Other News
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Healing Services
Ushering on Sunday Mornings
We have updated our instructions for ushers at both services, so please check the table where you find the bulletins for helpful hints – we know our ushers do a great job and it is appreciated. Let us know if you have questions or suggestions. Thanks!
Newton Presbytery has advised that the date for the “Spring Gathering” – topic
“STITCHING US TOGETHER” will be held in Saturday, April 28, 2012 at the Long Valley Presbyterian Church, Bartley Road, Long Valley, NJ. The Speaker – Jenny Lee, Global Exchange Participant, 2011, who will speak about the trip to India. More details to appear in the April newsletter.
Thank you to the men from “Nuts & Bolts” who clean the church kitchen in the “high places” recently. Also thanks to nine of the PW members who cleaned the rest of the kitchen on Tuesday, February 21st.
NEWTON PRESBYERY TRAINING EVENT
There is no cost; brochures are available in the sanctuary entryway.
You may register yourself (and we know Carol Barry is going and is interested in carpooling).
BEING GREEN
An energetic task force of Chris Amella and Adriene Nolan are working with Rev. Matlack and under the Session’s guidance to help us be better at promoting and following sound environmental practices – we will be working to provide recycling containers throughout the church facilities; we are encouraging ways to purchase cleanly generated energy; and we are looking at other efforts to discard safely and legally potentially hazardous materials like batteries, computer components and the like. More to follow in the coming weeks!
RENOVATION UPDATE
If you would like to help move items downstairs as the carpet installers work, please let Rev. Matlack know (call the church office). Thanks!
BLOOD DRIVE
Per Capita
The denominational cost of being a church includes our per capita assessment, which is the same as it has been for several years, $29.00 per member. Please strongly consider making an extra-mile gift to your church in order to cover this huge cost we share. Use your per capita envelope in your envelope box or mark your check “per capita.” Thank-you!
This and That
McKELVIE FUND
We hope you are encouraged by our progress and recognize our skilled attorney, William Bowkley, is in fact using appropriate legal measures to correct the depletion of the Fund and is making progress. When we have more public information, we will be informing you immediately.
Clothing Drop Off
We have a clothing drop-off shed on-location in the back of our parking lot. It is always open and they will take clothing, shoes, blankets, belts, sheets and stuffed animals but not rags or pillows or household goods. Proceeds help the church!
Manna House
We go to Manna House on the third and fourth Mondays of each month to help serve the homeless and hungry in the Newton area. If you can help, contact our coordinator, Barbara Noffke, at 908.876.3268 and her email is b.noffke@comcast.net.
Nursery
Prayer Requests
Sunday Morning Flowers
We have two opportunities to attend healing services this month –
Thursday, March 1st, 6:30 pm, sanctuary
Wednesday, March 7th, noon, in the MacNeill RoomOr
We need ushers to help out at the 10:00 am service! Please see Ken Reed or Barbara Costanza if you would like to volunteer in this important responsibility of Christian hospitality.
Our presbytery is offering Growing in Faith Together (formerly DCL) on Sunday, March 18th, 1:00 to 4:30 pm, at the Presbyterian Church of Morris Plains (400 Speedwell Avenue). All kinds of workshops are being offered, for different aspects of the church’s ministries and mission plus special topics like “Interfaith Relationships” led by Rick Ufford-Chase, who is also speaking at the beginning of the event on “Living as a Christian in a Political Whirlpool” and he serves as the director of the Stony Point Conference Center in upstate New York.
As the psalmist reminds us, “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it” so we have a responsibility to the world God has given us and at the beginning made and pronounced it “good”.
We have finished the painting of the newly constructed area downstairs and are now awaiting a scheduled date for installing the flooring.
The next Blood Drive is Saturday, April 21st, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
The session received a good financial report for January, which is to be expected, and we were not disappointed. We did receive special gifts to the apportionment the denomination assesses to us based in our membership. This cost is $29.00 per member. Please strongly consider making an extra-mile gift to your church in order to cover this huge cost we share. Use your per capita envelope in your envelope box or mark your check “per capita.” Thank-you!
If you would like to make an estimate of giving for 2012, pledge cards are available in the entryway. Set a goal for giving, as Jesus recommended, while also helping the church plan its own budget for the new year.
Public documents filed in court on behalf of the church’s lawsuit concerning our McKelvie Fund will show the trustee, Donna Muesch of Arizona, has been replaced. Smith-Barney has frozen what little remains of the “depleted” funds in their account. The new trustee will be New Covenant Funds, an investment corporation of the Presbyterian Foundation, where we currently have our church’s savings and endowment. New Covenant will then serve as the legally recognized trustee while also providing investment vehicles. We will then have complete access to the details and management of the McKelvie Fund, just as we do with other church resources.
Our coordinator for the nursery schedule is Wendy Korp, who can be reached at (973) 347-1976. Helping in the nursery is a great benefit to our young adult parents who have little kids, who have a safe and quiet place to be during worship.
If you have a prayer request, feel welcome to put your concern on the Prayer Chain. Call Betty Alpaugh first, at (908) 850-9767; leave a message if she’s not home then call Arletta Edwards, at (973) 347-2199
You may dedicate Sunday morning flowers by signing up on the flower calendar and filling out a form on the vestibule table. The cost is $30.00 for flowers. Sue Milovich is coordinating – reach her at (973) 398-7350.
The ole' Musconetcong News' April 19, 2011 edition features one of our multi-talented congregation and choir members, Carol Barry. The front page centers on her masterpiece banners that adorn the walls of the sanctuary. Each piece is rich in detail and meaning.