#MissionMonday – Paul Robeson House of Princeton

The Paul Robeson House of Princeton is close to opening their renovated home!

The “Paul Robeson House,” dating from 1842, is a residential property located at 110 Witherspoon Street, where Paul Robeson was born on April 9, 1898. Paul Robeson’s roots in the African American community of Princeton launched him on his world-renowned career as an all-American athlete, actor, singer, scholar and writer, and voice for human rights. The renovated property will host a gallery of memorabilia, non-profit meeting spaces, and temporary lodging.


We are proud to be Mission Partners with The Paul Robeson House of Princeton and invite you to learn more about their capital campaign: https://give-usa.keela.co/Donate2023

#MissionMonday – HomeFront

Helping Families Break the Cycle of Poverty

HomeFront, a Mission Partner of Nassau based in Lawrenceville, provides shelter, housing assistance, groceries, and social services to families experiencing poverty in central New Jersey. Recognizing an emerging need with the families they serve and proposing an expansion of their project to the Missions and Outreach Committee, HomeFront used grant funding from Nassau to distribute 114,800 diapers in the month of August alone.

Nassau also supports HomeFront through the monthly Hunger Offering. Organizations supported by your faithful giving each month received over $10,000 in the past fiscal year. At HomeFront, this has contributed to the 23,426 cartloads of groceries distributed at their Choice Market and pop-up food pantries since October. We invite you to bring a donation to church this Sunday (the last Sunday of the month) or give online through the Give Now page of this website and selecting “Hunger Fund” from the drop down menu.

Connect with HomeFront:

2024 VIP Water Walk

Save Lives in Malawi

Help save lives in the impoverished villages of Malawi!

This spring, the stakes are perilously high: Disastrous droughts in southern Africa have triggered a hunger crisis for millions in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In Villages in Partnership’s 29 partner villages, the drought has caused failed crops and widespread hunger.

In response, VIP has dedicated their 2024 Water Walk fund-raiser on Saturday, May 4, to bringing clean water to the villages, not just for drinking, but to irrigate farmers’ fields to replant and replace the crops lost to drought.

VIP Water Walk 2024



How You Can Help:

  • Walk with Us! Join the Nassau Church Water Walkers who walk to raise funds to bring clean water to Malawi, both during the VIP Water Walk on May 4 in Allentown, NJ, and in the weeks leading up to the Water Walk in their own neighborhoods. For information, contact Liz Beasley (email) or Larry Alphs (email).
  • Support Us! Donate what you can to the cause. Just click one of the Nassau Church Water Walkers Team member’s fund-raising links below to make your gift:



Thank you for your concern for our Malawi brothers and sisters.

 

Churches for Middle East Peace, Lunch & Learn, Sunday, April 14

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), a mission partner of Nassau Church for many years, will be returning for post-worship conversation regarding the ongoing crisis and suffering in Israel/Palestine. CMEP has consistently been calling for a permanent bilateral ceasefire, the allowance of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and for the release of all hostages.

Speakers include members of CMEP staff and peace-builders from the Middle East. Understanding the geopolitics, social considerations, and other aspects of the conflict demands that we look beyond the headlines into the daily realities of people living on the ground. Churches for Middle East Peace is pro-Israeli, pro-Palestinian, pro-peace, and pro-justice.

Join us to learn what it means to be someone who pursues peace, while also advocating for justice in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and beyond. Please make your reservations by Wednesday, April 10 using the online form, or by contacting Lauren Yeh (email) in the church office.


RSVP (link)


Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, Executive Director
Cannon received her first doctorate in American History with a minor in Middle Eastern studies at the University of California (Davis) focusing on the history of the American Protestant church in Israel and Palestine and her second doctorate in Ministry in Spiritual Formation from Northern Theological Seminary. She is the author of several books including the award-winning Social Justice Handbook: Small Steps for a Better World and editor of A Land Full of God: Christian Perspectives on the Holy Land.


Tamar Haddad, And Still We Rise Coordinator
A full-time And Still We Rise Coordinator based in Jerusalem, Haddad was hugely impacted by her involvement in leadership programs like MEPI – Student Leaders Program, International Women Leaders, and the Clinton Global Initiative University. While she previously served as the Project Manager for Gender Justice at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL), Haddad currently serves at the UN Commission on the Status of Women and volunteers as a Regional Coordinator at the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).


Destiny Magnett, Programs and Outreach Manager
Magnett joined CMEP following an eight-week Middle East Fellowship where she helped to bolster and expand CMEP’s relationships on the ground in Israel/Palestine. Prior to joining CMEP, Destiny worked in the U.S. Department of State, USAID, Search for Common Ground– Jordan, and Harvard’s Office of Religion and Public Life. Destiny is also an MTS candidate at Harvard Divinity School and holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from Grinnell College.


Please make your reservations by Wednesday, April 10 using the online form, or by contacting Lauren Yeh (email) in the church office.


RSVP (link)

Celebrating Black History Month

at Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church

112 Witherspoon St.
Princeton, NJ 08540

(609) 924-1666

Sunday morning services at 10:00 a.m.


Sunday, February 4, 2024, Film Documentary, Acts of Faith, showcases the role of WSPC in the creation of a planned integrated community in Princeton during the 1950s. Immediately after church in the Fellowship Hall there will be a discussion and a Q&A with the filmmaker, Diane Ciccone, Esq.


Sunday, February 11, 2024, A Moment for Mission: A video montage of beloved members sharing in their own words, their hopes and love for WSPC. A presentation of the unique accomplishments of past WSPC members by Deacon Shirley Satterfield will follow.


Sunday, February 18, 2024, Black History Month presentation by the WSPC Verse Speaking Choir.


Sunday, February 25, 2024, Following worship, there will be a showing of the documentary, Telling Our Stories, an exploration of the complexity of the historical relationship between WSPC and Nassau PC. A panel discussion will follow in the Fellowship Hall.


Sponsored by:
WSPC Christian Education Committee
WSPC Church Life Committee

Contact: WSPC Office (email)

Arm In Arm & Nassau Church: Better Together for 44 Years

February 4 & 11, 2024

9:30 a.m. | Assembly Room


Valentines for Food is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year!

Started by members of Nassau Presbyterian Church led by Don Dickason, this annual food drive to stock the pantry has broadened and helped feed more than 26,000 families since it began. Join us to hear more about our shared history and Arm In Arm’s ever expanding love in our community on February 4. There will also be a hands-on opportunity with Arm In Arm on February 11.



Audio recordings will be posted below each class description.


2024 Valentines for Food Fund Drive

Read More (link)


February 4 | David R. Fox & Sallye Clark Zink

Arm In Arm and Nassau Church: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Executive Director David will share updates about how Arm In Arm welcomes over 5,000 families to the food pantries and works with 400 at-risk families to prevent and end homelessness. Sallye, Mission & Outreach Committee Co-Chair and Arm In Arm’s Board Treasurer, will introduce David and share about the reciprocity between her faith and service with Arm In Arm.

 

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February 11 | Maureen Hunt, Shariq Marshall & Arthur Hui

Hands-On Projects: Working Together to Feed our Community

Join Arthur, member of the Mission & Outreach Committee and regular volunteer with Arm In Arm, as he introduces staff members Shariq and Maureen. Shariq is the Development and Community Engagement Coordinator and Maureen is the Chief Development Officer. There will be a tour of Arm In Arm’s space on the lower-level and an opportunity to pack snack bags as we show more love as Valentine’s Day approaches.

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Partners in Faith – Documentary

“Telling Our Stories” is a new documentary film that tells of the history and relationship of Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church and Nassau Presbyterian Church. It is the story of how two congregations are working to be honest about our past and move forward together standing on our faith and building relationships one by one. It is 37 minutes long and is a must see!!

The bulletin from the October 8 service, linked below, also contains a history of Presbyterians in Princeton since 1755 compiled by members of the churches.

In Concert: Dan + Claudia Zanes

Saturday, January 13, 2024 | 5:00 pm in the Sanctuary

We are so pleased to welcome back Dan + Claudia Zanes this January!  All ages are welcome to share in this interactive, community concert.

In lieu of tickets, we ask that each attendee please bring one of the food items listed below in support of Arm In Arm’s Valentines for Food Drive. We hope to fill the pews and pack the pantry!

About this Concert:

Grammy Award-winner Dan Zanes, and Haitian American jazz vocalist Claudia Zanes, perform a mix of old and new songs from near and far in a style that’s been called “All-Ages Social Music.” In other words, when they perform, it’s a party! The music is homespun, joyful, sophisticated and artful. Claudia is a board-certified Music Therapist. Her background has given the pair additional ways to make meaningful community connections and reach a diverse audience.


Shopping List:

  • Canned low-fructose fruit
  • Canned low-sodium vegetables
  • Canned tuna, salmon, chicken, or chili
  • Canned beans or 1 lb. bag of dried beans

No glass containers, please. Be sure to check expiration dates. Monetary donations to Arm in Arm will also be accepted.

January 2023

More videos from Dan + Claudia:

For the Long Night

So Glad I’m Here!

Long Hot Summer Nights

Ariba means up!




 

Robeson House Benefit Concert

Sunday, October 15, 3:00 p.m., Sanctuary
Reception following, Assembly Room

Join us for a musical afternoon celebrating the Paul Robeson Songbook and raising critical funds for the Paul Robeson House of Princeton. The Westminster Jubilee Singers, Kevin Maynor, Bass Baritone, the Verse Speaking Choir of Witherspoon Presbyterian, and remarks from Paul Robeson’s granddaughter, Susan Robeson, will round out the event. A reception to meet the artists will follow the performances. Let’s unite to make Paul Robeson a household name!

Tickets: The Paul Robeson House of Princeton (link)

Download flyer: Paul Robeson 125th Anniversary Concert (PDF)

Partners in Faith: Our Journey Together

Witherspoon Street & Nassau Presbyterian Churches

Sunday, October 8, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Sanctuary
Reception following, Assembly Room

Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church, Princeton, NJ, founded 1840.
Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton, NJ, founded as The First Presbyterian Church of Princeton, 1766.

Learn more about the shared history of Witherspoon Street and Nassau Presbyterian Churches. The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Lee Walton, President of Princeton Theological Seminary, will speak and we will view a brief documentary by Bob Meola.

By telling the stories of our shared history over the last 186 years, this project offers a look at the evolution and practice of the Presbyterian faith, in one of the oldest towns in America, through the multicolored lenses of our congregations.