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

Sat 1/7 Prayer Breakfast at HMPC 8:30AM

Mon 1/16 MLK Day-Office Closed

Thu 1/19 Personnel 10AM Session 7PM

Fri 1/27 HMPC Book Group 1-3PM                                

“Souper” Bowl Sunday

This year’s “Souper Bowl” collection for the Center for Food Action has a new option. Instead of donating cans of soup, you can collect spare change in a CFA soup container piggy bank. Starting Sunday, Jan. 15, our Mission Team will have 25 soup containers available for families or individuals to take home. We will collect the containers you bring back on Super Bowl Sunday, February  5th. Cash is a versatile donation that allows CFA to fill its panties with a variety of foods. Any questions, please contact Alice Luddington-Cantor.

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. The Book Club will meet again on January 27, 2017, at 1PM.

Prayer Breakfast

Saturday

January 7, 2017

8:30AM

High Mountain Presbtyerian Church

Franklin Lakes

Bring in the new year with prayer, conversation and breakfast.

Bring an item to share.

Hope to see you then!

Christmas Blessing of Food

The High Mountain Presbyterian Church was honored with a Christmas blessing of l8 bags filled with food and l8 cases of canned goods.  They were all from Dave Frech’s friend “Dave.”  We offer our most gracious thanks for this generous gift and it has already been delivered to the Center for Food Action by Tom Noonan and Bill Graham.

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.

Ḟaithworks

Dear Familia, Happy New Year!!!

The Baptism of the Lord Sunday and the Season after the Epiphany takes us through January and February to the beginning of Lent. The word epiphany comes from a Greek word which means “to reveal” or shine. At Faithworks and following the Baptism of the Lord lesson, we will focus on Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” teachings from the gospel of Matthew. These teachings offer new ways of living in God’s ways and showing God’s light and love to the world. Our focus Bible story is in the gospel of Matthew 3:13–17. The story happens when Jesus is an adult and it takes place by the Jordan River. Imagine what it would look like if we celebrated the baptism of Jesus more loudly than we celebrate Christmas? The prominence and importance of Jesus’ baptism is not usually reflected in the rhythms of our modern Christian traditions, yet all four gospels feature the baptism of Jesus. What made the baptism of Jesus so important? Through the universal symbol of water, Jesus models his invitation for all to move from indifference to awareness – a deeper awareness of just how deeply loved we are by a good and gracious God. Not all our young people have had the opportunity to see a baptism in our church or in another church, so they may not fully understand what it is

about. A central theme in our focus Bible reading is that all people of faith are called, like Jesus, to bring God’s reign of love and justice into the world. Our time together will provide an opportunity to confirm that we are God’s beloved, whether we have been baptized or not. Our young people will discover soon enough that the world can be a difficult place to share love and justice. They may be tempted to give up. But just as the Spirit blessed Jesus at baptism and accompanied him in his ministry, we hope that God’s spirit will be with us, sustaining and empowering us to live as God’s beloved as we go back to school, work and our different activities after the holidays. 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 in worship. Childcare is available for children 4 and under on the 2^nd floor as well.

Travel with a Purpose – Paterson Habitat to Gulf Coast

Since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita made landfall in late 2005 Habitat for Humanity has built, rehabbed and repaired more than 6,000 homes. The Gulf Coast region is still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Gulf Coast affiliates continue to build houses in the hurricane-affected areas as part of Habitat’s long-term program―the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Recovery Effort. No construction experience is necessary. TWAP trips are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something truly meaningful, discover a new culture and new friends, and learn some new things about yourself, too. Paterson Habitat has returned to the Gulf Coast year after year to help with these efforts.

• Wednesday February 15th – Saturday February 18th
• Shorter trip options within these dates are available by request.  Email trips@patersonhabitat.org if you are interested in joining the team.

COALITION OF IMMOKALEE WORKERS UPDATE

CIW had the honor recently of welcoming the Rev. Jan Edmiston, Co-Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to Immokalee. Representing nearly two million Christians nationwide in the highest elected position within the PC (USA), Rev. Edmiston’s visit signified the latest demonstration of her church’s deep and unwavering commitment to the CIW’s work, a commitment that has been a crucial driving force in the success of the Fair Food Program.

Rev. Edmiston received a warm welcome from CIW members and a tour of the very community center and low-power radio station that both the PC(USA) and the Peace River Presbytery generously helped to launch thirteen years ago. After hearing firsthand from CIW leaders about the transformative changes that have taken place in the fields, Rev. Edmiston both met with Judge Laura Safer Espinoza of the Fair Food Standards Council, to learn about the FFSC’s role in monitoring and enforcing workers’ rights under the FFP, and traveled to Sunripe Certified Brands  to hear from a participating grower in the Fair Food Program about how this unique partnership is bringing dignity and human rights to the fields for the first time in decades — and having a positive impact on the growers’ bottom line.

Before departing, Rev. Edmiston shared the hope she felt during her visit to Immokalee, and her plans to follow-up her visit with action in the broader PC(USA) community.  Her visit was a welcome ray of inspiration in difficult times. CIW received $500 from HMPC Mission Funds in 2016. To learn more about this program, go to www.ciw.org.

                                        Sunday Server Sign-Up Sheet; First Quarter 2017

*Assigned families can decide who will be reader. Please inform Chris who is reading one week before you are scheduled.  If you cannot be available when assigned, please switch with someone else and inform the office of this change.  Please check PM regularly to see the date of your assignment.  We need a few more volunteers for the listed duties.  If you can help in anyway, please call the office at 201-891-0511 and we can add you to the list.  Thank you for your kindness and generosity in assisting with the church service.