On Sunday, November 6, we kicked off our Stewardship season for 2017. We have done this with thanksgiving for God’s overflowing grace in our lives. On Consecration Sunday, November 20, we will offer pledges for our monetary gifts as affirmation of our steadfastness with God. We will consecrate our giving to this purpose during a special time in our worship service. We ask you to attend one of the services on Consecration Sunday. If you cannot be with the rest of the church, you can make your intention known by mail or with online giving before November 20. We will then include your pledge with all of our other gifts as we lift them up to God during our worship.
The following Sunday, November 27, we will announce the results of our commitment. Most importantly, however, we will offer thanks to God for giving us both the money to gift and the courage to dedicate some of it to God’s service.
A recent sermon on Isaiah 12:1-6 reminded us that God is our salvation, on whom we should trust and not be afraid. With joy we draw water from the wells of salvation and give thanks to God. We should give as we find joy and strength from giving. We should give in thanksgiving. Therefore, we only ask you to pray on, and then act on, this simple question: What percentage of my income is God calling me to give to my church this year as I walk in faith with my church?
Visit the Stewardship page for a pledge form or to make a pledge online.
In Growing Faith and Sweet Assurance for the Future,
Nicos Scordis
Ruling Elder
On Behalf of the Session
The Princeton Clergy Association warmly welcomes all to the annual Community Thanksgiving Day Service at Princeton University Chapel from 11:00 a.m. to noon on Thursday, November 24, 2015.
A Thanksgiving tradition for over 65 years, the service is open to the Princeton area community. Many faiths and traditions are included in leading the service.
Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert will read the President’s Thanksgiving Proclamation.
Music will be offered by the Princeton University organist, Eric Plutz, by Music Minister William D. Carter III, and a community choir led by Beverly Owens, Director of Music at The Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Plutz will play a prelude and postlude, the community choir will sing two anthems, and the congregration will sing traditional Thanksgiving hymns.
Participants are asked to bring donations of nonperishable food items for Arm and Arm, formerly the Crisis Ministry of Mercer County (no glass containers, please).
Singers who would like to join the community choir can contact Julia Coale (). Please know that all are welcome to join the choir. Choir rehearsal will be at the University Chapel at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 24.
A message from Mayor Liz Lempert and Community Leaders
In the aftermath of one of the most divisive elections in our country’s history, it is important for us to come together as a town and recommit ourselves to the values of inclusion, diversity, and opportunity. Much can happen at the local level, and we all have a role to play in shaping our community as a place of welcome and support for neighbors in need.
If you have concerns, questions, or are looking for resources to help you, your family, or someone you know, you can contact our local Human Services Department at 609-688-2055. The office is located at 1 Monument Drive Princeton, NJ. We are learning from residents that there is a need for support services such as counseling and we would like to help you get connected to any assistance possible.
We will be holding a gathering on Thursday, November 10, at the Princeton Public Library at 6:30 pm in the Community Room. We invite all local leaders, non-profits, and community groups to join us in a discussion of how we can all continue to contribute to these efforts. It is important for us to work together to reassure our community of our commitment to maintaining and building a unified Princeton.
Liz Lempert
Mayor of Princeton
Elisa Neira
Executive Director
Princeton Human Services
Steve Cochrane
Superintendent
Princeton Public Schools
Brett Bonfield
Executive Director
Princeton Public Library
The Rev. David A. Davis
The Princeton Clergy Association
Rabbi Adam Feldman
The Princeton Clergy Association
Jeff Nathanson
Executive Director
Princeton Arts Council
Kristin Appelget
Director of Community and Regional Affairs
Princeton University
Kate Bech
Chief Executive Officer
Princeton Family YMCA
Nassau has a fantastic mission opportunity for young adults between the ages of 19 and 30!
Explore the possibility of serving with other young adults for a year (August 2017 – July 2018) at an approved site in the US. This opportunity intentionally offers travel and vocational discernment in community, serving God and others by putting your faith into action. Placements range from Boston to Hollywood, Glasgow to the Amazon, Miami to Montana, and many choices in between.
Check out the YAV website, but if you want to talk to someone who knows this program, call the church and ask for Joyce MacKichan Walker, Minister of Education, who can both interpret the YAV program for you and put you in touch with former YAVs who have served from this congregation.
Let’s Talk,
Len Scales
(Email Len)
609-924-0103, x103
Mission and Outreach Committee
Nassau Presbyterian Church
Apply
Apply to the Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program. Then let Nassau Church pay at least half of your costs. All travel, orientation, health insurance, room and board are included!
Send a duplicate of your YAV application, including letters of reference, to:
Nassau Presbyterian Church
ATTN: Nassau Fellows Program
61 Nassau Street
Princeton, NJ 08542
Deadlines
Application season begins: November 1
Round 1/Early Decision Placement: January 1
Round 2: March 1 (final deadline for International placements)
The deacons invite all to join them for a prayer vigil on Election Tuesday, November 8, in Niles Chapel, 9:30 AM – 7:30 PM. We will pray with praise and expectation for our church and nation, for a peaceful transition, and that those elected be guided by the Holy Spirit.
Drop in whenever you can for silent and communal prayers. Prayer sheets are below for those who cannot attend.
Since returning from sabbatical in early September, I find myself ever more grateful for our life together at Nassau Presbyterian Church. It is a gift for me to lead a thriving congregation that gathers with such enthusiasm each Lord’s Day expecting to hear and respond to the promise of God. The Spirit’s presence is palpable as week in and week out we seek to discern the gospel’s relevance in our lives and in the world. With worship at the center, an extensive web of mission, service, and discipleship is growing because of the grace of God and the faithfulness of your lives.
The life and witness of Nassau Church is healthy and strong. This fall I invite you to join me both in giving thanks to God for that reality and in choosing not to take it for granted. God has blessed all of us who consider Nassau Presbyterian Church home. That blessing from God has a past in the ministry that has been entrusted to us. It has a future as we commit to and continue to live out God’s mission among us and before us.
Please know how thankful I am to all who give to support our ministry. Each and every gift builds our culture of generosity and helps to further our collective proclamation of God’s love in word and deed. My thanks comes on behalf of the Session, the Deacons, and the staff of the church.
As your pastor, I humbly ask for your financial support for 2017. This November I once again invite you into a season of prayer and discernment. Your gift in the coming year is important to the church and should be offered in a spirit of prayerful reflection, commitment, and response to all that God is doing among us.
More details will be coming related to our 2017 pledging and giving. For now, I offer my thanks and ask for your prayers.
Westminster Conservatory Noontime Series
Thursday, November 17, 12:15PM
Westminster Conservatory at Nassau will continue at 12:15PM Thursday, November 17 with composer-pianist Carol Comune performing Carousel Classics, a musical memoir comprising original compositions. The recital will take place in the Niles Chapel. It is open to the public free of charge.
The composer invites us to compare the continuous motion of a carousel, in which beginnings and endings merge, to the cycles of life. In Ms. Comune’s words, Carousel Classics is a journey through nature, healing, and passion. Her compositions on November 17 will include Variations on O God, Our Help in Ages Past, Mr. Cardinale, Romance, excerpts from the suite Once Upon a Time, and an arrangement of Elmer Bernstein’s theme from the movie To Kill a Mockingbird.
After a break in December Westminster Conservatory at Nassau recitals will resume on January 19, 2017 with a performance by the Volanti Flute Quartet.
New School for Music Study
Sunday, November 20, 2:30 p.m.
Celebrating 2016!
Join us in the Sanctuary on Sunday, November 20 at 2:30 p.m. for an afternoon of music by composers celebrating anniversaries in 2016. This recital will feature music by Vivaldi, Ginestera, Granados, Piazolla, and Trude, performed by faculty members Kristin Cahill, Jason Gallagher, Charl Louw, Allison Shinnick, and Denitsa VanPelt, along with special guests in violin, flute, and saxophone.
Be part of our updated, annual telling of the Christmas Story with only four rehearsals.
Speaking part rehearsals
Sunday, December 4, 12:15 – 1:15 pm
Saturday, December 10, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Sunday, December 11, 12:15 – 1:15 pm
All-cast dress rehearsal
Saturday, December 17, 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
Pageant Service
Sunday, December 18, 1:30 pm Call time / 3:00 pm Service
Interest forms are available in the Literature Rack outside the Main Office or via PDF below. Please complete and return the forms to the church office by Sunday, November 6. For more information contact Lauren Yeh (x106, ).
Sunday, November 6, marks the end of Daylight Saving Time, so it is time to “fall back” and set the clocks back an hour (or double-check that your phone did it for you).
The Princeton Half Marathon is also on Sunday, November 6, at 7:00 am. We will have both services as usual. Allot some extra time getting to the 9:15 am service, and check the route map PDF below to plan your trip.
Sundays, 9:15 a.m., in the Music Room
November 6-20
Who exactly is Jesus in Japan? What does it mean that Jesus is the Christ for the Dalit in India? We will examine texts — hymns, sermons, essays, books — from our sisters and brothers in Japan, South Korea, Cambodia, and the Dalit, as we attempt to understand who Jesus is within these Christian communities.
November 6: Christianity in Southeast Asia
Guest teacher, Briana Wong, is a second year Ph.D. student in the Mission, Ecumenics and History of Religions program at Princeton Theological Seminary.
November 13: Christ as Outcast: Explorations in Dalit Reflections on Jesus
November 20: The Political Implications of a Crucified King
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. You can connect with Chikara via email: .
1st Corinthians In-Depth
George Hunsinger
9:15 AM, Maclean House, ongoing through May 21
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).
Nassau’s Resettlement Partners Speak Out
November 13
Hear from several non-Nassau member volunteers about their support activities, the reasons for their involvement, and the resulting impact of their work, both on the family and themselves. As members of Nassau, we know why we do this work. Hearing from the wider community will broaden our understanding of the motivations and sense of empathy that have prompted other people to help.
The Universal Message of Poetry, Art and Spirituality
Faraz Khan
Sunday, November 13, 12:15-1:15pm, Assembly Room
The Rumi Within Us is a collection of poems written by Rumi and rendered into paintings by Princeton-based artist Faraz Khan. Come and hear this artist talk about this work, which combines poetry, calligraphy, and painting to convey Rumi’s universal message of love, ethics, inspiration, and spirituality. The exhibition, in our conference room for the month of November, includes many different examples of Arabic and Persian calligraphy.
Faraz Khan is a Princeton-based artist working exclusively in contemporary style Arabic calligraphy and design. He was an Artist-in-Residence at the Arts Council of Princeton for the year 2015 and a co-founder of Faraz Kahn Art Studio, a space dedicated to the grassroots American Islamic Art movement in Princeton. He is an advisor to the Center for middle Eastern Studies, Rutgers University. His work is available at www.farazkhanartstudio.com.
Deborah Amos, continued
November 20
Deborah Amos of NPR will reflect on her September radio reports that dealt with the family and Nassau’s sponsorship activities: Nassau’s Refugee Resettlement on NPR. She will also talk about subsequent refugee resettlement developments, including the US refugee resettlement goal for the coming fiscal year and the possible repercussions of the Presidential election.
A Proud Community in Princeton, New Jersey
Shirley Ann Satterfield
November 27
Take a journey through the life of Colored, Negro, Black, African Americans who, since the 1700’s, lived, labored, survived and prospered in the Princeton community.
Shirley Ann Satterfield is the fourth of six generations of family in Princeton. She was a student at Witherspoon School for Colored Children during the time when the schools in Princeton Borough were integrated. While a student at Bennett College, she participated in the 1961 Sit-Ins in Greensboro, North Carolina. She sat at the counters with the Greensboro Four, students from A&T University, who organized the Sit-Ins at Woolworth’s 5 & 10. In 1981, amid a career in teaching and counseling, she moved back to her hometown of Princeton and returned to her church Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church, and served through the years as youth leader and a member of several church committees. She is presently a member of the Chancel, Verse Speaking and Hand Bell Choirs, a Deacon, Chairperson of the Chancel Committee, Junior Usher Ministry Advisor and church historian. Keeping the history of Princeton has been Shirley’s passion since she returned home. She has been a Board Member of the Historical Society of Princeton since 1990 where she started a walking tour of African American Life in Princeton.
