Halloween for Teens Photos

HPC’s youth had a great time on Sunday, October 25th!

Examining Bias & Racism Workshop

Tuesday, November 10 and 17, 2020, 7 to 8:30 pm

Recent national events have brought an awareness of the persistence of racial discrimination in private and public settings. To make meaningful change and move toward God’s plan for this world, we must begin with ourselves: understanding the biases we all carry, and how they affect our own lives and our interactions with other people.

Engaging in Justice & Service is partnering with “Not in Our Town” to offer a two-part series on Zoom to help us do that. You must be able to attend both sessions. Click here or email Lucy Ducko lducko@hopewellpres.org to register.

This opportunity came up in a conversation that started with Barb Pauley and a facilitator at this past Gospel Brunch. Feedback from participants in previous iterations of this workshop include:

“The workshop made me more aware of my own implicit biases as well as those that are embedded in social norms. “

“It has helped me be more aware of implicit bias in myself and others. It also helped me think more about how white privilege is so ingrained in our society. Some of the other concepts that were described were also informative, e.g. micro-aggression.”

Hopewell Presbyterian Engaging in Justice & Service

Election Day Pause-for-Prayer

At noon on Tuesday, November 3rd, let’s spend a few minutes together lifting up prayers for this important election. Using a lightly structured format on Zoom, we’ll pray for the election process to be covered by God’s grace and express our hopes for unity. This will be a time for everyone to set aside individual partisan status, pray for respect and integrity, and ask God’s blessing on all American voters. Prayers can be offered silently, spoken aloud, or shared in writing using the onscreen chat bar.

You can join the Zoom at noon. See the church calendar for the link.

If you won’t be available from 12:00 to 12:15, please spend a few minutes of your day in solidarity with us, by adding your own prayers to those that we lift up during the vigil.               

Hopewell Presbyterian Engaging in Justice and Service Ministry

Deacons’ Deeds

Flags for Heroes Program

 For the past 3 years, the Rotary Club of Montgomery/Rocky Hill has run a wonderful program called Flags for Heroes.  The purpose of the program is two-fold. First, this program welcomes community members to sponsor the raising of a full-size American Flag in either honor or memory of a special person in their lives, whom they consider to be a role model or hero in some way. The flag is then displayed among a beautiful sea of flags to grace the front lawn of the Montgomery High School, along the Great Road, Montgomery Township.  Each flag is labelled with a medallion identifying the name of the person being honored, the reasons why, and the name of the sponsor. Through sponsoring a flag in a person’s honor or memory, a monetary contribution is made to support the Rotary Club’s numerous community outreach and service programs. These programs work in areas of addiction rehabilitation, hunger prevention, education and homelessness -- emulating their motto “Service above Self”.  When the display ended on September 13th, the flags were put away for next year and the medallions will be provided to the families of honored and remembered individuals. 

During the past year, the Rotary Club of Montgomery/Rocky Hill was able to distribute over $55,000 back into programs to serve the local community and around the world. Examples include: purchasing N95 masks for the Montgomery EMS; supplied the Montgomery Food Pantry with gift cards for families in need; developed and operated the successful Grab ‘n Go project, which provided over 3,400 sack lunches and drinks to COVID19 hospital workers from local food establishments whose businesses were impacted by the pandemic; and also supported an international project dedicated to minimizing the spread of this virus in Africa.  

This year, the HPC Deacons became aware of this program and decided to sponsor flags for three special individuals during the September 2020 Flag Display. The first two flag sponsorships were done to remember the lives of either a recently deceased HPC member, Margaret (Peg) Paul, or an HPC member’s loved one, Betty Jane Adair, the mother of Shari Adair.  

Peg Paul, born and raised in Skillman, N.J., was a long-time resident of the Hopewell and Pennington communities, and served the Hopewell Valley School System as a dedicated Administrative Assistant for 25 years. In addition, Peg is remembered for having given herself so selflessly to family and friends throughout her lifetime. There aren’t many in our congregation who weren’t directly touched by Peg’s gentle concern and fervent prayers. 

And although we never met Shari’s Mom, Betty Jane Adair, her life story attests to her loving, courageous, and generous spirit. Betty Jane was the first woman firefighter for the Kingston Fire Department and remained a lifelong member. She also worked as a secretary the Reformed Church of Bound Brook. During a devasting flood in that area, she helped organize a food pantry and soup kitchen, where none previously existed, and which still serves the Bound Brook community today. 

Our third flag sponsorship honors lifelong service to country and community by one of our current members, Robert Petersen. After serving in the US Air Force, including the Korean Conflict, Robert took on a second career with the State of New Jersey as Supervisor of Youth at Highfields in Montgomery Township. Through this role, he directed rehabilitation activities for resident troubled youth, often forming meaningful bonds through both work and recreational activities to help instill improved self-confidence and values. Robert is also a longtime member with many community service organizations, including the Hopewell American Legion-Post #339, the Princeton Elks, and Amwell Lodge #12 (formerly Hopewell Masons). In addition, he volunteered with Meals on Wheels and Friends in Service Here (FISH), assisting many residents in our area with transportation needs over the years. 

In addition, our HPC family has another connection with this event! Haley and Paige Yingling, two of our HPC Deacons and students at Montgomery High School, actively participated in this year’s Flags for Heroes event through their volunteer work with Interact, a school club sponsored by the Rotary Club of Montgomery/Rocky Hill, which promotes community service opportunities and values in youth. Haley and Paige helped raise the flags and attached the flag medallions this year. How fitting! 

Given the current COVID19 pandemic, which prevents gatherings to either support each other in times of sorrow or to show support during a challenging stage of life, we felt participating in the Flags for Heroes program was an appropriate way to highlight these individuals to either honor or remember their humble and generous spirits, known-well by their families and friends, and also felt by so many in the communities they served.  

Respectively submitted: 
Anne Hayton, HPC Board of Deacon, Special Needs

World Communion Sunday

As we celebrate World Communion with Nuru Yake (ministry partners in Kenya), they will be breaking “chapati.” What form of bread will you prepare to use to celebrate communion this week?

History

World Communion Sunday is a practice shared by many churches and many denominations that started in the Presbyterian Church (USA).  In 1933, Dr. Hugh Thomspon Kerr, the pastor of Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, established this celebration as a way to bring the churches in his community together in a service of unity, celebrating the “interconnectedness” of the body of Christ.

In a conversation with Presbyterian Outlook, Kerr described the growing celebration saying, “It was during the Second World War that the  spirit caught hold, because we were trying to hold the world together. World Communion symbolized the effort to hold things together in a spiritual sense. It emphasized that we are one in the Spirit and the gospel of Jesus Christ.” In 1936 World Communion Sunday was adopted as a denominational practice of the PCUSA, and by 1940 it spread to many denominations and around the world.

Relevance

Today it also feels like “we are trying to hold the world together.” While we are not in the midst of a world war, a similar sort of hatred, greed, anger, and despair characterizes many of our local, national, and international relationships. If you are tired of “trying to hold the world together,” I hope you will join us on Sunday to taste and see what God has done for us through Jesus Christ – and the community (that is, the body of Christ) all over the world.

Our Celebration

To celebrate World Communion Sunday, this year we have a few fun things:

1.     This Sunday we will be joined by ministry partners at Nuru Yake.  Nuru Yake is an organization in Ongata Rongai, Kenya led by Linda & Geoff Simpson that trains local leaders to share the light of God’s love in their community. Much like Student Pastor Katie, Geoff, Linda, John and Joyce (two local leaders) will be leading parts of worship over ZOOM. If you choose to gather with us over ZOOM, they will be on your screen, and if you gather outside at Charlie’s their voices will come to us through the speakers!

2.     We will be celebrating communion. In honor of World Communion, everyone is invited to prepare elements (bread & water/juice) that in some way reflects your community of origin or ethnic identity. If you are gathering with us on the grass, please don’t forget to take your elements to Charlie’s with you!

3.     The celebration extends into our Wisdom and Wonder hour, which is now at 7pm on Sunday nights. This week we will be learning more about the ways that food helps us understand the relationship between our ethnic identities and faith. This class will be taught by Holley Barreto (who uses HPCs kitchen to run her baking business Sugarstreet Bakehouse) and Dr. Eric Barreto (Holley’s husband and New Testament Professor at Princeton Theological Seminary).  BONUS: To learn more about the sweet treats that Holley cooks up in the kitchen, click here.

Tours of Hopewell’s “Presbyterian Triangle”

Did you know that there are no fewer than five buildings on Broad and Louellen Streets with historical connections to Hopewell Presbyterian Church?  The oldest one dates to before the American Revolution, and one is a school built in 1855! Our church buildings themselves are of various dates: 1914, 1935-40, 1952, 1968, and 2012.  Come and explore all this on an outdoor  tour with Ian Burrow on October 4th 2020.

Socially distanced tours will begin at either 1:30 or 2:30. Each group will be limited to 10 people. Click here to sign up. You will be prompted to note your availability and you will receive an email confirming your time by October 1st.

Community Book Group

The Hopewell Council of Churches, with Bev Mills & Elaine Buck, is hosting a community-wide book group on If These Stones Could Talk. To learn more about this opportunity, join for an informational meeting on September 14 at 7pm over ZOOM.

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84788228646

This is one a few different conversations that the Council of Churches plans to have around race, identity, and faith in the fall. To learn more about the Hopewell clergy’s commitment to these conversations, read the letter they wrote in the spring.

Anyone from the wider Hopewell community is welcome to join. Whether or not you are up for joining the weekly ZOOM discussions, you are invited to read along.

* A big thanks to the Council of Churches for sponsoring this, Elaine Buck and Bev Mills for giving of their time and expertise, Pastor Greg for crafting the reflection questions we will be using, Pastor Melissa for organizing, and HCC Intern, Ben Kreider, for preparing to help facilitate!

HPC’s A-MAZE-ING Race: Corn Maze Edition

The Hospitality & Fellowship Ministry is sponsoring an intergenerational and physically distanced outgoing to the Corn Maze at Howell Farm this Saturday, September 26. All are welcome to meet up at the Corn Maze at 2:00pm. For those who enjoy a competition, there will be a Hopewell Pres representative posted at the front of the maze to collect the names of those competing and say, "Ready, Set, Go!" Whether you choose to compete in a team or fly solo, the first one(s) to successfully make their way through the maze wins the Grand Prize! 

Additional Details Below: 

• Masks are required. 

• $10 for ages 10+

• $8 for ages 5-9

• Free for ages 5 & under

• Everyone is strongly encouraged to purchase tickets in advance online at https://howellfarm.org. 

See you at the starting line! 

Student Pastors for 2020-21

Hopewell Presbyterian Church has a rich history of working with Princeton Theological Seminary to facilitate the growth of future church leaders. We are so excited to have two seminary students joining us. The roles that they will fill are as follows:

Katie Rosenson, Student Pastor for Faith Formation: Building our unique model Christian education, Katie will work with us to explore what it means to weave together education and worship, to do institutional reformation, and particularly to grow in the ways we facilitate the leadership of youth and children in our church.

Katie holds a B.A. in Philosophy of Religion and English from Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Currently, Katie is pursuing her Masters of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary and is seeking ordination in the PC(USA). She is extremely passionate Intergenerational and Youth ministry, Christian Education, interfaith work, and social justice.

In addition to serving college students in a variety of campus ministry settings during college, Katie has served as a Pastoral Intern at a medium-sized church in Asheville, NC, an Intern for Adult Education at a large Presbyterian church in Nashville, and she spent three consecutive summers serving as Vacation Bible School Director and then Interim Director of Children’s and Youth Ministry at a small church in South Pasadena, CA. Most recently, she spent the summer working at a large PC(USA) church in Scottsdale, AZ doing Children and Family Ministry as well as working for the church’s education and outreach center.

Born and raised in an interfaith family in the Chicago suburbs, Katie loves exploring big questions and learning amongst diverse points of view. One of her favorite parts of ministry is walking alongside people of all ages, but especially young people, as they grapple with the complexities of this beautiful faith and the world at large.

Katie is an avid reader, and as a life-long choir nerd, she loves all things musical. Although Katie will be with us virtually this year, she is so excited to get to work with and learn from our special community and looks forward to getting to know you all!

Ben Kreider, Student Pastor for Hopewell Council of Churches:  We are working with the Hopewell Council of Churches to offer a placement in ecumenical community organizing. While Ben will be "placed with HPC" their responsibility will be to enhance the work of the Council of Churches by growing in areas of: organization leadership, communication, ecumenical worship leadership, and community care.

Ben is a 2nd year M.Div. student at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is originally from central Kansas where he directed prison programs at a restorative justice nonprofit for three years. Ben studied Bible/Religion and Social Work at Bethel College (KS) and has also lived and worked in San Pedro Sula, Honduras and Albuquerque, NM. Ben has worked a variety of jobs - mental health case worker, wilderness trail crew member, student chaplain, camp summer staffer, and in construction. He enjoys gardening, woodworking, cooking/BBQ, soccer, the outdoors, and life in Central Jersey with his wife Alli (a fellow seminary student!). Although Ben comes out of the Anabaptist/Mennonite tradition, he is excited to learn from a variety of churches in Hopewell as they seek to follow Jesus in the context of the local community!

Outdoor Worship is back!

Outdoor worship is back! As circumstances allow, Session is excited to offer hybrid worship inviting all to join us in worship either over ZOOM and in-person outside. Here’s what this entails:

ZOOM Gathering: We are committed to providing a quality virtual space to gather for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. You are always welcome to join us over ZOOM from your home. Student Pastor Katie will regularly be serving as virtual liturgist and guide in this gathering. Pastor Melissa and Charlie will still be leading the service; they will just be doing it from outside.

Gathering on the Grass: As weather and circumstances allow, we are so glad to gather with one another outside. The following describes what you should expect as well as our “Covenant for Conduct.” By attending you are making a covenant with the community to love and care for each other in the ways listed.

Where: To more comfortably accommodate people (and to provide for live music!), Charlie Ashton, our Minister of Music, has offered to host this in his side yard. Charlie & Demi write, “We are excited to have HPC worship in our side lawn this Sunday!  Thank you in advance for following the guidelines listed below that have been developed by our Staff and Session.”

Ashton Side Yard
123 W. Broad Street
Hopewell, NJ 08525

When: As weather and circumstances allow, Sunday mornings at 10:30AM. The rain plan will be to gather virtually as we have in previous weeks. Should this be the case, you will be notified at 8:30 AM, Sunday morning in the worship email. (So, please stay in the habit of checking that email!)

How: The team which has been planning for these services has developed the following Covenant for Conduct & Communication at Outdoor Services. This provides a list of what we hope are clear and reasonable expectations and practices.  They are designed to maintain the safest possible environment while providing the opportunity for an in-person gathering as a part of our worship.

All those attending outdoor worship undertake:

• To bring and wear a face mask at all times. For those who have forgotten, masks will be available.

• To bring your own chairs or blankets (and umbrellas, bug spray, water, jackets, hand warmers and sunscreen if desired).

• To complete a morning self check (see below) and only attend outdoor worship if you are feeling well, have not been sick in the last 14 days, do not have underlying medical conditions that put you at greater risk from potential exposure to the virus, or are not in quarantine as a result of returning from a state on the New Jersey Travel Advisory list. Older adults remain at increased risk.

Self Check Questions:

Q. Am I (or anyone in my household) feeling sick? A little unwell?  Or even a little uneasy?

A. If you respond to any of these with “yes” or “maybe,” we invite you to gather using ZOOM.

Q. In the past two weeks (14 days) have I had: a fever? any respiratory or flu-like illness? any GI symptoms (nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea)? any loss of tase or smell? tested positive or had contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19?

A. If you respond to any of these with “yes” or “maybe,” we invite you to gather using ZOOM.

• To park along W. Broad Street, to respect any parking spaces set aside for those with mobility issues, and to arrive early enough to park, walk up, and be ushered to your “spot” on the lawn before 10:30AM.

• To use the single clearly indicated entry and exit point and to provide name and contact information to the greeter upon entry. This will be used to assist in contact tracing, should the need arise.

• To observe six-foot physical distancing at all times.

• To follow the directions of greeters/ushers and worship leaders and to stay on the driveway or side lawn (not crossing over to the part of the property by the house). 

• To sit at the locations marked with flags. 

• To seek assistance and follow the guidance from greeters/ushers when needed (e.g. if wishing to change location, leave the service etc.)

• To use the bathrooms at the church (five minutes’ walk).

• When the service is concluded, to follow the directions of the ushers and maintain physical distancing.

• To take out everything brought in.

• To be patient with us as we try something new!

Masks for Friends for Health in Haiti

Our second shipment of masks is on it’s way to our Friends for Health in Haiti. This shipment contains 225 masks made by the Hopewell community. Read the article published in FHH’s newsletter about the first shipment of masks. To see their whole newsletter, click here.

The following is excerpted from the newsletter article “MASKING UP”!

“We have made it a requirement of all patients coming to our clinic for consultation to wear masks. We’ve seen a variety of ‘masks’, ranging from little paper masks to bandanas and scarfs wrapped across the face. When Beverly Mills, a deacon in the Hopewell Presbyterian Church in NJ wrote to me and asked if we could use some handmade cloth masks, I was thrilled with the idea and went about figuring out how to get them shipped down here to us. With help from our logistics partners, masks from NJ, Milwaukee and SD were packed in drums and made it down here in July. We immediately began distributing them to patients who need them and they’ve been thrilled!

Two patients who were especially appreciative of the masks were siblings Julienne and Cledenor Laurent. They always come faithfully to the clinic for follow-up of their hypertension and loved the masks they were given recently.”

Wisdom, Wonder & Youth Group

A NOTE FROM STUDENT PASTOR, KATIE ROSENSON . . .

I am so excited to get to know you all over ZOOM this Sunday night at 7pm. We will spend the hour getting acquainted through a fun and intergenerational get-to-know-you game featuring a “Wheel of Questions” made by yours truly. At 8pm, I invite any and all middle and high school students to stay on the call for an additional 30 minutes so I can get to know you all a little better and we can talk about youth group for the year. I want to hear what YOU want! 

I can’t wait to get to know the whole congregation, but I’m especially excited to meet the youth. I absolutely love working with children and youth because there is something really special about spaces in which we can be unapologetically weird and silly while also exploring the mystery of this faith together. So, shoutout to all you middle and high school students!! I can’t wait to hang out with you all on Sunday and the rest of the year! 

Katie Rosensen, Student Pastor

Praise Band & Choir

Labor Day means different things to different people - for me it means
it's time to put the Choir and the Praise Team back to work!  After some
time off in the summer months, we regroup every year on the first
Thursday after Labor Day - September 10th this year.  We will be working
on developing our musical skills, learning new music, and revisiting old
favorites.  We also plan on exploring further the potential of virtual
choir videos, after a successful first try last June with "Seek Ye
First".

And we always have room to welcome more singers and players into our
ranks.  You don't need to be an expert musician, you just need to love
music and come with an open mind and heart!

We are currently meeting by Zoom, with the Praise Team meeting from 6:00
PM to 7:00 PM, followed by the Choir from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM.  You can
find the Zoom link on the calendar at our church website:
www.hopewellpres.org

And please reach out to me if you have any questions -
Peace,
Charlie Ashton
Minister of Music
cashton@hopewellpres.org

Fall Focus

I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of God, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which the Lord has called you, what are the riches of God’s glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of God’s power toward us who believe, according to the working of God’s great might. - Ephesians 1:16-19 

At the beginning of his famous Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin writes, “Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” 

This fall we are going to work to nurture our spirit of wisdom. As Calvin suggests, we do this by growing in our knowledge of God and of ourselves.  This work starts in our shared worship life, as we embark on a journey through scripture once again following the Narrative Lectionary. In the story of Scripture we learn who God is and who God has called us to be.  The title for the sermon series is “Our Place in God’s Story.” As we work our way through the Bible, we will look for ways that we share characteristics with the characters of the Bible. Some of these characters will include: Joseph, the Israelites, Hannah, and David. As we identify the ways we overlap, we will then see how what God said to them might parallel what God is saying to us.

At the same time, the Nurture and Growth Ministry has put together a series to help us with our own “character development” as we find our place in God’s story. With the assistance of our Student Pastor, Katie Rosenson, the Nurture and Growth Committee compiled classes and curriculum that will help us explore the intricate way that God has created each of us as individuals in community. By digging into some of the aspects of our identities, we look forward to growing in the way that we love God, our neighbors, and ourselves. For example, one class we will be offering is called “Hopewellian Faith: The History and Future of Faith in Hopewell” and it will be led by Ian Burrow & Elaine Buck.  

For the fall, these educational opportunities will be happening on Sunday nights at 7pm over ZOOM. When appropriate we will meet as an intergenerational group, but we will also have the opportunities to break into smaller groups. Student Pastor Katie will be leading the virtual group for our youth.  Keep an eye on the announcement page and your email for a full list of class topics soon! 

- Pastor Melissa

End-of-Summer Series

How did your faith grow this summer?

This summer has not looked the way that many of imagined. Camps were canceled. Pay checks cut. Weddings have been postponed or reimagined. Vacation plans changed. But in the midst of it, we have heard the Holy Spirit speaking to us: sometimes in a still small voice, sometimes through the story of Scripture, sometimes in the experiences of others. One way I have heard the Holy Spirit speak in this community is through the “Favorites of the Faith” daily emails. As many in this congregation shared their favorite Bible verses and songs, it was amazing to see who shared the same favorite passage and how those favorites are connected to the story of God’s love in each individual life. By hearing the stories of your faith,  I grew in mine.

And this is one of the ways that faith works; it grows when it is shared. In celebration of this, the Worship and Stewardship committee and I have put together our final summer preaching series, which centers on the question: “How did your faith grow this summer?” 

To help us reflect on this, we have invited three individuals from the congregation to share sermons based on this question:

• Scott Megaffin

• Doug McCleery

• Megan Yingling

In addition to their reflection, Worship & Stewardship has compiled a liturgy. This liturgy weaves together the theme of reflection (using the reflections of Israel in exile in Isaiah 55) and growth.

Join over ZOOM for the next three weeks to grow, to share, and to give thanks for the work that the God has and is doing in our midst.

“I give thanks to God for you, siblings, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.” - 2 Thessalonians 1:3 (adapted)

Gratefully yours,
Pastor Melissa

Pastor’s Pen

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” 

― Søren Kierkegaard

We are coming to the end of the summer and the beginning of the fall. The end of things is an excellent time to look back and reflect.  One way that people of faith do reflection is through the spiritual practice of “examen.” The most popular form of an examine is the Ignatiun Examen, but back in January, Cathy Peterson introduced me and the Session to another examen from the book “Seven Sacred Pauses” by Macrina Wiederkehr. Over the course of the next three weeks, I encourage you to consider some questions from this examen as the summer draws to a close:

Have I been a good memory in anyone’s summer this year?
Have the ears of my heart opened to the voice of God?
Have the ears of my heart opened to the needs of my siblings?
What do I know, but live as though I do not know?
Have I shut myself off to the blessings of this summer?
Is there anyone, including myself, whom I need to forgive?
When did I experience my heart opening wide this summer?
What is the one thing in my life that is standing on tiptoe crying,
“May I have your attention please?” What needs my attention?

Not only is it important for us to do this sort of reflection as individuals, but it is important for us to share these reflections in community.  Over the course of the next three weeks, the Worship and Stewardship Ministry (with the help of three wonderful lay preachers), will be leading worship that reflects on the question: How has my faith grown this summer? Worship for these three weeks will take place over ZOOM, and there will be space for you to share your reflections with one another.

While you reflect, I will also be taking some time away for reflection and rest. The first week I am away I will be doing some continuing education through the Presbyterian Board of Pensions and then I will be traveling to Michigan and Indiana for some backpacking and my brother’s wedding. While I am away, if you have a pastoral need, you can reach out to your deacon or elder or Lucy. I have also set up pastoral coverage with Rev. Laura Steele & Rev. William Stell, and Lucy will contact them as needed. In the event that there is a major emergency, Lucy will be able to get in contact with me.

As I look forward to this time and reflect on this summer both with and apart from you the words of a prayer of blessing (also written by Macrina Wiederkehr) come to mind:

“May you breathe in the beauty of summer with it’s power of transformation. May this beauty permeate all that feels unbeautiful in you.

May the God of summer give us beauty.

May you seek and find spaces of repose during these summer months [now weeks]. May these moments refresh and restore the tired places within you.

May the God of summer give us rest.

 May you feel the energy of summer rains penetrating thirsty gardens, golf courses, lawns, and farmlands. May these rains remind you that your inner thirst needs quenching. May our inner self be refreshed, restored, and renewed.

May the God of summer give us what we need for healing.”

(Excerpted from Joyce Rupp & Macrina Widerkehr’s The Circle of Life)

 As you examine and reflect on this summer, may God give you the beauty, rest, and healing needed to continue on our journey together this fall.

Prayerfully yours,

Pastor Melissa

Ministry Changes Name & Charge

On July 29, Session voted to change the name and charge of what was formally known as the “Community Engagement and Mission Ministry.” This came at the request of those on the the ministry. Here is a portion of the letter they submitted:

Formerly known as Outreach, or Community Engagement and Mission, this ministry of HPC is now seeks to work as “Engaging in Justice and Service” (EJS).

In thinking about the name, current team members wanted an action concept that avoids misconceptions...

More than just a new name, we hope Engaging in Justice and Service says exactly what this ministry hopes to be and do, expressed in action terms.

• Engaging means action that’s happening and continuing.

• Justice means choosing and promoting ways of treating all human beings as equally valued by God and amongst ourselves, per the teachings of Jesus.

• Service means finding needs and seeking to respond in love by caring, donating, giving, going, helping, listening, reaching out, spending time, stepping outside our comfort zones, maybe even washing feet.

As we seek to lead the church family in a rainbow arc of these actions, EJS wants to use three tools. First, we want to Educate about HPC’s calling to engage with the world this way, about the needs we find, and about organizations and projects (missions) in which we can participate. Second, we want to Communicate regularly with you, the church family. Third, we want to suggest and organize Opportunities for us all to engage in active justice and service…

Respectfully submitted,

Joanne Tonkin - Chair
Liz Blankstein
Molly Peterson
Martha Camp

In reflecting on this change, Liz shares, “Justice and service are central parts to the Christian life. As we seek to do justice in todays world it encompasses a lot of things, from issues related to hunger and housing and wage and privilege. As a part of this ministry I’m really looking moving to these conversations forward with the church.”

Adding Outdoor Worship

It’s been several months since we’ve worshipped in-person at Hopewell Presbyterian Church, and we can’t wait to be all together physically again for Sunday services. As we think about what it is that God is calling us to do, the leadership of the church (staff & Session) continue to explore new opportunities as we remain on this challenging journey together.

At every step of the way,  the Session has worked hard to make decisions that will allow us to follow Jesus’ commands as we find them in Mark 12:30-31, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ and... ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’“ This means continuing to care for the health of our community, the health of one another, and the health of our individual selves. 

Virtual Gathering: With this in mind, we are working hard to provide a quality virtual space for all worshipers. And we are committed to doing so for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Each week, we will continue to share a link to this gathering through our website at hopewellpres.org/worship and in the emails of those who have signed up to receive our worship emails. (Additionally, the sermon will be posted after the gathering.)

Outdoor Gathering: On top of that, for the next two Sundays (August 9 & 16) we are going to test out launching hybrid worship—which means having BOTH our regular virtual gathering and an outdoor in-person gathering. (At the same time that we have been preparing the sanctuary, we have also been acquiring equipment that will help us in any space—indoor or outdoor.) The following is a little bit more information about these outdoor gatherings, including a covenant of conduct for those who choose to attend.

Where: To more comfortably accommodate people (and to provide for live music!), Charlie Ashton, our Minister of Music, has offered to host this in his side yard. Charlie & Demi write, “We are excited to have HPC worship in our side lawn this Sunday!  Thank you in advance for following the guidelines listed below that have been developed by our Staff and Session.”

Ashton Side Yard
123 W. Broad Street
Hopewell, NJ 08525

When: August 8 & 16, 2020 (depending on the weather) at 10:30AM. The rain plan will be to gather virtually as we have in previous weeks. Should this be the case, you will be notified at 8:30 AM, Sunday morning in the worship email. (So, please stay in the habit of checking that email!)

How: The team which has been planning for these services has developed the following Covenant for Conduct & Communication at Outdoor Services. This provides a list of what we hope are clear and reasonable expectations and practices.  They are designed to maintain the safest possible environment while providing the opportunity for an in-person gathering as a part of our worship.

All those attending outdoor worship undertake:

• To bring and wear a face mask at all times. For those who have forgotten, masks will be available.

• To bring your own chairs or blankets (and umbrellas, bug spray, water, and sunscreen if desired).

• To complete a morning self check (see below) and only attend outdoor worship if you are feeling well, have not been sick in the last 14 days, do not have underlying medical conditions that put you at greater risk from potential exposure to the virus, or are not in quarantine as a result of returning from a state on the New Jersey Travel Advisory list. Older adults remain at increased risk.

Self Check Questions:

Q. Am I (or anyone in my household) feeling sick? A little unwell?  Or even a little uneasy?

A. If you respond to any of these with “yes” or “maybe,” we invite you to gather using ZOOM.

Q. In the past two weeks (14 days) have I had: a fever? any respiratory or flu-like illness? any GI symptoms (nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea)? any loss of tase or smell? tested positive or had contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19?

A. If you respond to any of these with “yes” or “maybe,” we invite you to gather using ZOOM.

• To park along W. Broad Street, to respect any parking spaces set aside for those with mobility issues, and to arrive early enough to park, walk up, and be ushered to your “spot” on the lawn before 10:30AM.

• To use the single clearly indicated entry and exit point and to provide name and contact information to the greeter upon entry.

• To observe six-foot physical distancing at all times.

• To follow the directions of greeters/ushers and worship leaders and to stay on the driveway or side lawn (not crossing over to the part of the property by the house. 

• To sit at the locations marked with flags. The greeter will direct the worshiper to meet an usher who will then escort the worshiper to their location, which will be denoted by a flag for appropriate physical distancing. 

• To seek assistance and follow the guidance from greeters/ushers when needed (e.g. if wishing to change location, leave the service etc.)

• To use the bathrooms at the church (five minutes’ walk).  (You will see a Porta-Potty on the property, but it is reserved for the current quarantine of members of the Ashton family.)

• When the service is concluded, to follow the directions of the ushers and maintain physical distancing.

• To take out everything brought in.

• To be patient with us as we try something new!

What: In an effort to accommodate the physical needs of as many people as possible, the outdoor portion worship services for the next two weeks will last between 30-40 minutes and will include musical performances, Bible reading, preaching, and prayers. (The virtual gathering will happen at the same time and include some additional opportunities for reflection.)

Cards & Greetings Needed

Suzanne S. (our deacon in charge of card writing efforts) reached out to our contact at one of the institutions we’ve been sending cards. And they would love more! In her conversation she learned just how much the residents have enjoyed receiving cards from us. They have particularly loved the cards with some sort of personal message, uplifting quotes/pomes or creative activity (some have included DIY coloring pages and even Madlibs in these cards).

Tips for writing cards when you don’t know your recipient: 

1. Introduce yourself! Say your name and/or how you learned about this opportunity to write cards. Maybe something like: “I’m Anne. I go to game night at Hopewell Presbyterian, and I wanted to share with you something that brought me hope today....” [NOTE: Because we don’t know exactly who is receiving these cards, we do not recommend giving personal details for safety reasons.  If you would like to put a “return address” you are welcome to use Hopewell Presbyterian Church’s. If we receive any correspondence back, we will notify you.]

2. Find a way to make your card fun and unique! For some of you this might mean making your own card, for others this might mean including a poem or saying or prayer that you find hopeful.

How to get cards from Point A to Point B!

Drop your cards off at Hopewell Presbyterian Church (office entrance off of Louellen Street), and we will post the cards in large batches so they can be widely distributed. Card pick-up usually happens each Thursday.

High School Community Service Hours:

• To get service hours for this work, please reach out to Hopewell Presbyterian Church Office (lducko@hopewellpres.org), and we will make arrangements so you can receive hours for this work.

Masks for Haiti

The first shipment of masks have arrived in Haiti! 

When checking in on our ministry partners at Friends for Health in Haiti, Bev Mills. learned that they were in needs of masks, so we got the crafty folks of our congregation on it! Check out the shipment and learn more about our Friends for Health in Haiti by visiting their Facebook page .

They have requested more masks, so if you are feeling crafty, Bev is coordinating a second shipment of masks. To contribute, drop off masks on her front porch (14 Burton Avenue) by August 4. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to Bev.

The mission of Friends for Health in Haiti is to improve the health of the people of Haiti in a caring, compassionate manner, as a reflection of our Christian faith. They use a community-based health model as they seek to have the greatest impact and the highest chance of long-term sustainability.  It is the “bottom-up” model that empowers communities to solve their own development problems and cultivate the relationships through which our faith can be shared.

Can you spot any familiar fabrics?

The drums that carried the masks from Milwaukee to Haiti.