PRESBYTERIAN MESSENGER

UPCOMING EVENTS. . .

Every Sunday 10:00 AM Worship

Communion served 1st Sunday of Month

Choir Practice 8:30-9:30AM

Knitting Group 2nd Sunday of Month in

Sanctuary 12-1:30PM

Every Tuesday – Bible Study 7-8:30PM

Every Wednesday – Bible Study with

Rev. Lou Kilgore 10-11:30AM

Bell Choir Practice 7PM

Tue 4/25-28 Patricia Pastas Away Continuing Education-Princeton

Thu 4/27 Session 7PM

Fri 4/28 HPMC Book Group 1-3PM

Thu 5/4-8 Rev. Kilgore Vacation

Sun 5/14 Mother’s Day Cake Auction

Mon-Fri 5/15-19 Rev. Kilgore Away Homiletics Conference

CIW Update

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is a worker-based human rights organization internationally recognized for its achievements in the fields of social responsibility and human trafficking. Organized by Florida farmworkers in the tomato fields in 1993, it now covers workers at farms in seven states, including the Ag-Mart Farm in Cedarville, NJ. CIW launched the Fair Food Program to assure better working conditions and increased wages, supported by participating buyers, including Stop & Shop, Subway, McDonald’s and Trader Joes. They are still boycotting Wendy’s, which refuses to join the Fair Food Program and now buys its tomatoes in Mexico, which has very poor working standards.

Annual Mother’s Day Cake Auction

Pastor Lou and Laura will be the auctioneers in the Covenant Room on Mother’s Day, May l4th, for our yearly cake sale/auction.  You are invited to bring a cake that could go to the highest bidder with all proceeds going to the Maine Mission Trip this summer. $l300 was raised last year and it was our biggest success.  Please join us and take part In the fun.

CFA Easter Food Drive

The Mission Committee would like to thank everyone who supported

the Easter Food Drive for the Center For Food Action.  Many families will have food on their shelves because of your sharing. A special thank you to Tom Noonan for transporting everything up to Mahwah for us.  Blessings…… For those cooking a pasta dinner for the Iglesia Presbyteriana Hispana Walk In Dinner, please bring it in the aluminum dishes provided by our church.  It must have a lid and must be HOT. Please deliver to High Mountain Church by 2:30 pm on April 29th.  If you need to make other arrangements, please contact Barbara Fernstrom at 973-271-3389 or bfernstrom@optonline.net

Ḟaithworks

Our focus Bible story for this coming Sunday is Luke 24:13–35. Last week we heard a story from the gospel of John that took place after reports of the resurrection of Jesus. This week’s reading comes from the gospel of Luke and tells another story about that day.  The exact location of Emmaus is not known. It may be anywhere. It seems that the Emmaus of our story comes into sight wherever a path leads us toward communion with God and whenever we recognize the risen Christ among us. It was the first day of the week. Cleopas, a follower of Jesus, and another disciple, perhaps his wife, were on their way home. They were sad about Jesus and confused about what to do now that Jesus was gone. They didn’t say much as they walked along the dusty road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. But from time to time, one of them remembered something that Jesus had done or said and spoke of it. They paid attention to no one, but, nearing Emmaus, someone joined them. It was Jesus! But they did not recognize him at that moment. Jesus revealed himself to the travelers as he shared bread with them. The loaf of broken bread was an unmistakable sign for them that this was indeed Jesus in their midst. Jesus explained the events of the last few days to his friends with infinite love and patience.

Some members of our group might have difficulty with the stories of resurrection because the events described seem so incredible. Younger children are filled with curiosity. They are inquisitive and ask questions to learn more. Older children are also eager to learn and put new information into context with what they know. Most young people have experienced losing a close friend through changes in peer relationships. As they enter their teen years and move into new schools, they sometimes lose connection with friends that they had in childhood. Experiences like this can help our youth to connect with today’s story as two travelling companions discover the “stranger” they are walking with is Jesus. At an age of concrete, reality-based thinking, it may be puzzling to imagine why the disciples wouldn’t recognize Jesus right away. The session can help our young people to recognize that in the journey of daily life they too can encounter the presence of the risen Christ in ordinary and extra-ordinary ways. We do not always recognize Jesus’s companionship on the road. We do not always sense “the living and enduring word of God” on our own. Jesus’ words and actions continue to call out to who we are and what we need. When we declare, “Christ is risen indeed!” what is our hope? How will we witness to this truth?  All children and youth are welcome to join us for Bible story time and activities on the 2^nd floor after the time of conversation with the pastor. Childcare is available for children 4 and under on the 2^nd floor as well

Upcoming Faithworks Events

•  May 14 –  Is Mother’s Day and Women of the Church celebration. Faithworks’ children and youth will mark this day by distributing gifts to the women of our church after the service.

Summer Mission Trip to Maine Saturday July 1^st to Saturday July 8th.  Register now.

July 1^st – July 8^th High Mountain Church is once again sponsoring a mission trip.  The trip is under the leadership of Pastor Lou Kilgore.   Laura Peterson and Chris Buckley will be assisting in leadership and co-ordination as we prepare for another year of ministry in Maine. The purpose of the trip is to assist residents of northern Appalachia who are trying to stay in their homes but cannot afford to address many of the bricks and mortar problems that come with independent living.  The families we work with are facing severe challenges of a variety of sorts and we commit to making their homes safer, warmer, and drier.  We build, repair, dig, whatever is needed.  We will be working with a group there call Mission at the Eastward.  It is a Presbyterian mission agency.

There are two aspects of this trip:

1. There is one group that actually takes 8 days of their summer and uses their hands and feet to do the work and build relationships of support with the families.  Last year there were 25 who attended. This group is mostly teenagers and young adults and the other adults who help to provide support and encouragement to the youth.  This is an intergenerational experience with a priority of the development of the youth.  Adults who attend have the added challenge of relating and engaging in positive ways with teenagers as well as the work they are given to do and taking direction from program directors. The minimum age is 13 for all participants.    If you want to register send an email now to Pastor Lou, revlouie@aol.com or to Chris Buckley, office administrator, chrisbuckley@highmountainpres.org.  A fifty dollar deposit is your reservation and it is nonrefundable.  This trip is open to those who are not from our church but space is limited.  Register now.

Adults (please take special notice) you are welcome at any age with the understanding that the week is challenging physically and emotionally and personally.  Not everyone is prepared to travel and spend a week with teenagers in a tightly organized schedule under the direction of the trip leaders.  If you are interested in learning more please send an email to pastor Lou at revlouie@aol.com and let him know that you are interested in going.  We have only participants, no chaperones and no tourists.  Background checks will be required for all adults.

The cost for the week is $350.00 and that includes most of the meals and lodging at the University of Farmington for the week and the building materials and tools needed to do the work and transportation to Maine.  If you are planning to go please let us know now as there are many steps to being ready.  A fifty dollar donation is your reservation for the trip and this is nonrefundable.  Please spread the word.  Priority will be given to church families and members, but this is an open trip.

2. There is another group that supports the trip in prayers and financially. This work begins now with praying for those who are making decisions and getting their plans in order to go.  There are fund raising events like a cake auction on Mother’s day at High Mountain Church.  Some will make the cakes and some will buy them and together we raise support for this work.  We will offer stock shares which can be purchased in various amounts to support the effort.  The actual cost of the trip is $700 per person and we try to raise $350 in donations in order to make it so everyone can afford to go. We have already raised $1,500 dollars.

Please watch for more news and information.  Time will go by very quickly so let’s begin the conversation now if you are thinking about being part of this year’s trip.

Pastor Lou, Mission trip Director.

Book Club at HMPC

The Book Club meets on the 4th Friday of the month and anyone is invited to come and discuss the books.

April 28 – I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

May 26 – When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Fernie Friends And Family Habitat Build                        

The Fernstroms are excited to share with you the latest news about the Fernie Friends and Family Habitat Build. Due to favorable weather this winter, 147 Hamilton Avenue now has a house ready to finish and waiting for volunteers to assist in its completion. Four building dates have been scheduled for Saturday May 13 and 20, July 15 and 22. A maximum of ten workers can participate each day.  Work will include decking, framing, subflooring and landscaping. We will not know the specific jobs until the date. Volunteers need to arrive at 7:45 am and work will end at 3:30, with a morning coffee break and an hour lunch time (food and drink to be provided by the family). Volunteers must be 16 to participate.

To sign up and join us for one or more of these four days, please go to the link provided below. You will need to set up a New Account with a username and password and it will walk you through the sign-up, getting some basic information, and ask you to sign a very important liability waiver. Once that’s completed you can select the Fernie Family Build date of your choice and sign up as a volunteer!

https://phfhg.volunteerhub.com

Two more volunteer build dates will be scheduled in the fall. Our hope is that the house will be completed by the end of the year so that the Gonzalez family can spend Christmas in their new home!

We are so impressed with the support of so many who have shown an interest in the project and want to be part of our plan to help revitalize Paterson. Donations so far total $45,000. The Fernstroms appreciate all who have expressed their encouragement and support of this endeavor.

Annual Jersey Jubilation

The 13^th annual Jersey Jubilation Handbell Choir will be performing on Friday, May 19 at Ridgewood Methodist Church, 100 Dayton Street in Ridgewood.  Suggested donation is $10.  For more info please call 201-447-2751 or email info@jerseyjubilation.org

Prayers & Announcements

Announcements for the Sunday Worship service should be emailed to the church office. If you would like the community to pray with you please call the office at 201-891-0511.

New Church Office Email

Please note that all email correspondence to the church office/Chris Buckley should be sent to office.manager@highmountainpres.org

                                           HMPC Sunday Servers: Second Quarter 2017

*Assigned families can decide who will be reader. Please inform Chris (201-891-0511), who is reading one week before you are scheduled.  If you will not be available for your assigned date, please try to switch with someone else and inform the office of this change.  Please check PM regularly to see the date of your assignment.   Thank you!