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From Our Interim Pastor
It’s the beginning of July. Every year around this time, I attempt to
declutter my life. This generally entails discarding the piles of papers
that have accumulated in my apartment since last July – old bills, new
bills, catalogues I never asked for, junk mail for previous tenants,
weekly newspaper sales circulars, advertisements from businesses in
the area, receipts, grocery lists I forgot to take when I went to the
store and the occasional envelope with “Enter to Win” emblazoned on
it. Since I loathe this task, I’m easily distracted when I find an old
treasure among the litter.
This year’s find was a photograph of my daughter when she was three
years old. I was instantly brought back to that day so long ago. She
was wearing overalls, smiling into the camera’s lens and laughing. The
shutter click captured her standing in the middle of a lush, green field
filled with wildflowers. She’s holding out her clutched hands excited to
share her discoveries. In one hand, she had a pine cone and in the
other, a red Gerbera daisy. The pockets of her overalls held other
things, as they always did, stuffed with bits of creation…pebbles,
rocks, blades of grass, feathers, dead bugs, and sticks. She loved the
wonders of nature.
It was impossible for her to contain her excitement over such treas-
ures. She had great faith that I would delight in them as well. In fact,
she would share her joy with any face that smiled back at her and was
willing to share her moment of heaven on earth. And when she said
her prayers at night, she thanked God, as she always did, for every-
thing she found…the pine cone, pebbles, rocks, blades of grass, feath-
ers, dead bugs, sticks and a red Gerbera daisy. Those nights long ago
when I said my prayers, I thanked God for the gift of my daughter
and for God’s presence in our every day, especially when our every
day was not always filled with joy.
Kathleen Norris reminds us in her book, Amazing Grace, that God will
make a way to let us know we are not alone. “God will find a way to
let us know that he is with us in this place, wherever we are, however
far we think we’ve run. And maybe that’s one reason we worship – to
respond to grace. We praise God not to celebrate our own faith but to
give thanks for the faith God has in us. To let ourselves look at God,
and let God look back at us. And to laugh, and sing, and be delighted
because God has called us his own.” May you discover in this season
of summer that God is with you, wherever you are, and delights to
call you God’s own.
GOOD TIDINGS
A Monthly Newsletter of The Presbyterian Church of Morris Plains
INDEX
Community 2
Christian Education 3
Other News 4
Celebrations 5
Finance 6
Music Ministry 7
July and August 2019
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The July gathering of the Memory Cafe will be held
on Thursday, July 18 from 2:00 pm-4:00 pm.
The Café is being hosted by Arbor Terrace at
their facility at 361 Speedwell Avenue, Morris
Plains. All individuals with Alzheimer's or mild to
moderate cognitive brain impairment and their
caregiver are encouraged to attend. Please join
the group for a fun afternoon. For more
information, please contact Ginny Fisher at 973-
229-4145 or Marybeth Kane at 973-718-3636.
The August gathering will be held on Thursday,
August 15 from 2:00 pm-4:00 pm at our
church. Please share this information with anyone
in the community who would benefit from this
social time.
We are still waiting for
information about the “Kits
for Kidz” program that the
Market Street Mission School
Supply Drive started last
year. Stay tuned for more
details.
Nurture
If you enjoy visiting and
chatting, then you’re a
natural for bringing
flowers or meals to our
shut-ins. They always
have a lot to share and
your help would be a
blessing to them. Please
let Russ Hitchcock know
if you can do this occasionally
Book Club Bookies Book Club will be on hiatus for the
summer and will meet again on Monday,
September 23 at 7:30 pm in the Parlor to
discuss Crazy Rich Asians. Everyone is welcome.
Please call Pat Olson at 973-539-7941 with any
questions.
Copy Cats-Retired Ladies Copy Cats will be meeting on Tuesday, July 23
at 12:00 noon at Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse,
167 West Main Street (Rt 46 E), Denville, NJ
07834. Please call Margaret Jorgensen at 973-
442-0044 for reservations.
First Sunday Food Drive On August 4, we will
commune with our
Lord as we celebrate
Communion. We will
have just a little bit of
bread and a tiny bit of
the cup, but in those
gifts, we will
experience the real
spiritual presence of Christ with us. Throughout
his life, Jesus acted always for the benefit of
those who were in need and on the margins.
When we are fed by the Lord’s Supper, not only
is our spirituality nourished (our sense of
connection with God), but so is our faith (our
beliefs and actions that result from that
connection). As a symbol of our deep connection
with Christ and a sign that we are his hands and
hearts at work in the world, we will bring a non-
perishable food item to worship on the days we
celebrate communion. They can be left in the
back of the Sanctuary with the ushers or brought
forward and placed under the communion table.
As God feeds us, we feed our neighbors.
The most needed foods are: dry milk, Parmalat,
evaporated milk, calcium fortified milk
alternatives (soy, rice, almond milk), soups,
pasta, canned fruit, canned beans, tuna fish,
Rice-a-Roni, Hamburger & Tuna Helper, Boost,
Ensure, Glucerna, Enfamil, baby food, and baby
wipes.
Please note that we especially need food during
the summer to provide to families with children
who are not receiving meals at school.
CHURCH COMMUNITY
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CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS
Summer Sunday School runs for 8 weeks this summer for children in 3rd grade
and younger and teachers are needed!!
The theme is ‘Favorite Bible Stories’ and everything you need to have an hour
of fun with the kids is provided…story, craft and even a video! So, sign up for
your favorite Bible story today!
Here are the dates ... We need TWO adults each Sunday:
Week 2 July 14 Noah’s Ark Week 6 Aug. 11 Jesus Blesses the Children
Week 3 July 21 Joseph & His Brothers Week 7 Aug. 18 The Lost Sheep
Week 4 July 28 Jonah & the Whale Week 8 Aug. 25 Jesus Feeds the 5,000
Week 5 Aug. 4 Jesus Walks on Water
Thank you!! Please contact Kathy McNall at 973-627-8708 or [email protected].
The Youth Group is meeting throughout the
summer on July 14, August 3, and
August 17 from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm. There
will be dinner, planning for the upcoming
year, and spending time getting to know
each another. All youth in grades 6-12 are
welcome to attend. Please contact Mae
Martella at 973-517-0913 or
[email protected] for more
information.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday, September 3 at 7:30 pm in Room 3. We will continue
planning the activities for the year with the focus being on the Progressive Dinner.
Potluck dinners will resume in September on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm.
Please join us on July 12 for our next Fun Friday of the year. We will start the evening at 6:30 pm
with a potluck dinner followed by Card Sharks at 7:30 pm. A sign up sheet is in Westminster Hall.
Please check the colorful poster board for all Fun Friday activities.
SUNDAY SCHOOL
YOUTH GATHERING
GATHERING & BELONGING
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There will be a blood drive on Saturday, August 3
from 8:30 am-3:00 pm in Westminster Hall. Please
contact Larry Ripley at 973-539-4598 or
We began the summer with Vacation Ventures, our summer Bible School. Now the children have eight
weeks of Summer Exploration, Enrichment and Fun. During
this time, children enjoy art, literature, music and movement,
dramatic play, water play and exercise. We also have several
special events scheduled including a children's music and dance
fest, dinosaur dig, an animal presentation and a puppet show-
which is is new this year!
We are continuing to enroll new students for the fall so please
share the good news with friends and neighbors. Everyone at
Joyful Noise Preschool and Daycare, a ministry of our church to
the community, appreciate your prayers and support!
COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE
JOYFUL NOISE NURSERY SCHOOL
The PNC has completed the church’s
ministry information form. It was
unanimously approved by Session and the
Committee on Ministry at Presbytery. This
form has now been entered into the Church
Leadership Connection, which is the data
base that will match the PNC with Pastor
information forms for those pastors who are
seeking a new church. The matching Pastor
information forms and those self-
referred have been received and are just in
the beginning process for PNC review.
Please continue to keep the PNC in your prayers.
PASTOR NOMINATING COMMITTEE
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Happy July Birthday To: Happy August Birthday To:
Cantrell, Jenn 7/1 Minor, Eric 8/1 Eapen, Keira 8/24
Nelson, Sarah 7/2 Osborne, Hudson 8/1 Pinto, Jessica 8/24 Martella, Cassandra 7/3 Fox, Tom 8/2 Case, Andrea 8/25 Rossetti, Dave 7/4 Miller, Doris 8/3 Cregan, Chloe 8/27 Ulbrich, Donald 7/5 Bohn, Jake 8/4 Friedman, Mason 8/27 Bergeron, Isabella 7/7 Lynch, Linda 8/5 Malpere, Anna 8/27 Barnes, Tyler 7/8 Batson, Peggy 8/7 Nelson, Zack 8/30 Bruhn, Jack 7/9 Bergeron, Lori 8/7 Annuik, Samuel 8/31
Kieliszewski, Ron 7/9 Faundez, Amy 8/7 Bergeron, Tom 8/31 Nunn, Bill 7/9 Hill, Robert 8/7 Weismantel, Susan 8/31 Crain, Jillian 7/11 Smith, Beverlee 8/7 Van Orden, Mark Jr. 7/12 Carman, Karen 8/8
Drown, Zachary 7/13 Rosenfeld, Michelle 8/8 Happy July Anniversary To:
Sheldon, Craig 7/14 Johnson, Dave 8/9 Caccavale, Kelly & Joe 7/7 29 Yrs. Ulbrich, Barbara 7/16 Pinto, Katie 8/9 Sheldon, Craig & Sue 7/18 32 Yrs.
Loutzenheiser, Carl 7/22 Trevena, Muriel 8/9 Rubin, Rich & Nancy 7/19 39 Yrs. Weismantel, Alex 7/22 Malpere, Joyce 8/10 Minor, Elissa & Michael 7/23 31 Yrs. Koch, Hadley 7/24 Burke, Mike 8/11 Wurster, Charly & Joanne 7/29 5 Yrs. McDermott, Alan 7/24 Caccavale, Julianne 8/12
Sheldon, Sue 7/25 Feeney, Alan 8/13 Happy August Anniversary To:
Thorne, Jennifer 7/25 Traetto, Arlina 8/13 Moran, Craig & Pam 8/2 16 Yrs Lappe, Meg 7/26 Malpere, Molly 8/14 Arp, David & Anne 8/7 43 Yrs. Williams, John 7/26 Rider, Eric 8/14 Haas, Russ & Terry 8/8 55 Yrs. Arzberger, Brandon 7/27 Jain, Alec 8/17 Falcone, Michael & Kari 8/9 16 Yrs.
Cusmano, Megan 7/27 Contreras, Ruth 8/18 Swope, Becca & Matt 8/9 22 Yrs. Hyde, Lois 7/27 Csengeto, Matthew 8/18 Hartle, Joshua & Andrea 8/12 19 Yrs. Hudak, Kiara 7/28 Rossi, Henry 8/18 Yingling, Doug & Cathy 8/13 47 Yrs. Nowik, Elizabeth 7/28 Wurster, Joanne 8/19 Smith, Kim & Alan 8/14 37 Yrs. Begley, Michael 7/29 Annuik, Claire 8/20 McKeever, John & Betsy 8/19 47 Yrs.
Lappe, Doug 7/31 Dise-Moran, Pam 8/20 Benjamin, Hildy & Art 8/22 60 Yrs.
Stock, Jared 8/22 Arzberger, Kelly & John 8/28 5 Yrs.
Burke, Karen 8/23 Becht, Kristin & Robert 8/28 25 Yrs. Gilly, Henrik 8/23 Grandusky, Michael & Michele 8/30 44 Yrs.
CELEBRATIONS
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Think of Magic Pennies gift cards when you
make your vacation plans this summer. We
may be able to order cards that you can use for
flights, cruise lines, hotels, restaurants,
shopping, etc. We may even have cards for
stores and restaurants in other parts of the
country where you are traveling.
For example, Piggly Wiggly grocery stores,
Krispy Kreme Donuts, Tanger Outlets, Belk
Department Store and more, are available for
order. A list of the retailers are available
through Great Lakes Scrip by visiting: https://
www.shopwithscrip.com/shopwithscrip-
retailers. Some new retailers on the list now include: Shutterfly, DSW, World Market and PF Chang’s.
If you have any questions, please contact Laurie Fu at [email protected]. A portion of all Magic Pennies
purchases are contributed to the church.
Financial Results Summary as of 5-31-2019
Actual Budget
Regular Offering Income $ 86,401 $ 78,346
Other Income $ 54,420 $ 59,687
Total Income $140,821 $138,033
Total Operating Expenses $163,035 $158,216
Net Operating Income (Deficit) $(22,214) $(20,183)
The following items are noteworthy:
1. Offering income was ahead of budget by $8,055 (Actual amount received $86,401 over
budgeted amount of $78,346). Both pledged and non-pledged income exceeded budget.
2. Total income exceeded budgeted amount by $2,788.
3. Most operating expenses were in line with budget except for Facilities repair expenses during the
first half of the year. We had a number of unexpected and costly facilities issues that required
immediate attention – furnace issues at both the Upper Manse and the Church during the cold
months, downstairs Fellowship Hall kitchen drainage/grease trap blockage, etc. As a result, total
operating expenses exceeded the amount that was budgeted by $4,819 ($163,035 of actual
operating expenses over $158,216 budgeted).
4. We ended the first five months with a deficit of
$22,214, about $2k over what was budgeted.
As we enter the summer months, church activities
may slow a bit before resuming in the fall. However,
our operating expenses do not slow down so please
keep up your stewardship giving. Have a great
summer!
MAGIC PENNIES
FINFINANCE NEWS
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The Walsh Memorial Bell Choir Program welcomes all children in second grade and above and any
adults who would like to participate in the music ministry of handbells. The Bell Choir Program includes
several handbell choirs, with ringers generally grouped by age and experience. To become a ringer, it is
not necessary to currently be a part of our church family or to have previous handbell or music
experience.
Handbell choirs rehearse each week and take part regularly in worship services. They also have
opportunities to play outside the church, including extending their musical ministry in the local
community and participating in events with other handbell choirs.
If you are interested in ringing, have questions about the handbell program, or would like to suggest
other potential ringers, please contact Kathy Opsasnick, (973-627-6425,
[email protected]), or Carl Loutzenheiser, (973-267-1258, [email protected]).
2019 WALSH MEMORIAL BELL CHOIR HANDBELL TOUR TO SWITZERLAND
HANDBELL OPPORTUNITIES
Our children have been busy in the coffee hour
fellowship finding out what PCMP members and
friends like the most between two categories. And the
results are in...here are some of their findings.
We like bananas more than apples, Christmas more
than Halloween, bowling more than golf, cucumbers
more than broccoli, cheeseburgers more than pizza,
oceans more than pools, horses more than cows,
Target more than Walmart, cats more than dogs,
football more than soccer, ice cream more than
brownies and breakfast more than dinner. Now we
know. Thanks kids!
SURSURVEY SAYS
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400 Speedwell Avenue Phone: 973-539-3481
Morris Plains, NJ 07950 Fax: 973-539-1225
Web: mppresby.org The Rev. Jacqui Van Vliet Interim Pastor
TO:
EVERYONE is welcome here to worship the Lord!
Sunday Worship-9:30 a.m., Coffee & Fellowship-10:30 a.m.
Session Member Email Address Committee
Susan Vigilante-Williams [email protected] Clerk of Session
Mike Burke [email protected] Personnel
Ginny Fisher [email protected] Missions
Pam Gilly [email protected] Nominating
Russ Hitchcock [email protected] Nurture
Alec Jain [email protected] Finance
Nancy Johnson [email protected] Gathering & Belonging
Kim Lappe [email protected] Personnel
Mae Martella [email protected] Gathering & Belonging
Kathy McNall [email protected] Christian Education
Elissa Minor [email protected] Joyful Noise
Bill Nunn [email protected] Facilities
Dave Rossetti [email protected] Communication
Don Spidell [email protected] Stewardship
Judy Stebbins [email protected] Worship & Music
2019 SESSION ROSTER
The
Presbyterian Church
of Morris Plains
