CPC Ringwood Newsletter November 20 2024

Volume 61, November 20, 2024

Church News and Updates

Where Grace Happens

This week's newsletter is packed full of information about all our upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities, including Harvest Festival, Ringwood Interfaith Service and the SMA Children's Concert. We also have details of our ongoing Bible studies, a new women's book group, all our youth activities, and other concerts. Read on to make sure that you don't miss anything!

Our next newsletter is due on December 4th - please let Sue or Christine know by 12/1 if you have news to share.

Community Church website

CPC Ringwood YouTube Channel

Pastoral Pondering...

Here we are! Harvest Sunday is upon us and the Christmas season is also about to begin. As is so often the case, this year the first Sunday of Advent falls on Thanksgiving weekend, adding to the festive celebrations! It is my sincere hope that you will be a part of it all.

Traditions are such an important part of life. As a child, while my family did not attend church regularly, Christmas Eve was an absolute must! For me, even if I were not a pastor, Christmas just would not be Christmas without Christmas Eve candlelight worship because of the tradition my family instilled in me from a very young age. There are so many ways to experience the joy of the season, but, they all begin with our Harvest Sunday Worship and Luncheon, this Sunday, November 24.

Harvest Sunday is the day we take stock of all that God has done and continues to do in our lives and in the life of our church. Just as we will do with our families on Thanksgiving, on Harvest Sunday we gather together as family, lifting our joyful praises in worship and sharing a festive meal together immediately afterward. In worship, during the Offertory we will bring forward our 2025 Faith Commitment pledges along with our regular weekly offerings and donations of canned and boxed food for CFA. Laying them before the Lord at his table, we then ask God’s blessing upon it all. The bell choir will be playing, the choir will be singing, and we will be praising God, together!

I pray you are able to be part of our CPC family celebration. It just wouldn’t be the same without you! See you Sunday.

7 Reasons Why Traditions Are So Important:

1. Tradition contributes to a sense of comfort and belonging, bringing people together and enabling people to reconnect with friends.

2. Tradition reinforces values such as freedom, faith, integrity, a good education, personal responsibility, a strong work ethic, and selflessness.

3. Tradition provides a forum to showcase role models and celebrate the things that matter in life.

4. Tradition offers a chance to say “thank you” for the contribution that someone has made.

5. Tradition enables us to showcase the principles of our Founding Fathers, celebrate diversity, and unite as a country.

6. Tradition serves as an avenue for creating lasting memories for our families and friends.

7. Tradition offers an excellent context for meaningful pause and reflection.

by Frank Sonnenberg

THANK YOU to the members of the Worship Committee for their time in making our Election Day Prayer Open House a success.

Welcome to our New Clerk of Session

Elder Helen Hill has graciously accepted the role of Session Clerk. Helen’s role includes creation of Session Agendas, compiling committee reports, recording session minutes and distributing them after the meeting. Please remember to say Thank you to Helen for accepting this new role.

This coming Sunday is Harvest Sunday

November 24 Harvest Worship and Luncheon

The sanctuary will be decorated for Thanksgiving.
2025 Faith Promise Pledges will be dedicated in worship.
Bring an offering of canned and boxed food donations for CFA, to be brought forward during the offertory.
Celebration Luncheon to follow.

Join us at the Ringwood Thanksgiving Interfaith Service

Hanging of the Greens

We hope that you will help us acquire the “store inventory” for our Children’s Christmas Bazaar. One of the biggest ways you can help is to shop our Christmas Bazaar list on Amazon, choose the items you would like to donate and ship them straight to us at church ( the address “should” come up when you set up the purchase) We would also welcome any items you may have at home which are suitable for regifting. These can be brought to the office marked to the attention of Elyse Williams.

Thank you for helping to create this wonderful opportunity for our children to make independent gift choices for the people they love. All donations should be delivered no later than Wed Nov. 27 so they make it into our building before Thanksgiving break. Please reach out to either Elyse Williams or Tracy Rynkowski if you have any questions.

Click here for the Amazon list

Training for 21st Century Ministry

Tracy Rynkowski and Pastor Arlene attended the Community Organizing Outreach Training session hosted by the Classis of Greater Palisades, (Pastor Arlene's Classis) and held at Second Reformed Church in Hackensack.

This free, seven-hour, in-person training focused on developing relationships within our communities that build trust and bring people together around common purposes, which is a vital component of Christian ministry in the 21st Century!

Women’s Book Group

It's not too late to join our new women's book group. We will be meeting in Fellowship Hall, starting on January 13th, 2025. We will begin reading Brené Brown’s seminal work, The Gifts of Imperfection.

This group will meet twice per month to discuss the latest chapter and how Brown’s work might influence our lives for the better. If you would like to be included, email Pastor Arlene rev.arleneromaine@gmail.com

Youth Group News from Tracy

I am excited to be sending out my first note in the newsletter. It has been a fun start and I am looking forward to sharing all the new (and old) things I have discovered, and have begun weeding through, in the near future.

Many of you might know that Heather Frisbie has decided that it is time to take a well deserved sabbatical from Faith in Action. Heather has been involved with our children’s ministry in some way or another for the past 17 years and has given so much to our church in that time. I am lucky to have her support and guidance as I phase into my new role. I hope that everyone will take a moment to say thank you to her for all she has done for our children and for our entire church over the years.

We are working hard to create a network of teachers so that we can continue to offer Faith in Action to our children. I am looking for adults who are wiling to co-teach once a month with theme, outline lesson and supplies provided. We want to offer opportunities to give the children “out of the box” lessons that offer “hands on” experiences that tie to our lesson. Faith in Action will continue to learn about and support our three missions, CFA, Son Servants and Charity Water. Please find me if you have any questions - or send me an email @ tracyrynkowski@gmail.com.

Community Youth Schedule December

Dec 1 - Regular youth during worship

Dec 1 - Children's Christmas Bazaar Youth participants 10:30 - 2

Dec 7 - “Wrap it Up” evening for children/parents: Youth participants 5 - 8:30

Dec 8 - Regular youth during worship

Christmas Party for Community Youth - 12-2:30

Dec 15 - Regular youth during worship

Parents: Would you be interested in an evening to finish up your Christmas shopping and wrapping? The youth would like to offer an evening on Saturday, Dec 7 from 5-8 when your child/children can come hang out with the youth (and Tracy) while you “wrap up” some Christmas needs.

Sign up by emailing Tracy with the names and ages of the children you will be bringing. Signing up is very important, so that we can plan for the correct number of youth leaders as well as our activities and games. Please bring a labeled packed dinner, NUT FREE and a water bottle. All details will be emailed to the address you sign up from.

Request from the Facilities Team

This is our recent arrival to replace the two deteriorating sheds on the side of the gym which were removed a few months ago. At almost 1300 cubic feet this weatherproof sea container will be plenty of storage for those who need it.

Many thanks to Gary Wogisch. He alone prepared the site BY HAND before the container was delivered . During the delivery he supervised the placement and made the final adjustments ensuring all was on the level.

Our next project will be constructing a third shed on the south wall of the gym to accommodate the needs of Troop 76.

The Facilities Committee is looking for folks who are willing to share their particular gifts and skills in helping with upcoming building renovations. If you are a professional or seasoned individual with building renovation, maintenance, or repair experience and are willing to lend a hand, please contact Elyse Williams or Chip Cronauer so that we can put you on the list of volunteers.

"We Need to Talk" AARP Seminar

This is a free 60-minute virtual seminar from AARP based on information created jointly by The Hartford and MIT Agelab and is intended to help people determine how to assess their loved ones’ driving skills and provide tools to help them have important conversations about limiting or stopping driving.

It may be helpful to some of our church members. This seminar is presented by CPC member Patty Loud.

Thursday 11/21/2024 3:00 PM

https://events.aarp.org/d/r2qj0l

Monday 12/9/2024 3:00 PM

https://events.aarp.org/d/72qjpj

Tuesday 12/17/2024 11:00 AM

https://events.aarp.org/d/l2qjp2

Bible Studies

Tuesdays at 7:00pm in Fellowship Hall

Thursdays at 10:00am at the Romaine residence, 195 Magee Road

Join us, as we read through the first-written book of the New Testament— the Gospel of Mark. All questions, ponderings, and doubts welcome! Just bring your Bible for this in-depth look, led by Pastor Arlene and Ron. The Tuesday sessions continue and we have now added another opportunity to join on Thursday mornings at 10:00am.

Upcoming Clarum Sonum Concerts

Advent Meditation Concert on Saturday, December 7th @ 7:00 p.m.

St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, 326 Avenue C, Bayonne, N.J.

Candlelight Carols Concert on Sunday, December 15th @ 4:00 p.m.

Morrow Memorial United Methodist Church - 600 Ridgewood Road, Maplewood, N.J.

Both concerts are free with a goodwill offering to be taken. For more information go to clarumsonum.org

Presbytery Update

Centering Prayer in the Presbytery

Thursdays at 8am, December 5, 12, 19

As we enter the season of Advent, we prepare for the arrival of the Prince of Peace. And we can know that God-given peace, if only we will receive what God so dearly wants to give.

An invitation is before us now, to be still and heed God’s call to “be still, and know that I am God.”

During Advent, a group will be gathering by Zoom to pray in silence. A brief introduction to Centering Prayer will be offered, followed by twenty minutes of silence, however it is your practice. You will be with others. And you will have a chance to be at rest..