niskayuna reformed church august 2019 · birthdays 30 3 bob schlieman 4 sharon rice-herbst 4 emily...
TRANSCRIPT
What does it mean to “just be” in the presence of God? This continues to be a
question that I ponder every day, for what seems to be the last couple years. As
laid back as I can be, I still find it hard to be still, to be quiet, and to sit in the
presence of God. My interpretation of “just being” before God is the ability to
enter into God’s presence without pretense, without words, without a liturgy,
without work, without all that often gets between myself and God. This is an
incredibly difficult thing to do even when I am not distracted by the many
electronic gadgets that exist. After a few minutes of silence, my mind gets antsy:
“What are we doing? Wasting time?”
“What is for dinner? Hmmmm…pizza sounds good!”
“Shouldn’t you be answering emails? Planning an event? Writing that
sermon?”
“You really should start making a project list around the house.”
“See, wasting time again. Pretty soon people will realize you don’t do
enough.”
Our Christian Education Director, Sabrina Squires, preached a sermon from the
tenth chapter of Luke, where we find these words from Jesus:
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is
need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be
taken away from her.”
I needed to hear that sermon on that Sunday because I often get caught up in the
doing, that I forget about just being. Just being in the presence of God, just being
in the presence of friends, just being in the presence of my wife, and just being with
myself. I fall into the trap of thinking that my worth is found in what I do, and how I
perform in my various societal roles. Because of that kind of thinking, I end up
being a false version of myself. I put on masks and disguises in order for people to
see what I think they want to see.
This does not mean that I should stop doing, yet my doing should come out of my
being, instead of my being coming out of my doing. My actions are a direct result
of being present to God and to myself. This is contrary to how our civilization
operates. We place a lot of value to what people do, and how well they do it. I
am not insisting that we remove ourselves from the benefits of hard work and
perseverance. Yet, we cannot view our actions as the sole basis for self-worth. We
do what we do because we already know we have value.
May we all be able to take some moments to be in God’s presence, hearing the
voice of the divine, reminding us that we are valued just as we are. Then we shall
go out to be God’s presence to others.
Niskayuna Reformed Church August 2019
Birthdays
3 Bob Schlieman
4 Sharon Rice-Herbst
4 Emily Wood
6 Todd Stewart
7 Mary Gillespie
9 Emelia Pederson
11 Drew Henery
12 Mandie Stafford
18 Gabriel Hall
22 Gary Male
23 Robert Graves
24 Judy Battiste
27 David Wood
30 Lucas Counsell
30 Lorraine Wilson
30 Fay Levitto
Anniversaries
David & Tiffanie Wood 3
George & Jean Bursor 7
Matt & Paige Faddegon
10
Dug & Sharon Jackson 11
Alan & Carol Holmes 14
Stephen & Lauren Groudine
15
Joe & Christina Pustay 16
Everett & Mae Dillon 21
Norm & Nancy Tellier 24
John & Trudy Lehner 25
Michael & Lynda Dranichak
26
Les & Sally Perlee 28
David & Nancy Guest 31
ValleyCats Game Rescheduled
The ValleyCats game has been
rescheduled. We have 25 tickets
available for the Tri-City ValleyCats
game on Friday, August 16th at 7pm.
Tickets are $10.
Contact Pastor Jason to RSVP or for
more information.
Clergy Against Hate
On Sunday, August 25th, Schenectady
Clergy Against Hate will be hosting a
school supply giveaway. Several faith
communities in the area will be
supporting this event. We are in need
of 300 packs of index cards, preferably
lined. Please drop them off in the
narthex or the church office. If you
have questions, contact Pastor Jason.
Office News
Ellen will be out August 21st-23rd. There will be someone in the office to cover
the phones from 10 am-2 pm.
Rick will be on vacation until Sunday, August 11th.
Thank you to all the people that covered the phones and made sure
everything ran smoothly for me while I was on vacation. THANK YOU Pastor
Jason, Rick Wallace, Ron Ricard, Linda Gardner, Leo & Sue Lichtig, Barb
Valenti, Joan Peebles, Kim Cerone, Michele Kopp & Suzi O’Brien. I had a
wonderful, relaxing vacation and it was so nice to know everything was taken
care of while I was gone.
Mission and Service Committee
August 4th Communion Collection:
Our Communion Collection for August
will benefit World Central Kitchen.
Founder Chef Jose’ Andres founded the
organization in 2010 after Haiti’s
devastating earthquake with the belief
that food can be an agent of change.
WCK’s long-term programs are designed
to engender long-lasting changes and
improvements in livelihoods. They focus
on improving health, creating jobs
through educational offerings,
strengthening food economies, and
promoting sustainable social enterprises
by creating and implementing locally-led,
smart solutions to hunger and poverty.
WCK has also rehabilitated 150 school
and other community kitchens in Haiti
through their Food For Thought program.
And they are expanding this work to
Guatemala and beyond. For more
information please see www.wck.org
Thank you!
Looking ahead:
September 1st—Shelter Box
July Communion Collections
SICM $430 (collected)
Once again, we appreciate the
generosity of our congregation.
SICM Emergency Food Pantry
For the month of August, the food item we
will be collecting is canned beans. Please
consider making a donation to help
combat food insecurity in our
community. We will be collecting a
different food item each month.
Monetary donations are also welcome
and can often purchase more food per
dollar than we often realize. There is a
green collection box in the narthex.
Every donation impacts lives.
Eyewear/Hearing Aid Collection
There is a collection box in the Education
Building for your used eyeglasses and
hearing aids to benefit the Lions Club
International which will be distributed to
those in need. Please check your homes
for glasses or hearing aids that are no
longer needed and bless someone else
with the gift of sight or hearing. Several
full boxes have already been donated—
Thank You!
2019 Volunteer Opportunities
Schenectady City Mission-
September 9th Time: 4:45-6:15.
Please contact Michele Kopp at
[email protected] ,if you are
interested in volunteering. Sign-ups to
volunteer must be done on-line at https://
citymissionofschenec-
tady.volunteerhub.com/lp/allevents/
events/index
Salvation Army Soup Kitchen-
August 15th, September 17th, October
22nd & November 19th
Time: 10:30 am-1:30 pm
UPCOMING M & SC Events
Brooks BBQ August 21st
Please mark your calendars for August
21st, between 3-6pm for our second
Brooks BBQ. As usual, we are seeking
volunteers. Do you know a student or a
Scout who needs volunteer hours? This is
the perfect opportunity!
We also need dozens of Brownies!
Brownies should be plain chocolate (NO
NUTS PLEASE), cut into 3”x 3” squares and
individually wrapped. There will be
Sign-up sheets are available now
available in FH and the back of the
Narthex. Prices $12 for a chicken dinner and $8 for half a chicken.
Next Meeting:
August 12, 2019 @ 7pm All are welcome
Please remember the needy, the hungry
City Mission
Another great evening in Schenectady!
Many thanks to our NRC family (and friends) for their kindness and help serving a total
of 323 dinners (in house and to go) Monday evening at the City Mission.
Diners were treated to home made soup, salad and a choice of chicken or beef
tacos. Maureen Rizzi, Lynn Barnard-Avveduti, Michele Kopp, Bob Cantine, Nancy Hols-
berger and Cathy O’Connor donned aprons and gloves to help make this meal a re-
ality. A beautiful evening was had by all.
Salvation Army Soup Kitchen
The July 24th Salvation Army Soup Kitchen proved to be a busy day. With school being
out, we had many young diners join us. The final total was unofficially 137. However,
the counter admitted it was probably a bit higher than that.
We hit some new firsts for the day, in that we have
never been allowed to serve food past the 1:00 pm timeframe. The doors are usually
locked and serving windows closed by Salvation
Army employees. However, the line was constant and we served the last of the crowd
about 1:15 pm. We also served a record assortment of food. We depleted 180 eggs in
the form of egg salad sandwiches, a 12-pack of hot dogs and luckily, a BOGO pack
of 12 hot dogs, about a dozen PB&J sandwiches and we had to heat up some lefto-
ver kielbasa from the previous day. We also served fruit, vegetables with dipping
sauces, chips, and pudding and cookies for dessert.
Many thanks to the following volunteers for their service: Mary Ivey, Sue Lichtig, Alex Passino, Nicholas Passino, Debra Passino and Barbara Valenti.
The next soup kitchen is scheduled for Thursday, August 15th. Hours are usually from
about 10:15 am – 1:30 pm. If you are able to help or have questions, please contact
Sue Lichtig (518-785-4574), Barbara Valenti (518-280-4578) or call the NRC office.
City Mission School Supplies Drive
The Schenectady City Mission is collecting school supplies again this year to help
prepare students for a successful academic year. List of requested items is posted in
the education building. Drop off deadline is Thursday, August 8th. Supplies will be
delivered to them on Friday August 9. Please consider picking up extra items as you
do your school shopping with your family.
Niskayuna Senior Center
Upcoming Events:
Thursday, August 1
12:30 pm B-day Celebration;
12:45 pm Clowning Around Day
Tuesday, August 6
12:30 pm Neil Armstrong Day-
Discussion and Trivia; Walking Club
Wednesday, August 7
10:30 am Racetrack and Racino Trip
leaving from Town Hall
Thursday, August 8
10 am Walmart Vision Center;
12:30pm Celebrate Lucille Ball Day Trivia
Friday, August 9
10-11am Men’s Group
Tuesday, August 13
11 am Cornell Corporative Extension
Lecture; Walking Club
Thursday, August 15
12:30 pm Navajo Code Talker Day
Discussion and Trivia
Friday, August 16
6:30 – 8:30 pm
55 and Over Dance Party
Tuesday, August 20
10 am First Aid for Seniors—NFD1
Visit from Sophie—Therapy Dog;
Walking Club
Thursday, August 22
1 pm Putting Around Day– mini golfing
at Kingsway (weather permitting)
Friday, August 23
10-11am– Men’s Group
Tuesday, August 27
10 am Advanced Hearing Aid
Services; Walking Club
Thursday, August 29
1 pm Senior Driving Safety Presentation
by Sunnyview Rehabilitation
Flea Market
The 43rd Annual Flea Market is
scheduled for Saturday, September 28th
from 9 am– 4pm. There are still many
spots available. Outdoor spots are $25
and indoor spots are $40. Please contact
the church office if you have any
questions or if you are interested in
becoming a vendor.
As the date gets closer, volunteer sheets
will posted. Please consider helping in the
fundraising event for our church. This is a
volunteer heavy event and many “hands”
are needed. Contact the church office if
you are able to help.
Christian Educator’s Summit
On Saturday, September 14th, 2019 we will
be hosting the 2019 Christian Educator’s
Summit from 9am – 4pm. The theme of this
year’s event is Knowing You Are The
Beloved. Some of the seminars are:
• “Children and Worship"
Noreen Fargione
• "Embracing Belovedness through
Meditation"
Rev. Jason Fulkerson
• "Parenting in the Pew"
Rev. Megan Hodgin
• “Children at the Table and
Sacraments"
Rev. Lindsey DeKruif
• "Art and Spiritual Practices"
Rev. Abby Norton-Levering
• "Inclusion of Differently-Abled
People"
Rev. Terry DeYoung
The keynote speaker will be Rev. Maijke
Strong
Register online https://docs.google.com/
forms/d/
e/1FAIpQLScamwsynA1FMintkH9t1YwWqo
RXuVNhKkOXRb6JOp2E8Ds1zg/viewform
If you have questions, please contact
Rev. Nancy Ryan at
Rev. Marcy Rudins at
Women’s Book Group
(WBG)
The WBG had a perfect day to
visit the Berkshire
Botanical Garden in
Stockbridge, MA on July 12.
Though rain had been
predicted for days, it was the
perfect temperature and not a
drop was to be seen. After a
leisurely stroll through the various
gardens and walkways on both
sides of the road, the group
visited the art exhibition and the
gift shop, and then headed to the nearby Red Lion Inn for lunch in the main
dining room, followed by a walk down main street before heading back
home.
August 4
8th Sunday after Pentecost
Ushers- Bob & Tracy Sacca
John & Deborah Bennett
Counters- Paul Alois
Glenn Kreig
Judy Henery
Greeters- Ron & Barb Valenti
August 11
9th Sunday after Pentecost
Ushers- Jeff Rivenburg
Dug Jackson
Brian Maclutsky
Scott Haefner
Counters- Lyle Eldred
Dominic Andriano
Greeters- Ellie Van Pelt
August 18
10th Sunday after Pentecost
Ushers- Richard Mizenko
Bill McCann
Karen Moak
Norm Tellier
Counters- Jeff Rivenburg
Maureen Rizzi
Greeters- John & Karen Moak
August 25
11th Sunday after Pentecost
Ushers- John & Lynn Del Signore
Harry & Cynthia Kuchera
Counters- Sue Felpel
Les Perlee
Greeters- Alice Harbour
The Niskayuna Reformed Church
3041 TROY-SCHENECTADY ROAD
NISKAYUNA, NEW YORK 12309
Founded in 1750
Sunday Service of Worship 9:30 am
Contact Information
Office: 518-785-5575
Emails:
[email protected] (Ellen-admin)
[email protected] (Pastor Jason)
Website: www.niskayunareformed.org
Summer Office Hours
Monday– Thursday 8 am - 3:30 pm
Friday 8 am -1 pm
Staff
Rev. Jason Fulkerson Pastor
Paul Alois Treasurer
Joyce Anderson Director of Youth Choir
Rebecca Benjamin Organist
Andrew Burger Director of Music
James Friderici Director of Bell Choir
Ellen Gauna Church Administrator
Sabrina Squires Director of Christian Education
Suzanne Mason Director of Cherubs Choir
Kathy Mausert Director of Nursery School
Lester Perlee Cemetery Superintendent
Rick Wallace Church Sexton
2019 CONSISTORY
Elders Deacons
Chad Pezzano, VP Lizbeth Amorelli
John Bennett Scott Haefner
Linda Gardner Alan Holmes
Dug Jackson Richard Mizenko
Trudy Lehner Ron Ricard
Suzi O’Brien Maureen Rizzi
Thursday, August 1
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
6 pm-WA (104)
7 pm-SA (EO) Friday, August 2
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
6-9:30 pm-KCPC (S)
7 pm-AA (104) Saturday, August 3
4-7 pm-
Family & Friends Video
Gaming Event (FH) Sunday, August 4
Communion
Mission-World Central
Kitchen
9:30 am-Worship Srvs (S)
9:45 am-Sunday Sch.(EB)
10:30 am-Coffee Hr (FH)
11:15-KCPC (S/FH) Monday, August 5
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
6 pm-WA (104)
7 pm-SA (EO) Tuesday, August 6
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
4 pm-Flute (101) Wednesday, August 7
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
4 pm-Flute (101) Thursday, August 8
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104) Friday, August 9
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
6-9:30 pm-KCPC (S)
7 pm-AA (104) Saturday, August 10
No events Sunday, August 11
9:30 am-Worship Srvs (S)
9:45 am-Sunday Sch.(EB)
10:30 am-Coffee Hr (FH)
11:15-KCPC (S/FH)
Monday, August 12
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
4 pm-Flute (101)
6 pm-WA (104)
7 pm-SA (EO)
7 pm-M & SC (L) Tuesday, August 13
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
4 pm-Flute (101)
7 pm-CCC (L) Wednesday, August 14
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
4 pm-Flute (101)
6 pm-Consistory (L) Thursday, August 15
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
10 am-Soup Kitchen (SA) Friday, August 16
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
6-9:30 pm-KCPC (S)
7 pm-AA (104)
7 pm-Valleycats Game
(rescheduled date) Saturday, August 17
No events Sunday, August 18
9:30 am-Worship Srvs (S)
10:30 am-Coffee Hr (FH)
11:15-KCPC (S/FH) Monday, August 19
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
6 pm-WA (104)
7 pm-SA (EO) Tuesday, August 20
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
4 pm-Flute (101) Wednesday, August 21
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
3 pm-Brooks BBQ
4 pm-Flute (101) Thursday, August 22
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104) Friday, August 23
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
6-9:30 pm-KCPC (S)
7 pm-AA (104) Saturday, August 24
No events Sunday, August 25
9:30 am-Worship Srvs (S)
10:30 am-Coffee Hr (FH)
11:15-KCPC (S/FH) Monday, August 26
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
6 pm-WA (104)
7 pm-SA (EO) Tuesday, August 27
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
4 pm-Flute (101) Wednesday, August 28
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104)
4 pm-Flute (101) Thursday, August 29
7:30-6 pm-TSL (FH/104) Friday, August 30
6-9:30 pm-KCPC (S)
7 pm-AA (104) Saturday, August 31
No events
CCC
Congregational Care
Committee
CM
City Mission
H & A
History & Archives
M & SC
Mission & Service Committee
SA
Salvation Army
WFG
Women’s Fellowship Group
WBG
Women’s Book Group