Dear RCHP,
This is going to be hard work—rebuilding our full church community. When I breeze through the church rolls I’m thankful to see that many of you have stayed connected to the life of the church, even if your engagement was necessarily dramatically reduced over the past 15 months. Others, through new forms of engagement (zoom, online services) are more involved than ever. I’m also aware that certain demographics (especially young families) have had hindrances to engagement even greater than the average individuals and family. We want—so badly—to get to know our youngest babies and serve our young members in the multifaceted ways we are used to doing.
I’m also aware that less people (and especially fewer young families) joined this year (understandably) than in past years. What that tells me is that there are lots of new families (in Highland Park and in neighboring towns) who might be anxious to find a loving, caring, active church like ours.
With that in mind I invite all parents & caregivers with babies and children (I’m thinking through 5th grade) to stay after church on June 6th for a Listening Session. Staff and some consistory members will just sit in and hear what your hopes and dreams are for church engagement for the youngest among us as we move into a new phase of life together. We will provide childcare during this 1 hr. listening session.
I would encourage the entire church family to consider if there are young families near you, not yet part of our church, that would desire the connection and joy that comes from church engagement with little kids. You, RCHP members, are the best possible outreach method! People join churches when they are invited by people who love their church and suggest there is a place for everyone.
I am so thankful for our Children’s Ministry Associate, Wendy Jager, and for Pastor Lara, who, together (with support from volunteers and interns), have kept a strong and steady children program going all year despite the many limitations caused by the pandemic. I am anxious to see us grow the number of Sunday School teachers, children’s worship leaders and to increase special program offerings for little ones and families as soon as we possibly can.
The Peace of Christ to you,
Pastor Seth
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Upcoming June Events & Happenings |
Senior High Youth Group Camping Trip June 4th - 6th - A time for rest, reflection, and recreation at Cheesequake State Park. Contact Pastor Terry Stokes at terryjon.stokes@gmail.com for more info
A Listening Session for Parents of RCHP kids & Church Leadership, June 6th, 12:15-1:15 (with childcare)
We are holding a session for parents to help us imagine a post-covid future for children’s engagement at RCHP. Surely we’ll return to doing some of the wonderful things we’d done in the past—but it’s a good moment to assess where we are and to dream of where we’re going—from a kid-first angle. There will be childcare.
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Nature Hike for June will, instead, be an RCHP morning at Global Grace Farm! , June 12th
On June 12th we invite all church members to come out to Global Grace Farms. We will be leaving from church at 9am, or, you can meet us at 14 College Farm Rd. Come and work with Ashar Hafeez to water plants, weed beds and spend time in an absolutely beautiful place.
Memorial for Long-time Highland Parker Barbara Lewis, June 12th Many at RCHP knew longtime HP resident Barbara Lewis. Barbara died during the winter, and a memorial service will be held for her, outside, at 11am on June 12th
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World Refugee Day Picnic at Donaldson Park, June 13th - Join Interfaith-RISE, and lots of RCHP members, for a World Refugee Day Picnic at Grove 4, from 5pm-7pm.
Fellowship Outdoor Meet & Greet, June 19th
We gather on the front lawn of RCHP at 11 am Come say "hello" and catch up with your church family - all are welcome!
Father’s Day Picnic and Ultimate Frisbee Game, June 20th After 2nd Service, on Father’s Day, the church family is invited to a picnic! This picnic always includes a wonderful game of Ultimate!
Naloxone Kit-Making and Training with NJHRC, June 26 at 1:00pm
RCHP is hosting New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition (NJHRC) on Sunday, June 26, as they conduct a kit-making party with harm reduction supplies including Naloxone. NJHRC is a trusted partner in the work to serve people who use drugs, especially those who use drugs chaotically and who have been harmed by punitive and stigmatizing drug policy. Naloxone is an overdose-reversal drug that can and does save lives, but our country’s “war on drugs” has restricted access to Naloxone for people who desperately need it most. Anyone is welcome to attend the kit-making party outside the church, starting at 1:00 on June 26. There will be educational literature available and a short training following the kit-making.
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New Refugee Families arriving! RCHP will start having new families around the church again, starting very soon. We will be receiving new refugee arrivals on June 8th, June 10th and June 15th, with many other new families just behind them in line! We need volunteers to help us prepare apartments (lots of them). Please reach out to Pastor Seth at seth.kaperdale@gmail.com if you are willing and able to help pick up furniture and clean/organize new apartments.
SAVE THE DATES!!
Interfaith-RISE Walking Camp: June 26-29, July 6-9 Jr. High and High are invited to reach out to Pastor Seth to assist with this fun walking camp for refugee kids!
August: Vacation Bible School August 23rd-27th Please let us know if you can volunteer and help us start spreading the word!
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Worship and Education Opportunities |
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Adult Ed in June
In honor and recognition of Pride Month in June, RCHP will present a series of presentations/discussions for our Adult Ed classes, come and join the conversation! We gather at 10 a.m. every Sunday throughout this month. Click on the flyer for details.
Sunday Education Hour: Every Sunday, from 10am-11am, we have Education Hour. Adult Education will be held in the Parlor (with masks) or, occasionally, outside. Children’s Sunday School will be held outdoors or in the social hall.
Sunday Worship Service Schedule in June: Every Sunday in June we will have a 9am worship service in the sanctuary (masked, but with singing) and an 11am worship service outside (masks are optional).
Planning for Summer (July 4th-Labor Day)
1 Service + Coffee Hour
Each Sunday in July and August we will have 1 service (like we usually do). We will have it at 9am, followed by a time of fellowship. Coffee and simple snacks will be served. Talk to Pastor Seth if you’d like to claim leadership of providing snacks for one week in the summer.
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Choirs
Both the Gospel Choir and the Chancel Choir are up and running, and it feels so good to be gathering regularly to sing together. We are continuing our alternating-Wednesday rehearsal schedule through June and July, meeting from 6:30 to 7:30 outside the front of the church (South Second Ave). Choirs will also lead songs on alternating Sundays. Here is the choir rehearsal schedule for the month of June:
June 2: Gospel Choir
June 9: Chancel Choir
June 16: Gospel Choir
June 23: Chancel Choir
June 30: Gospel Choir
The TABLE: Every Sunday night at 5:30pm, join church friends for a delicious dinner and fellowship. We call this event The Table. All are welcome!
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New LGBTQ+ Youth Group & Pride Pizza Party! Tuesday, June 8th 7-8:30 pm
Join Austin Morreale and friends for a new group called LYT (LGBTQ+ Youth Together) for the very first monthly gathering. Youth from 2nd-12th grades are welcome. Parents are also invited to this first meeting to meet Austin and co-hosts. This group is NOT faith-based - all are welcome! RSVP ASAP for the pizza party. Click on the flyer for more details.
'Tweens and Teens Connections
Wednesday Middle School Youth Group: 7pm-8:15pm (in person, in The Cave)
Sunday High School Youth Group: 7pm-8:3opm
Kid’s Choir, 3pm-3:30pm, in-person, outside, rain or shine. Pastor Seth will also always have a zoom link for those interested in joining virtually.
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Church Kids and Camp—RCHP has dramatically increased its commitment to encouraging church kids to get to Christian camps this summer. This is largely a result of wanting to encourage positive engagement with faith and for community building post-covid. If anyone would like to help us pay for scholarships for youth, please let us know! We are doing everything possible to make sure that cost doesn’t hinder anyone from these opportunities. We are particularly thankful that Pastor Terry will be going to Camp Fowler in the role of both Youth Pastor to our kids as well as Counselor for Camp Fowler for the week.
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Wednesday is Bible Study Day:
7:45am with Pastor Seth (social hall)
5:30pm with Cori and Liz
Daily Online Prayer: Join your church family Monday thru Saturday at 9 a.m. for a time of reflection, prayer, support and sharing our joys and sorrows. For Zoom link, go to https://www.rchighlandpark.org/
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Connecting With One Another |
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Sewing Circle
This treasured group of sewers/quilters has been meeting remotely for the past year but is happy to announce that they will start meeting in-person again starting in mid-May, and welcome new members! Send a text or call Ellie Monroe at 330-732-7165 for more info.
Prayer Shawl Group
If you or a loved one have ever received a prayer shawl, this is the group that created it. Though currently meeting virtually, they hope to resume in-person gathering by late Spring. Please contact Selma Colmant at scolmant@mac.com New members welcome!
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.
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"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 or your latest Covid cooking creation. Contact our host, Carol Turner cjteddpc@mac.com for more information and for a Zoom link. FOR JUNE we will explore: Films that make you think about what really matters.
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Serving and Working For Justice & the Beloved Community
All church members are encouraged to see our “Justice Collaboration Newsletter” (sent on June 2nd) for more details on engagement each month. Here’s a short list of some upcoming happenings associated with the life of the church.
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Re-Introducing our Cancer Care Program as NJ Interfaith Communities for Cancer Care Last year, fulfilling a dream launched by Pastor Franco Juricic, we started NJ Congregational Center for Cancer Care. From the beginning, the desire was for this to be an interfaith initiative. Cancer cuts across faith traditions. And, God’s comfort and presence can be experienced through a variety of faith traditions. We believe, strongly, that we can love each other through the cancer journey as we deepen the ways we call upon God, and that we can do that across faith lines. We are so pleased to have hired Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders to be co-directors of NJ Interfaith Communities for Cancer Care.
In the next few weeks Liezl Bosch (former student pastor at RCHP) as well as Bilal Hussain and Jill Meehan will be rolling out program and engagement ideas for NJIC3. To learn more about getting involved please write to liezl.NJIC3@improvingnj.org Also, high schoolers should be on the lookout for the Summer Youth Cancer Ambassadors program. Details for an August program will be rolled out soon.
Global Grace Health-Be The Change hosts Vaccine Clinics
RCHP continues to play a role in helping NJ residents get vaccinated. We are so thankful to again be hosting clinics on a regular basis. Watch for occasional updates regarding our vaccination event schedule!
DIRE Monthly Meeting at noon, Thursday, June 10th (in person)
IRISE Community Meeting, noon, Thursday, June 17th (in person)— Please write to Fida Ayoubi, the volunteer coordinator, if you want to be added to the e-news
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HP Food Pantry
During COVID our community is in need of the food pantry more than ever. The HP Food Pantry is collecting donations via an Amazon Wishlist. To donate badly needed items, click on https://tinyurl.com/s7pxpzn Contact Kathi Lombardi with questions: foxyrox18@gmail.com The items needed most this month are:
Cereal
Oatmeal
Rice
Canned Salmon
Canned Chicken
Adult Diapers (medium/large)
Stayfree Feminine Pads
Shelf Stable Milk
Snack Crackers
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.
Thrift Shop - Hours of Operation
Check out the Thrift Shop any day, Monday-Saturday from 9:30am-Noon, and after church on Sunday 12-2 pm !
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Supporting Each Other During Difficult Times |
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Peer-led 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. Seating is socially distant and masks are required. 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
Church Based Mental Health
Asking for help is a sign of strength. Call our bilingual (nosotras hablamos Espanol!) Warmline for free non-crisis confidential mental health care (866) 777-2380 Email: ayuda@improvingNJ.org www.NJCommunityMentalHealth.org
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Bereavement Calendar
RCHP remembers all those who died in June and all those who still mourn
The following names have been offered for remembrance in June 2021:
Edith Collins, Beloved Mother of Jim Collins
Ellen Hori, Beloved Mother of Nobuko Hori
Ana and Mate Jung, Beloved Grandparents of the Juricic Family
Deborah McKay, Beloved Sister of Kathi Lombardi
Nina Paterna, Beloved Mother of Bettye Chant
Kay Pitt, Beloved Member of the RCHP Sewing Circle
Liu Russo, Beloved Friend of Marcia Marcal Persiano
Eleanor Williams, Beloved Mother of Dottie Maitland and Richard Williams
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.
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MAY HIGHLIGHTS AND MILESTONES |
RCHP 2021 Confirmands
RCHP celebrates the confirmation of Ethan Haiduc-Dale, Cora Kaper-Dale, Melissa Evans and Eva Sofia Edenbaum. Congrats, and may they be blessed as they continue on the path to adulthood!
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Christia Assa and Joy Umatoni to attend Entrada program at Calvin College—We are so excited for these two teens who have gotten themselves admitted to a College Prep program at Calvin College for summer 2021! We are thankful, too, to the Consistory for the decision to assist with scholarships for both of these wonderful students.
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RCHP Global Reach
RCHP recently raised just under $1,000 for the family of a church sexton in south India who recently died of COVID. Click on this link to see a video with words of thanks from the family and Pastor Gladstone Robert. Additionally, church member Jumoke Kolawole, arranged for shipment and delivery of extra baby formula (originally collected by RCHP for Central America relief) to her home country of Nigeria. RCHP is blessed to be a part of caring for our neighbors beyond our American borders. Click on this link to see a video from our friends in Nigeria.
Charles LeFluere was recently in Gambia (see pics below) to distribute clothing and school supplies to children. We thank God for Charles who continues to find ways to care for his neighbors back home.
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