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September 2016 Homecoming Sunday September 11th — Pastor Ron de Groot
CALVARY PRESBYTERIAN MAKING DISCIPLES DISCIPLES IN THE MAKING
L ast year I wrote the following;
“Hospitality means primarily
the creation of free space where the
stranger can enter and become a
friend instead of an enemy. Hospi-
tality is not to change people, but to
offer them space where change can
take place. It is not to bring men and
women over to our side, but to offer
freedom not disturbed by dividing
lines.”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen, Reaching
Out
In my Father's house there are many
dwelling places. If it were not so,
would I have told you that I go to
prepare a place for you? – John 14
Romans 12:9&13 Let love be genu-
ine …….. Contribute to the needs of
the saints; extend hospitality to
strangers.
I recently enjoyed a conversation
with a neighbor who provides
advertising for what he calls the
“hospitality” industry. And it is as he
says, a lucrative industry. I checked
and it is currently the world’s fastest
growing industry, earning 3.4 trillion
dollars annually. It is also the largest
private employer in the United
States.
Faith communities have been in the
hospitality business for centuries and
it has not often been very lucrative.
Israel and the followers of Jesus
were called to welcome the stranger
because they were at one time
strangers to the house of God. In all
of the struggles of vulnerable and
threatened communities they had
learned to be dependent on the hos-
pitality of each other and others.
The Greek word used in the New
Testament for hospitality ( phileoxe-
nia) is literally “love of the stranger”
related to our English word
“xenophobia” meaning fear of the
stranger or fear of the other. There is
much xenophobia around the world
today given the challenge of the ex-
plosion of refugees and immigrants.
Xenophobia will not open the doors
of our homes because we fear we do
not have room for strangers and that
they will consume our scarce re-
sources. Hospitality adds another
chair(s) to the table and graciously
shares what we have with the
stranger. Jesus tells his disciples not
to fear the stranger because he has
made a place for us in the father’s
house. If we have found a home
through Jesus we are among those
who believe that there is room for
others.
It seems to me that we are so crea-
tive in providing hospitality for our
family and friends and yet lacking in
imagination for creating spaces at
the table for strangers (who really
are friends we haven’t met yet). Per-
haps the place to change this is to
develop a deep appreciation of our
home (faith community) at Calvary.
Most of us were at one time
strangers to this congregation until
someone found a chair and set an-
other place at the table saying,
“come eat with us!”.
We need to engage our imagination
in such a way that we take hospitali-
ty to the streets of our surrounding
communities.
This year we are going to do exactly
that. Our “Homecoming Festival” is
being transformed into a hospitality
event for our neighbors. We are hav-
ing a Block Party on the Deerfield
Avenue Extension our church re-
cently built. Our neighbors have
been invited (see invitation on page
2) and I encourage every member of
our fellowship to help (see Golden
Ticket) make this event a truly wel-
coming experience for all who at-
tend.
Page 2
Calvary Presbyterian Making Disciples Disciples In The Making
A BLOCK PARTY INVITATION Connecting Neighbors with Neighbors
We Would Like You to Come!
SUNDAY, SEPT 11, 2016
12noon to 2:00pm
At the Deerfield Drive Extension & Calvary Church’s Back Field
WHY A BLOCK PARTY? We are hosting this informal gathering to neighbors so you can say hello to those you
know as well as those you haven’t met yet. Whether you have lived in the neighborhood for decades or just weeks, our goal is to give you an opportunity to meet, greet, and connect with each other. This event is sponsored and paid for by Calvary Church. There will be no costs, solicitations, or hidden agendas. Our only motive is to reach out to those living within a couple blocks of each other to foster friendships and a deeper sense of community.
FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT We will have Food for All including Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Pulled Pork Sandwiches,
Chicken Kabobs, Refreshments, and more. If you would like to bring something to share, that would be great - but it’s absolutely not necessary. Children can meet new friends and enjoy unstructured playtime with a bounce house, face painting, playground time, sidewalk chalk, etc. Live Music provided by Matt Mattheiss & Rob Bertus (Soft Rock/Country)
INSPIRATION for this BLOCK PARTY came from a short paragraph we recently came across: “All holiday pa-
rades, picnics, and ceremonies started somewhere, with someone who wanted to give back to the community in which they lived. It’s not too late to propose and execute a new tradition in your own community, whether it’s a block party or an annual picnic. Your particular vision, gifts, and strengths are part of what makes your community unique, so as you recognize them in yourself, feel free to offer them to those who live in your vicinity. Whether your offerings are visionary or practical, they are the very essence of community.”
Page 3
Children’s Participation In Communion
O n the first Sunday of each
month the children of the
congregation (4 & 5 yr. olds,
older and younger elementary)
worship with the congregation at
the morning worship service.
You are invited to attend the
"Table Talk" session that is de-
signed to orient parents and their
children to meaningful participa-
tion in the Communion service.
Preparing young people to re-
ceive the Communion may be
done by children/parents/
guardians attending the "Table
Talk" session, led by our Pastor
on October 2 at 9:30 am. Ses-
sions provide interactive in-
struction regarding the mean-
ing and manner of participat-
ing in the sacrament.
At Calvary Presbyterian
Church, we worship as a
community. Our community
includes young people, and
we welcome and include
them all in worship. We en-
courage young people to wor-
ship with families or with
caring adults who will help
them worship as full members
of our community. The Pres-
byterian Church recognizes
how important it is for young
people to worship through the
sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.
Our constitution states
“Baptized children who are being
nurtured and instructed in the sig-
nificance of the invitation to the
Table and the meaning of their
response are invited to receive the
Lord’s Supper, recognizing that
their understanding of participation
will vary according to their maturi-
ty” .
Contact the Church Office to regis-
ter your child for this event.
Calvary Presbyterian Making Disciples Disciples In The Making
New Member Orientation: September 17
the Body of Christ and Calva-
ry Presbyterian in particular.
You will have an opportunity
to meet with the leadership
and become familiar with our
ministry structure and the
many ways the blessings of
Have you been considering be-
coming a member of our fellow-
ship and ministry? We are offer-
ing a Saturday morning member-
ship orientation on Saturday,
September 17 at 9 am in the
sanctuary library area.
It is an opportunity to explore
the meaning of membership in
membership can enhance and
nourish your spiritual journey.
If you would like to attend con-
tact the office and register. Fur-
ther questions can be directed to
Pastor de Groot at
G O L D E N T I C K E T
Congratulations You’ve Won an opportunity to be a Mover and Shaper in the
September 11 Calvary Backyard Block Party
Call the office with your name and number indicating your willingness to help
with one of the activities listed below.
Hospitality Greeter, Grill Master, Saturday/Sunday Set Up, Tear Down, Sno-Cone Scooper,
Cotton Candy Twirler, Bounce House Bouncer, Tattoo Artist.
We need your participation to make this event a great experience for our neighbors. Redeem your ticket to-
day! Call 973-377-4837. Email: [email protected]
Deacon’s Mission Statement
I count that day as wisely spent
In which I do some good
For someone who is far away
Or shares my neighborhood.
A day devoted to the deed
That lends a helping hand
And demonstrates a willingness
To care and understand.
I long to be of usefulness
In little ways and large
Without a selfish motive
And without the slightest charge.
Because in my philosophy
There never is a doubt
That all of us here on earth
Must help each other out.
I feel that day is fruitful
And the time is worth the while
When I promote the happiness
Of one enduring smile.
Page 5
Briefly Noted
Worship Time Change
A reminder that the worship ser-
vice starting time returns to 10:30
a.m. beginning on Sunday, Sep-
tember 11, 2016.
Homecoming Block Party
The Worship Team would like to
invite you to attend the 1st annual
Calvary Backyard Block Party to
be held at Noon following the
worship hour on Sunday, Septem-
ber 11th. Volunteers are needed to
donate salads (potato, pasta, fruit)
for the event. Please let Jeannette
Howard know what type of salad
you are planning to bring.
Playground Fencing
You may have noticed the fencing
around the playground on our
property. The fencing is a compli-
ance with a State of New Jersey
regulation for Calvary Nursery
School. It is not meant to restrict
access to the playground for our
members and neighbors. Feel free
to allow your children to enjoy
this fun space!
Fellowship Hour Hosts
Preparing a place for people to
gather for food and conversation is
an offering and we would like to
thank The Chancel Choir, Janet
Johannessen, Chet Lloyd, Ann
Ritzer, Cheryl Jewell, Esther Ben-
son, Michael Loeuis, Krystie
Loeuis, Bob Newhouse, Michele
Newhouse, The Bell Choir, Jean-
nette Howard, Kevin Howard, The
“Just Us” Book Club, The Young
Moms Group and The Deacons for
hosting fellowship hour during the
months of July and August.
Thank You
I would like to thank everyone for
their prayers, cards and support
given my family during Tim’s
passing. I am truly blessed to have
friends like you and are thankful
for all you have done. Special
thank you to Pastor Ron. I felt the
service he performed offered in-
spiration and comfort to all who
were present. Thanks to Olga and Al
for the music they performed.
—Shirley Stoll
“Just Us” Book Club
The “Just Us” Book Club will meet
on Wednesday, September 7th at
7:30 p.m. at the home of Marie
White. The book for September is
“A Spool of Blue Thread” by Anne
Tyler. The discussion will be led by
Rayanne Hammoud. Please call Ma-
rie at 377-0107 or Ann Ritzer at
377-1840.
Calvary Dinner Club
The Calvary Dinner Club would like
to thank Sam and Gus Moussa for a
great pool-picnic at their home on
Sunday, August 14th. Everyone had
a good time and enjoyed the food
and fellowship.
Martha Circle
Martha Circle will meet on Monday,
September 19th at 6:00 p.m. at the
home of Marie White for a covered
dish supper. Each member will be
asked to bring a food item to share.
Any questions, please call Marie at
377-0107.
September Birthdays
Ibtissam Moussa 4 Christopher Plummer 6 Janet Johannessen 7 Eleanor Ackerman 8 Robert Atchison 10 Laura Romanski 10 Richard Himics 16 Jene Hopping 17 Melissa Merkel 17 Timothy Stevens 19 Barbara Garing 9 Paula Romanski 24 Akkad Moussa 26 Carolyn Rose Allen 29 Thomas John Allen 29
Dorothy Reutlinger 30
September Anniversaries
Gus & Sam Moussa 9 Matt & Carol Allen 16 Barry & Nancy Lack 22 Tom & Patricia Nash 27 John & Sandy Wright 27
LECTIONARY FOR SEPTEMBER 2016
SEPT 4
(23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Jeremiah 18:1-11
Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18
Philemon 1-21
Luke 14:25-33
SEPT 11
(24th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
Psalm 14
1 Timothy 1:12-17
Luke 15:1-10
SEPT 18
(25th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Jeremiah 8:18–9:1
Psalm 79:1-9
1 Timothy 2:1-7
Luke 16:1-13
SEPT 25
(26th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15
Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Luke 16:19-31
Calvary Presbyterian Making Disciples Disciples In The Making
Calvary Presbyterian Church, 144 Ridgedale Avenue, Florham Park, New Jersey 07932
Pastor Ronald J. de Groot Director of Music: Olga Koutcherova
Website: calvarytodaylive.org
Church Office phone: 973-377-4837 ; fax: 973-377-3204
144 Ridgedale Avenue
Florham Park, New Jersey 07932
Phone: 973-377-4837
Fax: 973-377-3204
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: calvarytodaylive.org
Calvary Presbyterian Church
Calvary Presbyterian Making Disciples Disciples In The Making
A BLOCK PARTY INVITATION
SUNDAY, SEPT 11, 2016
12noon to 2:00pm
Connecting Neighbors with Neighbors
Location: Deerfield Drive Extension & Calvary Church’s Back Field | No charge
FOOD · REFRESHMENTS · LIVE MUSIC