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Mission Partners: February 2017

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Mission Partnership Quarterly

As you read about Nassau’s three mayor partnerships in Trenton, Malawi, and Burma/Myanmar, you will see very different emphases in three very different contexts: In Trenton, a Unity Rally calling for a prophetic and compassionate response to Muslins, immigrants and refugees; at CETANA the preparations to open a new English language center in the village of Kanpetlet, and with Villages in Partnership a focus on digging wells for need irrigation for crop security.

As always, we welcome your questions, suggestions, and support as we seek to deepen our commitments beyond the Nassau Church community.

For the Mission & Outreach Committee,

Joyce MacKichan Walker, staff

Updates and events with a our local and global mission partners. Four issues annually. Sign up to receive these updates in your email.

Update from VIP (Villages in Partnership)

by Loretta Wells

Solar Irrigation

As the impacts of climate change become more pronounced, the weather conditions during the growing season in Malawi have become more unpredictable. Because of this, Villages in Partnership is investing in irrigation technology. This will allow the villagers we partner with to become less dependent on the weather for the success of their harvests. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters, we were able to raise enough money to bring solar irrigation to two of our villages in 2017. Hundreds of villagers will now be on the path to food security!

 

 

Boreholes

Clean water is often the number one priority for villagers when VIP first approaches a village to explore a partnership. That is why Villages in Partnership has been focused on the construction of wells almost since our inception. While we have built and repaired countless shallow wells and water holes, we now focus more on the construction of the deeper borehole wells which are generally cleaner and reach deeper into the water table. To date, VIP has drilled 20 borehole wells, and we are drilling 7 more in 2017! These borehole wells will provide safe drinking water for thousands of villagers.

 

 

Read previous reports…ONLINE

We are looking forward to working with VIP and will keep you updated as to how you may become involved. Any questions please contact Loretta Wells at .

Update from Cetana Educational Foundation

by Sue Jennings & Joyce MacKichan Walker

In January, Joyce MacKichan Walker and Sue Jennings, a member of the mission committee and board member of Cetana Educational Foundation, traveled to Myanmar to see our mission partner Cetana’s work firsthand. A day after arriving in Yangon they joined others from Cetana and a group from Metta Partners on a flight to Bagan and then a long, bumpy ride into the Chin hills to Kanpetlet, a gateway to the Natma Taung National Park, a wildlife conservation area noted for its diverse flora and fauna. In Kanpetlet Cetana and Metta Partners are working to improve the teaching of English in the government school. Joyce spent a morning observing classroom instruction while Sue joined a discussion with the school’s principal regarding long term needs. Janet Powers, a retired Gettysburg College professor and ESL expert who has volunteered her services to Cetana, spent her time in Kanpetlet doing a brief evaluation in preparation for a month-long stay in the spring, when she will conduct teacher training workshops. Nassau Church’s support will make this visit possible and will also fund a fledgling, independent English language learning center to be housed in a local church. Improving English instruction is crucial if the standard of living is to be raised in one of the poorest regions of Myanmar. Young people need English to find employment in the local tourism industry, which, since the opening of the country, is poised to take off. And English language skill will also enable some local children to advance beyond the primary level to secondary and post-secondary education, for which English proficiency is a requirement. The children in Myanmar, even in these remote areas, have the same dreams that our own children have, but they face formidable challenges. It was inspiring for Joyce and Sue to spend time with them.

Returning to civilization, Joyce and Sue visited the new quarters of Cetana’s learning center in Yangon. Joyce also had a chance to speak at a chapel gathering at the Myanmar Institute of Theology, the site of another Cetana-initiated English language program, where she brought greetings from Nassau Church and emphasized our fellowship with the people of Myanmar. Joyce and Sue then joined up with a Cetana-sponsored tour of Myanmar–from the archaeological sites in Bagan, to Mandalay, and to Kyaing Tong in remote Shan state, where Cetana has another regional learning center.

Cetana sponsors a yearly trip to Myanmar and encourages Nassau members to participate. Watch for details this summer about the 2018 tour.

Read previous reports…ONLINE

Your ideas for making this a vital partnership are welcome. For more information, contact Sue Jennings,

Update from Westminster Presbyterian Church

by Rev. Karen Hernandez-Granzen

Westminster Presbyterian Church is being called to play a pivotal role during this challenging post-election season. For over 35 years, instead of fleeing the city and its many challenges as many mainline churches did starting in the 60’s, God chose to bless our congregation with the faith, courage, hope and 75-plus partners including Nassau needed to continue seeking shalom of the city through a ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18).  Until recently, most of our resources and programs have been focused on racial reconciliation, becoming a multiracial and multicultural worshiping congregation, improving the low quality of public schools in Trenton, working to dismantle mass incarceration, ministering to reentry / returning citizens and their families, reaching out to young adults who feel disenfranchised by the traditional church through Bethany House of Hospitality, yet still called to serve the city of Trenton, assisting immigrants to acquire English proficiency to support the education of their children and to secure gainful employment, and becoming a welcoming congregation for the LBGTQ-plus community. Now we are also responding to the call of keeping our own Democratic and Republican members united in the midst of our differences in order to talk and walk  the Gospel of Jesus Christ for such a time as this!

Most recently, as the Vice-Chair of United Mercer Interfaith Organization (UMIO) and a founding member of Trenton Mayor Eric E. Jackson’s Latino Advisory Council, I was asked to help organize a Trenton Unity Rally in response to all the recent executive orders that are negatively impacting Muslims, immigrants, refugees, and may eventually affect the LBGTQ-plus community. I was deeply encouraged when every colleague and musician that I invited didn’t hesitate to say “¡Si!” / “Yes!” to participating. Over 250 attended even though the Unity Rally was organized in less than a week! Together we represented Muslims, rabbis and grandsons of Holocaust survivors, Sikhs, the LGBTQ-plus community, and Christians of various denominations. I truly must confess that I was very prideful of all the Presbyterian members representing Nassau, Ewing, Lawrenceville, Flemington, Dutch Neck, Slackwood, and Westminster congregations. I believe that this Unity Rally is only the beginning of many ways that the PCUSA can respond to God’s call to a prophetic and compassionate. Ministry.

As a board member of the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund (LALDEF), Nassau’s 10-year plus partner, I invited our new Executive Director Adriana Abizadeh to prepare a statement that included immigrants’ stories. Ruling Elder Bill Wakefield is a founding member of the board, and I have been serving on the board for over 3 years. LALDEF adopted its organizational mission to defend the rights of the Latin American community, facilitate its access to health care and education, and advance cross-cultural understanding within the Mercer County region. LALDEF provides legal services, youth mentoring, and adult education among other services to the immigrant community of Mercer County. Nassau provided LALDEF with office space until we moved our offices to the Chambersburg neighborhood of Trenton over two years ago. Please read below Adriana’s statement which she shared at the Trenton Unity Rally.

I want to talk to you for a minute about the national response to Executive Orders that have come from our current administration. Immediately following the issuance of the order creating the Muslim Ban, attorneys and other concerned individuals flocked to the airports to provide legal support to travelers affected by the ban. They advocated jointly and with concerted efforts were able to get a stay for this ban and ultimately they were able to suspend the travel ban. This overwhelming show of support was well covered by the media and it is a testament to our system of checks and balances.

United we must continue to fight battles at the national level, so that organizations like LALDEF can work with families at the local level. Families are coming into our office and calling in everyday with fears and in need of counsel. Many families are full of anxiety and have concerns that their families will be torn apart. We must show them that there are people who care and that are willing to fight their battles with them. At LALDEF we are assisting families in the creation of safety plans and temporary custody agreements. We are referring clients to counseling that have found the political climate of the last few months too much to bear. Children are coming home telling their parents about their encounters with bullying and we are here to advocate on their behalf. What this nation needs now is education about these issues. This nation needs education on the underlying societal framework to realize the effects that the removal of immigrants would have, not only emotionally and physically to these individuals, but to this nation’s economy.

Our media has played a large role in sharing stories of immigrants affected by raids and torn apart by archaic and inadequate immigration policies. The Super Bowl displayed the power of media and it showcased that this great nation will not allow for large-scale hatred and its associated rhetoric. There were at least 4 commercials that I know of that aired during the game that provided pro-immigrant content. This is a testament to the power of media in our country as the Super Bowl was watched by an average of 111 million viewers. With their advertisements, these companies took public stances on a controversial issue in our nation’s history. Immigrants are welcome here. Together we can spread a message of love and we can combat fear.

On February 21, at the Senator Cory Booker and Senator Bob Menendez Rally in Newark New Jersey, I also read and submitted Adriana’s statement for public record. Please visit these links to read articles and see photos of the Trenton Unity Rally on February 6, 2017:

Trenton rallies against Islamophobia, bigotry

Read previous reports…ONLINE

Interested in visiting Westminster’s 11AM worship and meeting our partners? Contact Patti Daley, .

 

Mass Incarceration Task Force meets Sunday, March 5

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Sunday, March 5, 12:15-1:15 p.m. Niles Chapel – All are welcome!

Come hear about our latest initiative: tutoring at Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (T.A.S.K.). Also, sign up to join our 15 Nassau church prison pen pal letter-writers. Time for sharing & brainstorming new initiatives. Light snack provided.

Mass Incarceration Task Force meets in Niles Chapel the first Sunday of each month Sept- May, 12:15-1:15PM. For more information contact one of our co-chairs: Mary Beth Charters (609-937-6318, ) or Jonathan Shenk (609-314-6953, ) OR visit our web page at Mass Incarceration Task Force

March Concerts

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Westminster Conservatory Recital
Kevin Willois, flute and Kyu-Jung Rhee, piano

Thursday, March 16
12:15 PM, Niles Chapel

The next recital in the noontime series Westminster Conservatory at Nassau will feature music for flute and piano written by women.  The recital will take place on Thursday, March 16 at 12:15 p.m.  The performers, Kevin Willois, flute and Kyu-Jung Rhee, piano are members of the Westminster Conservatory faculty.  The recital will take place in the Niles Chapel and is open to the public free of charge.

The program on March 16 includes the Nocturne of Lili Boulanger, Cecile Chaminade’s Concertino, two works by Sofia Gubaidulina, Allegro Rustico and Sounds of the Forest, and Rhonda Larsen’s Lugnasa for flute alone.

The next Westminster Conservatory at Nassau recital will take place on April 20, and will feature John Paul Velez, jazz piano and Paul Hofreiter, upright bass.

Organ Recital: Catherine Rodland

Friday, March 31
8:00 PM, Sanctuary

 

Join the Princeton-Parramos Partnership Trip to Guatemala (Viaje a Guatemala)

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This video slideshow gives an in-depth, day-by-day look at the 2014 Guatemala trip. The group visited and served the students and teachers of the learning center in Parramos and also enjoyed seeing breathtaking Lake Atitlán and Mayan sites.

You are invited to join the 2017 Princeton/Parramos Partnership trip to Guatemala from July 14 to 23. The trip offers educational opportunities including visits to beautiful Lake Atitlán with its surrounding Mayan villages and the colonial Spanish city of Antigua. The highlight is five-day stay in the highlands town of Parramos.

In the town of Parramos, the trip provides service opportunities including interaction with children and teachers at New Dawn Trilingual Educational Center as well as work on projects in the community. Participants will also benefit from presentations by local leaders on local history and public health.

The cost of participation will be approximately $2,250; this includes round-trip airfare between the US and Guatemala, travel within Guatemala, lodging, and most meals. This is an annual trip that began in 2002 as a way to learn about the country of our Guatemalan immigrant neighbors and has included participants of all ages and from many parts of the USA.

An initial 2017 trip information and planning meeting will be held in Room 202 at 12:15 pm on Sunday, March 12.

For more information please contact Jonathan Holmquist (, 609-771-3744) or Fredy Estrada, (, 609-466-7458).

Viaje a Guatemala 2017 de la “Colaboración Princeton/Parramos”

El viaje a Guatemala 2017 de la Colaboración Princeton/Parramos está programado para el 14 hasta el 23 de julio.  Este es un viaje anual que empezó en 2002 como una manera de aprender sobre el país de nuestros vecinos inmigrantes, guatemaltecos.  El viaje ofrece experiencias educativas que incluyen visitas al bello Lago Atitlán con las aldeas mayas que lo rodean y a la ciudad colonial española, Antigua, y una estancia de cinco días en el pueblo Parramos situado en el altiplano.  En el pueblo, el viaje provee oportunidades de servicio que incluyen interacción con niños y maestros en el Centro Educativo Trilingüe Nuevo Amanecer y trabajo en proyectos en la comunidad.  En Parramos también, participantes beneficiarán de presentaciones por líderes locales sobre historia local y salud pública.  El costo de participación es aproximadamente $2,250; esto incluye el precio del viaje ida-y-vuelta entre USA y Guatemala, viajes dentro de Guatemala, alojamiento, y muchas de las comidas.  Para más información, por favor, comuníquese con Jonathan Holmquist (, 609-771-3744) o Fredy Estrada (, 609-466-7458).  Una reunión inicial de información y planificación para el viaje 2017 tendrá lugar en Room 202 en Nassau Presbyterian Church, 61 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ a las 12:15 el 12 de marzo.

“From Day to Day” – Thu, Feb. 23

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Nassau Presbyterian Church Hosts Timely Thought-Provoking Discussion of Rare Diary of a Nazi Concentration Camp Survivor

Long-forgotten masterpiece back in print in English after sixty-five years

Princeton, NJ. – Nassau Presbyterian Church will host a discussion and book signing with Timothy Boyce, editor of the concentration camp diary From Day to Day, on Thursday, February 23, at 7:00PM. Boyce will discuss the story of Norwegian architect and humanitarian Odd Nansen, who was arrested in 1942 by the Nazis. Nansen spent the remaining years of World War II in various concentration camps in Norway and Germany. During that time he kept a secret diary on tissue-paper-thin pages he later smuggled out of the camps.

With an unsparing eye, Nansen described the casual brutality and random terror that was the fate of a camp prisoner. His entries reveal his constantly frustrated hopes for an early end to the war, his longing for his wife and children, his horror at the especially barbaric treatment reserved for Jews, and his disgust at the anti-Semitism of some of his fellow Norwegians.

An English translation of the diaries was first published in 1949. It received rave reviews, but soon fell into obscurity. In 1956, in response to a poll about the “most undeservedly neglected” book of the preceding quarter-century, Carl Sandburg singled out From Day to Day, calling it “an epic narrative,” which took “its place among the great affirmations of the power of the human spirit to rise above terror, torture, and death.” Indeed, Nansen witnessed all the horrors of the camps, yet still saw hope for the future.

This new edition, from Vanderbilt University Press, is the first published in over sixty-five years, and contains extensive annotations from editor Timothy Boyce and new diary selections never before translated into English. Forty sketches of camp life and death by Nansen, an architect and talented draftsman, provide a sense of immediacy and acute observation matched by the diary entries.

Nassau Presbyterian is located at 61 Nassau St., Princeton, NJ. Admission is free. The event is co-sponsored by the Princeton Public Library, the Princeton Clergy Association and The Jewish Center of Princeton.

Odd Nansen (1901–1973) was a Norwegian architect and humanitarian. Son of the famous explorer, statesman, and humanitarian Fridtjof Nansen, Odd followed in his father’s footsteps when he founded Nansenhjelpen in 1936 to address the plight of Central European refugees fleeing Nazism. Arrested in 1942, Odd Nansen spent the remainder of the war in various concentration camps. Following the war he remained active in humanitarian organizations such as UNESCO, and continued to speak out against injustice, oppression, and violence.

Timothy J. Boyce practiced law for thirty-five years.  He retired in 2014 as the Managing Partner of the Charlotte, North Carolina, office of Dechert LLP, an international law firm.

PRAISE FOR From Day to Day: One Man’s Diary of Survival in Nazi Concentration Camps

“A long-forgotten masterpiece. . . . Rarely has the inhumanity of the camps been captured with such humanity.” —Nikolaus Wachsmann, author of KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps

“This is one of the most searing contemporaneous accounts of the Holocaust, but also one of the best written of the great documents of World War II. It is a profound indictment of evil, a daily diary of torment and torture, yet also somehow a deeply moving love letter. It should find a place on the bookshelf of every home, be taught in every school, made into a movie, and feted for what it says about man’s capacity for humanity in the face of satanic loathsomeness.”

—Andrew Roberts, author of The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War; Masters and Commanders: How Four Titans Won the War in the West, 1941–1945; and Napoleon: A Life

From reviews of the 1949 edition:

“Writing with no thought of publication, merely to keep a record for his wife and to express his own boiling emotions, Mr. Nansen somehow created a remarkable book. Using stolen paper and stolen time, always in fear of being caught, he described each day’s adventures with stark simplicity and intimate authority. His book, although immensely long, is a continuously engrossing narrative. It is filled with vivid, concrete details, sharp character sketches, unspeakable horrors.”

—Orville Prescott, New York Times

“Most citizens, one hears, are fed up with books about the atrocities of the Nazi concentration camps. But this book is different from all the others this reviewer has read. True, it does not slur over the unspeakable barbarities. But it rises above them and reminds us in never-to-be-forgotten pages how noble and generous the human spirit can be in the face of terrible adversity.”

—William L. Shirer, New York Herald-Tribune

 

Legacy Parents – Sat, Feb. 25

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Stop by and enjoy fellowship with those of us with kids who are out the door, almost out the door, or just if you want to get out the door – all are welcome!

Join us for the first Legacy Parents get together of 2017 – Saturday, February 25th, 7:00 pm, at the home of Keith and Joan Kettelkamp: 7 Concord Lane, Skillman, NJ  08558.  

Please bring an appetizer to share and the drink of your choice.

Questions, please contact Joan Kettelkamp, , 908-812-3176; or Katie Windom, .

February Concerts

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Choral Evensong: Rejoice in the Lamb (Britten)

Sunday, February 5
5:00 PM, Trinity Episcopal Church

All are welcome to a choral evensong at Trinity Episcopal Church on February 5 at 5PM.  The adult choirs of Nassau and Trinity will be joining forces to present one of Britten’s masterpieces as well as music from the Anglican tradition.  The offering that evening will be in support of the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), and a reception will follow.

Music by Johannes Brahms Featured on February 16 Noontime Recital

Thursday, February 16
12:15 PM, Niles Chapel

The next recital in the noontime series Westminster Conservatory at Nassau will feature music by Johannes Brahms for violin and piano.  The performers, Dezheng Ping, violin, and Phyllis Alpert Lehrer, piano are members of the Westminster Conservatory faculty.

The centerpiece of the program will be Brahms’ Sonata no. 2 in A Major, opus 100 for violin and piano.  The program also includes two short works by Brahms for solo piano, Capriccio in b minor, opus 76, no. 2 and Intermezzo in C, opus 119, no. 3.  The Czardas for violin and piano by Vittorio Monti will conclude the recital.

The next Westminster Conservatory at Nassau recital will take place on March 16, and will feature Kevin Willois, flute and Kyu-Jung Rhee, piano performing works by women composers.

New School for Music Study Faculty Recital

From the Streets of Paris

Sunday, February 26
2:30 PM, Sanctuary

Performances by: Marvin Blickenstaff, Kristin Cahill, Angela Triandafillou Jones, Allison Shinnick, Denitsa VanPelt, and Michael Van Pelt.

 

Small Groups for Lent

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Gospel Portraits of Jesus

Small-groups-logo-color-med

Offering fellowship and community, Small Groups at Nassau return this Lent with the six-session study Gospel Portraits of Jesus, authored by Donald Griggs, former teacher at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, and a former consultant to the Kerygma Group.

The Gospels, bedrock of our faith, present Jesus in many ways, as Messiah, the resurrection and the life, prophet, Son of David, Son of God. Many times he is referred to as teacher or rabbi. In this Lenten season small groups will examine the many ways Jesus is portrayed in the Gospel with an excellent curriculum, a remarkable line-up of leaders, and a kickoff event that is not to be missed.

Join skilled leaders from our congregation in a study of Jesus that will make this Lenten season one you will not soon forget!

Groups meet weekly for six weeks. Sign up on My Nassau or during Fellowship. Materials are available in the church office during regular business hours or during Fellowship.

Kick-Off Event

Sunday, February 19

“Names for Jesus”
Dale Allison

2:00 p.m.
Niles Chapel
Refreshments and fellowship at 1:45 p.m.

The Gospels bestow many titles on Jesus. What did they mean to his first followers?

Dale Allison, professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary and author of, most recently, Night Comes: Death, Imagination, and the Last Things, will talk about the many titles the Gospels have given to Jesus,  including Messiah, Son of Man, Son of David, prophet, and Son of God. How do they fit together or not fit together? What did they mean to Jesus and his first followers, in their originally Jewish context? Did they have different meanings before and after Easter? And how did they change over time as Christian theology developed?

Small Groups: Portraits of Jesus

2017 Lent Small Groups (pdf)
time & location changes will be listed below – as well as groups that are full

FULL – Sundays, 5:00-6:30PM (Feb. 26 – Apr. 2)

Pulimood Home, Princeton
Mani Pulimood & Dan Dorrow, leaders

Mani has been worshiping at Nassau Church for the last 10 years with his wife, Monisha, and two sons, Nikhil and Philip. He has authored a book, Spiritual Dimensions–Musings on Life and Faith. One of his favorite ministries is online evangelism. You can find him on Twitter: @ManiPulimood.

Dan recently became a Candidate for Teaching Elder in New Brunswick Presbytery, feeling called to serve God as a pastor-theologian with special attention to the Bible’s mandate for economic justice. Dan is husband of Joanne and father of two adult daughters, Nouelle and Natalie. He has been a member of Nassau Presbyterian Church since May 2014.

FULL – Mondays, 7:30-9:00PM (Feb. 27 – Apr. 3)

Wehrheim Home, Stonebridge
Carol Wehrheim, leader

Carol Wehrheim, a writer and Christian Education consultant, finds that Lenten small groups deepen her own prayer life and her connection to her church community.

FULL – Mondays, 7:30-9:00PM (Feb. 27 – Apr. 3)

Harmon Home, Princeton
Kate & Scott Harmon, leaders

Kate, Scott, and their three teenage daughters returned to the Princeton area in the summer of 2015 after 8 years in Concord, MA, and are overjoyed to be back at Nassau. You may have seen them at church with Snoopy, their Seeing Eye puppy in training. He headed back to the Seeing Eye in Morristown on February 1.

Tuesdays, 7:30-9:00PM (Feb. 28 – Apr. 4)

Room 1060, Princeton Theological Seminary Library
John Parker, leader

John 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.

FULL – Wednesdays, 6:30-7:30AM (Mar. 1 – Apr. 5)

Conference Room, NPC (coffee & tea provided, bring breakfast)
Dave Davis, leader

Dave Davis has been pastor and head-of-staff at Nassau Presbyterian Church for fifteen years. He has two books of sermons in print, the most recent, Lord, Teach Us to Pray.

Wednesdays, 2:00-3:30PM (Mar. 1 – Apr. 5)

Home of Carol King (The Windrows)
Chikara Saito, leader

Chikara Saito is a second year Master of Divinity student at Princeton Theological Seminary and a Teaching Intern this year at Nassau.

Thursdays, 9:30-11:00AM (Mar. 2 – Apr. 6)

Music Room, Nassau Presbyterian Church
Joyce MacKichan Walker, leader

Joyce MacKichan Walker is Minister of Education at Nassau Presbyterian Church 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.

FULL – Thursdays, 7:30-9:00PM (Mar. 2 – Apr. 6)

Room 1060, Princeton Theological Seminary Library
Tom Coogan, leader

Tom Coogan and his family have been NPC members for over 10 years and are grateful for the all the opportunities to worship, learn, and serve through choirs, committees, and small groups.

Other Small Groups

FULL – Thursdays, 7:30-9:00PM (Mar. 2 – Apr. 6)

The Sacred Art of (Your) Photography

Conference Room, Nassau Presbyterian Church
Ned Walthall, leader

Ned Walthall has been a member of Nassau Church since 1987 and is the geeky guy you see taking pictures at coffee hour.

Sundays, 9:30-10:30AM (Mar. 5 – Apr. 9)

Hope for the Future: answering God’s call to justice for our children

Room 302, Nassau Presbyterian Church
Shannon Daley-Harris, leader (& author)

book price $10

Come and explore this series of 12 meditations on our calling to seek justice for children, the challenges we encounter as we nurture and protect children, and what may sustain us in this faithful work and witness. Whether you are a parent, grandparent, professional working on behalf of children, volunteer serving children and families, concerned individual, or a young person yourself, your voice, insights, and reflections will enrich this conversation as we discuss how we experience ourselves as called, challenged and sustained as we seek to improve the lives of children in our nation.

Shannon Daley-Harris, author of Hope for the Future, has served the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) for 26 years, engaging the faith community in CDF’s child advocacy efforts. Raised in Nassau Church, Shannon is a minister of word and sacrament serving in specialized ministry at CDF.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WF8WDL8

Adult Education – February 2017

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Download a copy of the print brochure here: Feb. 2017 (pdf)

The digital media files posted on the Nassau Presbyterian Church website are copyrighted by the pastors and presenting lecturers. These works are only for personal and educational use through a digital media player on a personal computer or using a personal digital media device (e.g., iPod). These works may not otherwise be archived or re-posted on the Internet, broadcast in any manner, distributed, transcribed or modified in any way without written permission of the presenting lecturer. The user of the audio file holds no license (of any form – expressed or implied) to any of the content of these files. The same applies to any PowerPoint® presentations.

International Conflict Resolution Series

  • Sundays, 9:15 am, in the Assembly Room, unless otherwise noted

As the globe gets smaller, we are drawn into or impacted by political conflicts around the world. As Christians, let’s explore these complicated and nuanced crises, and how what we learn might impact our understanding and our advocacy. Join us as diplomats and experts in conflict resolution share their first-hand experience in resolving conflict and abuse of human rights in Syria, Tajikistan, and other hot spot.

 

February 5

Syria in Crisis

Mazen Adi

  • ​​Music Room

Come and explore the development of the Syrian Crisis from peaceful demonstrations calling for freedom and democracy to the conflict it is today. Examine some external factors that inflamed and perpetuated​ the fighting in Syria, including the role of the international and regional powers, sectarian and religious differences, and the spread of extremist groups, especially ISIS and Nursa front. ​We will pay special attention to the role of the United Nations in the Syrian Crisis, and the effect of this role on the image of the Security Council and the international order.

Mazen Adi is Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University. He joined the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1998. Between 2000 and 2005, he worked at the Syrian Embassy in Rome, also serving as an Alternate Permanent Representative to the United Nations agencies working in Rome, FAO, WFP and IFAD. Between 2007 and 2014, he was appointed to the Syrian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, where he worked as a Legal Advisor and Sixth Committee expert. Adi has degrees from Damascus University School of Law and St. John’s University Rome Campus (2004) and NY, and a Ph.D. in comparative law from Tor Vergata University (Roma 2) Italy.

 

February 12

The United Nations and Democracy: A Road to Peace?

Roland Rich

Throughout the Cold War years, the issue of democracy was avoided by the UN. In the post-Cold War, the UN became more proactive leading to the establishment in 2005 of the UN Democracy Fund. One justification for the UN’s involvement in promoting democracy is the belief in democratic peace theory. Come and explore this argument and discuss the work of the UN Democracy Fund.

Roland Rich was an Australian diplomat with postings in Paris, Rangoon, Manila and as Ambassador to Laos. At headquarters, he held the positions of Legal Advisor and Assistant Secretary for International Organizations. He was then Foundation Director of the Centre for Democratic Institutions at the Australian National University. In 2007 he was appointed as the Executive Head of the UN Democracy Fund. Dr. Rich now teaches in the UN and Global Policy Studies graduate program at Rutgers University.

 

February 19

The Path to Peace Accord in Tajikistan

Dilafruz Nazarova

In 1992, Tajikistan, a small Central Asian country that just gained its independence, was dragged into the devastating civil war that resulted in fifty thousand deaths and over a million residents seeking refuge. It was not until 1997 that the parties to the conflict, the Government and the United Tajik Opposition, agreed to sign a peace accord under the auspices of the United Nations and with active participation of regional actors such as Iran, Afghanistan and Russia, effectively ending the civil war. Take a closer look into the civil war and explore aspects of the negotiation process that made the settlement possible.  We will assess national reconciliation efforts in light of the current political situation in Tajikistan, including its human rights record.

Dilafruz Nazarova, a human rights lawyer from Tajikistan, is a PhD student in the Political Science Department of Rutgers University. She worked for her government and in a number of international organizations including the International Committee of the Red Cross, Penal Reform International, Rule of Law Initiative of the American Bar Association, British Institute for War and Peace Reporting and the UN Peace-Building Support Mission in Tajikistan. She teaches several courses including International Law, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Human Rights, and Introduction to the United Nations.

In-Depth Bible Study

Ongoing through May 21

1st Corinthians

George Hunsinger

  • 9:15 am
  • Maclean House

George Hunsinger returns for the 20th year to lead this verse-by-verse examination of the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians. Bibles are available for use during the class. Find them on the Deacon Desk by the church kitchen. Class meets next door in Maclean House (Garden Entrance).

Special Focus on Mission

February 5

Guatemala Mission and Service Experience

Jonathan Holmquist, Charles Clark, Fredy Estrada, Mea Kaemmerlen, Janet and George Roman, Lorraine Sarhage, Nancy Wilson and Hana Kahn

  • 9:15-10:15 a.m.
  • Niles Chapel

Come and hear about the educational and service components of the 2016 summer trip to Guatemala. See the highlands area of Lake Atitlán and its surrounding Mayan villages and the Mayan archeological site and rain forest at Tikal National Park. Explore the highlands town of Parramos and the New Dawn Trilingual Education Center there. Then hear about the interactive work focusing on music and English with children of all grade levels, the hands-on painting and improvement to classroom lighting and work done in support of the school’s computer program, and the visits with the scholarship children supported by the Princeton/Parramos Partnership. All nine of this past year’s visitors to Guatemala and Parramos will be available to describe their experiences and encourage participation in a 2017 Guatemala mission and service trip.

Violence in Art: Where is the Redemption? Series

Melissa Martin and Chikara Saito

  • Sundays, 9:15 am, in Niles Chapel, unless otherwise noted

The Exodus and the Exile, the Cross and the Resurrection – Themes of violence and redemption are woven throughout the Christian story. Art provides us with a medium to explore these themes. Come and examine portrayals of violence in both film and photography, as we bring them into conversation with the biblical narrative.

Melissa Martin is a third-year student at Princeton Theological seminary. She also works in the church office as the Administrative Assistant for Pastoral Care. She loves to sneak in a good novel, because she finds that through them her big theological questions can be explored in refreshingly human ways.

Chikara Saito is a second year Master of Divinity student at Princeton Theological Seminary. Chikara grew up in Japan and had numerous opportunities to worship and work with Christians throughout East and Southeast Asia. He is very engaged by theology in film and literature.

 

February 12

Violence, Film, and Redemption

Film is the common language of the 21st century. It shapes and sculpts the way we imagine society, politics, and even faith. Together we will see how violence is a thorny theme that films treat with either respect or frivolity. Using Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino (2008), examine how this portrayal of violence clarifies what is at stake for us as Christians. Then bring this into conversation with biblical resources.

 

February 19

Violence, Poetry, and Redemption

Poetry reveals the tensions in our social imagination, our hopes and hurts. In particular, these creative pieces help us wrestle with the problem of violence in our midst. We see this displayed in modern poets, like Wilfred Owens, W.H. Auden, and Keith Douglas. This class will bring these poets into conversation with older poets, the Prophets of the Old Testament, helping us consider the relationship between art and violence.

 

February 26

Violence, Photography, and Redemption

  • Assembly Room

Photographs define eras by burning their images into our collective conscience. From Nagasaki to Aleppo, Little Rock to Ferguson, photographs confront us with the realities of violence in the world. By examining various photographs and bringing them into conversation with the biblical narrative, consider the questions these photographs prompt us to ask, particularly as they pertain to the relationship between violence and redemption.

Special Thursday Session

Thursday, February 23

The Secret Concentration Camp Diary of Odd Nansen

  • 7:00 pm
  • Sanctuary

Join Timothy Boyce for an evening talk and discussion of the World War II diary From Day to Day, a book hailed by the New Yorker as “among the most compelling documents to come out of the war.” From Day to Day is a World War II concentration camp diary—one of only a handful ever translated into English—secretly written by Odd Nansen, a Norwegian political prisoner.  Having founded an organization in Norway to help refugees fleeing the Nazis in 1936, Nansen was arrested in January 1942 and held captive for the duration of the war in various Nazi camps in Norway and Germany. Nansen’s diary entries detail his palpable longing for his wife and family, his constantly frustrated hopes for release, the quiet strength and sometimes ugly prejudices of his fellow prisoners, and his horror at the especially barbaric treatment reserved for the Jews. The diary brilliantly illuminates Nansen’s daily struggle, not only to survive, but to preserve his sanity and maintain his humanity in a world engulfed by fear and hate.

Timothy Boyce, a retired lawyer, devoted years to getting the book back into print with full annotations.

 

 

 

Hoagies for Youth Mission

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Need something to snack on while you watch the big game?!

To raise funds for Youth Mission trips, Nassau’s youth are selling hoagies which will be assembled here at the church on the morning of Sunday, February 5!

The varieties available:

  • Italian
  • Turkey and American Cheese
  • Ham and Swiss
  • Roast Beef and Cheddar

Prices: $6 for one six-inch hoagie or $20 for a family four pack.

Customization can be made for allergies, and with all toppings. Each hoagie will include a quarter pound of meat and cheese, and can be ordered already assembled or unassembled. We will proudly make our hoagies using bread from Italian People’s Bakery baked the morning of February 5th.

Orders will be taken during coffee hour on 1/29 or email your order to Amy Olsen at by Thursday, February 2nd.

Pickup your hoagie the morning of February 5th anytime from 10:30-12:30 in the Assembly Room. Thank you for your support!