This Sunday
Dear Friends,
Well, it is just us for a while, that is until an interim is hired. I know that I am certainly counting on all of you to have my back, so to speak.
It is an exciting time in the life of PPPC and also just a little bit scary. None of us but God knows what the future has in store for us.
Recently I got an email from a member talking about something he had read in the preface of the Church of Scotland's Book of Common Worship. To quote from that book, "At a time of ceaseless change in the way churches understand and participate in worship.....all are in flux, a restlessness which may be a sign more of the Spirit's indwelling than absence."
The member remarked that "Perhaps the Holy Spirit is restless and that perhaps, now it is PPPC's turn to feel the Holy Spirit's restlessness."
I like that thought; the restlessness of the Spirit as being a sign of God's presence. It is the Holy Spirit of God stirring us up, blowing out the old to bring in the new. The prophet Isaiah wrote, "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; do you not perceive it?" (Isaiah 43:18-19)
Join me this Sunday as we consider what new things God might have planned for us. Will we have the vision and the wisdom to perceive it?
Blessings,
Linda
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Prayer Concerns This Week
"Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6
The Prayer Family for the week is the Paradise family. Let us be prayerfully aware of Joe, Jill, Benjamin and Charlie, as well as all our members and friends.
Prayer Concerns:
Mary McSweeney; Mark LaRochelle
Long term concerns: Jacob Basilotto; Bill Birdsong; Despina Koch; Bruce Larsen; Cody MacPhearson; Jim Millar; Edith Pula; Susan Robbins; Zach Russo; Agnes Skowronek; Nancy and Ralph Smith; Grace Philhower; those struggling with addictions and mental illness.
Military: Kyle Barker; Sarah Davis Brown; Morgan Daniels Colberg; Michael Fahey III; Jeffrey Hanrahan, Matthew Warren; all those in our nation's service.
For our Church: Wisdom, guidance and patience during this transitional time.
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Souper Bowl Of Caring This Sunday
On Sunday, the children of the Sunday School ask you to join them in helping fight hunger through the Souper Bowl of Caring
The Souper Bowl of Caring began in 1990. It was the idea of the youth pastor of a Presbyterian pastor in Columbia, SC to have the youth group collect food and money on Super Bowl Sunday. The thought was to collect food and money to give to local food banks on the day when so many people would be celebrating with special foods as they watched the big game. The youth group liked the idea so much they reached out to other churches in Columbia, SC. In the end 22 churches took part and they collected $5,700.
Today over 10,000 groups take part in the Souper Bowl of Caring and have collected over $100 million in the past 17 years. This simple beginning has grown into a gigantic force of human caring toward those who do not have enough food to eat.
All canned goods and money collected will be donated to St. Gregory's Pantry which is the local food bank that serves our community.
Please bring a canned good or donate to one of the two soup pots the youth will be holding at the doors as you leave worship.
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Scout Sunday
This Sunday we observe Scout Sunday, honoring the members and adult leaders of
the church's Troop 6, Boy Scouts of America, and Pack 6, Cub Scouts of America. Members of the Troop and Pack will usher during Sunday worship. We're proud of these organizations sponsored by our church, that have been a positive blessing for young people and their families for generations.
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Communion Breakfast
Following the service, join us in the C.E. Annex for our monthly Communion Brunch. We missed everyone last month but we are looking forward to seeing you this Sunday. A free will offering defrays expenses.
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Ash Wednesday February 14
Lent, the period of 40 days leading up to Palm Sunday and Easter, is to be a time of preparation, reflection and renewal. We invite you to begin your Lenten journey by joining with others from the church for the annual Ash Wednesday Soup Supper and Service.
We will gather on Wednesday, February 14 in the CE Annex with a soup supper at 6:30 p.m. Please plan to bring a pot of soup or a loaf of unsliced bread to share. If needed, runners will bring your soup upstairs to the annex before you park.
Sign-up sheets for soup donations are located by the Soup Pot in the Narthex; or send an
e-mail to Kim in the church office. Please join us as we enter the 40 days of Lent together. Come together as a family; bring your friends.
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Lenten Devotionals
This year we will be emailing a daily Lenten devotion to those on our email list. This 40 day devotion is a free resource offered through the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. We invite you to read daily messages written by members of their community. If you are not on our the Church's email list, please call the church office at 732-899-0587 and we will be glad to add you.
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Sunday Worship Leaders Needed
Worship Leaders give their assistance during the Sunday worship by helping with the liturgy in the bulletin. We are always seeking additional readers, especially during this time of transition. Volunteers typically lead the congregation in the Prayer of Confession, Assurance of God's Pardon, Prayer for Illumination, as well as reading one of the scripture lessons. All of the needed information and final bulletin is emailed on Fridays for you to prepare. If interested please contact Nancy Jalowski at njalowski@aol.com or 732-223-9828.
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The Big Cover Up Weekly Update
We are making good progress toward our Big Cover Up goal. We are currently a little over $36,000.
We did find an old picture. Does anyone recognize any of those cars?
This is from the last installation in 1993 which was part of a larger capital campaign where the church raised $280,000 over a number of years. WOW!
In the last 25 years the roofing materials and technology have improved significantly so we are counting on this cover up to last longer.
We have had some great sharing messages from the congregation:
- Nancy Stout, Buildings and Ground chairperson explained our responsibility to care for God's house and all it has given us.
- Frank Scarpone showed us the importance of the church to their four generations and some great wedding pictures.
- Sue Hankins sang us her Sunday School "Sunbeam" song with help from Mary Lough on the piano.
- Pat Shoppell stressed the importance of our "church family" and how lucky we are to have it.
If you take a minute to review the Annual Report it really hits home how many things go on under our ROOF and how important The Big Cover Up is to our church.
It was suggested that spreading your gift over 3 months could help make it
 easier. A credit card could be used allowing you to pay it off on your schedule.
If you have an IRA or 401K you can make qualifying contributions toward your Minimum Required Distributions and if paid directly to the church from your account is not counted as income. (Consult your financial adviser please).
Gold envelopes are still available in the pews. A check made out to PPPC with a note "Roof" may be sent or placed in the offering plate. If you prefer electronic giving click
HERE.
In summary, the roof is a symbol of something much stronger than the physical roof. It has a much deeper meaning to all of us in many different ways. From weddings, baptisms, funerals, Sunday School, your first Bible, parents, grandparents, there is a deep spirituality that is felt by Christians here under our roof.
So once again prayerfully consider digging deep for this important project.
We also want to thank the over 50 people who have already made contributions toward making this a reality.
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Attention All Presbyterian Women - February 21 
All Presbyterian Women are invited to nourish, refresh and refill your bodies, minds and spirits by joining other PW for dinner on Wednesday, February 21st at Frankie's on Rt. 35 S. right here in Pt. Pleasant at 6:30 p.m..
Make some new friends, share a good meal and give yourself a spiritual lift! This "dine around" is usually scheduled on the 2nd Wednesday every other month at different local restaurants, however this month the date has changed due to our Ash Wednesday service and Soup Supper on the 14th.
If you know ahead that you can join us please call Maggie Giase at 732-295-0908 or Lynn Hahm at 732-920-7133 to let us know and we can reserve space, but if you don't know till the last minute just come anyway! We'll make room! Mark your calendar and we'll see you there.
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New Beginnings
The time is
now for our members and friends to participate and sign up for New Beginnings. We
will soon be presented with a report on our congregation's strengths and weaknesses, with an eye to charting our course into the future.
The New Beginnings Mission Study is a series of four small-group meetings that will take place beginning in March. These meetings will assist us in the choice of a new pastor and the future mission of our Church. The small groups - which the Session hopes will involve as many church members as possible - will examine key insights from the New Beginnings Assessment. There will be an opportunity for everyone to express their views and ideas about the sort of Christian community our church should become.
The leader-training event will take place on:
Friday evening, February 23 from 7 to 9 p.m.
and Saturday, February 24 from 9 to 3 p.m.
We are looking to have the small-group leaders attend both the Friday evening and Saturday sessions.
Please contact Jim McGuire, (908) 783-7193, if you are interested in either leading a small group or in hosting a small group in your home
(leading and hosting are not the same thing: the leader facilitates the small-group discussion, while the host provides coffee and dessert and a comfortable place to meet). Some small groups will meet at the church and others in members' homes.
Just one of many New Beginning success stories can be found on the following link.
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A Very Big Thank You
Thank you to Nancy Stout, Chris Cook and Robin Cook who last week spent the entire day cleaning out the church attic. The amount of trash and trips up and down the stairs was constant. The transformation is remarkable.
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Thank you also to the Point Beach Prep Board Members who also took the time this week to clean and declutter items from the CE Annex. We are
grateful
to all who take the time and energy in tending to our church buildings!
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Interfaith Hospitality Network Volunteer Training
Thank you to everyone who volunteered last week to help with IHN. The families are  always so appreciated. On Sunday, February 25th from 1-3:30 p.m. at the IHN Day Center at
407 Lexington Avenue, Toms River there will be an IHN Volunteer Training event. Please
RSVP:
oceanihn@gmail.com
or 732-736-1550 by Feb 21st
This two and a half hour training event will inform you of the proper protocols and procedures that ensure all guests have a safe and positive experience.
A light lunch will be provided.
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Free Books From The Library
Our free book giveaway continues.
Be sure to grab a few books to help us  clear the space for a small gallery. A 2018 Eagle Scout project to convert the library space into a gallery is in the design stages. Books are available for the taking at any time. All unclaimed volumes will be donated to charity.
Prior to the galleries completion, we are currently having a call for art that will be the exhibit
"Altered Books."
We invite you to get creative and alter or transform a book. An altered book is a form of mixed media artwork that changes a book from its original form into a different form, altering its appearance/meaning. Altered Books use all or part of a book as the starting point for a new work of art. Final pieces can take many different forms including sculpture, collage, assemblage or jewelry as long as the book features heavily in its final appearance.
Submissions will be on display starting at Palm Sunday, March 25. Both students and adults are encourage to participate.
Exhibition Conditions
* Register by downloading and completing the
submission form (blue cards also found in the narthex) and return to the office
* Artists must be 12 and older
* All artwork must be an original creation by artist or artists in collaboration
* Artwork may be declined if criteria is not met
* Work must be quality presentation and ready to install
* Exhibit will be non juried
* 2D work will be displayed on easels
* Only 3 pieces per artist may be submitted
* Drop off date for artwork is Monday, March 19, 2018 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Church
* Artwork must be displayed throughout exhibition (March 25-May 20, 2018)
* Pickup date is Sunday, May 20, 2018 after worship
So stop by the library, grab a few different types of books and have some fun whether reading or creating.
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Join Our Liker Gang on Facebook
Your church needs you to join a liker gang.
No, we didn't say "biker gang." We need a large number of Facebook members to commit to doing something on behalf of the church that will take less than 5 minutes a day, but will make a big difference in the visibility of our church to the larger community.
All we need you to do, when you open up Facebook, is to be sure to visit the church's Facebook page and click on "Like" for that page itself, and - this is the important thing - to go there every day after that, clicking on "Like" for every new item you see posted there.
You can find our Facebook page here:
Facebook has recently tweaked their algorithm, the formula that determines what shows up in users' newsfeeds. The changes mean that items posted by organizations (as opposed to individuals) aren't visible to so many users as they used to be. Pages that consistently get a large number of "likes," though, are seen by more people in our local area.
We could invest in advertising through Facebook that gets our posts featured more prominently. But we have no advertising budget for that sort of thing. We can accomplish the same result for free by simply inspiring a lot of "likes" from our members and friends. Their family and friends are then more likely to see our church's posts. It's like inviting someone to get to know our church better, without ever directly inviting them.
It's one of the simplest things you can do for your church, and you don't even need to leave your home to do it.
We're also looking for a volunteer to help coordinate the work of our new Liker Gang and no, you don't need a motorcycle. Monmouth Presbytery's social media consultant, John Fong, will help our Liker Gang leader with ideas about how to increase participation. We'll soon be opening up a private Facebook group where members of the Liker Gang can coordinate with each other. If you're interested in becoming a leader of our Liker Gang, please contact Kim in the church office.
In the meantime, please visit our Facebook page, like it, and then keep going back to it every day. Thanks!
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Coffee Hour Hosts For The Month
Please call Marge Meklin at 908-433-3957 for questions or concerns. Sign-up sheet is in the Church Kitchen.
February 4 - Communion Breakfast
February 11 - Frank and Kerry Jones
February 18 - The McGuires
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Sunday School News For The Week
Hello everyone!
Last week, we had so much fun at our annual Pajama Party!
We enjoyed so many
yummy treats, hot chocolate, and we watched Moana. While not an outwardly Christian movie, there are some pretty important Christian themes happening in this movie. The most glaring would be: Endurance of faith. We discussed what exactly "endurance of faith" means. We talked about how endurance means to push through situations, no matter how hard. When we talked about endurance of faith, we talked about how Christ kept pushing through, even though he knew he was going to have to give his life, in order to save our souls and help us to know God. Moana's endurance of faith caused her to continue on her journey because she knew she could save her people if she succeeded. Another aspect we looked at was how the water guided Moana throughout the entire film. Much like the water guided Moana, God guides us through life.
This week, we are returning to our lessons from Mark. We will be reading from Mark 6:30-44. We will be talking all about loaves and fishes. In addition to learning about feeding the masses, WE will be able to take part in feeding the hungry masses as well! Last week we learned about the Souper Bowl of caring, from Pastor Linda. We are asking each student to bring in some canned soup to donate to our own Souper Bowl of caring! Not only is it a wonderful way to help others, but it will also reinforce this week's lesson!
See you all on Sunday
Peace and Blessings,
Tricia Stoffers
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This Week At Point Beach Prep
Our preschool pals had fun learning the letter P this week! Our projects included puppets, pirate bookmarks, pig noses, and pompom painting. We also made a shadow project for Groundhog Day. We read Pigeon Wants a Puppy, If You Give a Pig a Pancake,How I Became a Pirate, Polar Bear Polar Bear, Puff the Magic Dragon and Groundhog Gets a Say. Our American Sign Language and sight word was "put". We dressed up in princess dresses, played with the parachute, played hot potato, and walked a plank!
During snack we enjoyed pancakes, pineapples, peppers, pita chips,pretzels and popcorner chips. We even had pajama parties!
On Friday, Art Educator Karen Norby came in and did a lesson on Puppetry! Finger, hand, rod,and marionette puppets were introduced and then we made our own puppets. What a perfectly pleasant week!
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Chairs Now Available
Approximately 20 student chairs and some adult size wooden chairs are available for a donation of $5 each. The chairs are currently in the CE Building. All monies from the chairs will do towards The Big Cover Up roof campaign. If interested please speak with Sue Perkowski or call the church office.
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Items Available
A church member is looking to sell their well-maintained 2001 Ford Focus with approximately 90,000 miles. Another member has a treadmill available for free. If you are interested in either of these items, please call the church office at 732-899-0587 for more information.
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Happy Birthday To Our Members And Friends
Feb 4 Robin DeRosa
Feb 6 Gwendolyn Whitworth, Jean Stoll
Feb 7 Jake Brzyski, Jarod Brzyski
Feb 9 Peter Farwell
Feb 10 Nancy Cook, Kathleen Leek-Clayton
Feb 11 Karyn Smykowski, Ryder Lucich
Feb 12 Elizabeth Havranek
Feb 13
Feb 14
Feb 15 Samuel Muraglia
Feb 16 Virginia Zimmerman, Julie Budrick, Emma Scarpone
Feb 17 Sue Hankins, Ryan Wittmann, Morgan Sarbello, Henry Scott
Feb 18 Mary Wade, Kylee Kells
Feb 19 Harvey Mendelsohn
Feb 20 Cora Landers
Feb 21 Linda Smith
Feb 22
Feb 23 Terri Satterlee
Feb 24 Heidi Steinert, Jamie McGuire, Isabella Drescher
Feb 25 Kent Lorentzen
Feb 26 Allan Novick, Tyler Barbieri
Feb 27 Thomas D'Amore, Michael Torres
Feb 28 Eva Pula, Emily Birdsong
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Check Our Website For Snow Cancellations
In case of snow, please check the main page of the church
website
or the voice mail message about worship service times (732-899-0587) for the latest information about cancellations of church activities.
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Up Coming Events
Wednesday, February 14 - Ash
Wednesday
6:30 p.m. Supper and 7:00 p.m. Service
Tuesday, February 20
- Session Meeting
Friday February 23 and Saturday, February 24
- New
Beginnings
Leader Training
Saturday, March 17 - Women's Retreat: Prayer is My Rock
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Church Calendar For The Week
Sunday, February 4
Souper Bowl of Caring and Scout Sunday
10:00 a.m. - Worship/Communion/Chancel Choir
10:00 a.m. Sunday School begins in Worship
11:00 a.m. - Communion Brunch
Monday, February 5
6:15 p.m. - Choral Bells, Fellowship Room
7:00 p.m. - Deacon's Meeting, Chittick Lounge
Tuesday, February 6
10:00 a.m. - Busy Hands, Fellowship Room
Wednesday, February 7
9:00 a.m. - Women's Breakfast at the Rainbow Diner
4:30 p.m. - Webelos
5:00 p.m. - Dove Choir
6:30 p.m. - Wolf Pack
7:30 p.m. - Boy Scouts
Thursday, February 8
5:00 p.m. - Daisy Troop 443, Fellowship Room
6:00 p.m. - Webelos
7:30 p.m. - Chancel Choir
Friday, February 9
6:30 p.m. - Girl Scout Troop 906
Saturday, February 10
12:00 p.m. - Blue and Gold Dinner, CE Annex
Sunday, February 11
10:00 a.m. - Worship/Healing Prayers/Chancel Choir
10:00 a.m. Sunday School begins in Worship
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Photo Of The Week
A Scottish Send Off Last Week
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