“ALL ARE WELCOME!” at Trinity Church
REV. DR. PAUL RIMASSA AND TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH
ARE RELAYING THE MESSAGE THAT “ALL ARE WELCOME!”
ROCKY HILL, NJ….The Rev. Dr. Paul S. Rimassa and his congregation will be in search of a few more “soles” when Trinity Episcopal Church holds its second annual “Fun Run/Walk” Sunday, October 11th here in Rocky Hill.
In an attempt to raise awareness that their faith community serves Rocky Hill, Hillsborough and Montgomery, Fr. Paul and his vestry considered “Sneaker Sunday” a great way to get the message across the street, and across the county.
“This is a friend-raiser, not a fund raiser,” says Fr. Paul. “We are not looking to raise revenue, just to make new friendships. We especially want young families to learn about the improvements that have been made to our Religions Education and Youth Ministry programs.”
The Church, located on Crescent Avenue, is quaint. It sits as a white clapboard and stained glass “mission church”, built in 1864 during the Civil War. Over the past two generations, a parish hall, kitchen and Sunday school classrooms have been added to the site.
“We’ve been here a long time, but ironically not everyone knows we’re here,” says the Rev. Rimassa. “That’s why the church decided an annual trek through Rocky Hill is a ‘no-pressure way’ to reintroduce itself to its neighbors in the borough. Having a hot-dog cart on hand to take care of the lunch crowd was a new way to share fellowship as well.”
The Rev. Rimassa says he thinks the warm and friendly atmosphere of Trinity Church is what makes it so appealing to both members and visitors.
“Trinity Church is a place where everyone knows your name,” he says. “We’re hopeful that the intimacy of a small congregation will continue to attract new families and individuals.”
The congregation, with 125 members, welcomes visitors of all religious denominations, the Rev. Rimassa says. Whether you are looking for a new church to call home, just want to hear the word of God, spend a few moments in prayer, or receive Holy Communion, you will find Trinity Church a welcoming place, he says.
“We have an open-door policy,” continues Fr. Paul. “It’s simple: All are welcome here.”
Bishop George Councell received the Rev. Rimassa into the Episcopal Church in 2005. He was named the first full-time vicar in the history of Trinity Church-Rocky Hill in 2006. The decision of Trinity Episcopal Church’s vestry three years ago to hire him as its first full-time vicar represents the initial step in helping Trinity Church eventually grow from a mission church to a parish, he says.
“We’re in a transitional phase now as we seek to become a parish,” Fr. Paul says. “We’re trying to reach out to more people in a no-pressure way. If the second annual fun run/walk is a success, maybe we’ll create a “Trinity-athalon!”
The Rev. Rimassa earned his doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania. He holds a master’s degree in pastoral counseling from LaSalle University, and a Master of Divinity degree from Seton Hall University. Previously with the parish community of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Mercerville, NJ, Fr. Paul co-founded Angel’s Wings, an emergency care shelter for abused and neglected children. At Trinity, he has started the HOPE program, Helping Others by Providing Empathy.
Trinity Episcopal Church has weekly Sunday services at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sunday school classes are held at 9:45 a.m. For further information about the church, call the church office at 609-921-8971. The Church’s web site can be found at www.trinityrockyhill.org.
Montgomery Church Preserves Historic Sanctuary
Blawenburg Reformed Church in Montgomery Township has been a prominent sight on Route 518 in the historic village of Blawenburg since it was put up in three days – barn raising style – in 1832. But these days, the big white church is showing its age. Its spirit is strong, but a host of aging problems have forced expensive repairs as the congregation struggles to keep it in good shape for future worshipers.
The church as well as the Village of Blawenburg are on the State and National Register of Historic Places. Every year Montgomery’s 3rd graders come by for a tour, and a glimpse at 19th century life few of them realized existed so close to home. Some of those students are graduates of the church’s Blawenburg Village Pre-School.
A few years back, congregants noticed cracks in the support columns of the sanctuary and an especially pliable floor in the front of the church where an addition had been added in 1860. In 2006, the ceiling showed signs of crumbling and had to be replaced at a cost of $100,000. More recently, the exterior of the church got a much needed painting, and the original 1832 slate roof was replaced with a new one.
Blawenburg Reformed Church is midway through a fundraising campaign to help pay for these repairs. Funds are currently needed for the most expensive of the preservation projects – shoring up the foundation. To meet its goal of raising $500,000, the congregation has relied on art shows, Christmas bazaars, rummage sales, breakfasts, and personal donations. It still needs to raise $200,000 to complete the foundation project.
“While historic preservation isn’t the mission of our church,” said Robert Bradsell, vice president of the church’s governing body, the Consistory, “it is ours to take care of, and we do want to keep it in good repair for the benefit of future generations.”
Pastor Richard Van Doren said “it’s a beautiful old church, and we take pride in it. I think the town does, too. Come see us at 10 o’clock some Sunday morning and see why we think it’s a special place.”
As the Blawenburg church seeks to preserve its past while moving its worship and programming forward, it needs the help of others. Anyone interested in helping may donate to the Blawenburg Reformed Church Preservation Fund at: www.BlawenburgChurch.org , contact the BRC Fund, PO Box 266, Blawenburg, NJ 08504, or call the church office at (609) 466-3108.
New Website For Montgomery United Methodist Church
The Montgomery United Methodist Church, located at 117 Sunset Road in Belle Mead, has launched a new Christian website network called "Christian-Family" www.christian-motion-worldministry.org.
Modeled closely to an initiative called "Methodist-Motion" created in October, "Christian-Motion," an initiative meant to reach out to all Christians worldwide, was launched in December. Both initiatives and accompanying websites have been well received with an overwhelming response both nationally and internationally. The Christian-Family network simply ties the two incentives together.
The mission of Montgomery United Methodist Church is to help people... and to help people become Deeply Devoted Disciples of Jesus Christ. In the words of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Religion, "Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can." Christian-Family is meant to do just that: to encourage, fortify, and inspire Lay Persons in their unique ministry as Deeply Devoted Disciples of Jesus Christ, and to attract, invite, and include new persons toward active Lay participation in the Church of Jesus Christ.
The Christian-Family websites are Information Posts - warm but serious places for edification. They are great resources for anyone at any level. We truly believe that better understanding your roots will allow for a better understanding of your fruits - your special and unique gifts. Opening your door to Jesus Christ and letting him in - means peace in your home. Opening other's doors for them - means peace in their homes. It is about discipleship and our commitments to Jesus Christ.
Christian-Family is about living our lives by what is already set in place for us in the Bible. Christian-Family is about daily movement in what is already set in place for us in the Bible to do. Christian-Family is about sharing what is already set in place for us in the Bible to share ? Living, Moving, Sharing in everything we do; everywhere we go, with everyone we meet...
We invite all Christians to join us through both the Christian-Family website network as well as at our Worship Services each and every week. For more information on Montgomery United Methodist Church, please call the church office at (908) 874-3273 or visit the church website at www.montgomeryumc.org.
Montgomery United Methodist Church Community Introduces New Prayer Labyrinth
Montgomery United Methodist Church in Belle Mead recently blessed and dedicated a new Prayer Labyrinth on the church property. A Prayer Labyrinth is a path to be walked symbolic of an individual's walk with God. It is located in the church's parking lot.
The construction of this labyrinth was the Eagle Scout project of Daniel Moses, a Boy Scout and member of the church. It was constructed in the summer and autumn of 2009, and completed on November 30. It is a project of service both to the community and to Montgomery United Methodist Church. It is ecumenical in nature, and is a visible manifestation of the Boy Scout value of Reverence.
Large Labyrinths are found in ancient European cathedrals, and have been in use at lease since 325 A. D. People who could not manage to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land could gain the blessing of such a trip by walking the Labyrinth. For centuries, the Labyrinth walk was seen as a source of blessing and healing energy.
Although it bears resemblance to a maze, it is not. The Prayer Labyrinth is a clear path. A person walks along the directed path slowly and prayerfully to the center, and then turns around and walks the path outward again. Walking the Prayer Labyrinth path calms and soothes the mind and spirit, and creates a sacred time and space for prayer. The Labyrinth walk should leave the spirit calm, refreshed, and centered.
The Prayer Labyrinth construction required Dan to develop the concept, seek necessary approvals, raise funds, and organize helpers to make it all happen. He also constructed a meditation garden around the Prayer Labyrinth, complete with a comfortable bench and attractive landscaping.
Rev. Dr. Anthony Godlefski, Senior Pastor of the Montgomery United Methodist Church, expressed his gratitude to Dan for all the work that went into the planning, fund raising, and production of the Prayer Labyrinth. "This will be a gift to the entire community," Dr. Godlefski said. "The Prayer Labyrinth is an ancient and ecumenical prayer expression. This Prayer Labyrinth is one of only two in the greater Princeton area. It is my hope that people of all denominations and faiths will stop by use it. It is a great way to take a refreshing "prayer break," and return to your day relaxed and centered."
Pastor Tony offered a few ideas for those who may wish to make use of the Prayer Labyrinth:
"There is no need to force anything, or to "try" to do anything on your Labyrinth walk. Let the blessing of the sacred time be what it uniquely is for you.
"Before entering the Labyrinth, take a moment to be still. Sit and relax for a moment. Take a few deep breaths. Relax the tension in your shoulders and other muscles. Stretch a bit if you'd like. Decide that this will be your time with God. No matter what else is going on in your life or in the world, you are dedicating this time to a sacred purpose. It is a brief retreat for you to enjoy the presence of God.
Symbolically toss the cares and worries you've been carrying deep into the woods, to be absorbed by God's good earth. Relax for a moment.
"Take a few steps into the Labyrinth. Pause at the first turning place. You are facing the woods. Take a moment to decide on an affirmation prayer - a short, simple phrase that you will repeat a number of times during your Labyrinth experience today.
Some examples: "I am loved; I am blessed; I am thankful:"
- "God is lifting the stress from my heart right now."
- "Dear God, please bless (name of person for whom you are praying) and let blessings flow to them."
- "God is blessing me now."
- "God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble."
- Or simply make up your own affirmation.
Walk the path slowly. Be aware of your breathing. You may pause before each turn, look up, and repeat your affirmation. Then turn and move on.
At the Center of the Prayer Labyrinth, offer a prayer of thankfulness. The center of the Labyrinth symbolizes the center of God's blessings and light. Give thanks that you are at the center of God's heart of love. Give thanks that you are receiving numerous blessings, and will continue to be blessed.
As you retrace your steps outward, you may continue to pause before each turn, and repeat your affirmation. You may change or alter your affirmation if that feels right to you. Breathe deeply. Take your time. Feel the subtle spiritual energy increase within you.
At the conclusion of the path, you will be facing outward, toward the church. Take a moment to simply pause and breathe. Give thanks for the time with God. Feel free to return again and again. You are always welcome.
The Prayer Labyrinth is located the far corner of the parking lot behind the church, and is available anytime during daylight hours.
More information is available by calling the church at 908-874-3273, or visiting the Montgomery United Methodist Church website at www.MontgomeryUMC.org.
Holiday Services - December 2009
All Saints’ Episcopal, Princeton
Christmas Eve
Family Service with Live Nativity, 4 pm
Musical Prelude, 8:30 pm
Candlelight Service, 9 pm
Christmas Day
Holy Eucharist, 10 am
St. Charles Borromeo, Skillman
Christmas Eve
Vigil Mass, 4 pm
Family Mass, 6 pm
Lessons & Carols followed by Midnight Mass, 11 pm
Christmas Day
Christmas Mass, 10 am
Faith Lutheran, Hillsborough
Christmas Eve
Holy Communion, 6 pm
Holy Communion & Candlelight, 8 & 10:30 pm
New Year’s Eve
Holy Communion, 7 pm
Montgomery Evangelical Free
Drive Through Christmas Story Dec. 12 & 13, 5:30 – 9:30 pm (rain date 12/19)
Christmas Musicale
Dec. 20, 6 pm
Christmas Eve
Candlelight Service, 6 pm
Griggstown Reformed
Children’s Pageant & Potluck
Dec. 13, 11 am
Community Christmas Celebration @ Harlingen Church,
Dec. 20, 7 pm
Christmas Eve
Candlelight Service, 10 pm
Blawenburg Reformed
Christmas Eve
Family Service, 5:30 pm
Candlelight Service, 11 pm
Trinity Episcopal, Rocky Hill
Tree Lighting
Dec. 11, 6:30 pm
Christmas Concert
Dec. 13, 5:30 pm
Children’s Pageant
Dec. 20, 10 am
Christmas Eve
Children’s Liturgy, 4 pm
Liturgy, Music & Choir, 9 pm
Christmas Day
Liturgy, 9 am
Harlingen Reformed
“Journey to Bethlehem” Celebration for Children & Families, 10 am
Community Christmas Celebration
Dec. 20, 7 pm
Christmas Eve
Candlelight Communion,
4:30 pm
Mount Zion United Methodist, Hillsborough
Advent Service
Dec. 6, 7 pm
Christmas Eve
Candlelight Service, 10 pm
Congregation Kehilat Shalom
Night of Blazing Candles
Dec. 18, 6 pm
Kingston Presbyterian Church
Dec. 20, 9:30 AM – Children’s Christmas Pageant “Calling All Angels”
5:00 PM – Longest Night Service
Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24
7 pm - Family Candlelight Service
10 pm – Lessons & Carols
No Christmas Day Service
EXCITING LOCAL CHANUKAH EVENTS
Chabad Center for Jewish Life is hosting its fourth annual Chanukah Wonderland & Grand Menorah Lighting at the Hillsborough Municipal Building, 379 South Branch Road. on Sunday, December13th at 3:00 p.m.
"Chanukah's a time for celebrating the freedom to openly celebrate our values; this Menorah proclaims that message to the world", said Rabbi Shmaya Krinsky, Director of the Hillsborough based Chabad, "we appreciate the town' s eagerness to bring a comprehensive Holiday spirit to the town. They display a marvelous sense of leadership and understanding."
“Chanukah’s message – the power of light over darkness, good over evil, and freedom over oppression – is not an exclusively Jewish ideal, it is relevant to participants of all faiths and nationalities,” says Rabbi Krinsky. “Each year more than 3,000 Chabad centers around the globe try to bring this universal message to as many people as possible. The public Menorah lighting is a perfect way of sharing this important tenet with the greater community and is the ultimate display of joy and unity,”
The highlight of Chabad’s Chanukah programs this year will be the "Chanukah Wonderland with ‘Mor-to-life’ show" event on Sunday, December 13th from 3-5pm, at the Hillsborough Township Municipal Complex in Hillsborough, NJ. "Mor to life", an entertaining show for young and old combining a unique blend of Hip-Hop rap with a Jewish Twist, will be performing this year at the event. Attendees will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of Chanukah activities and crafts, moon bounces, cotton candy, Latkes, doughnuts, Draidels and Gelt. Lots of fun – for young and old - guaranteed!
Admission is FREE (Bring a can to be donated to the Hillsborough Food Pantry). Participants will build a unique ‘CANORAH’ (Menorah made out of cans) which will be lit according to the holiday tradition. The cans will then be donated to the Hillsborough Food Pantry.
Public dignitaries and community leaders, including Mayor Frank DelCore and Assemblyman Pete Biondi will attend the ceremony and will assist in kindling the giant “Menorah of Freedom”.
Other Chanukah events sponsored by Chabad include a free Chanukah Wonderland and Giant Menorah Lighting in two different locations; the Montgomery Shoprite on Route 206 in Montgomery, attended by Montgomery Township Mayor Louise Wilson on Saturday night, December 12, at 7pm, and at the Somerset Shoprite on 435 Elizabeth Ave. in Somerset, attended by Mayor Brian Levine on Thursday, December 17, at 7pm. There will be latkes and doughnuts, draidels and gelt and crafts for the kids at both Shoprites.
An Evening of the Arts, accompanied by gourmet wine and cheese, featuring Jewish Pop-Artist Yitzchok Moully and a collection of his works, will be another wonderful event planned exclusively for adults, on Monday December 14, at 8pm. Meet the artist as you browse through his gallery. Sample exotic cheeses by Kosheritalia, and exquisite wines from California's largest kosher wine producer, Herzog wine cellars.
Another very exciting event hosted by Chabad will be a NYC Teen Chanukah Party. Teens from the area (and they need not be members at Chabad to attend) will be joining other Jewish teens from the tri-state area, for a Grand Chanukah Menorah Parade of seven 22-seater, Menorah mounted Hummers through the city that never sleeps. Followed by a grand Grand Chanukah Party in Midtown Manhattan with wild Chanukah games, food galore: donuts, latkes, soft drinks and more! All teens are invited on Tuesday, December 15 at 6pm.
For more information and to RSVP for these Chanukah events please contact us at 908-874-0444 or check out our website @ www.myjewishcenter.org.
Lecture series at Blawenburg reformed Church
Blawenburg Reformed Church announced that it will host a monthly Lecture Series at its facility on Route 518 in Montgomery Twp. The first program will feature local celebrity and noted pollster George Gallup, on Wednesday, March 10 at 7:30pm. Gallup will speak on "The Mood in America: Is There Cause for Being Hopeful?"
Blawenburg Church is a historic house of worship, in service continuously since 1832. Its pastor, Richard Van Doren, said of the new lecture series: "We're pleased to offer this service to the community, and we're particularly pleased that our neighbor, George Gallup, has stepped up to lead it off." Van Doren said the church has been approached several times over the years by individuals and groups seeking to use its facilities in this way. "Our Consistory - the governing board of the church - decided at a meeting last fall that a program like this would fit our mission perfectly, and would be a valuable offering to the community."
The lectures will be offered free of charge. Rev. Van Doren said that, in the event the church incurs costs in offering certain lectures, it would invite "voluntary donations" to help offset those costs.
The second program in the series - on Wednesday, April 7th at 7:30pm - will feature motivational speaker Natalie Gahrmann on "Taming Stress In your Over-Committed Life". Natalie Gahrmann is a certified professional coach and work/life expert who works with organizations to underscore the causes of stress. Her presentation promises to be "highly interactive", and timely for many working women in our area.
On Wednesday, May 5, the series will feature noted Princeton area Cardiologist and author Dr. William Haynes. And on Wednesday, May 26, the final program of the season will feature Blawenburg Church's own Rev. Richard Van Doren. "If the lecture series proves to be a popular program," said church leader and principal organizer of the series Charles Parmele, "we'll go to work on a series of speakers for the fall."
Blawenburg Reformed Church is located in the historic village of Blawenburg, on Somerset County Route 518 between U.S. 206 and The Great Road. All programs will begin at 7:30pm and will last for about an hour.
Congregation Kehilat Shalom to host March 13
Congregation Kehilat Shalom will host "An Enchanted Evening," a silent auction and casino event on March 13, from 7:30 to 11 pmat the synagogue located at 253 Griggstown Road.
"We want to provide an opportunity for our members and area residents to enjoy a night out and to possibly win some fantastic items," said Matt Rosenthal, President of CKS.
The event will feature international hors d'oeuvres and desserts, a silent auction and casino games. Winners from casino games can trade in their chips for prizes. The admission price of $30 includes food and casino chips.
Among the items available during the auction are:
- An Interior Design Kit from Stewart and Bloom Design Group valued at $1200;
- One session with Performance Enhancement Strategies - perfect for performers of any type;
- Choice of a week of summer camp, a children's birthday party or a class for an adult or child donated by the Arts Council of Princeton;
There will be a raffle for 32-inch a flat screen television plus a Mystery Wine Station where guests can buy a wine ticket for $15 but possibly pick a bottle of wine worth $75.
Although the event is sponsored by CKS, the congregation hopes to attract residents from the entire area looking for a festive evening. "In this economy, it is hard to find something to do that is reasonable and fun," said Deborah Tesser, Chair of the event. "This is also an opportunity to bid on and maybe go home with a terrific item."
For more information and to RSVP, call the synagogue office at 908-359-0420 or e-mail robin@ksnj.org.
Congregation Kehilat Shalom, located at 253 Belle Mead-Griggstown Road in Belle Mead, is a Reconstructionist synagogue. CKS is a warm and welcoming community dedicated to serving the spiritual, educational, cultural, and social needs of a diverse congregation. We maintain a unique, vibrant and visible Jewish presence in the greater Montgomery-Hillsborough-Princeton area.
Rocky Hill’s Trinity Church
Trinity Episcopal Church will go down in history as "the little church that could."
Simply-built in the mid-1800s, the white-steepled church sits like a Christmas ornament below towering trees on the corner of Crescent Avenue, just off Route 518. And although it seats less than 100 people, it is currently serving Rocky Hill, Hillsborough and Montgomery...with an aura of inclusiveness permeating from every nook and cranny.
"Trends are showing that worshipers of all denominations are looking for smaller environments where they can share their spirituality and feel a sense of community," says Rev. Dr. Paul S. Rimassa, Trinity's first full-time Vicar. "Here in Rocky Hill, relationships have been 'family-style' for decades. No one seems to tire of our pot-luck suppers and spruce-up days."
It's almost ironic the church with the very rich history is also well-known for looking ahead. it also benefits from a fine reputation of being welcoming and open-minded, and invitational in a very casual fashion. Its tagline is "A little church with a big heart!"
"While we demonstrate our commitment to be here for everyone, each and every day, we also realize families with children are our future," says Janet Dyer, M.Div., Princeton Seminary, Director of Religious Education. "We are very blessed to have the support of our Bishop, the Most Rev. George Councell, who will walk the walk with us this Spring as we confirm our community's teenagers."
Confirmation will take place at Trinity Episcopal Church in Rocky Hill on April 11, 2010. The area families looking forward to this special occasion include The Moore Family, The Houlihan Family, and The Bendinelli Family.
The entire congregation is being asked to invite guests to this very special ceremony. Fr. Paul is also personally inviting families whose babies he has baptized during his three years with the faith community to join this special presentation.
"Maybe I'm getting older, but it seems babies become teenagers right before my very eyes," he grinned. "It's never too early to begin the religious education process. We formally begin around 5 or 6 years old, but many a child has happily graced our high chairs for our famous pot luck suppers."
Perhaps because Trinity Episcopal Church is the little church that could. And even in a soft market, the Church is growing because it doesn't need a fancy sales team. It's open door policy remains the key to its success.
For more information, log on to www.trinityrockyhill.com, or call Fr. Paul at (609) 462-0028.
Pancakes to Soups: Lenten Missions at Blawenburg Church
Feb. 16 and Feb. 20
Plan on joining the folks at Blawenburg Reformed Church for a pancake supper from 5 – 7pm on Tuesday Feb. 16th , as they kick off their ‘One Great Hour of Sharing’ campaign for Lent. A Free Will Offering will be taken which will go toward this annual mission for the work of Reformed Church World Service. Bring your friends and family for this all-you-can-eat indulgence on Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday…the traditional day when people ate up all those fattening things in the larder and fridge in anticipation of the ‘leaner’ days of Lent, a treat and fun by any name! You will be able to indulge all day if you come to the Outreach luncheon that day too from 11:30 -1!
They will follow this with a sale of frozen soups on Saturday Feb. 20th. The variety and quality of the soups sold at their Sinterklaas event in December was so well received, they are repeating these to warm your winter days! The twist on this sale is that the soups will be pre-ordered and just picked up that morning from 9-11:30am. They will be $3.50/pint and $7/quart. Proceeds from this sale will go to support the Preservation Fund for their historic sanctuary with 10% to mission. There will be a variety of soups available which will be posted on their website or you may call to inquire. Buyers will need to call the office and pre-order what you wish. www.blawenburgchurch.org and 609-466-3108.
All You Need Is Love
Love takes on many shapes. On Feb 8th, 2010, 6:15-8:00pm at the Chabad Center for Jewish Life, CTeen will be checking in on why love really IS what it's all about. To what extent do we go out of our way to help others? Why do some people opt to be insular? What is the benefit?
“At CTeen events we explore concepts that are relevant to teenagers,” says Itty, teen director at Chabad Center for Jewish Life. “Teens get to hash out the answers to these and other important questions. We dig deep into these topics and help the teens see how their actions make a difference in the world. Love – a subject on everyone’s mind especially during this month – is very powerful.”
According to Psychology Today, love is as critical for your mind and body as oxygen. Love is probably the best antidepressant there is because one of the most common sources of depression is feeling unloved. Think of how many teens (and others) would be helped if they could just bring love into their lives.
“There is a mythology in our culture that love just happens. As a result, the depressed often sit around passively waiting for someone to love them. But love doesn’t work that way. To get love and keep love, you have to go out and be active.”
Well, nothin' says lovin' like challah in the oven! At the “All You Need Is Love” event, CTeens will bake fresh, fluffy and delicious "Loaves of Love". The challahs will then be sold in a variety of gourmet toppings and fillings such as apple, chocolate chip, sesame, poppy seeds, everything, or cinnamon raisin. The proceeds of the sales will go to benefit the teen programs at Chabad Center for Jewish Life.
And while the challahs are baking in the oven, the teens will be challenged to cross a dangerous minefield – a feat that can only be accomplished with the help of a friend who will lovingly guide them across. Because, at the end of the day, all you need is love!
If you are, have, or know a Jewish teenager, please encourage them to join. They won’t regret it! CTeen is open to all Jewish teens in the community, regardless of affiliation. To order your challahs or for more information about CTeen, please call 908-874-0444 or email Chabad@myjewishcenter.org. You can also visit www.myjewishcenter.org.
Hopewell United Methodist Church Pasta Buffet Fund Raiser
Hopewell United Methodist Church invites you to come and enjoy the flavors and the music of Italy at their Pasta Buffet Fund Raiser. It’s an all you can eat dinner on Saturday, February 27 from 4 – 7 pm, at 20 Blackwell Ave., Hopewell, NJ 08525. Snow date, March 6.
This is a major fund raiser for the Joanne Davison Memorial Scholarship Fund, which since 1986, has awarded over $33K in scholarships.
The buffet will include four kinds of pasta: spaghetti, whole wheat spaghetti, fettuccini, and baked ziti and three kinds of sauces: plain, meat, and Alfredo. The buffet will also include a tossed salad, Italian bread and an assortment of desserts.
Adults $10, Children 6 – 12 $5, Children 5 and under eat free.
Congregation Kehilat Shalom To Host Night of Blazing Candles Chanukah Party
Congregation Kehilat Shalom will hold its annual "Night of Blazing Candles" Chanukah party on Friday, December 18th at 6 pm. The evening will begin with a pot luck dinner and community candle-lighting followed by a short Shabbat service and Chanukah songs led by Rabbi Susan Falk and the Kol Ahavah choir. Dessert Oneg Shabbat, dreidel and other Chanukah party games after services. Bring your kids, your favorite dish (parve/dairy only), and your own menorah for group candle-lighting! For more information and to RSVP, call the synagogue office at 908-359-0420 or e-mail robin@ksnj.org.
Congregation Kehilat Shalom, located at 253 Belle Mead-Griggstown Road in Belle Mead, is a Reconstructionist synagogue. CKS is a warm and welcoming community dedicated to serving the spiritual, educational, cultural, and social needs of a diverse congregation. We maintain a unique, vibrant and visible Jewish presence in the greater Montgomery-Hillsborough-Princeton area.
Are We Giving Up?
Quick! What do the following movies have in common: "Knowing," "WALL-E," "I Am Legend," the soon-to-be-released "2012" and "The Road"? They and dozens more within the last ten years all deal with a post-apocalyptic world, meaning they all take place after the human race has either been destroyed or destroyed itself. Whether it's pollution ("WALL-E"), nuclear holocaust ("The Road"), plague ("I Am Legend") or natural disaster ("2012" and "Knowing"), it seems we've become resigned to the fact that something is going to do us in - and perhaps soon.
End of the world scenarios are nothing new, you say. They've been part of the literary landscape for centuries (Mary Shelley, for example, the author of "Frankenstein," wrote a far lesser known novel called "The Last Man" way back in the early 1800s). But those of us who are old enough to remember fondly the Beatles, may have noticed a troubling shift in attitude regarding the future of our species within the last twenty years, or so.
It used to be that the world narrowly averted disaster. The hero or heroes managed to defuse the nuke, or squelch the virus, or divert the asteroid just in time. Today's movies show the disasters actually happening, thinning the human race to a tiny fraction of its present number or wiping us out entirely.
The question is: why the change? Certainly the events of 9/11 awakened us to the fragility of our existence, and the ongoing fear of terrorism keeps us on edge. Recent natural disasters around the world and the endless reminder of a global pandemic called swine flu feed our paranoia. Are these signs of a coming apocalypse, as our collective sub-conscious seems to suggest? And again have we become resigned to it?
These and other questions will be the topic of discussion in an Advent Bible study led by Pastor Rich Van Doren at the Blawenburg Reformed Church called "The Apocalypse: Should We Be Worried?" Advent is the season just prior to Christmas when we are reminded of Jesus' promise to return to our world and establish his kingdom once and for all, a day that will be preceded by various forms of cataclysm.
The difference between the secular and biblical views of catastrophe is a stark one, however. Most of those who think of these things believe they can do nothing to forestall the inevitable. The Bible teaches that God either causes or allows to happen the troubling events in our world to save our souls, to teach us humility and trust, and to encourage compassion among all human beings. Furthermore, we have always had at our fingertips the power to stop them.
"The Apocalypse: Should We Be Worried?" will include clips from popular movies, reading biblical passages and discussion - all with the purpose of reminding us that God has bestowed upon Jesus "all authority in heaven and on earth" and apportioned a great deal of this authority to Jesus' followers. In short, the overriding theme will be hope. After all, God loves the world and all the people in it, and he will allow nothing to happen that's not for our own good.
Where: Blawenburg Reformed Church, 424 Route 518, Blawenburg (Cook Hall)
When: Sundays 11/29-12/20 at 11:30 a.m. (after worship)
Who: Everybody
Why: Because we like you
A Community Christmas Celebration at the Harlingen Reformed Church
On Sunday evening December 20 at 7 p.m., the Reformed Churches of Blawenburg, Griggstown, Harlingen and Rocky Hill will combine our talents for the first annual Community Christmas Celebration.
The service will include a congregation-wide carol sing, which may include "the Hallelujah Chorus," selections from a combined choir, music from each congregation, instrumental music and soloists.
The "Celebration" is another of the ongoing efforts of our four neighboring Reformed Churches to promote denominational identity through worship and fellowship. However the entire Montgomery Community is invited not only to attend but to participate in the service, which will be followed by light refreshments and fellowship.
Joint choir rehearsals will be held at Harlingen on December10 and 17 at 7 p.m.
Faith Lutheran Church - Dec 2009
Faith Lutheran Church, located at 381 South Branch Road in Hillsborough at the intersection of S Branch and Beekman Roads, has been a growing part of the community for over forty years. Throughout the years, Faith's membership and outreach to the community has grown considerably. Faith now has over 700 members and membership continues to increase each year.
The life of the congregation is centered in worship as Holy Communion is celebrated each Sunday at 8:30 and 11:00 AM. From September through May Sunday School, including an adult class is held at 9:45.
Faith has a multitude of successful activities and programs for the congregation and the general community. The members of Faith enjoy outings, congregational picnics, and participation in the South Somerset Church softball league with many more activities being planned.
Faith has expanded its programs to include a multitude of new and exciting initiatives for children of all ages. The youth groups, "Teens and Tweens", enjoy regular meetings, participation in worship, outings, service projects and retreats.
It is our mission at Faith Lutheran Church to Celebrate God's love and accept each other as Christ accepts us, and serve with His spirit in our community. The members of Faith put their time and talents to work when it comes to helping the community. Faith is a participant in the Samaritan Homeless Interim Program (SHIP). Four Seasons Child Care Center, located at the church, offers pre-school instruction and child care. Food collection for the Hillsborough Food Bank is an ongoing project. Faith makes a strong effort to make holidays special for those in need; delivering Thanksgiving fruit baskets each year to the Senior Nutrition Center, sponsoring a "gift tree" for the Hillsborough Resource Center for Women and prison ministries, participating in the annual CROP Walk for Somerset County, and supporting CWS Blanket Sunday and, through the Sunday School, "God's Global Barnyard", a ministry of the ELCA.
Faith Lutheran Church is active and growing, continually adding new programs and activities throughout the year. The church has activities for everyone. New members and visitors are always welcome. For more information on Faith Lutheran, please call the church office at (908) 369-3201 or check us out on the web at www.faithlutherannj.org.
Hillsborough to Join Worldwide Release of SoulQuest
New Course Asks -and Answers- the Bigger Questions of Life, An ambitious exploration of the soul's journey
This November, the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) will unveil its fall course, SoulQuest: The Journey Through Life, Death, and Beyond. The twin mysteries of life and death have fascinated philosophers and laymen alike since the dawn of time. Many questions have been asked, but far fewer have been answered.
"This is a classic case of the market creating the demand for this course," says local JLI instructor, Rabbi Shmaya Krinsky "We have received consistent requests from students to create a course that addresses these issues head on. Sooner or later, everybody must reckon with questions of their own mortality."
"This course addresses the most commonly asked questions about the soul's journey," says Rabbi Yisrael Rice, the course author. "And then some not-so-common questions that many people have never even thought of."
"Though there are many traditions that deal with the nature of the soul and its journey through this life and beyond," continues Rice, "this course reveals a counterintuitive conclusion that is unique to the Jewish tradition."
Participants will find comfort in understanding the soul's journey. Additionally, the course consistently brings the study of our before and after back to its practical ramifications of day-to-day living.
Lessons will examine a range of classic Jewish sources, drawing extensively from the Talmud and Kabbalah.
Rabbi Shmaya Krinsky of the Chabad Center for Jewish Life will be teaching this course at the Chabad Center 32 new Amwell Rd. in Hillsborough for six Tuesdays, starting November 17, and potential students are welcome to call (908) 874-0444 for more information.
SoulQuest, like all JLI's courses, is designed for people at all levels of Jewish knowledge. Participants without any prior experience or background in Jewish learning can attend and enjoy this course. All JLI courses are open to the public, and attendees need not to be a member of any particular synagogue or temple.
Members of the media are invited to attend a local class and/or interview local course facilitators in advance. Interviews with national facilitators and course creators can be arranged upon request as well. To arrange an interview, to visit an upcoming class, or for further information, please contact Rabbi Shmaya Krinsky, Chabad@myjewishcenter.org 908-874-0444.
Life, Death, and ...
The ministry at Griggstown Reformed Church (GRC) is designed to help you every step of the way from birth to death. We offer Christian education to help parents pass on their Christian faith to their children. We have pre-marital sessions for engaged couples. And we have a grief support ministry to aid anyone dealing with loss due to death.
But we are more than just “hatch ‘em, match ‘em, and dispatch ‘em” because life is more than just birth, marriage, and death. It has a beginning with the Creator of the Universe, and continues on into eternity. This is why the whole of our ministry is setup to foster an eternal relationship with God. We worship, pray, learn, and serve together, creating loving relationships with one another and most importantly, with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
These next few months, we hope to minister to your needs for comfort, joy, and inspiration. We will be offering a bereavement seminar titled “Surviving the Holidays” on Saturday, November 14 from 9-11 am. We also will be hosting a time of fellowship at our Murder Mystery Dinner on Saturday evening, November 21.
And we’ll be holding a variety of worship services throughout the holidays to bring you hope and inspiration. Partnering with Bunkerhill Lutheran Brethren Church, we’ll give thanks to God at their house of worship on November 25. Together with Rocky Hill Reformed, Harlingen Reformed, and others, we’ll offer a night of Christmas music on December 20th. We’ll also have our annual Children’s Christmas Pageant at one of our Sunday morning worship services. And to celebrate the day God came to earth as a little baby, we’ll have our Christmas Eve Candlelight service on December 24 at 10m.
We are praying for you and hoping that you are enjoying all that life eternal has to offer. If you are interested in how you can build your relationship with God, whether through one of our activities or just in general, please contact us: (908) 359-3604 or grchurch.org. Or stop on by: 1065 Canal Rd. in Griggstown
Harlingen Fall Festival Nov 14
Harlingen Reformed Church, located on Route 206 at Dutchtown-Harlingen Road, is holding a Fall Festival Saturday November14, from 11 am - 3 pm. There will be fun & games for the kids, face painting, fall crafts and more. Come and try Harlingen's famous home cooked soups & sandwiches, fresh baked pies, cakes and more. Come also to see our annual Harlingen Quilt display and enter to win one of our great Family Fun Baskets.
All proceeds go to benefit a special little boy, Nathan Zeller, & his Family. Nathan is receiving experimental treatment for Muscular Dystrophy
BELLE MEAD COLLECTS GIFTS FOR SAMARITAN’S PURSE
Christmas is arriving early in Belle Mead, as local churches and businesses prepare to serve as collection points for Operation Christmas Child. Soon, with the help of Belle Mead volunteers, the sites will be brimming with festively wrapped shoe boxes full of gifts.
Through Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project, Belle Mead residents are packing shoe box gifts for children in more than 100 countries suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty. From Belle Mead, the shoe box gifts will be sorted and sent using whatever means necessary—sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, boats, camels, even dog sleds—to reach suffering children around the world.
“Operation Christmas Child is a unique opportunity to do something as simple as packing a shoe box that will have a lasting impact on a child a world away,” said Laura Jahnke, Operation Christmas Child drop-off site coordinator. “We are excited about the 2009 collection season as community members have already begun packing shoe box gifts.”
Operation Christmas Child uses tracking technology that allows donors to “follow your box” to the destination country where it will be hand-delivered to a child in need. To register shoe box gifts and find out what country they are delivered to, use the EZ Give donation form found at www.samaritanspurse.org.
Montgomery Evangelical Free Church
246 Belle Mead Griggstown Rd, Belle Mead, N.J.
(800) 605-9674
Local Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings
(Subject to change)
www.nnjaa.org
www.24-club.org
SUNDAY
8:30am, 24 Club (located behind Vespias/Goodyear at the Princeton North Shopping Center, Rts 518 and 206), 5:30pm, 24 Club
7:30pm, Rocky Hill Reformed Church, Rt 518
MONDAY
7:15am, 24 Club, Rocky Hill
12noon, 24 Club
5:30pm, 24 Club
7pm, 24 Club
8pm, Hillsborough Presbyterian Church, Rt 206 and Homestead Rd
TUESDAY
7:15am, 24 Club
12noon, RH Reformed Church
5pm, 24 Club
7pm, Double Trouble, 24 Club
7:30 BYO Big Book, Harlingen Ref. Church
WEDNESDAY
7:15am, 24 Club
12:15pm, 24 Club
5:30pm, 24 Club
7:30pm, RH Reformed Church
8 pm, Mens Meeting, 24 Club
8pm, Hillsborough Presb. Church
8 pm, Men’s Meeting, 24 Club
THURSDAY
7:15am, 24 Club
12:15 pm, 24 Club
5:30pm, 24 Club
7 pm, Women’s Meeting,
24 Club
7:30pm Carrier Clinic, Main
Building, Garden Cafe
FRIDAY
7:15am, 24 Club
12:15pm, 24 Club
3pm, Carrier Clinic Outpatient Building
5:30pm, 24 Club
8pm, Hopewell United. Meth. Church.
SATURDAY
7:15am, 24 Club
5:30pm, 24 Club
Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their common experience and help each other to recover from alcoholism.
Rabbi James S. Diamond to Speak At Congregation Kehilat Shalom
Author and professor Rabbi James S. Diamond, Ph.D will present “Discovering Buried Treasures and Hidden Meanings in the Torah Text,” on Sunday, November 15 at 3:30 at Congregation Kehilat Shalom.The program is presented by CKS in conjunction with Jewish LIFE, a community adult education program.
Diamond previously taught the Program in Judaic Studies at Princeton University and is the author of “Stringing the Pearls: How to Read the Weekly Torah Portion.” He was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary and holds a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Indiana University in Bloomington. This combination has helped make Jewish learning a focal point of his career.
His book, “Stringing the Pearls,” has been described as a primer on reading and hearing the Torah and its 54 parashot, or portions. He conceived the book as a route to give his congregants a way to make sense of a Torah portion, but he also viewed it as perfect for adult study groups, rabbis, seminarians, educators interested in gaining a teaching tool and individual learners. “My goal was first of all to demystify the weekly Torah portion and sort of open the door to people who might now know how to go about reading it,” Diamond explained..
CKS’s Rabbi Susan Falk has used Diamond’s book as a reference in her teaching with her congregation. She will be on hand to introduce Diamond and answer questions about CKS. Added Diamond, “I’ve found over the years that studying Torah text together is no less exciting than watching football, sometimes even more. So it’s good we are doing this on a Sunday afternoon.”
Copies of “Stringing the Pearls” will be available for purchase and signing. Refreshments will be served and there is a $5.00 fee for members; $10 for non-members. To register, call 908 359 0420 or email robin@ksnj.org. Diamond’s presentation is one of many adult education programs planned by Congregation Kehilat Shalom. A full listing is available at www.ksnj.org.
Congregation Kehilat Shalom, located at 253 Belle Mead–Griggstown Road in Belle Mead, is a Reconstructionist synagogue. CKS is a warm and welcoming community dedicated to serving the spiritual, educational, cultural, and social needs of a diverse congregation. We maintain a unique, vibrant and visible Jewish presence in the greater Montgomery–Hillsborough-Princeton area.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |