Newsletter: October 2006

CHURCH PHOTOGRAPHERS

·         Josine Stanley has offered to take pictures at several of our church events (though she obviously can’t be at all).

·         We are looking for other photographers as well.

·         Digital photos of church people in action

·         Needed for our website and powerpoints

PODCASTS

Podcasts of each weeks sermon are available at the website. If you miss church, tune in for your spiritual nourishment.

AUTOMATIC EXTERNAL DEFIBULATOR

An AED given in memory of Adam Battles Jr. by the Memorial Committee, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and Emergency Vehicle Response was dedicated on Sunday, September 10^th.

CROP WALK 2006

·         Our church will again participate in the Greater Middletown CROP Walk for Hunger. The walk is an easy 5K walk (about 3 miles). It will be held on October 22^nd at 1:30pm, at Fancher Davidge Park in Middletown.  If you would like to walk or donate, please see Candy Burnett.  Our church has always been very generous to this cause to provide a means for the hungry to get food and to provide disaster relief when and where needed.

·         Walk On the Web is a new way to make donations. Church World Service has provided a whole new way to raise funds for the CROP Walk. I have started a Web Team named OMHPC Walkers at www.cropwalk.org. You may join my team or start your own and create a webpage to send out to your e-mail friends to raise funds for the CROP Walk.

·         Donations may be done by credit card or a donation may be made by check. Just go to the website, click on the box with the CROP Stop Sign, then click on NY and scroll down to our walk which is Middletown listed under Fall Walks, then select our team at the right. To make a donation, click on General Team Donation. To join the team, click Join Our Team. This is new and exciting. Join the team and help meet or even surpass our goal of $300 in web donations.

·         Thank you for all of your help and support. If you have any questions, please see Candy Burnett. Remember the CROP Walk motto: “We Walk Because They Walk” – for food, water and other necessities of life.

MINISTRY ESSENTIALS

Bible for Beginners (Course 1)

This gathering is another section of our acclaimed eight-week course that was offered last spring as part of our “Ministry Essentials” series. Candy Burnett will reprise her introduction to the Old and New Testaments. New participants as well as former participants who want to be able to complete the course are welcome. No knowledge or background is required. Textbook is The Bible for Dummies ($15.00). Please order through Church office. Starts Sunday, October 1^st Sunday mornings at 9:30am.

Prayer & Worship for Beginners (Course 2)

These gatherings are the initial classes for a new eight-week

 course, the second in our “Ministry Essentials” series. Jeff Farley will lead the section on Wednesday

nights at 7:00pm, and Eileen Siegel will lead the section on Sunday mornings at 9:30am. New participants are welcome. No knowledge or background is required. Textbook is Christian Prayer for Dummies ($18.00). Please order through church office. Starts Wednesday, September 27^th, or Sunday, October 8^th

Register for one: Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm, Sundays mornings at 9:30am.

Theology for Beginners (Course 3) (future)

This eight-week course in our Ministry Essentials Series will be a presentation and discussion of the basic theological ideas of Christianity (from a Presbyterian perspective). It will be offered in the spring (2007) on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. The textbook will be Paul Little’s Know What You Believe ($9.00). A person willing to lead the group on Sunday is being recruited.

Leadership for Beginners (Course 4) (future)

This final eight-week course in the Ministry Essentials Series will offer up an understanding of the basics of leadership: Objectives, Qualifications, Methods, Finances, Ethics, Safety, Accountability and Personal Growth. It will be offered next fall (2007) on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. The textbook is being evaluated. A person willing to lead the group on Sunday mornings will be sought.

Comparing Religions (future)

This eight-week course will spend two weeks examining Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, one week to look at differences and another to look at similarities between Christianity and four of the world’s largest religious faiths. A single textbook is being sought, though several individual texts are available in the church office. The course will be offered when it is ready, probably in the fall of 2007. Another teacher is being sought.

50 GREATEST BIBLE STORIES

This eight-week gathering (for section 1, there will be sections 2 and 3 later on) will introduce and discuss the greatest stories in the bible. In this course we will look at one Old Testament and one New Testament story each week. No Knowledge or background is required. The text book is your own bible, or you can sign up to get a new bible for your permanent use.

Wednesday evenings at 8:00p.m.

KOINONIA BOOKSTORE

Open on Sundays 9:00-11:00 & Tuesday-Thursday 9:00-1:00. Purchase course books, 2007 Calendars, Bibles, Service CD’s, church T-shirts & sweatshirts, ornaments, trivets and more. If you would like to help staff the bookstore on Sunday mornings please see Jeff or Liz.

BIBLE QUIPS

Q: How do we know that Job went to a chiropractor?

A: The Bible says Job said, "I was at ease, but He has shattered me; He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces"

COFFEE HOUSE

The “Coffee House” was off to a great start in September, with lots of wonderful music, food, and friends.  October and November performers are already planning their music - so join us on the following dates: Saturday, October 21^st, and Saturday, November 18^th.  The evening starts at 7:30 PM.  Interested musicians should contact Sue and Mike Conklin.  Arrival time for the musicians is 7:00 PM or earlier.  A freewill offering is accepted. 

CHOIR NEWS

The Adult Choirs have started rehearsals, and the children’s/youth ensembles will be meeting soon.  Sheila Moore and Alison Wilbur are the contacts for the children’s groups - please contact them for schedules. See Sue Conklin for more information regarding adult choirs.  Are you interested in trying to play the “tone chimes”?  (We call them “Bells”).  Please inform Sue Conklin, and rehearsals will soon be planned. 

BALLROOM DANCING

Classes have begun!  It’s still not too late to join-in! New dance steps are taught every week.  A dance party will take place on November 17^th (Friday), and all dancers are invited, regardless of class attendance. Bring a neighbor, bring a friend!  The music will cater to the styles learned in dance class, which will include “soup- to-nuts”!   Tickets will go on sale in mid-October. Remaining dance class sessions are (all Fridays): October 6, 13, 20, and November 3.  Classes are free and are held in the church’s Fellowship Hall.  They are from 7:30-9:00 PM.  Just “show-up” if you are interested.  Contact Sue and Mike Conklin if you need more information.

CD RECORDINGS

CD recordings are available for all Sundays since April 2.  CD’s are $2 each. Please call or email the office for your copy, or stop by the Koinonia Bookstore.

NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER

Information for the November issue needs to be to Jeff by October 15^th! This includes all the holiday plans for all organizations! Please send your info by email!

THEOLOGY UNLEASHED

The next gathering of Theology Unleashed is planned for October 3 at 7:00pm. The topic is homosexuality in the church.

CHRONICLES OF NARNIA

·         The Chronicles of Narnia Study Group will continue on October 10^th with Lewis’ “The Last Battle”. After this final volume of Lewis’ work, we will begin a new book study and are looking for that right book.

·         Suggested so far: The Satanic Verses – Solomon Rushdie; A Million Little Pieces – James Frey; Cry, The Beloved Country – Alan Patton; God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It – Jim Wallis

WOMEN’S AUXILIARY TURKEY DINNER

The Women’s Auxiliary Turkey Dinner is planned for Saturday, October 14^th. Seatings are at 4:30pm and 6:00pm

SUNDAY SCHOOL

We currently have 70 children registered for Sunday School.  Our class teachers are: Preschool: Jennifer O'Connell and Victoria Riley, for Kindergarten and 1st grade: Bonnie McCombs and Sue Maney-Eggleton, 2nd and 3rd grade Wendy Fisher and Tim Seymour, 4th and 5th grade Kelly Dolson and Tammy Bosco, 6th, 7th and 8th grade Penny Antona and Kim Ferrier, Highschool Sue Farley. We are all excited and ready for a new year!

WORSHIP NURSERY

·         Our babysitting staff is up and ready to go with some new faces to replace our college girls.  Please stop by to get a new babysitting list.  Just a reminder our nursery is staffed with two sitters from 10:50am to the end of church.  All children 6 and under are welcome to stay in the nursery. 

·         We are currently working on a new children's church program for children 3rd grade and under to come downstairs 1/2 way through the service for a short bible lesson and song.  If you are interested in helping with this program (curriculum is provided) please see Allison Wilbur.

SUNSHINE CHOIR

Sunshine Choir will be starting up in October.  We will practice on October 8th and 15th at 11:20am and will sing on Oct 22nd at the 11:00am service. All children ages 3- 2nd grade are welcome to sing. See Mrs. Wilbur

VENTURE CREW 49

The Venture Crew (boys and girls ages 14-21) will meet at the church the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month with one activity a month.  The 1st outing will be Oct 1st, White water rafting down the Lehigh in Pa.  If you would like more info. on our crew please see Lisa Santa Cruz, Katie Farley, Kyle Ketcham, or Nick Wilbur.

The Newkirk Memorial Concert is planned for Sunday, October 15th, 2006, at 3:00 PM.  Featured artists the Esposito’s of Middletown.

RECREATION DEPARTMENT SCHEDULE

Sun. Oct 1 – Biking Picnic @ 1:00

25 mile “country tour” bike ride after picnic

Wed. Oct. 4 – Tennis competition @ 5:00

Fri. Oct 6 – Dance Class #5 @ 7:30

Sat. Oct 7 - Golf Outing 3:00 registration

Fri. Oct 13 – Dance Class #6 @ 7:30

Sun. Oct 15 – Heritage Trail bike ride/picnic @ 1:30

Goshen to Monroe and back

Wed. Oct 18 – Tennis competition @ 5:00

Fri. Oct 20 – Dance class #7 @ 7:30

Fri. Oct 27 – Dance class #8 @ 7:30

Fri. Nov 3 – Dance Class #9 @ 7:30

JUNIOR YOUTH FELLOWSHIP

·         Roller-skating Activity - Sunday, September 24, at 3:00pm meet at the church, Skate Time 209, Accord, NY - New facility - Indoor Roller-skating and Skateboard Park, $6.50 p.p. includes skate rental

·         Sue Maney-Eggleton 888-5859 or sue@greenwaldlaw.com asap

·         Next meeting:  Sunday, October 8th @ 3:00 p.m.

·         Next trip:  Haunted House/Hayride? - more info soon

SENIOR YOUTH FELLOWSHIP

·         Digital Scavenger Hunt, 12 Noon, Saturday, September 23. Call SYF directors Eric & Katie Durkins see or Katie Farley/Lisa Santa Cruz for information on planned events

·         Pink Flamingos are here!

·         Next Meeting Sunday, October 1 at 6:30pm

JOSH DECKER CANCER SPAGHETTI DINNER

By the Otisville Sportsmen’s Association, October 14, 2006 at the Otisville Firehouse. Adults $8.00

Children 10 and under $4.00. For tickets or additional information call 386-2521 or 754-7306.

THEOLOGIANS CORNER

Question: Is the congregation as we see it on any given Sunday morning, in any given congregation, supposed to be filled with saints or sinners?

Theologians of old fought have fought over terms like the visible and invisible church. They railed at each other arguing, some of them, that only the clearly saved and sanctified should be allowed in the hallowed halls, others that the more people in the pews, the greater likelyhood that any might someday be accounted among the saints.

The Presbyterian Church for the most part has stood on the side of those inviting all to come to worship, sinners included, partly because of a recognition that it is terribly hard sometimes to tell who is who. Great saints fall; great sinners make huge changes in their lives after an encounter with the Living God.

In fact Jesus tells a parable that suggests that it is actually impossible to tell who’s who! In Matthew 13:24 and following, Jesus tells the story of the wheat and the weeds (or tares), with this understanding: since it is impossible for humans to tell the faithful from the unfaithful, just as the farmworkerss can’t tell the wheat from the  weeds, we have no choice but to gather all of the harvest and put it into God’s barns.

God will do the sorting. We are to plant, water, fertilize, and harvest. God will do the rest. The church it seems is supposed to be filled with sinners and saints, because in fact, no one knows for sure who is who!

I am sure the church will continue to struggle with this issue. We want to be faithful, but we also want to be grace-filled; it aint easy being the church!

We are continuing our 7:30-8:00pm time for healing and prayer. Anyone who is feeling in need of special prayer, or who feel the need to sit in for someone else who needs prayer is welcome.

NEW MEMBERS

·         Welcome to new members Matt & Anna Gibbs, Michael & Jennifer (Hosking) Serbetzian, Craig Hosking, Stacey Hosking, Eddie & Keri Conklin and Uriah & Collette Conklin.

·         A New Member’s Class will be held immediately after 11:00am worship on Sunday, October 1. See Candy, John or Jeff to sign up. RSVP’s are required because we will be having a light lunch together

SESSION APPOINTMENTS

The session has just approved the appointment of new directors for our youth programs. We welcome their enthusiasm and fresh ideas. The youth groups can look forward to some wonderful activities.

Junior Youth Fellowship: Sue (Maney)&Jim Eggleton

Senior Youth Fellowship: Eric & Katie Durkins

DEACONS

As we head into fall the Board of Deacons continue their caring ministry. They are getting ready to send care packages to our college students to let them know we miss them and look forward to their return. A list of needed items will be available shortly.

They have a continuous prayer list. If you need prayers or know of someone who does let a deacon know.

STEPHEN MINISTRY

Stephen Ministers provide one on one caring for hurting people in our church and community. They provide a confidential, compassionate and nonjudgmental listening time for people suffering loss, depression, life changes etc. If you or someone close to you is suffering the relationship with a Stephen Minister can be a real comfort. Please let us know if we can help! Call Jeff at 386-3851 or Liz Demerest, our Stephen Ministries Referral Coordinator at 355-8367.

Training for new Stephen Ministers will begin in the spring. If you would like to participate in this very rewarding ministry pick up an application in the office.

We are also seeking applicants to go to leadership training. Stephen Leaders are trained by The Stephen Ministries Organization to provide support, training, continuing education, growth, guidance, and spiritual leadership for the team. If interested please see Liz Demerest, Gerda Krogslund or Jeff Farley.

BAPTISMS

Several baptisms are scheduled this fall: Craig Hosking September 17^th, Toni Ann Maurizzio September 24^th, Emily Marilyn Jennings October 10^th , Michael Serbetzian and Stacey Hosking October 17^th, and Collette Conklin and Bradin Conklin on October 22nd.

COMMITTEE FOR SOCIAL ACTION

An idea that came to me (Jeff) on vacation is the formation of a committee for social action. This committee would make plans to do things together that would make our community a better place to live: one idea, to help promote the response to the NYRI power lines, another, to promote the use of compact florescence light bulbs.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

Headed by Sue Maney Eggleton, this group met on Friday, September 22 at 6:00pm and will be preparing to get response plans together for the church in major critical event, for example the floods in Roscoe, and the hurricane in New Orleans.

QUOTE

"The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.          - Albert Einstein

 OTISVILLE LIONS CLUB

The Otisville Lions Club is looking for new members. See Jeff Farley, Gladys Loeven, Don Wanser, Dave Budd, Lorraine Lilley, or Wes or Bettsye Hunter for information.

MINISTRY LEADERS MEETING

The next Ministry Leaders Meeting is on Thursday, October 26 at 6:30pm for dinner. Please bring all your plans, ideas and suggestions for all programs and activities for Easter back to January 1.

This includes leaders from all our church groups and ministries in all areas including Compassion, Education, Fellowship, Mission, Outreach and Worship. Each of these teams will meet separately to talk about the calendar and items of mutual concern. Together all the groups will celebrate the amazing things God is doing in our church. All church attendees are welcome to come and join one of the teams to help in an area of particular passion.

Session Members (the elders) have volunteered to oversee these teams and will have a session member in each team. Compassion elders are: Compassion: Chuck Krogslund, Deanna Prisco, and Joe Miedema; Education: Allison Wilbur, John Goldsmith, and Phil Saler; Fellowship: Phil, Allison, and Ed Cristello; Mission: Deanna, Chuck, Sheila Moore; Outreach: Sheila, Wes Hunter, and Joe; and Worship: John, Ed, and Wes.

The opportunities for some great new ministry are just ahead! Praise be to God!

CHRISTMAS EVE

We are looking for several people to participate in the Christmas Eve drama at 8:30am, 9:30am, 11:00am, 5:30pm, 7:30pm, and 11:00pm.

8:30am – Joseph, Innkeeper, and two or three Roman soldiers

9:30am – Joseph, Mary, Innkeeper, Innkeeper’s wife

11:00am – Mary, Innkeeper, Innkeeper’s wife, one Roman soldier, one scribe, three children

5:30pm – Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, midwife, Innkeeper’s daughter and son

7:30pm – Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, ten shepherds

11:00pm – Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, ten shepherds, angels

No cast member will have to repeat their roll at more than one service, or they may if they like, “switch” rolls. See Jeff Farley or Lisa Grainger. We will also be looking for three assistant directors, set people, costume persons, lighting people and sound people. Wow!

BRASS QUINTET

We are working on a new Brass Quintet. Show your support by liberally praising Jeff and John as they try and put this together.

THE RIDGEBURY DECISION

Here’s the crux. When a congregation decides it doesn’t want to be part of particular denomination anymore, does the property stay with the congregation or the denomination?

For congregationalists (most Baptists and congregationalists, non-denominational and free churches), the answer is easy; the congregation. It is their form of government that all associations with any denomination are voluntary.

For episcopacies (all Catholics, Episcopalians, Anglicans, Orthodox, Lutherans, and Methodists) the answer is also clear, the bishop is in charge and the property through him belongs to mother church.

The problem for Presbyterians is that we are neither fish nor fowl. We are a representative democracy, so we get together and vote at all different kinds of levels about all kinds of things, because we believe that most things are a tri-part relationship. Pastors are hired by a covenant that is with the pastor, the church, and the presbytery. Church’s are encumbered by that same tri-part relationship.

This presbytery is best illustrated by another representative democracy, the United States. We elect representative to legislative bodies to help us make decisions, because those decisions affect us all. Orange County may want to withdraw from New York State, or the South from the Union, but unless the State or the Union agree, it is not happening.

Why, because the Presbyterian’s believe (and you are welcome to disagree) that every unit within it is all part of one organism. Each congregation belongs to each other in one larger organism call a presbytery, kind of like Paul’s imagery in suggesting that all Christians, no matter their gifts, are all part of one body.