F ir st P re sb y te rian C h u rc h 2 9 8 M ai n S tr e e t H ac k e tt st o w n , N J 0 7 8 4 0
Light
from the
DECEMBER
2020
Steeple
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 298 MAIN STREET
HACKETTSTOWN, NJ 07840 REV. BRIAN MERRITT,
INTERIM PASTOR OFFICE: 908-852-4011 e-mail: [email protected] Church website,
http://www.fpchackettstown.org Editor: MaryAnn Simmons
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
HACKETTSTOWN, NJ
CHURCH OFFICE: (908) 852-4011
Interim Pastor: Rev. Brian Merritt Choir Director/Organist: Lorinda Ravo
Treasurer: Al Ravo
Financial Secretary: Deborah Gulick Shepherd
Head Usher: Kim Newton
Church Secretary: Mary Lightfoot
Sexton: John Mark Wojcicki
2020 SESSION
Class of 2020 Class of 2021 Class of 2022 Jim Butts Sandy Archer Jennifer Aquino Grace Clegg Jami Lynn Arcilla Carl Erickson
Erin Roguso Diane Hull Clerk of Session: Donna Erickson
2020 BOARD OF DEACONS
Class of 2020 Class of 2021 Class of 2022 Patricia Butts Jen Bramley Ellen Bergman Gilles Djongang Pat Gohlich Barbara Cors Sharon Heil Justin Simmons Chris Roguso
2020 HEAVEN SENT NURSERY SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES OFFICE: 852-2006
Director: Jen Bujno
Carl Erickson - 2020 Patricia Butts - 2021 Vedanira Fernandez - 2022 Connie Quinn - HS Parent
Gwenn and Louis Bartku Rachel Becker, Floyd Smith’s granddaughter Jeff Beddow Bodycomb Family Mary Brodt Eris Bunnel Churches throughout the country Barbara Courtright Pam Covert & her dad Jim
Alisa Dartnell and Family The DeCaro Family
FPCH
Friends of FPCH
Roger George (father of Gwen Bartku) Terry Gretchen Dorothy Knauer Emily Ligarzewski Maikuu congregation, Kibwezi Kenya The Merritt Family
Diana Merzoian Members of the Armed Forces Barbara Pace, niece of the Prestopines Shirley Pennington Holly Pippas Elizabeth Robitsch
Students in the community Teachers and Nurses in schools Mark Tilney
Those struggling with addictions
Those recovering from COVID Those recovering from surgery United States President-Elect and Vice President-Elect
PRAYER LIST
DATES
TO
REMEMBER:
DEC
2020
A
NOTE
FROM
OUR
PASTOR
02: Zoom Advent Bible Study - 7 PM
06: Virtual Worship and Communion - 10:00 AM; live streaming through Facebook
09: Zoom Advent Bible Study - 7 PM
13: Virtual Worship - 10 AM; live streaming through Facebook 16: Zoom Advent Bible Study - 7 PM
18: Deadline for pictures for Virtual Christmas Pageant 19: Zoom Gingerbread House Making - 6:30 PM
20: Worship - 10 AM live streaming through Facebook 20: Livestream Virtual Christmas Caroling - 6-7 PM 23: Zoom Advent Bible Study - 7 PM
24: Virtual Worship - Christmas Eve Service
- 7:30 PM; live streaming available through Facebook 25: Christmas Day - Merry Christmas!
27: Virtual Worship - 10 AM; live streaming available through Facebook
31: New Year’s Eve
01: New Year’s Day - Church Office Closed
We find ourselves sneaking toward Advent and the season in which we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the intervening weeks we have had to shut down because of the second (or third) wave of COVID in our area. The saying goes: We plan, God laughs.
This means that many of us will be separated from not only family and friends during this holiday season, but also separated from our church family. Nevertheless, it will not stop the season.
A census, murderous King, no vacancy, and a skittish husband did not stop the completion of advent in the Bible. Thus, we will not let a pandemic stop us from being the church in this time of challenge.
To keep all safe everyone is getting more proficient at doing community online during this time. I want to thank everyone who helped get the new camera right in time for shut down. It gives us easier access, a clearer picture, better sound, and more capabilities.
So, thank you Al, Lorinda, Diane, Mark, Ron, and Peg.
We will continue to livestream services on our Facebook page until the numbers return to below the 3% threshold.
I have been excited about the online Sunday School and that there will be a virtual Christmas Pageant. What a gift our creative Sunday School educators have given us.
Finally, we will be conducting a virtual caroling session on Sunday the 20th at 6 pm. Let us know ahead of time your favorite carols, get a hot cider by the fire, and join us to bring about the incarnation through song.
I know that holidays can be hard times for some, but we hope we can bring a little bit of light in the midst of our darkness during this season of hope.
May the birth of the Prince of Peace bring you peace during this season of joy.
BUILDING ON GENEROSITY - CAPITAL
CAMPAIGN FINANCIAL UPDATE OCT 2020
Endowment Summary
During October, $77,000.00 was repaid to the Endowment for money ‘borrowed’ ($90,000.00) to pay invoices for the exterior renovations. Session approved ‘borrowing’ up to $200,000.00 from the Endowment to pay for the project. The outstanding $13,000.00 must be repaid to the Endowment.
The following financial information provides details of the project expenses and funding along with donations reflecting the amounts on October 31, 2020, the last complete set of monthly data.
Expenses:
• Exterior renovations, siding and protective covering paid invoices. o $595,474.00 - Sphere Construction, contractor.
o $39,541.25 - HQW Architects, project management. o $7,023.18 - Church, building permits, insurance, etc. o $118,500.00 - Lamb Studios, protective coverings.
o $25,295.00 - Lamb Studios, restored front Stained Glass Window. o $785,833.43 - Total.
• Estimated remaining payments, $0.00.
Funding:
o $290,000.00 - Committed donations received for siding the church.
o $30,000.00 - Committed donation to restore front stained glass window.
o $177,931.03 - Donations received from 9/28/19 through 10/31/20. o $115,744.44 - Stained Glass Windows Endowment account.
o $17,627.91 - Insurance payment for HQW and Sphere work. o $126,792.09 - Endowment interest and estate funds.
o $20,169.10 - Remaining insurance funds & donations to broken window.
o $13,000.00 - Endowment principle used (must be paid back). o $791,264.57 - Total funding.
October 2020 Amounts:
• Donations received during October, $63,583.50. • Invoices / Expenses paid during October, $880.00. • Endowment principle used during October, $0.00.
• Endowment principle paid back during October, $77,000.00.
Statistics on donations received since Kick Off dinner 9/28/19, $114,347.30: • 47% of FPCH members have donated to the BOG campaign.
• Donations breakdown:
• 8.3% - $14,755.00 from nonmembers • 62.0% - $110,352.80 from members
• 29.7% - $52,823.23 from anonymous & 2019 roast beef
dinner
• 100.0% - $177,931.03 Total
DECEMBER 2020 FINANCIAL
$
NAPSHOT
BY: AL RAVO
The Expenses Paid and Income amounts below do not include the funds transferred from the Endowment to meet the church operating expenses.
October Year to
Date
Income $11,354.56 $137,380.73
Expenses Paid $22,307.35 $159,515.99
Net Operating Income/
Deficit ($10,952.79) ($22,135.26)
Amount Needed from
Endowment $ 0.00 $ 0.00
The majority of the $10,952.79 deficit in October was from unexpected expenses that were not budgeted for. Included in the deficit is the 50% final payment for a new furnace and hot water heater in the manse along with replacing the 4 smoke detectors in the Sanctuary that were causing the alarm to periodically ring.
The 2020 Per Capita is $39.00 for each of the 213 members of our Church. The total amount due in 2020 is $8,307.00 or $692.25 monthly. In October, $76.00 was received for the Per Capita raising the t o t a l a m o u n t r e c e i ve d i n 2 0 2 0 t o $3,297.00 or 40% of the annual amount due. The majority of the Per Capita contributions are received early in the year. The Session approved earlier this year that only the funds received designated for Per Capita will be sent to Newton Presbytery rather than the full apportionment amount of $8,307.00. This was due to the pandemic and the financial impact the Coronavirus is having on congregation members and the church finances. The Per Capita for 2021 will be $40.00 per person.
Please contact Al Ravo if you have any questions or would like to discuss the Church’s operational finances, the Endowment Funds or Per Capita.
DECEMBER
BY: LORINDA RAVOBRINGS
CHANGES
One of the very difficult parts of this Covid-19 pandemic and the quarantine orders in place to keep us all safe is that we’ve had to forgo some of our personal traditions, our family traditions, and yes, our church traditions.
There isn’t any season more filled with traditions than Advent and Christmas. So the Worship Committee sat down and decided which traditions we could safely keep, and which ones we will have to put away until 2021, and which ones we can modify so that the tradition can still happen in a meaningful way.
We all love the service where, as a congregation, we come together to decorate our beautiful Chrismon tree. We will still have the tree up and we will still use our Chrismon decorations that have been lovingly created by generations of crafters in our church. However, instead of having the congregation decorate it in one service, we will spread the decorating over the weeks of Advent allowing us to remember the meanings of
the ornaments and celebrate their beauty. We will still be able to use our Advent wreath, lighting the candles for Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. And we will still sing Advent hymns and Christmas carols.
We will not be able to do the traditional
congregational candle-lighting during “Silent Night” on Christmas Eve-but we will have a new way to watch the light spread during the hymn.
We will not be putting up all of the candlelabra this year, but we will still have our lovely poinsettias gracing the dais.
Y o u c a n s t i l l s e n d y o u r Christmas cards to the church, and we’ll turn them into a virtual card as we scan them and put them on our social media pages.
We’re continuing to look at ways that we can modify, celebrate, and perhaps even create some new traditions! Stay tuned!
CHOIR NOTES
By: Lorinda Ravo
We know that you all miss the music of our talented choirs: adult, children, chimes, and bells, but for the time being, we have to keep them on hiatus until they can safely bring back their music.
During Advent and Christmas Eve, we hope to be enjoying music from some
soloists to enhance our services.
Please know that as much as you miss hearing our musicians, we miss being together and leading worship with our music.
DEACON UPDATE
BY: SHARON HEIL
Our Little Food Pantry is still being used and seems to empty quickly. Thank you again for your continued generosity at this difficult time.
Pat Butts and I are grateful for the opportunity to have served on the Board of Deacons for the past six years.
We extend a warm welcome to the new board members Pat Gohlich, Jackie Hammel and Lorinda Ravo, and a thank you to Gilles Djongang for accepting another term.
A Christmas mailing was sent to our 16 homebound members. We sent each member a
decorative envelope containing a spiritual Christmas card, inspirational magnet, crocheted angel bookmark and a large print copy of Our Daily Bread. Please keep these folks in your prayers.
Until we meet in church once again – Stay Well – Stay Safe. God Bless.
FIND STEWIE
We have enjoyed having Stewie show up each week in worship, and especially enjoy the fun little game of having those online search for him in the camera shot. Stewie will continue through the coming months-thanks to all for joining in the fun.DISCERNMENT PROCESS
Many, many thanks to all who participated in the discernment process by viewing the information on the Padlet platform, and sending in your thoughts and observations. The Session will now be making decisions about how to move forward and how to work with Presbytery to bring this process to a successful conclusion.
BIBLE STUDY: 12/2-12/23
We held our Wednesday evening Bible study via zoom in the fall. Now, as we are in the Advent season, we will
be continuing our zoom study using Adam Hamilton’s book “Incarnation”.
We have begun the virtual Advent Bible Study on Wednesday, December 2nd and it will run through Wednesday, December 23rd. The Bible Study will take place every Wednesday night at 7:00PM via ZOOM. If you would like the login and password for the ZOOM meeting, please contact Ryan VanOrden.
HELP US CREATE A
VIRTUAL CHRISTMAS PAGEANT
BY: LORINDA RAVO
This year, we cannot have our annual tableau of the Nativity with our sweet Sunday School students dressed up as shepherds, angels, and all of the others at the stable. There will be no little sheep and no baby doll in the manger.
So…..let’s make a virtual Christmas tableau. Here’s how it will work: let your child (and YES to you adults who we hope will also want to participate!) choose what part of the nativity scene they want to be: shepherd, angel, Wise Man, sheep, cow, Mary, Joseph, star, camel, innkeeper-or something else!
Help make a homemade costume from what you already have around: bathrobes can work. So can parts of Halloween costumes. So can scarves for headpieces or sashes. Nightgowns can become angel costumes, and so can Cinderella dresses. A paper plate with the center cut out and cotton balls surrounding it becomes a sheep mask. A star with the center cut out for a cute little face to peek through become the Star of Bethlehem.
Use your imagination, and don’t be afraid to be “creative”. If your child thinks that a Batman costume can look like a shepherd....okay! If a pillowcase can be the cape on a Wise Man-perfect-why not? And if we have 6 Marys and 3 angels and 8 Wise Men…..it’s all good! And if anyone wants to play more than one part-we’re in for that too!
It won’t be the most traditional nativity scene, but it will be ours, and a perfect representation of the year 2020.
After you’ve got the costumed participant, take a picture, and send it (and what part it is: shepherd, angel, etc.) to Lorinda Ravo at [email protected], or text the picture to her at 201-230-4454. Please have all pictures in by Dec. 18. Then we’re going to create our own virtual pageant to share with the congregation.
Questions? Contact Lorinda. But mostly, think outside the box and have fun with this!!!
MOVIES
FOR
YOUR
VIEWING
PLEASURE
BY: MARYANN SIMMONS
This month, I have selected some favorite Christmas movies for your viewing pleasure. These include some classics for the adults as well as titles which are based on some famous children’s books. The images here tell it all. No explanations required. Happy Viewing!
Sharing God’s Bounty
Jesus, the Light
Are you waiting for something that seems to be too long in coming? Maybe it’s a job promotion or a raise. Maybe it’s just employment of any kind! Perhaps you’ve been praying for someone’s salvation, and you don’t see any sign of God’s working in that person. It’s difficult to wait. People in Jesus’ day were waiting for a Messiah. It seemed to many that his coming was long overdue, but Paul writes in Galatians 4:4-5, “When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” Our waiting is over! The Light has come into the world!
Simeon was one who knew that “the time had fully come,” and “moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts” (Luke 2:27). There he saw the child whose parents brought him there to fulfill what the Law required of them. Simeon knew Jesus was the light. He proclaimed, “For my eyes have seen your salvation . . . a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:30, 32).
Unfortunately, not all who were waiting for the Messiah recognized him when he came. In John 1:4-5 we read, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” Still today the darkness misunderstands the Light. Yet he continues to shine, and, as he shines, he dispels darkness.
And he calls upon us to shine also. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, described a lamp that is put on a stand so that it lights up the whole house. Then he said, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
The only way to dispel darkness is to fill it with light. As stewards, it is our joyous task to be reflections of Christ’s light. So we are “prepared in season and out of season: [we] correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). We are always prepared “to give an answer to everyone who ask [us] to give the reason for the hope that [we] have. And we do so “with gentleness and respect keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against [our] good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” (1 Peter 3:15-15). In this way we proclaim that the waiting is over! Jesus, the Light, has come into the world!
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Help the Elf find his way through the Christmas Stocking to get to the gift!
DECEMBER
BIRTHDAYS
2: Diane Hull 3: Scott Annunziata 7: Noah Ligarzewski 8: Jackie Hammel 10: Holly Pippas Birda Ferguson 13: Cathy Van Orden 15: Carol Miller 24: Ani McDonagh Carol Merritt 26: Matt Erickson Mark Gulick 27: Veronica Aquino 29: Jim ButtsDECEMBER
ANNIVERSARIES
4: Stephen & Danielle Carpenter 13: John Mark & Camerin Wojcicki 20: Justin & Cynthia Hughes
23: Chris & Jennifer Bramley
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL
FOR ANOTHER YEAR OF HAPPINESS,
GOOD HEALTH, AND GOOD CHEER!
Love
Came
Down
at
Christmas
Christina Rossetti
Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.
Worship we the Godhead,
Love Incarnate, Love Divine;
Worship we our Jesus:
But wherewith for sacred sign?
Love shall be our token,
Love be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign
As you contemplate the meaning of Christmas joy, be mindful of our Lord Christ’s birth and celebrate your life now and until we enter His kingdom. May you have a blessed Christmas.
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
As we await this beautiful season of Christ’s birth, I want to take the time to thank God for all that we, as a congregation, have: good health, a wonderful church community, great friends, and opportunities to remain working. Unfortunately, we must continue to worship virtually since the COVID positivity rate in New Jersey is above 3%. That means we will most likely have a virtual Christmas Eve celebration.
Despite the fact that we are worshipping through virtual service, our church continues to be alive and well and functioning at full capacity. Our Bible study group is in full swing, our Sunday school teachers are providing virtual outlets for our students, and the choir will conduct a virtual performance in order to celebrate the birth of Christ.
May you all have a blessed Christmas and keep the faith that 2021 will bring better times for us all.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!. . MaryAnn
DID YOU KNOW?…
BY: DEB GULICK-SHEPHERD
The Presbyterian Church keeps many records including registers for their members. These documents contain names, birth dates, death dates, baptism dates, dates when members were dismissed, marriages, and sometimes addresses. Not all this information is recorded for all members. Our records go back to the first Session Book that we have which is actually the second one. (The first disappeared and was never found.) It begins in 1812. I have been transcribing all the handwritten registers from that point and am now working on the one from 1949 to 1968.
