Dear Church Family,

Ever since I began to find my way into liturgical church traditions, I’ve grown more and more appreciative of the way the church calendar reminds me of the cyclical nature of life, and helps me to lean into different portions of the cycle of the Christian life—anticipation, illumination, penitence, resurrection, anointing, and on and on. 

Advent presents the trickiest challenge for me in this regard, because it’s both a beginning and an ending. Or, rather, it’s the anticipation of both: the beginning of this new cosmic chapter in which God is one of us, as well as the end of this world accomplished by Christ’s second advent (and of course, in turn, the beginning of the next world).

How do we become attentive to, and even embody, the spiritualities of both beginning and ending at the same time? Maybe it’s in taking up new things and letting certain things end, pass on, in order to make room for the former. Maybe it’s simply the anticipation of what those beginnings and endings might be—on a personal level, but also on a communal level, and on a cosmic level. 

As we sing at the end of every Jewel Cases (a rock band that two of your pastors are in) show: “Closing time: every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.”

For what is this Advent the “closing time,” and for what is it the new beginning?

Peace,

Pastor Terry

P.S. Check out the photo gallery at the end of this email for church family highlights!

Upcoming December Events & Happenings

December 2nd, Friday 1pm Memorial Service for Janet Tappen. Janet was a lifelong member, and, for many years when RCHP was a much smaller church, Janet was central to keeping the music ministry strong. We give thanks for Janet’s life and for the gifts of music, and encouragement she gave to our community.

December 4th, Sunday, Communion Sunday, Pastor Stephanie is preaching, and Derek Cannon, our Gospel Choir Director, will be sharing his testimony during adult education.

December 4th, Sunday all are invited to take Angel tags off the tree at church, and to focus on purchasing a clothing item and one educational toy/supply for the child listed on the Angel. This year there are opportunities to purchase Angel Tree gifts for unaccompanied Minors, asylum-seeking children, refugee children and children identified by local schools as being in need this Christmas season.  Gifts are to be purchased and returned to church on the day of the Christmas Pageant, which is December 11th.  

New Group! Creative Conversation - Wednesday, December 7th, 10:30am-12 pm. Meet in the Quilt Room

Doing art at home can be lonely, so let’s do it together! Bring your own art supplies. Some basic supplies will be provided. Let’s chat, laugh and create! No skills needed - just a desire to have some fun. Questions? Contact Wendy Nussman at wendynussman@gmail.com 

December 8th, 9-12: Pastor Seth has assisted United Way in putting together a morning-long conference to discuss Immigration and Refugee Trends in 2022. This will be held at Middlesex County College. Please let him know if you’d like to attend.

December 10th, Saturday Morning We will go on a nature hike to Decorate the Woods Near Donaldson Park with ornaments for the animals. Come and join us for a book-reading at 9am, followed by a short time in the woods. Afterwards come to RCHP to be fitted in a costume to be in the Christmas Pageant! There are reading parts for teens and costumed parts (with little to no lines) for all younger children. We invite a Youth Orchestra to join us for a Saturday practice, to then ‘perform’ the very next morning. Please reach out to Pastor Seth at 732-882-3193, or Pastor Amos, if you’d like to know more about engagement in any of these opportunities. 

December 10th, Saturday, 1:30-3:30pm, Christmas Caroling—Join us as we drive around the community, stopping at shut-in members homes to sing Christmas carols and to bring Christmas love.

December 11th, Sunday, RCHP will hold its Annual Christmas Pageant, at both first and second service.  We ask Children to arrive 30 minutes before each service (8:30am and 10:50am) to get into costumes and to fill last-minute parts.  We hope most children attend on December 10th, so we have a good sense of who is participating.

December 11th, The Indonesian Members of RCHP will be hosting a special Indonesian Christmas Service, starting at 4pm in the sanctuary and then continuing later in the social hall.

December 11th, The Longest Night Service—Christmas is a time of joy but it is also one of the hardest times of year for people who are grieving.  At 7pm on the 11th we invite you to a quiet, reflective, candlelit service, where together we can share our pain with God while anticipating the promises of healing and restoration.  

December 18th, Sunday—Both first and second service we will have our beautiful Christmas Music Services.  There will be regular Sunday school for all ages.

December 21st, Wednesday, Homeless Memorial Day—RCHP will host Middlesex County’s Homeless Memorial Day service this year, at 5pm.  We hope that you’ll come and light a candle while we remember and give God thanks for each of the people who died due to homelessness this year in NJ.  If you’d like to help host this service please let us know.

If you would like to assist with Code Blue this Winter, which is our response to homelessness on cold nights, please make this desire known to the pastors.  We would love to especially have a couple of women who are willing, together, to come and assist in our Code Blue house occasionally in the evening.  RCHP-Affordable Housing Corporation maintains the Code Blue house for Highland Park, and we are averaging 2-4 people staying there, each night, since early November.

December 24th, Saturday, Christmas Eve, Services at 7pm and 11pm (nursery care provided at 7pm)

We look forward to welcoming the coming of Christ Jesus at our Christmas Eve services.  The 7pm service will include Advent candle lighting, short testimonies, solos and congregational singing.  The 11pm service is led entirely by the Youth Group (with Pastor Terry’s coaching).  

December 25th, Christmas Sunday, 10am, one service only, no Sunday School (but yes Children’s Worship and nursery).  Most years we do not have worship on December 25th, but this year the 25th is a Sunday, so we do!  We hope you’ll join us for a service that will be full of singing.  

January 1, Sunday, 10am, one service only, no Sunday School (but yes Children’s Worship and nursery)

New Discussion Group!

Who do you think Jesus was? What do you think happened on Easter? Which parts of a Sunday service resonate with you and which parts don't...and why? If your personal spiritual beliefs don't always correspond with those found within traditional Christian doctrine and if you've ever been interested in not only sharing your personal beliefs and perspectives with others, but also in hearing what others believe, then DEPTH is the group for you! DEPTH (Discussing and Exploring Personal Theologies Honestly) is sponsored by the Faith Development Committee and will start meeting (in person) in January 2023. If you're interested in being a part of the group, please see the DEPTH flyer (found in this newsletter as well as in the main hallway of RCHP) to learn more about the group or you can email Austin at retroboi319@gmail.com Click here for the link to the information form. (The time and day of the meetings will be determined by responses to questions asked on the form.)

NJIC3

Join the NJ Interfaith Center for Cancer Care (NJIC3) on Wednesday afternoons from 3-4pm for a virtual interfaith cancer support group. Visit https://forms.gle/jrBPKy9Ro8ggfhUc9, email Austin at austin.njic3@improvingnj.org  or speak to him in person to sign up. If you're interested in the group, but that time doesn't work for you, tell us what times are best for you at https://forms.gle/jrBPKy9Ro8ggfhUc9.

Prison Correspondence Team 

Pastor Amos has been gathering a team each month to correspond with a list of elderly people who are incarcerated in New Jersey prisons. This team is a vital part of a policy campaign that Salvation and Social Justice is driving, to create second chance opportunities for incarcerated senior citizens to return to their communities. Our next and final meeting for the calendar year is on December 11, 2022 at 1:00pm. We will be spending an hour writing holiday cards for incarcerated senior citizens.

Please contact Pastor Amos for more details.  amoscaley@gmail.com

Sunday Worship and Education/Fellowship Schedule

In Highland Park:  

Worship is at 9am and 11:15am. Services are identical (or at least close to identical). The first service is also streamed online, through Facebook, Youtube, and our website.

Sunday school for all ages is so incredibly meaningful! Bring your children to learn stories of God’s love and to connect with other church kids and caring adults.

In South River: 

Worship is at 11:00am - It is our desire for a growing number of RCHP members to join Keiko Kereh, on a regular or semi-regular basis, for worship in South River. 

Sunday Afternoon and Evening Schedule 

Kids in the Cave-Youth Group for 4th and 5th graders (right after 2nd service, 12:30 or so…1st and 3rd Sundays).

Confirmation Class 4:30pm-5:30pm

The Table-A Community Meal, served in the Quilt Rm., 5:30pm

Middle School Youth Group-5:45-7pm

High School Youth Group-7:00-8:15pm

Wednesday Evening Choirs for All Ages:

December 7th, 14th and 21st—Each Wednesday, from 5:00-5:30, Pastor Amos and Pastor Seth hold choir practice ‘Voices of Praise’ and ‘First Voices' (for Seth’s little kid’s it’s really a sing-a-long).  Please come out and sing and then stay for books and fun with Ms. Meghan!

5:30-6:00 Some opportunity to eat together 

December 7th, 14th—We would welcome seasonal singers to join us for Gospel Choir and/or Chancel Choir just for the next couple of weeks.  Help us lead beautiful singing for our Christmas services! Gospel practices at 6pm and Chancel at 7pm.

8:00 Praise Team Practice

A Message from Pastor Terry

Both youth groups will have our annual Christmas parties on December 18th! Jr high from 5:30 to 7, and sr high from 7 to 8:30. Please bring a wrapped pair of socks (spend no more than $5) for our white elephant gift exchange. 

Our annual youth-led Christmas eve vigil service will happen again this year on Dec 24, from 11 pm to 12 am. Come usher in Christmas day with singing, reflections from our seniors, and a contemplative atmosphere.

Wednesday morning Bible Study with Pastor Seth

Each Wednesday morning in December (except the 28th) join Pastor Seth and a group of 10+ for a wonderful bible study.  We are working through the book of I Samuel currently.



Morning Prayer, Mon.-Sat. @ 9 am on Zoom 

For 2.5 years now a morning prayer opportunity has existed at RCHP. Upwards of 15 people a day join this Zoom call to begin the day showing love and support for one another and giving God the glory. You can best get to the meeting by going to the rchighlandpark.org website and clicking on the coffee cup that is on the scrolling announcements.

Contemplative Thursdays

We've begun our practice of creating space on Thursdays for contemplation and meditation. Each Thursday morning from 7:00 to 8:00, the sanctuary is open and prepared for quiet prayer and meditation. Every two weeks we're also journeying through a podcast and/or book by Richard Rohr, exploring spiritually what it means to recognize the presence of and live in the faith of Christ. Learn more about these opportunities at www.rchighlandpark.org/thursdays.

"Tricky Topics" Book Study in January!

Our next session of "Tricky Topics" (a journey through difficult issues in faith and society) begins the first week of January, with an initial Zoom meeting on Friday, January 6. We will be working through "The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became the Gospel Truth" by Beth Allison Barr.

If you are interested in joining us, please reach out to Pastor Amos (amoscaley@gmail.com), and pick up a copy of the book on your own, or request one through the church.

"LitLovers" Reading & Culture Group

If you love talking about media and arts, and would like a lightly structured format for sharing, give LitLovers a try on Tuesdays from 12:30 to 1:30pm. Each week, participants are welcome to share about books, movies, TV shows, music and culinary delights. For more info, contact Cecilia Rowedder czr852@yahoo.com or Esther Barcun misseando@verizon.net. Please email to receive the Zoom link.

Weekly Virtual "Drop-In"

All are welcome to drop-in for an hour of friendly, free-wheeling conversation on Thursdays from 12:30 to 1:30pm. Contact our host, Carol Perry caca98@aol.com for more information and for a Zoom link.

Prayer Shawls, Tuesday nights, 7pm-9pm

Each Tuesday night, for the past 14 years, a group of caring church members have created beautiful prayer shawls to bring comfort to those going through challenging times in and around our community. Come and learn a new craft, make friends, and be a blessing to others!

Thursday Sewing Circle at RCHP

RCHP’s longstanding sewing circle is closing in on its big event of the year—the annual church bazaar.  Come on out and meet wonderful people and join them in crafts, sewing, quilting and conversation, Thursday from 10am-1pm. 

DIRE Monthly Meeting (zoom only)

December 7th, 8pm—DIRE, our program to support deportation and immigration matters, will be meeting on zoom only, so that we can share the incredible information about new arrivals and seek a fuller community support for these individuals. Contact Pastor Seth for Zoom link.

Interfaith-RISE Monthly In-Person Meeting

December 15th, Thursday, noon—RCHP members are invited to the last Interfaith-RISE Meeting of the year.

FALL CLEANUPS

Saturday December 3, 2022 - Sustainable Highland Park; Highland Park Ecology and Environmental Group - Pre-Winter cleanup of downtown and side streets in Highland Park, NJ 08904 - 10:00 am - 1:00 pm - Meet up in the Municipal parking lot behind the Reformed Church of Highland Park, 19-21 South 2nd Ave, Highland Park, NJ 08904

HP Food Pantry

Food Pantry needs for December:

During these challenging times the Highland Park Community Food Pantry is currently not taking individual donations. Instead we now have an Amazon Wishlist where folks wishing to donate have several options to choose from as well as an option to donate Gift Cards. We appreciate greatly any donation as we are facing an increase of folks in need. Thank you all so much. You can access the Wishlist here: https://tinyurl.com/s7pxpzn

Most urgent needs are:

Pasta

Rice

Tuna, Chicken, Salmon

Cereal

Oatmeal

Adult Incontinence Products (Including Poise brand) S-XL

W.I.S.E. CARE BLOG DECEMBER 2022: Teen Alcohol & Drug Misuse 

The teen years are an important time to develop independence, form social connections, and learn to manage more mature feelings.  Often, life stresses seem overwhelming and you want to find something to cope and take the edge off. For some teens that is snapchatting for hours on end, for some sports, and for some it is using alcohol or drugs.

Using alcohol or drugs can also give you the false sense of fitting in or showing independence from your parents. Teens often say that “most of their friends use”. The truth is that regular use is not the norm. According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, “8.2 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 drank alcohol in the past month, and 13.8 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 used illicit drugs in the past year.”

So if most teens are actually not using substances regularly, let's us discuss the myth that it helps deal with feelings.  Substances can be numbing but they are only a tool to avoid uncomfortable emotions for a short time.  So after use, problems seem compounded, and are often complicated by the consequences of use. Consequences can range from physical illness, involvement with authorities, or the fallout from bad decisions made while under the influence. Sometimes the consequences are much more devastating. According to SAMHSA: “On average, alcohol is a factor in the deaths of approximately 4,300 people under 21 in the United States per year, shortening their lives by an average of 60 years.”

There is a tremendous amount of research on how to help teens deal with the anxiety and depression that adolescence can bring. Talk therapy, mindfulness exercises, peer groups. There are so many resources to learn ways to cope with the stress of difficult emotions. In New Jersey we have a great option called 2nd Floor, a youth resource line that is available for a call or text.  For more info, click on this link

RCHP Holiday Grief Support Group - continues in December

Our group is a space that allows us to explore our thoughts and feelings related to our grief and loss. It is a place to both receive and provide support and understanding while finding new ways to approach the challenges presented by our grief. Come meet others who seek meaning, offer perspective, and counter the sense of isolation so many of us have felt as we walk through this process. We will provide you with emotional and spiritual support in a safe and non-judgmental environment.

Please join us at 7:00pm on Mondays: December 5, and January 9 in the parlor at RCHP. If you would like to be part of our conversation, please contact Pastor Stephanie at RCHP, Kathleen Malkiewicz at kathmaldtr@gmail.com or Nicci Spinazzola at niccispinazzola@gmail.com 

A NEW SUPPORT GROUP ON ZOOM 

Has your life has been changed by chronic physical pain or illness? Are you willing to share your experience, strength and hope with others on this lonely journey? Join a new Weekly Support Group on ZOOM sponsored by the WISE CARE Committee of RCHP. This Support Group meets Tuesdays from 5pm-6pm.  

Contact Facilitators: Carla Epstein-Teliha, epsteinteliha@verizon.net  or Pat Kaufman, patbkauf@gmail.com for additional information and for a Zoom Link

Bereavement Calendar

RCHP remembers all those who died in December and all those who still mourn

The following names have been offered for remembrance in December 2022: 

Ethel Bone, Beloved Grandmother of Renee DiGrigoli

Nanna Marjorie, Beloved Grandmother,

 and John Board, Beloved Great Uncle of Jess Munger

Salvatore DiGrigoli, who always found a reason to smile, 

Father, Father-in-Law, and Grandfather of the DiGrigoli Family

Rupert Hopwood and Iris Nelson, 

Beloved Parents and Grandparents of the Beckford Family

Jim Hudson, Beloved Husband, and Sarah Bellak, Beloved Mother of Elaine Hudson

Louis Keszler, Beloved Father of Luanne Downey, Illona Faust and Susanne Kucsma

Bryce Lewis and Esther Ziegler, Beloved Grandparents of Kathy Lombardi

Adelayda Limpel and Leonard Poulan, Beloved Parents of Pastor Henny Poulan

Wayne Molnar, Beloved Brother of Joan Molnar-Schafer

Diane Faust Santiago, Beloved Sister-in-law of Illona Faust and Andrea Faust

Suzanne ‘Berti’ Turner, Beloved Daughter of Roberta Knowlton

If it would be a comfort to include your loved ones in a monthly memory calendar, call Lisa at the RCHP office at 732-249-7349.

NOVEMBER HIGHLIGHTS AND MILESTONES

Generous food donations from Trader Joe’s, Goya, and Muslim leaders - what a blessing!

Thanksgiving Sunday, giving gratitude and the Parsonage gets new roof (after 102 years) !

I-RISE walk draws a great crowd showing unity in a sea of red polo shirts!

Pastors Stephanie, Seth and Terry celebrate the baptism of Maddie Fisher.  Congrats to Maddie and the Fisher family!

Advent Prep Night - for the young and young at heart. Sharing the Hope, Peace, Love and Joy of the start of the church year!