expectations - emmanuel ridgewood...he and his wife debra are long time ridgewood residents. i...
TRANSCRIPT
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EXPECTATIONS
Emmanuel is a growing,
welcoming, caring
community, celebrating the
rich diversity of God’s
Creation, treasuring our
common humanity and
following the way of Christ’s
love, justice and mercy in
today’s world..
The Ministry at Emmanuel
Ministers
All Who Love & Serve God
Senior Minister
Pastor Kenneth Gill
IN THIS ISSUE
Table of Contents
Welcome……………………….1
Pastor’s Message………..…...2
Church Ministries…………..3-7
News/Celebration..………..8-16 Calendar………………………17 Sunday Worship 10:30 am All are Welcome!
www.emmanuelridgewood.org https://facebook.com/emmanuelridgewood Twitter.com/emmanuel07450
Monthly Newsletter October 2017
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Emmanuel’s church council is excited to recommend the Rev. Arturo Lewis to the congregation to serve as Associate Pastor beginning November 1. Rev. Lewis will focus on youth and family ministry and discipleship, assisting me with preach-ing and serving as a representative and advocate for Emmanuel’s ministry and outreach into the larger community. Pastor Judy Wheeler will continue to serve in the role of Pastoral Associate focusing pri-marily on pastoral care, prayer concerns, children’s ministry and facilitating the sev-eral groups she is involved in and leads. The new Associate Pastor position will be part time and will not result in any additional monies needed for pastoral staff in 2018. Pastor Judy and I have both agreed to take a salary reduction beginning in 2018 in order to fund the new position. In order to compensate for these reduc-tions, Pastor Judy will be given the summer off next year and I will take an addition-al four weeks off primarily in January/February. This will insure that there is always pastoral staff available for congregational needs and emergencies. In addition, Rev. Arturo will fill the pulpit in my absence 8 to 10 times per year. Rev. Lewis is an ordained American Baptist Minister, endorsed by ABCNJ and completed his theo-logical graduate work at Princeton Seminary. He is currently adjunct professor at William Paterson College teaching sociology of religion and world religions. Rev. Lewis has pastored several churches and been involved with at risk youths as a mentor and program facilitator. He has served as a life coach, motivational speaker and community activist with a particular passion for social justice issues. He and his wife Debra are long time Ridgewood residents. I believe Rev. Arturo will add a new dimension to Emmanuel’s ministry as an inclusive, interfaith, and diverse Christian congregation. A congregational meeting is scheduled for Oct. 29, immediately after the morning service to vote on the new associate. As well, Rev. Lewis will be available on that morning to meet with any youth and/or their parents who would like to get to know him at 9:15 in the Peace Lounge. If you haven’t heard Rev. Lewis preach, he will be filling the pulpit for me on Oct. 8 when I am away. Please pray for this process and try to be in attendance in the coming weeks as we head toward the call of a new Associate Pastor. If you have any spe-cific questions or would like to take a look at Rev. Lewis’s resume, just contact me or the church office.
Thoughts from Pastor Gill
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From the Communications Director September 2017
Please see several projects, events, publicity, and social media underway at Emmanuel.
Publicized Events (June 2017-September 2017):
** Please note that each event requires pre-event and post-event publicity depending on event needs. Publicity includes
but is not limited to internal communication, press release, website slider and updates, Facebook event and posts, social
media updates, program, flyers, and media outreach.
Monthly Peace and Justice Forums- June through Present
Monthly Community Pasta Dinners- June through Present
Uncoupling Support Group- June through Present
Future of Faith Series
Vacation Bible School
School Supply Donations to CFA
Future of Faith Series
Candlelight Vigil
Men's Fellowship Clothing Collection for Good Shepherd Mission
Pet Blessing Event in collaboration with Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital's Adopt a Pet Day
CROP Walk- October 15th
Oktoberfest- October 21st
Emmanuel Events Featured in the News (June 2017- September 2017):
Monthly Community Pasta Dinners
Monthly Peace and Justice Forums
Candlelight Vigil (Note: Article and photos featured in Ridgewood News and on NorthJersey.com)
Pet Blessing Event in collaboration with Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital's Adopt a Pet Day (Note: Video and Article Featured on
NorthJersey.com)
Uncoupling Support Group
Emmanuel press releases have been featured on the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce website (Note: See Ridgewood Chamber
of Commerce website).
Social Media:
A new church Meetup.com account was created for the Uncoupling Support Group. The Uncoupling Support Group Meetup has
about 164 members in it.
A new email address, [email protected], was created to link all of the church's social media. Social Media
has been updated as needed.
As of this report, here are the social media statistics:
Facebook: Emmanuel’s Facebook profile has 220 friends in comparison to only 1 friend prior to my hiring. Emmanuel’s Face-
book Page has 145 likes.
Twitter: Emmanuel's Twitter page has 24 Followers. If you are on Twitter, please follow the church at https://twitter.com/
Emmanuel07450 YouTube: Emmanuel's YouTube page has 13 Subscribers. Follow the church's Live Stream at
www.TinyURL.com/EmmanuelStream. Website: Website (www.emmanuelridgewood.org) has been updated as needed.
Members Only Section as well as several pages throughout the website have Church Facility Rental Forms and Wedding Forms.
New email addresses for office staff have been established. New online prayer request form available on website.
Advertisements: Ridgewood Football Schedule Posters are currently running from August 2017-November 2017.
Business Cards: Business cards with church logo and contact information were designed, created, and ordered for the church.
The purpose of this church business card is so that congregation members can invite friends, acquaintances, and anyone that
they know to visit or attend events at the church.
COMMUNICATIONS O
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MISSIONS
Because the need is so great for Hurricane and Earthquake victims, we will continue to collect
donations for One Great Hour of Sharing which is distributed by the World Relief Committee. Nancy
Shaver is a member of this committee which will meet in Nov. so she can assure that donations go
for relief promptly. Checks to Emmanuel with notation for OGHS
-The Rotary Club of Ridgewood has asked Emmanuel to participate in a shoe collection called
"Soles 4 Souls" and have provided a box. This box will be placed under the Mission Bulletin Board
for anyone who has gently used shoes to contribute. We have done this before with good results.
- The food collection in October and November will go to The Center for Food Action due to the
Crop Walk and Thanksgiving Baskets.
- The Mission emphasis for November will be The World Mission Offering which goes to support
over 100 American Baptist Missionaries working in countries around the world.
Emmanuel Baptist will participate in the Northwest Bergen
CROP Walk on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017. Walkers will have a
luncheon together at Emmanuel at 12:15, where Joan will have
you sign in and if possible turn in your donations. ( you can also
raise funds online, our team is EBC Ridgewood in the Northwest Bergen Walk) . Don Wheeler, sea-
soned photographer will take a group photo, and we will head off to Van Nest Square at about 1:10.
The walk " kick off" will take place in Van Nest Square at 1:30, where we will join with others from
the community. Maps are available and the walk is about 3k . We are walking to help raise aware-
ness about hunger here and abroad. Everyone is encouraged to walk or sponsor a walker. We also
ask that you bring peanut butter or another non perishable food item to church on October 15. We
will bring these items with us to the walk kick off.
Please see Joan Massler or Martin Massler at coffee hour on Oct 1 or Oct 8 to sign up. You
can walk with us, walk off site, walk in spirit. Reminder- checks can be made out to CWS- CROP
or to Emmanuel with a note in the lower left corner of the check CROP; checks made out to
Emmanuel will clear faster as our treasure processes them and makes one check to CWS. Joan will
collate everything, so please ensure that your donation envelope , individual check, or online
donation totals get to Joan. Nancy Shaver, Chair of Mission Ministry, will report the total raised in
November. Thank you in advance for supporting this worthy cause!
MISSIONS …………..at home and around the world
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All are invited to join in the 9:15
class each Sunday for Biblical reflection as we focus on steps toward becoming more loving and generous Christians.
We are viewing the DVD by Brian McLaren as a resource.
Sunday Mornings at 9:15 in the Library.
-Sunday Morning at 9:15
in the Library-
WE Executive Committee will meet Tuesday, October 10 at 10 am.
Bible in the Contemporary World
with the Pastor
The Tuesday night Bible study will take
place on the first Tuesday of the month at
7:00 pm-8:30 pm in the Peace lounge.
Refreshments will be served.
Monday, October 3, 2017 at 7:30
All are invited to join the Prayer Group each month and pray together for mutual concerns.
Our resource book this fall is Breathing Under Water:
Spirituality and the Twelve Steps by Richard Rohr.
He writes: “Twelve Steppers some-times thought they had left the church for their meetings in the church base-ment; and many church people upstairs presumed that their “higher” concerns were something different…
But the similar messages between the two teachings shows a common inspiration from the Holy Spirit…
The Twelve Steps mirror and make practical the same message that Jesus gave us...”
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CULTURES AND FRIENSHIP INTERNATIONAL
Join this international friendship group for our October meetings at 10:30 in the Peace Lounge: October 4—Program by Noriko Kubo October 18—Music Program by Lou Hinchliffe
WOMEN’S REFLECTION GROUP Join us on October 22 at 7 in the Peace Lounge as we meet for Biblical reflection and mutual support, seeking to “find the quiet center in the busy lives we lead.” We are using the devotional book, Sacred Space.
COMMUNITY PASTA DINNER is scheduled for Sept. 19th at 6 p.m. Please come and bring friends. It is nice to know attendance ahead of time in order to plan accordingly, so please call either the church office, 201-444-7300, or Marilyn, 201-391-4720.
PEACE AND JUSTICE FORUM TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2017, 7:00 PM Does Exclusion Still Exist in Ridgewood and Vicinity? Addressing bias in our communities. Perspectives from excluded persons and their advocates and protectors. Role of faith communities, schools, community organizations and businesses.
READERS’CHOICE will meet Friday, November 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the home of Audrey Cocheo to discuss A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline. Please call Marilyn tell her you are attending and what you will be bringing.
MEN’S FELLOWSHIP Sept. 16-Oct. 14 Men's Clothing Drive Please place contributions of gently used men's clothing or new underwear and socks in the corridor leading to the Chapel
October 21 Oktoberfest 5:30 PM
Enjoy a festive evening of great food, fellowship, and music. All funds raised will go to support our mission projects.
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Congregants’ Corner
What does it mean to grow older? It means to grow wiser everyday. To appreciate more fully the joy life sends our way. It means finding pleasures in the little things—A word, A smile A thought, to play and dream but not to forget the joys the past has brought. It means to value having friends and loves ones always near, to learn from each experience and to cherish every year. Submitted by Sami Do you have an idea, thought or topic that you would like to share in our monthly news-letter? If so please send your submissions for Expectations to the church office at [email protected]
The Brown Bag Discussion Group Monday at 12:00 pm
Join us for a stimulating discussion on books ranging from
religion & culture, theology, politics and current affairs. Bring a lunch. All are welcome.
Now Reading: The Meaning of Human Existence by E.O. Wilson
Pledge Income 8/31/17 Current Year Last Year Anticipated, based on pledges: $ 55,315.33 Received: $ 55,395.59 Ahead/(Shortfall): $ (1,919.74) $ 1,907.86
If you have glasses that you have outgrown your prescription, please consider donating them.
Box is located in Library.
ESL COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM English language learners are invited to join our multicultural circle of learning and practice speaking, reading, and writing skills in a small group setting.
Thursday evenings at 7:30
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The Men’s Fellowship of
Emmanuel Baptist Church
Presents an
OKTOBERFEST
Saturday, October 21
At 5:30 PM
An evening of great food, music, and fellowship
To support the Mission Projects of the fellowship
Adults $15 Children $8
Emmanuel Baptist Church
14 Hope Street
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
201-444-7300
www.emmanuelridgewood.org
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October 29 Special Congregational Meeting immediately after the morning service to vote on calling the Reverend Arturo Lewis as the new Associate Minister.
Concert for Hurricane Relief
Saturday November 4
4:00 pm
Special Guest Artists: Directed by Joh Giresi
Free to the Public
Reception to follow
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THE UNCOUPLING GROUP CONTINUES
The "Uncoupling" group will continue on the second and fourth Thursday of the month from 7:30- 9:00 pm. The purpose of the group is to create a supportive environment for anyone who is going through a relationship breakup, a separation or divorce, Persons can RSVP by calling the church office at 201 444-7300 or by registering on line through the “Meet Up” website. The next dates are Sept14th , 28th and Oct. 12th, 26th . Comments from group members… “Thanks again Pastor Ken & Tracy. I get a lot out of these Uncoupling Group but most of all I feel bonded, safe, secure, & calmer when I'm amongst such caring friends. The readings, tapes, music, & singing bowls helps me. I know now I may just come out on the other side one of these years. My hope is this Uncoupling Group will continue for the rest of the year & beyond.” “This was my first meeting and I can't say enough good things about how it went. I came into the meeting feeling confused and in limbo about the long time separation from my husband, but left being able to see clearly for the first time. I ordered the book and can't wait to start reading it. I give thanks to God for sending this group my way.”
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African-American Experiences in Ridgewood and Nearby Towns and Cities
Tuesday, October 17, 7:00pm – 8:30
Leaders from the African- American Community in Ridgewood and vicinity and friends will share experiences and speak about their contributions to the wider community. Perspectives from Rev. Mack Brandon, Pastor, Metropolitan AME Zion Church and Professor at Ramapo College of New Jersey, Rev. Lemuel Brown, Minister, Mt. Bethel Baptist Church and Co-Chair, Martin Luther King Committee, Rev. Jan Philips, Chair of the Community Relations Advisory Board of Ridgewood and Glen Rock and Leader of the Ridgewood Friends Meeting and others. All are invited. Preceded by a non-fundraising, Community Pasta Dinner, at 6:00pm. If attending dinner, please reserve a seat by calling the church office at 201-444-7300.
Save the Date: November 21, 7:00pm-8:30pm
Saving DACA- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals- with presentations from students under threat of deportation and their advocates with assistance from Church World Service.
UPCOMING PEACE AND JUSTICE FORUMS
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Peace and Justice Forum Features a Dialogue With Local Muslim Leaders
Mr. Mamoud Hamza, Leader of the Muslim Society of Ridgewood and Imam Moutaz Charaf of the El Zahra Islamic Center in Midland Park shared their experiences as international students in the US, raising their children here and their experiences in the local community. They told of their encounters with prejudice but also, many extraordinary acts of welcome and kindness. A lively dialogue followed. They are committed to working together with all people of good will to build trust and a strong sense of community for the “common good”. We are grateful for such good neighbors!
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Youth Lead Town Meeting on Summer Projects
Emma, Chelsea and Caroline presented their summer project after worship on October 1.
Emma’s service project in Costa Rica was launched with 11 youths she had never met before, but now “they are friends for life.” She said mixing cement by hand and pouring it to make floors was the hardest work I’ve ever done--- but we had so much fun.” She plans to go back next year for an even longer time.
Chelsea read Scripture beautifully in the morning worship, and then led off to tell about her wonderful experiences at Camp Lebanon illustrated with photos on our wide screen TV. Chelsea gave a moving account of the Green Cathedral where they went for worship each day.
Caroline went to Camp Lebanon for three one-week sessions that included sail boating, outdoor survival, etc. She definitely wants to go back next summer. Joseph is also an enthusiastic camper. He loved his three weeks at Camp Lebanon this summer, and also attended Boy Scout camp.
They expressed appreciation for what Emmanuel has contributed to their lives!
Emma tells about her work project in Costa Rica
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Chelsea and Caroline speak about Camp Lebanon.
Chelsea tells about Vespers in the Green Cathedral
Caroline with her proud Mom, Diane!
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Council Highlights – September 25, 2017 Council Meeting (As always, full council minutes are on the bulletin board outside the Pastor’s Office.)
Pastor Ken addressed our search for a youth/family minister. Rev. Arturo Lewis, who preached here previously and will preach again on October 8, is a candidate for Associate Minister. The Council voted to affirm his selection and the congregation will vote on this decision in October, after Pastor Lewis meets with the youth and parents. Pastor Judy will remain on staff as Pastoral Associate with 3 months off during the summer. Pastor Ken will take an additional 4 weeks off without salary 1/15-2/15. There will be a “0” effect on the 2018 budget due to salary decreases for the Senior Pastor and Pastoral Associate, no need for pulpit supply, and an approved $5000 line item for a Minister of Youth.
Trustees, Missions and Deacon Ministries gave updated reports
CROP Walk will be October 15 – Joan will be available 10/1 for sign up.
“Town Meeting” October 1 will feature our youth talking about Mission and Camp Lebanon experiences
Playground clean-up discussed
Don Wheeler discussed personal prayer and distributed materials
LRPC will meet Wednesday, September 27
All budgets due to Dave Shaver by October 10th
.
Hackensack Homeless Shelter Dinner will be October 30th
Save the week-end of November 4 and 5. Hurricane Benefit Concert Sat., Nov. 4.
Men’s Clothing Drive and Soles for Souls October features
Men’s Fellowship Oktoberfest Saturday, October 21
Stewardship 2018 – to date, 28 donors $71,831.92. Please send your Faith/Promise card if you have not already done so
The next Council Meeting will be Monday, October 23
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October Birthday
1-Suann Aitchison 5-Justin Kuo
12-Joan Massler 19-June Boswick
27-Joseph Osborne
October 3rd Bob and Nancy MacPhee
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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 Communion
Monthly Food Collection 9:15 Adult Sunday School 10:30 Worship Sunday School Youth
2
12 Noon- Discussion Group
3
1:10 pm Yoga 7:30 pm Bible Study w/Pastor
4 10:30 am CFI
7:30 pm Prayer Group 8:30 pm AA
5
1:10 pm Yoga
7:30 pm ESL
6
6:30 pm & 8 pm
AA
7
8
9:15 Adult Sunday School 10:30 Worship Sunday School Youth
9
Office closed
10 10:00 am We Executive Mtg 11:00 am Constitution & By-Law mtg 1:10 pm Yoga
11 9:00 -12 Holmstead PSAT
8:30 pm AA
12
1:10 pm Yoga 7:30 pm “Uncoupling” Group 7:30 pm ESL
13
6:30 pm & 8 pm
AA
14
8 am Holmstead Fair 9:00 am Men’s Fellowship Breakfast
15
9:15 Adult Sunday School 10:30 Worship Sunday School Youth
16
12 Noon- Discussion Group
17 1:10 pm Yoga
6 pm Pasta Dinner 7 pm Peace &
18 10:30 am CFI
8:30 pm AA
19
1:10 pm Yoga
7:30 pm ESL
20
6:30 pm & 8 pm
AA
21
5:30 pm
Octoberfest
22
9:15 Adult Sunday School 10:30 Worship Sunday School Youth 7 pm Women’s Reflection Grp
23
12 Noon- Discussion Group
24 1:10 pm Yoga
25 8:30 pm AA
26
1:10 pm Yoga
7:30 pm “Uncoupling” Group 7:30 pm ESL
27
6:30 pm & 8 pm
AA
28
29
9:15 Adult Sunday School 10:30 Worship Sunday School Youth Congregational Meeting
30
12 Noon- Discussion Group
31 1:10 pm Yoga