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July 5, 2017
Page 1 of 8
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Worship Schedules 2
Summer Guest Preacher
Bios 2
Pastoral Care During
July 16-22 2
Church Family in Prayer &
Thanks 4
Adult Meeting & Events 7
Praying for Our World 7
2017 Summer Fun Sched-
ule 8
FOCUS is available the first
Wednesday of each month.
Next issue: 8/2/17
Deadline: Monday, 7/24//17
PASTOR’S THOUGHTS
This summer we are watching and celebrating and experiencing the
Fruits of the Holy Spirit in our life together. Paul offers this list as
what grows in the life of a Christian and in a community of Chris-
tians when the Spirit is at work: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness/generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gala-
tians 5:22-26)
Reflecting only on the past few days, this is what I’ve noticed:
The Sr. Highs and their advisors were on a mission trip in
Memphis. They served at a soup kitchen and volunteered at a
church program for adults with special needs. In the photos
and stories they are sharing with us, I see love and joy.
The session received great news at their last meeting. The cost
of clean-up from our oil leak in January was $73,000. We
came to you, the people who love God and love this church
and asked you to help as you felt able and were led by God.
We have pledges for $72,000! The final $1,000 will come
from a gift that Bob Johnston left to our church in his will.
We didn’t meet this need by relying on one or two givers.
This money comes from 86 individuals or families! I see the
Spirit’s gift of goodness and generosity in your response to
this need! Thank you very, very much!
Many in our church family are dealing with illness, some very
serious illness. These include illnesses of body and mind.
Some in the midst of struggle are experiencing a peace that
passes all understanding. I encounter family members blessed
by the Spirit with an extra measure of patience and gentle-
ness.
(continued on page 8)
OF SPECIAL INTEREST IN THIS EDITION
■2017 Youth Mission to Memphis in Pictures (3)
■ All Church Picnic Photos (5) ■ Summer Mission Events (5)
■ Graduates: High School (5) & College (6) ■ Save the Dates (6)
■ “Living Simply” (6) ■ Sign up for Dash Away 5K (7)
■ Volunteers needed for summer story telling at worship (8)
Pennington Presbyterian
F A I T H C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E
Hemming a skirt for a neighbor
Inviting the new student to sit
with you at lunch
Cheering at the soccer game
Talking around the dinner table
Forgiving unkind words or ac-
tions
May God’s love flow in and
through us, wherever we go and
REGULAR WEEKLY
SCHEDULE Sunday – 10:15 AM
FOLLOWED BY FELLOWSHIP HOUR
Childcare Available
from 10:00 am
In Room 102
Please sign up to provide refresh-
ments for Fellowship Hour. Sign-
up after church in Upper Titus.
Please keep current on your stew-
ardship pledge & Per Capita pay-
ments ($32.98) Staying current
supports PPC cash flow and is
greatly appreciated.
CHURCH STAFF/CONTACT
Pastor:
Nancy Mikoski
Associate Pastor:
David Hallgren
Music Director:
William Alford
Office Administrator &
FOCUS Editor: Eva Szakal
Financial Administrator
Pam Paluzzi
Office phone: 609-737-1221
Fax: 609-730-9665
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.pennpres.org
www.Facebook.com/pennpres
13 S Main Street
Pennington, NJ 08534
Page 2 of 8
WORSHIP SCHEDULE SUMMER THEME:
THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT
7/9 Rev. Nancy Mikoski
“Joy”
7/16 Rev. Dr. Gordon Mikoski
“Peace”
7/23 Rev. Nidia Fernandez
“Patience”
7/30 Rev. David Hallgren
“Kindness”
SUNDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE
) Pastoral Care
While Nancy Mikoski and
David Hallgren are travel-
ling to and attending the
Montreat Youth Conference
-- July 16 through July 22 –
Rev. Dr. Nancy Schluter
will be on call for pastoral
needs. She may be reached
at 609-306-8907.
(Click Montreat Youth Con-
ference icon below to link to
online information.)
SPECIAL FEATURE:
On July 16, while Rev. Mikoski and Hallgren are at Montreat, Rev. Dr.
Gordon Mikoski will be the guest preacher. He is an Associate Profes-
sor of Christian Education at Princeton Theological Seminary. In addi-
tion, he is the Editor of "Theology Today" and is the Head of the Ph.D.
program at the seminary. Gordon was ordained a pastor in 1990 and
served in the church for 8 years prior to returning to academia. He
serves on the Presbytery's Committee on Ministry and teaches adult ed-
ucation courses in our church. In his spare time he enjoys reading,
kayaking, bird-watching, running, and spending time with his family.
On July 23, Reverend Nidia E. Fernandez will be the guest preacher as
Revs Mikoski and Hallgren will be returning late from Montreat the
night before. Rev. Fernandez is a minister at large within the Presbytery
of New Brunswick and the Lead Pastor of “C.A.F.E. Para el Alma,” a
1001 Worshipping Community that ministers to the Spanish speaking
families in Mercer County. Through intentional bible study, worship,
fellowship and individual counseling each and every member of the
C.A.F.E community is empowered to live and experience the Christian
faith in every area of their life. In addition she is a full-time public em-
ployee for the State of New Jersey, Office of the Public Defender, Men-
tal Health unit.
Nidia received her BA degree in Culture and Languages from the Cath-
olic University; MA in Theology, Christian Education and Discipleship
from Fuller Seminary; and MDIV from Princeton Seminary. She is a
Bilingual/Bicultural minister, educator, professional pastoral counselor
and Certified Relationship and Spiritual Life Coach.
BIOGRAPHIES OF OUR SUMMER GUEST PREACHERS
Page 3 of 8
2017 Youth Mission to Memphis
A week in Memphis to serve, learn and join in God’s great project of reconciling all of creation.
Ready for Memphis!
Group leader chaperones are
Rev. David Hallgren (right),
Ellen White (in front of Da-
vid), Bob Fletcher (about
halfway in the top row), and
Lee White. They look ready
for an awesome adventure,
don’t you think?
An early highlight of the trip to Mem-
phis was reconnecting with Rev. Todd
Tracy, a former intern at PPC, at his
church Liberty Presbyterian in Dela-
ware, Ohio.
Ready for Memphis! The mission team assembled just before departure on Saturday morning, June 24.
The group is led by Rev. David Hallgren (on the right, 2nd row), Ellen White (in front of David), Bob
Fletcher, in the center of the 2nd row), Lee White (on the left, leaning on the rail), and Kelsey Holder-
man (to left of Lee), who’ll be an intern at PPC this fall. A few highlights of the trip follow.
The team served Monday morning at the
St Mary's Soup Kitchen, the longest op-
erating soup kitchen in the US.
A well-deserved treat on a hot
travel day.
It was “necktie day” at
Wacky Wednesday summer
Bible study at Germantown
Presbyterian Church, part of
their PEACE program: The
Place where
Exceptional
Adults and
Children are
Embraced
PRAYER CHAIN
Did you know that our church offers the
services of phone or email prayer chain
for those with a need or for those who
wish to lift up a joy?
We welcome all to be a part of this mean-
ingful program. If you are interested, you
may contact Nancy Lehman at nancy.leh-
[email protected], or Barbara and Dick
Pratt at 609-737-2767.
KEEP OUR CHURCH FAMILY IN YOUR
PRAYERS FOR HEALING AND COMFORT
Frank Mason; Maggie Roberts' Family; Lynda Matthei;
Annie Hunter and Family; Lynne Stives; Joy Brzezyn-
ski; Bill Schluter; Grace Scheetz; the Berkowitz Family;
Beth Hutton; Ben Cranston; Wayne Fuller; Charles
Bryan; Richard Coleman
Almighty God, we pray that our brothers and sisters may be comforted in their suffering
and made whole. When they feel afraid, give them courage; when they feel afflicted, afford
them patience; when they are lost, offer them hope; when they are alone, move us to their
side. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. (From April 23, 2017 Healing Service @ PPC)
SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR JULY
AYERS FOR JULY
So we pray to Him now for the vi-
sion to see our way clearly – to see
the way that leads to a better life
for ourselves and for all our fellow
men-to the achievement of His will
to peace on earth.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
(4th Inaugural Address)
Heavenly Father, we bow our heads and thank you for
your love. Accept our thanks for the peace that yields this
day and the shared faith that makes its continuance
likely. Make us strong to do your work, willing to heed
and hear your will, and write on our hearts these words:
“Use power to help people.” For we are given power not
to advance our own purposes, nor to make a great show
in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of
power, and it is to serve people. Help us to remember it,
Lord. Amen
George H. W. Bush
(Inaugural Address)
Page 4 of 8
(
DEACONS @ PPC MISSION @ PPC
The June 11 picnic at Kunkel Park was well
attended and a big success as you can see
by these happy faces!
.
Page 5 of 8
Our congregation is serving snacks for the Ur-
ban Promise summer camps, held at Trinity Ca-
thedral in Trenton, during the week of July 10 -
July 13. We meet at the church, drive to camp
together, prepare and serve snack, clean up, and
drive back to church together. We generally
leave church at about 1:30 in the afternoon and
are finished by 3:00 p.m. This is a great way to
meet the wonderful young people who are the
camp counselors and their campers! If you
would like to join us for one or more after-
noons, please contact Hope Anderson at 609-
320-3285, or [email protected].
Please keep Nancy Russell, Chris LaCasse, and
Hope Anderson in your prayers as they travel to
the Yucatan from July 17 through 26 for reun-
ion visits with our three Living Waters for the
World water system partner churches in
Sacalum, Kaua, and Tahdziu. We will be meet-
ing with each partner to discuss how their sys-
tems are working, and we will be conducting
refresher education classes in Kaua and
Tahdziu. You may not know this, but the three
churches we work with pray for our congrega-
tion on a regular basis and feel very blessed to
collaborate with PPC as we carry out the minis-
try of safe water while sharing God's love with
others.
The Mission Committee will sponsor a clothing
drive for the Rescue Mission of Trenton this
summer. You may bring good-condition used
clothing for all season and ages to the class-
rooms off Lower Titus Hall from Sunday, Au-
gust 7th through Sunday, August 27th. Please
do not bring anything earlier than the 7th be-
cause Vacation Bible School will be held the
first week in August. Thanks for helping our
neighbors in Trenton have appropriate clothing
all year long!
Kim and Frank Newport catching up
with Patrice and Ted Gensel.
Carol Meyer, head of the Deacons, is busy
in the background
as part of the hosting team.
Congratulations to our 2017 High School Graduates
Paige Baxter, Avery Bell, Marissa Beyer, Courtney Greener, Isaac Lieboff,
Sabrina Schrader, and Grace Tater
A clothing drive for the Rescue Mission of Tren-
ton is planned for August 6 through August 27.
Time to clean closets?
Caution: No room @ PPC to accept donations
prior to August 6. This drive is limited to good
condition clothing for the whole family. No
shoes.
AUGUST CLOTHING DRIVE LIVING SIMPLY IN A COMPLEX WORLD
FOR RESCUE MISSION OF TRENTON (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7)
YARD SALE FUNDRAISER
PLANNED FOR SEPTEMBER TO
BENEFIT YOUTH MISSIONS
have more “real” interactions and fewer “vir-
tual” interactions. Try calling instead of sending
an email. Have the conversation in real time and
allow for an honest exchange of ideas. If the
person is only a few steps away, why email or
call? How about getting up, walking down the
hall and making eye contact while talking – and
listening?
We observed that sometimes the perception of
convenience and savings can get in the way of
community, collaboration and connection. Yes,
I could order bicycle tires on line. I might save
a few percent and have them delivered to my
door. But if I pedal over to the local bike store, I
learn a clever way to install tires without tools. I
hear about a great new bike trail. I support the
local economy that strengthens our community.
I have an interesting conversation with the me-
chanic. Isn’t that conversation part of the joy of
traveling by bicycle, anyhow? The mundane
and solitary task of buying replacement parts
can become a nourishing, joyful activity in it-
self. The same thing happens when we visit the
local farmers’ market, the small town hardware,
and other shops.
We touched on many beneficial, connecting,
and nourishing uses of media and technology as
well. Perhaps you’ll want to join the Thoughtful
Christian conversation this fall. All are wel-
come.
Page 6 of 8
ON SEPTEMBER 16, SATURDAY, 9 A.M. TO 2
P.M., THERE WILL BE A YARD SALE. IT WILL
BE RAIN OR SHINE. Donations may be dropped
off starting 8/7 through 9/14 in The PIT.
Please, no clothing, shoes or electronics. (Do-
nation hours in August: 9:30 to 11 am (during
summer office hours); and September: 9:30 am
to 11 am, and then 1 pm to 4 pm. to avoid
parking lot jams.) Please let your neighbors
and family know to contribute and buy.
CONGRATULATIONS TO
2017 COLLEGE GRADUATES Sarah Ahmad
Derek Bell
Nick Beyer
Frankie Cassavell
Emily Cocco
Leah Cocco
Emma Compton
Lauren Finlayson
Kennan Meyer
Charissa Mikoski
Ryan Pedersen
Colleen Tully
If we missed anyone, please let the office know for the August issue.
SUMMER MEETINGS AND EVENTS July 3 9am-12m Summer church office hours begin
July
10-13 1:15 pm
Meet @ PPC to go serve snacks @ Urban
Promise summer camp (See p. 5)
July 12 6 pm Tacos, Gelato and Jazz (Summer Fun-page 8) July
16-22 --- Montreat Youth IV Conference (See page 2)
July
17-26 --
Living Waters for the World mission trip (See
p. 5)
July 24 7:00 pm Session meets
July 29 2 pm “Beauty and the Beast” (Summer Fun-page 8)
July 31 9a-12m Vacation Bible School begins (through 8/4)
- Choir members should watch for emails from their leaders.
- Christian Education for adults and children will resume in Sep-
tember.
- Some committees may have special meetings if needed. Watch for
emails from the Elders leading your committee.
Our world needs peace.
Add your prayers for the peoples of the
world - one country at a time.
7/9 Hong Kong
7/16 Hungary
7/23 Iceland
7/30 India
Information about all the countries we have
prayed for is at http://pennpres.org/pray-for-
our-world/.
This spring, during the Thoughtful Christian discussion from 9-10 a.m. on Sunday mornings, the class ex-
plored the questions of Living Simply in a Complex World, a discussion course from the Northwest Earth
Institute. This summer’s series of three articles in FOCUS are being written by the leaders of these classes
to help more in the congregation realize how the Thoughtful Christian adult classes examine the Christian re-
sponse to issues in today’s world. In her June article (page 2), Deacon Carol Meyer spoke of the gift of living
“intentionally” and having “mindful lives” by not letting being ‘busy’ all the time “short-circuit real and
meaningful presence – with God and with one another.” She gave practical ideas for the readers’ considera-
tion. This second article by Ted Borer challenges us to think about how living more simply can remove bar-
riers and enhance experiences. The third article in the series will appear in August, written by Rev. Dr.
Nancy Schluter.
Ted’s article begins: Our conversations were wide
ranging but often practical discussions about what
we want our lives to be about; about how we are
called to live, and how we can implement those
ideas in our lives today. How do simple living and
stewardship of Creation relate to our personal min-
istry? We talked about the objects and the desire
for a sense of productivity that can get in the way
of simply enjoying one-another’s company and
whatever is going on in the immediate present.
Many of us are so focused on the goal of obtaining
something, getting somewhere, or getting some-
thing done, that we miss the opportunity to enjoy
the process of doing, serving, or simply being.
How much more would we enjoy a sunset if we
simply sat with a friend and watched the sunset
without trying to capture a photo of it? We know it
is continuously changing and will be gone in a few
moments. We won’t get those moments again. How
much joy in life is missed by the futile distraction
of striving to capture a moment in time and post it
on social media? Can we simply enjoy the unique,
ephemeral moment we are being offered?
We talked about various technologies that can be
equal parts useful and connecting as well as dis-
tracting, and isolating. How much would we really
miss if we only checked social media once a day?
Or never? How bad would life be if we shut off the
TV on weekdays? Or gave it away? How much
richer would our lives be if more of our interactions
were real face-to-face conver-
sations?
We thought about how we can (continued page 6, right side)
Page 7 of 8
SPECIAL “THOUGHTFUL CHRISTIAN” FEATURE:
LIVING SIMPLY IN A COMPLEX WORLD
PASTOR’S THOUGHTS (cont’d from page 1) VOLUNTEER NEEDED FOR SUMMER
STORY TELLING AT WORSHIP
A woman met with me to talk about her
work in the community. We had a great
conversation. At the end, as she was leav-
ing, she told me that the Pennington Pres-
byterian Nursery School had welcomed
and supported one of her children who
needed extra supports for learning. She
was grateful not only for our kindness but
also for our faithfulness to God being
lived out through the commitment our
nursery school has to working with chil-
dren with special needs.
Keep an eye out for the Spirit’s fruits. They come
not just in the church, but in the world, too. The
Spirit is never bound or limited. What fruit is God
growing in your life today? What fruits do you
see in others? Take time to thank God for these
fruits. If you have an extra moment, send a note
or an email or a text to share with someone what
fruit you see in their life. Words of encourage-
ment that acknowledge the Spirit’s work in our
lives are precious and powerful!
In Christ,
Page 8 of 8
In July and August our worship themes are based
on the Fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-
26. We want to include story telling by the con-
gregation. Do YOU have a 2 or 3 minute story to
share about how you have experienced a gift of
the Spirit from one of these Fruits in your life or
in the life of someone you know? Can you be here
on the day when that fruit is the focus? Sign up at
fellowship time or by emailing Nancy Mikoski at
July 2: Love (Sr.
High Mission Team)
July 9: Joy
July 16: Peace (the
Pratts)
July 23: Patience
July 30: Kindness
Aug. 6: Goodness/Gen-
erosity
Aug. 13: Faithfulness
Aug. 20: Gentleness
(Hope Anderson)
Aug. 27: Self-control
July 12
Wednesday, 6 pm
Tacos & Jazz: Carlito’s Taco Wagon, Viva Gelato, and Monday Blues Jazz
Orchestra (Instagram or Facebook for Carlito’s Taco Wagon; vivagelatonj.com, and
mondaybluesjazz.com)
July 29
Saturday, 2 pm
Hopewell Valley Children’s Theater: “Beauty and the Beast” at Performing
Art Center; followed by Cream King (For tickets in advance, go to http://hvct.org)
August 16
Wednesday, 6pm
Family Movie “Moana” and a Luau in the Courtyard
(Burgers & hotdogs provided; bring a salad, side dish, or dessert to share.)
PLENTY OF LEFT IN 2017!
Congratulations to former member Shannon
Smythe who was ordained as a Minister of Word
and Sacrament in Washington State on June 25.
Shannon serves as Assistant Professor of Theologi-
cal Studies at Seattle Pacific University. We join to-
gether to thank God for Shannon's ministry and pray
for Shannon, her husband Kevin and son Micah.
(Note: Tickets for “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” on Broadway are
sold out for the August 26 matinee that a group from PPC will be attend-
ing.)