Can you believe it is already March? As I am writing
this article, piles of snow can be seen on every corner and it looks like more
is on the way. Those who know I’m from Egypt have been asking me how I like the
snow, and my response is, “I loved it up until the point that I had to shovel
itJ.”
However I have to admit, it is an experience that I would have never had if I
was still living in the Middle East. I love the way it looks as it comes down,
and when you look outside your window and see a view that looks like a perfect
picture, as if you are looking at a painting or a Christmas Card. The snow,
particularly when it first comes down, does add beauty to nature and causes us
to look at the trees, grass, and buildings that we drive by every day, in a
completely different way.
All that made me wonder, can we as Christians do the same to the world we live
in? Can we add beauty and joy to the everyday life that surrounds us? I pray
that the answer that first comes to all our minds is YES we can. That is
perhaps our purpose, and our natural response to God’s love, grace and mercy
that he provides us and places in each of our hearts. It’s meant to be shared
with the rest of the world.
So, as we continue through this season of Lent, and as we examine our lives and
our relationship with God, may our quest be to have a deeper and fuller life
with God, rejoicing at his gift of life offered to the whole world. I pray that
we become a light in this world that makes it look and feel better because God
is present, and that his presence is visible through all of us. So that at
Easter not just Christians but the entire world can recognize that in this
incredible celebration, something out of this world occurred and that it is
offered to all those who are willing to take a leap of faith - to trust in
God’s love, mercy and compassion which can be found nowhere else.
What Happened at the Session Meeting
By, Jerry Blackman, Clerk of
Session
· Active members Brandon Friday,
Gary Ford, Debra Buckholder, Stan Ellis, Ella May Wilkins, Amy Van Walsen, Don Van
Walsen, Bill Sauers and Frances Sauers were moved to the inactive members list.
· The annual congregational meeting
and corporation meeting were held in the sanctuary of the church on Sunday,
January 31, 2010.
· Pastor Debbie officiated at the
funeral service of Jean Perkins on December 2, 2009.
· Pastor Debbie participated in at
the funeral service of Mitzie Knowlton on December 5, 2009.
· The Advent Dinner was held on
December 6, 2009, followed by the Christmas pageant.
· A Blue Christmas Worship Service
was held at the church on December 20, 2009.
· Pastor Debbie, Pastor Alfred and
the youth group participated in the Walk a Christmas Mile on December 27,
2009. Pastor Debbie also hosted.
· The youth mission trip for 2010
will be Group WorkCamps in Rochester, NY.
· Moira Ferrier, Robert “Craig”
Mannon, Jennifer Mannon and Adrienne Smolda were welcomed as new members of the
church. A reception for all 2009 New Members was held on January 31, 2010 at
the church.
· A Party Lite Candles fundraiser took place during the final two weeks of January 2010.
· The Shrove Sunday pancake lunch
was held at the church on February 14, 2010 at 12:00 PM.
· There will be a soup supper at
6:30 PM before Lenten services which begin at 7:30 PM. Calvary Presbyterian
Church will host a soup supper and Lenten service on Wednesday, March 24, 2010.
· The Borough of Riverton is
considering designating temporary, on-street, accessible parking spaces for
disabled persons at Fourth Street adjacent to the church’s main entrance. Four
or five spaces would be temporarily designated as accessible parking spaces to
disabled persons for Sunday only. The spaces would be provided for the
convenience of disabled members of the congregation attending Sunday worship
services.
Opportunities for Worship
March/April 2010
·
Wed,
Mar 3 – Lenten Midweek Soup (6:30 pm) & Service (7:30 pm)
Bethany
Lutheran Church
Sun,
Mar 7 – 3rd Sunday in Lent - Communion
Sermon text: Luke 13:1-9 (Psalm 63:1-8)
“What
Does it Mean to ‘Repent?’”
Wed,
Mar 10 – Lenten Midweek Soup (6:30pm) & Service (7:30 pm)
Sacred
Heart Roman Catholic Church
Sun,
Mar 14 – 4th Sunday in Lent
Sermon text: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (Psalm 32)
“A
New Creation”
Wed,
Mar 17 – Lenten Midweek Soup (6:30 pm) & Service (7:30 pm)
St.
Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Church
Sun,
Mar 21 – 5th Sunday in Lent
Sermon text: Philippians 3:4b-14 (Psalm 126)
“Not I but Christ”
Wed,
Mar 24 – Lenten Midweek Soup (6:30 pm) & Service (7:30 pm)
Calvary
Presbyterian Church
Holy Week
Sun, Mar 28 – Palm/Passion Sunday
Sermon Text: Luke 19:28-40 (Luke 22:14-23:56)
“With a Loud Voice”
Thurs,
Mar 31 – Maundy Thursday Service (7:30 pm)
Sermon text: John 13:11-17, 31b-35
(Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19)
“The Flogging” – dramatic presentation
Fri, Apr 1 –
Ecumenical Good Friday Service (noon – 3:00 pm)
Calvary Presbyterian Church
Sun, Apr 4 – Sunrise Service (6:30 am) – Lakewood Cemetery
Sun, Apr 4 – Easter Sunday – Communion
Sermon Text: John 20:1-18 (Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24)
“When Do We Understand?”
Sun,
Apr 11 – 2nd Sunday of Easter
Sermon text: Acts 5:27-32 (Psalm 150)
“Faith
and Obedience”
Sun,
Apr 18 – 3rd Sunday of Easter
Sermon Text: John 21:1-19 (Revelation 5:11-14)
“Do
You Love Me?”
Sun,
Apr 25 – 4th Sunday of Easter
Sermon Text: John 19:22-30 (Psalm 23)
“What
Does His Voice Sound Like?”
Deacons will continue to send
cards to and/or visit our shut-ins. In addition, they will provide meals
through the CARIS program when needed. The Deacons will also continue to
participate in the Interfaith Hospitality Network, both hosting an evening and
sleeping overnight.
At Easter, Deacons will be
sending cards to shut-ins and delivering Easter plants to them.
Thank
you note:
To My Church Friends,
My sincere thanks
for the prayers, cards, and flowers received during my
recent illness.
It was the support
of my friends who helped me through this difficult time.
I am steadily
improving every day and hope to be back in church soon.
Elaine Marvel
†††
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Daylight Savings Begins on Sunday, March 14th!
Remember to set your clocks AHEAD!
|
|
Thrift Shop News
We are located at 520 Main Street,
Riverton.
Come see us! A wonderful,
constantly changing supply of all kinds of equipment, toys, household items and
clothing
pass through our shop!
We have a need for more people to substitute on
Thursdays. Please contact Bobbie Beck or Dianne Spiegel to volunteer.
Tuesdays: Shop is open for donations from 9 to 12
Thursdays: OPEN 9 to 4 for shopping!
Saturday, March 13th and April 10th from 10 am
to 3 pm
and the 2nd Saturday of each month except July and August.
Buildings
& Grounds
Please watch for information on Spring Work Day
Garden
Party
We hope to begin early as we
have accepted an invitation to show the church and gardens during the
semi-annual Porch Club Garden Tour on June 13th! When the
snow finally goes away we will begin to assess any winter damage, and to plan
needed repair as well as annual maintenance and plantings. We will need many
volunteers for our “Garden Party” hours! Watch for the start date and further
information!
REMODELING OF TODDLER
BATHROOM Continues!
Parts delivery have held up the process somewhat
but we hope for completion soon.
Thanks go to Bob Heck, Frank Breece, Mike Stasko and
Paul Beck. Be sure and take a look. Capital Campaign funds have made this
project possible.
VOLUNTEERS are (always) needed
for snow removal.
We have so many to thank! And for working so often!
Please call Bobbie Beck or the church office to
offer your services.
PROMIS meets once a month on the third Tuesday.
Volunteers are needed to do various small jobs around
the church. Please call the church office if you would like to volunteer.
Christian
Education
Easter Egg Hunt
On Easter Sunday morning at 10:00
am we'll have an Easter Egg Hunt for all kids from babes to teens right on our
church yard …. and…. parents/grandparents/adults are all welcome
to watch the fun!!
Sunday
School
We will continue to read from
the Old Testament and learn about the plight of the Hebrews in Egypt, Moses, the
plagues used to convince the king to "let my people go," Passover,
and God's leading the exodus out of Egypt.
The students will be building
a topical map of Egypt and Israel, including the Red Sea, with images of the
plagues and the exodus.
We'll
have live frogs and crickets (the closest thing these days to locusts) to
enjoy each Sunday morning.
These adorable pets will be available for the kids to take home for a week to
care for. Put your reservations in early!!
We'll also have learning games
and cooking …. all relative to our lessons.
There's so much to learn from
God's Word!
Adult
Education
Adult Sunday School is a
great opportunity to get together with others and learn about the history of
God’s interaction with his people over the centuries. Adult CE meets every
Sunday between the services at 10 am. We are currently looking at a study on
the “Kings and Prophets of the Old Testament.” We review questions like, “who
were these prophets?” and “when and how did they live?” Study time begins with
a short video presentation taped in Israel and Palestine and is followed by a
time of discussion. All are welcome to come and join the fun.
Men’s
Study
We continue through March and
April and are open to all men who desire to join in a time of fun, fellowship,
learning, and have a great breakfast. Currently 12 men meet every Tuesday at 7 am
at the Harvest Dinner on Rt. 130. We are reading through the book “Purpose
Driven Life” by Pastor Rick Warren. Come and join the fun.
Youth Group:
WE ARE HAVING A BLAST
Every Sunday evening our Jr. High (6-7 pm) and Sr. High (6-7:30 pm)
get together to play games, have snacks, make friends and learn about God.
The Youth also started
helping with Worship on the last Sunday of the month. All youth are invited to
join in and bring their friends. For information speak to Pastor Alfred TODAY
Confirmation Class
Throughout
January and February, four of our youth – Zach Galasso, Alex Knowlton, Mitchell
Young and Matthew Young, met every Thursday to learn about their faith, to
make a commitment to Jesus Christ, and to the ministry of Calvary Presbyterian
Church. Throughout their meetings, they read scripture, memorized well known
texts and wrote their own statements of faith. They also attended Sunday worship
regularly. In March they are meeting with the Session and will go before the
congregation to make a public profession of faith and to become full members of
our church community.
Church
Life
Calvary will host the Lenten Soup Supper and Worship Service on March 24th.
This takes many hands! We need:
Bakers of cookies,
a few salad people and
soup people!
On
Wednesday (3/24) we need help to:
- set
out the salad, rolls & deserts on tables (5 pm)
- set
up areas for soup and drinks, (5:30 pm)
- and of course
help to clean up (7:00 pm)
Please contact Deidre Golden, Bea Russo or call the
office to offer your help!
The W.O.C.L.S. (Women of
Calvary Literary Society)
This Calvary Women’s book
discussion group invites all (and friends) to join us. We read and discuss a
variety of books, secular and non-secular, from fiction to non-fiction,
humorous to serious, fictional history to present-day. Please mark your
calendars with our upcoming dates:
Tuesday, March 23 The
Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin
Tuesday, April 27 The
Price of a Child by Lorene Cary
Saturday, April 24 A
day trip/walking tour of Philadelphia is
being planned (by Dorothy Talavera)
So, don't wait! Get the book
and plan to join the discussion group. For more information, contact Maryke
Clark, Dorothy Talavera or Georgie Ackers.
Mission
Calvary’s initial offering
for Haiti Relief was $1,248. This offering was taken to the Presbytery
meeting in Mays Landing where the church and worship collections totaled over
$15,000. The collection for Haiti is ongoing. Please make checks payable to
Calvary
Presbyterian Church with
“Haiti” on the memo line.
One Great Hour of Sharing:
OGHS! This ecumenical effort is one
that Calvary has participated in for many years. The collection always
coincides with Lent, and children are also involved with giving through the use
of “fish banks”. The idea of “service” during Lent, and throughout the year is
an important lesson for all of us.
The monies collected are used
throughout the year for broad mission goals, and for emergency response. Money
from the 2009 collection was available for immediate response to Haiti in
2010. Please give as generously as you are able.
Interfaith Hospitality
Network: (IHN) reports that in 2009:
351
families received assistance.
23 homeless
families including 49 children received 2,400 nights of
shelter, including
meals and support
No other resource would
have been available for these families.
Fellowship House
Coming up in April we will
have a service date with Fellowship House in Camden where we will worship,
serve lunch and hand out grocery bags. If you are interested in participating
in this wonderful ministry opportunity speak with Pastor Alfred and sign up.
Habitat for Humanity – We are waiting on more definite word from Habitat as
to the date and time for our work day. Please watch for info in Connections.
Bread of Life Food Pantry
News:
A special fundraiser, “A
Special Night Out” is planned for April 17th at the Riverton Country
Club from 6 – 10 pm for a buffet dinner, a prom/wedding fashion show and
dancing. The cost is $40 per person. For questions or to reserve tickets
please contact Julianne Scheffler at 856-366-5240.
The pantry has continued to
serve the community on the third Saturday of each month and even with the
tremendous snow of January 16th served 171 families!
The Pantry hopes to be
able to offer a ham to each household that comes to the pantry in March. Please
watch for those specials at the grocery store, and if you are able, provide one
for those in need at Easter!
Evangelism:
The Evangelism team, the
Deacons and the Session are all participating in a study on Evangelism
throughout March, April, May and June as we explore as church leaders what it
means to teach people about Jesus Christ.
An opportunity for the
Congregation to share in this same study will be presented over the summer.
Welcome packages are delivered each month to all homes that are sold
in our area, welcoming families into the neighborhood and inviting them to our
church.
Thank you to all who
participated in the skating event on Feb 21st, and a special
thank you to the Deacons who made this opportunity possible. 110 people
attended!
Pictures:
Pictures of all events
happening at Calvary are now being posted on the Calvary website and on Calvary’s
account on face-book. Check out the wonderful pictures posted, and if you have
pictures that you would like to share please send them to us and we’ll post
them.
Stewardship/Finance
Spring
is coming!
Please
remember the Riverton Treasure Day (the
date is May 8th!) here at Calvary as you do your spring cleaning! We can arrange to pick up
items if necessary, and can store items at the church!
Lamont and Dunlap
Scholarship Thank You notes:
Dear Calvary
Thank you for once
again supporting & caring about my education. I am so
fortunate to have such a
great church family.
Love,
Thea Golden
Dear Calvary,
Thank you so very
much for the Dunlap Scholarship. I plan to use it for my
Spring Semester text book
list. It is nice to have such a supportive church
family,
Love,
Kara (Golden)
Worship/Music
Pastor Debbie is leading an
informal half hour Prayer Time each Saturday morning during Lent from 8 – 8:30
am in the Memorial Room. We will pray for peace and healing in the world.
There is always need:
The
sound system requires someone to
watch over it and make adjustments during each worship service. It is an easy
job – and you can pick your service preference. Let the office know if you can
help.
Counters and Ushers are also needed to keep our teams working. We hope
to keep 5 or even 6 teams set up so that the volunteer works only
once every 5 or 6 weeks.
Music News:
The Young People's Choir will be raising their voices in song to the Lord on Palm Sunday, singing a
combined selection with the Chancel Choir. They will be singing again at the 11:00
am service on April 25th.
The Chimers will be ringing on Wednesday, March 24th during the Lenten Worship Service at 7:30 pm.
