Prospectus - Prospect Presbyterian Church

Prospectus
PROSPECT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Volume 79, Issue 1
LENT 2015
From the Pastor...
Mark your calendar s:
Dear Friends,
As I write this, we are approaching Lent. Today, we struggle with Lent. Lent is a totally
foreign concept for some of us. We didn’t
grow up in the church or in a church that celebrated Lent. For others, Lent was reduced to
“giving up” something without consideration of
the deeper reasons for the Lenten disciplines.
We do the same thing with the hymns and
songs that we sing in church. We determine if
it is a good hymn based on how the music
makes us feel. So, when we sing in the minor
keys of Lent, we struggle to find hymns and
songs that we like. We complain that the music
is not cheerful. It is true. Some of the songs we
sing as we sing our faith are not cheerful.
These songs lift up our confession and our lament and our mourning. They are songs that
put into words and music our feelings and
thoughts of loss, separation and alienation.
The songs invite God to heal us and reconcile
us. These songs recognize the cost of healing
and reconciliation.
The hymns are one way to explore the disciplines of Lent. I invite you slow down long
enough to reflect on the songs we sing in this
season, to wonder why we fast, to pray more
fervently for healing and reconciliation in our
society. Although we struggle to connect Lent
to life, Lent invites us to look more deeply into
what it means to live as a faithful disciple of
Christ working for healing and reconciliation. I
pray that we will discover a deeper meaning
for Lent as we celebrate the season this year.
Rick Boyer
2/22 9:15 AM Sensational
Sunday for all age s.
2/22 IHN hostin g week begins
2/27-2/28 Congregational
Retreat at Johnsonburg
3/2 10:00 AM Women’s Bible
Study
3/4 7:30 PM Wednesday
Night Oasis
3/8 Daylight Savings Time
3/8
3/8
3/8
3/8
9:15 AM Adult Elective
11:30 Mission Soup
Inquirers’ Class
7:00 PM Adult Ele ctive
3/15 11:30 MEND feeding
program
EVERY SU NDAY WORSHIP
with us at 10:30.
EVERY Wednesday 8:30 AM
Neighborhood Coffee
Inside this issue:
Adult Lenten Elective
Throughout the 2014-15 program year we
have offered several adult electives that seek
to acquaint us with our new hymnal and invite
us to reflect on our ministry theme “Singing the
Faith.” To help us better understand the role
of Lent and appreciate our hymnal’s selection
of music for this season, Rita Boyer will offer a
one-session adult elective, “Following Jesus:
Glory to God and the 40 Days of Lent” on
Sunday, March 8 at 9:15 AM and again at
7:00 PM for those who prefer an evening
session.
2/18 6:30 PM Ash Wednesday Soup & Bread Dinner
then Service
Participants will reflect on the “big picture” of
the season of Lent in addition to taking a closer look at one hymn that did not appear in the
1990 hymnal, “The Summons” by John Bell of
the Iona Community.
The final elective in this series will be “Women
in the Songs of Glory to God”, being offered
May 3.
ASH WEDNESDAY
2
DEACONS’ HEALTH
4
MINISTRY
MISSION FUNDING
4
NEW MEMBERS
6
SENSATIONAL SUNDAY
8
SESSION GOALS
10
INTERFAITH HOSPITALITY
NETWORK
12
Prospectus
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is February 18. There are
many different ways to deepen our spiritual
lives as we begin the journey through Lent.
Below are a few ideas
“PROSPECT IS
TRYING TO
MEET YOUR
SPIRITUAL
NEEDS IN THIS
EVER
CHANGING
WORLD”
Fasting is a spiritual discipline that gives us
time to pray. It is an opportunity to consider
our dependence on God to nurture us. There
are different ways to fast. Some people abstain from certain meals. Others limit themselves to fluids. Some fast during lunch, using
that time for prayer and reflection, then donate the money spent on meals to a local hunger program such as MEND. Instead of rushing through a meal, take the opportunity to
be calm and peaceful in the presence of God.
It is a way for us to remember that we do not
live by bread alone. We need to be sure to
be fed and sustained by God and the reading of scriptures.
Perhaps, you would like to take the opportunity of Lent to read the Bible more regularly. Use the weekly emails and bookmarks for
the Sunday readings as a guide for your
scripture reading each day.
We are planning a soup and bread dinner.
This is an excellent way to break a fast or
practice a modified fast. The dinner will be
at 6:30 p.m. Come and enjoy the fellowship
around tables. Email or call the church office
to R.S.V.P. and let organizers know if you are
bringing soup or bread.
Sermons and Children’s Chats Online (sound only)
Prospect is trying to meet your spiritual needs
in this ever changing world. Schedules mean
that many of us have to miss worship due to
any number of circumstances. We provide
audio recordings of the children’s chat and
sermon on Facebook and the web page. If
you wish to have the recordings as a part of
your newsfeeds, email Rick for a link.
Video is available on YouTube and the website. The video is of the sermon only.
Prospect ‘s YouTube channel is Prospect
Church.
Mission Soup
Last year’s Mission Trip participants at the Mission Soup
fundraiser event.
Support our Sr. Highs on their July 5-10,
2015 Mission Trip to the Adirondacks and
treat yourself to some Mission Soup in March!
Chef Alex Biggs and our Sr. Highs will be
making the delicious soup March 6, packaging
it on March 7, and making it available to you
during Fellowship Hour on March 8. This
year, the soup varieties will include: chicken
noodle, split pea with ham, and a vegetarian
black bean. Mission Soup is the single largest
fundraiser for the Sr. High Mission Trip,
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usually bringing in about $1000 or more to
assist with transportation and chaperone costs.
Donations of $10 receive a pint of soup, while
donations of $20 receive a quart.
The soup will be frozen after March 8, so
limited quantities may be available a week
or two after the soup is made. Look for our
Sr. Highs after worship in Fellowship Hall or
contact Rita Boyer.
Volume 79, Issue 1
Scenes from the
Middle High Lock-In
Middle Highs
Following their lock-in on the topic of homelessness, our MIDDLE HIGHS will help with the
children of our IHN guests on Wednesday,
February 25 from 7:30-9:00 PM.
All students in grades 6-8 are welcome to
attend! Please contact Melanie Smith if you
have questions, or contact the church office if
you would like to receive emails about
middle high activities.
On Friday, March 20th, the group will meet
for a movie, discussion, and popcorn.
Multi - Media Ministry
The Multi-Media Ministry (MMM) has completed upgrading all the devices for sanctuary
worship. Three new flat-screen TVs, 2 in front
which replace the old projectors, and one TV
facing toward the chancel so those involved in
leading service can see what congregants see,
have been put into use. Additionally, a new PC
(located in the sound booth) and monitor have
been implemented.
including others, not formal leaders, in the process or worship. We have 15 or more individuals, many of them youth, who tend to the
equipment and provide those in the pews with
visibility as we worship. These “clickers” have
become key to all of us in our worship.
The older equipment will be re-purposed, likely
to be installed in Fellowship Hall or the Burnett
Room or the media room in the basement.
The purpose of MMM is not only to support
worship, but to enhance it. The new devices
will provide all who worship with better visibility, and allow worship leaders to use the facilities to better communicate the Word of God.
Another way MMM enhances worship is by
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Prospectus
Mission Funding: Mission in action through your generous support
OGHS offerings are distributed
as follows:
Last fiscal year Prospect donated almost
$38,000 through mission funding. Recipients
of your generosity included IHN, MEND, Sara
Ward Nursery, Foreman Christian College
(Pakistan), Camp Johnsonburg, the Community
Food Bank of NJ, and chaplaincies at St. Barnabas and Overlook hospitals. Our donations
do make a difference locally, nationally, and
internationally. Thank you for your continued
support.
The following are upcoming opportunities to
share:
One Great hour of Sharing (OGHS) - collected
during Lent
When you give to OGHS, you are assisting in
the empowerment of others as they move past
emotional, physical, and spiritual misfortune.
Learn how the programs that benefit from your
gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing
(Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Presbyterian
Hunger Program and Self-Development of People) partner with others to show that through
Christ's love all things are possible.
http://specialofferings.pcusa.org/
care, and an array of other important services
to homeless, runaway and trafficked youth
between the ages of 18-21. Today there are
21 Covenant House locations in the USA, Canada and Latin America. Together they serve
more than 56,000 homeless young people
each year.
Pentecost Offering- Received May 24, 2015
The Pentecost Offering is unique in that congregations direct 40 percent of what they
receive for ministries which benefit children at
risk. The remaining 60 percent supports mission through child advocacy (10 percent),
youth ministry (25 percent), and Young Adult
Volunteer opportunities (25 percent). Prospect will use its portion of the Pentecost offering for a Johnsonburg camp “scholarship”
for an IHN child.
Do not neglect to do good and to share what
you have. —Hebrews 13:16
The Easter Offering will benefit Covenant
House.
Since 1989, Covenant House New Jersey has
been providing food, shelter, immediate crisis
Deacons’ Health Ministry
The Deacons continue to focus on keeping our
members healthy. As you know, Prospect Church
now has an automatic external defibrillator or
AED. Although we hope that we never need to
use it, we are training folks in case we do. The
Deacons are facilitating the training so that members will be trained to use the AED. We will be
offering a 5 hour full CPR/AED certification class
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( cost $50.00) as well as a briefer one hour
Friends and Family class to familiarize attendees with CPR/AED use (cost $10.00).
Date and time: TBD. Contact Cindy Thompson (cindyt35@comcast.net), co-moderator
of the deacons for more info.
Volume 79, Issue 1
Cub Scout Pack 3 on Scout Sunday
On Sunday February 8, 2015, Pack 3 was
honored to take part in ‘Scout Sunday’ worship
service at the Prospect Presbyterian Church
led by Ms. Anne Fernald. During the service
we honored Pack 3’s past by presenting the
Pack Charter to Mrs. Fernald and to Mrs. Connie Cosgrove, a former Pack 3 Cubmaster,
cherished friend of Pack 3, and long-time
member of the church. The Boy Scouts of America have been around since 1910. Maplewood
Cub Scout Pack 3 was first chartered by the
Prospect Presbyterian Church in 1933, three
years after the Cub Scout program started
nationwide in 1930. Pack 3 is made up of
members of the Prospect Presbyterian Church,
as well as youth of other faiths. Mr. Carlos
Sanchez serves as our liaison between the
Pack and church, as he has a son in our 3rd
grade or “Bear” den. The Pack is always looking for ways to provide service back to the
Prospect Presbyterian Church, our sponsor, so
please feel free to reach out to Carlos or any
of the Pack leadership with ideas.
The Cub Scouting program is for boys in the
first through fifth grades. Boys may join at any
time during the year. Our Pack program is full
of fun and adventure for boys and their families. We go tent camping, build rockets, race
model cars, have museum sleepovers, and do
a variety of other activities that help Scouts
build character, learn new skills, and make
new friends. As an entire Pack, we meet right
at the Prospect Presbyterian Church generally
on the third Thursday night of each month in
Fellowship Hall. Each den, a group of youth of
the same grade, meet more frequently usually
on Tuesday or Thursday nights in the downstairs classroom areas of the church. With
about 50 Scouts, Pack 3 is the largest of the
four packs in the Maplewood - South Orange
community. Although most of our Scouts attend
SOMSD Schools, we do have Scouts that attend other school districts as well, and we happily accept boys from anywhere in the local
area. If your son is interested in becoming a
member of our Pack or you have other questions please contact us at
cubmaster@maplewoodpack3.org.
Deacons’ Special Fellowship Hour
The Deacons hosted Fellowship Hour on Sunday February 8th with lots of treats in honor
of Valentine's Day. Church goers were treated
to specialty coffee, coffee cake, quiches, and
even a chocolate fountain! Fellowship Hall was
full of children in their Sunday Best with
smears of chocolate across cheeks and chin.
The deacons would like to thank all who
shared in the joy on Sunday! All of this festivity was for a good cause: free will donations
(amounting to around a thousand dollars!) will
go to the Deacon's fund. The
Fund pays for ministry expenses,
including stamps and greeting
cards for birthdays and anniversaries, occasional funeral expenses, and small grants for
parishioners in need.
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Prospectus
New Members Join Prospect!
If you have gotten to know any of our most recent class of new members, I am sure you would agree that
we are indeed fortunate to have them as a part of our faith community. You have already seen some of
their faces in the choir, Sunday School, the Christmas pageant and as the Liturgist. They are an exciting
group of people, encompassing all that we are – diverse in age, culture, denomination, career, and interests. What they all have in common is a sense of wanting and establishing community with us. We extend a warm welcome to our twelve new members and their families!
Laura Peifer was born in Lancaster, PA. She and her husband, Jared Peifer, (a professor at Baruch
College in New York) have two young daughters and reside in West Orange. Laura is interested in
natural health. Her first career was in management for a kids’ non-profit agency. She is now a consultant in holistic and natural nutrition, For exercise, Laura likes to run. The Peifers discovered the
Prospect Church web site. They were impressed with our diversity, and the social service assistance
we give. It was important that we focus on Christ in addition to our programs. Laura and Jared received a friendly welcome and were impressed with our Sunday School for daughter Lily, 5 years.
Maplewood resident Avril Grant was born in Kingston, Jamaica. Her family includes her mother, father,
and two brothers. She was attending Grace Church in Maplewood, but she was curious about Prospect.
She is currently a paraprofessional teacher in the Somerset School District, and is pursuing a Master’s
Degree in Education. Avril continued to wonder about Prospect Church. Driving by one day, she made a
decision to learn about Prospect. When she visited, she felt a sense of community. Avril kept coming
back because of the very friendly welcome she received from everyone. She is very pleased that she is
meeting many new friends at fellowship time.
South Orange resident David Harris was born in Rochester PA and grew up in Farrell, PA. He had a
Baptist background, attending the First and Second Baptist Churches. David and his wife Betty
(Prospect member), have three grown children. All of them graduated from Columbia High School
and attended Prospect Church. The Harris children all live out of state. David is a retired attorney,
who practiced general law. In addition he specialized in commercial cases and intellectual property
(patent law). He enjoys reading and has studied theology. In the spring when the grass is green, he
plans to take golf lessons. David attended services with Betty, and then decided to join our congregation. The ministries and Rick’s sermons are the reasons he kept coming back.
Sally Stamper was born in Green Bay, WI, and attended the Pierre Presbyterian Church. She also attended
the Stone Mountain Church in Georgia. Faith was the cornerstone of her family. Her father was a Presbyterian
minister, as well as a brother, sister and nephew. Sally has been a private psychotherapist. Her background
includes being a social worker, advocating for children’s welfare. Presently she is a theologian in the Humanities at Seton Hall University (where she heard good things about Prospect!!) Sally visited and received a warm
welcome. The liturgy and hymns are meaningful for her. Rick’s rare qualities and sermons keep her returning.
Sally is interested in our Ash Wednesday plans. She is looking forward to our Ash Wednesday dinner and
service. When she has time in her busy schedule, she walks for exercise and reads for pleasure .
We will hold a New Members Inquirer’s Class on March 8 and 15 from 2-4. People who have not been a member of a Presbyterian Church will need to attend both sessions. If you are coming from another Presbyterian Church, you only need to attend
the session on March 15. If you are interested in joining but cannot make one of the sessions, please call or email the church
office.
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Volume 79, Issue 1
New Members Continued...
Jeffrey and Amanda Harris, with their two boys Henry 2 1/2 years and Oliver 7 months, moved from
NYC to Maplewood in April, 2013. They heard about Prospect Church through friends who have their
children at Prospect Preschool. The Harris family first attended our church last summer and was impressed with the community feeling, friendliness, and diversity. Amanda grew up in Southern California
and as a Southern Baptist, Jeffrey from South Jersey and a Presbyterian.
Amanda worked as a Special Education Teacher in Brooklyn for 7 years before becoming a Stay at
Home Mom and Realtor here in Maplewood. She enjoys cooking and is an aspiring runner. Jeffrey
worked for NBC for 11 years and just started as the Broadcast Manager for Toys R Us Corp. this past
fall. He runs in the NYC Marathons and is on a soccer league in Manhattan.
Warren McNeill was born in North Wales, PA and was a member of the First Presbyterian
Church, Ambler. After growing up in Essex County, he returned to make his home with his wife, Wanda, and they
now have 2 grown children. Warren has a background in financial services. He is currently completing his Masters
of Divinity at New York Theological Seminary in NYC. He became a Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church in
1978 and since then has held many positions in the Presbyterian Church in the General Assembly and Synod, General Counsel, and Commissioner. In 2008 he became Stated Clerk of Newark Presbytery and in 2016 will become
Moderator of the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of the Northeast. Mr. McNeill is an avid college sports fan,
particularly with football and basketball. He and his wife like to entertain and he enjoys doing lots of cooking. As
the Stated Clerk, Warren knows Rick very well, came to Prospect and was impressed with our church being much
like his church in PA—multi-cultural, mission focused, and community outreach at the core.
Karen Karvazy and Bernie Middendorf came to Maplewood in 2009 from Florida where they lived for
ten years. They have two children, Lillian, age 8, and John Ryan, age 5. They are enrolled at Prospect
Preschool. Familiar with Prospect and living only a few houses away, the family came to a Prospect service in the fall of 2012. They walked in the door and immediately felt comfortable.
Karen has been an Environmental Engineer for 20 years and Bernie a Studio Manager for Advertising
Production Artists. In their spare time, Karen likes to try new things, spend time with friends, and cook.
Bernie runs a few 5K’s each year and enjoys tennis and soccer.
Bernie and Karen are excited to be members of Prospect. They feel accepted and Prospect is a place
where their family connects to God, the community, and with each other. It is also a place where their
children can learn about hunger, illness, homelessness, and participate in ministries that reach out to those
in need.
June Kirkpatrick has 2 children, an adult son, Junior, who lives in S. C. and Siobhan Chandler, who lives with
her. They moved to South Orange in the 1990’s and became active at Trinity Presbyterian Church. After
passing by Prospect Church for years, in 2011 they just walked in. Feeling immediately comfortable and
impressed with Rick’s “connectedness” to the congregants, they joined our congregation in 2014.
June is employed as a Nurse. She is an avid reader. She describes her relationship with God really began
when she read the entire Bible 10 years ago from the first to the last page. She has found this has made
her a more peaceful person. She has a strong passion for children and wants to do everything she can for
children including contributions to “Save the Children.” She loves to sew, and is an aspiring swimmer.
Siobhan is in 6th grade at Maplewood Middle School. She loves to ride her bike, is a travel enthusiast and
has been drawing for years. We saw Siobhan in the Prospect Christmas pageant and will most likely see
her again in choral performances at Prospect.
Article submitted by Sandy Barnett, one of the members of the “Welcoming Ministry”. If you are new to
Prospect, stop by the Welcoming Ministry table in Fellowship Hall or fill in a yellow slip from your Sunday announcement sheet.
Page 7
Prospectus
Sensational Sunday
The first Sunday of Lent, February 23,
is a Sensational Sunday! All ages are
invited to gather in Fellowship Hall at
9:15 as we begin our Lenten journey
together!
bered with first-person stories and dramatic presentations. Please join us!
The journey continues on March 29,
with the traditional Palm Sunday Journey to Jerusalem. All ages will gather
in Fellowship Hall at 9:15 before traveling by smaller groups to various locations in the building where the
events of Holy Week will be remem-
“Tennebrae
Services use
light and
darkness to
help us
experience
the pain and
suffering of
Jesus on the
cross. “
Maundy Thursday
The tradition of holding a service on the
Thursday before Easter is rooted in the
celebration of the Last Supper that Jesus had with his disciples. At Prospect,
we hold a service of communion and
combine it with a Tennebrae Service.
Tennebrae Services use light and darkness to help us experience the pain and
suffering of Jesus on the cross.
communion. Then, we will turn our
eyes toward the cross. As each of the
seven last words of Jesus is spoken,
we will gradually darken the church
and remove all of the colors and decorations from the church. The service
ends in the darkness with the sound of
hammering of nails.
Please join us on Thursday April 2 at
7:30 p.m. for the Maundy Thursday
Communion and Tennebrae Service. In
the first half of the service we will remember the last supper and celebrate
Sunday School Poetry
The forth and fifth grade Sunday
School class recently worked on a
haiku poem about the authority and
power of Jesus and would like to
share it:
Page 8
Jesus is our Lord
Authority is in him
He is the best Lord.
Volume 79, Issue 1
Easter
The 8:00 a.m. service for Easter morning
will be in the sanctuary. When people
gather in the sanctuary at 8:00 a.m. the
sanctuary lights will be low as we return
to the space we left in darkness on Maundy Thursday. The women who went to the
tomb on Easter morning were going to
mourn. They were surprised to discover
an empty tomb and a resurrected Jesus.
As part of the service, we will move from
a mood of mourning to a celebration of
resurrection. The lights will be turned up,
the flowers uncovered, the colors returned.
Join us for this early celebration of Easter’s surprise.
There will be an Easter Breakfast in
Fellowship Hall following the service.
Then you can go on to your regular Sunday School classes at 9:15 a.m.
Of course, we look forward to a wonderful Easter celebration in worship at 10:30
a.m. as well.
Kreitler Scholarship
Each year a modest scholarship is made
available to a Prospect member who is
about to begin a four-year undergraduate
degree program. This scholarship is renewable for the four years that the student is in
college.
There are four selection criteria: (1) participation in the life and work of Prospect
Centennial Campaign
Your finance Ministry is pleased to report the successful completion of our $150,000 Centennial Campaign. As of December 31, 2014, the final day of
the campaign, a total of $164,160.51 in gifts and
pledge payments has been received. Of that
amount, approximately 75% has already been expended with the remaining 25% due to be distributed within the coming weeks and months.
Church, (2) financial need, (3) character and allaround ability, and (4) academic record at
school and academic potential. Applicants must
be confirmed members of Prospect Church.
Kreitler Scholarship applications are in the wall
file outside Rita’s office and are due May 15.
Chancel Choir
The choir is always looking for a few more
members! If you would like to sing with the choir or
have some other musical talents to share, contact
Peter Ncanywa, Prospect’s Music Director!
973-763-2090 X206 or ngqibs@gmail.com
The objectives of the campaign are:
Debt Elimination
Kitchen Renovation (Plan and Phase I)
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
Covenant House-Newark
A more detailed report will appear in the 20142015 Annual Report, which will be made available
to everyone after the close of the fiscal year. A
very warm and sincere thank you is extended to
everyone who participated in this very important
part of our 100th Anniversary celebration!
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Prospectus
Session Goals for 2014-2015 (input needed)
Last year the session set the goals that
are listed below as the focus of our work
together. At this time, we are pleased to
report that we are making progress on
many of them. After careful review and
consideration, we decided that the New
Beginnings Process for planning would not
benefit Prospect Church at this time. However, we noted that it is very important for us to
follow through on the goals that we set.
At this time we need your input for two of the
goals. If you hear of an event where Prospect could sponsor a booth to tell our story,
please contact the church office. We are
very interested in telling the story of Prospect
in the community.
Second, we are working on an updated
website. As part of this work we are seeking
input into the design. If you are invited to a
gathering to provide input on the design of
the church website, please participate. We
are not looking for expertise, but responses
from people who will be using the website –
each one of us.
Finally, we are nearly finished with the design for kitchen renovations. The design was
delayed because of some decisions regarding custom versus stock pieces of equipment.
We expect to finish the cost analysis of the
design options shortly. Upon completion of
the design, we will solicit cost estimates and
evaluate our financial ability to proceed with
phase one construction.
Session Goals 2014-1015
*Continue to Strengthen Community Presence by going to the community
-Be present at community events at least
twice by hosting a booth or walking in parade.
*Develop a social media presence (telling
our story)
-Appoint a team to develop a strategy
and policy for the use of social media including facebook and others
-Update church website
-Revamp podcasts to include download
versions
-Explore possibility of purchasing advertising banners on key websites
*Build on energy of Centennial Celebration
to strengthen hospitality ministries
-Hold several special speaker worship
services as invite a friend events
-Continue work on kitchen renovation
*Explore New Beginnings Program in Newark Presbytery
-Recruit people to attend New Beginnings exploration event
-Make decision on program
A Valentine for Prospect….
Through five hospitalizations, two and a half
months in rehabilitation center, multiple ER visits,
ambulance trips, Rick walking down the ER hall
before I called, the many hospital, home and
rehab visits that he and others from the church
family made in the last six months, cards and
more cards, e-mails, phone calls, the home
made cookies and muffins (that West greatly
enjoyed), extended communion, meals for busy
Page 10
days and at the time of the memorial
service, Deacons for their cards and help,
especially Cindy and Melanie, for the
reception following the service. This is
the loving care that our Prospect family
has shown to us. A humble and very
grateful thank you.
Love, Jim, Drew and Connie
Volume 79, Issue 1
Preschool Camps
There are a total of nine weeks of camps available for your preschooler this summer! Check the
website for details on all of the options.
www.campprospect.org
June 16-18 (3 day mini-camp) “Puppies
and Kittens and Pets, Oh My”
August 3-7 “Explore the Shore, Ocean
and Beyond”
Camp Prospect– open to children who are in preschool and those entering Kindergarten, will be
held June 22 through July 31 from 9:00—1:00.
You may now choose as many weeks as you
would like. Children will have fun playing indoors
and out during our themed days. They will go on
pretend trips, meet exciting guests and explore a
variety of arts and crafts, music and cooking.
August 10-14 “Sensational Silly Science”
Camp Prospect Seasons is a mission of
Prospect Church and operates camps
one Saturday a month for children to
enjoy time with their friends and
have fun while learning. Check the
church or camp website to find out
more information about upcoming
dates.
Camp Prospect Seasons– open to children in
preschool through those entering first grade in the
fall, has weekly themes:
Prospect Co-Op Nursery School
Prospect Co-Op is now registering young
children for the September 2015 class.
We have openings in the multi-age group,
which meets on Monday-Wednesday –
Friday afternoons from 12:30—3:00. Prospect continues to be a community of families dedicated to the positive growth and
development of our children. We welcome
all visitors to take a tour of our class and
discuss with our director why and
how we are so successful. Please
call us at 973-763-8955 or go to
our website at
www.prospectpreschool.org for
more information. We look forward
to discussing the educational
possibilities for your child.
Meeting Emergency Needs with Dignity
Save the date:
There will be an event to celebrate the
Interfaith Anti-Hunger Network’s serving
those in need since 1980.
Honorees this year will be “Catholic
Charities”, Congressman Donald M.
Payne, Jr., Why Hunger (grassroots
Anti-Hunger & Poverty Support Organization) with special recognition to the
MEND Pantries.
The event will be held March 12th, 2015 at
6:00 p.m. at
There will be a cocktail Dinner Reception. The tickets are $125 per person.
The Newark Club,
To sponsor this event by placing an ad
or for further information, visit
www.mendnj.org or call
973-266-7947.
Celebrate M.E.N.D.’s 35th Anniversary!
One Newark Center, 22nd Floor,
1085 Raymond Blvd. Newark, NJ.
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Prospectus
Interfaith Hospitality Network
Sign up to help -- the
weeks before a hosting
week during Fellowship
time IHN volunteers will
have sign ups available.
Now in its’ twenty-seventh year, the Interfaith Hospitality Network, an affiliate of
the nationwide organization Family Promise, continues to provide shelter, professional support services and housing assistance, enabling homeless families find and
sustain permanent homes. At present, there
are 25-30 host congregations and about
20 support congregations in the Essex
County Chapter. At Prospect Presbyterian,
we are supported by Temple Beth-El and
the Upper Vailsburg United Methodist
Church, both in South Orange. Thanks to
outreach efforts of Prospect congregant
Holly Evans, we have also been blessed
with support from parents of the Prospect
Nursery School and Tuscan Elementary
PTA who have been volunteering as hosts
during the past two years. Except for
overnighters, volunteers are asked to give
two hours of time as a host, spending time
with the guest families, playing with the
children or serving dinner. Volunteers can
also prepare a meal, buy groceries, or do
a load of laundry. Put another way, it
takes 64 hours (excluding overnighters) of
volunteer time to ensure all of the hosting
duties are fulfilled properly. Serving as a
volunteer is a wonderful way to participate in one of the church’s missions while
simultaneously interacting with other church
members whom you may not have communicated with before.
Prospect Presbyterian will continue fulfilling
the mission this year as a host congregation
during the weeks of: February 22nd-March
1st, May 3rd-10th, September 20th-27th
and December 6th-13th.
In January, Nancy Shields, who has been
worshiping here since last June, volunteered
to become a coordinator. A resident of Red
Bank, she was drawn to Prospect Presbyterian by the diversity of the congregation. She
is a mother of 4, grandmother of 11, was a
career journalist with Asbury Park Press, and
works part-time for the Interfaith Neighbors
Inc. in Asbury Park. Nancy has been an enthusiastic IHN volunteer right from the start,
and has already taken ownership for overseeing all of our IHN children’s materials.
Thanks be to God for guiding her footsteps
to Prospect, as her commitment to serving
others is central to the mission of our congregation.
Nancy joins current IHN coordinators Frank
Hendricks, Effie Latz, Mary Murphy and Allison Reid. Anyone with questions about the
IHN program, and how they can contribute
should feel free to reach out to any of us. At
Prospect Presbyterian, the IHN program is
sustained by the faithful support of the many
volunteers in and around Prospect Presbyterian. We look forward to another successful
year of service.
Memorial Garden Upkeep
Winter damage is just one reason to
prune heavily in the early Spring.
While there is still snow in the forecast, it
might seem that there is plenty of time to
worry about the upkeep of the Memorial
Garden… There’s not! Late winter/Very
early Spring is the time to do the major
pruning. The gardening group will begin
again in late April on a weekly basis but
there will be one cold day of pruning on
Saturday, March 21st at 10:00 a.m. All are
welcomed to help. No experience necessary.
Even children ages 10 and up if they are
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willing to work. Bring gardening
gloves, pruning shears or clippers, and
small pruning saws if you have them.
Are your shrubs at home overgrown?
Come learn about pruning while you
help get the Memorial Garden back
into shape. If you can help, sign up
through the yellow insert or email
office@prospectchurch.org (so that we
can let you know if there is a rescheduling due to weather needed.)
Volume 79, Issue 1
Johnsonburg Presbyterian Center
Summer Camps
From acting and music to gardening and
cooking, you can find a summer camping
experience that nurtures your child’s passion
or introduces your child to a new interest!
Simply check out the brochures for Camp
Johnsonburg and you will find camps that suit
every age and interest. New programs this
year include “Hammock Hang Out” and
“Farm and Garden Camp” as well as the
option for camps for the youngest campers
to go beyond the 3 days previously offered.
Brochures are available in the wall file outside Rita’s second floor office. You can also
Other Johnsonburg Events
Women’s Retreat– April 17-19th
The Stories that Shape Us
Speaker/Worship Leader:
Rev. Loli Ros Reiter
Pastor, Seffner Presbyterian Church
Cost $125.00 per person
(New this year! Option to arrive early Friday
and enjoy the retreat center.)
Join women of all ages from around New Jersey for a weekend of reflection, rejuvenation
Spruce-Up Day April 25th
Come to camp to help paint, make repairs,
set-up tents and much more. Work begins
at 9:00 a.m.
find information and register online at
www.campjburg.org.
From first-time campers to teens in the
Leadership Training Program, Prospect
has a number of “happy campers” that
would be happy to tell you about
the Johnsonburg experience.
Please speak to Rita if you have
any questions.
and recreation at Johnsonburg. Large
group sessions, small group discussion, options for relaxation or recreation on Saturday afternoon, tasty made-from-scratch
meals and engaging worship will make for
a memorable weekend.
Fee includes program, adventure options
on site, lodging with linens, and tasty
made from scratch meals. Massage therapist available (separate fee). Register
online today at www.campjburg.org
Deadline for reservations is Friday, April
3rd, 2015.
Camp Open House May 3
Ideal for first time campers (and their
families) and those still considering
camp as an option. Come tour the site,
meet some of our staff, and learn more
about our program. The open house
runs from 1:00 to 4:00 pm.
Can't make it to the Open House? Call for
an appointment. 908-852-2349
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PROSPECT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
646 Prospect Street
Maplewood NJ 07040
Phone : 973-763-2090
Fax: 973-763-0950
Email:
office@prospectchurch.org
www.prospectchurch.org
February’s 3rd Sunday
of the month–
congregation packing
lunches for the
M.E.N.D. feeding
program to help the
hungry near Newark’s
Penn Station.
Our Mission: to be a family in Christ, reaching out to all with love, prayer and service...through
worship, education, mission and fellowship, we experience God’s love, forgiveness, grace and call.

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