This Week at a Glance - April 8, 2015

"The Book of Ruth" Bible Study, Today, 10:00am
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Join us in the Conference Room at 10:00am on Wednesday mornings for a series of Bible studies from now through the end of June, as follows:

The Book of Ruth is an idealized story of what life would look like if God's people treated each other with His loving-kindness-insiders and outsiders alike. A key understanding in Ruth is that God uses these acts of the loving-kindness of people to demonstrate that which God gives to all, whether they realize it or not.
5 1-hour sessions on April 8, 15, 22, 29; May 6.

Your Bible: The Study Begins This Bible study offers an introduction to the library of books (which we call the Bible) that is the foundation of our faith. It provides a refreshing orientation to the Scriptures and opens a door of understanding to all other Bible study.  During the 7 sessions, participants will explore basic issues, such as: What Is the Bible? How Did the Bible Come to Be? What Is the Old Testament About? What Is the New Testament About? How Has the Bible Been Preserved and Handed On? How Shall We Study the Bible? What Is the Place of the Bible in Our Lives?
7 1-hour sessions: May 13, 20, 27; June 3, 10, 17 and 24.

Click here for Flyer.
Join Us THIS SUNDAY As We Celebrate Bill and Trudy Leonhardt's 60th Wedding Anniversary
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Following the worship service on Sunday,

Bill & Trudy Leonhardt invite the entire congregation  

to join them for cake and coffee in Simmons Hall  

in celebration of their 60th wedding anniversary.

Family Potluck Dinner, THIS SUNDAY, 5:30-7:00pm
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Bring your best entree, side dish or dessert to share.
We will end the evening with a group game.
RSVP to Kathleen, kaiellos@hotmail.com and let her know what you will be bringing.
Looking forward to seeing you there.
Please Provide Flowers for the Communion Table - April 19 and 26 are Open
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Volunteers are needed to provide flowers for the communion table on the following Sundays: April 19 and 26; May 10 and 24; June 28; July 26.

If you would like to sign up, please contact our Office Manager, Kerry Ficker, at Office@Packanack.com or 973-694-0608.

Thank you.
Angels Calling - Ongoing Mission Project
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The FOOD PANTRY at Packanack Community Church of Wayne helps support our church's Angels Calling program. Your donations help meet the following requests specific to the Wayne families' needs: 

Juicey Juice juice boxes (any flavor), any gummy snacks, cheese and crackers with the little red stick, pretzels, Gold Fish, popcorn, any type of cookies (chocolate chip, Oreos, etc.), chips (assortment that comes in the box), baby wipes, diapers size 5, paper towels, toilet paper, napkins, paper plates/bowls, plastic forks, knives and spoons, Playtex sport super tampons, Panty liners, dishwasher detergent, fabric softener, laundry detergent, shampoo for children and adults, crock pot liners, aluminum foil, kitchen garbage bags.  

Manufacturer's coupons can also be dropped off at church for Angels Calling.

Throughout the year there is always a NEED FOR FOOD STORE GIFT CARDS to continue the church's ongoing support to our Wayne Families. Other gift card donations include Walmart, Target, Kohls, Kmart and Costco.

Donated items can be dropped off on the stage in Simmons Hall. Cash contributions can be mailed to the church office or mailed directly to Leslie Mozulay at 8 Old Fourth Drive, Oak Ridge, NJ 07438. Checks made payable to "Packanack Community Church" with a MEMO indicating Angels Calling, always make a difference!

THANK YOU to all of you supporting Angels Calling, a caring community outreach program. The Easter-related items that were donated were greatly appreciated! 
Be a Part of Our New Engraved Paver Walkway - Deadline Extended to April 30
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Due to the generosity of one of our nursery school families, the outside walkway leading to the breezeway entrance of the church will be reconstructed with professional landscaping pavers at no cost to the church. The PCNS family is donating all of the labor for the project. Proceeds from the sale of the pavers will be evenly divided between the church and the school in support of the work we all do.

Please support this project by purchasing a paver to commemorate an occasion, remember a loved one, or to place your business logo. The cost of each paver is
$50, which includes 3 lines of text with 13 characters each. (Business logos will be priced individually by the engraver). Forms are available from the church office and in our monthly newsletter. Make checks payable to PCNS and mail/drop off at the church. Due to the harsh winter, the paver deadline has been extended to April 30. Thank you!

Click here for Paver Order Form. 
Family Pot Luck, Youth Group, and VBS News
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The Search Committee is very excited to announce that Kathleen Aiellos has been hired as our Interim Youth Director. Kathleen has previously served in this position from 2007-2012, before taking time off to give birth to her daughter, Willow. She has graciously offered to step in and help out during this critical time of transition. Thank you, Kathleen, for setting aside your own family time in order to care for our children.

 
April 12: 5:30-7:00pm, we will be having a Family Potluck Dinner!!!  Bring your best entr?e, side dish or dessert to share.
We will end the evening with a group game.
RSVP to Kathleen, kaiellos@hotmail.com and
let me know what you'll be bringing.

April 19: Youth Group Meeting 
April 19th Youth Group at 5:30 for a creative evening!
Please join us as we start a fun adventure together.

April 26: Family Movie Night 
April 26th 5:30-7:00pm, we will be having a Family Movie Night!!!
Bring your pillows, blankets and munchies.
Popcorn will be flowing and we will all cuddle up
for some entertainment and fun.

July 13-17: Vacation Bible School 
Registration forms are out for Vacation Bible School 2015!
Be sure to join us for the best VBS ever, July 13-17th!
SON Spark Labs- God's Plan for you = JESUS 
Rotation Model Sunday School: The Exodus and the Plagues
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Rotation #3 continues the theme of God's Covenant Promises with the stories of...

The Exodus: The Plagues 

Exodus 7:8-11:10, 12:24-28 

Each Sunday through March 29 

 

Parent Participation: Help to bring the story home by re-reading it with your child. A good children's Bible with colorful pictures is a great way to enjoy some story time together! After reading the story try asking some open-ended questions to get the conversation going, like...

 

"Why do you think that is?" or "How does that make you feel?"

Support Group for Caregivers of Special Needs Children, Tuesday, April 28, 7:00pm
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Uniquely Made and Beautifully Designed

 A Support Group for Caregivers of Children with Special Needs

*Brought to you by Family Ministries of Packanack Community Church

  • Are you a parent or other caregiver of a special needs child? (ADHD, Autism, Down Syndrome, Tourettes, Asperger's, emotional issues, etc.)
  • Do you have questions about how to best navigate the world of IEP's, school counselors, and others?
  • Would you like to be in contact with other parents of children of special needs for support, encouragement and questions? THEN THIS GROUP IS FOR YOU!
Facilitated by mother/daughter team Susan and Melinda DeBell, (private practice counselor and art teacher/certified teacher, personal trainer, life coach  and counselor in training - respectively) this small group support community is just beginning.
This group meets the last Tuesday of each month and is FREE.
The next meeting will be held on April 28 at 7:00pm in Simmons Hall.
For more information, contact Kim Depetris at pixwithkim@yahoo.com.
Moms and Tots, Thursday, April 30, 10:00am
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Join us for playtime and fellowship.  Chat with other moms while your child plays in our safe and fun nursery together.  Coffee provided! A play and support group for moms with little ones ages 4 and under, all are welcome! 

  

Moms and Tots will be at 10:00am on the following dates: 

April 30 and May 18 

Hosted by: Jessica Miano at PCC

Questions? Contact:  jessicacolotta@gmail.com 

 

Men's Breakfast at the Monarch Diner, Saturday, May 2, 8:00am
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Join the men of our congregation as they share coffee and conversation together during this monthly opportunity for fellowship and faith. The group meets at 8:00am at the Monarch Diner, Rt. 23 South, Wayne, on the first Saturday of every month. All men are invited!

 

8:00 AM Saturday, May 2    

Monarch Diner

Rt. 23 South in Wayne  

 

For information, contact Dominick Colotta at DVC314@aol.com. 

Members of Leisure, Monday, May 4, 11:45am
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The Members of Leisure's monthly luncheon meeting will be held on the first Monday, May 4, at 11:45am in Simmons Hall.

All members are encouraged to bring friends who might benefit by joining and socializing with our group.

Spring Women's Retreat: "Detoxing the Soul," Friday - Saturday, May 8-9
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The women of the church are invited to give themselves a Mother's Day gift during this overnight retreat.  

 

The retreat will be held at The Liebenzell Retreat Center just outside Hackettstown, NJ. Carpooling will be available, and we can check in any time after 2:00pm. Early bird arrivals will have an optional activity scheduled.  

 

The focus of the retreat will be on "Detoxing the Soul." It will officially begin with a "circle of grace" and dinner at 5:30pm, and conclude with closing worship and dinner on Saturday. We should be home by 7:30pm.

 

The cost is $125 per person for those who register by the April 1 deadline. The cost for late registrations is $150 and will be accepted only as space permits. Click here for the retreat flyer. Click here for the registration form. Forms and flyers are also available in from the church office, and on the table in the narthex. Plan to join us for this spiritually-enriching time of fellowship, worship and rest.

 

Information about the Liebenzell Center can be found at http://retreat.liebenzellusa.org/retreat-center. 

Document Shredding Day, Saturday, May 16, 9:00am-noon
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The Church Council has arranged for a truck from Security Shredding to come to our church on Saturday, May 16, 9:00am - noon, to shred boxes of documents for anyone who needs this service.

 

The event will be a fundraiser for the church and is open to the whole community. There will be a nominal charge per box. Mark your calendar and start cleaning out your filing cabinets and folders. Thank you for your support of this event. 

 

Free Bibles
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If you do not have a Bible and would like one, call the Packanack Community Church of Wayne at 973-694-0608 or send an e-mail to office@packanack.com. The Bibles are FREE.  

 

In this season of Epiphany, we want to make the good news available to those who would want to read it. Get yours while the supply lasts.

Sign Up for "Still Speaking" Daily Devotionals
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Join the growing number of people in our congregation who start their day off with a word from the Lord. The StillSpeaking daily devotionals published by the United Church of Christ are a valuable source of spiritual formation, and can be automatically delivered to your email in-box every morning.  

 

To sign up, go to www.ucc.org and click on "Nourish your soul" (in red letters) under "Feed Your Spirit" in the middle of the page. Then click on "StillSpeaking Weekly" and "Sign up here" (in red letters.)

 

The text of previous daily devotionals can also be found on this page.

Please Use Our New Prayer Cards
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The Board of Deacons have started a new mission for our beloved church. It is in the form Prayer Cards which have been placed in the Narthex. The purpose is to forward these Prayer Cards by those requesting prayers for someone they wish to remember during our worship on Sunday mornings. The card will simply state the name of the prayer recipient, date of worship service and the name of the requester. Envelopes will be provided so that the card may be placed inside for your convenience for mailing. The beautiful picture on the front is highly recognizable as that of a portion of the stained glass window behind our altar. We encourage everyone to participate so that we may let those we pray for know they are important to us as individuals and by a caring congregation.
L iturgist and Coffee Host Schedule
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Lectern Bible in Sanctuary Thank you to everyone who has signed up to serve our congregation as a Liturgist or Coffee Host & Greeter on Sunday mornings. This is a valuable ministry of our church and your participation as a worship leader is greatly-appreciated. The schedule has been distributed via e-mail. However, if you would like a paper copy, please contact the church office at Office@Packanack.com.

 

The Liturgist and Greeter schedule for the next several weeks will be posted in this e-mail each week. If you have volunteered, please check the list to make sure the information is accurate. If there are any errors, please contact Kerry Ficker at Office@Packanack.com.  

 

Thank you for being a part of the life of our congregation!

 

Liturgists:   

April 12: Ned Forrest

April 19: Martha Edgar

April 26: Shay Tiger

May 3: Lynne Lefelar

May 10: Dominick Colotta 

 

Coffee Hosts & Greeters:       

April 12: Brenda Kurtyka and Elfriede Schneider
April 19: The Forrest Family
April 26: Ruth Gardner
May 3: Tim and Sandy Cantwell
May 10: Claire Butler
Bell Helpout Date: Monday, April 20, 10:00am
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Each month, a group of volunteers is needed to assist the office staff with collating the Bell newsletter, stuffing the envelopes, and getting it in the mail. It's a great opportunity to do a little work for the church, make some new friends, and have some fun at the same time.

The next Bell Helpout Date is rescheduled for Monday, April 20, at 10:00am in Room 10.

If you can join us, please contact Kerry at Office@Packanack.com to let her know you are coming. Thank you for your assistance.
Plan Ahead for the Bell Deadline
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Please note that, due to administrative changes in the church office and delivery delays at the post office, the monthly Bell newsletter has a firm deadline for any announcements that the congregation may wish to place in it. Announcements and flyers received after that date will not be included until the following month. If you would like to let the congregation know about an upcoming event, please plan ahead and make sure that you submit the announcement on time.

The deadline for the June/July Bell is Tuesday, May 5.

Quick Links...
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Contact Information
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phone: 973-694-0608
e-mail: Office@Packanack.com
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