birds and Eagles, February 4th

Scout Master John E. Devine, Jr. Scout James telling what scouting is.

Scout John tells what scouting means

to them.

We commit our gifts to WORSHIP gathering as a community to celebrate God’s presence among us!


WORSHIP—Continued

March 18th Jeremiah 31:31-34 and John 12:20-33

March 25th – Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 and John 12:12-16, Palm Sunday, Come join the procession!

March 29th – John 13:1-17, 31b-35, Maundy Thursday, Communion and Supper

March 30—The church will be open for prayer noon—3pm.

April 1st- Isaiah 25:6-9 and Mark 16:1-8, Communion & Easter Sunday, Celebrate our risen Lord!

April 8th - Luke 24:13-49, Road to Emmaus, First 9am worship service at BRC

April 15th - Luke 24:36b-48, Jesus appears

April 22nd - Matthew 25:1-13, Parable of the Virgins, Run with Rotary, Worship at 5pm BRC

April 29th - 1 John 4:7-21, God is Love, Kyle preaching at BRC, Pastor Jeff leading GRC services

Celebration Singers resume.

May 6th - Acts 1:1-11, Ascension, Communion

May 13th - Acts 1:15-26, Judas and the Apostles

May 20th - Acts 2:1-21, Pentecost

May 27th – Isaiah 6:1-8, Isaiah’s Heavenly Vision

Upcoming Worship News

Maundy Thursday – Join us in Fellowship Hall at 6:30pm on March 29th as we celebrate the

Lord’s Supper around the table together with a short meaningful worship and discussion time,

followed by a soup and salad supper prepared by the Worship Team.

April 8th Marks New Worship Time – 9 AM! We have chosen this earlier worship time to ac-

commodate the start of our trial shared ministry with the Griggstown Reformed Church. In order

to allow time for Pastor Jeff to enjoy fellowship with us briefly after church and still be able to

get to Griggstown in a timely manner, there are some areas where the Worship Team asks for

your cooperation for this to happen. Announcements that are printed in the Bulletin will not be

repeated during Welcome and Announcement time in church unless they need particular and

timely reinforcement, so please pay attention to those printed as well as those in your e-news on

Fridays. Make sure to get all your announcements for Friday and Sunday into the office by Thurs-

day morning. If the need for an unanticipated announcement arises, email the information to Jeff

or request ahead to be called on Sunday for a special announcement. Use our Fellowship time to

catch up with people and to ask any questions about announcements or prayer concerns.

The next area where we can help the service proceed in a timely fashion involves our Passing of

the Peace. We would like to keep it where it is, but we ask that you limit your exchanges, both in

length and in area to those close to your pew and then return quickly to your pew, being respect-

ful of Pastor Jeff’s call for the Children’s Message.

Worship Schedule for March—May


WORSHIP—Continued

We have a tradition of filling our sanctuary with an abundance of assorted potted flowers

on Easter Sunday – daffodils, lilies, hydrangeas, hyacinths, tulips, etc. If you would like to

purchase plants, please fill in the form below and return it to the church office, along with

your payment, by Sunday, March 25. You may mail it to or leave it in the church office or

on the table in the back of the sanctuary. As with Christmas, we will have a page in the

Easter bulletin dedicating the flowers however you wish. All flowers you purchase may be

taken home following worship. Thank you!

BRC EASTER FLOWER ORDER FORM

Please complete by Sunday, March 25

Name _____________________________________

Phone _____________________________________

Quantity ______________ x $15 = ______________

Check Enclosed ______________ (payable to BRC)

Cash Enclosed ______________

Dedication — From: _______________________________________

In honor or memory of (please circle one):

_____________________________________________

Mary and Martha Book Group In early January, the group began a study of Nonviolent Communication: A Lan-

guage of Life, …: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships (Nonviolent

Communication Guides) by Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD.

Due to various calendar conflicts, the next meeting is on April 26 at 6:15pm at the

home of Bernice Van Nostrand. In May the group will meet on May 24. The first

summer meeting will be on June 28. All women are welcome to join us for a

planned pot-luck supper, thoughtful and lively discussion, and prayer time.

Support our church by shopping via

smile.amazon.com and choosing

Blawenburg Reformed Church

as your charity.


Tuesday Morning Bible Study meets at 10am in Fellowship Hall. Come join us as we read

and discuss scripture for the upcoming Sunday message and take time to pray with one another. Cof-

fee and an occasional treat will be provided, like birthday celebrations!

Wednesday Evening Bible Study meets at 6:30pm. I would like

to remind you that I meet with a small group of folks from church every

Wednesday evening. Typically this small group meets at the parsonage.

The evening begins at 6:30 with a time to catch up, followed by Bible

study and prayer. If you would like to learn more about scripture and get to

know some friends from church a little better, do consider joining the

Wednesday evening group. I send out emails each week with information about the study; and if you

would like to join us, email [email protected] for more information.—Pastor Jeff

The Fishy Business of Forgiveness: Diving into the

Theme of Forgiveness in the Book of Jonah

Join me in this challenging, two-part intensive on the theme of forgiveness in the Book of Jonah! As

we reflect on the prophet’s struggle to forgive, we will begin living more deeply into our own stories

of forgiveness. What does it mean to “love” those who actively seek to harm us? Should we even en-

gage in such a project? Why? All of these questions will be critically examined in the context of bib-

lical reflection, theological insight, and contemporary research on conflict resolution. Along the way,

we will discover whether grace, hope, and redemption can flourish in the presence of our enemies.

Part I “Forgiveness in the Book of Jonah” will trace the theme of forgiveness along the contours of

the biblical text. Part II “Forgiveness in a Broken World” will apply biblical insights using Marshall

Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication (NVC) process.

This workshop will take place on March 18th and 25th from 11:30-2:00 p.m. in the CW Center. If pos-

sible, please register via the sign-up sheet so that I can get a headcount. Please contact me at (440)

668-4403 or [email protected]. Lunch will be provided. - Kyle Dipre

We commit our gifts to LIFE-LONG LEARNING providing spiritual growth opportunities for all.


LIFE-LONG LEARNING—Continued

New Members’ Lunch

On Sunday March 11th Pastor Jeff and other church leaders met with those who are

interested in joining our congregation.

CROSSROADS XXXIII

Reformed Church Women

in the Regional Synod of the Mid-Atlantics present

GIVING VOICE TO THE VOICELESS:

BUILDING COMMUNITIES OF HOPE

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has

sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set

free, and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.” [Luke 4:18-19, NLT]

Keynote Speaker: Rev. Vanessa Wilson, JD

Legislative Advocate and Healing Communities Trainer

REGISTRATION FORM Registration deadline is March 21. $5 surcharge AFTER DEADLINE.

No registration after April 2. Payment must accompany registration. Make check payable to:

CROSSROADS

For more information, please email us at: [email protected]

(Please put CROSSROADS in the subject line.) OR Contact: CLAUDETTE REID at 973-844-0906

April 13-14, 2018

Harvey Cedars Conference Center, Long Beach Island, NJ

Friday 7:30 PM - Saturday 5:30 PM Supper

Check in Friday 4:00 - 7:00 PM

Blawenburg Village School PO Box 153, Blawenburg, NJ 08504 | 609-466-6600

[email protected] | Karen Hill, Director


How BVS Students Spend a Winter’s Day

Playing with clay.

Going for a walk.

Kids’ Night Out


We commit our gifts to HOSPITALITY caring for those in our congregation and the greater community.

Let them eat cake!

Annual Easter Egg HuntAnnual Easter Egg HuntAnnual Easter Egg Hunt

On Sunday, April 1st the annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place after church.

Meet Barb Van Liew and Nancy Meyer on the steps of Cook Hall for directions.

Patiently waiting for cake!

Former and current Scout Masters with scout parents

On my honor, I will do my best.

To do my duty to God and my

country and to obey the

Scout Law; To help other peo-

ple at all times; To keep myself

physically strong, mentally

awake and morally straight.


We commit our gifts to MISSIONS serving those in need both locally and around the world.

Our First Update From Our New Global Mission


MISSIONS—Continued

2017 Shoebox Update

The Samaritan's Purse shoeboxes from November, 2017 were delivered

to Malawi, Burundi, and hard to reach areas. [Note from Samaritan's

Purse website: Many children who live in nations that are difficult to

reach with the Gospel are able to hear about Jesus Christ through spe-

cially packed shoebox gifts designated for hard-to-reach areas. In re-

stricted areas, these shoeboxes provide a platform for local believers to

share Christ in a safe and culturally sensitive way, and allow ease of en-

try through customs. . . . For the safety of our ministry partners living in

these restricted areas, we cannot divulge the names of the coun-

tries.] Again, thank you for making children smile.

The Missions Team

GET READY TO GARDEN! Spring is in the air and that means it is time to garden. Even if you don’t have a

green thumb you are invited to work alongside the ladies of Crawford House as we

prepare and cultivate a working garden at their home. We will be meeting the sec-

ond Monday of each month at 6:30pm, April through September. Our first meeting

will be April 9, and then again on May 14 , June 11, July 9. August 13 and Septem-

ber 10. If you think that you might be able to participate on any of these dates,

please contact Ethel now. 908.359.6027 (home) or 609.922.4118 (cell). Thanks!


Mission—Continued

Spring Baskets

Thank you to everyone who volunteered to fill spring holiday baskets for the

Montgomery Food Pantry. Items are due in this Sunday, March 18th and will be deliv-

ered later in the week.

Annual Crawford House Soup Making

Each year we invite the residents of Crawford House for a soup making lesson

and invite members of the congregation to join in the “fruits” of their labors. This

year the ladies also make salad and apple cake. Many thanks to the Mission and

Hospitality Teams for organizing this event.

Cabbage-Vegetable Soup Sausage-Bean Soup


We commit our gifts to PROCLAMATION spreading the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.

RUMMAGE SALE NEWS

Planning for Rummage Sale 2018 is well underway. The dates this year are Fri-

day, April 20 (9:00am – 6:00pm), and Saturday, April 21 (9:00am – 3:00pm,

when all items are half price). We are in need of many hands to make this event

happen.

This year we do not have the use of Memorial Hall, so the sale will take place in Cook Hall

and on the adjacent grounds outside. Cook Hall is a great place for the sale, as it has been in

past years; however due to less space, we are limited in prep time. Items may be dropped off

beginning Saturday, April 13 from 9:00 to 5:00, and continue on Sunday, April 15 from 1:00

to 3:00, and Monday and Tuesday, April 16 and 17 from 9:00 to 5:00.We are happy to receive

jewelry, linens, household items, books, clothing (adult and children’s), clothing accessories,

shoes, games and toys, and items that would be suitable to sell outside such as small furniture

and sports equipment. PLEASE DO NOT BRING ELECTRONICS OF ANY KIND.

We will also have a bake sale again this year and welcome your homemade treats. You can

donate cookies, candies, breads, cakes and pies, as well as jams and jellies. Please place cook-

ies in packages of six.

We need volunteers to help with the set-up, work on both days of the sale, and come in at the

end and assist with clean up on Saturday afternoon. Because of the time constraints, we will be

working furiously beginning Friday, April 13 to get ready for the sale. Watch for a sign up

poster in Cook Hall which will enable you to indicate in which area, and when you can help.

The Missions Team has designated 20% of the proceeds to Crawford House to assist them in

combatting the problem of substance abuse. The remaining 80% will go to the restoration and

renovation of church properties.

With everyone’s help, we anticipate a huge rummage sale success again this year. Any ques-

tions may be directed to our co-chairs: Jean Beachell 908.531.5404 (cell) or Ethel Terhune

609.922.4118 (cell). Thank you.

Men’s Community Breakfast

The rescheduled date of the Men's Community Breakfast is this

Wednesday, March 21st. The breakfast will be held in Fellowship

Hall. Please let Joe know if you are coming so we can plan the food

accordingly. [email protected]


PROCLAMATION—Continued

Do You Love History??

What about Life Without Electricity??

Come hear Author and Educator David Cochran speak on

“Early Life in the Village of Blawenburg and Blawenburg Reformed Church. ” Designed for all ages - elementary students through adults!

Date- Sunday April 8th @2pm

Enjoy Refreshments, Food & Good People before and after the talk!

Somerset County Historical Society Address- 9 Van Veghten Drive, Bridgewater NJ

08807 Website- Somersethistorynj.org Please RSVP @ Phone #- (732)425-2751

Email- [email protected]

Funding for the Somerset County Historical Society is provided, in part, by the New Jersey Historical Commis-

sion, a division of the Department of State through the State/County History Partnership Program Grant and

administered by the Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission. Copyright 2018 Somerset County

Historical Society - All Rights Reserved.

BLAWENBURG CHURCH’S BLUE POMEGRANATE

LAUNCHES FIFTH SEASON – APRIL 12

Indie rock group The B Zero B Project will be providing the musical entertain-

ment for the evening. This three member group plays a unique blend of their

own original music. Featured local artists will be on hand to show and promote their work,

which includes paintings, drawings, sculpture and photography.

This is a great opportunity for us as a church to use our space to celebrate local artists and

musicians. Doors open at 7:00pm in Cook Hall. Light refreshments will be served and ad-

mission is free, but donations are encouraged and go to support the musicians, the artists,

and the work of the church.

For more details, go to www.BlawenburgChurch.org, or to Facebook @BlawenburgChurch or

@BluePomArt.

For more details, go to www.BlawenburgChurch.org, or Facebook@BlawenburgChurch or

@BluePomArt.

Spring Season: April 12, May 17, June 21

http://www.blawenburgchurch.org/

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

March

8 Katie Connolly

12 Colby White

16 Sharilyn Tel

18 Byron Gurzo

19 Joe Pavlicek

20 Allison Clancy

24 Cheryl Soos

26 Ray Liao

29 Dot Dorey

Pam Wanner

April

1 LaFerne Keller

2 Katie Mueller

Doug Hill

25 Jacque Parmele

26 Sarah Tel

The Blawenburg Beacon

is a publication of

Blawenburg

Reformed

Church 424 Route 518

PO Box 266

Blawenburg, NJ 08504

609.466.1832 [email protected]

Pastor

Rev. Jeff Knol

VP of Consistory

Ethel Terhune

Church Administrator

& Beacon Publisher

Karen Larsen

Beacon Editor

Barb Pavlicek

Plan Ahead—

March

March 18 Worship 10:00am Sanctuary

Faith Workshop 11:30am CW Center

March 19 Consistory 7:30pm CW Center

March 21 Men’s Breakfast, 7:30am, F’ship Hall

March 22 Church Cleaning Night 7:30pm Sanct.

March 24 Church Cleaning Day 9:00am

BVS Open House 10:00am

March 25 Worship 10:00am Sanctuary

(Palm Sunday)

Faith Workshop 11:30pm CW Center

March 28 Wed. Evening Bible Study 6:30pm

March 29 Maundy Thursday 6:30 Fellowship Hall

March 30 Good Friday

March 31 Scout Training 9am-4pm F’ship Hall

Scout Bd of Review 7:00pm CW Center

April

Apr. 1 Easter Worship 10:00am Sanctuary

Easter Egg Hunt 11:00am Church Grounds

Apr. 2 Properties Team 12:30pm CW Center

Apr. 3 Missions Team, 11:45am CW Center

Boy Scout Exec. Comm 7:30pm CW Ctr

Apr. 6 Game Night 7:00pm

Apr. 8 Worship 9:00am Sanctuary

Apr.12 Moms’ Club 10:00am Fellowship Hall

Blue Pomegranate 7:00pm Fellowship Hall

Apr. 15 Worship 9:00am Sanctuary

Apr. 16 Consistory 7:30pm CW Center

April 20 Rummage Sale 9:00am Fellowship Hall

Kids’ Night Out 5:30pm School House

April 21 Rummage Sale 9:00am Fellowship Hall

April 22 Run with Rotary 10:00am

Worship 5pm Sanctuary

April 26 Mary & Martha 6:15pm Bernice’s

April 29 Worship 9:00am Sanctuary

SHIP Luncheon 10:30am Parking Lot

May

May 1 Missions Team 11:45 CW Center

May 2 Men’s Breakfast 7:30am

May 3 National Day of Prayer

Moms’ Club 10:00am Fellowship Hall

May 4 Game Night 7:00pm

Summary of Dates

(See articles for more information.) OFFICE HOURS

MON 8:30 to 1:30

THUR 8:30 to 3:30

FRI 8:30 to 11:30


If anyone would like to

contribute photos for future

Beacons, we welcome

them. Please send photos

via email to Barb Pavlicek

and Karen Larsen by the

date of the deadline.

(See p. 2.)

Weekly Events

Tuesday

Bible Study 10:00am

AA 7:00pm

Wednesday

Bible Study, 6:30pm

Saturday

AA 8:00pm

Sunday

Worship 10am thru Easter,

April 8th 9am begins

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