Trenton students head back to school – help us provide the supplies they need for success.
Every September the new school year brings excitement and lots of new goodies. This year students will be returning from virtual or hybrid learning during the pandemic to the more familiar routines of the schoolhouse. In any event, the supplies add up. In 2022 the average family spent over $270 per student, just too much for many families in our area.
We are joining with Westminster Presbyterian Church (WPC), our partner church in Trenton, to provide 150 backpacks filled with essentials for local kids. WPC will distribute the school supplies in partnership with Trenton Music Makers, the Apostalic Church, LALDEF, and Sprout University of the Arts.
Donations will be accepted through Sunday, August 11.
Please bring new backpacks to worship on Sunday mornings and place them in the marked basket in the narthex.
To fill the backpacks, we have found that monetary donations go the farthest so that Nassau can purchase grade-specific school supply packs in bulk. Thank you for giving as you are able to help make sure students in Trenton are better prepared for the academic year ahead.
School supply bundles:
Elementary Pack, $30
Middle School Pack, $40
High School Pack, $55
Monetary donations can be made by check or online. Make checks out to Nassau Presbyterian Church, noting “School Supplies” in the memo line and drop in the collection plate or mail to the church office. Use the button below to donate online, choose “School Supplies” from the drop-down Funds box.
Every gift helps better prepare children for the year ahead with needed school supplies and with the knowledge that the wider community is cheering them on. Thank you!
Our upcoming congregational day of service at Loaves and Fishes at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Trenton, will take place on Saturday, August 19.
Volunteering for Loaves and Fishes, whether it’s donating food, personal care items, money, or time, is an opportunity to be fed and to join our community of faith in action. We do what our Lord asks of us.
As we prepare meals, serve, and clean up, we are serving our most vulnerable neighbors, and if you can take a moment to breathe on that busy day, you’ll find that you are being filled and sustained, too.
Our initial plans this year are to provide 200 hot meals to our dinner guests. As they leave that day, each guest will each receive a bag with another dinner meal, a bag lunch as well as personal care items. Please consider serving those who need a little extra assistance.
Take this opportunity to serve God and enjoy the community of Nassau Church.
Bending the Moral Arc Toward Justice in the Season of Juneteenth
In our second Juneteenth series, formerly incarcerated persons will share the paths they have followed after incarceration, and we will learn about programs that support returning citizens as entrepreneurs, job trainers, educators and advocates.
Audio recordings will be posted below each class description.
June 4
Witnessing God’s Transforming Love in our Local Economy
Come learn about the Trenton Microloan Collaborative (TMC), a partnership between Nassau Presbyterian Church and Westminster Presbyterian Church, Trenton. The mission of the TMC is to support formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs in the Trenton area. TMC offers support through zero interest loans and pro bono accounting services to entrepreneurs who have been in business for at least 2 years. The TMC seeks to be a witness to God’s transforming love in our local neighborhoods, in our local economy.
(we join the class in progress)
Jeffrey Augustinis the owner of Dealz Dealz Dealz, a retail store at 103 E. State Street in Trenton. He is the first recipient of business support from the Trenton Microloan Collaborative.
Jacque Howard is an elder at Westminster Presbyterian Church and the owner of the Trenton 365 Show which conducts interviews with people involved in bettering community life in Trenton. He is a founding member of the Trenton Microloan Collaborative.
Jonathan Shenk is a small business entrepreneur and a Presbyterian minister. He is the owner of Greenleaf Painters LLC, based in Lawrenceville. He attends Nassau and Westminster Presbyterian churches. He is
also a founding member of the Trenton Microloan Collaborative.
Breaking the Chains of Poverty Through Training and Education
Come hear the life story of Andre Thomas, an award winning professional educator who teaches former carceral citizens, among others, to practice trades that provide sustaining income. A 22-year employee of the nonprofit community builder Isles in Trenton, Thomas provides a compelling testimony of what bending the moral arc toward justice looks like on a daily basis.
Andre Thomasbegan working at the Isles Youth Institute in 2001 as the Operations Manager. He is currently the Senior Training Manager at Isles, where he trains contractors in leadsafe renovations and energy efficient practices. He and his father, Calvin Thomas, manage a youth leadership program called Healthy Relationship Healthy Choices in partnership with The Father Center of NJ. He is also the Life Skills Coach at the Trenton Circus. Andre takes advantage of every opportunity to use his skills and networks to assist people in his community and beyond.
Ministry of Presence: Educating Vulnerable Populations in the Age of Technology
Technology has transformed the way we live, work, and learn. For vulnerable populations, access to technology and quality education remains a challenge. The Ministry of Presence emphasizes the importance of physical presence and human connection in education, aiming to create a more inclusive and equitable education system that empowers all students to reach their full potential.
Nafeesah Ali Goldsmithis cofounder and COO of YFOF (Youth Function Over Form) a youth justice organization focused on creating prison-free furniture. She is also founder and CEO of RISE (Real Intervention Supports Excellence) a mission based sustainability initiative that supports at-risk communities. She holds an MA in Criminal Justice from Monmouth University, along with a BA in Sociology from Rutgers the State University of NJ. Nafeesah began her college career while serving a 15 yr prison sentence at EMCFW (Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women) in Union Township, NJ. Nafeesah’s vision is to connect to the youth and global community by educating on the topic of prison abolition.
Westminster Conservatory at Nassau presents flutist John Lane and pianist Kathy Shanklin performing music by Gabriel Fauré and Joaquín Rodrigo. This final recital of the season is open to the public free of charge.
Audio recordings will be posted below each class description.
May 7
Jesus and the Wild Beasts: Incarnation and the Natural World
Church and world today face a monumental ecological crisis. Is the witness of Scripture ecologically unfriendly as some of its critics charge? Does the incarnation of God’s Word in Jesus Christ have significance for the natural world as well as for humanity?
(appologies: the recording begins about 10 minutes in to the presentation)
Dan Migliore holds a B.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Princeton University. An ordained Presbyterian minister, , the 4th edition of his Introduction to Christian Theology, Faith Seeking Understanding, was published in April of this year.
Does God control the world? Do we have freedom? How is eternity related to time? In this session we’ll map the history of theological dilemma and answers. And we’ll pose one solution that might just rule them all.
Mark Edwards
Mark Edwards, author of Christ is Time: The Gospel according to Karl Barth (and the Red Hot Chili Peppers) is an adjunct professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and The College of New Jersey; a Lecturer in the Department of Religion at Princeton University; and Director of Youth Ministry at Nassau Presbyterian Church. He has a PhD in philosophy and theology from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Art of Faithfulness:
Reflection on a year with our artists
Our 2022 – 2023 program year provided multiple opportunities to engage with art and faith in new ways. Come and hear about the evolution of the Art of Faithfulness at Nassau and engage with our panel of artists as they reflect on the year, providing perspectives of their work at the intersection of art and faith. We hope this discussion will intrigue and energize you to engage with the Art of Faithfulness offerings for 2023 -24, sneak previews will be provided!
Annalise Hume is a dancer who spends her time teaching, facilitating movement workshops, and offering Spiritual Direction to others with the hope of helping individuals and groups take steps towards wholeness and flourishing. She holds a BFA in Dance from Univ. of Minnesota and MDiv and MA from Princeton Theological Seminary. Her work brings together faith and movement as she invites participants to live out their own faith and purpose.
Roz Anderson Flood serves as a deacon and sings in the Adult Choir; she is a member of the Worship and Arts Committee and is a ruling elder, not currently on the Session. Roz led Poetic Pathways, a small group to explore poetry and how it speaks to faith. This year her group focused on the Creation Story as a foundation. In addition to her other gifts that she brings to Nassau, she is herself a poet.
Carmelle Beaugelin is a Haitian-American visual artist based in Princeton, NJ. Her creative focus includes paintings inspired by Afro-Latin Caribbean art styles and Christian spirituality. She is the Founder and Lead Curating Artist at BeauFolio Studio. Carmelle received her Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Ned Walthall is a photographer based in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He received his MFA from the Institute of Art and Design at New England College (formerly the New Hampshire Institute of Art). His work has been shown in galleries throughout the United States and abroad. Ned has led Sacred Art of Photography in our Small Group series since 2015. His group focuses on the intersection of photography and faith, encouraging participants to deepen their faith by exploring the world through their own photography and reflecting on the works presented by others during small group sessions.
Kim Kleasen is a musician and creative spirit. A long-time member of the Adult Choir and flautist, she sees the creativity each of us possesses as a pathway to deepening faith and purpose. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Michigan State and an MBA and Ed.D. in Organizational Studies. During the pandemic she completed a course of study in spiritual direction at General Theological Seminary where she focused on the arts as a pathway to faithfulness, leading several small groups since 2021. Her study launched the Art of Faithfulness at Nassau, where she is one of its leaders.
As we prepare to celebrate Corrie with gratitude for her years of service at Nassau Presbyterian Church, we would like to gather your good wishes and memories for her in a memory book. We will also be collecting financial donations that will be put toward the purchase of a gift certificate for the Berg family to attend a concert of Corrie’s choice in their new hometown of Washington D.C.! We look forward to sharing these gifts with her at our all church catered picnic after worship on Sunday, June 4.
Therefore, you are invited to celebrate Corrie in these ways:
Register for the picnic lunch on Sunday, June 4, at 11:00 a.m. here at Nassau Church.
Contribute to the gift certificate to express our thanks for her ministry among us.
Submit your words of thanks and well wishes to Corrie and photographs of Corrie during these years of ministry — contribute to the scrapbook below.
The deadline for each of these is May 25. But don’t put it off, do it now.
Celebrating and ensuring the indelible mark of Johnsonburg on the future
Over the past six weeks you’ve heard from friends and members of the Nassau community as they recounted their memories of Camp JBurg and their hopes for its future. We invite you to join the Cook Davis, Mackichan Walker, Olsen, and Wood Yeh families (among many more in our community) in supporting the “Marked for the Future” campaign.
Johnsonburg is a place where all may gather, and all are welcomed in God’s beautiful creation…and we are registering for SUMMER CAMP!
As New Jersey’s only Presbyterian summer camp, we have been the highlight of summer for thousands of kids across our 63 years.
We’ve got six 1-week overnight sessions for kids in rising 1st-12th grades from June to August. We have tons of activities, and our camp counselors are carefully hired, screened, and trained to be great role models for campers. Summer camp has been shown to increase social and emotional wellness in children and youth, as well as teaching them to be more independent and helping them to make friends. Compliment the faith building you are doing in church and at home with what will be your child’s favorite week of the summer. For more information, visit campjburg.org/summer-camp
Jewish Center of Princeton, 435 Nassau Street
No fee, but registration is required.
We would be honored to have you join with community clergy, social justice activists, leaders and elected legislators, and friends as we welcome the visionary and distinguished BISHOP WILLIAM J. BARBER II to Princeton. This is not a fundraiser; there is no fee for attendance, but pre-registration is required to ensure your seat.
Bishop Barber will deliver the 33rd Annual Amy Adina Schulman Memorial Lecture in remembrance of our daughter who was born in Princeton, educated in our public schools, was very involved in social justice activities, but died suddenly at age 20 from a brain aneurysm. These memorial lectures continue her life’s commitment to peace and equality.
The renowned Bishop Barber’s talk is a most timely and critical one for all of us in Princeton, surrounding areas, and across the U.S. – strategies for effective interreligious collaboration and deepening solidarity; building sturdy bridges to advance lasting racial, economic, and environmental equality, justice, and security. (If somehow, you’ve not heard of Bishop Barber, do check online to read his amazing history of activism, extraordinary honors, his pastoral work, and most recently his appointment at Yale’s Divinity School as Director of the Center of Public Theology and Public Policy.)
This 33rd Annual Memorial Lecture will be held at The Jewish Center of Princeton, 435 Nassau St., Princeton. The synagogue has large but limited seating and parking capabilities. We have learned to require prior registration to ensure a smooth seating procedure.
Audio recordings will be posted below each class description.
April 16
Charles Stile
Political Columnist, The Bergen Record
What are the issues that are dominating New Jersey state news today? Let’s hear from a Princeton resident and veteran political reporter with a deep institutional knowledge of state and local politics to help us understand where our state government has been and where it may be going.
Charles Stile is a veteran political columnist for The Bergen Record/ Northjersey.com. As a graduate of The College of New Jersey, Stile began his career at the Sentinel-Ledger of Ocean City before joining the The Princeton Packet in August 1983, and The Times (Trenton) a year later, covering city hall and urban issues, moving to the Record in 2000 and becoming the paper’s full-time political columnist in 2007. He has received numerous journalism awards, including the 2018 Silurian’s Merit Award (NY Press Club) for columns on Chris Christie, and has appeared on MSNBC, the Rachel Maddow Show, and CNN during last fall’s midterms. He and his wife, storyteller Maria LoBiondo, are the parents of two grown children.
Senator Andrew Zwicker is a physicist and a member of the New Jersey Senate representing Central NJ’s 16th Legislative District. He serves on the Budget and Appropriations, Higher Education, Labor, and Military and Veterans’ Affairs committees. A lifelong New Jersey resident, he is head of Communications and Public Outreach at Princeton University’s Plasma Physics Laboratory. Sen. Zwicker will illuminate important legislation recently signed into law by Governor Murphy, and let us know of issues and bills that he anticipates the legislature will address in the near future.
Andrew Zwicker was raised in Englewood, NJ where his love of learning and passion for science came from his mother, a public school English teacher, and father, a chemical engineer. Andrew earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Bard College and a master’s and Ph.D. in physics from Johns Hopkins University. Andrew and his wife Barbara, an elementary school educator, raised three children and one pitbull-boxer mix named Rocky.
Tim Sullivan
CEO, NJ Economic Development Authority
What is the state’s strategy for building strong communities? For sustainable and inclusive economic development? For creating good jobs? How does the State of New Jersey prioritize economic development? And how can our government offices support struggling communities across the state?
Tim Sullivan became Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) in February 2018. The NJEDA serves as the State’s principal agency for driving economic growth and implementing Governor Murphy’s vision for a stronger and fairer New Jersey.
Born and raised in Bergen County, Tim is a graduate of Georgetown University and Bergen Catholic High School.
Every September the new school year brings excitement and lots of new goodies. This year students will be returning from virtual or hybrid learning during the pandemic to the more familiar routines of the schoolhouse. In any event, the supplies add up. In 2022 the average family spent over $270 per student, just too much for many families in our area.
Please bring new backpacks to worship on Sunday mornings and place them in the marked basket in the narthex.
