Nelson Mandela Day – July 25 (new date)

RAINDATE PLANS

Due to the weather expected the weekend of July 17-18, plans have been pushed forward one week.

Sunday, July 25 – 1:00-2:30 p.m.

The United Christian Church of Levittown invites Princeton friends to join for Mandela Day on Sunday, July 25. Participate in the international unity walk and/or financially support access to quality education in South African preschools.


What is Mandela Day?

Honoring the legacy of former South African president Nelson Mandela, his July 18th birthday is an annual occasion to focus on the ability and responsibility we all have to change the world for the better!

International Walk in Unity

Join us for a 1 mile meditation walk to inspire and empower ourselves. Simultaneous walks in other countries will remind us of our connection as global citizens. Walking facilitates bonding and unity across boundaries.

Event Details

  • Sunday, July 18th 25th from 1:00pm to 2:30pm
  • Silver Lake Nature Center Amphitheater, 1306 Bath Rd, Bristol PA
  • All are invited to worship at 10:30 with United Christian Church, Levittown in the Nature Center Amphitheater and/or bring a lunch and lawn chair to picnic before the walk.

Meditation Topics

Stops along the walk will bring awareness to global social issues.

  1. Embracing Diversity
  2. Climate Change
  3. Pandemic Impact
  4. Early Childhood Education

Walk donations are welcome and help to support Adopt A South African Preschool (ASAP). To learn more visit https://www.adoptasouthafricanpreschool.org/

South Africa has three priorities: “Education, Education, Education.”
-Nelson Mandela

Our mission is to fund the training and resources for preschool education, enabling South African children below the poverty line to succeed in school and in life.

How You Can Help

Individuals, companies, organizations, and churches can donate:

$10 funds one educational toy
$75 funds one Play and Learn (PAL) kit of seven educational toys and resources
$750 funds ten different PAL kits for four months of curriculum. Toy Libraries need multiple sets.

$7,500 provides seed funding for a new Preschool hub to include a robust Toy Library and training center. ASAP helps caregivers who currently offer daycare in overcrowded apartments access mentoring and resources. Many will get certified in Early Childhood Education as they borrow educational toys, follow a curriculum, and learn to track the critical developmental milestones of preschoolers. Through ASAP, countless children who have never held a toy before can now learn through play.

Ways to Donate
Support Adopt A South African Preschool

Use your phone’s camera to scan the QR code below:

Or visit: https://givebutter.com/adoptasouthafricanpreschool


In-Person Worship

We are worshiping in-person and online!

Update from FiFT (September 7):
With the arrival of September, the start of the new school year, and students arriving back on the campuses in our community, the summer of 2021 is coming to an end. While the summer was not we all hoped for in terms of the metrics related to COVID 19 and the fully vaccinated, with due caution and careful consideration we were able to return to in-person worship at 61 Nassau Street. Participation in the sanctuary and the statistics from the livestream indicate our average attendance was around 350. That includes folks joining from 6 nations and more than 25 states. Commitment to our worship life remains strong. Thanks be to God!
Informed by our experience of summer worship, trips, Vacation Bible School, and the Chancel Drama, we are now looking ahead to the fall and to an expanded version of our life together. The Forward in Faith Together team is working closely with all members of our church staff as we launch our program year of two worship services, Breaking Bread worship, church school, choirs, and youth ministry. Everyone is very excited to return to the routines of church life we know so well while continuing a commitment to virtual participation in worship and the committees of the church.
All of our plans, procedures and protocols are intended to keep everyone as safe as possible while being inclusive of those who cannot yet receive a vaccine. As we move through the fall, we can anticipate making adjustments based on our local Covid environment as well as with realities within our Nassau community. These adjustments could, therefore, be more expansive or more restrictive. Things could also remain status quo. To that end Forward in Faith Together will continue to meet regularly, monitor church life, work with the staff, report to the Session, and correspond with the congregation.
Please watch for more details to come in the next week. Information will be coming from Forward in Faith and from the various program areas. This week, we are pleased to share these important notes:
  • On September 12th, two services of worship will return at 9:15 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Only the 9:15 a.m. will be livestreamed. However, that service will be available on the website shortly after the service concludes. Therefore, a recorded livestream option is available at 11:00 a.m.
  • Church School and Adult Education also return on September 12th. All other programs are returning in the days after. Details are available in Nassau Generations.
  • All indoor activities at 61 Nassau Street require masking and distancing and will not include meals or refreshments.
  • The large tent used for Chancel drama will return to the parking lot with other tents put up around the building as possible to maximize outdoor activities: refreshments, meals, fellowship after worship, some church school classes and choral rehearsals, and staff meetings as weather permits.
As we move through the fall, we remain committed to an approach of thinking and discernment that is as specific and detailed as we are able to keep everyone safe. Throughout the last 18 months, staff and congregational leaders have shown an ability to assess and adapt in ways that, by the grace of God, have been successful in keeping church activity safe. The list itself testifies to the vibrancy and resilience of Nassau Presbyterian Church: in-person worship, Chancel Drama, VBS, bike trips, hikes, poetry walks, prayer walks, outdoor small groups, Loaves and Fishes. Lenten worship on the front plaza, and on and on.
Indeed, glory be to God. For “the people of Nassau Presbyterian Church celebrate and demonstrate God’s love through worship and service in Princeton and through our lives and work in the world” (Mission Statement). We have done that while physically distant from one another and with gratitude to God, we look to be together more in person in the weeks and months ahead.

In-Person Worship Covenant

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself”  Luke 10:27

“The people of Nassau Presbyterian Church celebrate and demonstrate God’s love through worship and service in Princeton and through our lives and work in the world”  Nassau Church Mission Statement

Central to our yearning to demonstrate God’s love and to love our neighbors is a concern for one another’s health and the commitment to keep one another safe. As we move forward in faith together and begin returning to the sanctuary for worship, we shall by God’s grace and in the power of the Holy Spirit, covenant with one another when we gather.

We will honor our collective goal glorifying Jesus Christ, loving each other and taking all steps we can to keep each other safe. To do that, we will

  • Refrain from attending worship in person if experiencing a cough, fever, or other COVID symptoms, or if we have had contact with a person with a COVID diagnosis or COVID symptoms
  • Listen to each member’s concerns and needs for safety and health and work for the full inclusion of all attending.
  • When we gather for worship in person, we will:
  • Wear masks and maintain physical distancing
  • Refrain from any physical contact, support those who request further distance, and help remind those who struggle to keep distance
  • Enjoy conversation and fellowship outside rather than linger in the sanctuary

With our participation in worship in person, we will support the theological conviction that our worship life represents the breadth of our faith community. To do that, we will

  • Welcome families with children who are not able to get a vaccine
  • Welcome others yet unvaccinated
  • Honor our community commitment to protocols in a way that allows ushers and staff to offer hospitality and direction rather than serve as rule or vaccination enforcers.

As we worship together in person we shall seek to be creative and safe regarding all liturgical elements of worship. To do that, we will

  • Allow family groups to be closer than physically distant
  • Limit all communal singing (for now)
  • Resist the urge to pass the peace or greet one another even with a fist or elbow bump
  • Continue to have some elements of worship pre-recorded to allow broad participation of leadership
  • Commit to all in-person worship leaders, including musicians, being vaccinated and be covid tested before worship.
  • Understand and support adaptations to liturgical practice that best enable our hybrid worship of in-person and livestream.

As in all aspects of our life together, we seek to glorify God and honor Jesus Christ in all that we do. Thanks be to God.

Summer Reading 2021

The Nassau Witherspoon Partnership Team invites members of our congregations to pick one of the following two books to read over the summer. Then, join for a conversation with members from both churches in the fall.

Frederick Douglass “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”

Community Reading 

The Nassau & Witherspoon Partnership Team is helping host an abridged reading of Douglass’ famous speech What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? Join via zoom on Monday, July 5, 5:30PM to listen to members of the community and join in conversation afterwards facilitated by Not In Our Town.

For more information and to register:

REGISTER (link)

Wikipedia link

Information about In-Person Worship

What to Expect When Coming back to 61 Nassau Street

Our preparations for in-person worship in June continue! As promised, we would like to provide more details of what the experience in the sanctuary will be like. Throughout the pandemic, worship leaders and musicians along with the baptism and confirmation families have experienced the benefit of being in our sanctuary and some of the awkwardness that comes with so few people, staying safe, and all that comes with the service being livestreamed. It is important that those who come to the sanctuary are best prepared. The list below is intended to help you know what to expect and introduces the procedures and protocols for welcoming 75 worshippers plus worship leaders, ushers, and musicians. We are excited to have all who have signed up for worship!
  • Everyone coming to the sanctuary on Sunday morning is expected to do their own health check at home prior to arriving. If you do sign up and are not experiencing any health concerns or symptoms, please make sure to come, as there may be others who would have liked to come, but found there was not enough space in registration. The doors to the sanctuary will be opened at 9:30 for the 10:00 a.m. service.
  • For the safe inclusion of children and anyone yet to be vaccinated, all worshippers are expected to wear masks and remain distanced in seating, moving around the grounds/front plaza, and in greeting new and dear friends.
  • Ushers will assist worshippers in finding the designated seating and will try but cannot guarantee favorite and traditional locations.
  • Bulletins will be available in the designated pews and will not distributed by the ushers. Please plan to use the bulletins and the hymns reprinted there rather than the hymnals or bibles in the pew racks.
  • There will be no offering plates passed for collection. An offering plate/basket will be available on the table in the narthex and you may continue to contribute online or through the mail.
  • The congregation will be invited to share in speaking the unison prayers and affirmation of faith (while masked). Only the section leaders will be singing the hymns (while masked). Worship leaders and the congregation will follow along singing only “in their heads.” The congregation will be invited to sing (while masked) either one final hymn or benediction response, please follow the directions provided on Sunday.
  • At the conclusion of the service we know worshippers will want to enjoy fellowship and greetings. All fellowship, greeting, and conversation will take place outside on the front plaza. Staff and ushers will direct people to make their way outside and not linger after worship after listening to the postlude. Like “normal” Sundays in the past others make their departure after the benediction/response. If that is your choice, please quickly move any greetings/conversations outdoors.
  • The bathrooms near the kitchen on the first floor are available for your use. They are professionally sanitized each week. Please be wise with occupancy. Those visiting the restroom should go by way of the “great hall” outside the church office. The library and sound room entrance will not be used on Sundays by members of the congregation.
  • Other areas of the building are not open at this time as ventilation work and preparations for the fall continue.
  • During livestream worship the prelude has usually been starting on the hour. The prelude will not begin before the hour. Prior to the prelude a member of the staff will give a few instructions and reminders related to the hybrid nature of our worship.
Thank you for taking the time to peruse these points. We hope you have found it helpful. As we move into this next phase of our worship life and celebrate having people in worship, we continue to give thanks to God for the patience, resilience, and understanding exhibited in the life of Nassau Church since March of 2020. The members of the Forward in Faith Together working group believe deeply that the peace and unity of our congregation is a faithful reflection of our mission statement. We invite you to join us in prayer and love for one another, the stranger, and the world as we take these next steps together.
Nassau Presbyterian Church Mission Statement
The people of Nassau Presbyterian Church celebrate and demonstrate God’s love
           through worship and service in Princeton
           and through our lives and work in the world.
Committed to Jesus Christ, our community welcomes the breadth of humanity
           and the challenge of the Gospel.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, people of all ages can find a place here
           to seek abundant life
           and nurture faith.
By God’s grace in our lives, we engage with the world,
           yearn to do what is just and fair,
           encourage what is kind and helpful,
         and seek to walk humbly before God and alongside our neighbors.

Princeton Pride Picnic

Join the Nassau family and our local neighbors as we celebrate Princeton’s LGBTQIA+ community on Saturday, June 5. Details here. Stop by our table to say hello and play a few yard games. Help us extend an affirming presence as we “welcome the breadth of humanity and the challenge of the Gospel.”

June 2021 – Adult Education

June 20 & 27, 2021

Erik H. Erikson: Resource for Insight and Self-Reflection

with Rubén Arjona, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care at Union Presbyterian Seminary.

The German-American psychologist Erik H. Erikson is well-know for his psychosocial theory of human development. Erikson posited that in addition to paying attention to the psychological and physiological dimensions, caregivers ought to also consider the social processes of a person’s life. Erikson is also famous for his formulation of the life stages of human life. At Princeton Theological Seminary, Professor Donald Capps dedicated many years to reflect on the significance of Erikson’s theory for pastoral care.

These two classes offer an overview of Erikson’s theory and its relevance for personal and collective self-reflection.

Rubén Arjona is an ordained minister in the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico. Before being appointed to the faculty of Union Presbyterian Seminary he served as Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology and Care at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, CO.

Inspired by his work in various congregations in Mexico City and his mentorship of students in Mexican seminaries, Arjona pursued graduate studies in pastoral care and pastoral theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. In addition to serving as instructor in seminaries in his native Mexico, Dr. Arjona served his denomination as executive secretary of its board of education and moderator of the Berea Presbytery in Mexico City.


June 27 | Life Stages of Adulthood


June 20 | Erickson’s Life Cycle Theory


June 6 & 13, 2021

The Symbiosis of Mental Health, Faith,  and Self-Care.

Join Cam Stout and Len Scales for a two-part discussion on the powerful opportunity faith communities have to support mental health and attack stigma.

Cam Stout is a Deacon at Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church in Princeton, NJ; and the founder of Stout Heart. Over the last seven years, Cam has shared his story of hope and resilient recovery from a major depression and his ongoing sobriety over 120 times. His audiences include fellow legal professionals, students from high school through graduate school, and members of faith communities. He also blogs about mental wellness and self-care at www.lightatseaatstoutheart.org.

Len Scales serves as the part-time pastor for Mission & Outreach at Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton, which includes involvement with the Witherspoon Street & Nassau Partnership Team. It is a joy to share the gifts and wisdom of our congregations with one another!


June 13 | Mental Health & SEAL Teams

In the second session, hear more about Cam’s current speaking and mentoring work, and learn about how he supports his and others’ self-care and wellness by recruiting what he calls a Supportive, Energizing, And Loving (SEAL) Team. It is when we share our challenges and stories that we build communities of faith and healing, while defeating the stigma around mental health conditions.


#MissionMonday – Forman Christian College

By Love Serve One Another


Forman Christian College (FCC) has pioneered many “firsts” in Pakistani education such as first to admit women, first Biology and first Chemistry courses. FCC enrolls about 7000 students, and provides over $1,000,000 of financial aid. About 20% of students are from the Christian minority and about 35% are women, supporting a unique interfaith coeducational experience. In addition to education, FCC engages service projects in the region encouraging students to act on the FCC motto: “By Love Serve One Another.”

Friends of Forman Christian College is an independent U.S. based 501(c)(3) founded in 2003. Their single mission is to provide support to Forman Christian College (FCC) in Lahore, Pakistan. FCC has educated Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians together in a peaceful, tolerant atmosphere for over 150 years.

READ MORE:


Friends of FCC (website)


Follow #MissionMonday on our social media platforms to hear about how, with your help, Nassau Presbyterian Church is supporting others in our town, our state, and across the world.

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#MissionMonday – Princeton Presbyterians

Campus Ministry


Princeton Presbyterians of the Westminster Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to the faithful discipleship of undergraduate and graduate students in Princeton. Last weekend, they celebrated graduating students and are excited to send them to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly” in the world.

READ MORE:


Princeton Presbyterians (website)


Follow #MissionMonday on our social media platforms to hear about how, with your help, Nassau Presbyterian Church is supporting others in our town, our state, and across the world.

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