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)

Witherspoon & Nassau Churches featured in “The Presbyterian Outlook”

Building trust ‘for the sake of the Gospel’

Nassau Presbyterian Church and Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church work to build trust that has been missing since 1840.

BY JOHN A. BOLT
PUBLISHED: MARCH 26, 2024
Read more: Building trust ‘for the sake of the Gospel’ – The Presbyterian Outlook (pres-outlook.org)

Watch the documentary:



Three Authors Will Speak on Critical Issues of Social Justice

Three social entrepreneurs and authors will appear together in the Princeton area and share uplifting stories and lessons learned in their journey to justice.

The “Three-Authors” events will be held Friday, April 26 from 2-4 p.m. at the Mercer County Library Lawrence Headquarters, 2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence Township, NJ, and again on Friday, April 26 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Nassau Presbyterian Church Assembly Room, 61 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ.  Both events are free and open to the public.


Local author and activist Sam Daley-Harris will discuss the 2024 edition of his book, Reclaiming Our Democracy: Every Citizen’s Guide to Transformational Advocacyreleased January 9, 2024His recent interviews on NPR’s Here and Now and 1A outline why the ideas in the book are an antidote to the despair many people will feel during the elections and beyond. Publisher’s Weekly BookLife called his book a “rousing guide to advocacy, movement-building, and enacting change in cynical times,” and named it and Editor’s Pick.


Another of the authors is Alex Counts, who started and ran Grameen Foundation (GF) for its first 18 years. GF is an international poverty alleviation organization working to advance the approaches pioneered in Bangladesh by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus. His three books include Changing the World Without Losing Your Mind (Revised Edition)  which Forbes magazine called one of twelve “must-read books for nonprofit leaders” and was the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s “Editor’s Pick” from its best nonprofit books of 2019.


The third author is Debbie Frisch, who, in 2017, opened HelloBaby, the nation’s first free-standing, free-of-charge, drop-in play space for babies, toddlers, and their caregivers located in the struggling Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago. Her book, Hello Baby: Building an Oasis in a Play Desert, tells the story of her life journey and her roadmap to spurring community development in urban play deserts. Publisher’s Weekly BookLife said: “Frisch addresses with insight and sensitivity the dynamics of a white woman working with [communities of color in this] valuable resource.”


After the discussion the authors will sign copies of their book.

#MissionMonday – Housing Initiatives of Princeton (HIP)

Do you have furniture to donate?


Consider donating to the Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Manville. They have a partnership with Housing Initiatives of Princeton (HIP), one of Nassau’s Mission Partners. HIP received an exceptional grant from Nassau’s Mission & Outreach Committee in January for their transitional housing move-in/move-out days. Often a family is in need of furniture as well as a home. HIP’s partnership with the ReStore helps families furnish their new apartments.


Let the ReStore know you heard about them through HIP, and schedule a pick-up or drop-off at https://rvhabitatrestore.org/donate-to-the-restore/.

#MissionMonday – Refugee Resettlement Update (Feb. 2024)

The Nassau Church Refugee Coordinating Team has provided this update on the Hashimi family, the Afghan refugee family that Nassau Church has sponsored.

This past summer, the Coordinating Team reported the good news that the family’s asylum applications had been approved. This gave the family the legal right to live and work in the United States and to apply for permanent residency and eventually citizenship.

More recently, the father of the family who is stranded in Dubai has received preliminary approval for his spousal asylum application and an invitation to submit his information for a visa. That could still take a long time to resolve, but the Coordinating Team is hopeful that things are moving in a positive direction.

There is other good news. The second oldest daughter has passed her GED and is enrolled at Mercer County Community College. Her mother and older sister are also enrolled there.

The oldest son is still working at Princeton Orthopedics, and his brother is in the process of enrolling in a commercial pilot training program which will prepare him for a promising career.

We are grateful that they and all the members of the family have been such cheerful and enthusiastic partners in our work together.

We want to recognize the ongoing commitment of the Refugee Coordinating Team, who are walking alongside the Hashimi’s as they continue to navigate immigration, education, and medical systems.  Our thanks to them and the other volunteers who have given of their time and resources as part of Nassau’s commitment to support refugees.

Health for Haiti Christmas Tree

December 3 – January 7, Assembly Room, hosted by Presbyterian Women in the PC(USA)

Decorate our Christmas Tree with items needed for the Haiti clinic: muscle rub, antibiotic cream, gauze, tape, Band-Aids, ACE bandages, thermometers, wooden tongue depressors, non-latex gloves, hand lotion, small cakes of soap, packaged toothbrushes, small children’s toys (matchbox cars, jump ropes, etc.), barrettes, and hair ribbons.

Read more online: Friends for Health in Haiti

Contact: Lauren McFeaters (email)

All Ages Valentine’s Day Dance to support Arm In Arm

Friday, February 14, 2025 | 7:00-8:00 pm in the Assembly Room

The Children’s and Family Ministry Committee looks forward to welcoming you and your families to our All Ages, Intergenerational Valentine’s Family Dance! No experience necessary, easiest for ages 4 and up. We’ll have a live caller, live musicians, great fun and lasting memories. Bring your friends! A cookie reception will follow the dance.

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.

Shopping List:

  • Maseca Flour
  • Canned fruit
  • Canned vegetables
  • Rice
  • Peanut Butter
  • Cereal
  • Shelf Stable Milk
  • Honey
  • Vegetable/Corn Oil
  • 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.




 

Alternative Gifts (2023)

The Mission & Outreach Committee of Nassau Presbyterian Church invites you to give a special gift this year by making a donation on a friend’s behalf to organizations who are working to address pressing needs in our community, region, and world. Make any donation and you will receive a virtual card suitable for emailing. The cards include the descriptions below of how each group is putting faith into action. You may also download a printable PDF of this list:

Alternative Gifts 2023 (pdf)

Alternative Gifts will remain available through the end of the Christmas Season—Epiphany, January 6. To receive a card before Christmas Day, make donations by end of business on December 20. Gift cards for donations made between December 21 and January 6 will be emailed on Tuesday, January 9.

This year we will also return to receiving donations during Fellowship between services in the Assembly Room on Sundays, November 29 through December 17 and after the 10 AM service on December 24. At that time, you can pick up physical cards that can be put in the mail.



Learn more about the recipient organizations:

Donations can be made online using the links below. The name of the Fund is either the name of the organization (Arm in Arm) or a shortened version listed inside the parentheses next to it (LALDEF). Donations to multiple funds can be made during one transaction. An online donation via e-check incurs nominal surcharges. Donating with a credit or debit card results in a charge to the church of approximately 2.5% of the gift — please consider increasing your gift to help defray this cost.

Please contact Lauren Yeh if you have any questions about using the online donation system.


Arm In Arm

The Gift of Hope

Arm In Arm partners with the community to achieve stability for our neighbors in need through the three focus areas of food, financial assistance, and advocacy.

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Capital Harmony Works

The Gift of Joy

Capital Harmony Works gives children the chance to make music together and provides an artistic venue by which children from different backgrounds get to know each other.

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Cetana Educational Foundation (Cetana)

The Gift of Language

Cetana serves the youth of Myanmar by providing instruction in English and critical thinking, training for teachers, and supplemental scholarship for higher education.

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Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)

The Gift of Peace

Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition of 29 national church denominations and organizations, advocate for US policies that promote comprehensive resolutions to conflicts in the Middle East with a focus on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

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HomeWorks

The Gift of Academic Enrichment

HomeWorks is a non-profit organization providing a free, community-based, after-school, residential living program for underrepresented high school young women in Trenton empowering its scholars with academic enrichment, social skills and identity-driven leadership programs and developing them to be social justice advocates who will give back to their community.

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Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund (LALDEF)

The Gift of Welcome

LALDEF provides advocacy and services for the immigrant communities in Mercer County, including ESL education, the Mercer County Identification Card, citizenship instruction, college preparation mentoring, and legal support for immigration issues.

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Paul Robeson House of Princeton (Robeson House)

The Gift of Justice

The Paul Robeson House of Princeton will provide a center focused broadly on social justice issues and, locally, for the minority population of the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood of Princeton. It will also provide temporary housing for people in transition.

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Princeton Community Housing (PCH)

The Gift of a Home

Princeton Community Housing has supported affordable housing to the Princeton Community for 50 years. They currently provide and manage 466 safe, high quality rental apartments to low and moderate-income residents of diverse backgrounds and ages.

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Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK)

The Gift of Nourishment

Trenton Area Soup Kitchen provides meals to all who are hungry as well as services to encourage self-sufficiency and to improve quality of life. The group informs the wider community of the needs of the hungry and advocates for resources to meet these needs.

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Villages in Partnership (VIP)

The Gift of Teamwork

Villages in Partnership addresses extreme poverty in Malawi by addressing the critical needs of water, food security, education, health care, infrastructure, and economic development. They work with rural villages to fight poverty together.

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Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church (WSPC)

The Gift of Legacy

WSPC is the historically African-American Presbyterian congregation in Princeton and is an important beacon of welcome and justice in the community. Give toward WSPC’s endowment to support their legacy of faithfulness and racial reconciliation.

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Woman, Cradle of Abundance

The Gift of Empowerment

Woman, Cradle of Abundance works with women and children in the Democratic Republic of Congo to fight poverty by providing education and community that supports economic independence.

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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.