FALL SERVICES

Beginning Sunday, September 10^th we go back to our three service schedule, with Sunday School at the 9:30am hour.

 SUNDAY SCHOOL

Our Sunday School will begin classes again on Sunday, September 10^th at 9:30am.

 SENIOR YOUTH FELLOWSHIP

Will go bowling on Thursday, August 31^st. Call Katie Farley or Lisa Santa Cruz for information.

 AUTOMATIC ELECTRONIC DEFIBULATOR

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

 MINISTRY ESSENTIALS

·         Bible for Beginners (Course 1)– We will begin this course again in the fall on Sunday, October 1 at 9:30am. Gifted teacher, Candy Burnett will preside. Register by calling the church office at 386-3851 or send a message to info@otisvillepres.org The Text Book for Bible for Beginners class is available in the church office. The Bible for Dummies is $15.

·         Worship and Prayer for Beginners (Course 2) – this course will also be offered in the fall on Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm (Jeff) and Sunday mornings at 9:30am (Eileen Siegel, a Worship and Prayer specialist). In eight weeks will introduce worship and prayer to folk who have always felt the desire to know more. Classes will begin September 27 (Wednesdays) and October 1 (Sundays). Text Book for Worship & Prayer for Beginners will be Christian Prayer for Dummies. The book will be available for in the church office for $16 each.

CALENDAR

* Repeats weekly                                                           + Repeats monthly

LECTIONARY AND PREACHING

CHOIR NEWS

Time to “warm-up” the vocal chords for another exciting season of inspirational music!    

For more information about the choirs, or to offer “special music”, please contact Sue Conklin, Director of Music.

  COFFEE HOUSE

The Coffee House staff is getting ready for another fun-filled season of good music, good food, and good friends. New talent will be introduced this fall, as well as many of our regular, favorite

Christian performers.  

Cheesecakes of many varieties are planned for September’s treat.. October’s fare will be announced at the September gathering. 

The Coffee Houses are free of charge, but a “Freewill Offering” is accepted each month, to offset costs. Donations of desserts are gladly accepted each month, also.  

For information about singing, contact Sue and Mike Conklin, at 386-8114.  To donate a dessert or to assist in the kitchen, contact Marianne and Ted Harden.  The events are on the third Saturday of each month, from 7:30-9:00 pm.

This fall( 2006): Sept. 16^th,  Oct.21st,  Nov.18th.   (No Coffee House in December)

 FIFTY GREATEST BIBLE STORIES

Many people who attend church have heard some of the great bible stories. But many folk have not heard them all! So beginning this fall we will be offering a class to introduce the “Fifty Greatest Bible Stories”.

 BALLROOM DANCING

Join Mike and Sue Conklin this fall for “free” instruction on “Social Ballroom Dancing”!

Classes will meet in the Fellowship Hall on Friday evenings, from 7:30-9:00 pm. A partner is preferred, but not necessary. Classes will run from September 8^th  thru  November 3^rd. The sessions will culminate in a Dance Extravaganza at the Town of Mount Hope Community Center on Friday, November 17^th, where we will focus on all the dance steps learned in the classes!  The steps will include: fox trot, swing, waltz, cha-cha, merengue, disco, country line dance, a little free-style, and the basics of square dancing! For more information, contact Sue and Mike Conklin or Bill Byrne, our Recreation Director.

 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.

 OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

Information for the October issue needs to be to Jeff by September 17^th! This includes all the upcoming fall plans for all organizations! Please send your info by email!

 VENTURE CREW 49

The rent-a-youth program is still in progress.  If you have any jobs inside or out for a small or large group of teens contact Allison Wilbur 386-4077.

 THEOLOGY UNLEASHED

The next gathering of Theology Unleashed is planned for September 5 at 7:00pm.

 KOINONIA BOOKSTORE

The Koinonia Bookstore is open on Sunday mornings during the Kafe so you can pick up all those items you wanted to get during the week. It might include: books, (like those Bible for Dummies books) bibles, hymnals, Christmas ornaments, trivets, shirts and sweatshirts, calendars and CD’s of Sunday’s services. See Jeff if you are interested in helping with this great new idea!

The Chronicles of Narnia Study Group will continue on September 12^th with Lewis’ “The Silver Chair”.

WOMEN’S AUXILIARY TURKEY DINNER

The Women’s Auxiliary Turkey Dinner is planned for Saturday, October 14^th.

 MANSE WINDOWS

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. Sept 3 – Tennis Lessons @ 5:00

Fri. Sept 8 – Dance Class #1 @ 7:30

Sat. Sept 9 – Tennis Tournament @ 9:00

Sun. Sept 10 – Softball game @ 5:00

Apostles/Apprentices (Mike vs The Big Momma)

Fri. Sept 15 – Dance Class #2 @ 7:30

Sun. Sept 17 – Bike ride @ 1:00; Tennis @ 2:00

Fri. Sept 22 – Dance Class #3 @ 7:30

Sat. Sept 23 – Minnewaska Hike – leave church @ 8:45 ($7.00 per car)

Sun. Sept 24 – Tennis Lessons @ 5:00

Wed. Sept 27 – Tennis tournament @ 5:00

Fri. Sept 29 – Dance class #4 @ 7:30

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 #5 @ 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

RECREATION DEPARTMENT NOTE: Thanks to all who are helping to make our activities successful. Those of you who attend as well as those who plan:  Sue Maney Eggleton – hiking, Mike and Sue Conklin - our dance teachers, and Bill Noha for organizing our golf program.

SEPTEMBER 11^th

We are planning a Fifth Anniversary Memorial Service of the September 11^th tragedy. Any who would like to help, please see Jeff. The service will include a multimedia presentation including Mike Wilbur Sr.’s photographs.

 CROP WALK

This year our church will again participate in the Greater Middletown CROP Walk for Hunger. It will be held on October 22^nd at 1:30 PM., starting from Fancher Davidge Park in Middletown. Our church has done a fantastic job of contributing to this very worthwhile cause in the past! Please join in the fun as a walker this year and get your exercise, too. The walk is an easy 5K (about 3 miles) and doesn’t take much time at all.    See Candy Burnett for more information. The CROP Walk motto is: “We walk because others must walk, … for water, food, firewood and other basic life necessities.”

 MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH FELLOWSHIP

There will be an initial meeting of the new Middle School Youth Fellowship on Sunday, September 10th at 3:00 p.m. Please contact Sue Maney at 888-5859 to RSVP your attendance.

Plans for a trip to Skate 209 on September 24^th will be made that night

 JOSH DECKER CANCER FUND

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.

 MT. HOPE AREA ARTISTS

On Saturday September 16^th, several Mt. Hope Artists will be displaying interpretations of Mt. Hope scenes from 11:00am until 2:00pm when there will be an old time auction of those works as well as some “antiques” at the Eleazer Harding Barn on Old Mountain Rd.

 THEOLOGIANS CORNER:

DISPENSATIONAL PRE MILLIENIALISM OR

WHY SOME CHRISTIANS ARE SO EXCITED BY ISRAEL’S NATIONHOOD AND OTHERS AREN’T….

One of the questions that has come to me by some folks is why some in the Christian Family seem so excited about the nationhood of Israel and it’s quarrels with in particular Islam but also with the rest of the world at times.

Part of the explanation actually is a theological one. Some of the most ardent of supporters of Israel are those who believe in a particular theological interpretation of the book of Revelation and of parts of Daniel. The center of that interpretation is the Southern Baptist Church and in particular Dallas Theological Seminary, both of which accept a particular way of reading scripture called Dispensational Pre Millennialism.

In essence it argues that in order for Christ to return (a desire of the whole Christian Church) Israel as a theocratic nation must be re-established, with sacrifices again made at the Temple in Jerusalem. After that will come the rise of the Anti Christ, the rapture (when Christ followers meet him in the air) and Armageddon (the great final battle), before the victorious return of Jesus and the establishment of 1000 years of Christ’s reign (the Millennium). (Details may differ depending on the theologian you read.)

While this view of the book of Revelation and Daniel are very pervasive on religious TV and in a current spate of books (the Left Behind series), Dispensational Pre Millennialism is the dominant theology in less than 20% of the Christian Church.

The Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church, and most protestant churches (Presbyterian, Lutheran, Methodist, Anglican, Episcopalian, ND Congregational Churches) in fact support a different interpretation of Revelation and Daniel.

The biggest difference between dispensationalism and traditional theologies, often called supersessionism, is what role each theology sees Israel and the Jewish people having in the end times.

In simple terms, traditional theology teaches that the Christian Church has been established for the salvation of "the Jews first, and also to the Gentiles". The Christian Church is the new Israel, an assumption made in much of our worship and in most of our hymns.

In contrast, dispensationalism teaches that the Christian Church is a parenthesis in God's dealings with the Jews, when the Gospel began to go to the Gentiles instead of the Jews, but that God's continued favor of the Jews will be revealed after the Church Age, when the Jews will be restored to their land and will own Jesus as their Messiah. Hence, dispensationalists typically believe in a Jewish restoration, the nation of Israel.

If you are a dispensationalist the current secular nation of Israel is the world’s best hope of Christ’s return; it just needs to become a religious state! Traditionalists don’t see Israel as anything other than another country doing what it needs to survive, no better, no worse than any of those that surround it. In fact, most traditionalists are more worried about the Christians squeezed in the middle of the fighting, than either the Arab states or Israel (though many Christian do feel closer to one side or the other often because of personal experience, not theological committment. Though I suppose that is debatable too.)

The church is/are the people of God in this generation in most Christians estimation. Not the only people, but most definetly the ones called by Jesus name, and therefore called Christians.

 THURSDAY NIGHT PRAYER AND HEALING

Our next gathering is on Thursday, September 7^th and continuing on fourth Thursday nights, we are going to continue our 7:30-8:00pm time for healing and prayer.

 CHURCH SECRETARY

Church secretary, Liz Demerest, is in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am – 1:00pm. Her church email address is LizDemerest@Yahoo.com. The office phone number is 386-3851!

 NEW MEMBERS

Will be joining the church on Sunday, September 10^th at the 11:00am service. They include Matt & Anna Gibbs, and Michael & Jennifer (Hosking) Serbetzian. A fall new member’s class will be scheduled in October or November! See Sheila, Candy or Jeff to sign up.

BAPTISMS

Several baptisms are scheduled this fall: Toni Ann Maurizzio September 24^th, Michael Serbetzian and Stacey Hosking October 17^th, and Emily Marilyn Jennings October 10^th.

 INSTALLATION OF NEW OFFICERS

If the way be clear, we will install our new Elders and Deacon on Sunday, September 17^th.

 COMMITTEE FOR SOCIAL ACTION

An idea that came to me (Jeff) on vacation is the formation of a committee for social action. This committee (or team or task force) would think through things that we as a church could do together that would make our community and world a better place to live. Two suggestions: one, to help promote the response to the NYRI power lines. The second to promote the use of compact florescence light bulbs.

 EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM

Headed by Sue Maney Eggleton, this group will be prepared to gather information and clear response plans for the church in the event of a major critical event away from the church, e.g. the floods in Roscoe, the hurricane in New Orleans.