bbpc weekly buzz...“the ground” - ola gjeilo interfaith hospitality network of somerset county...
TRANSCRIPT
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December 7, 2018
BBPC Weekly BUZZ September 06, 2019
This Week in Worship
Saturday, January 18, 5:00 p.m.
&
Sunday, January 19, 10:00 a.m.
Rev. Linda E Owens Preaching
“An Invitation“
Commissioning of Ted & Jane Settle
Scriptures:
Isaiah 49:1-7, Psalm 40:1-11
John 1:29-42
The Adult Choir
“The Ground” - Ola Gjeilo
Interfaith Hospitality Network
of Somerset County (IHN)
The Mission commission is excited to announce
that our church will be involved with the Interfaith
Hospitality Network of Somerset County. This
nonprofit agency serves homeless families with
children. A representative of IHN will be here after
church this Sunday, January 19th to share insight
about their agency. Please stick around after
worship to hear about this important endeavor we
are going to undertake. Our first week of hosting
begins on Sunday, February 9, 2020. If you have
any questions, please contact Carol Eichhorn at
732-302-0591.
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Fair Trade Sale– This Weekend
Following the worship services on Saturday,
January 18th and Sunday, January 19th, the
Mission Commission will offer the following Fair
Trade items from Equal Exchange for sale: Coffees,
Chocolates, Cocoa, and Teas. Also for sale, will be
fair trade olive oil and Za'atar from Zatoun.
THIS WILL BE THE LAST FAIR TRADE SALE
UNTIL MAY.
Ted and Jane leave Feb 1st to volunteer at the Mar
Elias Schools and will not return until May 1st.
Soup-er Bowl Cook off
We need your help! the ASP mission trip committee
will once again be hosting a Soup-er bowl soup and
chili cook off. We need members of the congrega-
tion to help by providing soups that we can sell. All
soups must be brought to the church on February
2nd (Superbowl Sunday) before church. If you can
donate a large pot of soup, please register your
soup at the link below or reach out to Tricia Flynn
at [email protected] or 908-256-2277.
Thank you! CLICK TO SIGN UP.
Winter Gathering Hands-On
Mission Fair
On Saturday, January 18, at 10:30 am – 1:30 pm,
the Presbyterian Women in the Presbytery will
gather at the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian
Church in Princeton to work on some mission pro-
jects and to learn about additional mission projects
undertaken by local PWs. Lunch will be served and
Epiphany will be celebrated with the cake
ceremony. Registration for the program and lunch
is $5.00.
Contact Doris Sabin at [email protected] or
732-469-3843 for registration, more information,
and carpool arrangements.
After Hours Bible Study
The women’s After Hours Bible Study will meet on
Monday, Jan 27th at 7:30pm in the home of Jane
Settle—100 Monroe Street, Apt 428 (Laurel Circle),
Bridgewater, New Jersey 08807. All women are
welcome. If you are interested in participating,
please contact Jane Settle, at church, or by phone
at 908-420-4839. We will read and discuss the
material in lesson 4: Words of Love: Honor the Life
Givers. As usual for our Christmas celebration re-
freshments, bring something to share.
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Elder: Issues and Answers
The Elder Care Group will be meeting on Wednes-
day, January 22, 2020, at 10 AM in the reception
area. We will be "brainstorming" new ideas, top-
ics, projects, lectures, road trips, etc. that are
important to you and the group. We need to hear
from all of you because all your ideas are im-
portant. Please feel free to bring a friend. Hope to
see you then.
Tom’s Retirement Party
Tom’s retirement party is Sunday Jan 26 after
church. RSVP’s are due this Sunday!
The sign up for set up and clean up for Tom's Re-
tirement Luncheon is in the reception area. Set
up will be on Saturday, January 25, 2020 at 3:00
pm and we would like the assistance of some
strong folks to help set up the tables and chairs.
Clean up will be after the event on Sunday, Janu-
ary 26.
There will also be a sign up for finger desserts for
Tom's retirement luncheon and that is also in the
reception area.
Please contact Doug Boleyn with any questions at
Inspired Small Groups
Those who participated, in the fall the Inspired
Small Groups will be gathering again soon (if they
haven’t already) to begin their discussion on of the
last four chapters in Rachel Held Evens’ book,
Inspired; Slaying Giants, Walking on Water,
and Loving the Bible Again. I f you were una-
ble to participate in the groups in the fall, but would
like to read the book and join in a discussion in
February, please let Rev. Linda know at
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Annual Stewardship Drive
Just a reminder it is never too late to complete
your 2020 pledge. Every dollar helps the church to
continue to operate and maintain its great pro-
grams. If you are not sure if you completed your
pledge see Phyllis Hazen.
The Finance Commission
Annual Reports Due—Jan 19
Annual reports are due to the church office by
January 19th. Please email your reports to
Epiphany Stars
If you didn’t get a chance to pick up your Epiphany
Star with your word for 2020, you can pick one up
this weekend in the reception area
The American Flag
We fly the American Flag proudly on the front lawn of the church. Two to three times a year, we have to replace
our flag, as the wind and weather fades and frays it. In worship on Sunday, Pastor Linda offered the congregation
an opportunity to purchase a flag in honor or in memory of a loved one. The response was quick and overwhelm-
ing. We have already received several gifts and dedications with more promised, and so we are good to go for the
next year or two. When the need presents itself again, we will reach out with the request for more donations and
dedications. Thank you again for so swift a response! This week, we were able to raise a new flag.
Dedication
In memory of my father, Donald B. Potter, veteran of the 10th Mountain Division, U.S. Army, who landed in Italy 75 years ago this month and prevailed in several decisive and grueling battles in the northern Apennine Mountains, Po Valley, and southern Alps during the winter and spring of 1945, ending the German occupation of Italy. -Chris Potter
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Youth and Families
This Week:
Spark Sunday School students are continuing
their lesson on the parable of "The Sower". Last
week, our Sunday School Students made terrari-
ums in Science Class! All children, age 3 - 5th
grade are invited to walk over with the class after
A Time For Children in the worship service.
Echo Sunday school is for youth grades 6-12
and takes place every Sunday morning in the
Cave (the church basement) starting at 10AM.
Join in the conversation!
Youth Group, grades 6-12, will meet this week
from 5-7PM starting in the Cave (the Church
basement). The theme is "The rains came down" -
a continuation of January's WATER, WATER
EVERYWHERE! theme.
Christmas Pageant Costumes
Help is needed to go through our Christmas pag-
eant costumes, to wash, possibly hem, and overall
spruce up our costumes. Year after year the cos-
tumes come out for our Christmas Eve family ser-
vice, then go back into storage. If you have time
and talent and can go through our 3 costume bins
to help us tidy up our wardrobe, please reach out
to Courtney Rzeplinski at
Children’s Worshipping Kits
Have you seen our new Children’s worshipping kits
in the back of the church sanctuary? These newly
revamped bags are filled with paper, crayons,
stickers, ect…
They are meant to keep our youngest worshippers
engaged during worship. Please take a bag and use
it during worship, and return it when you are
finished. Have fun!
Terrariums with Miss Rhonda
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The Senior High Youth enjoyed their own themed
night - "Chopped!" Students prepared a pizza and a
dessert to be judged by our 3 top chef judges!
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Ted and Jane Return To The Mar Elias Schools
On February 1, Jane and I leave for Israel and the Palestinian village of I’billin (near Haifa).
We will live in the guest house of the Mar Elias Schools (the fifth floor of the elementary
school) during our stay there (until May 1). This will be our 6th time volunteering at the Mar
Elias Schools since we first volunteered November 2011 through January 2012. As indicated,
while there, we live in a room in the guest house on the fifth floor of the elementary school,
complete with a bathroom. We are treated to the cooking of Badia, who cooks for visitors
staying in the guest house. We help with serving the meals, washing sheets and towels
(Jane), and other ways at the guest house. Primarily, we go to the high school every day and
work with students, mostly in senior classes, on their English, especially their ability to speak
English fluently. During their final year the students take the state English Bagrut exam. It has
three parts, reading, writing and speaking. We help primarily with the speaking part. We meet
with the senior classes and use sample questions from the exam that are typical of questions
they will be asked in a one to one interview. They are then judged on their use of words, fluen-
cy, etc.
Over the years we have become part of several families. The daughter in one of the families,
Ruba, was married when we were there in 2018. We helped with the food preparation for the
wedding, an event that lasts five days. Ted took a lot of photographs as well, that were shared
with them. Ruba is now expecting and her due date is late in the time we will be there, so
that is an exciting event for us.
We become Melkite Catholics while we are there, regularly attending Sunday morning worship
services in the village church, conducted in Arabic. We do take communion with them cele-
brated each Sunday.
While there we keep a blog and we will put the link on the church website
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Granada, Nicaragua Mission Trip
Seven of us are headed to Granada, Nicaragua for a mission trip. Our part-
ners include an organization that combats domestic violence and one that
serves abused, abandoned, and at risk youth in the capital city of Managua.
Our group includes 3 pastors, a retired Supermarket executive, an environ-
mental scientist, a city planner, and a recently widowed woman who is very
active in her church. We have given and raised enough money to build a
water system for 110 rural families and modern latrines for 15 schools.
We are hosted in part by Corazon Contento, an agency that serves 250
mentally and physically handicapped infants, children, youth, and adults
with a variety of services including a day program for 50 older youth and
adults. Granada is a beautiful and fascinating city. We visit the Masaya
Volcano. Seeing the lava gurgle is fun. Anyway, the journey combines
spending time with great people who run incredible agencies, some worship
and being in community, and then good food and tourism. Will share more
when we return.
Brooks Smith
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Did you know?
Sometimes the back story is so rich and extensive, there remains
little space to explore the main event. That could be said of
LaVerne Miner! So, the main event will predominate and, for
those of you who want the back story, read below for the short
version. Suffice it to say, LaVerne comes from a most interest-
ing and remarkable family.
LaVerne grew up in the Germantown section of Philadelphia.
Her mom was a math teacher, later a school administrator and
her dad a Baptist pastor. Both were graduates of Virginia Union
University in Richmond and, not surprisingly, both broke color
barriers of one sort or another. Her father’s seminary, Lutheran
Theological Seminary, to this day has an endowed chair in his
name for African American Studies. Her mother was the recipient of a National Science Fellowship and was recog-
nized by the University of Pennsylvania as a Pioneer Woman for her accomplishments. LaVerne’s younger and only
brother, Jeremiah Wright, served for many years as the senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, the
church that Barack Obama attended before becoming our President.
LaVerne began piano lessons at age five followed soon by violin lessons and finally organ lessons in her senior year of
high school. LaVerne confides that much of her organ-playing knowhow came in the last twelve years from Tom.
LaVerne began writing songs when she was seven. She was in the Philadelphia All City Orchestra in elementary, junior
high and senior high school playing the violin. LaVerne attended Philadelphia High School for Girls from which she
graduated at the top of her class. She received a partial scholarship to the music school of Boston University, but the
full scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania (her mother’s graduate school alma mater) could not be refused.
LaVerne succeeded in a music composition course but found the rules contrary to her natural inclinations. That, plus
the death of her private piano teacher, ended LaVerne’s formal music lessons at age 19.
LaVerne majored in French and minored in English at Penn and became qualified to teach both. She wasn’t half bad in
math either and, as a high school student, was televised on WFIL (Philly TV) solving geometry and algebra problems.
While a student at Penn, LaVerne was the Second Vice President of the Women’s Student Government. Upon gradua-
tion, LaVerne taught French and Spanish in West Philly – a tough area back then.
LaVerne fell in love with and in 1963 married Edward Wright. Since her maiden name was Wright, LaVerne was then
known as LaVerne Wright Wright! Ed graduated from Colgate Rochester Divinity School in Rochester, NY. On schol-
arship, LaVerne graduated from the University of Rochester with a masters degree in Foreign and Comparative Litera-
ture. The couple moved to Grinnell, Iowa where Ed, a Danforth Fellow, served as Associate Chaplain at Grinnell Col-
lege and LaVerne worked in the college library before teaching French in the high school. The Wrights eventually
moved to Newton, MA while Ed attended Andover Newton Theological School. During that time, LaVerne taught
French in the Brookline, MA school system. Ed was the Associate Pastor of Old Cambridge Baptist Church and a
member of the United Ministry at Harvard. Their son, Eddie, was born in 1968. Ed became the Dean of Students and
Registrar at Harvard Divinity School. LaVerne took time off from teaching to care for her son. Sadly, LaVerne and Ed
did not “live happily ever after” and, a year after their separation, LaVerne returned to teaching in Watertown, MA
where she remained until 2000.
CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE.
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Did you know? Continued
During these years, in addition to raising Ed, LaVerne attended professional development courses at Northeastern, Bos-
ton University and Boston College. In 1981 she did a sabbatical at Harvard and earned a Certificate in Advanced Stud-
ies in Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Environments. The sabbatical proved to be a welcome respite from 24/7
middle school students! Though the marriage ended, LaVerne’s son, Ed, remains the joy of her life. He too attended
the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton School of Business) and eventually obtained his MBA in finance from Boston
College. Today Ed is a salesperson for Bentley Systems, Inc., a software development company, in PA. He and his
wife, Meghan, a former Celtics and Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania Foundation events fundraising expert in the
process of becoming a philanthropy specialist, live in Wayne, PA. Their visits are very special times for LaVerne!
Some years after her marriage ended, LaVerne reconnected with an old family friend, Bill Miner. Bill lived outside of
D.C. where he worked as a community development specialist for various entities including the State of Israel, the Unit-
ed Nations, USAID, and the Quakers. Despite a sixteen-year age difference, cupid had his way, and LaVerne and Bill
married in 1985. For fifteen years they lived in separate cities, she in Watertown, MA and he in D.C., spending won-
derful weekends together. Bill’s work involved many overseas assignments including Africa and the Middle East. Even
LaVerne was surprised when Bill communicated easily in Arabic at BBPC with a group of students brought by the Set-
tles from
Palestine!!
LaVerne describes Bill as an early proponent of long term care and, when they were both ready for retirement, it was
Arbor Glen they selected after visiting some 30 similar facilities. Bill was very active at Arbor Glen as a Vice President
and President of the Residents’ Association. He was the first resident elected to the Friends Governing Board after NJ
required resident participation in the CCRC governance. During these years LaVerne was hardly uninvolved. Her
M.O. was more behind the scenes activity, except for the occasional community Miner sing-alongs. Her dutiful mainte-
nance of the five pianos at the facility will come as no surprise! Failed back surgery unfortunately left Bill physically
compromised but never such that he failed to appear in church impeccably dressed in a suit. Bill died peacefully in
February 2017 at almost age 93. In all, LaVerne and Bill shared almost 32 years of marital happiness.
In more recent times, particularly since Arbor Glen was purchased by a corporation from its original Quaker owners and
is now known as Laurel Circle, LaVerne has become increasingly involved in the leadership of the facility and currently
serves as Resident Association Vice President. The commitment involves many meetings and sundry responsibilities,
but the pianos remain a top priority. On Mondays at lunch, LaVerne plays background piano music for the residents.
BBPC has also been the recipient of much of Bill and LaVerne’s energy and creativity. Both have served as lay speak-
ers, and LaVerne served on session some time ago. Too infrequently, LaVerne graces us with her organ and piano acu-
men and, in the past not infrequently, performed organ/piano duets with Tom. Today we know her as our favorite sub-
stitute organist/pianist in Tom’s absence. LaVerne’s home on occasion serves as a meeting place for small group church
activities for BBPC members living at Laurel Circle. How well intermeshed have two important aspects of LaVerne’s
life become.
Not surprisingly, LaVerne is a woman of many interests and hobbies including writing poetry, singing, painting sta-
tionery, cooking, arranging flowers, reading and learning new things. Listening to others and making people smile
give LaVerne much pleasure. But we all know that already! Who knows, perhaps the ministerial heritage (father,
grandfather, uncle, great uncle and brother) provides the explanation.
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Souper Bowl 2020
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The Bound Brook Presbyterian Church
409 Mountain Avenue, Bound Brook, NJ 08805
To contact us email [email protected] or phone (732) 356-3575
In Other News…
Caring Minister On Call: January 19 - January25: Jill DeMouth Save The Date: Church Annual Meeting - February 9, 11:45am.
A light lunch will be served between worship and the meeting. Save The Date: Annual Cemetery Lot Holder’s Meeting - February 16, 11:45am.
The meeting will be held in the cemetery chapel. Save The Date: After Hours Bible Study meeting in 2020 from 7:30—9:00pm:
January 27, (lesson 5), Feb. 24 (lesson 6), Mar. 23 (lesson 7), Apr. 27 (lesson 8), May 18 (lesson 9), June, picnic. Date and time TBD.
Church Office Hours: Monday—Friday, 9:00am - 4pm, closed from 1-2pm for lunch
BBPC is SMOKE FREE! No smoking is permitted on church grounds. We hope that this w ill create a healthier and more pleasant environment for all of us.
Chair Yoga Class—Join us! Monday at 9:00-10:00am, Wednesday at 12:00-1:00pm, and Friday at 12:15-1:15pm. Please note, all classes will be at the Freeman Chapel in the cemetery. Cost: $40 for 8 weeks per class.
Flower chart: The 2020 Flower chart is posted outside the Sanctuary.
Hearing Aids : Hearing aids are available for use during services. They are located near the church office. An usher can assist you in locating them.
Please send Buzz articles to [email protected]. Article are due on Thursday 1:00pm.
Weekly Calendar January 17 — January 25
Friday 12:15 p.m. Chair Yoga 7:00 p.m. BBP Railroad Club 8:30 p.m. AA
Saturday 5:00 p.m. Worship
Sunday 8:45 a.m. Adult Education 10:00 a.m. Worship 11:00 a.m. IHN Discussion 11:30 a.m. Youth Group
Monday Martin Luther King Jr. Day - OFFICE CLOSED 9:00 a.m. Chair Yoga 8:30 p.m. AA
Tuesday 10:45 a.m. Adult Choir 7:00 p.m. Sessions & Deacons Meeting 8:00 p.m. AA
Wednesday 10:00 a.m. Elder: Issues and Answers 10:30 a.m. Staff Meeting 12:00 p.m. Chair Yoga 6:00 p.m. Cantabile Choir
Thursday 9:00 a.m. Silence Seekers 6:45 p.m. Bell Choir 7:15 p.m. Boy Scout Troop Meeting 7:30 p.m. Choir Rehearsal 7:30 p.m. Finance Meeting 8:00 p.m. AA Meditation
Friday 12:15 p.m. Chair Yoga 7:00 p.m. BBP Railroad Club 8:30 p.m. AA
Saturday 5:00 p.m. Worship