P ittsgrove P resbyterian P ress

November 2010 Worship Service on Sundays at 10 a.m.

Pastor’s Message
“Remembering to Celebrate THANKSgiving…”

Much of the world would be a better place if we
took Thanksgiving seriously. It has lost some of its
sparkle, being outshined by Christmas. We start our
preparations for Christmas way back in October.
Stores are decorated, sales have started and the
parties have begun! As important as Christmas is to
our church calendar, Thanksgiving also holds a
special place. Why not try and focus a little longer
on Thanksgiving before we move ahead to the
excitement of the Lord’s birth?
THANKSgiving teaches us to slow down and
enjoy our family and friends. It reminds us to count
our blessings and give THANKS for all we have
been given. It is truly a gift to be thankful. It does
not come naturally to us. We don’t have to teach
children to complain, but we do have to teach them
to say “thank you.”
As adults we often lose our sense of gratitude.
We get bombarded by the world and its demands.
We hear the complaints of others and listen to the
media. It is so much easier to grumble than it is to
be thankful.
In her sermon at our Mission Sunday service,
Executive Presbyter Debby Brincivalli exhorted us
to engage in “THANKSliving.” What a challenge!
Maybe if we can take some of the energy of the
holiday preparation and put it into our daily
living…we might be able to share true joy with
others. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul calls us
to give thanks in all things (5:20), not only for the
blessings in our lives. The blessings are a good
place to start in our THANKSliving!
We heard on Mission Sunday about all the
needs in our community and how resources are
short. There was a call for ministries to work
more closely together and help one another. Our
Garden for God has helped The Good Shepherd
Dining Room in Bridgeton continue its ministry to
feed 120 people five times a week in the midst of
government funding cuts. Connections were made
between organizations as Meals on Wheels talked
about sometimes delivering meals to the elderly and
discovering homes in serious need of house repairs
where Habitat can help. Family Promise has
partnered with Meals on Wheels through one of
their moms becoming a much-needed driver. It was
beautiful to see each person speak and remind us
just how important it is to work together as the body
of Christ. Hearing all the stories, such as the one
thousand men, women and children sheltered each
week at Atlantic City Rescue mission, or how a $10
mosquito net given to Compassion can save lives,
or how even donating little personal items such as
toothpaste or shampoo can help bring dignity to
clients at AIDS Delaware, reminds each of us of
just how much we have to be thankful for in our
lives.
Once we are reminded of our blessings we can
ask the Lord to fill us with his love and his attitude
for the world around us. Sharing peace,
encouragement and joy will truly be a way to
practice THANKSliving throughout the year! As
we enter into the Advent season what a great
challenge we have to make a difference in the world
by loving our neighbor and being thankful for our
blessings!
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Julia

Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church

312 Daretown Road, Elmer, NJ 08318 t (856) 358-1104
Website: www.daretownpres.org Pastor Julia’s email: revjuliap@gmail.com
 What’s Happening…

• Birthday Party for Jesus – Sunday, December 5 following the worship service. There will be
crafts for the kids and fun for the adults! A light lunch will be served. Adults and children are
invited to attend! Why not bring a friend?

• TNT – Will meet on November 30 and December 7. We will then break and begin again in the
new year.

• All Boards Meeting will be held on Monday, December 6. Trustees will meet at 7 p.m. and all
others will meet at 7:30 p.m.

• The next Ladies Bible Study will be held on Monday, December 13 at 10 a.m. in the upstairs
lounge. We are studying the Book of Philippians. Bring a friend!

• The next Ladies Luncheon will be held on Monday, December 13 at noon. Details to follow.

• Christmas House Tour – The second annual house tour will be on Saturday, December 18.
Everyone will meet at the church at 5 p.m. to jump on the bus or you can drive individually. We
will be visiting five different homes decorated for the holidays.

• Sunday School Program and “Shoeless Sunday” – Sunday, December 19 during worship
service we will enjoy a program performed by the Sunday School children. We will also be
celebrating “Shoeless Sunday.” If you would like to bring to church a new pair of shoes they
will be donated to orphans around the world through Buckner International.

• Christmas Cantata – Sunday, December 19 at 7:30 p.m. This year the choir performs a
collection of Christmas anthems and special music is provided by Margaret Powers and the
Praise Band.

• Christmas Eve Service will be held at 7:30 p.m.

• Jeff Simpkins will be preaching on December 26.

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 Cemetery Committee
By Dave Ewart
A big thank you goes out to Dallas Skinner for
over 30 years of service as our “Cemetery
Overseer”. Dallas has notified the Trustees of
his intentions to “retire.” As is always the case,
it usually takes several people to replace one
good man. The Trustees would like to form a
Cemetery Committee to share in handling
cemetery business. Our plan would be to find
three or four people to fill this committee. If
interested, please contact any Trustee.
Help Wanted
Do you have a special talent like painting,
cleaning, making repairs, etc.? The Trustees are
developing a job list for work that needs
attention around the building. Perhaps every
month the Trustees will select a project for a
Saturday morning or weekday evening. Those
with the skills for the project can volunteer
(sign up) to meet and complete the task.
Hopefully with volunteers we can complete
some of this necessary work. During this time
of the Annual Stewardship Campaign please
consider pledging your time and talent to this
worthwhile endeavor.
***************************
Mission Sunday Update
Over 70 people at the Mission Sunday luncheon
heard reports from the ministries we support as
a church. Representatives from Habitat,
Atlantic City Rescue Mission, Meals on
Wheels, Ranch Hope, Cornerstone Women’s
Resource Centers, Compassion, Family
Promise, Garden for God and West Jersey
Presbytery spoke about how God was at work
in their ministries. Please keep these ministries
in your prayers. On our website, there’s a
complete list of the ministries we support.
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Congratulations to Jonathon Robbins!
He has been chosen as a goalie for the first
team Tri County Conference.
Way to go Jonathon!
Andrew Dallas Skinner was born on
September 17 to Mark & Diane
Skinner, grandson of Dallas & Anne
Skinner.
Jordan Todd Fisher was born on October 2 to
Todd & Lisa Fisher, grandson of Steve & Carol
Quirk.
Conor, Riley, & Lucas Floyd were born on
November 5 to Stephen & Debra Floyd,
grandsons of Al & Dot Floyd.
Benjamin Allen Tindall, son of Rob &
Jeanine Tindall, was baptized on
October 10.
Trunk or Treat!
A nip in the air, a roaring bonfire, hot dogs on
the grill… what a great autumn night we had for
the first Trunk or Treat “Hallelujah” Party!
Lots of kids and families from our
neighborhood and our church enjoyed getting
candy, making crafts and drinking apple cider.
If you decorated your trunk or helped out in
some other way, Thank You.
Birthday Party for Jesus
In all the hustle and bustle of
Christmas preparations and shopping, let’s not
forget the one whose birthday we are
celebrating! Join us Sunday, December 5 after
worship for cake and crafts, plus decorating of
the church for Christmas. A light lunch will be
served, so bring a side dish.
A Little Church Humor…
Show and Tell
A kindergarten teacher gave her class a “show
and tell” assignment. Each student was
instructed to bring in an object that represented
their religion.
The first student got up in front of the class and
said, “My name is Benjamin, and I am Jewish.
This is a Star of David.”
The second student got up in front of the class
and said, “My name is Mary. I'm a Roman
Catholic, and this is a Rosary.”
The third student got in up front of the class and
said, “My name is Tommy. I am a
Presbyterian, and this is a casserole.”
The Best Way To Pray
A priest, a minister and a guru sat discussing
the best positions for prayer, while a telephone
repairman worked nearby.
“Kneeling is definitely the best way to pray,”
the priest said.
“No,” said the minister. “I get the best results
standing with my hands outstretched to
Heaven.”
“You're both wrong,” the guru said. “The most
effective prayer position is lying down on the
floor.”
The repairman could contain himself no longer.
“Hey, fellas,” he interrupted. “The best prayin'
I ever did was when I was hangin' upside down
from a telephone pole.”
Lord, keep your arm around me
and your hand around my
mouth!
Stewardship Campaign
This year’s stewardship campaign is off to a
great start! All that we have and all that we are
is a gift from God: our time, our talent, and our
money. God gives us all these many gifts out of
love.
God's intention is not for us to be the actual
owners of these gifts, using them only for
ourselves, or hoarding them, or ignoring our
gifts by placing them under a basket. Rather,
God's purpose is that we be good stewards,
managers, and caretakers of these gifts by
using them responsibly, generously and wisely
for building up the Kingdom of God. The very
purpose of our lives is to use our unique set of
gifts for loving and serving God and our
neighbor.
God desires that we freely choose to use our
gifts and that our motives be love, thankfulness,
and justice, as opposed to guilt or fear. God
promises many blessings for those who
generously share their gifts. Please prayerfully
consider how you will use your time, talent and
treasure for the Lord’s work in 2011. Fill out a
pledge form and a “time and talent” form and
put it in the offering plate or send it in to the
church office.
Source: First Presbyterian Church of Mountain View, CA
Per Capita
Thank you for your willingness to pay this
year’s per capita. Per capita goes to the
Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly to
pay for the personnel, administration and
ministry of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
The cost is $38 per member and is paid by the
church in January. If you have yet to send it in
for 2010 there is still time to do so. The
church’s annual cost for per capita is over
$7,000. You may also pay in advance for 2011.
Simply mark per capita in the note.