First Reformed Church
1153
Main St.
Fishkill,
NY 12524
845-896-9836
Dear Friends,
Advent, from a Latin word meaning,
“coming,” is the first season on the Church calendar, a period of expectation and
preparation, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and eagerly
wait his coming again. It’s the season when we must sing, somewhere, sometime,
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”
But the Advent Season often gets left to
one hour on Sunday morning, as we plummet headlong into the Season of Rush, or
the Season of Sadness, or the Season of Shopping, or the Season of ….
Take time in this Season of Advent to
stop by Fellowship Hall and open the window for the day on our Advent Calendar.
Designed by Bud Corwin and created by Barbara Merritt Van Voorhis, it will help
us remember the story whose ending we know, and to give thanks for the hope we
have.
A hope we express through our annual Christmas
offering. This year the deacons have designated it for FINCA Village Banking
which provides micro loans to small businesses. By
providing very poor families with small loans to invest in their
microenterprises, Village Banking empowers them to create their own
jobs, raise their incomes, build assets, and increase their families’
well-being. Here's how it works. Neighbors come together in financial
support groups called “Village Banks.” Individuals borrow working capital
for their microenterprises, and because they have little to offer for
collateral, the group guarantees those loans. As businesses grow, families earn
more, purchase more nutritious foods, and parents are better able to
send their children to school. Significant improvements are made to their
businesses, their homes, and their lives. Because neighbors support each other
while growing their businesses, Village Banking helps invigorate entire
communities. To learn more, go to www.villagebanking.org.
Have a blessed Advent Season and a
Peace-filled Christmas.
Merry
Christmas,
Pastor
Gloria
DECEMBER CALENDAR
|
2 |
Bible Study – 10 am |
16 |
Bible Study – 10 am Women of the church prepare for shut-ins – 1 pm* |
|
3 |
Choir – 7 pm |
17 |
Choir – 7 pm |
|
6 |
SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT Sunday School – 9 am Worship – 10 am - Communion Hanging of the Greens* |
19 |
Christmas Pot Luck and Play – 5:30 pm* |
|
9 |
Bible Study – 10 am Women of the Church to Hedgewood – 1:30 pm* |
20 |
FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT Sunday School – 9 am Worship – 10 am |
|
10 |
Choir – 7 pm |
24 |
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES 7:30 pm – for families 11:00 pm - Communion |
|
13 |
THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT Sunday School – 9 am Worship – 10 am Congregational Meeting Caroling – 2 pm* |
25 |
A BLESSED CHRISTMAS TO ALL |
|
15 |
Consistory – 7:15 pm |
27 |
Worship – 10 am |
*See this Parish Visitor for information
Poinsettias
It is time to order poinsettias to decorate the sanctuary during the Christmas season. The cost is $8.50 per plant, payable to Women of the Reformed Church at the time you place your order. The deadline will be November 29. Please sign up on the list in the entry to the Christian Education Building or call the church office at 896-9836. You may give your payment to Liz Alexander or Dorrie Hansen or place in offering plate.
Hanging of the Greens will take place right after church on
Dec. 6th. Everyone
is invited to participate in this annual event as we prepare our church for
celebrating the birth of our Savior.
Christmas Caroling to our
homebound friends will be Dec. 13th at 2 pm. We will be leaving an hour
earlier this year to avoid singing in the dark. Everyone is welcome even if you
do not sing. We will gladly give you a bell to ring. We will be sharing some
goodies and fellowship upon our return to the DuBois House.
Sunday Coffee Hour
Every Sunday
we worship God together and then we continue our fellowship during our coffee
hour in the Education Building. The more people who come to coffee hour, the
sweeter the fellowship!
Coffee hour is possible because our church family
take turns serving each other beverages and a small treat. In the list of dates
and names below, the first name on the list serves as the host. This means
calling the other names on the list for that day and seeing who will bring
what, including juice and milk.
While
many enjoy making something special, something simple is just as appreciated.
Also, if someone on the list has a commitment before or after worship, than the
group can make arrangements as to who will set up, who will keep the creamer
pitcher full and who will clean up.
Maisie
Minot is the one who makes sure the coffeepots are on and full. Those serving
make sure the coffee pots are cleaned and all the tables and counters wiped
down with the water/bleach mixture found in the spray bottle. Please take the dirty
dish towels home for a wash and bring them back the next week.
If you
are not able to do the coffee hour on your scheduled date, please find a
replacement and call the church office with the name of your replacement. If
you have any concerns regarding your availability at this time to do coffee
hour due to health or other large issues, please contact Karen Twohig at
831-5694.
If anyone
plans to bring food to coffee hour for a special occasion, please
notify the host for that date.
Thank
you!
DECEMBER JANUARY
06 VAN NOSTRAND, Grundy, Heroy 03 SUPAN, Gorba, Albra
13 LANE, Stumpp, McGann 10 BOLGER, Dadowski, Diyeso
20 HAWKINS, Schmidt, Schallenberg 17 DENEU, Hansen, J. & H., Hoffman
27
VAN VOORHIS, B., Van Voorhis, J., 24
LANDANNO, McCoy, Simmons
Moseman 31
BYERS, Suggitt, Chao
YOU CAN SAVE COFFE HOUR!
Serving
our church as List Maker for Coffee Hour has been a rewarding
experience. I'm always pleased to see
and taste all the goodies each Sunday, knowing without my work the tables
would be bare. We all look forward
to coffee hour because as we sip coffee and have a tasty treat we get to
visit with fellow members and anyone new that happens to stop by. Coffee hour is an important function of
our church.
In January,
I will pass on the gauntlet to the next List Maker. Please
seriously consider whether this person will be you.
You’re
qualified to volunteer for this job if you
have about one hour a month and can do the following:
1) Pick
3 names from an established rotating list, and place those names next to
each date in the month.
2) Email
the list to Celeste Rudberg by the monthly deadline for the Parish Visitor
3)
Keep the rotating list organized with the dates when couples or singles
served last.
Any
questions: Ronnie Badowski 724-3499
Big Thank
You for supporting the Golf Outing
On September 21st we had our 5th Annual First Reformed Church Golf Outing at McCann Golf Club in Poughkeepsie. It was a beautiful sunny day that 104 golfers enjoyed a fun day of golf for a great cause. The golf outing is a major fundraiser to help defray some of the costs of our capital building projects.
I would first like to thank the Church family who made donations or who played golf. We would also like to thank the Vendors and Sponsors, who are listed in the Brochure, copies are posted on the Education Bulletin Board and in the DuBois house.
We would also like to thank those who volunteered on the day of golf to help with registration, selling raffles, taking pictures, witnessing the “Hole-in-One” hole, handing out water and apples, and baking breakfast goodies- Barbara VanVoorhis, Joan VanVoorhis, Florence Smith, Harold & June Crawford, Jan Utter, Hank Taylor, Lola Saya, and Celeste Rudberg.
The biggest thank you goes to the hard working Golf Committee- Jay Wright, Harold Crawford, Stan Saya, Celeste Rudberg, Gerry Hughes, Lola Saya and Ryan VanBeek.
After all expenses, the net profit from this event was $8,401.
Ray VanVoorhis
Chair- Golf Committee
2010 Sanctuary Flowers
If
you would like to place flowers in the sanctuary next year, please sign up on
the Flower Chart which is on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall.
The cost is $40 a Sunday, payable to Women of the Reformed Church at the
time they are placed. Thanks to you for enhancing the beauty of the
sanctuary by your gift!
The Women of the Church will be going to
sing Christmas music with the residents of Hedgewood Adult Home in Beacon on
Wednesday, December 9 at 2 PM. If you would like to carpool, we will meet
in the DuBois House at 1:30. We will be bringing cookies to serve to the
residents.
If you are not able to join us but would like to
contribute cookies, you may leave them in the Secretary's office before 1:30.
The
Women of the Church will meet on Wednesday December 16 to prepare
Christmas Remembrances for our shut-ins. We will meet at the DuBois House
at 1 PM to carpool to Karon Perry's home. Please bring cookies, candies,
fruit and goodies for diabetics. If you can't come, you may leave
donations of goodies at the church office before the meeting. Thank you!
The
Christmas Pageant
December
19th 5:30
The
Christmas Story by Pauline E. Spray is a traditional
reenactment of the Christmas story told in scripture, pantomime, and song.
So
bring a dish for the pot luck supper and your singing voices to help with the
songs. It looks to be a fun and
spiritual evening.
Let the Sun shine for the benefit of the
Son
Earlier this year I wrote an article for the Parish Visitor talking about changes Toni and I made to become better stewards of our earth. We will not be alone in one of these significant efforts for long; welcome to the club!
It has been an interesting journey over the past six months or so. In the spring we started investigating and holding discussions with various committees and the Consistory of the church to see if the church should consider using the power of the sun. The answer was a resounding ‘yes’!
It turns out that God has been leading
us through this process all along with His ideal timing, enabling us to
purchase a $140,700 solar photovoltaic system (to generate electricity) for
only $39,450. The system recently received approval from NYSERDA (New York
State Energy Research and Development Authority) which will pay $101,250 of the
cost of our system. The plan also received the approval of the
There are still some steps yet to be completed, but the light is at the end of the tunnel, or perhaps I should say on the roof.
A total of 90 panels will be attached
to the south facing roof of the
For those of you wondering how this all works, the panels generate the electricity, and the electric meter will actually spin backwards when it is generating more power than is being used in the building, feeding electricity to our neighbors. When the sun is not shining, the building will draw power as it does today, using up some of the “credit” that was earlier recorded on the meter. Over the course of the year there will be times we will only be paying a connection charge, while we build a “credit” on the electric meter.
Hudson Valley Clean Energy will hopefully be ready to install the system a couple of months from now. Watch for the progress, and think about the environmental benefits this will offer, while the church also benefits from utility savings. Thank you to everyone who has helped make this effort come to life.
John S. Houston
Dear Friends,
You made
my day! You certainly know how to turn a
big birthday into an extra special one!
Many,
many thanks for all your cards, good wishes and prayers. And thank you for the warmth of your
friendship, even after all these years.
With
love,
Henrietta
Speno
To
Members of the Church,
It’s great
to have a wonderful church family from Pastor Gloria being such a great help,
to church members with their sympathy and the women’s group preparing luncheon.
Thanks,
Andy
(Pless) and Van Beek family
Notes from
November Consistory Meeting
Ü The meeting began with a time of quiet prayer and reflection in the sanctuary. Elder Don Porter led devotions based on Philippians 4:13, his life verse.
Ü
Ü Treasurers Operating Report for October shows revenues totaling $19,431.81 and expenses totaling $22,880.55.
Ü Pastor Gloria’s 2009 study leave will be a trip to Israel and Palestine with the Christian Peacemaker Team, April 6-19.
ÜFood Pantry requests increased in the month of October, up to 155.
ÜVillage of Fishkill approved the solar panels for the Education building. Work should begin in the next couple of months.
ÜJuanita Nolting is currently arranging for the Sunday greeters and readers.
ÜDoorbells have been installed on the DuBois House.
ÜSanctuary will be decorated for the Christmas Season on December 6th , following worship.
ÜConfirmation of Samuel Titus will be on December 13th.
ÜNext regular
+ + + + +
Humbled By Those Who Give It All Away
by
Ronnie Kelly Badowski
*
If you want to give it all you’ve got,
Jesus replied, go sell your possessions;
give everything to the poor
All your wealth will then be in heaven.
Then come follow me. Matthew 19:21 (The Message)
*
From
the kitchen slider, I see one
or
two snowflakes,
sparkling
in the frigid wind.
More
join until thousands blow
sideways
against the glass.
I’m
thankful for this warm house
and
gifts under the Christmas tree, but
I’m
also keenly aware of those who shiver
in
cardboard boxes.
*
God,
what do you want me to do today?
*
I
pull myself away from the moment
and
return to the work God has given me,
deeply
humbled by those
who
choose to give it all away.
If you are a caregiver or know someone
who is a caregiver, this blog may help encourage them.
Ronnie's blog for CAREGIVERS of elderly, invalid
parents at home: http://treadingwater-rb.blogspot.com/
* * * * * * * * * *
First Evangelical
Lutheran Church
Corner of Mill and
Catherine Streets
Poughkeepsie
Fellowship Hall
Lunch N Listen Free
Concert Series
December 2, 2009
At noon
Music of Advent and
Christmas
Paul Frazer, Laura
Russell, and Eric Hepp
Light refreshments at
12:45 pm
Croatia Update
Wind still
blows in former communist world
By Rev. Eric J. Titus
I was in Berlin in 1983 when the wall was still
standing firm and tall, and there was little hope that that immovable obstacle
to freedom would ever be toppled. Now, I
am looking back 20 years to when I was 26 and sat spellbound and wonderstruck
at the images coming through the television of that wall coming down.
Among the
images that stand out from that momentous time is the music video of “Wind of
Change,” by the Scorpions, played over and over on MTV back when it was still
dedicated to actually playing music videos. To see it, you can go to the
following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taVW8Kv2HcQ.
It was played across Europe constantly, Croatia included, during this euphoric
period of the fall of the Iron Curtain.
Parts
of the lyrics are: “Take me to the magic of the moment/ On a
glory night/ Where the children of tomorrow dream away/ In the wind of change.”
Those
children of tomorrow are now 20 years older, and I am sure that the hopes and
dreams of many became dusty disappointments in the wake of the fall of
communism. What could compare with that? This dream of many was shared with the
entire world. But then came the hard reality of recovery and the work of
reconciliation in the wake of the triumph of long resistance. Today this
reconciliation and coming to terms with all that happened in “the dark corners”
for 40 years still goes on.
The Scorpions sang hopefully: “Walking down the street/ Distant
memories/ Are buried in the past forever.” But a good deal of the difficulty
with the “children of tomorrow” is that memories aren’t really buried in the
past forever. They are buried at the surface, and for many they still cause
deep pain.
I read in the Nov. 11 Prague Post that the Institute for the
Study of Totalitarian Regimes continues to delve into the “dark past.” The July
15 issue reported that a furor was caused in Prague by Stanislav Penc (a former
dissident) who posted on the internet the names of those who had served or
cooperated with the Státní bezpečnost (Secret Police) under communism.
Many want justice; others think it is better to bury memories in the
past. It is an issue that is not easy and is fraught with complexities at many
levels. The children of tomorrow have
shared their dream, but the reality is many are still dealing with the
nightmares of yesterday.
Croatia was a part of all this
wind of change. Its situation became all the more difficult as war came on the
heels of the great fall. The dream had hardly time to seed before the children
of tomorrow became casualties and fatalities of war. The wind of change, as the
Scorpions said it, “blows straight into the face of time.”
While the rest of the communist world moved
forward, the war placed the former countries of Yugoslavia farther away from
the wind of change and much of their shining moment was lost to this tragedy.
The wind of change blows in Croatia, and even in our small city of Osijek
things are always being done to better realize the promise of that magic moment
of 20 years ago. But often disappointment and disillusionment threaten the
dream.
Still the Croatian children of
tomorrow do dream. They struggle to
rebuild, to reconcile, to make sure the “magic of that moment” is nurtured and
is able to grow and flourish, to make sure that the future matches the dream of
that moment.
To be sure there are still
walls that must come down. This is a universal truth. We are honored that we
have been able to walk along side some of those children of tomorrow as they
come to terms with that magic moment 20 years ago that still reaches in complex
ways into today and the foreseeable future.
Eric and Nancy Titus are RCA missionaries in Osijek, Croatia, where
they work at the Evangelical Theological Seminary and with the Reformed
Christian Church in Croatia. They have three children: Samuel, 15, Valerie, 11,
and Penny, 9.
First
Reformed Church of Fishkill
1153
Main Street
Fishkill,
NY 12524
