Mission Partnership Quarterly 
Nassau Presbyterian Church
September 2015
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Nassau Presbyterian Church

61 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542
609-924-0103
 
Here at Nassau Presbyterian Church we are very excited to share the news about our major partnerships in mission. Our strategy calls for fewer and deeper relationships as we seek to further God's kingdom in the world. A few years ago Nassau Church made the bold commitment to commit 10% of funds raised through "The Campaign for Nassau Church" to these partnerships.

With this new quarterly mission partner missive we hope to share fresh information and help spread the word about our partners. You should expect updates from the partners and fresh opportunities for you to get involved in our efforts. With this inaugural issue, we hope you are pleased to read about our deepening relationships with Westminster Presbyterian Church in Trenton, the Cetana Educational Foundation in Burma and Villages in Partnership in Malawi.

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 David A. Davis
Nassau-Westminster Partnership
This initiative is designed to enable the members of Nassau Presbyterian Church to engage in a wide range of joint ministries with the members of Westminster Presbyterian Church.  In the course of pursuing these ministries together, we anticipate that all concerned will deepen their understanding of, and empathy for, the challenges both communities face that deprive individuals and families of their capacity to thrive as children of God.

On June 20, Nassau/Westminster partners savored the fruits of the Bethany House garden while sharing stories of this site as a place for teaching and learning the value of healthy food in the community. During the summer, Nassau, along with other congregations, helped to provide the funds to replace the roof on Westminster's educational wing.
 
In late August, Nassau members began a generous response to Westminster requests for back packs and school supplies for their Get S.E.T. tutoring program.  Seventy (70!) families were delighted to receive these materials on Tuesday, September 8, and returned with 17 other families on the following day for an end-of-summer carnival. Thank you for your support of this program!

As the tutoring program settles in to its five-day-a-week program, volunteers are always welcome. Mary Beth Charters, a member of Nassau, is now a PTS seminary intern working at Westminster for the academic year.  If you would be willing to participate in Westminster's English school, please contact her at marybeth.charters@ptsem.edu

Interested in visiting Westminster's 11 AM worship and meeting our partners? Contact Patti Daley at pattidaley@aol.com.   


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Nassau-Cetana Partnership
The partnership between Nassau and Cetana Educational Foundation is the culmination of a long-standing connection between church members and the foundation. Cetana, which provides educational opportunities for the young people of Myanmar/Burma, was founded by Lois Young, a longtime member of Nassau Church, and for almost 20 years Lois and her late husband Jack regularly led members of the congregation on tours of Myanmar and Cetana's operations there.
 
The partnership comes at a critical time in Myanmar's history, with the end of military rule and a real, if tentative, transition toward democratic reform. Cetana's provision of English language instruction and training in critical thinking is absolutely essential in a country that for more than 50 years has suffered from extreme human rights abuses, armed conflict, and widespread poverty. With Nassau support, Cetana has already been able to hire a new executive director to oversee its English language learning centers. An additional learning center is also planned, this too with Nassau's financial support.
 
There will be numerous opportunities for the congregation to get involved. This spring the church school classes conducted a book drive, which we hope will become an annual event. A film showing of "They Call It Myanmar" and two adult education presentations have given church members a chance to learn about a country once shrouded in secrecy. The mission committee invites your participation: attend an event, help with the book drive, provide modest financial support for a student learning English, or become an (email) Pen Pal with a Cetana student. Lois Young continues to lead January trips to Myanmar, and Nassau members are always invited. Your ideas for making this a vital partnership are welcome. For more information, contact Sue Jennings ( susancjennings@gmail.com). 

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Nassau-Villages in Partnership 
At the September 2015 meeting of the mission and outreach committee, Villages in Partnership was recommended as the third major partner with Nassau Presbyterian Church, pending approval of the Session in October. Villages in Partnership, VIP, is located in Malawi, Africa, and will be our second international partner.

Joyce MacKichan Walker spent 10 days visiting, teaching and working with a VIP friendship team this past summer. You may have heard her mention her trip in a sermon or prayer. Liz Heinzel-Nelson, the director of VIP, introduced this program in an adult education class last winter and we hope to invite her again this year.

We are looking forward to working with VIP and will keep you updated as to how you may become involved with our newest mission partner. Any questions please contact Loretta Wells at lorwells4@gmail.com.
 
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Nassau Presbyterian Church

61 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ 08542
609-924-0103