PASTOR’S PEN September, 2009
Dear Holy Trinity family,
Our Lord Jesus says, “See, I am making all things new!” (Revelation 21.5) We see evidence of that all around us! Our children are entering a new grade in weekday school, and Sunday School is about to launch an exciting ’09-10 season, under the skillful direction of our co-superintendents Cathy Taft and JJ Keelan. Director of Music Ned Perwo is expanding our music program to include teen ensembles for young men and young women. We are also beginning a Junior Chorister program, made up of graduated Cherubs (the youngest choir) who aren’t quite ready for full Chorister responsibilities. We’re on the brink of a fall Weekday Spirituality literature series (beginning with a three-week discussion of The Shack) and Holy Trinity women are looking forward to the fall icon-writing retreat in Mendham (Sept. 18-20). Pastor Arnie has brought diakonia to Holy Trinity, will be offering a Saturday night Adult Forum opportunity, and instituting a weeknight Bible study focused on the next weekend’s Scripture lessons (see “Arnie’s Corner”). We anticipate a resurgence of attendance at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service when Sunday School families return to the fold. Our Holy Trinity faith family is blessed with both continuity and fresh new beginnings.
Our larger church family, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), is also making new beginnings. Many of you heard or read news reports about the proceedings of the biennial ELCA churchwide assembly in Minneapolis the week of Aug. 17-23. Headline-grabbing news included the assembly’s affirmative vote to enter into full communion with our Methodist brothers and sisters (a Lutheran pastor may now preside at a Methodist Communion service and/or serve a Methodist congregation and vice versa), acceptance of a social statement on human sexuality, and the decision to allow persons in “publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships” to serve as ministers of Word and Sacrament (or as Associates in Ministry) in the ELCA. The latter vote required a majority; the resolution carried with a tally of 559 for and 451 against.
One sure proof of the existence of the Holy Spirit is that the Church, the universal Body of Christ, still exists nearly 2000 years after its inception, despite the foibles and disagreements of the humans who make it up. There are many who have predicted schism (church split) over this issue. In the past, there have been other issues which have indeed divided the church, at least for a time. In the 19th century, abolition of slavery was a hot topic. (After all, the author of Ephesians did say, “Slaves, obey your masters,” right (Ephesians 6.5)?) In the 20th century, civil rights, the ordination of women (“women should be silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as the law also says,” 1 Corinthians 14.34), the ordination of divorced persons, split the ranks. The most important question is not, “What will keep the peace?” but “What will be faithful to the Gospel and glorify Christ?”
Martin Luther said that the Bible is the cradle that holds the Christ Child. He emphasized that we worship the Son rather than the Book. As Lutheran Christians we ultimately read the Bible in light of the Father’s love expressed in the saving birth, death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Undeniably, there are internal contradictions in Scripture. Some things (such as affirmation of the institution of slavery and the subjugation of women) are time-bound, representing the customs of a certain era rather than the eternal will of God. Many believe that condemnations of homosexuality in the Old and New Testament are reflective of prejudices and misunderstandings that have been superseded by modern science and awareness. People of faith may agree to disagree on this, but hopefully have opinions shaped by a holistic Lutheran understanding of Scripture rather than proof-texting (removing individual verses from their context or interpreting them in isolation from the Gospel message). Most Christians do not eat shellfish and other forbidden foods prescribed in the Book of Deuteronomy; we do not “keep kosher,” nor do we condemn those whose marriages have ended in divorce. Instead, we embrace and invite them to participate in life-giving community. We truly believe that our Lord is capable of “making all things new!”
Jesus said, “You shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7.16). Regardless of their sexual orientation, are the people you know leading lives that are faithful and fruitful in love? Some homosexual members of our Holy Trinity family and of the larger community don’t join in our life together because they are fearful of rejection and judgment. Perhaps our ELCA’s decision regarding rostered homosexual leaders will lead them back into the fold. Perhaps they can dare to imagine their gifts will be accepted and their presence welcomed by our community.
Adult Forum on September 27 (10:30-11:30 a.m.) will deal with the churchwide assembly decisions mentioned above, and their practical implications. Please join us for life-giving conversation in the context of Christian community. Meanwhile, log on to the ELCA website for more information and links to relevant documents.
In Christ, the beginning and the end and everything in between,
Pastor Mary Virginia Farnham
— ARNIE’S CORNER –
A new program year is starting! Sooner than we expect, Sunday School will be in full swing, Saturday evenings will be filled with pizza and Confirmation classes.
Other groups will be starting up, too. Faith and Film will have its first show of the year on Friday, September 25. “Doubt” will be the movie shown.
Tuesday nights will see diakonia classes. They begin at 7 p.m. on Sept. 15, and Pastor Jack Elstad will be teaching “Introduction to the New Testament.” The text, other than the Bible, is “Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time” by Marcus J. Borg.
The Adult Forum will also begin again in September. I’ve acquired a set of DVDs entitled “Nooma” which are short videos that are extremely thought provoking. I’m planning to utilize them for some of the forums with a discussion following the video. Some of the titles are “Breathe,” “Fire” and “Trees.”
There has been a request to start a forum for those who attend Saturday worship. If you are a Saturday person and are interested, please speak with me. I’d be interested in hearing from you.
We are also looking at a Bible Study that looks at the upcoming Lectionary readings. This would be early in the week so we could benefit from the insight all would bring to the table. If there is an interest in this potential program, please contact me as well.
Holy Trinity has also been asked to conduct a Service of Holy Communion for one of the Assisted Living facilities in the area. They are interested in the participation of the Protestant community, since roughly half of the population is not Roman Catholic. If I’m successful in getting participation from the Manasquan Ministerium, the toll will not be great. If anyone has an interest in helping in this area, please contact me.
During the week of August 17, Mary Ellen and I had houseguests from Mayville, North Dakota. Bob, who is the associate pastor for the Portland Lutheran Parish – six churches that have come together, but still operate and worship individually – and his wife, Diane.
It’s a pretty hectic assignment for Bob. Mary Ellen and I were surprised to hear that the average temperature in ND, in mid-August, is in the mid-’70s. Needless to say, Bob and Diane were sweltering with the heat wave we went through. We were also amazed to hear about the isolation they live with. There may be as much as 35 miles between houses.
Bob and Diane live in a small development off the main highway. Bob explained that towns were developed every seven miles. This was done to permit farmers to bring their crops to the rail siding. The draft animals could pull the wagons 35 miles and return to the farm easily; so the farmhouse was 35 miles max away from a rail siding. Today it hasn’t changed much; it is mostly farmland as far as the eye can see. Bob pointed out that individual farms are being leased by large farms since the families of the farmers are leaving for the cities as they soon as they complete school.
When I was in high school and in seminary I had to read “Giants of the Earth” by O. Rolvaag. This is the story of the Norwegian settlers who migrated to the Midwest to obtain the land grants given by the United States government to folks who would farm the land for a period of time and then become landowners. Their lives were very hard and lonely and the main outlet was the church.
The Lutheran Church is still the predominant place for social gatherings, just as it was in the days of the settlers. It hasn’t changed much; fields full of corn, wheat and soybeans, as far as the eye can see, are still predominant.
The winters are also brutal. Forty-five degrees below zero was a frequent temp this past winter, so the joke of summer beginning on the 4th of July isn’t too far from fact.
The snow stopped falling this year in early May and the fields were planted in early June.
Life for Pastor Bob isn’t much different than mine in New Jersey, either. The primary difference is serving six separate parishes, all seven miles apart. Fargo, ND is a 90 minute ride on a road like our route 35. Bob said the speed limit is 75 mph there, too.
It was an interesting visit. We learned much about the Midwest and its people, its churches, their proximity to each other, while maintaining a separate identity in style and worship.
~~ Pastor Arnie
— CHRISTIAN EDUCATION –
LIBRARY
Book Review
Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy
by Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt, and David L. Weaver-Zercher.
Wiley, 2007.
On
October 2, 2006, Charles Carl Roberts IV, shot and killed five Amish school
girls and seriously wounded five others while the girls were attending
class in an Amish schoolhouse near Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania. Roberts, a husband and father, worked as a milk delivery man and the families of his victims were some of his customers. News of the tragedy shocked people around the world but the instant forgiveness that the Amish extended to the killer and his family, even attending Roberts' funeral and offering condolences to his widow, was even more incomprehensible to non-Amish people.
Amish Grace explores the nature of grace and the cultural background and religious faith that made it possible for the Amish to forgive Roberts and give loving support to his widow and children. The book is divided into three parts. Part One is a vivid description of the event, from the beginning of the day to its tragic end. Part Two discusses the roots of forgiveness in Amish faith, a faith that allowed 13-year-old Naomi Rose to say to Roberts, "Shoot me first." The Amish do not forgive because God forgives us, but because they take the words of the Lord's Prayer, "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us," and Jesus' teaching about forgiveness (Matthew 6 and 18) literally. The Amish believe "If we can't forgive, then we won't be forgiven." It is not easy for them to forgive, as some non-Amish people supposed, but it is central to their practice of faith and it is their faith that makes forgiveness possible.
The book started a world discussion about the nature of forgiveness, gun control, school shootings, and America's culture of violence. Not everyone agreed with the Amish response. Some felt their forgiveness was a sign of weakness, not strength. Others felt the forgiveness was undeserved - "the offender must be sorry for the deed before forgiveness should be given." Some saw an inconsistency because of the Amish practice of "shunning" members who offend church regulations.
Part Three offers a deeper understanding of Amish spirituality and how it affects their everyday relationships. It invites non-Amish people to reflect on their understanding of forgiveness in relation to Jesus' teaching about forgiveness. What is forgiveness? How does our understanding of forgiveness affect social policy in a world where bad things happen? The authors write "What does it mean to live a truly Christian life? Have the Amish set a standard for other Christians to aspire to? At least for some observers, the answer to the second question was yes. Sister Joan Chittister, writing for the National Catholic Reporter, suggested that 'it was the Christianity we all profess but which [the Amish] practiced that left us stunned.' The Nickel Mines Amish, Chittister concluded, 'astounded the twenty-first century world the way the earliest Christians astounded the Roman world: simply by being 'Christian'."
This well-researched book challenges Christians to ask what it means to live a truly Christian life in a society where the usual reaction to a hateful act is revenge. On Wednesday, September 30, Amish Grace will be discussed at Weekday Spirituality. A copy of the book can be found in the library kiosk in Fellowship Hall. Please join us for a lively discussion (at 10 a.m. or 7:30 p.m.).
~~ Ellin Greene
Weekday Spirituality Agenda Features Two Best Sellers
We’ll have a three-week series of discussions on The Shack (Sept. 9, 16 and 23) and will gather to discuss Amish Grace by Donald B. Kraybill on Sept. 30 and 3 Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson on Oct. 7.
We’ll then engage in a Bible study of St. Luke’s Gospel, which we’ll begin to hear on Advent I and throughout the new church year. Workbooks are $20 each. Reserve ahead! Speak with Pastor Mary if cost is a problem.)
All are welcome! Please call and let us know you will join us (732-223-0533). Sign-up sheets are in the church office.
— EVANGELISM –
We will be welcoming new members into our family of faith at the 5 p.m. service on Saturday, Oct. 17. If you would like to become a member of Holy Trinity or know of someone who would like to join our congregation, please plan to attend our new member classes.
You will learn about Lutheranism and about Holy Trinity, and will meet members of our committees and Church Council. A current member will serve as your sponsor and assist you in the process of joining our church family.
The first meeting will be at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 13. The second is at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4.
For more information you may call the church office (732-223-0533), Tina Braender-Shinn (732-528-9036). Jeanne Schwarz (732-223-2636).
diakonia® Coming to Holy Trinity
Holy Trinity is now a teaching site for the diakonia® mission of the New Jersey Synod. We will be starting a class in September and anticipate a good response from the local churches because of our location.
diakonia® is a series of 12 classes presented over a two year period (one night a week, agreed upon at the outset by students and teachers). The courses are set up in a Series A and B format. At Holy Trinity we will begin with Series A and the first course will be Introduction to the New Testament. The length will be three hours, one night a week, for five weeks.
The second course will be Church History–The First 400 Years, and the last course will be Practical Ministry I
–Biblical Images of the Life of the Church (diakonia, koinonia, leiturgia and kerygma).
These three courses will end prior to the start of Advent to allow the student to participate in the Advent celebration of the church.
I can tell you that there is an excitement that builds up among the students that is almost electric. There is also a bond that develops and continues. I still maintain contact with some of my fellow classmates.
Yes, I am a diakonia® graduate and went on to enter ordained ministry. I am proud of the program and the students who go through it. I also understand that two years is a significant chunk of time to commit to, but approaching it class-by-class does make it seem less daunting. The reading assignments are not difficult and can be quite interesting.
The fees related to the program amount to $300 per year, which includes books, a one-time registration fee of $25, the cost of retreats (typically one a year) and a graduation fee of $25 to $40, which includes a commemorative diakonia® cross.
The above information and more can be found in the booklet “diakonia®, Program Overview and Course Descriptions,” which is available at Holy Trinity.
If you are interested in becoming a student and/or seek further information, please see me. ’hope to see you in class!
~~ Pastor Arnie
Attention, Parents of College Students
The Evangelism Committee will be preparing our famous college care packages on Sunday, Nov. 1. The goodies will be mailed to our children who attend college away from home.
We are asking all parents who wish their child(ren) who attend college to receive a care package, to
contribute a jar of your child’s favorite peanut butter and a box of crackers. Please put these items in a bag with your child’s name on it and leave the bag in the church office. Deadline: Monday, Oct. 19.
The current list of student names and addresses will be posted on the Evangelism bulletin board in Fellowship Hall. You may update the mailing address or add your child(ren) if they are not on the list. If you prefer, complete the posted take-home sheet and drop off the completed sheet in the Evangelism mailbox (located behind the louver doors outside of the church office).
If members of the congregation would like to contribute, we will be accepting non-perishable donations through Oct. 19. That gives us a little time to inventory items and shop for any additional items we may need to “round out” the packages. See below for ideas.
Should you prefer to make a cash donation and let us do the shopping, please put your donation in an envelope marked “Care Packages” and put it in the offering plate or drop it off in the Evangelism mailbox.
If you would like to bake homemade goodies or have any questions, please contact Pat & Chuck Augustine by phone (732-282-0813) or via email ZPT123@aol.com. Homemade items may be brought in on Saturday, Oct. 31 and left in the church kitchen. They will be included in the packing on Sunday Nov. 1.
Suggestions for items to be donated:
Home baked cookies & brownies
Canned fruit or pudding
(snack size)
Cup of Soup
Popcorn
Individual packages of chips
Raisins
Tuna fish
Hard candy
Lifesavers
Gum
Peanut butter
Granola bars
Crackers
Juice boxes
Cookies
Pretzels
No glass containers or personal items, please.
Thank you for supporting this very special outreach to our college students!
— BLANKETEERS –
The Trinity Blanketeers will meet at 1 p.m. on Monday Sept. 14 in the classroom behind the church kitchen.
Please join us to make blankets, hats, and booties for children suffering from serious illness or trauma.
We also appreciate receiving your donations made at home.
Please call Gloria Smith for more information at 732-449-1942. Thank you for your help and support.
— SOCIAL MINISTRY –
Nearly New Clothing Sale
Coming this Fall
Social Ministry’s Nearly New Clothing Sale will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2 and from 9 a.m. to Noon on Saturday, Oct. 3.
Drop off, on the stage in Fellowship Hall, does not begin before Sunday, Sept. 13. Clothing will be collected through and including Noon on Sunday, Sept. 27 only.
Please donate items that are in good condition (such as you would give your best friend). The sale will feature linens and curtains, too. If you can provide help sorting and/or on the day of the sale, Social Ministry would appreciate the extra hands. Please contact us! A sign-up sheet for volunteers will be posted in Fellowship Hall. It isn’t necessary to stay throughout the sale. Sign up for an hour or two! Thank you for your anticipated support.
~~ Eleanor Steiner and Connie King,
Co-chairpersons
— CHILDREN OF GOD –
During the month of August, Holy Trinity welcomed the following children into the Body of Christ through the Sacrament of Baptism:
Child: Ryleigh Shawn Doyle
Date of Baptism: Aug. 2.
Ryleigh’s parents are Shawn and Heather Doyle. Her sponsors are Erica Scherr and Phillip Doyle.
Child: Chase Evans Querns
Date of Baptism: Aug. 2
Chase’s parents are Christopher and Christina Querns. His sponsors are Timothy Querns and Bianca D’Elia.
Child: O’Malley Mae Eldridge
Date of Baptism: Aug. 23
O’Malley’s parents are Colin and Maria Eldridge. Her sponsors are Matthew and Maggie Aquaro. Her big sister Rylie is three-years-old.
Child: Ava Margrethe Walenjus
Date of Baptism: Aug. 30
Ava’s parents are Daniel and Allison Walenjus. Her sponsors are Cara Scott and Peter Roche. Her siblings are Alex, 4, and Lynne, 6.
— WEDDING BLESSINGS –
Steven Moschella and Lisa M. Beck were married Friday, Aug. 21 by Pastor Mary.
Gerard Moschella and Eric Beck were the best men, Isabelle Moschella was the flower girl and Steven Moschella Jr. was the ring bearer.
— REST IN PEACE –
During the month of August, the following memorial and funeral liturgies were offered in the Holy Trinity sanctuary:
Deceased: Magdalena “Maggie” Mueller Runyon
Date of Death: Thursday, May 7
Service: Saturday, Aug. 8
Pastor Mary presided at the Memorial Liturgy. The Holy Trinity Care Corps hosted a luncheon for Maggie’s family and friends.
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Deceased: Robert Mueller
Date of Death: Thursday, Aug. 13
Service: Monday, Aug. 17
Pastor Mary presided at the Funeral Liturgy in the Holy Trinity sanctuary and at the interment at Atlantic View Cemetery.
Following the interment, Bobby’s family and friends returned to Fellowship Hall for a luncheon provided by the Holy Trinity Care Corps.
U
— BEREAVEMENT MINISTRY –
Each month, Holy Trinity offers bereavement support to those grieving a loss or a change of some kind. The group will meet at 8 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 6, in the Sunday Church School classroom on the first floor in Fellowship Hall. Chris Ann Waters, author and certified bereavement specialist, leads the discussion. Consecutive attendance is not required and people are welcome to attend as needed.
— WOMEN OF THE
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
IN AMERICA (WELCA) –
The Circle of Faith will meet at 7 p.m. on Monday, September 21. Those who were assigned parts of the health kits should bring them. Others should bring two items for the Food Pantry. We will also discuss the Epiphany House in Asbury Park.
Elisabeth Circle meetings will resume at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 14 in the church. We will assemble health kits for Lutheran World Services. All members are reminded to bring in one comb and one nail clipper.
We welcome newcomers! For more information call Louise Moenke (732-899-6846).
The 22nd Annual WELCA Convention – “Beloved, We Are God’s Children” AS IS – will be held Friday, Sept. 25 and Saturday, Sept. 26 in the Crown Plaza (formerly the Holiday Inn), Jamesburg.
Registration is due by Tuesday, Sept. 15. Forms are posted on the WELCA bulletin board. Anyone who is a member of Holy Trinity is welcome to attend. We will be taking homemade cookies made from simple recipes,
which will be packaged for merchant ships in port and delivered by Seafarer’s International. If you would like to bake cookies for September, please tell our state president Diane Guarini (732-974-8363) or Louise Moenke. (732-899-6846).
Treats and Treasures
Reorganization Meeting Scheduled
A Treats and Treasures reorganization meeting will follow the second service on Sunday, Sept. 27.
Through this project, WELCA raises funds for outreach into the community and serves women and children.
All WELCA members and any church members who would like to help with this project are asked to be present.
More details will be in the October Lamplighter.
— WORSHIP & MUSIC –
Singers Needed in All Ensembles!
Cherub Choir Rehearsals (Pre-K through Kindergarten) are held on Wednesdays beginning in September and continuing through June.
The rehearsal time is TBA and will be finalized once prospective families are consulted.
Children spend time discovering their singing voices, developing their sense of rhythm and learning age-appropriate repertoire. The Cherub Choir sings approximately six times per year at the 10:30 a.m. worship service.
Junior Chorister Rehearsals (grades 1-2) are held from 4 to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays beginning in September and continuing through June.
The Junior Chorister Choir is the training choir which prepares children to
enter the Holy Trinity Chorister Program. Rehearsals are based on the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) curriculum but are more relaxed.
Jr. Choristers sing at regular intervals from September through June.
Chorister Rehearsals (grades 3-8) are held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning in September and continuing through June. Choristers use the RSCM curriculum Voice for Life, which focuses on age-appropriate vocal training, sight-singing and music theory. The Holy Trinity Choristers sing at regular intervals beginning in September and continuing through June.
Teen Girl Rehearsals (Jr. High - Young Adult) are held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays, beginning in September and continuing through June. The first hour of rehearsal focuses on group vocal training, ear training and instruction in music theory. During the second hour of rehearsal, the girls will join the adult choir for rehearsal and be dismissed at 8 p.m.
Teen Girls use the same RSCM curriculum as the Choristers and are eligible for all awards, trips and courses. The ensemble sings at regular intervals from September through June as their own choir and as members of the Holy Trinity Choir.
Young Men whose voices have already changed are invited to join the Holy Trinity Choir which rehearses on Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. Young Men use the same RSCM curriculum as the Choristers and are eligible for all awards, trips and courses.
Adults are invited to join the Holy Trinity Choir. Rehearsals are Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. in the choir loft. The ensemble performs a wide variety of music ranging from Baroque
and Classical masterworks to multicultural and contemporary selections. People wishing to be part of the Holy Trinity Choir are not required to be seasoned singers or have the ability to read music. A desire to work hard
and have fun is the only requirement. Everything else can be learned in rehearsal.
Sunday Singers is responsible for singing the hymns and liturgy responses at the 10:30 a.m. service. This ensemble is open to anyone and is a great opportunity for families to sing and worship together. Rehearsals are from 10 to 10:20 a.m. Sunday mornings in the choir loft.
Joyful Noise is Holy Trinity’s contemporary worship ensemble. Rehearsals are from 4 to 4:45 p.m. Saturdays before the 5 p.m. worship service. The ensemble performs a wide variety of music ranging from Praise & Worship choruses to hymns from our new ELW hymnal. Membership is open to singers of all ages and instrumentalists who are comfortable learning music at a fast pace.
To sign up for any of these ensembles, contact Ned Perwo, Director of Music, by phone (732-223-0533 extension 14) or e-mail (NPerwo@holytrinity-nj.org).
— VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL –
Our Community’s ecumenical Vacation Bible School (VBS) met the week of Aug. 3 through 7. Many thanks to the energetic volunteers from at least six local churches who made up the VBS team. Holy Trinity teens and adults who taught and assisted include: Candiee, Vanessa and Andrew Flores, Mary Kay Kelly, Tina Leming, Eric McLaughlin (music director, along with Herb Strucek’s grandson, Andrew), Kathy McLaughlin and Ashley Pacheco (Mary Kay’s niece).
A special thanks goes out to Holy Trinity member Danielle Stanley, (owner of Gatherings, Manasquan), for supplying the kindergarten class campground with fishing nets, buoys, shells and starfish.
Thanks to all for showing the children our unity in Christ!
— FAITH AND FILM –
Faith and Film returns to Holy Trinity at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, with the motion picture “Doubt.” In this Oscar-nominated adaptation of John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play, Sister Aloysius begins to have doubts about Father Flynn, who seems to be overly involved in the life of a young boy. Is she overreacting to the situation or is there truth behind her convictions? The ambiguity of this film will make you have doubts. Please join us for a potluck dinner, the movie and discussion. A sign-up sheet is posted in Fellowship Hall.
— MAIL BAG –
Thank you, Pastor Mary and all your helpers, for the services for Maggie Runyon and Robert Mueller.
Thanks to all the ladies and everyone who helped make the delicious and beautiful luncheons for the memorial of my sister Maggie Runyon and for the funeral of my brother, Robert Mueller.
The family appreciated it so much. God bless all.
Thank you!
Frieda Davis
Gloria Smith of the Blanketeers shares this letter the group recently received:
Dear Holy Trinity Blanketeers,
The handmade quilts, knitted and crocheted blankets and baby hats donated to Project Linus NJ, Inc. this summer through your church group, will touch the hearts of foster children on our recipient roster this fall.
To date, your compassionate group has donated over 920 handmade items to this heartfelt mission! Your personal blanket contributions strengthen our mission and ability to reach children in need of comfort at their most fragile. Every handmade “hug” is made with such love and care; we appreciate all of you very much.
It is with sincere appreciation that I acknowledge your support and generous volunteer spirit.
Hugs from here,
Hillary Roberts,
President
Dear Ministerium Members:
The Food Pantry has moved back to First Presbyterian, and we have a wonderful new facility. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Baptist Church – Pastor Joe, Pastor Martha, and Carolyn and Debbie – for their unstinting support while we were there.
Based on the lessons learned over the past year, including the doubling of the number of our clients served, we have instituted some new procedures. The Pantry is now open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Thursday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Clients are required to call in during the hours of operation to request food and to pick it up during those hours.
Two
volunteers per week work each shift, so that we need four volunteers per week
to staff the Pantry. So far, this seems to be working out well.
The summer has been very busy, with many new clients signing
up every week. During the months of June and July we served 166 families
(544 people). Food donations were down, so we purchased a lot of food to
keep the pantry stocked. We also continued to provide the families with
one to four $10 gift cards (depending on family size) from the Acme. As a
result our funds are also low.
We need your help so that we can continue to operate at our current level of service. We need staple food items such as cereal, pancake mix and syrup, peanut butter and jelly, canned fruit, vegetables, soup, spaghetti sauce, pasta, tomato products, macaroni and cheese, tuna, stews, canned meats, instant mashed potatoes, rice, juice, coffee and tea, cookies, snacks and paper products.
We are also looking to add more volunteers to our roster. If you have members who are available during the hours the Pantry is open who would like to help out, please have them contact me at (732) 223-2053 or Mickey.Kuntz@verizon.net. We also have information regarding the Food Pantry on our web site at www.fpcom.com.
Mickey Kuntz, Chairperson
— COMMUNITY –
Raise Awareness & Funds
for Ovarian Cancer Research
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month!
Ovarian cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer death among American women.
Join the walkers who will be raising funds for the Kaleidoscope of Hope, a non profit organization raising funds and awareness for ovarian cancer research.
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26.
Time: 8:15 a.m. to Noon
Place: Avon Pavilion, Avon boardwalk
For more information, log on to the Kaleidoscope of Hope website www.kohnj.org., call Kathy Lynch (732-202-9568) or visit Gatherings and speak with Danielle Stanley.