Quick Notes Update for January 31, 2022

Note our new email for the Synod Office:

WELCOMING NEW PASTORS TO THE REGIONAL SYNOD!
On Wednesday, February 16th at 10 AM (eastern time), the Regional Synod of the Mid-Atlantics is hosting a Zoom gathering for pastors who are new to the synod. 
This is an opportunity for the officers and staff to meet and welcome you, and to share how our committees, staff and subsidiary corporations might be of assistance to you and those you serve. 
If you would like to attend and did not receive an invitation by email, please contact Deb Petersen in the synod office at rsmatoffice@gmail.com

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY NEEDED

A bi-lingual woman with a BA degree, Jocelyn,  is looking for full-time employment. She speaks both English and Spanish. Rev. Ricardo Orellana and Rev. Nathan Busker are references for Jocelyn . If you know of an employment opportunity please contact either Ricardo (orellana262@yahoo.com) or Nathan (nathan@pondsnj.org). Thank you.

With Joy,
Rev. Deborah Pierce
She/Her/Hers (What’s this?)
Stated Clerk, Classis of Passaic Valley
Reformed Church in America
Reformed Church Center Looks At Anti-Racism For Asian Americans

When we discuss anti-racism, it is important to remember that the experience isn’t that same for all minority groups. In fact, assuming that was so would, itself, be racist. While we have had discussions of anti-racism from Black and Latinx perspectives, hearing multiple viewpoints is necessary in order for all of us to get a complete picture and begin to transcend barriers.
This is why the next anti-racism program from the Reformed Church Center will be “Asian American Experiences of Racism and Anti-Racism.” This program, to be held on Thursday, February 3, 2022, at 11:00 am via Zoom, also acknowledges that there is more than one Asin American experience. We will hear from three people of different nationalities, ages, and experiences.
Gerri Yoshida is a member of the Japanese American United Church in New York City. She serves on the Pastoral Formation Committee of the Classis of New York and on the Executive Committee of the Council of Pacific and Asian American Ministries. She served on the Commission on Race and Ethnicity and on the R-89 Task Force for Understanding White Privilege. She is active with RCA Disability Concerns.
Thomas Song is a minister in Queens Classis of Korean descent. He has served on the General Synod Council and the Commission on Christian Unity and was a staff member for the Regional Synod of New York. He is co-pastor of Steinway Reformed Church in Astoria, New York, with his wife, Ock Kee Byun.
Tiffany Fan was born in Taiwan and immigrated to the U.S. when she was sixteen. She graduated from New Brunswick Theological Seminary with distinction in May 2021. She has worked as a part of the church planting team in the Bronx since 2017. Fan is called to work with the multicultural ministry and wishes to continue working with the currently-planted ministry after ordination.
These three presentations, of course, represent just the beginning of the conversation, and we invite you and others to enter into that conversation on February 3. Like all Reformed Church Center programs, this is free, and everyone is welcome, but all participants must register at
 
James Hart Brumm, Director
The Reformed Church Center and The Theological Writing Center;
General Editor of the Beardslee Press
jbrumm@nbts.edu | 848.237.1760    
"Understanding Theological Education in the RCA" colloquy looks at the General Synod Professorate

While no less a figure than John Calvin called for a fourth ministerial office, the professorate, in addition to the offices of deacon, elder, and minister, the Reformed Church in America is one of the few to maintain this office of “teacher of the church” into modern times. Indeed, it is the appointment of the first General Synod Professor, John Henry Livingston in 1784, that is seen to constitute the founding of what would become New Brunswick Theological Seminary. Yet, even in the RCA, the professorate has been subject to changing fortunes and changing understandings, and there are, currently, only five actively-serving professors.
The final session of the “Understanding Theological Education in the RCA” colloquy for 2021-2022 will look at The General Synod Professorate on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at 12:00 noon on Zoom, examining the problems and the possibilities of the office with one current occupant and two others who held the office recently.
Carol Bechtel is Professor of Old Testament at Western Theological Seminary and a graduate of Hope College and WTS with a Ph.D. from Yale University. She has published extensively, served as president of the General Synod of the RCA in 2009 and moderator of the General Synod Council in 2010, and was the first woman ordained by the Classis of Illinois in 1988. In 1998, she became the first woman professor of theology, and is now the senior member of the professorate.
Renée House recently retired as Minister of the Old Dutch Church in Kingston, New York, where she has served since March of 2013, to begin work with a non-profit organization tackling issues of affordable housing in that city. Prior to accepting the call to Old Dutch, she served on the faculty of NBTS for twenty-five years as Director of the Library, Academic Dean, and Professor of Practical Theology, and as a General Synod Professor of Theology. Renée received her M.L.S. from the University of Arizona, M.Div. from NBTS, and Ph. D. from Princeton Theological Seminary. As a minister in the RCA, she has been engaged in ministry throughout the U.S. as well as Taiwan. She is a writer, poet, singer, wife, step-mom, and grandmother to six rambunctious kids.
Leanne Van Dyk holds degrees from Calvin College (BA), Western Michigan University (MA), Calvin Theological Seminary (MDiv) and Princeton Theological Seminary (PhD). Before assuming the presidency of Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, in 2015, she taught at San Francisco Theological Seminary and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, and then at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, where she held the office of General Synod Professor. Her other professional experience includes serving as a member of the Board of Commissioners of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS); as a member of the Committee on Theological Education for the PC(USA); as a member of the Wabash Center’s Consultation on Theological Education; and on various projects with the Office of Theology and Worship for the Presbyterian Church (USA). She has served on the editorial boards of Perspectives, a Journal of Reformed Thought, and the Scottish Journal of Theology and has published several books.
Each of our panelists will reflect on their experiences in the Professorate and what they see as the possibilities for the office, and then the floor will be open for discussion, as always. Participation in this gathering on Zoom is free, but registration is required, and can be found at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMqdOygqjopH9DPtbvRLdjYFG99Z4B9vmei.
  
James Hart Brumm, Director
The Reformed Church Center and The Theological Writing Center;
General Editor of the Beardslee Press
jbrumm@nbts.edu | 848.237.1760     
Looking for Children’s Ministry resources that inspire and are welcomed enthusiastically?




Sophie’s Pony Tales, Lessons for Living.


Sophie’s Pony Tales by Rev. Glenn Van Oort, contains twenty one tales of learning events
gleaned from the life of a pony, Sophie. By text, art and poetry, her tales inspire folk of all ages
but especially children. Forgiveness, perseverance, trust, and finding your gift are among the
chapter themes. Rev. Van Oort used her stories for children’s sermons, in worship services to
the acclaim off children and adults. Beyond use in worship the lessons can also be part of a
Christian Education program. Sophie’s web site, Sophiesponytales.com contains in read only
format, the book contents. Sellers of the book include Amazon Books.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR THE COMPLETE UPDATE LETTER

Trustees Needed for the Warwick Conference Center
 
The Warwick Conference Center is a subsidiary corporation of the Regional Synods of the Mid-Atlantics and New York. The Board of Trustees for Warwick is made up of laypersons and clergy from both synods.  We are currently looking for 5 people who are willing to serve on the Board of Trustees from the Synod of the Mid-Atlantics, especially persons with gifts in the following areas:
·      Property (maintenance, sales, leasing)
·      Legal (familiarity with NY law would be helpful)
·      Finance and investments
·      Human Resources
·      Publicity and/or fundraising 
If you are interested in serving, know of someone who might be, or if you have questions about what service on the board entails, please contact Rev. Jill Fenske (President of the Board of Trustees) at jcfenske@optimum.net or the synod office at rsmatoffice@gmail.com


THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING CHURCHES FOR ADDING THEIR LIVESTREAM INFORMATION TO OUR ARCHIVES PAGE
Wyckoff Reformed
Three Bridges Reformed
Ocean Community, Mahahawkin
Parkside Community
RSMAT churches are livestreaming and maintaining recorded service archives. This presents us with a unique opportunity to learn from each other and celebrate the amazing gifts in our community! Please use this webform to provide us with your church livestream link and a link to your recorded services archive. We will make a single page view available of all of this information so that you can visit around and get inspired!
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN IMPROVING YOUR TECHNOLOGY USE IN THE NEW YEAR!

Would you like to:
Discuss church software for managing member information and online donations?
Learn to use email newsletters to keep members informed?
Rework your website to a more modern look?
Create online forms for people to register for events and provide feedback?
Create online visual databases like the livestream example above?
Take your livestream to the next level?
Develop a social media plan and a team to implement it?

REPLY TO THIS EMAIL AS WE FORM LEARNING GROUPS TO START IN JANUARY!
The Reformed Church Center at New Brunswick Theological Seminary helps people to explore what it means to be Reformed in the 21st Century. As part of that mission, every year, the Center offers three fellowships.

Do you want to learn more and share more about a subject or idea that interests you? Is there a question you’ve been pondering?
Would you like to spend two weeks in study and sharing, and have somebody pay you (a little) instead of you paying them?
Do you have something to say about being Reformed in the 21st century?

Then maybe you should send in a brief proposal for one of three fellowships at New Brunswick Theological Seminary in 2022-23! The Reformed Church Center is looking for those proposals, to be submitted by April 8, 2022.

Here is what past fellowship recipients say:

Have you ever had a question on your heart that burns to be answered, but life is busy and you know this important topic will be pushed aside? This happened to me, in my last ordination class. I saw a gap in women’s history—about a fateful gathering of young women in 1978 who emerged, in renewed ties of sisterhood, committed to ask their many classes across the country for ordination. The Hazel B. Gnade Fellowship enabled me to speak with many of them, capture some of their experiences and then share this critical moment with the rest of our denomination.
–Liz Estes
Pastor, Readington Reformed Church
Hazel B. Gnade Fellow, 2018-2019

Being a recipient of the Smith Fellowship enabled me to complete a project about Rev. E. T. Corwin and the history of the Millstone church that I had been working at in tiny bites. The fellowship committee could not have been more helpful and the time for research was instrumental to my progress. The application process is not difficult and worth the effort. As a result of my research, numerous other avenues of discovery have opened up in my project and my work continues. My research benefitted my church, the denomination and enabled me to accomplish something I have long wanted to do. I would be happy to dsicuss my experience with anyone considering application. 
–Fred Mueller
Pastor, Hillsborough Reformed Church at Millstone
Albert A Smith Fellow, 2019-2020

I had a vague idea about a project, but I fleshed it out a bit and sent off the application. The vague idea turned out to be a project that has captivated my attention for almost a year now. I’m grateful for the opportunity the Gnade Fellowship provided.  
–Lynn Japinga
Professor of Religion, Hope College
Hazel B. Gnade Fellow, 2019-2020

Sharing the stories of some of the African American women leaders of the RCA from the 1960s and 70s was a highlight of my year. I celebrate the Reformed Church Center’s Hazel B. Gnade Fellowship for encouraging and supporting this project and giving me the opportunity to accomplish it.
-Anna Jackson
Co-pastor, Second Reformed Church, Hackensack
Hazel B. Gnade Fellow, 2020-2021

What do you need to get one of these fellowships? You need some practice doing scholarly research, whether that’s by reading old manuscripts or books or conducting oral interviews, etc. You also need to demonstrate that you have done some preliminary research into your question and can define a project within your question that you can significantly complete within a couple of weeks of intense work.

What DON’T you need to get one of these fellowships? You don’t need to be a pastor or a professor. You don’t need specialized theological training . . . just some familiarity with the subject matter.

You can write a proposal for . . . 

The Albert A. Smith Fellowship
An opportunity for research in Reformed Church History
The Smith Fellowship provides a stipend of $500.00 and the possibility of a two-week residency at New Brunswick Theological Seminary to support research into the history of the Reformed tradition, particularly as it pertains to the Reformed Church in America (RCA). Get more information and download an application here.

The Alvin J. Poppen And John R. Young Fellowship
An opportunity for research and/or presentation in Reformed Worship and Liturgy
The Alvin J. Poppen and John R. Young Fellowship provides a $500.00 stipend, travel expenses, and the possibility of a two-week residency at New Brunswick Theological Seminary to support research in Reformed Worship, particularly as it pertains to the RCA. Get more information and download an application here.

The Hazel B. Gnade Fellowship
An opportunity for research in RCA Women’s Studies.
The Hazel B. Gnade Fellowship provides a $500.00 stipend and the possibility of a two-week residency at New Brunswick Theological Seminary to support research in the history of women’s involvement in the RCA. Get more information and download an application here.

Seeking a Classis Minister for Classis Greater Palisades

Job Description: The Classis Minister is an ordained minister and contracted to serve the Classis in a proactive and reactive manner, working with Ministers, Consistories, and Congregations by building relationships and responding to the struggles/hardships of our ministers and congregations within the Classis of the Greater Palisades. This responsibility includes pastoral care and support along with conflict resolution when necessary. The Classis Minister will be expected to spend 16 hours per week on his/her duties. 

Responsibilities to include:
  1. Provide pastoral care to Ministers and lay leadership.
  2. Visit all Classis Consistories annually to build and maintain relationships.
  3. Utilize root cause analysis models to identify challenges and work towards resolution.
  4. Mentor Ministers and new church leaders.
  5. Encourage church health and the development of vital ministries.
  6. Assist in the networking of churches and their congregations.
  7. Report on all of the above to the Executive Committee as well as the Classis members at the stated session meetings.

Attributes:
  1. Skilled in conflict management and mediation techniques
  2. Working knowledge of the Reformed Church in America and the Book of Church Order
  3. Respect for the confidential nature of this work
  4. Reports to:
  5. Classis Executive Committee – provide a monthly recap of activities
  6. Supervision of Churches and Supervision of Ministers Committees – communicate specific issues as they relate to the health and welfare of the congregations, lay leaders and ministers.

Candidates are encouraged to send resume and cover letter to chair of the Personnel Committee, Jodie Wu, at 4jodie@gmail.com











CONGRATULATIONS TO CLASSIS DELAWARE RARITAN ON ADDING A NEW CLASSIS MINISTER AND CONGREGATIONAL CONSULTANT TO CLASSIS STAFF

Rev. Dawn Alpaugh, Classis Minister
Rev. Beth Scibienski, Congregational Consultant
Are you using a VR headset and exploring how virtual reality might be used in ministry? Let's have a conversation!
MURAL and other online whiteboards provide a way to add more interaction to zoom meetings. Let me know if you want to explore this further.
GATHER TOWN is a fun way to add some social involvment to your online options.
DO YOU HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF ADAPTING AND INNOVATING TO SHARE FOR INSPIRATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT? SEND IT TO US!
NJ CONGREGATIONAL CENTER FOR CANCER CARE
We have created an online gathering of all of the newsletters of the program. Find help for those facing cancer.
CHURCH BASED MENTAL HEALTH NEWSLETTERS ARCHIVE
We've created an online gathering of all of the newsletters the program has sent out during COVID. Very helpful insights to pass along to your congregations!
The information and materials that appear in the email newsletter, facebook page or on the Website of the Regional Synod of the Mid-Atlantics of the Reformed Church in America ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE OPINION OF THE REGIONAL SYNOD OF THE MID-ATLANTICS OF THE REFORMED CHURCH IN AMERICA, NOR ARE SUCH NECESSARILY ENDORSED BY THE REGIONAL SYNOD. THE ACCURACY AND VALIDITY OF THE INFORMATION IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PROVIDER OR AUTHOR.