The Paul Robeson House of Princeton is close to opening their renovated home!
The “Paul Robeson House,” dating from 1842, is a residential property located at 110 Witherspoon Street, where Paul Robeson was born on April 9, 1898. Paul Robeson’s roots in the African American community of Princeton launched him on his world-renowned career as an all-American athlete, actor, singer, scholar and writer, and voice for human rights. The renovated property will host a gallery of memorabilia, non-profit meeting spaces, and temporary lodging.
We are proud to be Mission Partners with The Paul Robeson House of Princeton and invite you to learn more about their capital campaign: https://give-usa.keela.co/Donate2023.
Audio recordings will be posted below each class description.
November 24 | Michele Minter
A Moment to Decide
In 1964, a civil rights icon, a famous Black nationalist and a Presbyterian minister crossed paths in Cleveland, with tragic consequences. Michele Minter shares a civil rights story.
If you have never heard of the name Bruce Klunder, you are probably not alone. And yet, his name is one of only forty-one martyrs inscribed in the famous Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama.
Michele Minter is vice provost for institutional equity and diversity at Princeton University, where her works involves community building and institutional history. She is a trustee of the Princeton Theological Seminary and a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church. She lives in Plainsboro with her husband Jeff.
Our Mission Partner ArmInArm serves Mercer County families through food pantries, grocery deliveries, and housing stability services.
One of their three brick-and-mortar pantries is in the basement of NPC. In 2025, ArmInArm expects to provide $1.5 million in direct food aid! With increased need in our community, there is an increased need for volunteers. We invite you to visit their website (link below) to learn about ways you can support this crucial organization, including bagging groceries, making deliveries, and donating items.
HomeFront, a Mission Partner of Nassau based in Lawrenceville, provides shelter, housing assistance, groceries, and social services to families experiencing poverty in central New Jersey. Recognizing an emerging need with the families they serve and proposing an expansion of their project to the Missions and Outreach Committee, HomeFront used grant funding from Nassau to distribute 114,800 diapers in the month of August alone.
Nassau also supports HomeFront through the monthly Hunger Offering. Organizations supported by your faithful giving each month received over $10,000 in the past fiscal year. At HomeFront, this has contributed to the 23,426 cartloads of groceries distributed at their Choice Market and pop-up food pantries since October. We invite you to bring a donation to church this Sunday (the last Sunday of the month) or give online through the Give Now page of this website and selecting “Hunger Fund” from the drop down menu.
The League of Women Voters has identified senior citizen and assisted living facilities in Mercer and Middlesex Counties whose residents need transportation to polling places during early voting or the general election.
And if anyone in our Nassau Church family requires any transportation assistance to a polling place, please contact us as well.
To volunteer contact Karen Brown (email) or Rich O’Brien (email)
New Jersey Voting Details:
Early Voting Period: October 26 through November 3
Deadline to apply by mail for a mail-in ballot: October 29 (envelope must be post-marked October 29)
Deadline to apply to receive a mail-in ballot by email delivery for qualified overseas civilians and military personnel: November 1
Deadline to apply in person for a mail-in ballot: November 4, 3 pm
Election Day: November 5
Deadline for Post Office to receive mail-in ballot (with November 5 postmark): November 5
Deadline for in person submission of mail-in ballot to county election offices or authorized ballot boxes: November 5.
“They Stood (Daughters of Zelophehad)” Lauren Wright Pittman (graphic image, inspired by Numbers 27:1-11) | A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org Used by special permission. All rights reserved.
October 20 – November 17, 2024
9:30 a.m. | Assembly Room
A queen, mothers of nations, and advocates for themselves and other women are among those we will meet during these weeks. They employ faithfulness and savvy as they navigate a life at the margins. Let’s learn from these women together as we ask challenging questions and remember other women who have helped make a way for us in our own lives.
“Linked-In Learning” helps us explore the same stories from multiple perspectives. In these classes members and friends of the congregation will lead us through the same texts the preachers will take up in worship and small groups will have engaged the week prior. Let’s learn together!
Audio recordings will be posted below each class description.
October 20 | Elaine James
Women, Poetry and God
Proverbs 31 (selected verses)
How can the Bible be a resource for women? How can women and folks on the margins engage texts that are patently androcentric and frankly difficult to read? This session considers the poem about the “worthy women” in Proverbs 31 as an example of how poetry can both reinforce patriarchal ideals and also imagine liberative pathways. Part of the craft of the poem is a celebration of the craft and handwork of women—creativity itself is enshrined in Proverbs as a divine force, in which we are all invited to participate.
Elaine T. James is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary. Her research interests are in biblical Hebrew poetry, ideas of art in the ancient world, and issues of land, ecology, and gender. She is the author of Landscapes of the Song of Songs: Poetry and Place (Oxford University Press, 2017), and An Invitation to Biblical Poetry (Oxford University Press, 2021).
Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah are known as the Daughters of Zelophad. They are remembered for advocating on their own behalf for the inheritance of their late father’s land. We will use Dr. Wil Gafney’s practice of “sanctified imagination” to enter the text and draw out its revelations of God’s inclusion and the stories’ connections to our own embodied knowledge. Where were these women when their covenant with Moses was broken by the temple’s leadership? Why are they included in the listing of land inheritance if their familial line seems to stop? Who was their mother?
Isabella Shutt is a first-year M.Div. student at Princeton Theological Seminary and recent graduate of Princeton University. Originally from western North Carolina, she became a member of Nassau after worshiping weekly with Princeton Presbyterians at Breaking Bread. Isabella currently serves as the Intern for the Adult Education and Missions and Outreach Committees. She is the eldest of three daughters and brings this perspective to her readings of women in the Old Testament.
We will discuss identity and belonging in the story of Ruth from multiple angles of religion, ethnicity, family, and age. As you read Ruth 1-4 ahead, consider how various characters change their identities throughout the story.
Leslie Virnelson is a Democracy Fellow at Interfaith America through a postdoctoral partnership with Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) and a scholar of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. Her forthcoming book with Oxford University Press is Fruit of Her Hands: Women, Work, & Society in the Hebrew Bible. She has taught classes for masters and undergraduate students at PTS, Princeton University, Mercer University, Union Theological Seminary, and Union Presbyterian Seminary. She also served as the interim director of the Center for Theology, Women, & Gender at PTS from 2020-2023, organizing events and curricula to educate public and scholarly audiences on the intersections of religion and gender. She lives in West Windsor, NJ and enjoys hiking, foraging, and fermentation.
Sarah is the matriarch of Jews and Christians, while Muslims trace their lineage through Hagar. All three faiths claim Abraham as their forefather. These early biblical stories sow the seeds of both historic and present-day conflicts among Christians, Muslims, and Jews. But could they also offer paths to healing? Sometimes we get stuck with unworkable solutions because we are asking the wrong questions.
Rev. Jonathan C. Shenkis a minister and entrepreneur. He is the owner of Greenleaf Painters, a local painting company. He is also a certified spiritual director and founding member of the Trenton Microloan Collaborative, a joint venture of Nassau and Westminster. He lives in Princeton Junction with his wife, Cynthia Yoder. Their son, Gabriel, is a high school English teacher and frontman for Sonoa, an indie rock band.
According to ChatGPT, the lessons that we can learn from Esther include courage, faith, wisdom, selflessness, leadership, divine timing, and advocacy. But is that all? What else can we learn from Esther? The story of Esther is interesting not only because of its content but also because it reveals the patriarchal structure of Ancient Near Eastern society, the roles of women in different systems, and various power dynamics. This time, we will try to look at it from a new perspective, putting ourselves in Esther’s experience and reflecting on what meaning this story can have for us today.
There is no recording for this class.
Joseph Kwan(he/him) is currently a final year Master of Divinity student at Princeton Theological Seminary, and he joined Nassau Presbyterian in 2022. Joseph is originally from Hong Kong, where he was born, raised, educated, and lived for most of his life. Before coming to the US for ministerial formation, he studied theology for four years in Hong Kong. His living and educational experience in Hong Kong gave him a special lens through which to approach the scriptures and Christian tradition from a post-colonial and East Asian perspective. He is a candidate for ordained ministry in the Presbyterian Church (USA) under care through our church.
As we join in prayer for our neighbors in the southeast who have experienced devastating loss from Hurricane Helene, we are invited to give as we are able to help with immediate response and long-term recovery. Colleagues in Dave Davis’s clergy group are working with their congregations in Asheville and Black Mountain to respond in their communities with food, supplies and other needs. Montreat Conference Center, a place of spiritual formation for many over the years, is also planning for their own recovery and serving as a supply distribution center.
On the anniversary of Hamas’s horrific attack on Israel, marking a year of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza and in the midst of escalation in the Middle East, we join Churches for Middle East Peace in a prayer for justice and healing.
Churches for Middle East Peace is a Mission Partner of Nassau, educating churches, empowering us to advocate for policy changes moving toward peace, and connecting with Christians in Palestine. Join CMEP for a daily prayer over Zoom or watch their daily updates on the state of the crisis in Gaza, Israel, and the West Bank at cmep.org/resources.
On this #MissionMonday we highlight the work of Presbyterian Women (PW) in the Synod of the Northeast.
Nassau supports PW by giving to the Synod. Presbyterian Women educate, donate, and advocate for peace and justice locally, regionally, and globally.
We invite you to attend Adult Education on Sunday, October 6 for a special #JusticeSpotlight on the Presbyterian Delegation to the UN Commission on the Status of Women (read more here). Also consider attending the Fall Gathering of Presbyterian Women in the Presbytery of the Coastlands on Saturday, October 12, where you can hear from leaders advocating for protection from gun violence, Christian churches in Palestine, and improved healthcare in Haiti.
RSVP to by October 7. You can find more information at https://pwsne.org/.
“Let Justice Roll Down” Anna Strickland (graphic image, inspired by Amos 5:18-24) | A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org Used by special permission. All rights reserved.
Audio recordings will be posted below each class description.
October 6 | Lorraine Jackson
A Report on the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
As a delegate with the Presbyterian Women’s group to the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW ‘68) Conference held in March 2024, Lorraine Jackson had the privilege of attending a number of discussions, seminars, and presentations by folks from around the world focused on the theme of “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective.” Having gleaned a number of fascinating personal stories, she will present a report on her experiences and share some of her impressions from that impressive gathering.
Lorraine Jackson, a long-time member of Nassau Church and Choir member, is also currently serving as the Co-Moderator of the Presbyterian Women in the Coastlands Presbytery. She has been a Deacon and Elder and active participant on several Mission and Worship Commissions. A four-decade dedicated library and adult literacy advocate, Lorraine has served as the Director of the South Brunswick Public Library where she founded Literacy Volunteers of America, Middlesex County. She has held executive roles in The American Library Association and the International Federation of Library Associations, where she founded portable library systems in developing countries. She still teaches English as a Second Language for the Library. For many years pre-covid, she practiced weekly with her fellow Scottish Country Dancers. She also leads the Jersey Jam Scottish Fiddlers. Lorraine lives in Cranbury with her husband Bart with whom she paddles, hikes, pedals their tandem bicycle, and grows the grapes for their own Chateau Bonne Chance wine. Together they have explored over 80 countries.
October 13 | Damon Venable & Rev. Dr. Russell Owen
Spotlight on Justice: Who Should Decide Who Gets a Second Chance?
New Jersey also ranks 4th among all states in its percentage of elderly people serving life sentences. Almost 500 people incarcerated in New Jersey are age 65 or older. The Rehabilitative Release bill now pending in the N.J. legislature will provide meaningful opportunities for elders in prison to petition the courts for sentence revisions or reductions. As communities of love, faith, and justice, how are we the voice of the voiceless and/or the vote of the voteless. Come and hear the perspective on the pressing need for this Second Chance legislation from two Lifers who survived over 30 years in the New Jersey Prison System. Rev. Russell Owen and Damon Venable will share their stories accompanied by videos lifting up other voices to explain why your voice and vote on this issue are critical.
Damon Venable is a Community Affairs & Policy Specialist with the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender. He was tried as an adult and convicted to a sentence of life imprisonment for a crime he committed when he was 16. While challenging his sentence, he was released on parole after serving more than three decades in prison. During his time in prison, he continued his education and received a degree in Justice Policy from Rutgers University. After his release, he joined the NJOPD as a paralegal and is now serving in a number of roles in that office, including as a liaison for the recently launched clemency initiative.
Rev. Dr. Russell Owen,at age of 19, was sentenced to 30 to life within New Jersey Correctional Facilities. He was released on parole after serving 32 carceral years. He has earned various degrees and continues to find solace as a student, while gathering tools of freedom and liberation. While incarcerated, he was one of the original contributors/students of the NJ STEP program, which has grown into one of most successful college prison programs nationally. He has received the Esther Award from New Brunswick Theological Seminary for Transformative Radical Truth-Telling. He is a Rutgers alumni and is a member of the Phi Alpha Honor Society for Social Work. Since being released in 2021, he is now the statewide Power Organizer of Live Free New Jersey, which focuses on ending gun violence, mass incarceration, criminalization, and police brutality at the local, state, and national level. He does this in unison with Faith in New Jersey, a multi-faith, multi-racial civic engagement vehicle for faith communities and everyday people who strive to fight for social justice.
The “Paul Robeson House,” dating from 1842, is a residential property located at 110 Witherspoon Street, where Paul Robeson was born on April 9, 1898. Paul Robeson’s roots in the African American community of Princeton launched him on his world-renowned career as an all-American athlete, actor, singer, scholar and writer, and voice for human rights. The renovated property will host a gallery of memorabilia, non-profit meeting spaces, and temporary lodging. 
Churches for Middle East Peace is a Mission Partner of Nassau, educating churches, empowering us to advocate for policy changes moving toward peace, and connecting with Christians in Palestine. Join CMEP for a daily prayer over Zoom or watch their daily updates on the state of the crisis in Gaza, Israel, and the West Bank at 
