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Volume 14, Issue 7/8

Jul/Aug 2014

Summer greetings to everyone!

This summer proves once more that “summer time” is does not equal “rest time” in the

church or at home. Our Senior High youth are once again hitting the road for their annual

mission trip (upstate New York this year) and Vacation Bible School planning is in hyper-

mode. Sue, Charlie, and I are once again traveling back to the Midwest to see our families

and to celebrate the renewal of vows of our daughter Kate & son-in-law McClain Duffert.

But all of that is actually kind of “low-key” compared to the way summer started.

This June, the 221st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was held in

Detroit, Michigan. Every two years, the presbyteries send commissioners to hear testimony,

to have dialogue, and to vote on matters important to the church and often the rest of the

world. It seems most years that issues around sexuality grab the headlines and this year was

no different. The Assembly voted to send an amendment for approval to the presbyteries

which calls for a change to our Directory of Worship. It would change the wording

describing marriage from “a man and a woman” to “two people.” That will take place over

the next year and the change will require a majority of our presbyteries to agree. In addition,

the Assembly passed what is called an “authoritative interpretation” (AI) of our constitution,

that would allow pastors and congregations to celebrate same-gender weddings in states

where it is legal. That takes place immediately. Since our presbytery was one of the 20+

presbyteries that sent overtures regarding this to the Assembly, I had the privilege of

representing our presbytery as an Overture Advocate. While I would love to share with you

all the details about this, I am limited by space. Look to the church website for a more

complete reporting of what transpired.

But this wasn’t the issue that got the most press or the most discussion. It was something

called “divestment.” The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has a long-standing policy that it will

not invest its funds in companies involved in alcohol, gambling, munitions, and other areas

that it feels do not represent the church. Sometimes we realize that companies we are

invested in are involved in these areas and we remove our investments from those companies

– we “divest.” This year, the Assembly was asked to approve the current list of companies

we divest from, but there were three that drew special attention because of why the PC(USA)

was being asked to divest from them.

For the second time, the General Assembly was asked to remove its investments from

Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, and Motorola Solutions, three companies that make products

used by Israel in the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. For those presenting arguments

in favor of divestment, it was a matter of conscience, not wanting to participate in the

occupation of Palestinian territory. This is something the PC(USA) has already made part of

its church policy. For those against divestment, it was a matter of supporting Israel –

divestment would signal that we were taking sides against Israel.

By the narrowest of margins, 310 to 303, the Assembly chose to divest from these companies

and to reaffirm our church’s commitment to always being peacemakers, in all aspects of our

church life.

If anyone has ANY questions about the decisions of this year’s General Assembly, I would

be glad to speak with you, no matter what your viewpoint. For that is what the General

Assembly is all about and in many ways, what the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is all about

– talking with each other and finding our direction together as we do our best to follow Jesus

as he would want us to live.

The Rev. Mitch Trigger

Page 2 CHU R CH S TR EE T JOUR NA L

Steeple Repair

Update

October of 2012 saw the destruction of our church steeple by super-storm Sandy. Many members of our church have been hard at work coordinating the repair, restoration and rebuilding of the steeple back to its original appearance. As of the publication of this article, the steeple and roof repairs have been completed. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Property Committee, as well as the many church members who participated in fund-raising efforts, and help in communicating our needs for this essential project.

The final payment of $18,275 was made this week from our capital fund reserves of $22,410, and after the scaffolding is removed and the insurance company inspects the work, the final amount due of approximately $20,000 will be paid by the insurance company to our contractor, Imhoff Construction.

Since the remains of the Capital Fund, slightly more than $4,000, are restricted for specific items in the sanctuary (air conditioning and carpet), a new capital fund campaign will be planned over the summer and launched in the near future, as there are many other repairs need-ed to the interior and exterior of our sanctuary building (dedicated in 1832). Although we anticipate the receipt of $10,000 from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, this only begins to fund some of the projects which will be needed to repair and restore this historic building.

For All The Saints…

Our Capital Fund has been built, used and re-plenished multiple times since the 1990’s. Much of these funds would not be in place were it not for the thoughtfulness and dedication of some of our departed members, friends and their families, who donated to this fund in their memory. Among the more substantial donations were final bequests or donations made in the memory of:

John Anderson Gertrude Earle

Al Johnson Marty Kolbusch

The Rev. Andrea McCaw Mack

V OLU ME 1 4, I SSU E 7/8 Page 3

Come one—come all to the church on Saturday morning,

July 26th & August 30th for breakfast. The breakfast

will include eggs, pancakes and coffee.

It is free so please come out and enjoy.

Tell your neighbors. Better yet bring

them with you.

Summer Worship

Schedule

Remember: the

morning worship

service begins at

9:30 a.m. in

Fellowship Hall during July and Au-

gust. We have a very special summer

series planned!

Note: The 5 p.m. service is going to

take a break in July and August.

We will resume on Sunday,

September 7th. See you there

We Have a Great Gift for You!

Our GIFT (Growing in Faith Together) small group ministry is a great way to get to know

people, study the Bible, and pray together. We currently have five groups meeting at a

variety of times.

To learn more go to our website: www.fpcrockaway.org and look under the tab “more”.

You will find the schedule and more.

Congratulations to our Graduates

We wish them all the best in their educational journey

High School Attending

Amber Garceau W. Morris Central HS County College of Morris

John Hallman Morris Hills County College of Morris

Danielle Miller Morris Knolls U Mass Amherst

Emily Mongrella Morris Hills Marymount University Arlington

Kati Scott Morris Hills Christopher Newport University

JoAnna Sunderman Morris Knolls Montclair State University

Michael Urwin Morris Knolls Stevens Institute of Technology

Page 4 CHU R CH S TR EE T JOUR NA L

STEPHEN MINISTRY – WHAT

WILL GOD DO NEXT?

As part of New Beginnings, our

church’s goal has been to grow in

faith, love and community. Last year

your Stephen Ministry team began

reaching outside the borders of our

congregation and to minister to

members of the community. The need in the community

for this caring ministry is so great that we have had to turn

people away because we do not have enough Stephen

Ministers. As we begin to train a new class of Stephen

Ministers in the fall, we ask you to prayerfully consider if

God is calling you to be a Stephen Minister.

On Sept. 21, Stephen Ministry Sunday, an informational

workshop on “Bearing One Another’s Burdens” will be

offered after worship with a light lunch. If you would like

to know more about Stephen Ministry, please plan to

attend the workshop or speak to one of our Stephen

Leaders: Linda Kirby (973-316-0598), Diane Knipper

(973-895-5289), Pat Warren (973-586-2923), Betty Smith

(973-432-9410) or the pastors.

IT’S NEW!!

By popular

demand….

Monday Night

Bible Study will

continue over the summer! Join us in the

air-conditioned comfort of the BK Room

for study, fellowship and ICE CREAM!!

Since Sunday Morning Bible Study is

taking a break for the summer, we hope

you will consider attending on Monday

nights from 7-8pm (Sr. High’s are always

welcome!!).

We will continue studying the Feasting

on the Word curriculum. The class will

be taught on a rotating basis by Tom

Winger, Rich Basile and Diane Knipper

Never studied the Bible before? This is a

great time to start. Each lesson is self

contained so if you’re on vacation down

the shore (or wherever) and miss a week,

it’s no problem!

Questions?? Contact Diane Knipper at

973-895-5289 or dkniper@optonline.net.

SMITH FAMILY ASSISTANCE FUND As many of you know, Ian Smith, son of Andy and Alicia, was born six weeks early and has several physical challenges and probable surgeries ahead. In response to questions about how you can help, here is information regarding a fund his church created to pay for expenses not covered by medi-cal insurance. Checks can be made out to: "Clarkton Presbyterian Church" with "Smith Family Assistance Fund" in the memo line and mailed to: Clarkton Presbyterian Church 10433 N. College St.,

Page 5 V OLU ME 1 4, I SSU E 7/8

TUESDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY

We are now on summer break. Enjoy yourselves and attend the Mon eve Summer Bible study in the BK room (air conditioning & ice cream) at 7pm. In the fall we will be reading the book, “Where God was born,” by Bruce Feiler. It was published in 2005 so you might be able to pick it up at used book stores or sales. We will resume Sept 9.

Have a good summer

Page 6 CHU R CH S TR EE T JOUR NA L

Healthcare As healthcare is changing and cost keep going up its hard to find assistance.

Here’s some information on the help that is available to seniors (age 65) and

disabled applicants through the State of NJ:

Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged & Disabled (PAAD) and Senior Gold

(prescription discount programs if income is under approx. $36K/year if you’re

married or $26K if you’re single)

Hearing Aid Assistance to the Aged & Disabled (HAAAD) - $100

reimbursement for hearing aids. For more information, call 1-800-792-9745

Outreach Calendar

We open our heart to the community and provide a free breakfast for anyone who

comes. Our volunteers cook, clean and share their time with those who come in

for this meal.

July 26 Community Breakfast (8 am – 11 am)

August 30 Community Breakfast (8 am – 11 am)

Coffee Hour has been reinvented! Now called "Fellowship hour", and we'd love to have you with us. Come spend time talking to your friends and neighbors, and connecting with each other. It’s not about the coffee, it’s about the people! So, come to Fellowship Hall every Sunday after

worship and stay a while. If you’d like to help out

with Fellowship Hour, please contact Katie Scott at 973 627 8738

or Kr10scott@gmail.com. See you there!

V OLU ME 1 4, I SSU E 7/8 Page 7

HOMECOMING PICNIC -- SEPTEMBER 7th after church Please

mark your calendar now and plan on joining us that day. This year, in addition to

the delicious barbecue, we're planning some games and activities for kids and

adults. This year we'll be having a watermelon eating contest!

It takes a lot of work to pull this off, so please volunteer. We will need help

with set up, clean up, cooking and games. Everyone can help (even kids!) so please

call Donna Van Duyne at 973-625-3912 or vanduyne6@yahoo.com for help with

set up/clean up and food and Diane Knipper at 973-895-5289 or

dknipper@optonline.net for help with games and

activities.

So, remember, September 7th after worship, rain

or shine. Invite your friends and neighbors and

bring your favorite salad to share.

See you all there!

- SUNDAY SCHOOL BEGINS AT 9:15

- WORSHIP RETURNS TO THE 10:30 HOUR– WITH

COMMUNION

- HOMECOMING PICNIC WITH GAMES AND FUN FOR

ALL—FOLLOWING WORSHIP

- SUNDAY EVENING SERVICE and POTLUCK 5PM

Page 8 CHU R CH S TR EE T JOUR NA L

The First Presbyterian Church—Rockaway

Co-Pastors: The Revs. Mitchell & Susan Trigger

Ministers: All the People

Music Director: Bonnie Pomeroy

Office Manager: Christine Zelinsky

Cemetery Sexton: Robert Nichols

Newsletter Editor: Bette Ann Lindsay

Clerk of Session: Carl Kline

Phone: 973-627-1059 Fax: 973-983-0090

E-mail: office@fpcrockaway.org

Internet: www.fpcrockaway.org

Newsletter deadline: 15th of each month

Send e-mail submissions to:

news@fpcrockaway.org

(Please put “Newsletter” in the Subject Line)

Here’s How You Can Help With VBS

Workdays are Creative Days:

If you can’t volunteer the week of VBS there is plenty you

can do ahead of time. We will be having three VBS

workdays on which we will be cutting out, punching holes,

stringing name tags, putting together volunteer notebooks, making decorations,

putting up decorations and more. Want to help? Come join us: Wednesday, July 2

at 11 a.m. in the BK room. Tuesday, July 22 at 11 a.m. in Fellowship Hall.

Wednesday, July 23 at 11 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. We hope to see you there!

VBS Staff Training:

If you are a VBS volunteer we ask that you attend one of the two training

sessions. You pick one: Thursday, July 24, 7 p.m. in the BK room or Sunday,

July 27 immediately following worship in the BK room. Thank YOU!

Mission Project Worship Service

Ice Cream Social in Fellowship Hall.

Sunday, July 13, 9:30am

Everyone is invited.

“Where’s Jesus“

(our theme for the trip)

Please join us as we

talk about the work we did

through scripture, songs and

special messages.

SENIOR HIGHS

From 6/28-7/6 the Senior Highs will be in Watertown NY

on the annual Mission Project. July 13th please join us for

the 9:30am Mission Project Church Service. Senior Highs

will be on a summer hiatus until September, when we

begin another year of fun!

Thank you all for your continuing support!

V OLU ME 1 4, I SSU E 7/8 Page 9

Schedule of Events

SUNDAY: Worship 9:30 am 7/7 14 21 28 Bible Study BK

7-8pm 7/1, 15—Open Door BK 7-9pm 7/3 Overcoming Depression

& Anxiety Support 6:30pm 7/13 Mission Project Sunday FINANCE MTG—JULY 14

7PM 7/24 VBS Volunteer Training

BK room 7pm or 7/27 BK room Immediately after ser-vice

7/25 Bucknell University Concert

7/26—Community Breakfast 8-11

7/28– GREAT BIBLE REEF VBS—9AM TO 12:30PM, 7/28-8/1

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2 3 4

CLOSED

5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 VBS

29 VBS

30 VBS

31 VBS

JULY 2014

Schedule of Events

SUNDAY: Worship 9:30 am 8/3 First Sunday food

collection 8/5 18—Open Door BK 7-9pm 8/5 12 19 26-Bible Study BK

Class 9:30-11:30 8/7 21 Overcoming Depres-

sion & Anxiety Support 6:30pm

8/15-16 JR High Lock-In 6pm-10am “The Giver”

8/20 SESSION Fellowship Hall 7-10pm

8/25 Peacemaking BK 7:30-10:30

8/30—Community Break-fast—8-11am

8/28 GIFT Shepherd Mtg 6:30pm

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 VBS

2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 37 28 29 30

31

AUGUST 2014

It is the summer and we need your help

more than ever. Donations always go down

and demand actually goes up. Please

remember to pick up some items for the

Food Closet every time you go to the gro-

cery store. Your neighbors in need are

counting on your help! Items needed most--

cereal, tuna, peanut butter, soup, beans, Mac

and cheese, canned fruit, caned meats and

meals, crackers and cold drink mix-

es. Thank you for your continued sup-

port!

As our musical groups take their summer break, I hope that

you'll remember to say thanks to our singers, instrumentalists

and handbell ringers who work so hard all year to do God's

work. Our church is blessed to have so many talented

musicians.

I am in the process of planning for next year, and, as always,

I am your servant in Christ,

Page 10 CHU R CH S TR EE T JOUR NA L

In the summer when the days are hot,

I like to find a shady spot,

And hardly move a single bit And sit,

and sit, and sit, and sit.

http://www.canteach.ca

Summer camp was a blast for our preschoolers! The

students enjoyed many fun filled themed events such

as dinosaur, carnival, magic, and pirate day. We

hope that they continue to enjoy the sun filled days of

Summer vacation.

Registration is ongoing for the 2014-2015 school

year. Please call the school office for details at 973-

586-3665.

Notice: The Trigger family will be traveling to the

Midwest July 7-21 to visit family and to celebrate the vow renewal

ceremony of Kate and McClain in Minneapolis on July 18. In case

of an emergency please contact the church office or Diane Knipper.

V OLU ME 1 4, I SSU E 7/8 Page 11

Do you remember the children’s book, “Flat Stanley”? Well a group at the General Assembly

took the idea and brought flat Jesus to GA. They posted pictures of their group for their

friends back home to see. Where might you find Jesus this summer? Why not take Jesus with

you on your summer journey and send us some pictures of places where you’ve seen Jesus.

NON-PROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID DOVER, NJ 07801

PERMIT NO. 606

FIRST

PRESBYTERIAN

CHURCH

35 Church St.

Rockaway, NJ

07866-3027

STEEPLE REPAIR UPDATE 2

GIFT UPDATE AND NEWS, GRADUATES, COMMU-

NITY BREAKFAST THROUGH THE SUMMER

3

STEPHEN MINISTRY, MONDAY NIGHT BIBLE

STUDY

4-5

OUTREACH, COMMUNITY BARBECUE IN THE FALL,

HOMECOMING—PLAN AHEAD TO SEPTEMBER

6-7

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL VOLUNTEER INFO,

CALENDAR

8,9

MUSIC NOTES, FOOD CLOSET,

PCCN NEWS

10

FUN PAGE TO COLOR—FLAT JESUS 11

WHAT’S INSIDE: