Hiring a Director of Youth Outreach

This is a word cloud generated from your answers to Question 3

In early December, the Personnel Committee sent a congregational survey concerning thoughts about the priorities and responsibilities for a new member of the staff.  Thanks to the 28 responses we received, we can present a summary of findings.  They indicate the importance placed on following key priorities:

• Focus on the nurturing of our youth and the youth of our community 

• Bring experience in designing and delivering youth ministry programs

• The ministries who can most benefit from this position are Nurture and Growth and ESJ 

• Desired skills included:  Listening, good communicator, tech savvy ability to collaborate, inclusive, a connector, understands community

• Desired talents:  Warm, creative, organized, patience, kind, humor, approachable, compassionate, openness, innovative, acceptance, open-minded, commitment to reaching out

• Community is everywhere - our church, our borough, our Council of Churches, our respective hometowns and beyond

Our work ahead is strengthened by your thoughts and reflections.  From them, we begin to envision a position that is rooted in the love of God, blessed with listening ears and communication skills benefiting from both technology and compassion, with the ability to shine a light on a deeper sense of community rooted in youth but extending to the needs of many.  May it be so.  

Click here to see the job description. Please feel free to share!

Pastor Melissa is sorting through potential candidates and will work with the Personnel Committee on discerning the right addition to Hopewell Presbyterian staff for the time ahead. 

- Jamie Sapoch
Personnel Committee

Lenten Art Meditations

Lent this year will be different for us, yet it remains the same journey to Easter. In the past it has been a time of Lenten book studies, soup suppers, and Wednesday night Hopewell council of Churches services with our fellow Christians.

Beginning on Ash Wednesday, February 17th, we once again begin our journey through the wilderness as we prepare ourselves for the joy of Easter morning. To help each other on this journey, we invite you to participate in our Lenten Art Meditations which will be sent out daily by email.

How will this work? We have two suggestions:

• If there is there a piece of art: painting, drawing, music or other medium that speaks to you of the Lenten season, we would like you to share it with your church family or

• Alternatively, create your own Lenten art (in any medium) to share.

Whatever you send, include the reason why this has Lenten significance for you.

We look forward to your contributions which should be sent to Lucy Ducko; lducko@hopewellpres.org by Monday, February 8th.

Sanctuary Task force

As we seek to be good stewards of the bequest that we received from Alex and Eunice Sharipen, the Bequest Task force has convened another group to take a look at the needs of the HPC Sanctuary. That task force is chaired by Michael Mills and currently includes Ken Fredeen, Sandy Sherrard, Doug Peterson, and Katie Tonkin. The goal was to have voices connected to the Making Connections Campaign, the ministries of Facilities & Finance and Worship & Stewardship, as well as those who will help us look toward the congregation of the future.

Message from Doug Peterson

In December, at the recommendation of the Sharipen Bequest Task Force, and the approval of Session, a small group was called to form the Sanctuary Task Force. Michael Mills, Sandy Sherard, Katie Tonkin, Ken Fredeen, and I were charged with addressing the needs of the sanctuary in their fullness.

It was clear to me that I was asked to join this task force as a representative for the younger demographic. I agreed because I know the importance of envisioning what the church will look like decades down the line.

From the task force: We are beginning with a visioning process that will include a congregational survey. Your input is greatly needed as we consider everything from sight lines, to sound quality, to function and much more.  This survey is to asses the sanctuary as it currently stands and get your written feedback to help us look toward future options.

Update from Outreach Ministry

The Engaging in Justice and Service (EJS) ministry would like to thank the congregation for the valuable input provided on the HPC Personnel Survey distributed in the late fall. One survey question related specifically to our ministry -- “The Engaging in Justice and Service (EJS) ministry would appreciate learning which of the following you feel our congregation is called to pursue more deeply (through education, communication, and service opportunities) as followers of Jesus.  Please select your top three choices (from the eight areas listed).”

In our December meeting our ministry members engaged in fruitful conversations as we reviewed, reflected upon and discerned interpretation of the results. Poverty and Creation & Climate Care were two areas that received the highest rankings. We are committed to having your input reflected in current and future opportunities stewarded by this ministry. The recent acquisition of an ArtSpire is one example. 

For a little background, ArtSpires was a community art project and exhibition sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Arts Council this fall to commemorate the loss of native ash trees from the harmful effects of the emerald ash borer beetle. ArtSpires were milled from American ash wood felled by Hopewell Township and transformed into art.As well as supporting the local art community, our ArtSpire acquisition aligns beautifully with both Creation Care & Climate and also with Poverty (which includes housing and hunger) as the ArtSpire we chose to bid on was created by HOMEFRONT. Look to be inspired by this beautiful work of art which will arrive on our church grounds in the spring. 

Working to hear God’s call to mission in Micah 6:8 and Matthew 25, we continue to see a local, national and global need for justice, peace and unity is clearly communicated by this congregation and embraced by this ministry. In order to put thoughts and feelings into action we are building upon earlier efforts made in the fall that included an Examining Racism workshop and an Election Day Pause for Prayer vigil. This month EJS is helping to facilitate a 21-Day Racial Awareness Challenge. Details for this challenge can be located on the church website. If you missed the kick-off date of January 11th, please know that you are welcome to join at any time. The first Zoom conversation will take place on Monday, January 18th at 7:00 pm.    

This ministry has also heard a strong desire within our congregation for greater action. We wholeheartedly embrace this desire and are looking to expand opportunities for service in partnership with the Deacons. 

Your feedback is clearly helping to shape the work of this ministry. Thank you!

Joanne Tonkin
Chair of Engaging in Justice and Service

21-Day Challenge

Learn more.

Christmas Eve

This Christmas Eve we will hear from many of the characters in the Christmas story--not least of which are the "Friendly Beasts!" Listen as the Hopewell Presbyterian Chancel Choir tells their stories.

"When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us journey to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”
— Luke 2:15 —

Here are three ways in which Hopewell Presbyterian Church is embarking on this “Journey of Joy” to Bethlehem with the characters of the Christmas story…

• 5pm ZOOM: Because of weather forecast the outdoor Journey of Joy is moving to ZOOM. We will host a 45 minute carol sing and live viewing of the prerecorded "journey" led by Pastor Melissa and Charlie. All are welcome! To join, click the button below or call (929)-436-2866 and enter meeting ID number: 818 6872 4558

• 8pm Facebook Premiere: At 8pm, the service will premiere on Facebook. Feel free to join the community there and interact with one another with clicks and comments. Click here for our Facebook.

• Any time today on Youtube: Unable to fit one of these two virtual gatherings into your Christmas Eve plans? The prerecorded service is available on Youtube. Click here to watch. (If you plan to join for another gathering, don't click and spoil the surprise!)

All are welcome to join us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus!

Introducing HPC’s Gratitude Garden!

Thanks to the hard work of many of our youth, community members are invited to stop by the church to participate in our Gratitude Garden starting this Saturday. There will be bowls containing slips of paper, string, and ornaments by the Welcome Center door. Participants are invited to bring their own writing utensils to write what they're grateful for on a slip of paper, place the note inside an ornament, then tie it to a branch on one of the designated trees on campus. As Thanksgiving approaches, this is an opportunity to reflect on God's many gifts in our lives and the world.

Contact Student Pastor Katie at kjrosenson@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.

An Appeal for Clemency

Dear Friends,

Amy Locane worshipped with us during the past 5 years and has found much strength in the love and support of the congregation during this time. She continues to need our help and we're asking you to consider supporting her as described herein.  

Ten years ago, Amy tragically killed a woman in a car accident while driving under the influence. She was tried, found guilty and given a three year sentence which she served at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton NJ. Upon her release, Amy had to find a way to exist in her world. During the five years that ensued Amy maintained her sobriety, rebuilt a relationship with her children, started working toward a college degree, gave substance prevention presentations to high school students, and volunteered in other ways to help prevent further tragedies.

Yet despite her rehabilitation, an appeals court determined that the first judge did not sentence Amy properly and has sentenced her to an additional five years in prison. Now, 10 years later and five years after having completed her sentence and parole Amy has been reincarcerated at Edna Mahan for an additional five years. Amy and her children have fallen victims to a judicial irregularity that does not look at the evidence or the wellbeing of the families. Amy paid a huge price for her tragic decision to drive that day. Now she is paying a price for the system's failure to focus on restorative justice.

You can help in two ways if you agree. Add your name to this letter to Governor Murphy asking him to commute Amy's sentence. You can do so at live worship or by stopping by the welcome center at your convenience. Amy’s supporters will be setting up a GofundMe page as well to help cover legal costs to bring this matter to the federal courts. Finally, please pray for Amy and her daughters. You may write to Amy  if you would like to support her personally as well. Her contact info is on the prayer list. She has been buoyed by letters and emails from the church.  

Barb Pauley
Ruling Elder

Amy Locane’s address to send cards and notes.

Amy Locane #637627C
Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women
P.O. Box 4004
30 County Route 513  
Clinton, New Jersey 08809  

Amy can also receive email through jpay.com

Womanspace - Communities of Light

Womanspace is an important local organization in Lawrenceville, serving families facing domestic and sexual violence through their crisis hotlines, emergency shelters, counseling, court advocacy, and other work. HPC has continued to support Womanspace throughout the pandemic and has donated a total of $2000 to their vital mission in this particular time of need.

This holiday season, we invite you to help Womanspace raise awareness with a symbol of hope for survivors of domestic and sexual abuse in Mercer County. On Monday December 7th, candles will be lit on streets across central New Jersey for Womanspace’s 19th Annual Communities of Light. Hopewell Presbyterian will be contributing to this powerful glow by surrounding our own church with candles from luminary kits purchased by the deacons. We will also be gathering over ZOOM on the 7th at 7PM. We will be joined by Susan Victor, Womenspace Chaplain, who will share more about Womenspace’s work.

In order to light up as much of Hopewell and the greater community as possible in support of Womanspace’s pertinent work, we ask you to consider purchasing luminary kits for your own home. Below are some of the retail locations at which these kits are available for purchase: 

• Dandelion Wishes (45 West Broad St., Hopewell NJ 08525)

• Pennington Quality Market (25 Route 31 South, Suite X, Pennington, NJ 08534)

• Terhune Orchards (330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton, NJ 08540)

• McCaffrey’s Princeton (301 N. Harrison St., Princeton, NJ 08540)

Let’s help Womanspace spread the message that Peace Begins at Home!

Family Promise Angel Tree

Family Promise is still very active and assisting those in need throughout Hunterdon County. So once again we will have names and gift ideas for the annual Angel Gift Tree. Sign up here.

After purchasing your gift(s), please return them wrapped up and very CLEARLY LABELED with THEIR NAME and NUMBER to the conference room near the church office. Suggested cost per person; around $50/60, please do not exceed $70 so that no one individual receives a disproportionate gift. All gifts MUST be in the MAIN OFFICE no later than noon on Saturday afternoon, DECEMBER 12th. Any questions speak with at Dick or Linda Scheetz or 609-737-2310.

Join the Ruth Circle

The Ruth Circle invites you to join them monthly on Thursday at 2:00 PM to connect, support and pray with each other, and study God’s word with the guidance of the book Through the Year with Jimmy Carter – 366 Meditations from the 39th President.  The group will meet both in Fellowship Hall and virtually.  You can choose to meet whichever way you feel most comfortable.  Contact Carlana Sargent for more information.

Friends for Health in Haiti

Kingston Presbyterian Church has extended an invitation to the annual Luncheon, this year by Zoom, with Dr. Katie Wolf of our longtime Mission partner, Friends for Health in Haiti. On Saturday, November 14, at 11:00 AM.  Click here for more details.   We also received the very distressing news that this week Dr. Wolf's medical clinic was broken into and vandalized, For more details.  In response, HPC's Deacons voted on Wednesday night to make an additional donation of $2,000 to cover the cost of the stolen medication.

Advent Daily Emails

With fall fast arriving can the season of Advent be far behind? Now comes the season of great anticipation with the celebration of God’s incredible gift of grace.

Although COVID has indeed had an impact on our church schedule and church programs, we continue to find new ways to celebrate the seasons of our faith as well as our faith itself. In the past many of you have participated and contributed to the creation of an Advent Booklet which included Scripture references along with personal commentaries that were then shared to use during the Advent Season.

This year the Worship and Stewardship Ministry, with Pastor Melissa’s guidance, has decided to do something similar, but instead of creating an Advent booklet we will be sending out a daily email message during the Advent season.

This is where each one of you come in.

As we think about our individual places in God’s Story we would like you to:

- Think about a favorite character you have from the Christmas story.

- Then we invite you to share that character’s role on your own personal journey. The story you share could be paired

with or guided by

• a favorite passage of Scripture,

• a favorite Christmas song,

• a favorite image/painting

• any other expression you wish to use that shows how your Christmas character impacted your own story.

• Or even a favorite remembrance from a past HPC Christmas

This year Advent begins on Sunday, November 29, 2020 and we would love to hear how you see yourself fitting in the story of Jesus birth. Please contact Dick Scheetz (609-737-2310 or deslms30@verizon.net ) if would like to know more.

We look forward to your contributions which can be sent to Lucy Ducko; lducko@hopewellpres.org. Contributions should be submitted by Monday, November 16.

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!