Weekly News For
Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church
June 14, 2020
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The Sunday Worship Invitation email is sent out separately on Saturday mornings. Feel free to forward the invitation along to family and friends.
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Prayer Concerns This Week
"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions,
and thanksgiving be made for everyone, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity." 1 Timothy 2:1-2
The Prayer family
for the week is the Shoppell family. Let us be prayerfully aware of Bill and Pat, as well as all our members and friends.
Prayer Concerns
: The family of Bud
Flannelly; Josephine McKeon;
Amy McIntyre;
Katie Hoffmaster Barberi,
Joseph Robinson
Long term concerns
: Stephen Bardsley; Jacob Basilotto; Ed Jung; Jay Hiatt; Despina Koch; Maryann Leach; Gwen McFaddan; Jacob Mendelsohn; Leigh Millar; Melissa Millar; Dale Norby; Marilyn Powell; Owen Provencer, Geoff Reilly; Susan Robbins, Bill Shoppell; Linda Lee Smith; Millage Youenger; Ginny Zimmerman; those struggling with addictions and mental illness.
Military:
Sarah Davis Brown; Morgan Daniels Colberg; Michael Fahey III; Robin Fiorentino; all those in our nation's service.
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We learned this week that Governor Phil Murphy is lifting the state’s stay-at-home order that has been in place since mid-March, which led to the disruption of worship, classes, meetings, etc. (see our response below). The Governor also announced that he will allow indoor gatherings at 25% of a building's capacity or 50 people total. Anticipating this development, a small group has been meeting virtually since May to review all the action steps that will be required in order to be able to gather for worship in person in a relatively safe environment. We are keenly aware that a worship service is classified as a high risk of infection activity (8 out of 10) in that people are gathered in an enclosed space, in relatively close proximity to each other, over an extended period of time. (If you add talking or singing to the gathering, the risk goes up to a 9!)
This of course, presents several challenges, which this group has been studying while planning ways to overcome them. Our strategy includes addressing every area that will require special attention, such as: Safety and Cleaning, Technological enhancements, Communication, and Practical Adjustments.
For now, our plan is to continue offering worship via Zoom until we feel confident that all the necessary steps have been followed so we can worship
both virtually and in person. Our hope is that by offering these two options we will protect the health of many of our members.
We hear often that we need to be prepared for ‘a new normal.’ I don’t know how ‘normal’ all of this will be, but I am certain it will look and feel different. In the grand scheme of things, it may be a small sacrifice given how this pandemic has affected so many people near and far. The Church of Jesus Christ has had to adapt to many challenges through the centuries. I am confident that God will grant us the wisdom, courage, and strength to see us through these days, too.
Until then, remember to continue wearing face coverings and maintaining a 6-foot distance from other people whenever possible, as our Governor has wisely indicated.
Peace!
Pastor Osy
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is committed
to the health and safety of all people as we face this worldwide pandemic.
Over the last few months, we have seen COVID-19 cripple the economy,
cause suffering and death in our families and communities,
and force churches to find new ways to be the church.
Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church’s first response consisted of:
- Stopping all in-person gatherings,
- Declaring our buildings closed,
- Urging staff to work remotely with limited access to church offices,
- Securing loans to continue paying PBP Preschool staff through end of academic year,
- Moving all committee meetings to virtual platforms,
- Offering weekly worship through Zoom in the sanctuary with limited participation,
- Having the Board of Deacons contact members via phone regularly to check in.
All these are still being followed.
The church is, and has always been, more than a building.
Like many congregations, we are using new ways to share the good news,
worship regularly, maintain basic operations, and minister to those in need.
As we became more comfortable, more creative ways of interacting and mission involvement began to be implemented:
- Contact-less clothing drive,
- Contact-less food donations,
- Contact-less graduation for PBP Preschool students,
- Benevolence donations to individuals and organizations,
- Resumption of Confirmation Classes via Zoom,
- Conducting of PNC interviews with interested candidates via Zoom,
- Including helpful strategies for dealing with the anxiety of restrictions in newsletter,
- Outdoor gatherings maintaining safe, physical distance,
- Game night via Zoom being planned.
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Greetings from the COVID Care Corner!
We are having beautiful weather as I write this. Restaurants will be opening for outside dining in a few days and all seems right with the world. But hold on. Not to be a downer, but I’ve got to acknowledge a few things we are all dealing with. First, we are still in the pandemic. Numbers of cases are rising but we knew that would happen upon reopening. The point here is to remain vigilant in your self-care. Continue to social distance, wear a mask, wash your hands, don’t touch your face and most importantly make smart decisions in how and where you venture out. Exposure is cumulative so the more you socially distance the better off you are. Getting a haircut? Maybe on that day you don’t go out to dinner too. In short, continue the safe practices you’ve put into place and weigh your risk carefully.
We are also still dealing with social turmoil and economic and political concerns. It’s a lot to deal with, a lot to process. Please do make sure you practice healthy self-care.
Exercise, eat well, do fun things. Especially do fun things! We need to be able to forget the “bad” once in a while, to unplug once in a while. Get out in nature and enjoy the early summer. The very best thing we can each do to make this world safer and healthier is to take care of ourselves. It’s easy to get caught up in everything so make it a point to recharge your internal batteries. Your health and well-being depend on it! Until next time, eat healthy
Elder Lynn
Lynn O’Hara, MS, RD, LPC, Licensed Psychotherapist and Registered Dietitian
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The congregation of Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church, celebrates the following members with their faithfulness to the Church of Jesus Christ and the Presbyterian Church (USA). We are grateful for the many ways their gifts and talents have contributed to the life and ministry of this congregation as we seek to exhibit the kingdom of heaven to this part of God’s world.
50 Years - Maryellen Curtis, Scott Smith
51 Years - Jean DeMartino, Frank Scarpone
52 Years - Stanley Davis, Marj Watson
53 Years - Andrea Crate
55 Years - Alan Novick, Paula Pennypacker
57 Years - Marian Blackford
58 Years - Richard Leonhard
59 Years - Betty Gilbert, Howard Gilbert, Doris Pennypacker
61 Years - Jessie Bissey, Robert Bissey, John Curtis, Joseph Decker, Evelyn Hazard
65 Years - Sue Hankins, Frances Kunz
66 Years - Dorothy Jane Giddes
69 Years - Jane Millar
70 Years - Londa Scarpone
73 Years - Virginia Zimmerman
75 Years - Shirley Snyder
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A Celebration of Love and Commitment
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This Sunday we celebrate all those members who are married for 50 years or more. The following video is our way of celebrating those marriages as well as all those held at Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church throughout the years. Thank you to everyone who submitted a photo. The video will also be shared in Sunday's worship service.
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Ready for some more Family Fun with PPPC?
Let's start with a wild game of BINGO on Zoom
next Friday, June 19th, 7:00p.m. Have your snacks ready, get your cards printed and buttons, dimes or pencils to mark the numbers. We'll go up, down, across and round and round to give you a chance to be a winner while you watch to see how your friends and neighbors are doing as our Host calls out the letters and numbers you seek!!! Wonder who will be our BIG BINGO WINNER??!! Sure to be a lot of laughs! Cards will be included in a separate email invitation that will be sent out next Thursday. You can download and print your cards.
Then just one week later here's the DEAL! Family Fun Game Night for
June 26th is "Let's Make A Deal"! Come to the Zoom Room wearing a hat that you will create that will tell us something special about you. (Something like what is your favorite pass-time, or your favorite place, or what makes YOU happy, etc.)
How it will work....Our special guest Host will choose funny, or interesting or exotic hats that he notices, and the makers of those hats will get the chance to MAKE A DEAL with him. Our game will start at 7:00 and end at 8:00 p.m., and the number of winners will depend on the hats you create - - - but the amount of entertainment and laughs you will have will be unlimited!
Before you enter the Zoom Room wearing your hat, take a good look - a Scavenger's Hunt - around your home and look for items that the Host might want to trade to make a deal with you. Of course we can't tell you exactly what the items will be but you can make some smart guesses and have them close by! (Here's a few ideas - piece of candy or fruit, tooth or hair brush, a family photo and other things easy to find around your house.) If you found something that our Host is looking for you can choose to make the trade and get a surprise in the mail the next week, OR you can choose to wait till the end of our game and pick what is in Box #1 or Box #2 to get your trade. All just in fun and a good time for all !! Jesus liked to laugh and have fun, and we're sure he would love to see PPPC families having fun together too. So please mark your calendars, and if you have ideas for more game nights we would love to hear them!! See you in Zoom.
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Point Beach Prep Preschool
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Wow! It is hard to believe the school year is over. We have had another great year here at Point Beach Prep! Our students have learned so much! Over the year, our class built their knowledge of letters and letter sounds by meeting our letter dolls from A-Z. They learned letter recognition and brainstormed words that started with each letter. They learned the sign language for each alphabet letter, and a sign language word. They practiced writing their letters with pencil power. They enjoyed bringing in a Show and Tell item weekly for the different letters. Every week our Pre-K also learned a new word on our sight word tree.
The children learned their numbers and colors. They sang and danced to many great songs. We read SO many interesting books, and literacy was emerging! Our class explored with squishy shaving cream, and played with many different textures in our sensory table. Our artists used their creativity at imagination station by painting at the easel, and making whatever they could imagine with markers, crayons, colored pencils, glue, scissors, etc. At our small group project table they made many projects related to our letters and themes. Imaginations were developed in our dramatic play areas. Through the staging of a Veterinarian’s office, construction site, horse barn, Christmas wrapping station, grocery store, ice cream stand, Build a Bear workshop, zoo, and dress up station, the children built thinking skills and developed social, emotional and language skills!
Every student eagerly anticipated being given a special job daily. They learned responsibility by taking turns being the prayer leader, line leader, caboose, project helper, outdoor helper, bell ringer, snack counter, calendar helper, doing days of the week, weather, attendance, turning on/off the lights, holding the flag, being the librarian and the center checker.
Outside, we played many games with the parachute, drew with chalk, rode tricycles, cars, scooters, and enjoyed the playground. We enjoyed having Art Teacher Karen Norby come in several times to do lessons on shapes, line, and texture. We had different dentists come in to teach us good oral hygiene and even had a visit from the Tooth Fairy! We also enjoyed a lesson on water safety from The Atlantic Club. We were able to meet live turtles when Cattus Island came and did a nature lesson!
Our field trip to the Aquarium was a big success. We saw all kinds of sea creatures. We especially liked our private lessons about penguins or reptiles. We were also excited to touch different animals from the touch tank!
We had many special events such as our Halloween Parade, Picture Day, Thanksgiving Show, Christmas Sing-a-long, and Valentine’s parties.
We have all had so much fun, it is hard to believe we were learning the whole time! Thank you for a wonderful year. We were sad that it ended sooner than we expected. We hope you enjoyed continuing the connection with Facebook video lessons when school closed. We wish our graduating students the best of luck in kindergarten and on their journeys, we will miss you dearly! To our returning students, we look forward to seeing you next year! Have a safe and happy summer!
Sincerely,
Devlin House-Director
Kerry Jones- Pre-K Teacher
Mandy Rauffer-Pre-K Teacher
Dawn Connolly- Pre-K Teacher
Jessica Kaiafas-Nursery Teacher
Kristen Leto-Nursery Teacher
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Chancel Choir and Choral Bells Choir
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An email went out this week to members and participants in both the Chancel Choir and Choral Bells Choir. If you did not receive the email please let the office know. Please respond to the email by June 17. Chancel Choir Recognition and Choral Bells Choir Recognition will be next Sunday.
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Coming Up
Sunday, June 14 - Church Membership and Anniversary Recognition
Sunday, June 14 - Called Session Meeting
Friday, June 19 - Church Wide Bingo Game Night
Sunday, June 21 - Choral Bell Choir and Chancel Choir Recognition
Tuesday, June 23 - Session Meeting
Sunday, June 28 - Virginia Griggs Education Award
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Upcoming Birthdays This Month
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June 14 Cecilia Collins
June 15
June 16 Cameron Durante
June 19
June 20 Trudy Pedersen, Jack Satterlee, Donna Wittmann
June 21 Nicholas Jalowski
June 22 Mary McSweeney, Andrea Purtell, Virginia Welch
June 23 Kendall Pearce
June 24 Joan Danziger
June 25 Gayle Ferry
June 26 Bryan Smith
June 27 Caitlyn Cook
June 28 Aidian McGuire
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Last Sunday we celebrated with Daniel Alexander Nüesch and Everett William Nüesch
as they received the Sacrament of Baptism.
Behold, what manner of love the father has given unto us
that we should be called children of God.
and that is what we are.
1 John 3:1
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Contact Us
Pastoral Staff
The Rev. Mr. Osvaldo Nuesch, Interim Pastor -
Email
The Rev. Dr. Eileen Lindner, Parish Associate -
Email
Office Staff
Kim Gaydos, Church Secretary -
Email
Donna Ferry, Financial Secretary -
Email
Music Staff
Sara Hoey, Organist -
Email
Melanie Chambers, Chancel Choir Director -
Email
Morgan Sarbello, Choral Bell Director -
Email
William R. Shoppell, Jr., Music Director, Emeritus
Christian Education Staff
Devlin House, Point Beach Prep Preschool Director -
Email
Frank Perkowski, Sunday School Coordinator -
Email
701 Forman Avenue, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742
(Corner of Bay and Forman Avenues)
Church Office: 732-899-0587 Fax: 732-899-2946
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