cross & comments - april 2016

8/18/2019 Cross & Comments - April 2016

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7 0 1 S a n d C r e e k R o a d , C

o l o n i e , N e w Y o r k 1 2 2 0 5 - 2 4 9 7 — B r u c e K . C o r n w e l l , P a s t o r — T e l e

p h o n e ( 5 1 8 ) 8 6 9 - 5 5 8 9 — w w w . c o

l o n i e r e f o r m e d . o r g

U p c o m i n g E v e n t s

Second Coming Auditions April 12 &13

7pmBlood Drive April 16

9am - 1pm

Second Coming Callbacks April 19

7pm

Shirely’s Shawls April 21

7pm

Book Group April 26

7pm

I n t h i s I s s u e :Being Faithful With Much 2

Book Group News 2Auditions Set for Rev. Cornwell’s Play

Second Coming

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Brunch and Talent Auction 4

Adult Sunday School News 4

Please submit your recipes for the 50th

Anniversary Cookbook NOW!!!!

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Blood Drive 5

Puzzle Fundraising Update 4

A community garden-what are we

going to do with a community garden

you ask? Well we are going to grow

vegetables, flowers, and a love for

God's creation. I know when Laurie

Bonesteel decided to not be the choir

director anymore I felt the need to keep

my Thursday nights busy. Not

knowing how long the process of

finding a new director would take, I

took a giant leap outside my comfort

zone. I decided to volunteer at theOverflow Shelter in Albany. I was

really nervous at first, not knowing

what to expect, but I soon realized

there wasn't anything to be nervous

about. I met some amazing people who

put my mind and nerves to rest. For

the last 3 years I have been volunteering

and for the last 2 years my friend Vicki

Lane has joined me. I truly enjoy going

to the shelter to serve dinner and

engage in conversation. We don't

always need to take a giant leap out of

our comfort

zone- one

small step at a

time is all it

takes. In further attempts to serve

others the Community Outreach Team

has decided to create a community

garden. I know that there are

gardeners among us, and with your

help we would be able to grow

vegetables and give them to those in

our community who are in need. TheMOM for April and May will be to

raise funds to purchase materials to

build raised beds, plants, seeds, soil and

other garden tools. We will also be

writing a grant to Albany Synod. If we

are able to raise $500.00 they will

match our $500.00. What a great way

to start! Please prayerfully consider

your gardening skills and help provide

those in need receive home grown

produce.

The Community Outreach Team

Community Reformed Church of Colonie Community Garden

April’s Mission of the Month



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BEING FAITHFUL WITH

MUCH

“Who then is the faithfuland wise servant, whom themaster has put in charge of

the servants in his household to give them their foodat the proper time?” Matthew 24:45

Being “faithful with much” starts with good habits of being faithful in smaller things, like having dinner ontime or attending church regularly. Just as a parentgives increased responsibility to a child over time, soit is with learning to be faithful with our time, talentand treasures. God gives us more responsibility aswe gain understanding and trust in Him.

When it comes to a windfall situation, it can bedifficult. All of a sudden we have more than we had

planned on having; whether it be extra time due toan empty nest or retirement, an inheritance or a financial bonus. That is when good habits come intoplay.

So often we hear of someone winning a lottery orsigning a multi-million dollar contract with a sportsteam only to watch them lose everything a few yearslater. “Money is a magnifier and can enhanceproblems as well as good instincts,” says Vic Preisser,a founding director of Institute for Preparing Heirs.

Chuck Collins, senior scholar at the Institute forPolicy Studies and co-founder of Wealth for theCommon Good, is the great-grandson of thepackaged-meat titan Oscar Mayer. Within five yearsof gaining an inherited fortune at age 21, he donatedit all to charity. "I worried the money would throwme off my course," he says. "I didn't earn it anddidn't feel a claim to it." Collins encourages peopleinheriting much to immerse themselves in simpleliving, to “realize that wealth isn’t just money—it’scommunity and balance and living in a healthyenvironment.”

As Christians, we are challenged to see the worldthrough God’s eyes. We are to look outsideourselves and put ourselves in someone else’s shoes.When we think about being “faithful with much,” itis similar to being faithful in little and trusting thatthe good habits of loving God and loving othersprevail.

Book Group News

April’s book groupselection is Tears of theSilenced, a memoirwritten by Misty Griffin.

A Gripping

Psychological Thriller.Based on the Tragic,Inspiring True Story.

When I was six years oldmy family started to liveand dress like the Amish.My sister and I were kept as slaves on a mountainranch where we were subjected to almost completeisolation, sexual abuse, and extreme physicalviolence. My step-father kept a loaded rifle by the

door at all times and we were too terrified to try toescape. We knew that no rescue would ever come

because only a couple of people even knew weexisted and they did not know us well enough tocare.

In my late teens, my parents feared we wouldescape and took us to an Amish community wherewe were adopted and became baptized members. Iwas devastated to once again find myself in aworld of fear, animal cruelty and sexual

abuse. Going to the police was forbidden. A fewyears later I was sexually assaulted by the bishop, Iknew I had to get help and one freezing morning inearly March I made a dash for a tiny police station inrural Minnesota. When I refused to recant my policereport I was excommunicated from the Amish andfound myself plummeted into the strange modernworld with only a second-grade education and no IDor social security card.

To all abuse survivors out there, please be

encouraged, the cycle of abuse can be broken.Today, ten years later, I am a nursing studentworking towards my Master’s degree and a childabuse awareness activist. This is my story.......

The April Book Group meeting is scheduled forTuesday, April 26, at 7:00 pm. Everyone iswelcome to participate. Please contact KarenReynolds for more information.



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Puzzle Fundraiser Update

$29,910 pledged and $27,260 received

It’s back

March 22nd Brunch

and Talent Auction

“Your talent is God’s gift

to you. What you do

with it is your gift back to God.” Leo Buscaglia

God has given each of us a talent. To some the giftof teaching, knitting gardening, baking, painting,hospitality and the list goes on. Take some time toreflect about the talents you have been given, and itmay be more the one, fill out your talent cardlocated in the back of the church. On May 22nd wewill share some food, fun and auction off our manytalents as our gifts back to God. For moreinformation, contact Tina Bottini @ 281-5452.

Adult Sunday School News

The Adult Sunday School Class meets on Sunday

Mornings in the Lion’s Room off the gathering

room. The class begins at 8:50 am and ends at 9:40

am. They are studying “The Beatitudes, Developing

Spiritual Character” written by John Stott. The

Study includes 8 sessions. Each session includes

three (3) types of questions. Observation questions

ask about the basic facts: who, what, when, whereand how. Interpretation questions delve into the

meaning of the passage. Application questions help

you discover the implications of the text for growing

in Christ. These three keys unlock the treasures of

Scripture.

All are welcome.

Doris Neese

Please submit your

recipes for the

50

th

Anniversary

Cookbook NOW

As a part of the 50th anniversary year-long celebration, the Outreach

committee will be creating a Harvest Cookbook.This “50th Anniversary Edition” will be a collection ofour congregation’s favorite harvest recipes. Recipesshould include something that you can grow orpurchase at a farmer’s market, and veggies do notneed to be the main ingredient. Do you have afavorite veggie dish, like roasted parmesanvegetables? A favorite appetizer, like salsa? Afavorite soup? Or a favorite main dish, like pastaprimavera? How about a fruit smoothie? Tips forfreezing, drying and canning the harvest? Then we

need your help. We will be compiling recipes, tipsand tricks for the next several months, and willcreate a fantastic cookbook available for ourmembers or to sell as a fundraiser at any of nextyear’s events. If you have a favorite recipe thatyou’d be willing to share, please email it to NancyBaker at [email protected] or hand it to her atchurch. Pictures are great, but not necessary. Ifyou have questions, please email or call Nancy Bakerat 869-2111. Thank you for your help!



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701 Sand Creek Rd

Colonie, NY 12205-2497

Bruce K. Cornwell, Pastor

Community

Reformed

Church of

Colonie

Editor: Beth Colbert

Layout Designer: Shawn Turner

Articles are due by the 15th of the month and may be submitted to

[email protected] or given to Lou Ann Connelly.

www.coloniereformed.org

www.coloniecommunitydaycarecenter.com

701 Sand Creek Rd

Albany, NY 12205-2432

Carol Grasso, Director

Tel: (518) 869-0131

E-mail: [email protected]

Colonie

Community

Day Care

Center

Tel: (518) 869-5589

E-mail:

[email protected]

cross & comments - april 2016

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