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The In-Spire Peapack Reformed Church

May ~ June 2018

The vine and branches express the relationship God has with his children. The vineyard flourishes under the tender care of God, the keeper of the vineyard. The children of God receive life and

fruitfulness from Christ, the true vine, just as God promised. The grapes represent the fruit from the vine while clusters show a people united by the grace of our loving God.

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with

patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just

as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all,

who is above all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4: 1-6

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A Letter from ...

Our Pastor, Kathryn Henry May 2018

Dear good friends,

Immediately after the resurrection, that same night in fact, Jesus appeared to the disciples who were gathered together, likely trying to figure out what to do next. “Peace be with you” he said and then showed his hands and feet where the nails had been driven through into the wood of the cross. As you recall this story, you may remember that Thomas was not present at first. But the next week, when they gathered again, he was, and he saw the wounded Jesus also. Out of that encounter came Jesus’ declaration, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

This declaration has been our Thought for Worship on the Sundays in April. What does it mean for us, - we who have not seen with our own eyes - to believe in the risen Christ? What do we do with that blessing of being the body of Christ in the 21st century here in the middle of New Jersey?

Well, the sermons suggested several ideas:

that the members of the congregation are the ones to evangelize, that is, to let others know about the joy of worshiping God with this church; about our focus on missions; about our being a diverse and welcoming faith community; and then to invite others to come and see.

that members of the congregation play a crucial role in healing one another by being an active listening presence during times of trouble.

that we proclaim Jesus as the source of salvation from the evils of the world and that the promises made in baptism bind us together as we do Jesus’ work.

One of the best statements of the deep meaning of our call to believe even though we have not seen comes from a book of essays entitled Called to Community: the Life Jesus Wants for His People. The writer explains:

The primary function of a church, if it is to be the continuing body of Christ in the world, is to raise human life out of its secular drift and to give reality to the eternal here in the midst of time. ... just as certainly the church is commissioned as the organ of the Holy Spirit to bring health and healing to our human lives and to the social order in which our lives are formed and molded.

This is a high calling indeed. May God strengthen and encourage us all as we move forward into the future.

Prayerfully and with love,

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Missions & Outreach News Casserole Reminder -

More Casserole Makers Needed!!

If you used to make casseroles for SHIP, but have let it go, it’s

time to start anew - Five nights a week meals are delivered to the clients in need who are unable to come to SHIP’s Galley for a meal. Pans and recipes are available in the church kitchen. Completed casseroles should be

placed in the church freezer until delivery on Monday May 28th

Volunteer to cook with Dan O’Connell at the Bound Brook Soup Kitchen Please mark your calendar

for the following summer dates:

May 16 July 18 June 20 August 15

The Pantry is looking for more helping hands!

Wednesday mornings, 10 am - noon: bagging groceries and greeting clients

Wednesday evenings, 7:30 - 9 pm: busiest client pick-up time

Sunday evenings, 7 - 8 pm: Additional pick-up hour

Also needed: drivers to collect groceries at the Food Bank in Hillside and drivers to make last-minute purchases at Costco.

Please speak with Rev. Henry or one of the Deacons if you would like to take part in this great mission!

THANK YOU!

The spring collections for God’s Co-op Pantry: May: bags of dry black beans tomatoes 28 oz cans June: powdered chicken bullion Progresso low salt soups

Also: Don’t forget

the collection basket in the Narthex -the continuous collection for

SHIP.

Contents are taken every month along with the casseroles.

Please bring: canned soups, vegetables and fruits;

peanut butter and jelly in plastic jars; spaghetti sauce in plastic jars; cereal, rice, and pasta;

personal toiletries, travel or full size.

The Refugee Action Committee at Temple B'nai Israel in Basking Ridge is hosting a special dinner on Friday, May 18 at 6:30

through an organization called the Syria Supper Club (SSC).

The SSC supports families of Syrian refugees recently settled in New Jersey. Dinner will be prepared by one or more of our new Syrian neighbors, who will share their traditional cooking skills in a table full of traditional vegetarian Syrian food.

They will also tell us the story (likely through an interpreter) of their journey to New Jersey. The SSC's motto is: "Eat well and do good at the same time."

From cultural exchange to just plain fun, we look forward to a great evening that we hope will help set our Syrian neighbors on a path of greater independence and confidence in their new lives here in the USA.

The fee for the dinner is $60.00 per person ($30 for children under 13), much of which goes to the Syrian refugees/cooks, who use the money to purchase ingredients for the dinner and then keep what is not spent.

If you're interested, please sign up through the link below

https://www.theunitedtastesofamerica.org/events/syria-supper-club-congregation-bnai-israel

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Update from the search Committee

The Search Committee is comprised of 9 members of the Congregation and is charged with selecting a replacement Pastor and recommending this candidate to the Consistory for review and approval.

The 9 committee members include:

Barbara David Anne Hampson Jane Stanley Amy Dietrich Bill Simpson Merlinson Yardolo Walter Fogelsanger Eva Scartozzi Randy Zeese

The committee is working with 2 members of the RCA Classis- Rev. Fred Mueller and Elder Barry Graziano, who assist with guiding the committee throughout the process.

The Search Committee has developed a comprehensive Church Profile form, which outlines a comprehensive overview of the Peapack Reformed Church, to provide prospective Pastoral candidates with information about our

Church, our Mission, and what we are looking for in a Pastor.

This Profile form has now been submitted to the denominational office, and a process of matching candidates with our stated needs has now begun.

Next steps include identification and comprehensive reviews of candidates, followed by interviews and careful deliberation and prayerful discernment of the candidates.

This process generally takes several months to a year or longer. In the interim, guest Pastors have been identified for July following the Pastor’s final service (July 1st), and the Search Committee will work with the RCA to identify

Pastors after July to serve our needs in August and beyond.

The Search Committee will provide periodic updates to the Congregation in an ongoing basis.

Consistory Highlights from the regular meetings

March 14 and April 11, 2018

Approved proposal for driveway repair at Main St. entrance by Jerry Conover Excavating. Repair will be considered a special project and paid for ($910) out of the Building Endowment.

Agreed enthusiastically to go ahead and plan for one or two of the most popular suggestions from the congregational survey as noted on the “We Heard You” bulletin board, namely a Pasta Dinner and the care ideas of visiting homebound members and having a luncheon for seniors.

Several people have volunteered to work at God’s Co-op Pantry as adver tised in the In-Spire and worship bulletins.

Wayne Dietrich has connected us with A.F. Scott, an IT company here in Gladstone, to research and arrange replacements for our now out-dated computers.

Installation of a new water-feature and upgrading of the landscaping in the DeGaeta Garden are now underway.

The License Agreement with the Cottage School will be reviewed and updated before Rev. Henry’s departure with input from Rev. Henry, Laura Soulages, Peter Henry, serving as church attorney, and Kristin Sonneborn, Cottage School liaison.

Consistory agreed to fund (not to exceed $1000) a special choir for Rev. Henry’s last service on July 1, as the regular choir will be on summer recess by that date. The choir will be composed of some current singers as well as some who have sung in the PRC choir previously.

The Peapack Church Foundation is renovating the Edythe DeGaeta Memorial. Two new name plaques and a new granite water feature have been

installed; the electrical has been updated and benches will be moved. As soon as possible the landscaping will be modified with new plants and flowers planted to

give this lovely garden a beautiful new appearance.

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Church Family News Happy May Birthday to You!

10 Randy Zeese 12 Aileen Birkitt 13 Amanda Birkitt 13 Wayne Dietrich 15 Brian Cowden 16 Tim Henry 22 Ron Weiss 23 Bernice Coop 25 Cheryl Caro 25 Judy O’Brien 27 Irene Ellis 30 Greg Helbig 30 Karen McMahon

Condolences to: † The family of Barbara Baker, who passed away on April 8. The funeral service for Barbara will be Saturday May 12, at 4 o’clock in the afternoon.

† The Yardolo family on the death of Angeline’s brother Martin Keah on April 19.

Pentecost is Sunday May 20. We will rejoice in receiving new members

Sandra and Floyd Butturff

Liturgical Dance - May 13

From ancient times, God’s people have used liturgical dance as a principal element of worship. Music has the power to call the whole body into motion. The art form of

liturgical dance is devoted to proclaiming the joy that comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the dancers working through expressive movement to

music, synchronicity, and color. In our worship a liturgical dance will be performed by sisters Merlina, Linda and Kathy Yardolo,

clad in African dress from their family’s native Libera.

Happy June Birthday to You!

2 Michael Taylor 2 Daina Gulbis 5 Bill Simpson 6 Allen Crossett 7 Betty Hess 14 Owen Dougherty 14 Sophia Longa 14 Finn Smith 19 Alison Birkitt 19 Jim David 19 Clint Johnson 22 Doug Birkitt 23 Sarah Cowden

Information is now available for Summer Camp 2018 at RCA Camp Warwick please see their website

http://campwarwick.org/ Camp Warwick offers a variety of

experiences for all ages.

Watch for it! Coming in June - Movie nights -

Another popular idea from the survey

Pasta Dinner - April 28

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A Celebration of Ministry!

Sunday, July 1, 2018 at 10 a.m. at regular worship

We bid farewell and Godspeed to the Reverend Kathryn Henry upon her retirement as pastor of the Peapack Reformed Church

Sacrament of Holy Communion

Special choir – current singers, alumni voices, Henry family members RCA/PCUSA Liturgy of Farewell

Paul’s words to his protégé Timothy, which are read

at the Service of Ordination to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament to guide the newly ordained throughout the time of service in a congregation:

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the

dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage with the utmost patience in teaching. For the

time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine but having itch-ing ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you,

always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully. 2 Timothy 4: 1-5

All friends and family are invited to worship here on July 1 to celebrate a ministry carried out fully and prayerfully

from October 2003 through July 2018

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Our Choir at ARBOR GLEN

The eight paid singers of the Peapack Reformed Church Choir will be presenting a free program at the ARBOR GLEN retirement community on Wednesday, May 9

th at 7:30 p.m. in their auditorium, 100 Monroe Street,

Bridgewater, NJ 08807. All are welcome.

The program, AN AMERICAN SAMPLER, will feature spirituals ad popular music from several decades:

Zip-a dee-doo-dah, Shenandoah, Little David Play on Your Harp, Wade in the Water, Down By the Riverside, Dona Nobis Pacem, Mona Lisa, a medley from West Side Story and a montage of popular music of the 1930’s entitled Get Happy!

Additionally there will be a rendition of The Grasshopper, A Tragic Tale, a humorous song written as a satire of the Italian Grand Opera, by Innes Randolph.

Come and support our congregation and the choir members, Rebecca Stahl, Corinne Costell, Kelsey Lewis, Destiny Cooper, Paul Salierno,

Nick Petroski, Zachary Gates and Joe Haverlock.

In APPRECIATION

Thank you REBECCA STAHL for sharing your musical talent with us at Peapack Reformed Church for the past FOUR years. Starting here as a sophomore at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, she now holds a Bachelor of Music Performance degree and will be entering Temple University to pursue a degree in Music Therapy.

Although CORINNE COSTELL has only sung with the choir for one season, it has been great having her in the choir and having her share her musical talents with us. Corinne, a 2017 graduate of Westminster Choir College, is hoping to continue her musical studies pursuing a master’s degree in vocal performance.

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May 6 Children and Worship/Communion Sunday Following the children’s message, all students will go directly to Fellowship Hall for prayer/music/activity before returning to their families for communion.

May 13 Sunday School Classes (Pre K – Grade 2)

(Grades 3-6) Service Day/Host Coffee Hour May 20 Faith and Friends Day – PENTECOST

All children are invited to bring a friend or two to Sunday School classes as we take an in depth look at PENTECOST

May 27 Family Worship Sunday (no Sunday School)

June 3 Children and Worship /Communion Sunday Following the children’s message, all students will go directly to Fellowship Hall for prayer/music/activity before returning to their families for communion.

June 10 Confirmation/Youth Sunday All children will remain in worship for youth led worship.

June 17 Family Worship Sunday (no Sunday School)

June 24 Summer worship Camp Kick-Off Registration information will be available in Fellowship Hall beginning May 13.

Summer Worship Camp At Peapack Reformed Church

Who: Campers entering Pre-K 4 – grade 4* (grade entering as of September 2018)

When: Summer Sundays During Worship - June 24 - camp kick off

July 8, 15, 22, 29 and August 12, 19, 26

Time: 10:00AM ~ Camp will take place during the worship service. All children are invited to go directly to the gathering room in the lower level classroom area at the beginning of the worship service at 10AM

Volunteers needed for each Sunday. *You do not need to have a child in camp to volunteer*

All materials will be provided.

Sign up in fellowship hall.

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June 10 is Youth Sunday!!! Worship leadership, special music and...

Reception of Confirmands into membership

by the congregation

Jonah Kleitsch

Vera Yardolo

Awarding of the 2017 Arntz Scholarships To be announced

Presentation of Bibles to 3rd graders Leah Simpson

Will Simpson

Maggie Todd

Matthew Todd

Recognition of our graduates Sarah Cowden – Mt. Olive High School

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The SPIRE Peapack Reformed Church

Tel: 908-234-2733 www.peapackreformed.org

May ~ June 2017

Peapack Reformed Church Post Office: Return if undeliverable 224 Main Street PO Box 253 RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED Gladstone, NJ 07934