Dear friends,

I am excited to be leading the study and worship for our annual women’s gathering Friday through Sunday at Holmes Camp and Retreat Center. My husband, Pastor Jim Crawford, will share a message in worship at FPCS this Sunday, Oct. 16, while I am away.

The theme for our weekend retreat is “The God Who Knows Us,” from Psalm 139, also known as the psalm of the “Inescapable God.” I have a number of hopes for this time we will have at Holmes, fellowshipping, studying and growing, being still and knowing, praying and worshiping together. One is that everyone who attends will feel the love of the God surrounding us. For in our brokenness, as people of a broken world, we all need God’s healing. We all need to take time to fill our cups and be encouraged, comforted, strengthened, renewed, refreshed. I pray that the Spirit will speak to our hearts through our study, inspired by Scripture and a marvelous 2012 book by Dr. Ora Horn Prouser, Esau’s Blessing: How the Bible Embraces Those with Special Needs.

About Ora Horn Prouser

Ora Horn Prouser is Executive Vice President and Academic Dean at The Academy for Jewish Religion. After studying Bible, ancient Near Eastern Studies, and Education in college and graduate school, including receiving her PhD in Bible, she has been teaching Bible on the graduate school level for 25 years. Her first book, Esau's Blessing: How the Bible Embraces Those with Special Needs, brings together her love of Bible, and her ability to relate the biblical text to contemporary issues in our society. She lives in New York with her husband and is the mother of three children.

Prouser, a Jewish educator, takes us through the story of prominent Hebrew Bible personalities, all of whom have special needs! We will ask the question, “Is it possible that God specifically chooses people who are “special” to do extraordinary things for God, God’s people, and the world?” We will search the Bible to seek answers to the question, “How is it possible that people with special needs are enabled to do extraordinary things, not just in spite of their disability or exceptionality, but because of their differences?” As we prepare to return home to family, work, and church responsibilities and routines, may we consider how we may embrace our own “specialness” and the “specialness” of our neighbors and be more inclusive and welcoming in our ministries to those with special needs.

May the inescapable God, who knows us and loves us all, watch over thee and me while we are physically apart, but, as always, spiritually connected.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Karen

The Mission of the Holmes Camp and Retreat Center in Holmes, NY:

“The purpose of the Holmes Camp and Retreat Center is to strengthen people of faith, and to encourage people with no faith or who struggle with it. Holmes Camp welcomes all faith traditions to our facilities. Our own programs embody the example of Jesus through, outreach, personal growth, recreation, and being a Christ-centered witness to the issues of conservation, peace, and justice. 

The objectives of Holmes Camp are to provide comfortable facilities for reflection, growth, and inspiration on the edge of the most urbanized region of the world. We practice Christian nurture, witness, outreach and mission through the building of inclusive, healing, and reconciling communities through our retreats and camping programs.

For over 70 years, Holmes Camp has been a special place to generations of participants. Perhaps difficult to put into words, the spirit and the people — shine through. People walk away with the gift of memories and living faith, some very personal, some very intense, including moments of Divine love realized.”

https://www.holmescamp.org/about/mission-statement/ 

Lectionary Scriptures:

Jeremiah 31:27–34; 2 Timothy 3:14–4:5; Psalm 119:97–104; Luke 18:1–8

Questions for Reflection:

Luke’s parable of the widow (Luke 18:1–8) who continually came to the judge seeking justice encourages us not to lose heart. We are to pray and to be persistent in the life of faith on behalf of the justice God intends. God is pictured in contrast to this unjust judge who doesn’t care a bit about justice but does care about his own peace of mind! God, of course, has no peace of mind without justice. if we think of ourselves as the widow in this parable, then few of us have her stamina in the hard, exhausting work of seeking justice on behalf of the powerless. Perhaps this is the reason Jesus asks the closing question of the parable: “. . . when the son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Will he find faith in us—persistent, tireless faith seeking justice? Margit Ernst-Habib, author of But Why Are You Called a Christian? An Introduction to the Heidelberg Catechism, invites us to think that the widow represents not only our need to pray relentlessly but also to see the Holy Spirit in this insistent widow. The Spirit is at work, earnestly, unrelentingly encouraging us to pray. What causes you to lose hope in your own prayer life? What might the Spirit be urging you to pray and work for on behalf of someone else? 

Morning Prayer:

God of justice, you are at work this very day on behalf of those who are poor, marginalized, and disregarded. Fill me with the power of your Holy Spirit so that I can begin this day praying earnestly for someone who faces injustice. Help me to see and to act upon an opportunity to participate in your love and justice. Give me the eyes and ears of faith as I go about my daily routines, walk the paths and hallways of my daily life, and attend to news local and global. Then, seeing and hearing through the light of Christ, encourage me relentlessly to pray and work without losing heart. I ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Evening Prayer:

God of mercy, I come to you now with my energy running low as the lights of the evening. Like stars in the darkness, I send out my prayers for justice to you. May this small effort of mine send a ray of hope, however faint, to someone facing the darkness of trial or terror tonight. I know how strong evil and injustice still are in this world, yet I know you are stronger than even the worst we can do. so, i do not lose heart; rather, my heart rests in gratitude to you: for the gift of life, for the comforts of faith and those who are family to me, and for the hope you have given us all in Christ’s rising from the dead. I pray this night for peace among all people, in the name of him who came to bring peace unlike any the world can give, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

BENEDICTION:

May the love of God dwell in your heart; may the grace of Christ uphold you in faith; may the Holy Spirit equip you for ministry; until Christ’s Kingdom, already in view, comes in fullness among us. 

We will host a service to witness to the resurrection

and honor the life of

Pat Sartain

on Saturday, October 22 at 11:00 a.m.

All are invited to the

Trustee’s Annual Fall Beautification Event

Saturday, November 12th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

Details to follow.

• As the summer drew to a close, the Food Pantry saw a substantial uptick in the number of families being served, with many new clients coming from the Brentwood area.

• As food donations have declined, we have had to do a lot more shopping. Fresh bread is donated by Fresh Market and King Kullen and frozen chopped meat and chickens are purchased from Fresh Market at a discount.

• The Pantry will again be doing Thanksgiving Baskets (boxes). Boxes will be available shortly to be filled with a provided list of food items. The Food Pantry will provide a $50 grocery gift card to purchase a turkey with each box. The boxes will be distributed to Food Pantry clients On November 19, 21 and 22. No regular food will be distributed on those days.

• I am serving on the newly created Financial Review Committee, which met in early September. A review of the finances found all to be in order and the committee has agreed to meet at least quarterly going forward.

• Church volunteers from the member churches have come back in full force and are working out well.

• Volunteers are needed to assist with shopping at Aldi, Lidl, Costco, Stop and Shop and BJ's. The Food Pantry has a corporate credit card which can be provided when volunteers are shopping. Anyone interested may contact me for additional information.

• Because of the larger number of Spanish speaking clients, volunteers who speak Spanish are needed. If you can assist with this, please contact me.

• Plans for the renovations are coming along. We have received two bids for the driveway and parking area and are in conversation with several contractors regarding renovations to the interior of the building.

• RAFFLE - a 50" Haier Smart TV has been donated to the Food Pantry to be raffled off to raise money for the needed renovation. Ticket prices are $1.00 per ticket or 6 tickets for $5.00. The drawing will be November 1, 2022 at the Food Pantry.  Tickets will be available for sale in the Parish Hall during coffee hour on October 16, 23, and 30.

• A Reminder that although we do an ingathering of non-perishable food for the Food Pantry on the first Sunday of each month, donations can be brought in and left in the yellow cart at any time. The cart has been relocated to the area just outside the Parish Hall next to the closet space and across from the restrooms.



• A HUGE "Thank-You" to everyone for their continued support of this very important ministry of our church.

We will read and discuss

The Personal Librarian

by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

as our next book

There are copies available to borrow on the church office desk. Please sign them out on the sheet next to the books.

Next meeting date:

Wednesday, November 2 at 7:00 pm in the Narthex

There is a sign-up sheet on the

bulletin board outside of the Narthex

Isabel Buse, Adult Education Committee

The hurricane disaster areas in Puerto Rico, Cuba and the United States will receive help from Church World Service. Those kits and blankets we donate each year are stored in a facility to be ready for distribution, and now is the time.

If you would like to make a monetary donation, you can do so online or by mail:

• Online: cwsglobal.org
• Mail: CWS PO Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515. Designate your donation for 2022 Hurricane Season. You can note the church you are affiliated with as well.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers for those affected by disaster. Any questions you can reach out to Kathy Seymour (631) 352-9533, or CWS directly 1(800) 297-1516.

September was an exciting time for our congregation. The First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown formally installed Rev. Karen E. Crawford as our new Pastor. This was also a celebration of our members using their time and talents around our wonderful church.

I’ll bet you all remember that nursery rhyme we learned in Sunday School where you put your hands together and say “Here is the church and here is the steeple. Open the doors and see all the people!” The church is not the building. The church is the people. I would encourage all of us to pay attention to how many people it takes to do the ministry and mission of our church.

This month, the Nominating Committee will begin the process of requesting the congregation to submit names of those persons they feel are qualified to serve on the Session, the Board of Deacons, and the Board of Trustees. If you do not personally feel comfortable serving on one of these boards, then sing in the choir, join a session committee, bring snacks for coffee hour, volunteer to work with the Trustees during fall and spring clean-up, or help with the church school. There are so many, many other opportunities for us to use our time and talents.

Our time and talents are not ours but entrusted to us by God. God has asked us to be good stewards, and this is one of the ways that we can give thanks to God. First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown celebrates so many of you that give your time and talent.

Did you know?

If you are of the age where you are receiving RMDs from your retirement accounts; you can make a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) to your church from your 401K or IRA which is not subject to ordinary federal income taxes – the amount is simply excluded from your taxable income. Making QCDs can be a great strategy as it is more advantageous than taking the withdrawal and then donating it. Contact your account servicing agent for information on how to do this.

Please contact the church office if you have an October birthday but are not on this list.

October 3 – Richard Engel

October 3 – Laura Matturro

October 4 – Lorraine Bird

October 5 – Peter Auer

October 7 – TJ Garcia

October 8 – Susan Harrison

October 9 – Arthur Leudesdorf

October 9 – Lori Yastrub

October 10 – Theresa Miller

October 10 – Grace Simonette

October 12 – Charles Bonczyk

October 15 – Amanda Booth

October 16 – Thomas Satriano

October 17 – Liz Ewing

October 18 – Robert Davidsen

October 19 – Shaun Smith

October 25 – Karl Kraft

October 29 – Bill Russell

October 31 – Tammy Blaszkiewicz

• Carol Miller, recovering from Covid
• Sue Nunziata, recovering from pacemaker surgery
• Tom Sartain, recovering from hip replacement surgery
• Those recovering from Hurricane Ian
• Bente Schmidt
• Caroline Kelleher
• Richard Heath, continuing recovery in a rehab facility after brain trauma
• Virginia Newcomb
• Richard Engel
• Mary Charlene Harris, at Whisper Woods, 71 St. Johnland Rd., Apt. 207, Smithtown
• Harriet McMahon, at The Arbors, 1065 Smithtown Ave., Bohemia
• Evelyn Saddlemire, at Water’s Edge Nursing Facility, 150 Dark Hollow Rd. Port Jefferson
• Jean Lown, The Bristal Assisted Living, 2995 Middle Country Rd., Lake Grove
• Vivienne Grizzle-Jaber
• Ethel and Karl Kraft
• Andrea Mohabeer

October 14 – October 20 – Tom Deakins

October 21 – October 27 – Lynne Leftenant

October 28 – November 3 – Rob Hubbs

November 4 – November 10 – Rick Booth

November 11 – November 17 – Rob Springer

November 18 – November 24 – John Agostini

October 16 – Beth Davidsen and Allison Brennan

October 23 – Lisa Hubbs and Lucia Spahr

October 30 – Laurie Wallace and Charles Bunton

November 6 – Allison Brennan and Joyce Brozyna

November 13 – Beth Davidsen and Barbara Ruoff

November 20 – Suzanne Perri and Lisa Hubbs

November 27 – Charles Bunton and Lucia Spahr

Have an announcement to add to our newsletter?

Please send it directly to Tracy Henchey at [email protected]

All other church inquiries or business should be directed to the office at [email protected]

Thank you!

Church Office

Hours:

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 10 am – 12 noon

Phone: 631-265-5151

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.fpcsmithtown.net

Pastor

Rev. Karen Crawford

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 631-813-9172

Blog: http://pastorkaren.org

REQUEST for NOMINEES to CHURCH OFFICE

The Nominating Committee of the church is in the process of preparing for selecting officers for nomination to the Session, the Board of Deacons, and the Board of Trustees.  We invite you to participate in the process by submitting the names of those persons you feel are qualified to serve on our Boards. Those persons must be on the Active Membership Roll of the Church. You may also indicate your own willingness to serve Christ in one of these capacities. Nominees should be persons of wisdom and maturity of faith, who have demonstrated skills in leadership and are compassionate in spirit.

ELDER

           An Elder serves on Session, which is the governing body of our Church; is responsible for the mission and government of the Church, including its worship, education and fellowship programs and groups. Each Elder participates in the monthly Session meeting and serves on at least one Session Committee; acts as sponsor for a youth confirmand; and represents our congregation in the Presbytery. Election to the Session is for a three-year term.

DEACON

           The office of Deacon, as set forth in Scripture, is one of sympathy, witness and service after the example of Christ. A Deacon ministers to those in need, to the sick and to any in distress. A sub-committee of Elders and Deacons recommends mission outreach amounts and projects to the Session for the annual budget. The Deacons exhibit the connection between worship and service by their preparation of communion and distribution of flowers to shut-ins. A Deacon participates in monthly Board meetings and serves on Board or Session committees. Election to the Board of Deacons is for a three-year term.

TRUSTEE

           The Board of Trustees are the officers of the Church corporation under New York State Law and the Book of Order. They are responsible for the maintenance of the Church buildings and properties and for the investment and management of funds entrusted to its care. A Trustee participates in monthly Board meetings, serves on a Board or Session Committee. Election to the Board of Trustees is for a three-year term. A person must reach their 21^st birthday before they can begin service as a Trustee.

***Additional copies of the nomination form can be found on the back table in the Narthex***

NOMINATION FOR CHURCH OFFICERS

I would like to recommend that _____________________________________ be considered for the office of

           ELDER            _____

           DEACON        _____

           TRUSTEE        _____

General Qualifications for Church Officer:

1. Regular attendance at Sunday worship.
2. Active participation in Church activities.
3. Evidence of commitment to the Church and its mission.
4. A willingness to learn, openness to new ideas and a maturity of judgment.
5. A talent for the office selected.

Please comment on why you are nominating this person.

Please submit this form to any member of the Nominating Committee, by placing it in the offering plate or placing it in the mail slot on the Church Office door marked “Attention of Nominating Committee” by Sunday, October 16, 2022. For more information or questions, please contact the chairperson of the Nominating Committee, Scott Wallace.