Author: npc-laureny
Concerts – April 2018
New School for Music Study
Sunday, April 15
Join the Full Faculty of The New School for Music Study in their final recital of the 2017-2018 season. The recital will take place on Sunday, April 15 at 2:30 in the Sanctuary of Nassau Presbyterian Church. The recital, “Music Is Emotion” will celebrate the transformative power of music. The performances will journey through a range of emotions and moods, featuring solo and chamber works by J.S. Bach, Mozart, Debussy, Glass, and many more!
The recitals are free and open to the public. Donations accepted.
Westminster Conservatory at Nassau
Thursday, April 19
On Thursday, April 19 at 12:15 p.m. the series Westminster Conservatory at Nassau will present Larissa Korkina and Esma Pasic-Filipovic, duo pianists. The recital will take place in the Niles Chapel and is open to the public without charge. The performers are members of the Westminster Conservatory faculty.
The program on April 19 includes Franz Schubert’s Fantasy in F Minor, D. 940, and two works by Felix Mendelssohn: Fantasy in D Minor and Allegro brillante, op. 92.
The final Westminster Conservatory at Nassau recital of the academic year will take place on May 17 and will feature Trio Brillante – Katherine McClure, flute; Melissa Bohl, oboe; and Phyllis Lehrer, piano.
Adult Education – April 2018
April Line-up
Nassau Making a Difference
Retirement on Your Terms
In-Depth Bible Study: First Corinthians
Download the brochure: AE Apr 2018
Please note: there will be no Adult Education Classes on April 1 (Easter) or April 29 (Communiversity).
Nassau Making a Difference
Nassau’s engagement in and commitment to local mission runs deep and wide. This year’s mission series focuses on three long-standing relationships in Princeton and Trenton. Come both to be inspired by the work in progress and drawn into the stories of the need for justice, advocacy and helping hands.
April 8
Against All Odds
9:15 a.m.
Assembly Room
Princeton native, Paul Robeson, was the epitome of the 20th-century Renaissance man. He was an exceptional athlete, actor, singer, cultural scholar, author, and political activist. Several NPC members are working with our Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church friends to restore and renovate Paul’s birthplace at 110 Witherspoon Street. The Paul Robeson House is established as a memorial to Paul’s life and his unwavering commitment to equality on behalf of the poor and underserved.
Denyse Leslie, Clerk of Session at the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church and Vice President of the Robeson House Board; Ben Colbert, President of the Board; and Board members from both churches will help us know more about this remarkable man and the exciting plans for his birthplace.
April 15
Trenton – A Tale of Two Cities
9:15 a.m.
Assembly Room
Come for an insider understanding of the city of Trenton and many of the challenges and opportunities Trenton currently faces, including the changing demographics and medical state of affairs, among others.
Jane Rohlf Boyer, MD, an internal medicine specialist in Trenton, is also a long-time community activist, enthusiast and supporter. She and her husband Ted know and care deeply about Trenton and about those who live there.
Adriana Abizadeh is the Executive Director of The Latin American Legal Defense & Education Fund (LALDEF) in Trenton. She is committed to programs and services focused on the well-being of Latin Americans, their civil rights, and access to health care and education.
April 22
Free at Last
9:15 a.m.
Assembly Room
Come hear Jim McCloskey tell the story of his latest, and one of his “most rewarding” cases. On December 20, 2017, Centurion freed and returned to their eagerly awaiting families three ex-soldiers who had spent 26 years falsely imprisoned for a 1992 Savannah, Georgia murder. From start to finish Jim will walk us through this nonsensical tale of justice going awry and how truth can indeed be stranger than fiction.
Jim McCloskey is a current member of Nassau’s session, and the founder of Centurion Ministries, the Princeton based non-profit that works to free persons who have been wrongly convicted.
Retirement on Your Terms
Retirement isn’t a rocking chair and a gold watch anymore. There are nearly as many ways to retire as there are retirees, and what works for one may not be the best solution for another. Join us for a series on successful retirement that addresses questions like when to retire, and the impact of work, familial and community engagement, lifestyle, and faith on quality of life in retirement. (Please note: Financial planning will not be discussed in this series.)
April 15
Factors associated with health and successful aging
9:15 a.m.
Music Room
People in the U.S. are living longer than ever before and many seniors live active and healthy lives. But there’s no getting around one thing: as we age, our bodies and minds change. There are things you can do to stay healthy and active as you age. Come and discuss some of the most important factors associated with healthy aging. Review the health “secrets” of the people leaving in the Blue Zones; areas where people live long and wholesome lives. Participants will have the chance to ask questions on specific “issues” and “difficulties” that they may have faced in their quest to change unhealthy behaviors and attain a healthy lifestyle.
Labros Sidossis is currently Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Kinesiology and Health, at Rutgers University, USA and Professor of Nutrition at the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece. Dr Sidossis’ teaching and research has focused on the mechanisms regulating human health and diseases (e.g obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemias, severe burn injury). He has also studied the factors determining successful aging in populations in the Mediterranean region and the USA.
April 22
Meaning and Purpose As We Age
9:15 a.m.
Music Room
As we age our roles and responsibilities change, but every stage of life presents opportunities for purpose and meaning. Learn strategies for engaging with others, serving, and deepening our faith that can make our retirement spiritually rich, satisfying and happy.
The Rev. Robin Bacon Hoffman serves as chaplain to the diverse community at Meadow Lakes, a Springpoint Senior Living retirement community in East Windsor. She earned her M.Div. and Th. M. degrees at Princeton Theological Seminary, after careers in chemical engineering and IT consulting. Ms. Hoffman leads a variety of continuing education workshops for Rutgers University School of Social Work, including Positive Aging, Promoting Wellness in Older Adults and Ethics Essentials. She lives in Princeton Jct. with her husband Jeff, not far from her daughters and grandchildren.
1 Corinthians In Depth
Sundays, 9:15 a.m.
Maclean House (Garden Entrance)
George Hunsinger leads a verse-by-verse examination of the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians. In this epistle the Corinthian congregation wrestles with doctrinal and ethical issues in conversation with their “founding pastor,” Paul, and Paul offers compelling good news in his understanding of the cross, the resurrection, worship, and life together in Christian community.
George Hunsinger is Professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is the founder of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.
“Caged” at Passage Theater
The voices of incarcerated men of color speak out in writings by current and former inmates. Tackling the prison-industrial complex, assumptions about prison life, and the challenges faced after release, Caged lays bare the human costs of a for-profit justice system.
Caged follows a Black family’s struggle to survive the generational cycle of mass incarceration. Combining stories, interviews, and writing by current and former inmates, this poignant community-devised play uses gripping truths and soulful dialogue to reveal the human cost of America’s for-profit justice system.
Nassau & Westminster Presbyterian Churches are going as a group on Opening Night, Saturday, May 5 AND the following week, Saturday, May 12. You are invited to participate at the special group rate.
Group rate tickets for these performances are very limited. Please make your reservations as soon as possible.
- Sign up online for 1 ticket at the group rate of $24.00 (includes processing fee): http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4aabaf2ca4fa7-caged
- Seating in this theater is “open.” You may purchase companion tickets at the regular rate on the Passage Theatre website: http://passagetheatre.org/caged/ and still find seats together that night.
Youth Choirs: Schedule through May
Middle School Choir and Cantorei
Please note our schedule for Palm Sunday through Good Friday:
- Sunday, March 25 we will have a combined Cantorei and Middle School Choir rehearsal from 5 – 6:15 pm. Please meet in the choir room at 5 pm. We will end this rehearsal in the Sanctuary. (Fellowship will begin at 6:15 with dinner “on the town.”)
- Good Friday, March 30, 12 Noon service, we will meet in the Sanctuary at 11:00 am. Both Cantorei and Middle School choirs will be singing at this reflective service. Joey Hsia will be playing violin with us. Thank you for your efforts to be there.
The rest of the program year:
- April 1, Easter Sunday – NO choir rehearsals
- April 8, normal rehearsal schedules resume
- April 29, Communiversity – rehearsals at 10:15 am, immediately following the one service of worship that day
- Sunday, May 6, Middle School Choir sings at 9:15 am (with Carol Choir and Choir 345 and bell ensemble)
- Sunday, May 13, 6 pm Cantorei sings for Senior Send Off
- Sunday, May 20, 10 am, Cantorei sings with Adult Choir for Confirmation
Lenten Devotional 2018 Survey
2018 Lenten Small Groups – Evaluation
Adult Education – March 2018
March Line-up
Faith Formation
Bible Big Picture: The New Testament
In-Depth Bible Study: First Corinthians
Download the brochure: AE Mar 2018
Witnessing to Faith 24/7
Darrell Guder, Moderator
On each of the four Sundays in March, come and hear three of Nassau’s members speak to why it is important to them to live out their faith in their daily lives, and how they attempt to do so. Expect a variety of life stories, challenges, joys, and testimonies to the life to which Christ has called them, and the places to which they understand Christ has sent them to serve the world God loves.
Darrell Guder, a member of Nassau’s Mission and Outreach Committee and an ordained Presbyterian minister, is the Professor of Missional and Ecumenical Theology Emeritus at Princeton Theological Seminary. Guder has a life-long interest in and commitment to forming faith in congregations that reflects one’s understanding of being sent by Christ, as Christ was sent by God, to serve the world God loves. Guder continues to teach all over the world, including regularly at Vancouver Theological Seminary. He is the author of many books, most recently Called to Witness: Doing Missional Theology.
March 4
Marshall McKnight, Nicos Scordis, Rebekah Sterlacci
9:15 a.m.
Assembly Room
March 11
Lee Davis, Olivia Moorhead, Monisha Pulimood
9:15 a.m.
Assembly Room
March 18
Rozlyn Anderson Flood, Jason Sterlacci, Bill Wakefield
9:15 a.m.
Assembly Room
March 25
Sharilyn Tel, Deborah Toppmeyer, Nick Valvanis
9:15 a.m.
Assembly Room
A Romp through the New Testament
Bill Phillippe
Sundays, 9:15 a.m.
Niles Chapel
True to the definition of romp, “to play boisterously,” Bill Phillippe will move participants quickly throught the 27 books of the New Testament and do it with a style he believes the writers would approve, even if some biblical interpreters might not. One reviewer of the book says, “Phillippe’s work will be seen by some as blithe and brash. That’s the best part. He takes us on a tour of what and where and why the Bible happened, and by peeling off the dusty old trappings he brings to light an enchanted story about people, and a God, we’d like to know better.”
William R. (Bill) Phillippe, upon retirement, chose to move to Princeton primarily so he could worship and engage at Nassau Presbyterian Church. He is a retired Presbyterian minister and author of A Romp through the Bible, and most recently, The Pastor’s Diary. Bill has served a number of churches as pastor, was a Synod Executive for 10 years, and has served as Acting Executive Director of the General Assembly Mission Council.
1 Corinthians In Depth
Sundays, 9:15 a.m.
Maclean House (Garden Entrance)
George Hunsinger leads a verse-by-verse examination of the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians. In this epistle the Corinthian congregation wrestles with doctrinal and ethical issues in conversation with their “founding pastor,” Paul, and Paul offers compelling good news in his understanding of the cross, the resurrection, worship, and life together in Christian community.
George Hunsinger is Professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is the founder of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.
2018 Summer Trips – Pre-Trip Details
Forms & Payment Day for All Trips
NorthBay
Appalachia Service Project
Beyond Malibu
Links to trip forms and instructions listed under each trips section below.
All Trips
Sunday, April 22 – Final Payments and All Completed Forms Due
On Sunday, April 22, between services (10:15-11:00 a.m.) and after the 2nd service (12:00-1:30 p.m.), we will host a final payment & forms event in the 2nd Floor Office Suite (above the kitchen).
Linda Gilmore will also be here that day to notarize documents. Please bring photo ID if you are the person who will be signing the documents and also do NOT sign documents that need to be notarized until you are in her presence.
If you or your child cannot make the April 22 event – please contact Lauren Yeh to make arrangements for a different day.
NorthBay
- For Middle School (rising 7th to 9th grade)
- Thursday, June 28, to Monday, July 2
No mandatory meeting for this trip. Please visit the NorthBay 2018 Trip Page to access required forms. If you have any questions about the trip, please get in touch with Mark Edwards (, 609-933-7599). Questions about the forms should be directed to Lauren Yeh (, 609-924-0103, x106).
Appalachia Service Project
- For ages 13 and up (at the time of travel)
- Sunday, July 15, to Saturday, July 21
Please visit the ASP 2018 Trip Page to access required forms. If you have any questions about the trip, please get in touch with Mark Edwards (, 609-933-7599). Questions about the forms should be directed to Lauren Yeh (, 609-924-0103, x106).
ASP Mandatory Meeting:
Sunday, June 3, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Assembly Room
If you cannot make this meeting, contact Mark Edwards ASAP!
Hear some general overview of the trip from Mark, go over the 3 S’s, and other ASP Rules & Regulations (part of the downloadable forms, see above). Meet with the team you’ll be working with in Tennessee.
RSVP for this meeting here: Summer Trips 2018 – Mandatory Meetings
ASP Fundraising Opportunities
Sunday, March 18 – Youth Sunday Worship Services (9:15 & 11:00 a.m.) – contact Mark Edwards to get involved.
Sunday, April 29 – Communiversity (11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., in 2 hour shifts) – questions? contact Mark Edwards, sign up online: ASP April 29
Beyond Malibu
Mountain Trip: 2018 Trip Forms
- For ages 15 and up (at the time of travel)
- Friday, July 27, to Saturday, August 4
Sea Kayak Trip: 2018 Trip Forms
- For ages 15 and up (at the time of travel)
- Wednesday, August 8, to Friday, August 17
Please visit the Mountain and/or Sea Kayak 2018 Trip Page (links above) to access required forms. If you have any questions about the trip, please get in touch with Mark Edwards (, 609-933-7599). Questions about the forms should be directed to Lauren Yeh (, 609-924-0103, x106).
Beyond Malibu Mandatory Meeting:
Sunday, April 15, 12:00-1:00 p.m., Room 304
OR
Sunday, May 13, 12:00-1:00 p.m., Assembly Room
If you cannot make this meeting, contact Mark Edwards ASAP!
Meet your fellow travelers, make plans for group hikes to get physically prepared, make plans to carpool to and from the airport and get your “gear checked” – we want everyone well prepared for the rigors of hiking and kayaking in the Canadian Rockies!
Print the packing list, pack your bag and bring it to church.
- If you bring your bag to church school at 9:15 a.m., Mark will lock it in Room 304
- If you bring your bag to the 11 a.m. service, you’ll be able to leave it in a designated area in the Sanctuary
- Otherwise, bring it to the meeting room at noon.
Mark will go through your bag with you making suggestions for improvement! We’ll also have sign up sheets for Airport Transportation (Princeton-Newark Airport).
RSVP for this meeting here: Summer Trips 2018 – Mandatory Meetings
Please indicate any food allergies when you RSVP as we will provide lunch for this meeting.
Special Offering in Lent: One Great Hour of Sharing
Around the world, millions of people lack access to sustainable food sources, clean water, sanitation, education, and opportunity. The three programs supported by One Great Hour of Sharing — Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Presbyterian Hunger Program, and Self-Development of People — all work in different ways to serve individuals and communities in need. From initial disaster response to ongoing community development, their work fits together to provide people with safety, sustenance, and hope.
Received during the season of Lent, each gift to One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) helps to improve the lives of people in these challenging situations. The Offering provides us a way to share God’s love with our neighbors in need. In fact, OGHS is the single, largest way that Presbyterians come together every year to work for a better world.
Nassau Presbyterian Church will receive this offering on March 25, 2018, Palm Sunday, along with the “Fish Banks” the church school children will be bringing forward that day. Resources for families, below.
One Great Hour of Sharing, makes a difference in the world. Read more by clicking the links below.
PRESBYTERIAN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (PDA)
- Works alongside communities as they recover and find hope after the devastation of natural or human-caused disasters, and support for refugees
- Receives 32% of funds raised
PRESBYTERIAN HUNGER PROGRAM (PHP)
- Takes action to alleviate hunger, care for creation, and the systemic causes of poverty so all may be fed
- Receives 36% of funds raised
SELF-DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLE (SDOP)
- Invests in communities responding to their experiences of oppression, poverty and injustice and educates Presbyterians about the impact of these issues
- Receives 32% of funds raised
Resources for Families
“Fish Banks” are handed out in church school on the first Sunday of Lent, February 18, and collected in Worship on Palm Sunday, March 25.
Use the placemat and interactive map (at pcusa.org/oghsmap) to guide your family’s conversation about One Great Hour of Sharing. Download OGHS18-Place-Mat (pdf)
Moments for Mission:
- Gifts at Work (Summary)
- This is Church
- Loose the Bonds of Injustice (SDOP)
- Restore Streets to Live In (PDA)
- Share Your Bread with the Hungry (PHP)
Prayer Litany (from Isaiah 58, The Message)
Dear God,
Sometimes you need to shout at us to tell us what is wrong.
*We pray for our community.
We can be busy, busy, busy, trying to be faithful, and we complain that you don’t even notice. We bicker and fight.
*We pray for our community.
God, you call us to break the chains of injustice,
*May we be repairers of the breach.
Get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
*May we be healers of the wounded.
Free the oppressed,
*May we be fixers of the broken.
Cancel debts,
*May we be restorers of fortune.
Share food with the hungry,
*May we be providers of meals.
Invite the homeless poor in,
*May we be welcomers of all.
Put clothes on the shivering,
*May we be givers of warmth
Be available to our families.
*May we be present to those who know us best.
God, you will turn our lives around and show us where to go.
*May we be followers of the light.
We will be known as those who can fix anything, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.
*We pray for our community.
And we will all be free to enjoy God!
*AMEN.