The Parish Visitor
First Reformed
June 2008
Dear Friends,
As the summer season begins, with
the days getting longer and some of our memories getting shorter, I share these
random summer thoughts with you.
Worship. If you are out of town on Sunday morning, make it a priority to
worship at a local church and bring home a bulletin. We will collect them to
see where folks have gone over the summer and how some other congregations “do
church.”
Read. Find a good book and enjoy a slow read. If it’s really good, think
about reading it again, instead of starting another book.
Enjoy nature. Take some quiet moments outside before or after the noise of the day
– to enjoy the beauty of the light in the trees and the stars in the sky.
Listen closely to the sounds that fill the silence.
Serve. Ask God to show you how you can use your gifts and resources to do
good for another.
Create. Do things that reflect our Creator God, who made the tiniest
seemingly unimportant speck to the grandest of the grand.
Reflect. Set aside moments to think about your day and your life and how God
has led you in the past and where God may be leading you today. Study a portion
of Scripture and let it dwell in you.
Pray. Give thanks and do not grow weary in praying for the needs of our
world.
Slow down. If you always seem to be rushing, try to simplify your schedule, and
build in some transition time.
Celebrate. This life we have been given, with its mountains and its valleys, is
a true gift. Share its wonder and beauty with others.
Keep in touch. With all of our different summer schedules, it is easy to loose
contact, so keep people informed as to where you will be, and what is happening
in your life.
Worship. “How good it is when brothers and sisters dwell together unity.”
Plan Sundays to include being with our church family, so we that together we
can both “be church and do church well.”
With joy and thanksgiving for the
ministry we have been given,
JUNE
CALENDAR
|
1 |
Sunday School 9 am Worship 10 am – Communion |
16-21 |
Calvin’s Cleaners Team 4 |
|
2-7 |
Calvin’s Cleaners Team 2 |
18 |
Bible Study 10 am Book Study 7:15 pm |
|
3 |
Bible Study 7:30 pm |
20 |
JULY PARISH VISITOR DEADLINE |
|
4 |
Bible Study 10 am |
22 |
Worship 10 am |
|
5 |
Choir 7 pm |
23 - 28 |
Calvin’s Cleaners Balance Team |
|
8 |
Sunday School 9 am Worship – Children’s Day |
24 |
Consistory 7:15 pm |
|
9-14 |
Calvin’s Cleaners Team 3 |
25 |
Bible Study 10 am Book Study 7:15 pm |
|
10 |
Finance Committee 7:15 pm Bible Study 7:30 pm |
29 |
Worship 10 am |
|
11 |
Bible Study 10 am |
30 – 7/5 |
Calvin’s Cleaners Team 5 |
|
12 |
Choir 7 pm |
|
|
|
15 |
FATHER’S DAY Worship 10 am at Church picnic |
|
|
CALVIN’S CLEANERS:
Team 1 – Jay Wright Team 4 – Linda Baron
Team 2 – Worship and Music Committee Team 5 – MaryLou Aronow
Team 3 – Tom Schmidt Balance Team – Dan Byers
“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great
power
and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16 NLT
Preparations for General Synod 2008, June 5th - 10th are in full swing. We ask you to join with Reformed Church member across the country to be part of the synod by supporting the worship and work of the representatives and General Synod Council with your prayers. Pray that all participants be equipped by the Holy Spirit as they gather to discuss and determine how the church can best order its life and mission. As we seek to be reformed and ever reforming, may all that is said and done be pleasing in God’s sight.
You may list your prayer support on the General Synod prayer banner by signing up on line at: http://graceofholland.org/gsprayer/. All names will be displayed at General Synod as a reminder of the uplifting prayers from our church family.
With gratitude for your prayers,
Pastor
Gloria and Jan Utter
Coffee Hour Hosts
For June and July
2008:
Please note that the first name listed each
Sunday should contact the other hosts regarding food share and as a reminder of
the date. If you are not available on the assigned date, it is your
responsibility to find a substitute or trade dates, put the change on the list
in the
When it is your turn to bring food, you make
the decision whether it is something elaborate or simple, store
bought or homemade. Just
make sure you speak to the head host first to avoid duplication.
June July
1 Minot, Houston, Utter, Suggitt 6 Baron, Corwin, Campbell, Teske
8 Byrne, Wynn, Fellin, Heroy 13 Strawberry Shortcake
15 Father’s Day Picnic 20 Michaelis, Potter, Aronow, Hughes
22 Vasquez, Perry, Wesley, Alexander 27 Sanders, Byers, Nolting, Rudberg
29 Skinner, Beaudway, Cook, Grassick
Notes from
May
Ř
Deacon Jay Wright
led devotions with the focus on how we are “read”, and whether our “labels”
show others that we are children of
God. The scripture reading was Romans 12.
Ř
Treasurers Operating Report for March shows revenues totaling
$16,769.06 and expenses totaling $20,633.66. We are currently $3,000 under
projected revenue for 2008.
Ř
The parking lots of both the DuBois House and the restaurant will be
paved in the very near future.
Ř
The Food Pantry distributed 4,860 meals in April.
Ř
A new copier for the church office has been purchased from Eastern in
Newburg.
Ř
Mileage reimbursement for the pastor is set at the current IRS level.
Ř
Next
+ + + + +
Congratulations,
Graduates!
We congratulate the following graduates this spring:
Nicole VanVoorhis (daughter of Joan & Ray, and
granddaughter of Barbara) is graduated in May, from
Stephen Elting (grandson of Eileen DiYeso) will
be graduating from
Heather Hubeny (daughter of Connie and Wes
Kayson) received a Master’s Degree in Social Work from
(If we missed anyone, we apologize. Please notify
Eventful Times for Boy
Scout Troop 65
Boy Scout Troop 65 has been flourishing amidst a busy year.
The Troop recently added 6 new boys, and is pleased to announce that two
scouts, Joshua Breslauer and Scott Detterline, achieved the rank of Eagle Scout
earlier this year. The scouts have enjoyed a busy agenda with monthly campouts,
larger group camporee events at the United States Merchant Marine Academy at
Kings Point Long Island, and the FDR Homestead in Hyde Park, merit badge
seminars, and upcoming trips to Washington, DC, a rafting excursion on the
Lehigh River, an educational tour of the Indian Point Nuclear Facility, and a
week at summer camp in the Catskills. The Troop also routinely performs a
variety of service projects throughout the community including Property Cleanup
Days here at the First Reformed Church, and Food Drives for the Food Pantry. If
you would like more information regarding scouting opportunities, activities,
or service projects, feel free to contact Jon Detterline, Troop Committee
Chair, at (845) 897-2751 or Detterline@optonline.net.
I wish to thank everyone for their prayers,
calls, concerns, flowers, food, and much more, that you gave to me during my
recent surgery and recovery. I appreciate all of you. It is so precious to
belong to the Family of God. Hoping to return to church soon and especially the
choir.
God bless you,
Reylene van Geldern
Dear
Friends,
Thank you for your recent donation of kits
to Church World Service. The CWS truck stopped at collection centers
across the state earlier this month and returned to the distribution center in
New Windsor, Maryland with almost 7,000 hygiene kits, school kits, baby kits,
and clean-up buckets from our Upstate New York churches, schools, and other
groups.
If you helped to spread the word about the
need for kits in your area, shopped for supplies, sewed a school bag, assembled
and delivered kits to a local drop-off site, or volunteered to receive and
receipt kits at the depots…we thank you for all you did to help CWS meet the
increasing need for these emergency assistance materials.
The recent cyclone in
“Our strength is that we have local
partners with and through whom we work, and they are able to have access to
affected communities,” says Donna Derr, CWS Director of Emergency
Response. This is true of our response,
whether in
Blessings,
May
Arnett
Program
Assistant
Church
World Service
Editor’s
note: Please see the bulletin board in
the
“Joy Week”
August 4, 6,
& 8 5:30 – 8:30 PM
What’s all this JOY about? Well, it’s a new approach to Vacation Bible School (VBS).
Since the number of
participating children in our church programs is low, and we’ve questioned what
happens to all the VBS craft projects we invest so much time and money into
preparing, we’ve decided to take a new approach to VBS. Last summer over fifty adults in the church
generously contributed time, talent and resources to the “
Our theme is based on JOYFULLY carrying out Jesus’
commandments to love God, love others, and love ourselves. (Matt 22: 37
-40) We will eat together, play
together, sing and learn together, and work together to complete several
outreach activities within our community.
We’re still in the planning stage, but our tentative evening schedule will be:
5:30 – 6:30 light supper & play time
6:30 – 7:15 songs and a Bible story presented with some drama
7:15 – 8:30 Outreach Activities – Building, quilting, calling and sending cards, kids crafts and games.
LOOK
FOR SIGN-UP SHEET IN
Please reserve August 4, 6, & 8 for this exciting, new VBS. Think about what part of the program you’d especially like to participate in and share your thoughts with members of the education committee. If you don’t like to drive in the evening, we’ll joyfully provide transportation.
The Christian Education Committee
Jayne Hoffman, Chair
Bonnie Chao, JoAnn Supan, Thea Schallenberg, Jan Utter
Thank you to all of the people who donated items, volunteered their
time, or purchased items during the Everything
At this time, the Stewardship Committee needs to start looking
toward the fall. We need some help right now with planning for the De Kerk
Winkel and the fall Stewardship program. Please consider becoming a part of the
team for one of these programs which are so vital to the life of our church.
John
Houston
The following letter just arrived from the
Dabneys in
Dear
Intercessors, Partners and friends,
Please know that we are thankful for you and
your prayers and support. We pray for you almost daily from: the Scriptures,
our knowledge of you, your requests, and also we ask the Lord to hear your
prayers.
Its summer in
Last week and Albanian pastor, Agron
(fictitious name), came by our home to pick up twenty copies of The Message
of the New Testament by F.F. Bruce which we have had translated into the
Albanian language. Agron wanted copies for colleagues from his tradition, both
pastors and church leaders. This book is being widely received and welcomed.
Agron is unusual here in that he is an Albanian pastor with a University degree
and a seminary education from
Raised in a Muslim home, Agron attended the
mosque. His father was an atheist and his mother, though nominal regarding the
practice of her faith, was very serious about her Muslim identity. At the
mosque Agron studied a book entitled “The Fifty Thousand Errors in the Bible.”
He and a friend were assigned to go to an evangelical church and cause
problems, raise questions about the so called errors and generate confusion.
The two were assigned to Disciples of Jesus Church, where Susannah and I now
attend. At first Agron and friend were loud and argumentative. Still, Agron
says, the people treated them with respect and love. They gave them each a
Bible which he began to read. The story in the Bible took hold of his mind and
heart, and while reading that Bible Agron became a believer in Jesus Christ. He
stopped attending the mosque and continued attending the church where later he
was baptized.
The members of the mosque got word to
Agron’s family which is well known here because of a famous school started by
his grandfather. For about a year his mother demeaned his Christian faith and
life, saying that he was bringing shame on their family and the name of his
grandfather. Finally, Agron’s father told him that he had to move out of their
home, that he was no longer his son. The first night Agron slept on the ground
in a nearby park. However, there was a group of Orthodox believers camping in
the park with some of their members. They gave Agron food and shelter. Soon he
met an evangelical missionary who offered him a place to live. After some
months Agron’s father came and asked him to come home. He said that Agron’s
mother missed him greatly and cried all the time, so Agron moved back home. His
father has been attending church every Sunday for some years now. Though still
not a believer Agron’s father says that if there is a genuine religion it would
have to be Christianity.
Agron’s congregation has six University
graduates who want to learn more about the Bible and the Christian Faith. Agron
has checked with other churches and has identified fifteen additional persons
who want a Master’s level course of study on the Bible and Christianity.
Beginning in September, I will be one of the teachers for this new venture and
I will teach one evening a week during the school year.
Yesterday at his invitation, I had coffee
with a pastor friend. I learned that he and his leaders are experiencing what
appears to be stress regarding the work and responsibility required of a pastor
and church leaders in this culture where the primary model of leadership is a
Dictator. This friend wants me to teach and train him, his congregation and
leaders so that they can transition to a church government of elders. Beginning
in September I will preach once a month in worship and teach once a month in
their leaders’ meetings. After four months we will evaluate the process and
decide how we will proceed.
While visiting survivors of the Gerdeç
explosions, Susannah asked Lavdia, a mother in her thirties for permission to
write her name and the names of her children in the back of her Bible so that
she could pray for them by name. Lavdia was eager for her family to receive
this ministry. Susannah clarified that she and Linda are Christians and would
be praying in Jesus’ name. Lavdia’s enthusiasm was not dampened even though she
is a Muslim. A month later, during Susannah and Linda’s regular visit, Lavdia
came carrying her four year old son Andre to Susannah and Linda. He was quiet
and subdued though aware. Early that morning, Andre had accidentally fallen to
the ground from a second floor balcony. By 7 AM he was in the hospital where he
was thoroughly examined. To the surprise of the physicians he did not have a
concussion or any broken bones. Lavdia expressed her belief that Andre was
alive and unbroken because God had heard and answered the prayers that Susannah
and Linda had been praying.
Zhaneta works at
Today, when Susannah and Linda were leaving
the Infant ICU, Zhaneta asked them if they would come with her into a room near
the door to the ICU. Once in the room, she said that she would like them to
pray for her. She said that her life was difficult and that she was in need of
peace. Susannah and Linda listened as Zhaneta told her story. Linda asked some
questions and then began to share the Gospel. Zhaneta’s heart and mind were
captured by the Gospel. She was increasingly open. She shared what she wanted
and Susannah prayed for these requests. Because of Zhaneta’s openness, Susannah
was encouraged to pray and ask the Lord to come into Zhaneta’s heart, and then
thanked Him that He will never leave her nor forsake her; that even when
Susannah and Linda leave Jesus Christ will stay. As Susannah and Linda were
leaving, they could see that the Lord had touched Zhaneta’s heart and she was
encouraged and so very thankful. And so were Susannah and Linda.
Increasingly, Susannah is being asked to
take individuals to the Roma Gypsy Community where she and Linda regularly
minister to the poor. Last week they took the student body from the Center for
Christian Leadership as a part of the students’ outreach training. The students
played games with the children, sang interactive songs with them, and told
Bible stories. Parents were looking on and listening. It was a wonderful day.
The week before a short term mission team from
On the way home with the friend from
With you
in mission,
Jack and
Susannah Dabney in
Car promises more possibilities for Titus family By Nancy Titus
Praise the Lord! The Titus family has wheels again!
And we hope this summer we can use them to combine one of Eric’s doctoral trips
to
We – really you, our faithful supporters, and us
together – are now the proud owners of a Škoda (the Slavic š is pronounced like our sh)
Octavia Combi Tour. The word combi is
usually translated van or truck but this most definitely is a
small station wagon. It is nothing as spacious as our old Caravan, but it fits
all five of us and has some luggage space as well. You would think that after
nearly two years living here in Croatia without a car that once we got it we
would be cruising all over Osijek just getting the feel of it.
Well, we are, but
Croatian style. Which means slowly. We have had it in our garage nearly a
month, but only yesterday did the odometer pass the 100-kilometer mark, that's
62.5 miles.
It isn't that we don't
have anywhere we want to go or even that we haven't had the time – actually the
kids have had two school holidays with four-day weekends since we got the car.
The problem mostly has been that Eric has been sick.
As some of you know, Eric
has ulcerative colitis, a chronic disease of the colon. He has had it for about
25 years, and generally it is kept under control with medication. However, he
had an unusal and extremely severe flare-up beginning while he was in Prague
about a month ago, actually on the day the car arrived. He is much better now
though still weak, and so family or work car trips have had to take a back seat
to getting him well. We are glad to say he is getting stronger every day.
As is usually the case,
getting a car here has helped us be more appreciative of American red-tape. The
Croatian variety is much more profuse and mind-bogglingly complex. Eric spent
two days standing in one line at a government office to get one piece of paper
and pay a fee, only to have to return to a previous line and pay a different
fee. Even the money transfer was strange. He had to withdraw the money from our
account – in cash – and then walk across the street to another bank to desposit
it into the account of the dealership. He spent the better part of one morning
watching two different tellers count out 119 1,000-kuna bills.
Even getting the car took
a while, seven weeks from the time we ordered it, which was more than a year
from our first shopping trip. Dealerships here operate on banker's hours. Test
drives had to be arranged by appointment and even then only on a similar model
of car. None of the salespeople were particularly anxious to have us buy a car.
It was a surreal experience for an American!
We decided on a Škoda, in part because it was the least expensive car
we looked at but also because we knew something of the car maker. Škoda is
based in the
Now, we move from the
hurdle of buying the car to the hurdles involved in operating one. The biggest
is still the cost. While you in the States may experience $4 a gallon gasoline
this summer, we here in Croatia today are paying 9 kuna per liter, which
translates to about $8.50 a gallon. I am still in shock over the bill for the
first fill-up: more than $100! And this is really quite a small car. That alone
is a good reason we learned to live without a car before getting one.
The next step is getting
adjusted to driving again. For one thing, I have to learn to drive a standard.
Eric has lots of experience there, but it is still disconcerting to be driving
these streets, which are not quite wide enough for traffic. It's common to see
one whole line of cars parked in the street, making a two-way more like a
one-way.
Prayer and
Praise:
Praise the Lord! One of our students who spent much of
last year in the hospital with an illness of the stomach and pancreas gave
birth in May to sweet little boy. Both mother and baby are doing well. We thank
the many of you who prayed for Vanesa last year when she was enduring months of
only intravenous feeding. She, baby, and husband Mirce (who graduated last
year), are back in
Eric and Nancy Titus are RCA missionaries in
First Reformed
COME JOIN US FOR OUR 4th Annual
Golf
Tournament
September
22, 2008
McCann
Memorial Golf Course
$120.
per golfer will include golf, cart, goody bag gifts, lunch & Dinner (Christo’s),prizes
for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place team finish,
longest drive, closest to the pin & hole-in-one prize!
great raffle prizes, too!
You
don’t play golf? then consider a
sponsorship of tee or green signs at $75. each.
(other larger sponsorships also available).
For more
information see Ray VanVoorhis
Proceeds support
frc’s capital projects.