January 2014 - White Plains - White Plains Presbyterian Church

RESPONSE
The Presbyterian Church of White Plains Newsletter
39 North Broadway, White Plains, NY 10601
(914) 761-8585 Website: wppresby.org
E-mail: wppresby.church@optonline.net
JANUARY 2014
GREEN TEAM
Will Summer
GOOD NEWS
Hopefully everyone has heard the good news by now! But
just in case you haven’t heard, here it is:
We’ve been officially accepted into the GreenFaith
Certification Program! This program is for congregations
who demonstrate a willingness to be leaders in
environmental justice and sustainability. The program
begins in January 2014 and our goal is to graduate in May
2015 as part of our tri-centennial celebration. Completing the GreenFaith Program will also
qualify us as a PC(USA) Earth Care Congregation. Between now and then, the Green Team will be
working hard to evaluate our congregation’s efforts
toward environmental stewardship (in areas like worship,
outreach, and facilities) and make an action plan that will
help us continue our aspirations to have a congregational
life that thoughtfully considers sustainability. In the short
term, the Green Team will be working on putting together
an adult education series for sometime early next year and
planning some outings that will help us reconnect to
God’s glorious creation here in Westchester County.
We're looking forward to beginning this journey
together!
Heifer Fund Raiser
The bake sale is always a popular fund raiser for
the Heifer Fund. The fund provides the money to
buy animals for areas that depend on agriculture
for survival.
Most of the items for the bake sale were
baked by Beth Mills. She takes a good deal of her
vacation from work to bake most of the baked
items for sale that is held on first three advent
Sundays. She spends a number of hours in her
kitchen preparing the delicious baked goods. We
send her a great big thank you!!
Then David Mills delivers the baked goods to
the church. Again we thank you for the all the
work involved to make this a successful fund
raiser.
My Sister’s Place
Thanks to all who contributed and/or purchased
Christmas treasures from the gift table. The funds
that were raised will be donated to My Sister’s
Place by the Nifty Thrifties. Thank you to all the
people did the sorting, pricing and selling.
Deacons
The Deacons sponsored fruit baskets for the
homebound for Thanksgiving and cookies just
prior to Christmas and with the congregation’s
donations -- poinsettias just after Christmas.
Connecting to our homebound members is our
continuing mission to share God’s love with these
members and making sure that they know they are
loved and missed. Thank you also to our
volunteer delivery angels who share this love by
stopping and bringing the goodies to our
homebound.
Happy NEW YEAR
MISSION
visit us online!
Mike Doehring, Chair
Another new year! Will we be able to do it “better”
this year? In our personal interactions with others?
As a church? Make fewer mistakes? Continue to
help those in need? Hopefully there will be fewer
immediate needs for help – natural disasters, etc.
The good news is that we always seem to rise to
the occasion with our resources or time or talents.
Christmas
Thanks to those of you who helped make the
Heifer program a success again - all the workers,
bakers, customers, etc. who made it happen.
My Sister’s Place (Nifty Thrifties Christmas
Boutique) and the Boy Scouts also benefited from
your generosity.
Thanks also to those who supported the Christmas
Joy Offering – helping church related individuals
and colleges supported by PC(USA).
We reached out to prisoners through Christmas
card writing and Angel Tree gifts (some Angel
Tree families attended as our guests at the Advent
Celebration).
Christmas was indeed a time for giving in many
ways.
at our website wppresby.org
E-mail: wppresby.church@optonline.net
Rev. Jeffery A. Geary, Pastor
Tyrell Lundman, Director of Music
Lynn Dunn, Rev., Christian Education
Stella M. Aviles, Executive Assistant.
Vicente Velasco, Facilities Supervisor
Doug Astarita, Night Custodian
Gina Cerillo, Nursery School Director
Noel Warner, Business Mgr.
Agnes Scheu, Church Treasurer
Wanda Van Woert, President of Trustees
Betty Peene, Financial Secretary
Worship Time: Sunday,10:00 a.m.
Office Hours: 8:30-a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
Website: wppresby.org
Telephone: (914) 761-8585
E-mail: wppresby.church@optonline.net,
View the up-to-date calendar on website
Where to Find Us Online
Pray for Peace – personal peace, national peace
and global peace.
facebook.com
PEACE IN OUR TIME IS POSSIBLE!
twitter.com
Pastor Jeffrey Geary, Editor-in-Chief
Agnes Scheu, Editor, Layout Designer
Articles for coming months must be submitted as
e-mails sent to agnesscheu@aol.com by the 22nd
of the month. The articles should be no longer than
approximately 200 words.
2
FROM THE PASTOR
F
f
o
o
c
Rev. Jeffrey Geary
A few months ago I had a conversation with a
few members of this congregation about end-oflife planning. All of us knew we should do it.
But of those around the table, only one of us had
actually filed funeral plans and burial wishes
with the church, had a will in the hands of an
attorney and a living will on file at the hospital,
and had empowered a health care proxy. (I
neglected to ask whether these plans included a
bequest to the church)! The rest of us revealed a
variety of levels of planning, or at least had the
intention to plan, or were consciously
procrastinating.
Our belief that “In life, in death, in life beyond
death, we are not our own, we belong to God”
should help us better understand the nature of
our life as well as our death. This does not mean
that coming to terms with end of life issues is an
easy process though. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
identified five different reactions to our dying:
Death and dying are difficult topics to talk about, yet
they are undeniable a reality throughout our lives. As
one year rolls into the next, and you have the
opportunity to be in touch with family and loved
ones, take some time to review your advanced
directives (living will, health care surrogate,
financial power of attorney, end of live desires). Talk with your family and friends. Invite your pastor
for a visit.
We all know that Christian discipleship claims the
whole of life. It has no less claim to us in death. But
this requires care, attention and planning, as well as
sharing these plans with a community of care.
Let us in life, in death,
thy steadfast truth declare,
and publish with our final breath
thy love and guardian care.
denial or disbelief, anger, bargaining,
depression and finally acceptance. Coffee Time Host / Hostess needed
Several volunteers are wanted to host a coffee time after Sunday
services. It is easy. Bring a treat for about 75 persons and a 1/2
gallon of milk. Coffee and tea are provided.
Set the table and fill the milk pitchers, clean up after.
Hosting can be shared with another person, if you wish.
Sign up for a specific date by speaking or emailing Nancy Re
nancyre@yahoo.com or just call the office and we will be in touch
with you to answer any questions you may have.
3
a
o
O
t
N
l
c
r
S
e
D
"
w
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
Rev. Lynn Dunn
I hope the New Year finds everyone in good
health and good spirits. But wait! The holidays
are not quite over: January 6 (a Monday this
year) is Epiphany. In worship on January 5, the
children will bring the Magi to the
manger. They will finally arrive to offer their
gifts to the infant Jesus. These travelers have
been making their journey through our
sanctuary all through Advent and Christmas. It
has been a long journey, but the journey itself
teaches us much about hope, faith and
perseverance in searching for the Prince of
Peace. Have you watched their journey and
followed them, beginning up on the balcony
ledge? Photos were posted to our church’s
Facebook page, so if you’re a Facebook user,
and like our church’s page, you have seen
weekly photo updates of their journey, along
with other updates, including Pastor Jeff’s
weekly sermons and announcements of
upcoming events. You can find us here: https://
www.facebook.com/pages/White-PlainsPresbyterian-Church/150014978392691?
ref=br_rs
The January 5 worship service this year will be
a special celebration of communion using
hymns from our new hymnal. Music Director
Ty Lundman will introduce and explain how
these hymns trace God’s mighty acts as we sing
our way through the communion liturgy
together, using Glory to God, our new hymnal.
The Rev. Sarah Henkel and I will preside
together at the table for this service.
Adult Education
Have you ever wondered why we celebrate
Communion? Communion is one of the two
sacraments we celebrate in the Presbyterian
Church(USA) and in the Reformed
tradition. There is a rich layering of
meanings and symbolism in this sacrament,
drawing both upon the teachings of Jesus,
and also upon the sacred stories of the Old
Testament Yet it is much more than a
symbolic act, for we believe that Jesus
Christ is really spiritually present in the
sacrament, giving spiritual nourishment to
each of us and empowering the church. On
January 26 I will lead an adult education
class on the Sacrament of the Lord's
Supper, which is also called Communion. If
you have ever wondered why we do this, if
you are curious, or if you would like to
deepen your understanding, join us after
The Book Club
The Book Club will be meeting on
January 21 at the usual time to read and
discuss Amy Tau’s book The Jay Luck
Club. Hopefully you have already read
the book or will read it by January 21,
2014. The club was to meet during
December and because of the winter
storm the meeting was postponed to
January.
Hope to see you all. In the meantime have
a Happy New Year.
4
The Nifty Thrifties
5
Scenes from the Childrenʼs Christmas Program
December 22
6
Who’s Having A
Birthday?
JANUARY
4 Marc Elkhoury
4 Harvey Pearl
6 Jean Perin
11 Bill Moore
11 Alexa Jayne Pili
12 Olga Daniels
12 Winston Burton, Jr.
13 Thelma Gordon
14 Peg Koplinka
15 Helen McMorrow
20 Flora Adams
23 Sharon Callender
26 Carmen Gray
30 Zelda Ambrose
Best Wishes from your church
family
7
Scenes from the Childrenʼs Christmas Program
December 22
8