Prince of Peace
Weekly Update

January 29 - February 4, 2021

"What we have before us are some breathtaking opportunities disguised as insoluble problems."

JOHN W. GARDNER
communion-priest.jpg
WORSHIP IN JANUARY

Continuing through January 2021 worship will remain at 9:30 a.m. (over Zoom). Each service can also be watched at 9:30 a.m. on Facebook Live or viewed at  another time or day using the link on our website. See the PoP weekly emails for the Zoom link.
 
There are three options:
(Four, if you count not participating at all. Not a recommended option.)
 
1. You are invited to join us for Zoom worship and stay after for some fellowship time. You’ll need to provide your own coffee or morning beverage of choice. There is no need to leave the zoom worship meeting and enter the zoom coffee hour meeting. Worship will flow into Fellowship. And, you can stay for as little time or as long of a time as you like.

2. You are invited to join us for Zoom worship and leave when the worship has concluded.

3. You are invited to join us for Fellowship/Coffee Hour without participating in worship, where we catch up with each other, talk about PoP, and share in Christian community.
 
The same Zoom invite will be used for both worship and Fellowship. You will be admitted at 9:30 a.m. for worship. If you click in close to 10:15 a.m. you will be  admitted as soon as worship is concluded. 
Again, you can stay for as little time or as long of a time as you like. See the PoP weekly emails for the Zoom link. We will use the same link through the season of Lent.
heart_mocha_coffee.jpg
Fellowship/Coffee Hour Goes Earlier

The consensus of the Coffee/Fellowship Hour participants was to add this social time immediately following worship. So, going forward the Fellowship/Coffee Hour will begin at the conclusion of the worship service (approx. 10:15 a.m.).

Fellowship/
Coffee Hour
Discussion

Annual Report and Meeting
COUNCIL UPDATE

The Congregational Council met on Wednesday, January 20, 2021.

Here are some of the items they discussed:

  • We welcome the new members into the POP Congregation.
  • Need to do some Spring Cleaning?  In April, we will be collecting items to bring to Savers to collect a donation to go towards the Daily Bread. More information to come. 
  • Ashes will be provided for the Ash Wednesday Service on Sunday, February 14th and Ash Wednesday, February 17th. 
  • Council retreat is Saturday, February 6th from 8 to 12 noon. The topic is “Finding our Why”, with help from the Forward Leadership Team.
  • During Lent on Wednesdays there will be the following over Zoom:
  1. 6:30 p.m. Congregational Soup and Bread supper, 
  2. 7:00 p.m. Holden Evening prayer, and
  3. 7:30 p.m. a Bible Project video series discussion.  
  • There will be parking lot communion services on the 2nd Sunday of each month starting in February. 
 
February 10th  Executive Meeting at 7:00 p.m.
February 17th Full Council Meeting at 7:30 p.m.
digital_envelope_hand.jpg
2021 OFFERING ENVELOPES

2021 offering envelopes are available for pick up.

Stop by most mornings after 9:00 a.m. or call ahead to pick up your box of offering envelopes.

If you would like them dropped off at your home please contact the church office.
Offering,Tithes and
Special Donations 

We say "Thank you" to all who have mailed in their offerings.
Please help us stay current with our financial obligations
during this difficult time.
Mail in your offering to address below or give online by clicking the button below.
You can now make a one time or reoccurring donation
through your bank account or debit/credit card.
food_drive_girl.jpg
DAILY BREAD
FOOD PANTRY IS SEEKING DONATIONS
 
Please consider a food or monetary donation to the DAILY BREAD FOOD PANTRY during this pandemic. 

Your food-insecure neighbors will benefit from your donations of:

  • Black beans or any kind of canned or bagged beans
  • Rice in 1,2 or 3 lb. bags
  • Pasta - any kind
  • Cereal - Cheerios, Corn Flakes. Rice Krispies (no sweet cereals)
  • Tomato sauce in cans
  • Tuna
  • Chicken in cans
  • Peanut butter
  • Pork & beans or meals in cans
  • Canned vegetables (especially corn)

Drop off your food items or checks (payable to DAILY BREAD FOOD PANTRY) to the church's freshly painted front door.

Your neighbors thank you.
financial_accounting.jpg
STATEMENTS

Year to date statements through 11/30/20 were sent out the first week of December.  Remember statements can be run at any time, please just reach out to Nicole Cable at [email protected]  or 203.775.8358.

If you previously had an envelope # higher than 180, you have been assigned a new number for 2021. Contact the church office for the new number. 
business_conference4.jpg
JANUARY CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

There will be a Zoom Congregational Meeting this Sunday, January 31st at 11:00 a.m.  Please click on the links below for more detailed information.
donations_box.jpg
Fundraiser Progress Report
Prince of Peace is now officially registered for the fundraiser for the Daily Bread Food Pantry with Savers. Husband Ken has declared war with the mouse patrol in the garage at Misty Hollow. Two mice proved that they like peanut butter and subsequently met their demise. I am sure that there are many more around and we will investigate mouse deterrents. Let us know if you have a favorite as we would like to prevent damage to the goods which we will store in the garage. One sure deterrent is to protect items in plastic bins. That worked well for craft fair supplies in the past.
We will have the garage cleaned up this week and will start collections on Saturday mornings or by appointment.
The key is in the church office so you may pick up the key from Rene and bring it back to her when you are finished. Let me know if you need to have your donations picked up.
We will need many bags or boxes to make a substantial donation so start saving now. Mention to your friends and neighbors. Spread the word!

We cannot take books, Cd’s, DVD’s, furniture, luggage, or golf clubs.

We can take clothing , shoes accessories, cloth housewares (bedding, spreads, curtains, tablecloths towels). We can also take kitchenware, nick knacks, picture frames, holiday decorations, toys, board games. Children’s stuff is very popular.

Items must be gently used and clean and in resalable condition. If you think it is garbage, it probably is, so do not bring it. If you or someone else might like it, bring it.
Working small appliances must fit into a copy paper sized carton, or similar size. Certain things like drapes and large blankets can be donated in yard bags which are meant for yard cleanup.
Clothing and similar items can be brought in white garbage bags. Items should be in the garage before Easter, which is April 4 this year. Things need to be contained for a weigh in and this will occur on April 22. At that time, we will need help to load up and deliver to Savers.

In the meantime, see if you can loan some plastic bins to us for a few months. We will return them if your name is on them.
 
Nan Carlson
203-778-1171
Stimulus Checks Going to Neighbors in Need.
 
Please consider sharing a part or all of your stimulus check with the Love Fund. We have identified two local families to help during this financially difficult time – one is a single mom who sends her children to our pre-school, the other is a food insecure member of the greater Brookfield community. Simply send your check made payable to Prince of Peace, with “Stimulus donation” in the memo, and we will see that our neighbors in need benefit from your generosity. Together we do more!

Thank you.
joy_of_learning.jpg
Binge Reading the Gospel of Mark
 
You are invited to join with others in a binge reading of the Gospel of Mark. Mark is the primary source of our Sunday Gospel stories during this liturgical year. This will be a one time event during the season of Lent. You can get a head start by reading it through the gospel yourself. It takes about 90 minutes. But don’t give away any spoilers.
READING MATERIALS

The new Christ in Our Home devotional (January, February March) is available for pick up.
There are also copies of Gather Magazine from October, November, December, January and February that can be in your home if you drop by the church and pick up a copy.
CREATING COMMUNITY

Creating Community is an email devotion to guide your preparation for worship for the following weekend. 

Imagine how much more clear and relevant God's Word will be if you have had an opportunity to read, reflect, and dwell in the Word prior to worship. You may do this devotion as an individual, with others, as a family, or over Zoom as a small group. 

Each devotion arrives on Monday and can be engaged in anytime before Sunday's worship. 
 
The devotion includes three simple steps:

1. Read through the text (provided)

2. Respond to the questions (select one of the sets of questions from the three possibilities )

3. Offer a Prayer (one is provided)
 
Click below to see devotions for this Sunday.
vector_mobile_phone.jpg
How to Reach
the Pastor

And as always, Pastor Lutz is easily accessible. You can email him (poppastorpaul@ sbcglobal.net) call him on his cell (609.578.7921) or post on his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/plutznj). Although there will be no regular office hours, the church phone is checked every couple of days for messages.