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

Mon 8/7-12 Rev. Lou Kilgore Vacation

Thu 8/10-11 Chris Buckley Vacation

Thu 8/10 Office Closed

HMPC Live Stream

http://highmountainpres.org/hmpc-live-feed/

HMPC is live to view, every Sunday starting at 10am EST. Also, please feel free to browse the HPMC Youtube channel, for past streams. Hold your control button down and click on the following:

HMPC Youtube Channel for a selection of pre-recorded services.

High Mountain Church Is Alive and Live

This past week I received a note from one of our church family that has been forced by illness to remain at home week after week. This past Sunday it occurred to her that she could tune into the church’s live broadcast on Youtube.  So she went to the web site and logged on to the channel and then she was thrilled to be able to share in the experience of worship in real time with us all.

Later that afternoon one of our regular attenders called to admit that they had had a long night on Saturday so when the alarm sounded on Sunday morning they hit the off button instead of the snooze. “I fell sound asleep and slept till 9:45. There was no way to make it to church on time.  So I decided to join the live broadcast”. “ I was  so thrilled not to miss any of our gathering, even if they could not be here, the caller said”

So far, since the Live channel has gone up, we have had 55 people view that live or recorded services. It is exciting to hear how this kind of outreach can support our members and friends in their life, even if they can’t be here in person.

Thank you for your financial support of all of our ministries. These are the things we are called to be doing as we seek to be a blessing to those near and far.  Your gifts help to make all of this possible.

Pastor Lou

A New Beginning in Children and Youth Ministry

We Have Received a Challenge

A few months ago, it became clear that our funding plan for Children and Youth Ministry had depleted the funds we had allocated over the past four years and we needed to find a more cost effective plan for our Faith Works program on Sunday mornings.   We hoped that the programs would grow and become self-supporting and not need money from reserves or grants like we had been using. While much has been accomplished in launching a vibrant and engaging program with a wonderfully renovated space, our program is growing but as yet not at the level we had hoped.  While Patricia Pastas and many helpers and volunteers have done amazing work in ministry and education, the session of the High Mountain Church has determined that now is the time to make a new plan and do something different.

Many of you have asked, “What will happen now?”  The Session has adopted a new plan to minister each week to children and their families. We know that we need to provide at least 45 minutes of learning and fun for children and youth, centered on the theme of the week in worship.  We also know that we need to provide a nursery and infant care program as well, in order to meet the needs of families with very young children who want to join together for worship.

High Mountain Church has received notice from one very generous person from our church who would like to challenge the rest of us to work together to raise funds to relaunch our Children and Youth Ministry with new excitement and conviction in September.   The person making this gift (who wishes to remain anonymous) is willing to match every dollar you give toward a special offering dedicated to Children and Youth ministry here up to $6,000 – for example, if you pledge $50.00 to the Children & Youth Ministry, it turns into $100.00; a $200.00 gift becomes $400.00.  This is a tremendous opportunity to raise $12,000.00 in gifts and pledges for our Children & Youth Ministry.

The session has agreed to accept this challenge and work together with this generous donor to raise $12,000 for children and youth here at High

Mountain.  Please use the following form to make a pledge for this campaign and send it by mail or place it in the weekly offering plate.  Or, if you want to make a donation you can put your gift in an envelope and mark it for the Children and Youth Ministry, or write it on the memo of you check, or you can email lcoll43@aol.com to make a pledge.  If you make a pledge, we would hope that you could fulfill the pledge by December 31 of 2017.

We introduced Ingrid Rodriguez, our new coordinator of Children & Youth Ministry on Sunday, June 18. Ingrid (Iggy) has been helping us in a support role for several years.  Please send word now of your commitment to support this important part of our willingness to provide a church that is welcoming to people of all ages.  Thank you to those who have donated thus far.

Rev. Louis Kilgore and HMPC Session

Faithworks

Sunday’s lesson will be based on the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. The children will each be given 5 crackers and 2 goldfish and will be asked, “How many people can you feed with this amount of food?” We will then go onto Matthew 14:13-21 where Jesus performs the great miracle!  The activity will be making necklaces of the 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread with yarn, pasta and paper fish. Throughout the activity we will discuss how astonishing yet possible it is to receive miracles through our Lord.

Summer Reading @ HMPC

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

Over The Summer- Last Hope Island by Lynne Olson

Mission Accomplished

Check out the photos on the narthex screen to see the progress on the Fernie Habitat Build. Both homes next to the site are now complete and families will be moving in shortly. We plan to have additional workdays in the fall so the Gonzalez home can be completed by October.

We are committed to building community for those living in the Fourth Ward and continue to strive to find ways to assist in this endeavor. As author Thomas Friendman indicates, healthy communities happen “ where people feel connected, protected, and respected”.

Donations for the Fernie Build have reached our goal of $50,000, which has been amazing.  However, we continue to encourage all to participate to enable Paterson Habitat to continue to provide decent housing in this community.  Additional contributions for the house can be sent to Paterson Habitat for Humanity, PO Box 2585, Paterson, NJ 07509, memo Fernie Family Build.

Thanks to all for continuing to support and encourage us in this project. It has been an incredibly moving experience for all involved.

Barbara Fernstrom 

Donations Being Accepted

Pastor Frances Hernandez from Church of the Iglesias is accepting donations to support the people of the Spanish Church Ministry. Items that may be donated are: clothing, household/baby items and toys. Donations may be dropped off anytime from now until August 19^th by the door of 200 Squaw Brook Road in North Haledon.

School Supplies Appreciated

Thanks to all who contributed to this collection to be distributed to children by the Center for Food Action this month. Tom Noonan will be delivering our donations to the Mahwah site so the children will be ready to school next month.

On August 27^th we will participate in preparing 48 weekend food packs which are given to school children each week to supplement their meals when not receiving school meals. The Mission Committee will supply the seven items which are placed in ziplock bags and then given to schools by the Center for Food Action.

Thanks also to the faithful food donors who leave contributions in the narthex regularly. Alice Luddington makes sure they get to Mahwah on a timely basis.

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.

                                   HMPC Sunday Servers: Third 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 for taking time to assist with this church service!