Dear RCHP,

I’m so excited for this fall! While the change of pace that summer provides is absolutely necessary, the flow of the ‘program year’ grounds me. I don’t believe I’m alone in valuing a schedule and routine (hey, it worked for the monastics!).  

Being together on Sundays, working together to create music on Wednesdays, finding time to read and study scripture, delving into difficult theological topics in book groups, welcoming new people into town and greeting old friends, participating in service opportunities…all of it brings me joy in the Spirit! The joy I feel isn’t just a personal joy—related to the things I myself participate in. I find joy, too, in seeing church-family members rise up in and through their routines that are shaped (in part) by life in church.  

As you read this newsletter, a newsletter that points toward excitement and recaps an amazing summer, I hope and pray that you’ll let the energy of the Holy Spirit pumping through this place move through you, to draw you deeper into this community as we start the fall.

For those who have been away for a while, RCHP now has two locations for ministry. We worship and serve in Highland Park and in South River. Please pray for the start to the program year in both locations and see if you might find ways to help in both/either town.

The Peace of Christ to you,

Pastor Seth

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

Upcoming September Events & Happenings

Labor Day Weekend Sunday: 

September 4th is our last Sunday for 1 worship service in Highland Park. Worship in Highland Park is at 9am and in South River at 11am.

World Renew Dinner and Celebration, September 8th, North Haledon

For many years World Renew has been one of our most trusted partner agencies for meaningful disaster relief.  The summer work trips are often through World Renew, and, during Hurricane Sandy, World Renew set up RCHP as a major headquarters for life-saving work along the Jersey Shore.  World Renew is celebrating its 60th year of operation with 6 dinner-events around the country.  September 8th the event is in North Haledon.  Please let us know if you’d like to attend.  The event is FREE.  Carpooling will happen from RCHP.

Nature Hike, September 10th, Helyar Woods at Rutgers Gardens (followed by a stop off at Global Grace Farm)

Join us on September 10th for a walk through Helyar Woods at Rutgers Gardens, followed by a quick visit to Global Grace Farm (on Cook College Campus). This is a great way for children and families to get to know each other and some of the church pastors and staff.

South River Update:   

Starting Tuesday, September 13th, every Tuesday and Thursday from 4-7pm artists are welcome to join a Free Open Art Studio at First Reformed Church in South River.  To reserve a spot, please fill out this short google form: https://forms.gle/iGp4DaK9b4yQDM1g9 

For studio days after the 13th you will be able to find the reservation links at facebook.com/firstreformedsouthriver   Anyone 15 and older is welcome to attend.  Please bring your own supplies, but as we grow we will have more supplies to share. For any questions email Sadae (she/her) at sadaemarie@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 begins Tuesday October 4th 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

Game Day, Saturday, September 17th at 11am - 12:30 pm in the social hall.

Join your church family for a morning of fun and friendly competition.  Games are provided, but feel free to bring your own favorite to share.  Feel free to bring a snack to share, if you feel moved to do so, but the most important ingredients are your presence and joyful, carefree good times.

Accompany Now!/DIRE

Seeking school supplies for unaccompanied minors and children of new arriving asylum seekers

We are deeply involved in the lives of families who are on the edge, in terms of finances. Sometimes the lack of having proper items for school impacts a kid's ability to feel confident going to school and excelling in school.

Please support Accompany Now! and DIRE youth with school supplies. The flyer here is specifically for Accompany Now! (which has the vast number of youth in our program). However, there are other children, through DIRE, also in need of support.  

Please support this effort and we'll distribute to social workers from both programs!

Check out this new support group opportunity from NJIC3. Click on the flyer for more details.

NOTE: See our "Serving & Working for Justice & the Beloved Community" section for NJIC3 report on the Youth Ambassador Camp by Nobuko Hori

Program Year Sunday Schedule starts September 11

Starting September 11th Sunday morning looks like this…

-9am Worship in Highland Park

-10:15-11:00am Sunday school for all ages

-11:15 Worship in Highland Park

-11:00am Worship in South River

While we are a 7-day a week church, Sunday is the time when, all together, we open ourselves to Christ and Spirit through Adoration, Listening and the beginnings of Responding to God.  Sunday mornings are important! 

Wednesday Evening Choirs for All Ages: While there are some details still being worked out, in terms of Wednesday night programming, we are quite certain about the following.  Apologies in advance if any changes occur to this schedule, but this is what we think will be occurring!

5:00-5:30pm First Voices (for little kids) and Voices of Praise (2nd-6th) will learn songs so that they can lead the church in worship.  

5:30-6:00 Some opportunity to eat together (details still being arranged)

6:00 Gospel Choir (with childcare or kid-programming)

7:00 Chancel Choir (with childcare as requested)

8:00 Praise Team Practice

A Message from Meghan Pirri - Ministry Associate for Children

Sunday School starts September 11th!

Welcome back everyone! Sunday School starts on September 11th for Preschool through high school- aged children. Nursery will be available for our youngest ones. Parents of 2s and 3s are welcome, though not obligated at all, to attend Sunday School with your child. Preschool-8th graders will gather on the stage in the Social Hall to begin. We will meet at 10:00 on the first day, to allow time for the children to meet the teachers and each other! Join us for stories of God's love, games, activities and songs. 

We have a wonderful group of teachers and are looking forward to having you with us. Please register your child by clicking on this link: Sunday School Registration 2022-2023 or by calling the office. If you have any questions, you can email Meghan at meghanpirri@gmail.com   Hope to see you soon!!

A Message from Pastor Terry

We will be kicking off the youth group year on Sep 11 with middle school youth group from 5:45 to 7 pm, and high school youth group from 7 to 8:15 pm. Join Pastor Terry for a time of fellowship, games, food, and discussion. Whether you are entering 6th or 9th grade, or have never been before, or are a regular, we hope you come to our kick-off and try it out! 

Sunday school for middle and high school also begins on Sep 11, running from 10:15 to 11:00. Please register for Sunday School at  https://forms.gle/hsLSZhWewXL8w3We8, or, you can stop by the church office to fill out a registration form. 

On the first and third Sundays of the month, beginning on Sep 18, we will have Kids in the Cave, our youth group for 4th and 5th grade students. We will meet right after the second service, from 12:30 to 1:30, to eat lunch, hang out, and pray together.

Wednesday Bible Study:  Every Wednesday, from 7:45-9:00am, join Pastor Seth and a group of steady studiers for a time of reading scripture and listening to God speak through each other.  Why bible study?  I think that sometimes people think bible study is a very ‘prim and proper’ sort of practice.  I (Seth) just want to say that bible study is about reading texts that are beyond ourselves, listening for God’s voice in the reading, and being formed and reformed through that reading.  It’s a radical, life-changing, practice.  Join us!  

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.

"Tricky Topics" Book Study

We're beginning a second season of Tricky Topics, a reading group engaging issues that are more challenging to discuss, at the intersections of faith and society. Contact Pastor Amos to get involved. The first book study begins the third week of September!

NJ Interfaith Center for Cancer Care - Youth Ambassador Camp

Summary by Nobuko Hori

From August 8-12, NJIC3 held its 3rd Youth Ambassador Camp, this year focusing on how marginalized communities in NJ are disproportionately impacted by cancer due to environmental racism.  The group learned about the Ramapough Lenape tribe in Ringwood, NJ, whose land has been poisoned by the former Ford Motor plant-turned superfund site, as well as the Ironbound community of Newark, which sits within an industrial belt of toxic pollutants.  We also learned about how these communities organize to fight for clean air, land and water, racial/social justice and healthy communities.  

On Wednesday, we visited the Ironbound Community Corporation, where we went on their Environmental Justice tour, seeing the underbelly of manufacturing, sewage treatment, a trash incinerator, and oil refineries amongst family neighborhoods and community parks.  The tour started and ended at their Down Bottom Farm in the heart of Newark.  The kids in the program, who ranged from ages 11-17 planted flower seeds together on the farm, realizing that seeds of love and hope can be planted even in seemingly hopeless places, and spent time connecting with the ICC organizers. 

Interfaith-RISE Monthly Meeting, September 15th, noon

One of the largest programs hosted at RCHP is Interfaith-RISE.  IRISE resettles refugees from around the world.  In the past 11 months, for example, IRISE has helped to resettle, in housing, 400 refugees, and has provided some level of serious social services, English Language, Medical support, School Support, material support, to well over 1,000 refugee clients.  There are so many volunteer opportunities through IRISE.  If you’d like to get involved come to the monthly meeting at noon on September 15th or join online at 

Join Interfaith-RISE Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83787217553?pwd=eHl6UGxad1BTcHdrcGJQNnR1YUh4Zz09 

Helping Unaccompanied Minors through Accompany Now!

Prayers here at RCHP from 2014-2018, for children crossing the border, opened our hearts and minds to create a program called Accompany Now!  This program, which has just had increased funding, will soon have 40 staff who serve children across the state of New Jersey and throughout New York City.  We are excited for a partnership with New Brunswick Seminary which will allow 20+ of our staff to have offices in that beautiful facility!  

If you feel passionate about helping children reunite with relatives in the states, after crossing the border alone, please reach out to Pastor Seth for more information.  

HP Food Pantry

Food Pantry needs for September:

Most urgent needs are:

Cereal

Tomato Sauce 

Tuna, Chicken, Salmon

Poise (adult bladder protection)

They can also use:

Oats

Adult Diapers 

Stayfree 

Baby Diapers- sizes 2 thru 5

W.I.S.E. Care Blog - September 2022

The theme for Wise Care Committee programming in September is prevention of mental illness and substance abuse in our children, providing support for parents, teachers, and caregivers to help build resilience in our young people. 

The following article is excerpted from the American Psychological Association website with special thanks to the following experts for their contribution: Mary K. Alvord, PhD, Robin Gurwitch, PhD, Jana Martin, PhD, and Ronald S. Palomares, PhD. 

See https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience/guide-parents-teachers  for complete article.

TIPS FOR BUILDING RESILIENCE IN CHILDREN AND TEENS

We tend to idealize childhood as a carefree time, but youth alone offers no shield against the emotional hurts, challenges, and traumas many children face. Children can be asked to deal with problems ranging from adapting to a new classroom or online schooling to bullying by peers or even struggles at home. Add to that the uncertainties that are part of growing up in a complex world, and childhood can be anything but carefree. The ability to thrive despite these challenges arises from the skills of resilience. The good news is that resilience skills can be learned. 

Building resilience—the ability to adapt well to adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or even significant sources of stress—can help our children manage stress and feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. However, being resilient does not mean that children won’t experience difficulty or distress. Emotional pain, sadness, and anxiety are common when we have suffered major trauma or personal loss, or even when we hear of someone else’s loss or trauma. 

FOR HELPFUL TIPS ON BUILDING RESILIENCE IN CHILDREN, Click on this link

Bereavement Calendar

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

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

Robert Board, Beloved Great-Uncle of Jess Munger

Ann and Fred Caterson, Beloved Parents of Mary Caterson

Tim Downey, Beloved Husband of Luanne Downey,

and Beloved Brother-in-Law of Illona Faust and Susanne Kucsma

Michael Faust, Beloved Husband of Andrea Faust, 

Beloved Father to Meghan, Ryan, Sean, Michael, Alexis, and Madison, 

and Beloved Brother-in-Law of Illona Faust

Helen and Joe Haluko, Beloved Aunt and Uncle of Illona Faust, Susanne Kucsma, and Luanne Downey

Maria Sia Sui Hong, Beloved Mother of Yana Sunarto, 

and Beloved Grandmother of the Pangemanan family 

Carol Spargo House, Beloved Cousin of Carrie and Paul Hudak 

Melinda Knowlton, Beloved Daughter of Roberta Knowlton

Brittany Novak, Beloved Niece of Cathy Laycock, 

and Cousin of Anna Laycock

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.

AUGUST HIGHLIGHTS AND MILESTONES

Vacation Bible School Extravaganza!

Everything from the decoration and preparation……….

……….to the rehearsals and performance……….

…………added up to pure joy in the production of the original musical “Stronger Together”.  Thanks be to God for the collaboration, cooperation and celebration of the Holy Spirit through the voices of RCHP kids!

South River Dreaming Session—A group of Highland Park and South River members gathered together for ‘Blue Sky’ dreaming and mission statement development over dinner at the end of August.  There is so much excitement!

RCHP-Affordable Housing nears completion of its newest house for homeless families from Middlesex County.

South River “kids cooking classes” and Summer Zone program ran successfully all summer!