Pittsgrove Presbyterian Press

312 Daretown Road, Elmer, NJ 08318 (856) 358-1104, Fax (856) 358-8439 www.daretownpres.org

February 2013

Worship Service on Sundays at 10 am.

Even if I werent a minister... ... Id still be a C & E kinda worshipper !! ... but not as you would expect! For I would be diligently attending and paying attention to the pre-seasons of Advent and Lent ! For you see, I like the preparation period, as opposed to only the actual or afterward times. So, Advent before Christmas, and Lent before Easter are the most inspiring times of the Christian Year for me. Always have been! Perhaps that is why I felt called to become a trained and experienced Interim Pastor over 20 years and 11 churches ago! Id rather Prepare the Way- than walk it myself as an installed Pastor. So if you heard me singing Christmas carols last November, or saw me burning a pine tree for its ashes the first week this past January, youd know why. I like to prepare, even more than the actual event itself! So, now you see why I ask so many questions, and then make so many suggestions! Just trying to prepare the way for the next installed Pastor. This newsletter is intended to help us all better prepare for the last week in March 2013 the Holiest Week of all !

Toward that end, we will be using Rev. Adam Hamiltons resource- The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus - as our education and worship resource church-wide! All classes- adult, teen, and younger childrenwill be viewing the same DVD, and covering the same material on their level, and we will reflect all of this in our 10am worship service as well. I encourage you to review this newsletter so you, too, can better prepare to join the rest of

us on our way to the most miraculous week of all!

Gettin Ready ....

Pastor Paul.

DEACONS CORNER February 2013

submitted by Kitty Lamb The Deacons are here to serve, listen and help. If there is a financial need, the Deacons may be able to assist via the Lillian Robertson Fund. Whatever the need, physical, financial or otherwise, please dont hesitate to contact any Deacon or Jill Stout (church secretary). The following services were provided by the Deacons to benefit and support our church and our community December 2012 through January 2013. Every year the Deacons sponsor an Angel Tree which provides a Christmas gift for a child spending Christmas at a shelter. This year we decided to do an afterChristmas-gift to a local organization via a Mitten Tree. We were overwhelmed, and deeply humbled, by the response of our congregation when we received 173 items of warmth. After prayerfully considering several suggestions for donation, the Deacons chose the Salem County Womens Services. This organization offers a multitude of free services, shelter and counseling locally to victims, and their children, of domestic violence and abuse. Not only will these hats, scarves and mittens benefit women and children of this Crisis Center, but the Center agreed to donate any overage to the local branch of DYFS, thus expanding our reach of love, care and concern with which God has blessed the members of the Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church for their community. Many thanks to our compassionate and giving congregation for their unwavering support of our many endeavors. We continue our many visitations and cards with our sick and elderly, in addition to meals and baked goods. Supplies for our kitchen are continually replenished. Nine (9) prayer shawls / lap robes were distributed from our Prayer Shawl Ministry. $100.00 was given to a needy family from the Deacons Lillian Robertson Fund. Five (5) complete Thanksgiving Dinner boxes were donated to local families via our school system. The Deacons are now sharing the responsibility of the Snack 1/4 hour with Session and Trustees; however, participation from the congregation is always welcomed. We are assisting with the replacement of the Percolator type coffee maker with two (2) 12-cup programmable Mr. Coffees, and hope you notice a better tasting cup of coffee. He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed. --Proverbs 19:17

* * * * * * *

WHY VALENTINES WONT DO submitted by Rev. Richard Merritt The deep places of childhood memory yield up their occasional ghosts; one such wraith-the annual grammar school exchange of cheap cardboard greeting cards on February 14. I remember these cards well, with their depiction of rosy-cheeked, prelapsarian boys and girls etched against a backdrop of cherry-red hearts, coyly demanding of the recipient to Be My Valentine, or hinting precociously at the mystery of it all with, O, You Kid, or protesting pre-pubescent assurances to be Yours Forever. A distinguished minority of our peers were sumptuously attractive and emerged smugly intact from an avalanche of these one-dimensional scarlet smears. Others of us, living a

hardscrabble existence in the outback of social respectability, received at best four or five cards, presumably from the more discriminating students. And still others stared stubbornly at blank desks until an observant teacher forged a greeting or two on their behalf, a benevolent deception surely. But where have they gone, all those heart-ridden insistences of innocent love by innocents long since hurled into a heartless world, empty greetings from all of us who cared enough to send the worst? Of course, they were put away like so many childish things that cannot last. To put away childish things is a good thing, of course, but not without putting something in the place of childish love. Mature love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen (1 Corinthians 13.8, J.B. Phillips). This is the love of Christ, and it is yours and mine to share, if we have the heart for it!

PRESBYTERIANSTODAY Magazine
by Anne Skinner Am I showing my age? As a session member many years ago, I remember reading the magazine Presbyterian Life. Well, I discovered last week that there is a current Presbyterian magazine: PresbyteriansToday. Members of the Congregational Life Committee have ordered a few subscriptions and are passing these around to review. If you would like to read one, see a member of this committee. It is well worth the time! When asked to write a column about this publication, I was torn as there were so many interesting and thought-provoking articles. I decided to tell you about some of the unique things that Presbyterian churches across our nation are currently doing:

l.

The Power of Pies - The First Presbyterian Church of North East, Pa. uses cherry pies to fund their mission program. Each July the congregations women bake and sell cherry pies during the towns Cherry Festival. Undeterred by the July heat, the bakers baked 980 pies this past year, selling them at $8.00 each. However, the project is not just about raising money for missions, the members enjoy participating for the fellowship together. Open Wide - The Presbyterian Church in Solon, Ohio help with a health fair for migrant workers and their families. This fair is sponsored by the Synod of Ohio. Among the Debris - In 2011 the Presbyterian Church in Morristown, NJ sent a group to Joplin, Mo. to remove debris after the monster tornado. This past year this NJ congregation sent another team to aid in the recovery and rebuilding. Judith Hugg, a church member, said that the clean up was very emotional as they went through what was left of peoples homes. She recalled the epic heat and terrible conditions of mold, along with sharp objects hidden in the rubble. The volume of hundreds of homes reduced to trash was overwhelming. In 2012, she returned to find an amazing revitalization. Neighborhoods were coming back as the folks of Joplin had refused to give up. These people were filled with gratitude for life, their families and their friends who banded together to help them rebuild. Hugg said this work helped her put her own storms in life, in perspective. God is our refuge and our strength always. A Church on the Range - The Lyle Presbyterian Church in Rhame, ND, chartered in July 1912, just reached its 100th anniversary. They have four members but 10 to 12 are in attendance for Sunday worship, weather permitting. A retired rancher, is their senior member at 94 years of age. Their building is located 15 miles from the nearest paved road, has electric, but no water nor telephone. Worshipers bring water to wash dishes after their Sunday pot luck lunches. Every year since 1919, this small congregation has organized and hosted a Memorial Day ceremony for the nearby town of Rhame.

2. 3.

4.

Following the service, the people walk to the cemetery to place flowers on all the graves and flags on the graves of the veterans.

5.

Sunny Side Up Egg Ministry - The First Presbyterian Church in Vernon, Texas raises chickens and provides fresh eggs for local seniors. In 2012 they provided more than 80 dozen eggs to senior members of their community. Benevolent Pork Butts - For the past two years the First Presbyterian Church in Hudson, Wis. raised their money for local mission projects by selling barbecued pork. A couple from Tennessee convinced their new church to try a drive through barbecue. Members take orders for the smoked pork butts, suggesting $35 per 8-10 pound roast. After rubbing the roasts with their secret mixture of spices, the church turns into a meat smoking machine for 48 hours. One member commented, Its a time-intensive activity, but a blast - and delicious. In 2011 they sold 42 roasts but this year the project did even better, making $1,750 for the church benevolence fund to help local residents. I found these various ideas so interesting as our fellow churches share the love of God in their communities. We too could write of our Pig Roast to raise money for our youth mission, or the church garden. Are there any other creative ideas we might embrace to spread compassion and the word throughout our local community? Mission is the work of Jesus wherever it is done, and by whomever it is done. These congregations didnt wait for mission appeals from organizations or boards, but instead unearthed opportunities in their own backyards.

6.

News from Children's Church

submitted by Anita Elwell Over 28 different children attended Children's Church from Sept 30 to Dec 30 of 2012. An average of six children came each week, (ranging from 2 kids to 10 kids), from pre-school age to 12 years old. A typical morning goes like this: First we take turns reading aloud the morning's Scriptures listed in the bulletin. Then we sing some songs written by Judy Rogers based on the Catechism for Young Children. We then review and learn questions and answers from the catechism. Next we learn how to pronounce the names of the books of the Bible in order. Sometimes we play a game, matching the catechism questions with the answers. Finally we look up the closing hymn in a hymnal and review how to follow the verse through the different stanzas. Sometimes we listen live (with a listening devise hooked up to a boom box) to the prayer concerns from worship, and then pray for those and our own concerns. We head upstairs in time for the final hymn and sit in the front rows, following along in the hymnals. This last semester we read most of the gospel of Mark, learned Q1- Q9 in the catechism, learned three songs ("God Made Me", "How Can I Glorify God?", and "God Is A Spirit"), and learned the names of the books of the Old Testament. Next semester we hope to learn Q10 - Q15 in the catechism, learn a few more songs, learn the names of the books in the New Testament, and continue reading the Scriptures, and have our prayers. I would encourage you to send your children or grandchildren down, even if they only come now and then.

Shoes for Orphan Souls

submitted by Samantha Ewart

A very big thank you to everyone who donated to this years Shoes for Orphan Souls.

We nearly doubled the amount collected from previous years!! We collected 47 pairs of shoes, 34 pairs of socks, and almost enough cash donations to pay for shipping costs to Texas! These items will go to orphans in need around the world. Also thank you for participating in Shoeless Sunday, Dec. 23. enormous blessings from the Lord. The camp includes a great program of devotions, drama and worship music for those attending. Please see Tom Neill if you are interested in attending. For more information you can visit reachwc.org.

Attention All Youth!

Sunday evening, February 17th, the youth will be going bowling. If you are interested in attending, meet at the Woodlanes Bowling Alley in Woodstown at 6 pm. If you need a ride, contact Tom Neill at 609-457-5954.

Lions Feud with Patriots

Congratulations to the Patriots (older) Teen Sunday school class on their 18 to 12 victory over the Lions during the Sunday School Feud! After both classes finished their study of the book of Mark, a Sunday School Feud was held on January 27th following a covered dish dinner. Both classes should be very proud of their performance as it was a close race! As a prize for winning the feud, the Lions served pizza to the Patriots during Sunday school class this past week. A very big thank you to the Congregational Life Committee for organizing the dinner, and for leader Tom Neills thinking of and organizing this very successful event! A large crowd gathered for what turned out to be good food, fun and fellowship!

Youth Mission Trip!!!!

What an amazing journey on which we are about to embark! We are in the process of organizing our next mission trip for our youth for this coming summer. Youth in grades seven and up are invited to attend a Reach Work Camp Mission Trip to Putnam County, WV, June 30 July 6th 2013. Along with 500 other youth and their leaders from around the nation, we will help to repair and rebuild homes in the Putnam County area. Many of the people we will help have no other means to make the repairs to their homes other than the volunteers at this work camp. We will make a lasting difference in their lives as we share the love of Christ with them through our actions, words and hard work on the site. We will also see the difference the trip will make in the lives of those who attend, for when we give we always receive

Confirming or Conforming??
With Interim Pastor Paul Tuttles help, 5 of our HS teens are being confirmed and will decide later this Spring to join our church membership. We meet every Wed. eve from 5-7pm in the manse, which includes dinner made by one of the students family. As Pastor Paul says to the teens, Its not so much lecture, as it is connecting Gods dots! Well keep you posted!

Birth Announcement
Congratulations to David & Kari Foote on the birth of their daughter, Addisyn Mae Foote. Addie was born on December 23rd, 2012.

Thank you for all the continued thoughts and prayers! We cant wait for her to meet her church family! --David & Kari Foote

Those Creeds:

Old School

, or

Still Cool ?

submitted by Tom Neill The validity and usefulness of creeds is a question that arises amongst Protestant Christians from time to time, especially in light of the Emerging Church Movement, t he increase and impact of liberal theology, and the increase in non-denominational churches. In this article we will look at what I believe are the two most important creeds: the Apostles Creed, and the Nicene Creed. We will look at their history, purpose, and usefulness for Christians today. When discussing creeds with Christians who do not care for them or find them useful, the common response is usually something like: "no creed but Christ." Funny thing is, little do they realize, that very statement is in and of itself, a creed! This less than positive opinion of the creeds is usually the result of a negative view that many Christians have of reformed churches and reformed theology; and the results of that have drastically affected and changed the Church as a whole. Orthodoxy has been replaced by philosophy; theology by "feelology"; and biblical principles by emotionalism. A better understanding of the creeds would help the Church to develop a more sound and solid position in society and culture, and help it to return to orthodox theology guided by biblical principles. So let us now examine these two. The Apostles Creed we recite weekly (Symbolum Apostolorum), while not technically the oldest of the two creeds, certainly has its origins in the early 2nd century AD. From then on, until about the 8th century, the creed was expanded in its form to the one that we have today. In the early 2nd century, its main purpose was its usage as a baptismal creed. The Trinitarian structure of the creed shows us this as we see God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, in that order. This structure follows the form given to the Apostles by Christ in the great commission: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19) The earliest written form of the creed is found around AD 215, in the writings of Hippolytus of Rome, and the actual title first seen in a letter written by Ambrose of Milan in AD 390, where he referred to it as "The Creed of the Apostles." After the mid-2nd century, the importance of this creed rose considerably in light of the growing threat of Gnosticism. Its central doctrine of the Trinity was used to combat the allegorical interpretive methods of the Gnostics, who were always trying to find and teach "secret" or hidden meanings in scripture that only they could find. Over time additional statements were added to the creed to deal with other issues that arose. For example, I believe in the forgiveness of sins" was added in the 3rd century to foster love and forgiveness for Christians who had denied the faith during Roman persecution. "I believe in the holy,

catholic Church" was added in the 4th century to counter the Pharisaic "exclusiveness" that had permeated the church among many leaders. By AD 724, in the writings of Pirminius, the current form of the Apostles Creed that we have today was in use. That gives us almost 1300 years of service by this creed, and in light of several movements today who deny the Trinity (Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Oneness Pentacostals), its usefulness for us today is just as important, if not more so, than it was during the 2-8th centuries in which it arose out of. All of the articles found in this creed can be found within scripture itself, giving it the substance to stand the test of time and combat heresies confronting the Church today. Our next creed, The Nicene Creed, which we use on Communion Sundays, has its origins in the 1st Council of Nicea in AD 325, and was developed in light of what was known as the Arian Controversy. Arius (AD 250-336), who was a Presbyter(elder) from Alexandria, Egypt, asserted that Jesus Christ was not God the Son, but rather was a subordinate entity to God the Father. Arius believed that Jesus had not always existed, but was a created being. This view, while indirectly attacking the doctrine of the Trinity (3 distinct persons, yet of 1 essence), was a direct assault on Christology (doctrines of Christ), specifically His deity. In response to this, the Council of Nicea declared Arius a heretic and developed the Nicene Creed to reaffirm the doctrine of the Trinity and confirm what the Church already believed about the doctrines relating to the person and work Christ, specifically the fact that He was the Son of God, God made manifest on earth, in the flesh, yet still God. 56 years later, at the Council of Constantinople in AD 381, the creed was expanded into the form we now have it in. This council clarified the divinity of the Holy Spirit as part of the expansion due to the rise of another heretical movement at that time, Pneumotomachianism, whose adherents denied the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Since that time, the Nicene Creed has stood for over 1600 years as a yardstick of orthodoxy against heresy, defending the Trinity, and more specifically, the divinity of Christ. Hopefully, this brief look at these two creeds has shed light on their background, purpose, and usefulness for today. The lowly view held by those who do not see the creeds as being useful is truly a detriment to the Church, and it deprives them of the Church's historical and systematic attempt to keep heresy from destroying "the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints." (Jude 1:3) So I ask you, are creeds old school, outdated and not useful anymore? Or are they

still cool, and relevant to the Church today?

If you ask me, I'd say that old school should be the new cool! To God be the glory!

Do you have e-mail ??

The church office would like to cut down on the cost of postage for our newsletters, flyers, etc. If you have an e-mail address and have not already given it to the office, please do so. You can drop it off at the church on Sunday and leave it in the container on the office door, you can e-mail Jill at jstout312@comcast.net, or you can call the office @ 856-358-1104. Thank you in advance!!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE UPCOMING EVENTS

February
Monday, February 4th Deacons Meeting @ 7:30 pm Sunday, February 10th Annual Meeting, 11:15 am in the sanctuary. No adult Sunday School class this day. Monday, February 11th Trustee Meeting @ 7:30 pm Monday, February 11th Ladies Luncheon, 12 noon at the Woodstown Diner. For more information or to RSVP please contact Jean Williams at 856-358-8563. Sunday, February 17th Youth Bowling Event, 6 pm Monday, February 18th Session Meeting @ 7:30 pm

March
Monday, March 4th Deacons Meeting @ 7:30 pm Monday, March 11th Ladies Lunch, 12 noon Monday, March 11th Trustee meeting @ 7:30 pm Sunday, March 17th A Palm Sunday Cantata- Harvest of Sorrows during our 10am Worship Service Monday, March 18th Session Meeting @ 7:30 pm Thursday, March 28th Maundy Thursday 7:30 pm Tenebrae Service(spoken) with Communion(Intinction) Friday, March 29th Good Friday Service will be held at the Elmer United Methodist Church. More information will follow. Sunday, March 31st Early Easter Sunrise Service Sunday, March 31st Festive Easter Worship Service 10 am *****************************************************

Youth Group Sunday evenings from 5 -6 pm Praise Band Rehearsal Wednesdays at 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal Wednesdays at 7:30 pm Pastors Winter Bible Study Thursday mornings at 9 am in the manse. **Join us for worship every Sunday morning at 10 am**