Dear Church Family,
I’m writing this after listening to Pastor Stephanie’s sermon last night for the first Sunday in Advent. She really made a compelling argument for the value of the darkness—the value of the night. She explained well that some growth in our lives happens when we can close our eyes, and slow our minds, and can let God, in our bodies, do the miraculous work of healing and renewal.
Darkness, understood in this sense, has to do with ‘shutting off’ for a moment.
The first days of quarantine, back in March, felt a bit like an abrupt shut off. I was completely knocked off my game—as were all of us. Meetings were cancelled and the technological know-how communally wasn’t up to speed to allow for immediate connectivity (that took a couple of weeks for most of us). Sport and theater seasons were stopped abruptly, trips were cancelled, projects were shelved.
Did you grow then?
I have to say that, despite the horrors of that moment, despite the fact that I’d, of course, not have wanted it to happen, I did grow. And the growth had to do with ‘shutting off,’ or ‘things going dark’ in my world. We can even grow, sometimes, when the darkness comes abruptly—and when we have no choice but to lay fallow for a moment.
I like Advent’s darkness a lot more than I like quarantine-darkness. I like that we the church, in our calendar, at the start of our calendar, intentionally put ourselves back into the dark soil, put ourselves in the darkness of the womb, put ourselves in the darkness of the night, and wait, believing that growth starts here.
And it’s out of the Advent night, out of a silent night, out of a holy night, out of a safe night, out of a restful night, out of a calm night, that we have the clarity to see hope, peace, love and joy starting to break in. It is out of good soil, out of a heavenly womb, that light bursts forth to help illumine the beauty of God’s world.
So, friends, God invites us back into the darkness, together. The dark always feels safer when you’re there with friends. You can appreciate the night sounds, and the stars in the sky, more. when you know that others are near you, and that it is a safe darkness.
Let’s find ways, this Advent, to encourage each other in the dark—that we might do the kind of growing that happens when things slow down, and where we are able to focus on just one little light at a time.
The Peace of Christ be with you,
Pastor Seth (with a message inspired by Pastor Stephanie!)
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Advent 2020
ADVENT 2020, IT’S ALL ON OUR WEBSITE! This year the RCHP website is a MUST for staying aware of opportunities for Advent growth. Please make visits to the website a DAILY routine, as you mark off the days until Christmas. Here are a few highlights:
Virtual Advent Calendar
From November 29 to December 25, we will be hosting on our church website a “Virtual Advent Calendar.” Each day of the week (except Sunday), there will be uploaded a new “Advent Blessing,” with a video featuring a church member, family, or household, offering a personalized blessing. https://www.rchighlandpark.org/adventcalendar
Angel Tree Gifts
On December 6, all of the Christmas trees set up outside the church will be adorned with paper angels, which each symbolize a local child in an under-served family or otherwise disadvantaged situation. Each angel will be marked with vague identifying information (sex, age), and are available for pick-up in the week between December 6 and December 13. We are asking people to take an angel to sponsor a child, and in doing so, to purchase a new article of clothing and a new educational toy appropriate to the age of the child. Please bring all gifts wrapped to the Living Nativity Christmas Pageant on December 13 at 11:30, or please drop off your gift at the church office anytime between December 14 and December 16.
Nature Hike and Ornaments in the Park
On Saturday, December 12 at 9:30am, all are invited to meet at the church for a nature hike in Donaldson Park. This event has become a family favorite, especially for those with young children, as we read a Christmas book together before hanging edible ornaments for animals in the park.
Living Nativity Christmas Pageant
On Sunday, December 13, instead of a regular in-person candle-lighting service, we will be hosting a Christmas Pageant and carol-sing, performed by the children of the church, and featuring real-life farm animals from a local farm. For children wanting to participate in the pageant, the costume-fitting will be at 11:00am on Saturday, December 12, outside the front of the church.
Longest Night Service
On December 13 at 7:00pm, we will hold an in-person, outdoor service for those who desire a sacred space to honor the grief, loss, pain, or disappointment which, among many complicated emotions, emerge during these holiday seasons. This will be a shortened, candle-lit service, featuring music, prayer, and liturgy.
All the events that are directly Advent related can be found at
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Worship
Adult Education and Sunday School
Each Sunday morning at 10:00, we will host a virtual education hour for children, youth, and adults, through Zoom links which will be available on the church website. The adult education class will feature a four-week series on Advent-inspired poetry, led by Colin Jager.
Online Saturday/Sunday Worship + In-Person Candle-Lighting Service
We will be live-streaming a slightly shorter (less than one hour) worship service on Saturday evenings through Facebook Live, and re-sharing and uploading that service to the website by early Sunday morning for folks to watch and worship from home, at your convenience. On Sunday morning, from 11:30 to noon, we will be gathering people outside to sing a few songs, to read a short liturgy, and to light a large Advent candle. As always, we will be adhering to the social distancing and mask-wearing requirements as per state guidelines.
Sundays at 5 pm, The Table (social hall)
Wednesday Candle-Lighting and Virtual Worship
Each Wednesday we will offer two half-hour, in-person candle-lighting and carol-singing opportunities, at 12:30pm and at 6:30pm outside the church. In place of Wednesday evening music rehearsals, Pastor Amos (with a couple others) will lead a short virtual worship experience in the evening, from 8:00 to 8:30 over Zoom, featuring songs and prayer centered upon the themes of hope, peace, love, and joy. Click here for the Zoom link.
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Children and Youth
Sundays at 6 pm, Confirmation Class (basement or outdoors)
Sundays at 7 pm High School Youth Group
Wednesdays at 5:30 pm First Voices - meets online through Dec. 23. Reach out to Pastor Seth for the link.
Wednesdays at 7 pm, Middle School Youth Group (basement or outdoors)
Hello families,
Would you like to have some fresh advent and Christmas stories to read to you family? This is an invite to stop by the children's library before or after our outdoor Advent services. On display now are dozens of advent and Christmas stories that you and your children may enjoy reading together. The library works on a self check-out basis so you can safely social distance while there. If you would prefer to have an advent bag of books prepared for you, just email me wendyjager3@gmail.com with the ages of your children and I will select appropriate stories. You can swing by the church office at any time and pick up your advent bag. I hope you will be able to enjoy precious moments of peace and joy reading together this Christmas season.
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Connecting With God
Sacred Space for Prayer and Meditation
Throughout the Advent season, whenever the church is open, the sanctuary will be kept at a comfortable temperature, decorated for Advent, and available for anyone wishing to sit in silent meditation. From time to time (and upon request), we will play quiet and reflective seasonal songs through the sanctuary sound system. In addition, the prayer chapel, which was recently renovated and dedicated in memory of our beloved friend and pastor Franco Juricic, will be open throughout the season for private meditation. (Masks required - thank you!)
Bible Studies continue at 7:45 on Wednesday mornings and 5pm on Wednesday evening - outdoors if weather is good; in the social hall physically distanced if weather is not good.
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Connecting With One Another
Cancer Care Program through NJC4
Light in the Darkness Memorial Prayer Service - The NJ Congregational Center for Cancer Care (NJ4C) will be holding a special virtual cancer survivors prayer service at 7pm on December 15th, via zoom. A time of remembrance, honor and celebration of the lives of loved ones lost to cancer. Please RSVP to nj4cancercare@improvingnj.org to receive the link. Individuals and communities are invited to submit the name and photo of a loved one lost to cancer as part of a video montage. Send submissions to Desiree McCray at desiree.mccray@ptsem.edu by Dec 4th.
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.
"LitLovers" Reading Group
If you love reading and a lightly structured format for sharing, give LitLovers a try on Tuesdays from 12:30 to 1:30pm. Contact our host, Carol Turner cjteddpc@mac.com for more information and for a Zoom link.
Committee Night
THE FIRST THURSDAY of each month is Committee Night at RCHP. These committees are central to us staying well-balanced as a church in terms of our areas of engagement: Fellowship, Care, Property, Worship, and Justice & Mercy all meet for 45 minute meetings between 6:45 and 9pm (Faith Development and Finance meet on different days). Please reach out to Pastor Stephanie at stephanie.kaperdale@gmail.com if you are interested in being on a committee that specializes in one of these areas.
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Serving and Working For Justice and Peace
Global Grace Farm
Each Saturday in December (until Christmas) you are invited to join Interfaith Rise Food and Farm Coordinator Emily Wilkes for community work days at Global Grace Farm from 10am-Noon.
Global Grace Cafe and Marketplace
If you’d like to help us keep Global Grace Marketplace open for late hours during the holidays please let us know! This would mean being present in-person, during the hours of 2:30pm-7pm, during the week, and, it could mean, also being present during weekend hours. We welcome any volunteer shifts, of any length, to help us keep the doors open! Holiday sales are important to the work of the Marketplace.
Global Grace Cafe - 5 days a week we are serving meals to homeless and hungry individuals in Middlesex County. The Cafe is also open for customers to dine in (limited seating) or to grab and go. Lunch is ready around 11:30am.
Helping our siblings in Central America
RCHP, together with two partner organizations from New Brunswick and Somerset, is jointly leading an effort to ship containers to Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador, as we do our part to help with relief efforts after the horrific hurricanes Eta and Iota. Please help us spread the word and help us collect needed items. For a detailed list of needed items, click on this link Additionally, help is needed for sorting, organizing and packing. Please contact Amanda Bruel if you can assist abruehl@nbts.edu
Thrift Shop
The Thrift Shop is booming once again, and very important to many in our region. If you’d like to help cover shifts in the Thrift Shop, please reach out to Pastor Seth at 732-882-3193.
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:
Canned Vegetables
Rice/Instant Potatoes
Tomato Sauce
Oatmeal
Diapers (sizes 2, 3, & 4)
INTERFAITH RISE
Interfaith-RISE has its next monthly meeting at 12 noon on December 17th. Join us, via zoom, for updates about refugee arrivals and new program opportunities. Reach out to Pastor Seth if you are NOT already on the I-RISE mailing list.
DIRE
DIRE has its next monthly meeting at 12 noon on December 18th. Reach out to Pastor Seth if you are NOT already on the DIRE mailing list.
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Supporting Each Other During Difficult Times
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
Stephen Ministry
A Brief Introduction to Stephen Ministry
Our lives are delicately balanced. A small shift in one area of life can set us off balance; a major change can send us spinning out of control. Each one of us has become acutely aware of these truths over the past 8 months. Perhaps you’ve tried to find support for yourself or a family member, or maybe you’ve been looking for a way to help others. Stephen Ministry can provide both that support and a place to use your gift of compassion. It’s a unique ministry in our congregation in which trained and supervised lay persons, called Stephen Ministers, provide one-to-one confidential Christian care to individuals facing life challenges or difficulties.
So for what types of issues do Stephen Ministers provider care? They can help those who are discouraged, lonely, grieving a loss, struggling with their faith, facing unemployment, experiencing divorce or separation, or coping with a serious illness. They listen and care, and most importantly, bring the stability of God’s love and grace into people’s lives. If you are interested in learning more about Stephen Ministry, please reach out to Pastor Stephanie, Anthony DiGrigoli awdigrigoli@gmail.com or Renee DiGrigoli rmdigrigoli@outlook.com Please reach out now to participate in the training class that will begin mid-January.
Bereavement Calendar for December
RCHP remembers all those who died in December,
and all those who still mourn
The following names have been offered for remembrance in December 2020:
Ethel Bone, Beloved Grandmother of Renee DiGrigoli
George Martin Corcoran, Beloved Father of Frank Corcoran
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.
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RCHP Gives Thanks for Our Seminary Interns! |
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Lena Zwarg (She/Her/Hers) is an international student from Germany and in her second year in the Master of Divinity Program at Princeton Theological seminary. She is the Co-Moderator of the International Student Association there. Lena is one of the Sunday school teachers this year and is working at the thrift shop and hosting The Table ministry on Sunday nights at 6pm. |
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