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Restore Streets to Live in

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PRESBYTERIAN DISASTER ASSISTANCE RESPONDS QUICKLY
TO HURRICANE RAVAGED PUERTO RICO

[ezcol_1half]Even before Hurricane Maria made landfall in September, Edwin González-Castillo and other Presbyterian leaders in Puerto Rico  received promises of help from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA).

Edwin, the stated clerk of the Presbytery of San Juan, says PDA lived up to its word quickly. Days after the storm hit, the first wave of PDA grants  arrived and immediately pressing community needs were being met.

In the presbytery, funds were distributed among each of the 15 congregations,  and the presbytery matched PDA’s initial funding for community assistance. Desperately needed items such as food, water, diapers and medical  supplies were swiftly in the hands of hurricane survivors. “We were able to help families who had lost almost everything,” Edwin says. Maria’s 150  mph winds destroyed homes, infrastructure and vegetation across the island and resulted in the death or injury to many. In addition, Maria left  millions without electricity or drinkable water.

Your generosity helped PDA respond immediately after three major hurricanes pounded the United  States and/or the Caribbean, a devastating earthquake shook Central Mexico, and raging wildfires wreaked havoc across the Pacific Northwest. One  Great Hour of Sharing gifts enabled PDA to mount responses that were timely, nimble and effective.

[/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]In Puerto Rico, Presbyterians never doubted that  PDA would respond fast, and they know that PDA will remain for the long haul, Edwin says. “The help PDA brings is long-term, and we are grateful  that when other groups leave Puerto Rico we will still have PDA giving us a hand.”

Puerto Rican Presbyterians appreciate the prayer support and encouraging words they have received from across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). When people from the  mainland ask them about providing tangible help, Edwin says Puerto Rican Presbyterian leaders have a standard reply: “We tell everybody the best  way to help us is through PDA.”

The hurricane response has elevated Presbyterian visibility in Puerto Rican communities, and Edwin expects that  denomination’s name recognition will continue to grow as the recovery efforts continue.

“In many places here, Presbyterians are not very well known,  but through things like this, when we attend disasters and when our communities get the kind of help PDA is helping to provide, the Presbyterian  name becomes familiar and people see that our church is here to help,” Edwin says.

Your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing enable our church to bear this kind of caring witness in Puerto Rico and around the world. Please give generously.[/ezcol_1half_end]

Let us pray:
Gracious God, we pray for the survivors of disasters. Comfort them as they struggle with unspeakable grief and the monumental task of rebuilding  their lives. Help us to extend neighborly love to them wherever they live. Amen.

This Minute for Mission is available to download/ print for your convenience (presbyterianmission.org/oghs/resources)

This is Church

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Have you ever taught a child to fold their fingers inside their hands and say the rhyme, “here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors and see all the people?” The wiggling fingers teach children, and adults, too, that the church is not the building — the steeples, windows, or structure, but people gathering to worship God.

There’s something else in the children’s rhyme. As the child breaks open their hands to reveal the people,” they move their fingers back and forth, often as fast as they can. This simple move reminds us that the church is the energy and actions that share the love of Christ.

  • When a disaster strikes, people give, volunteer, and pray so that those impacted receive help and hope, this is church.
  • When poverty and violence cause hunger and people join together to respond to the need and address its root causes, this is church.
  • When injustice falls on those who are vulnerable and people join hands with one another and lift their voices against the interests of power, this is church.

The church is the Holy Spirit’s transforming power emanating into the world sharing the compassion, justice, love, and peace of Christ. Presbyterians join the movement of the Spirit into every corner of the Earth — and in this season, through our church-wide One Great Hour of Sharing.

  • We share— and church happens with women who were once trafficked for domestic labor and now own their own cooperative business.
  • We share— and church happens with people through land rights training and improvements to farming methods.
  • We share— and church happens with those whose homes have been washed away by flood, as the arms of comfort wrap around them, and hands pick up shovels to assist.

The church is happening right now, all around us — because we share Christ’s love.

Let us pray:
God of Compassion, move your church into the world with imagination and love. May the gifts we give and the kindness we offer be shared with the most vulnerable of your children. Amen.

This Minute for Mission is available to download/ print for your convenience (presbyterianmission.org/oghs/resources)

Gifts at Work

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YOUR GIVING REPAIRS THE BREACHES
THAT SEPARATE PEOPLE FROM LIVES OF WHOLENESS.

[ezcol_1half]When the forces of chaos and calamity rip the fabric of human life, your One Great Hour of Sharing gifts are there to sew it back together.

Your generosity fulfills a vision rooted in the biblical witness and beautifully stated in Isaiah 58:12. The prophet writes: “You shall be called the  repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.”

Around the world, One Great Hour of Sharing ministries bridge the divides that tear apart the  lives of individuals and communities.

In Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory that was devastated by Hurricane Maria last year, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance promised help to the island’s  Presbyterian leaders even before the storm made landfall. Days after Maria hit, the first wave of PDA grants arrived and immediately pressing  community needs were being met. Desperately needed items such as food, water, diapers and medical supplies were in the hands of hurricane  survivors swiftly. Your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing made it possible for PDA to act promptly in Puerto Rico, Texas, Florida and other places  when disasters struck in rapid succession last year. In addition, PDA will continue working in these communities long after other groups leave. [Read more here.]

In Akron, Ohio, Diretha’s recovery from drug addiction was threatened by more than a decade of unemployment. She says her decision to join the Front Porch Café community helped her get a job and remain drug-free. [/ezcol_1half] [ezcol_1half_end]The Front Porch consists of individuals who struggle with drug addiction or who seek to re-enter society after spending time in prison. At the Front Porch, they can eat a good meal, learn and grow among others who have  experienced similar struggles, and receive guidance on employment opportunities. A Self-Development of People grant, made possible by One Great Hour of Sharing gifts, helped renovate and equip the building that houses the café.“If I hadn’t gotten involved with the Front Porch, there is a chance I would have started using again and been in prison or even died,” Diretha says. Your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing gifts contribute to positive change that lasts. [Read more here.]

In Uganda, Najjuma, a 56-year-old widow, depends on eight acres of farmland to feed three children and eight grandchildren left orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. However, her in-laws ordered her to leave the land her late husband had inherited. Thanks to training programs held by Action for Rural Women’s Empowerment (ARUWE), a partner of the Presbyterian Hunger Program, Najjuma knew the law was on her side. She successfully appealed for help through local land-governance structures. Your One Great Hour of Sharing gifts helped Najjuma continue to farm the land and improve farming techniques in order to feed her children and grandchildren. [Read more here.][/ezcol_1half_end]

In places far and near, your One Great Hour of Sharing gifts repair breaches that pierce the wholeness that God wants for everyone. Please give generously.

Let us pray:
Holy God, we pray for those who are separated from the fullness of life that you desire for all people. Strengthened by your love and mercy, may we bridge the gaps of injustice that keep people from experiencing lives of wholeness and fulfillment. Amen.

This Minute for Mission is available to download/ print for your convenience (presbyterianmission.org/oghs/resources)

 

Beyond Malibu 2018 – Sea Kayaking Trip – Required Forms

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Sunday, April 22 – Final Payments and All Completed Forms Due

On Sunday, April 22, between services (10:15-11:00 am) and after the 2nd service (12:00-1:30 pm), 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.

Items to handle before April 22:

What to bring with you:

  1. NPC Assumption of Risk & Release from Liability (Notarized)
    1. NPC Release and Waiver Kayak Trip- Teens(pdf)
    2. NPC Release and Waiver Kayak Trip- Adults (pdf)
  2. Beyond Malibu – Health Form (above)
  3. Consent to receive treatment in Canada: Consent for Treatment in Canada(pdf)
  4. Parental Consent to Cross in to Canada: Border Crossing – Parental Permission(pdf)
  5. Flight Itinerary including confirmation or booking number.
  6. Passport valid through February 2019 (we will make a copy of the photo/signature pages)
  7. Final Payment (contact Lauren Yeh if you are unsure of the amount due)

 

Beyond Malibu 2018 – Mountain Trip – Required Forms

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Sunday, April 22 – Final Payments and All Completed Forms Due

On Sunday, April 22, between services (10:15-11:00 am) and after the 2nd service (12:00-1:30 pm), 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.

Items to handle before April 22:

What to bring with you:

  1. NPC Assumption of Risk & Release from Liability (Notarized)
    1. NPC Release and Waiver Mtn Trip- Teens (pdf)
    2. NPC Release and Waiver Mtn Trip- Adults (pdf)
  2. Beyond Malibu – Health Form (above)
  3. Consent to receive treatment in Canada: Consent for Treatment in Canada (pdf)
  4. Parental Consent to Cross in to Canada: Border Crossing – Parental Consent (pdf)
  5. Flight Itinerary including confirmation or booking number.
  6. Passport valid through February 2019 (we will make a copy of the photo/signature pages)
  7. Final Payment (contact Lauren Yeh if you are unsure of the amount due)

 

NorthBay 2018 – Required Forms

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All forms and payments are due by Sunday, June 17. Please bring them to the church office during regular business hours or before worship on a Sunday morning, or mail them to:

Lauren Yeh
Nassau Presbyterian Church
61 Nassau Street
Princeton, NJ 08542

What to turn in:

  1. NPC Assumption of Risk & Release from Liability (Notarized)
    1. NPC Release and Waiver NorthBay – Minors (pdf)
    2. NPC Release and Waiver NorthBay – Adults (pdf)
  2. Young Life Camping Health, Consent & Release (signed by physician & parent) Young Life Form (pdf)
  3. Final Payment (contact Lauren Yeh if you are unsure of the amount due)

Other items to handle:

 

Appalachia Service Project 2018 – Required Forms

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All forms and payments are due by Sunday, June 17. Please bring them to the church office during regular business hours or before worship on a Sunday morning, or mail them to:

Lauren Yeh
Nassau Presbyterian Church
61 Nassau Street
Princeton, NJ 08542

Items to review:

  1. Read all ASP required documents:
    1. ASP Rules & Regulations ASP Expectations
    2. ASP Safety Manual ASP Safety Manual
    3. ASP 3 S’s (Sensitivity, Safety, and Stewardship) ASP 3 S’s
  2. Be prepared to sign the ASP Trip Covenant (the whole group signs the same document, text below) – sign at the June 3 meeting or contact Lauren Yeh
  3. Complete ASP Online Registration
    1. Complete ASP Volunteer Statement but do not sign it, VolRegStatement-Group7074 (pdf)
      (all the details you need for the online registration are on this form)
    2. Go to: http://www.servicenetwork.com/reg/APPSERV/Join.asp
    3. Our Group Number is: 7074
  4. Review the Packing List ASP Individual Packing Youth with Mark’s suggestions

Forms to turn in:

  1. NPC Assumption of Risk & Release from Liability (Notarized)
    1. NPC Release and Wavier ASP Trip – Teens (pdf)
    2. NPC Release and Waiver ASP Trip – Adults (pdf)
  2. ASP Volunteer Statement, above (Notarized)
  3. Medical Insurance Card (copy front and back)
  4. Final Payment (contact Lauren Yeh if you are unsure of the amount due)

ASP Covenant Text:

A covenant is a promise or vow made between two parties. In Genesis, God took Abraham outside one night and showed him the stars in the sky. God promised that Abraham’s descendants would be as many as those stars and that from those descendants would come a Savior. We now know that the promise was kept in the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.

ASP covenants to our groups that we will do everything we can to facilitate a meaningful  service opportunity. We will provide a center facility and staff; we will fulfill all the details that must come together to make a significant mission  experience for our volunteers. As a part of the faith walk through service, ASP asks volunteers to enter into a covenant with ASP. Volunteers are asked to abide by the “Expectations, Rules, and Regulations” that make communal living and working successful. ASP also asks that volunteers abide by  additional rules that may be given at their particular center.

Have each volunteer read the ASP “Expectations, Rules, and Regulations,” the 3 S’s: Sensitivity, Safety, and Stewardship, and the ASP Safety Manual before signing.

Small Groups – Lent 2018

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Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith

With skilled leaders drawn from Nassau’s congregation and staff, join us in a study of the essential language of our faith that will make this Lenten season one you will not soon forget!

Seeking fellowship and community in a world that has never been more in need of both, Small Groups return to Nassau this Spring with a focus on Kathleen Norris’ Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith.

“When I began attending church again after 20 years away,’’ Norris writes in her preface, ‘’I felt bombarded by the vocabulary of the Christian church. Words such as ‘Christ,’ ‘heresy,’ ‘repentance’ and ‘salvation’ seemed dauntingly abstract to me, even vaguely threatening… For reasons I did not comprehend, church seemed a place I needed to be. But in order to inhabit it, to claim it as mine, I had to rebuild my religious vocabulary. The words had to become real to me, in an existential sense.’’

Praised by The New York Times as “an engaging meditation on the language of faith,” this immensely readable and distinguished book will become the focus of Small Groups as we struggle to develop a deeper, richer sense of God’s grace in our lives.

Sign Up

Sign up in Fellowship beginning Sunday, January 14, or online beginning Tuesday, January 16. Books will be available for purchase in Fellowship on Sunday morning or in the church office during regular business hours for $15. Exact change or a check made out to “Nassau Presbyterian Church” is appreciated.

Available Small Groups

Groups meet weekly for seven weeks unless otherwise noted. The small groups with spaces available are listed below.

Complete catalogue: 2018 Lent Small Groups (pdf)

Mondays, Feb. 5 – Mar. 19, 12:00-1:00 p.m. (Bring Your Own Lunch)
Room 304, Nassau Presbyterian Church

Corrie Berg, leader

Corrie Berg is Director of Children’s and Family Ministries at Nassau Presbyterian Church. Before joining the staff in 2010, Corrie’s volunteer service to the congregation included moderating the Children’s and Family Ministry Committee and serving as a member of the Master Plan Task Force.

Wednesdays, Feb. 7 – Mar. 21, 7:30-9:00 p.m.
Seminar Room 1060, Princeton Theological Seminary Library (25 Library Place, Princeton)

John Parker, leader

John Parker is a writer by trade and a long-time member and current Ruling Elder of Nassau Church. He is grateful for the witness of Nassau Presbyterian Church to the eternal word of God and for the mission of this church to the community and the world.

Thursdays, Feb. 8 – Mar. 22, 9:30-11:00 a.m.
Music Room, Nassau Presbyterian Church

Joyce MacKichan Walker, leader

Joyce MacKichan Walker is Minister of Education and cheerleader and advocate for all things small group! She loves leading because of the  opportunity to go deep in a place where all ideas and questions are welcome.

Thursdays, Feb. 8 – Mar. 22, 12:00-1:00 p.m. (Bring Your Own Lunch)
Conference Room, Nassau Presbyterian Church

Len Scales, leader

Len Scales is an adjunct pastor at Nassau Church as a Presbyterian Chaplain with the Westminster Foundation along with her husband Andrew. They enjoy witnessing God’s creativity and grace through their work with undergraduates, graduate students, and young adults in Princeton.

Sundays, Feb. 11 – Mar. 25, 9:15-10:30 a.m. (Childcare Available)
Room 202, Nassau Presbyterian Church

Jacq Lapsley, Leader

Jacq Lapsley has led several small groups at Nassau and loves getting to know people around a shared book. When not teaching at Princeton Seminary she enjoys trips with Nassau youth, singing, and riding bikes with family and friends.

Sundays, Feb. 18 – Mar. 18, 3:00-5:00 p.m. (Five Weeks)
O’Brien Home, Trenton

Lolly & Rich O’Brien, leaders

Rich and Lolly O’Brien are members of Nassau’s membership committee and enjoy meeting people across the spectrum of age, ethnicity, and political views. They are avid readers of the news, novels, and poetry. This group will include participants from our partner, Westminster Presbyterian Church, and will conclude with light refreshments.

Sundays, Feb. 11 – Mar. 25, 4:00-5:30 p.m.
Conference Room, Nassau Presbyterian Church

Roz Anderson Flood, leader

Roz Anderson Flood is a Ruling Elder and a member of the Worship and Arts Committee. She is a former member of the Adult Education Committee. She also sings second alto in the Adult Choir. She has led workshops in poetry and participated in many small groups at Nassau.

Sundays, Feb. 11 – Mar. 25, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Werner Home, Dayton, NJ

Noel & Wendi Werner, leaders

Noel Werner has been the Director of Music at Nassau Presbyterian Church since 2006. He lectures on occasion at Westminster Choir College and Princeton Theological Seminary, and spearheads many cooperative music endeavors in the community.

Wendi Werner has been the solo pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Dayton since 2009, where her work has included a revitalization of mission outreach with a particular focus on serving the needs of the South Brunswick community.

Thursdays, Feb. 8 – Mar. 22, 7:30-9:00 p.m.
Conference Room, Nassau Presbyterian Church

PHOTOGRAPHING GRACE

Ned Walthall, leader

Using Kathleen Norris’ Amazing Grace as a source of inspiration, members of this group will be asked to create photographic works of art that illustrate the working of God’s grace in their lives. In addition to Thursday night meetings, there will be two optional sessions—a trip to the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia and a visit to the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton. Movie night for this session will be a showing of the 2005 Academy Award winning documentary film, Born into Brothels, describing the work of photographer Zana Briski, who taught photography to children living in the red light district of Calcutta with spectacular and life changing results.

No special equipment or skill is required: only imagination.

Ned Walthall has been a member of Nassau Church since 1987. He is a Deacon at Nassau and has led three small groups on the Sacred Art of Photography.

 

The Lady, the General, and the Rohingya – January 14, 12:15pm

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Special Noon Event

The Lady, the General, and the Rohingya

Lex Rieffel

January 14, 12:15 p.m., Assembly Room

What has happened to democratic reform in Myanmar? In light of what the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya population in Rakhine state, many are asking what kind of democracy perpetuates violence against its own people. Why does Aung San Suu Kyi seem unwilling, or unable, to oppose the military  campaign against the Rohingya? Is it time for the international community to abandon her government, or is there a constructive role we can continue to play?

Lex Rieffel is a nonresident senior fellow in global economy and development at the Brookings Institution. His recent work has focused on the economy of Myanmar during the period of democratic transition. Rieffel has held positions at the Institute of International Finance, the U.S. Treasury Department, and USAID. He served in the  Peace Corps and as an officer in the U.S. Navy. Mr. Rieffel is a graduate of Princeton University and the Fletcher School, Tufts University.

RESOURCES:

For the past twelve months, he has been working with a Burmese scholar at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore on a study of options for ASEAN in promoting peace and development in Rakhine State, as ASEAN’s contribution to resolving the Rohingya crisis. The 10-page policy brief can be downloaded here (PDF): Rieffel-Thuzar-ISEAS Perspective2018-3

Recently published blog post on the Myanmar economy published by Nikkei Asian Review (PDF): Rieffel-LifeGoesOn for NAR 12Jan2018
Or on line: Myanmar economy grows despite refugee crisis

Mission Weekend 2018

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January 14–15 is Mission Weekend, when we remind ourselves of our Christian commitment to human flourishing in all places. Join us for these opportunities to get involved.

Sunday Morning Mission Fair, Sunday, January 14

Beginning at 10:15 am in the Assembly Room, the Membership Committee will host a Mission Fair in celebration of the ministries, missions, and partnerships of Nassau Church. The Fair is an opportunity to discover our myriad outreach programs and become involved. Join us and enjoy this step in your journey of faith.

Morning of Mission, Monday, January 15

Come and join an effort below as we equip and serve local organizations. All hands are needed and welcome.

Hands-on Projects

From 10:30 am to 12:00 pm at the church we will be making pet blankets for orphaned animals, putting together sack lunches for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, assembling Creativity Kits for HomeFront, collecting personal care products for Arm in Arm clients and making calendars for ABC Literacy. Bring donations to the church on Sunday or Monday:

Donation List

Creativity Kits for HomeFront

  • pkgs. of crayons (24–48 ct.)
  • pkgs. of colored pencils (24–28 ct.)
  • pkgs. of markers (10–12 ct.)
  • coloring books
  • coloring pads/sketch pads
  • individual packages of stickers

Personal Care Products for Crisis Ministry

  • toothbrushes and toothpaste
  • shampoo and conditioner
  • razors and shaving cream
  • soaps and lotion
  • feminine products

Community Clean-up

A group will again join our partners at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Trenton in cleaning up parks and removing sidewalk debris from the neighborhood surrounding the Bethany House of Hospitality (BHOH) at 426 Hamilton Ave, Trenton NJ (across the street from Columbus Park).

  • 8-9a Participants arrive, check in and fellowship
  • 9a Participants will leave from BHOH travelling east and west on Hamilton Ave and begin cleaning both sides of the street
  • 12p Participants will return to BHOH for fellowship
  • 1:30p End of the event

Bring your own tools (work gloves, rakes, shovels)

Dress for the weather

Refreshments and bathroom facilities at BHOH
MLK Day Social Clean Up Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/MLKDaySocialCleanUp/

Youth Mission

Youth, join the Fellowship Crew and help out at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore. We’ll leave from and return to Nassau’s parking lot: 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. Don your work clothes and spend the day with reclaimed building materials, donated supplies, and other vintage finds. Lunch provided. Parents, we need drivers for 20 youth! Let Mark Edwards know you’ll be there: , 609-933-7599