Dear Church Family,

Our faith-family is growing again.  I see it every Sunday.  Looking out from the pulpit I see new faces.  In the guest book there are new names.  

How do we get to know each other as we grow?  What’s the right level of ‘welcome’?  If you are new, what sort of response do you want?  What’s the balance between ‘welcome’ and ‘space’?

We are thinking about these things.  Every new person who comes into a church comes with a lifetime of experiences that shape the reason they walked through the doors on a particular day.  

And, each longer-term member/friend of RCHP is growing too. You are not the same person who walked through the doors of the church whenever you first did. Your life has changed, our lives have changed collectively, there are new realities to your story and to those around you.

How do we keep getting to know each other, even as we ‘grow old’ together? 

I guess all I want to say, in this little note, is that the elders and deacons and pastors are thinking and praying about things like this. We care about relationships, new and old, and we care deeply that God has brought us together. We care about meaningful community, and about helping people find a place within the community that is nourishing and that gives opportunities for giving and receiving love.

Let’s continue to do the work of really getting to know each other, more and more, as we grow as the family of Christ. 

The Peace of Christ to you,

Pastor Seth

Included in this Issue: Check out the "Serving & Working for Justice..." section for a recap on the March to End Fossil Fuels + a summary of other RCHP Justice & Mercy activities.

Upcoming October Events & Happenings

At RCHP there are lots of opportunities for involvement on Saturdays in October…

Saturday October 7th-8th   Welcoming an Indonesian Pastor Delegation

RCHP is pleased, on October 7th, to host a gathering of Indonesian pastors visiting from Indonesia as they interact with Indonesian American congregations in the United States. Some pastors will visit RCHP on Sunday morning, so you can get a chance to meet them if you wish.  Also, Saturday night, at 5pm (or maybe a bit later) there will be an Indonesian ecumenical worship service in our sanctuary.  

Saturday, October 14th A Nature Walk at Davidson Mill Pond Park in South Brunswick

It has been many years since RCHP had a nature hike at Davidson Mill Pond.  Meet at 9am to carpool. Pastor Seth will drive the church bus.  If you child needs a car seat and you intend to go in the bus please bring one!  

Saturday, October 14th Town-wide Garage Sale and RCHP

RCHP will engage in the town-wide garage sale through having tables set up outside the Thrift Shop.  If you would like to participate, at any point in the day, please reach out to Pastor Seth.  We welcome items in good condition to add to our Table!  All proceeds go to support the church.

Saturday October 21st, A Day to Enjoy our Expanded Global Grace Farm

With great enthusiasm, 3 years ago, RCHP helped Interfaith RISE launch Global Grace Farm.  Now, as we complete our third growing season we have such a wonderful farm to show off!  Come and help us weed, pick, mow, loosed soil, cover soil… There is so much to do!  We are extremely pleased with what Global Grace Farm has become.  We’ll be departing from church at 9am, or, you can meet us at 14 College Farm Rd (across from the horses at Cook College Campus, Rutgers).  

Saturday, October 28th, RCHP Halloween Party

From 5pm-7pm on October 28th RCHP will put on its famous Halloween Party for the town.  We’ll fish for apples and play all sorts of other wonderful Halloween Games.  We’ll make fantastic crafts.  We’ll eat a delicious meal.  And, hopefully, we’ll bring together lots of people from town so that we can continue building relationships with our neighbors!

Saturday, October 28th, Day of the Dead Traditional Program.  

1st Reformed Church South River, and Pastor Amanda, Hosts Day of the Day Program with Mexican American Non-Profit, Lazos.  From 3pm-7pm, on Saturday, October 28th, South River Church will build relationships with Mexican neighbors in the town and county while learning about the traditions associated with this holiday.  All are welcome to attend!

Cancer in the LGBTQ+ Community

The NJ Interfaith Center for Cancer Care, Crossroads4Hope, Screen NJ, and the Rutgers Cancer Institute of NJ invite members of the LGBTQ+ community and community allies to a virtual, three-program series focusing on cancer and the LGBTQ+ community. Each night of the series is a stand-alone program and you're welcome to join us on Zoom for one, two, or all three of the sessions. (Of course, we hope you'll be there for all three.) Each program will feature a special guest (or guests) who'll speak to a cancer-related topic from an LGBTQ+ perspective, followed by time for the audience members to ask questions and share brief reflections.

-Tuesday, October 10th, 7-8p: Health disparities in the LGBTQ+ community

-Tuesday, October 17th, 7-8p: Experiences of members of the queer community who have faced a cancer diagnosis

-Wednesday, October 25th, 7-8p: The role self-care and spirituality can play in a cancer journey. (The reasons some members of the queer community are hesitant to turn to a faith community or to religion for support and solace will be addressed in this session).

Registration is required and you can sign up here: https://rebrand.ly/LGBTQCancer. Contact Kyle with Crossroads4Hope at kjachim@crossroads4hope.org  or Austin at austin.njic3@improvingnj.org  for more information.

D.E.P.T.H. - Thursday, October 12th, 7-8pm

D.E.P.T.H. - The next DEPTH (Discussing and Exploring Personal Theologies Honestly) group gathering will be at 7pm on Thursday, October 12th in the RCHP parlor. DEPTH is a safe space to share your personal beliefs and opinions about religious and spiritual topics and to learn how others think and feel, too. Email Austin at retroboi319@gmail.com  for the prompt for the October meeting.

NEW!  Men’s Fellowship Ministry starts October 14th from 12pm - 1pm

All who identify as male are invited to this new group which will meet every 2nd Saturday of the month for a prayer breakfast and more!  For more info, contact Justan at jmitchell5770@gmail.com

Arts, Crafts & Conversation: Wednesday October 18th, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm in the quilt room. 

 

Come join the fun and meet new people! Whether you are a new member or have been here for many years, please drop in and check out this group. It’s a great way to de-stress while having fun. You may not know this but there is an inner artist in everyone. Coloring books, perler fusion beads, and shrinky dinks are not just for kids. Feel free to bring your own materials or use the supplies provided. Questions? - text or call Wendy Nussman at 732-715-9025.

Game day : Saturday October 21st, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm in the quilt room

Come on out and spend some light-hearted and fun quality time with your church family playing games (learn how to play Rummikub and Apples to Apples!) and catching up.  Games provided, but feel free to bring your favorite.

New Book by Our Own Rev. Liz!

RCHP's journey to care for the Indonesian community through immigration struggles has been captured in a new book by long time member and now pastor Liz Estes. "Global Grace Cafe" is heading to the printer and will soon be available for purchase. We are very excited about what Liz has created and how it tells the story of a stretch of years at RCHP that we should never forget! God's love on display.

Consistory Meetings are Open Meetings—RCHP should know that our monthly consistory meeting, which occurs the 3rd Thursday of the month, is always an open meeting.  All church members are welcome to come and hear how decisions are made and how the church organizes itself in response to God’s leading.  Also, all church members and friends are invited to be on committees.  Committees are the place where more lengthy conversations are had about the various aspects of our life (Care, Fellowship, Worship, Finance, Justice & Mercy, Property, Faith Development).  If you’d like ‘in’ on any of these please let us know.

Stephen Ministry training class beginning in January

Stephen Ministry is a ministry of presence in which trained Stephen Ministers provide one-on-one confidential care to individuals facing life challenges. If you are interested in learning more about this program, either to become a Stephen Minister or receive the care of a Stephen Minister, please speak to Renee DiGrigoli rmdigrigoli@outlook.com , Anthony DiGrigoli awdigrigoli@gmail.com , John Rametta or Pastor Stephanie.  

NEW!  Movie Mondays

On most Mondays at 10:30 am, a small group gets together in the church parlor to watch a "feel-good" movie that the group has decided on.   All are welcome!  Examples of movies that have recently been seen are The Perfect Game, Mamma Mia (Both 1 & 2!!), Hidden Figures, Big, and Fly Away Home.  Your suggestions are also welcome!  

If you have any interest, please contact Cecilia with your cell phone number.  You will be included in the text invitation, which is on a week-by-week basis.  Bring your own snack and drink, and join whenever you'd like to hang out for a casual Monday morning with your church friends!  Cecilia: (732) 809-2638, czr852@yahoo.com 

ATTENTION RCHP! PLEASE SAVE THESE DATES: October 6 and October 13 from 12 noon-1:30pm on Zoom  IMPORTANT TRAINING! FOCUS ON FAITH AND GENDER: Sponsored by RCHP Care Committee and HiTops Faith Initiative  ALL ARE WELCOME!  Sign up for Zoom Link with church secretary, Lisa Berman, reformedchurchhp@gmail.com 

The HiTOPS Faith Initiative seeks to build affirming spaces within faith communities for LGBTQ+ youth and their families. We invite you to participate in a two-part series on October 6 and 13 that focuses on gender and sexuality and addresses theological concepts and scriptural references often used against members of the LGBTQ+ community. We also provide stories we’ve collected that share people’s lived experiences within faith communities. The Faith Initiative series creates a non-judgmental space with opportunities for questions, concrete examples of welcoming congregations, and enhances your journey of becoming an affirming community.

This training will be facilitated by Deborah Jodrey and Thomas Foley. Deborah Jodrey (she/her) is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and has been consulting with HiTOPS for over a year developing and piloting this training. Deborah also works as a Director of Faith Formation at a congregation in PA and is passionate about creating spaces of belonging within faith communities. Thomas (he/they) is the Senior Education Manager at HiTOPS and is a former classroom teacher, a certified school counselor, and a licensed therapist. He is working toward his PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision and has a considerable amount of experience researching and working with youth, particularly with queer and trans youth.  

SAVE THESE NOVEMBER DATES!

November 12th, Interfaith-RISE Walk for Refugees and Asylum Seekers

November 18th, RCHP Annual Bazaar

November 19th, HP Annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service

November 22, South River Thanksgiving (hosted at 1st Reformed South River)

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.

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



Wage Hope My Way Fundraiser

The NJ Interfaith Center for Cancer Care (NJIC3) encourages you to wage hope in the fight against pancreatic cancer with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network by creating a  "Wage Hope My Way" fundraiser in advance of World Pancreatic Cancer Day (November 16th). This is an easy way for you and your friends (or co-workers, family members, teammates, etc.) to raise funds to support pancreatic cancer research and life-changing PanCAN programs for people who've been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. And if you don't have the capacity to create and execute a group fundraiser at the moment, you can get creative and launch your own individual fundraiser. Visit https://rebrand.ly/WHMW2023  for information on the "Wage Hope My Way" campaign and how to set up your fundraiser.

ARE YOU GETTING THE WHOLE STORY? Some email providers truncate this newsletter due to the length when viewed on a desktop or laptop computer. Look for the “message clipped” text and then click on the blue “view entire message” to make sure you get the whole newsletter.

Sunday Morning Worship Schedule—Here is the RCHP (in Highland Park and South River) schedule from September to late June.

In Highland Park:

9:00am First Service

11:15am Second Service

In South River:

9:30am Bilingual Service

Community Education Program - Seizures and Seizure Disorders    

Sunday, October 8, 2023, from 10:15am-11:10am in the RCHP Parlor

In this special adult education program, participants will learn about seizures and seizure disorders, a relatively common neurological event that impacts members of our church family and our local community: 

1. Learn how to recognize and respond to seizures

2. Learn how to prevent seizures and learn more about how seizure disorders are treated

3. Learn how to support people and families who are coping with seizure disorders.

Our guest speaker, Dr. Helen Han, is a Board certified neurologist and epilepsy specialist affiliated with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, a level 4 epilepsy center. She received her medical degree from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and completed training at Mount Sinai Hospital and NYU Langone Medical Center. She has been in practice since 2022.

Sunday Nights—The Table, 5:30pm: RCHP offers a terrific evening gathering, each and every week, for around 40-50 people. get to know friends in church and those from the wider community at The Table.  SEE OUR PHOTO GALLERY SECTION FOR PHOTOS FROM A RECENT SUNDAY EVENING!

Kids Choirs continue into the Fall, at 5pm. Join us for 30 minutes of singing simple songs about God’s love! Ages pre-K through 1st grade (First Voices) meet with Pastor Seth in the Social Hall. Ages 2nd through 6th grade (Voices of Praise) meet with Pastor Amos in the Sanctuary.

Pastor Seth would welcome some support in the fall, as choir time, and his daughter’s varsity soccer game, sometimes interfere! Please let him know if you can assist from time to time!

All singers are invited to stay for pizza after singing, and then to join Ms. Meghan and others, for stories and fun, from 6pm-7pm. 

New Season continues for Adult Choirs! Here’s the schedule:

6:00pm - Gospel Choir

7:00pm - Chancel Choir

8:00pm - Praise Team

Contact Pastor Amos if you’re interested in giving it a try! amoscaley@gmail.com

A Message from Keiko Kereh - Ministry Associate for Youth & Worship

Youth Group Announcements!

Upcoming spooky and fun YOUTH GROUP events for the month of October! Encourage your youth to join us if they haven’t yet! 

Jr. High, Wednesday Nights 7-8:15pm

October 11th: Spooky Movie Night 

October 18th: Regular Meeting

October 25th: Pumpkin Carving Night 

Sr. High, Sunday Nights 7-8:15pm

October 8th: Regular Meeting

October 15th: Pumpkin Carving Night 

October 22nd: no youth group 

October 29th: Scary Maze Trip!! 

Confirmation Class starting in October!

Confirmation is an opportunity for youth ages 7th grade and up to engage in a year-long process of reflecting on faith, carrying out a service project and asking big questions. Our class will begin meeting in October. Please speak to Pastor Stephanie or Pastor Seth if your child is interested in joining us.   

Fun Zone - New Gathering Opportunity for Youth - Every Wednesday Evening!

Every Wednesday in the Cave from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. all kids ages 9 through 12 are welcome to join us for an hour of Billiards, Board Games and more! Questions? Please reach out to Justan Mitchell at 732-621-6064 or jmitchell5770@gmail.com 

Opportunities for Daily/Weekly Spiritual Growth, through discussion, study and prayer

Morning Prayer, 9am-9:30am, Zoom: Each morning, Mon-Sat, since the pandemic started in March of 2020, RCHP has held a daily morning prayer. Different church members and pastors share for 10 minutes or so and then there is a time of prayer and sharing. All are welcome.  

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Wednesday Morning Bible Study—If exploring the Bible is something you’re looking for, maybe Wednesday morning at 7:45 is right for you.  A group of 6-10 people read together and then reflect on the passage.  No preparation is necessary.  You can leave when you need to (to get to work etc…) and we wrap up at 9am sharp.

Contemplative Fridays

We've begun our practice of creating space on Fridays for contemplation and meditation. Each Friday morning from 7:00 to 8:00, the sanctuary is open and prepared for quiet prayer and meditation. Every two weeks at noon, we're also journeying through a podcast and engaging in quiet conversation. Contact Carrie Dirks for more information.

"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 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.

"Tricky Topics" Resumes in September

Beginning the second week of September, Pastor Amos is leading another book study designed to discuss difficult topics at the intersection of faith and society. Starting on September 14, the group will meet every Thursday over Zoom to explore the book "Christ in Crisis" by Jim Wallis.

Contact Pastor Amos (amoscaley@gmail.com) to get a copy of the book and be included in the Zoom invitation.

Opportunities for Spiritual Growth through Sewing & Knitting/Crocheting

On Thursdays, from 10am-1pm, the Women’s Sewing Circle meets to create beautiful items that are incorporated into the annual bazaar.  This group, meeting year round, also is a wonderful form of support and encouragement for all who are involved.

On Tuesdays, from 7pm-9pm, the Prayer Shawl Ministry creates beautiful shawls that are then distributed to church members and to others who are prayed for in our worship services.  All are invited to learn this craft and to contribute in this way.

March to End Fossil Fuels Recap 



September 17, 2023 - March to End Fossil Fuels in New York City.  A truly beautiful day. Even the weather cooperated and 75,000 were in attendance!  The march coincided with the UN Climate Ambition Summit and over 700 groups endorsed the march, and over 150 Hubs were created.  A small but mighty group left, after a blessing, from RCHP during first service and headed to the New Brunswick Train Station to join with the New Brunswick Transit Hub organized by Food and Water Watch.  There was a short rally, and transit tickets were given to anyone in need.  After arriving in NYC, we secured a spot in the faith Hub section, had a lunch of good pizza, and awaited the start of the march.

Hearing from others that the rally had begun, we continued up 52nd Street and onto first Ave where we were able to walk up close to the stage. The rally had several speakers and music, with the highlight being a powerful speech by Representative Alexandria Occasio-Cortez.  At the conclusion of the rally we all made our way back to Penn Station, took the train back to New Brunswick, and arrived back at RCHP just as the rain began.  A truly beautiful day.  And the renewal and reinvigoration of a movement to save the life on our planet.

Submitted by Mark Lesko  

Please see our Photo Gallery for additional march photos

Historic Reformed Church of Long Branch to ‘add’ Affordable Homes for Seniors!

Back in 2006 RCHP made the decision to utilize our church administrative building roof (which was flat the time) for the construction of homes for women aging out of foster care.  Since then we are always looking for opportunities to take faith community buildings (or part of them) and repurpose them to meet one of the pressing needs in New Jersey—affordable housing.  

On October 16th Pastor Seth and RCHP-Affordable Housing go before the Zoning Board in Long Branch to argue its reasons for transforming most of that historic (now empty) church into another purpose for God—the purpose of housing people well.  We hope, by the end of the meeting on the 16th, to have permission to move forward with 15 units for low and very-low income people.  

This church property is famous for the town because President William McKinley used to attend services while he was president.  We hope to preserve the historic sanctuary while giving it a ‘current’ use that matches the needs of Long Branch.  

Relaunching Wednesday Night Detention Center Visitation: After years of not visiting detainees we are nearly ready to relaunch this important ministry.  If you’d like to go to the Elizabeth Detention Center, to meet people who are seeking asylum, but who haven’t been cleared for release, please let us know.  We hope, within a couple of weeks, to send our first bus full of visitors!

RWJUH Nurses Strike

RCHP continues to stand with the nurses of Robert Wood Johnson Hospital.  We have hosted rallies, written letters to the governor and senator and preached on the matter.  Please pray for all 1700 nurses and continue to take steps to show tangible signs of support.

CHECK OUT THIS DOC FOR A FULL SUMMARY FROM PASTOR SETH OF UPDATES AND HAPPENINGS IN THE RCHP SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY!

HP Food Pantry

Food Pantry needs for October:

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://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/11AKRFJFUGZPF?ref_=wl_share

Most urgent needs are:

Oats

Cereal

Pasta

Tuna, Salmon, Chicken 

Depends- men's and ladies- all sizes 

Poise- men's and ladies

In addition to the Amazon wish list, items may be purchased from big box stores like Costco or Sam's Club; contact Kathi for further details: foxyrox18@gmail.com

Fall Grief Support Group - Continues thru October

This Fall, as we approach the holiday season, we are reminded that this is a time we spend with loved ones. This season of celebration has been engraved into our hearts and into our families from a young age. Holidays are one way we mark the passage of time. They are one of the many milestones we share with each other, and they often represent time spent with family and friends. For many of us, this is the hardest part of grieving our losses. Together in our support group we create a circle of healing to hold each other up during our most difficult times. 

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

If you would like to be part of our group, please contact Pastor Stephanie at RCHP, Kathleen Malkiewicz at kathmaldtr@gmail.com or Nicci Spinazzola at niccispinazzola@gmail.com  

NJ Interfaith Center for Cancer Care - Support Group

If you've experienced a cancer diagnosis (no matter if it's recent or from years ago) and would like to join a reflective, contemplative, peer-led, interfaith support and discussion group, the NJ Interfaith Center for Cancer Care welcomes you to our ongoing group. The group currently meets virtually for an hour once a week and while regular attendance is welcome, the meeting topics are independent of each other, making it convenient for individuals whose schedules prevent them from attending every week of the month. If you're interested, please contact Austin at austin.njic3@improvingnj.org  for details.

The Self-Help Support Group

Join co-leaders Jess Munger and Terry Horyn for nurturing support for the body, mind and spirit every Monday and Thursday from 4-5 p.m. in the parlor. Masks are optional. Topics addressed can be anything from Covid fears to physical ailments to emotional challenges. All are welcome! For more info, contact Jess at jessmsn409@gmail.com

Bereavement Calendar

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

The following names have been offered for remembrance in October 2023: 

Marie Lavelle, Beloved Mother, 

and Tim Lavelle, Beloved Brother of Lisa Berman

Sharlene Petersen, Beloved Mother of Kathleen Malkiewicz

Jean deKoster, Beloved Sister of Cecilia Rowedder

Teri Shook, Beloved Mother of Kevin and Megan Shook,

 and Beloved Wife of Ken Shook

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.

SEPTEMBER HIGHLIGHTS AND MILESTONES

RCHP affordable housing makes progress with new affordable homes on N. 4th Ave.

March to End Fossil Fuels

Great things are happening at The Table on Sunday nights in the RCHP quilt room - The Beloved Community made real!

Sunday School is in full swing....

Led by our amazing Sunday School teachers!