/

July 5, 2017

Page 1 of 8

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Worship Schedules 2

Summer Guest Preacher

Bios 2

Pastoral Care During

July 16-22 2

Church Family in Prayer &

Thanks 4

Adult Meeting & Events 7

Praying for Our World 7

2017 Summer Fun Sched-

ule 8

FOCUS is available the first

Wednesday of each month.

Next issue: 8/2/17

Deadline: Monday, 7/24//17

PASTOR’S THOUGHTS

This summer we are watching and celebrating and experiencing the

Fruits of the Holy Spirit in our life together. Paul offers this list as

what grows in the life of a Christian and in a community of Chris-

tians when the Spirit is at work: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness/generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gala-

tians 5:22-26)

Reflecting only on the past few days, this is what I’ve noticed:

The Sr. Highs and their advisors were on a mission trip in

Memphis. They served at a soup kitchen and volunteered at a

church program for adults with special needs. In the photos

and stories they are sharing with us, I see love and joy.

The session received great news at their last meeting. The cost

of clean-up from our oil leak in January was $73,000. We

came to you, the people who love God and love this church

and asked you to help as you felt able and were led by God.

We have pledges for $72,000! The final $1,000 will come

from a gift that Bob Johnston left to our church in his will.

We didn’t meet this need by relying on one or two givers.

This money comes from 86 individuals or families! I see the

Spirit’s gift of goodness and generosity in your response to

this need! Thank you very, very much!

Many in our church family are dealing with illness, some very

serious illness. These include illnesses of body and mind.

Some in the midst of struggle are experiencing a peace that

passes all understanding. I encounter family members blessed

by the Spirit with an extra measure of patience and gentle-

ness.

(continued on page 8)

OF SPECIAL INTEREST IN THIS EDITION

■2017 Youth Mission to Memphis in Pictures (3)

■ All Church Picnic Photos (5) ■ Summer Mission Events (5)

■ Graduates: High School (5) & College (6) ■ Save the Dates (6)

■ “Living Simply” (6) ■ Sign up for Dash Away 5K (7)

■ Volunteers needed for summer story telling at worship (8)

Pennington Presbyterian

F A I T H C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E

Hemming a skirt for a neighbor

Inviting the new student to sit

with you at lunch

Cheering at the soccer game

Talking around the dinner table

Forgiving unkind words or ac-

tions

May God’s love flow in and

through us, wherever we go and

REGULAR WEEKLY

SCHEDULE Sunday – 10:15 AM

FOLLOWED BY FELLOWSHIP HOUR

Childcare Available

from 10:00 am

In Room 102

Please sign up to provide refresh-

ments for Fellowship Hour. Sign-

up after church in Upper Titus.

Please keep current on your stew-

ardship pledge & Per Capita pay-

ments ($32.98) Staying current

supports PPC cash flow and is

greatly appreciated.

CHURCH STAFF/CONTACT

Pastor:

Nancy Mikoski

Associate Pastor:

David Hallgren

Music Director:

William Alford

Office Administrator &

FOCUS Editor: Eva Szakal

Financial Administrator

Pam Paluzzi

Office phone: 609-737-1221

Fax: 609-730-9665

E-mail: office@pennpres.org

Web: www.pennpres.org

www.Facebook.com/pennpres

13 S Main Street

Pennington, NJ 08534

Page 2 of 8

WORSHIP SCHEDULE SUMMER THEME:

THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT

7/9 Rev. Nancy Mikoski

“Joy”

7/16 Rev. Dr. Gordon Mikoski

“Peace”

7/23 Rev. Nidia Fernandez

“Patience”

7/30 Rev. David Hallgren

“Kindness”

SUNDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE

) Pastoral Care

While Nancy Mikoski and

David Hallgren are travel-

ling to and attending the

Montreat Youth Conference

-- July 16 through July 22 –

Rev. Dr. Nancy Schluter

will be on call for pastoral

needs. She may be reached

at 609-306-8907.

(Click Montreat Youth Con-

ference icon below to link to

online information.)

SPECIAL FEATURE:

On July 16, while Rev. Mikoski and Hallgren are at Montreat, Rev. Dr.

Gordon Mikoski will be the guest preacher. He is an Associate Profes-

sor of Christian Education at Princeton Theological Seminary. In addi-

tion, he is the Editor of "Theology Today" and is the Head of the Ph.D.

program at the seminary. Gordon was ordained a pastor in 1990 and

served in the church for 8 years prior to returning to academia. He

serves on the Presbytery's Committee on Ministry and teaches adult ed-

ucation courses in our church. In his spare time he enjoys reading,

kayaking, bird-watching, running, and spending time with his family.

On July 23, Reverend Nidia E. Fernandez will be the guest preacher as

Revs Mikoski and Hallgren will be returning late from Montreat the

night before. Rev. Fernandez is a minister at large within the Presbytery

of New Brunswick and the Lead Pastor of “C.A.F.E. Para el Alma,” a

1001 Worshipping Community that ministers to the Spanish speaking

families in Mercer County. Through intentional bible study, worship,

fellowship and individual counseling each and every member of the

C.A.F.E community is empowered to live and experience the Christian

faith in every area of their life. In addition she is a full-time public em-

ployee for the State of New Jersey, Office of the Public Defender, Men-

tal Health unit.

Nidia received her BA degree in Culture and Languages from the Cath-

olic University; MA in Theology, Christian Education and Discipleship

from Fuller Seminary; and MDIV from Princeton Seminary. She is a

Bilingual/Bicultural minister, educator, professional pastoral counselor

and Certified Relationship and Spiritual Life Coach.

BIOGRAPHIES OF OUR SUMMER GUEST PREACHERS

Page 3 of 8

2017 Youth Mission to Memphis

A week in Memphis to serve, learn and join in God’s great project of reconciling all of creation.

Ready for Memphis!

Group leader chaperones are

Rev. David Hallgren (right),

Ellen White (in front of Da-

vid), Bob Fletcher (about

halfway in the top row), and

Lee White. They look ready

for an awesome adventure,

don’t you think?

An early highlight of the trip to Mem-

phis was reconnecting with Rev. Todd

Tracy, a former intern at PPC, at his

church Liberty Presbyterian in Dela-

ware, Ohio.

Ready for Memphis! The mission team assembled just before departure on Saturday morning, June 24.

The group is led by Rev. David Hallgren (on the right, 2nd row), Ellen White (in front of David), Bob

Fletcher, in the center of the 2nd row), Lee White (on the left, leaning on the rail), and Kelsey Holder-

man (to left of Lee), who’ll be an intern at PPC this fall. A few highlights of the trip follow.

The team served Monday morning at the

St Mary's Soup Kitchen, the longest op-

erating soup kitchen in the US.

A well-deserved treat on a hot

travel day.

It was “necktie day” at

Wacky Wednesday summer

Bible study at Germantown

Presbyterian Church, part of

their PEACE program: The

Place where

Exceptional

Adults and

Children are

Embraced

PRAYER CHAIN

Did you know that our church offers the

services of phone or email prayer chain

for those with a need or for those who

wish to lift up a joy?

We welcome all to be a part of this mean-

ingful program. If you are interested, you

may contact Nancy Lehman at nancy.leh-

man@gmail.com, or Barbara and Dick

Pratt at 609-737-2767.

KEEP OUR CHURCH FAMILY IN YOUR

PRAYERS FOR HEALING AND COMFORT

Frank Mason; Maggie Roberts' Family; Lynda Matthei;

Annie Hunter and Family; Lynne Stives; Joy Brzezyn-

ski; Bill Schluter; Grace Scheetz; the Berkowitz Family;

Beth Hutton; Ben Cranston; Wayne Fuller; Charles

Bryan; Richard Coleman

Almighty God, we pray that our brothers and sisters may be comforted in their suffering

and made whole. When they feel afraid, give them courage; when they feel afflicted, afford

them patience; when they are lost, offer them hope; when they are alone, move us to their

side. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. (From April 23, 2017 Healing Service @ PPC)

SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR JULY

AYERS FOR JULY

So we pray to Him now for the vi-

sion to see our way clearly – to see

the way that leads to a better life

for ourselves and for all our fellow

men-to the achievement of His will

to peace on earth.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

(4th Inaugural Address)

Heavenly Father, we bow our heads and thank you for

your love. Accept our thanks for the peace that yields this

day and the shared faith that makes its continuance

likely. Make us strong to do your work, willing to heed

and hear your will, and write on our hearts these words:

“Use power to help people.” For we are given power not

to advance our own purposes, nor to make a great show

in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of

power, and it is to serve people. Help us to remember it,

Lord. Amen

George H. W. Bush

(Inaugural Address)

Page 4 of 8

(

DEACONS @ PPC MISSION @ PPC

The June 11 picnic at Kunkel Park was well

attended and a big success as you can see

by these happy faces!

.

Page 5 of 8

Our congregation is serving snacks for the Ur-

ban Promise summer camps, held at Trinity Ca-

thedral in Trenton, during the week of July 10 -

July 13. We meet at the church, drive to camp

together, prepare and serve snack, clean up, and

drive back to church together. We generally

leave church at about 1:30 in the afternoon and

are finished by 3:00 p.m. This is a great way to

meet the wonderful young people who are the

camp counselors and their campers! If you

would like to join us for one or more after-

noons, please contact Hope Anderson at 609-

320-3285, or hopeanderson.ppns@gmail.com.

Please keep Nancy Russell, Chris LaCasse, and

Hope Anderson in your prayers as they travel to

the Yucatan from July 17 through 26 for reun-

ion visits with our three Living Waters for the

World water system partner churches in

Sacalum, Kaua, and Tahdziu. We will be meet-

ing with each partner to discuss how their sys-

tems are working, and we will be conducting

refresher education classes in Kaua and

Tahdziu. You may not know this, but the three

churches we work with pray for our congrega-

tion on a regular basis and feel very blessed to

collaborate with PPC as we carry out the minis-

try of safe water while sharing God's love with

others.

The Mission Committee will sponsor a clothing

drive for the Rescue Mission of Trenton this

summer. You may bring good-condition used

clothing for all season and ages to the class-

rooms off Lower Titus Hall from Sunday, Au-

gust 7th through Sunday, August 27th. Please

do not bring anything earlier than the 7th be-

cause Vacation Bible School will be held the

first week in August. Thanks for helping our

neighbors in Trenton have appropriate clothing

all year long!

Kim and Frank Newport catching up

with Patrice and Ted Gensel.

Carol Meyer, head of the Deacons, is busy

in the background

as part of the hosting team.

Congratulations to our 2017 High School Graduates

Paige Baxter, Avery Bell, Marissa Beyer, Courtney Greener, Isaac Lieboff,

Sabrina Schrader, and Grace Tater

A clothing drive for the Rescue Mission of Tren-

ton is planned for August 6 through August 27.

Time to clean closets?

Caution: No room @ PPC to accept donations

prior to August 6. This drive is limited to good

condition clothing for the whole family. No

shoes.

AUGUST CLOTHING DRIVE LIVING SIMPLY IN A COMPLEX WORLD

FOR RESCUE MISSION OF TRENTON (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7)

YARD SALE FUNDRAISER

PLANNED FOR SEPTEMBER TO

BENEFIT YOUTH MISSIONS

have more “real” interactions and fewer “vir-

tual” interactions. Try calling instead of sending

an email. Have the conversation in real time and

allow for an honest exchange of ideas. If the

person is only a few steps away, why email or

call? How about getting up, walking down the

hall and making eye contact while talking – and

listening?

We observed that sometimes the perception of

convenience and savings can get in the way of

community, collaboration and connection. Yes,

I could order bicycle tires on line. I might save

a few percent and have them delivered to my

door. But if I pedal over to the local bike store, I

learn a clever way to install tires without tools. I

hear about a great new bike trail. I support the

local economy that strengthens our community.

I have an interesting conversation with the me-

chanic. Isn’t that conversation part of the joy of

traveling by bicycle, anyhow? The mundane

and solitary task of buying replacement parts

can become a nourishing, joyful activity in it-

self. The same thing happens when we visit the

local farmers’ market, the small town hardware,

and other shops.

We touched on many beneficial, connecting,

and nourishing uses of media and technology as

well. Perhaps you’ll want to join the Thoughtful

Christian conversation this fall. All are wel-

come.

Page 6 of 8

ON SEPTEMBER 16, SATURDAY, 9 A.M. TO 2

P.M., THERE WILL BE A YARD SALE. IT WILL

BE RAIN OR SHINE. Donations may be dropped

off starting 8/7 through 9/14 in The PIT.

Please, no clothing, shoes or electronics. (Do-

nation hours in August: 9:30 to 11 am (during

summer office hours); and September: 9:30 am

to 11 am, and then 1 pm to 4 pm. to avoid

parking lot jams.) Please let your neighbors

and family know to contribute and buy.

CONGRATULATIONS TO

2017 COLLEGE GRADUATES Sarah Ahmad

Derek Bell

Nick Beyer

Frankie Cassavell

Emily Cocco

Leah Cocco

Emma Compton

Lauren Finlayson

Kennan Meyer

Charissa Mikoski

Ryan Pedersen

Colleen Tully

If we missed anyone, please let the office know for the August issue.

SUMMER MEETINGS AND EVENTS July 3 9am-12m Summer church office hours begin

July

10-13 1:15 pm

Meet @ PPC to go serve snacks @ Urban

Promise summer camp (See p. 5)

July 12 6 pm Tacos, Gelato and Jazz (Summer Fun-page 8) July

16-22 --- Montreat Youth IV Conference (See page 2)

July

17-26 --

Living Waters for the World mission trip (See

p. 5)

July 24 7:00 pm Session meets

July 29 2 pm “Beauty and the Beast” (Summer Fun-page 8)

July 31 9a-12m Vacation Bible School begins (through 8/4)

- Choir members should watch for emails from their leaders.

- Christian Education for adults and children will resume in Sep-

tember.

- Some committees may have special meetings if needed. Watch for

emails from the Elders leading your committee.

Our world needs peace.

Add your prayers for the peoples of the

world - one country at a time.

7/9 Hong Kong

7/16 Hungary

7/23 Iceland

7/30 India

Information about all the countries we have

prayed for is at http://pennpres.org/pray-for-

our-world/.

This spring, during the Thoughtful Christian discussion from 9-10 a.m. on Sunday mornings, the class ex-

plored the questions of Living Simply in a Complex World, a discussion course from the Northwest Earth

Institute. This summer’s series of three articles in FOCUS are being written by the leaders of these classes

to help more in the congregation realize how the Thoughtful Christian adult classes examine the Christian re-

sponse to issues in today’s world. In her June article (page 2), Deacon Carol Meyer spoke of the gift of living

“intentionally” and having “mindful lives” by not letting being ‘busy’ all the time “short-circuit real and

meaningful presence – with God and with one another.” She gave practical ideas for the readers’ considera-

tion. This second article by Ted Borer challenges us to think about how living more simply can remove bar-

riers and enhance experiences. The third article in the series will appear in August, written by Rev. Dr.

Nancy Schluter.

Ted’s article begins: Our conversations were wide

ranging but often practical discussions about what

we want our lives to be about; about how we are

called to live, and how we can implement those

ideas in our lives today. How do simple living and

stewardship of Creation relate to our personal min-

istry? We talked about the objects and the desire

for a sense of productivity that can get in the way

of simply enjoying one-another’s company and

whatever is going on in the immediate present.

Many of us are so focused on the goal of obtaining

something, getting somewhere, or getting some-

thing done, that we miss the opportunity to enjoy

the process of doing, serving, or simply being.

How much more would we enjoy a sunset if we

simply sat with a friend and watched the sunset

without trying to capture a photo of it? We know it

is continuously changing and will be gone in a few

moments. We won’t get those moments again. How

much joy in life is missed by the futile distraction

of striving to capture a moment in time and post it

on social media? Can we simply enjoy the unique,

ephemeral moment we are being offered?

We talked about various technologies that can be

equal parts useful and connecting as well as dis-

tracting, and isolating. How much would we really

miss if we only checked social media once a day?

Or never? How bad would life be if we shut off the

TV on weekdays? Or gave it away? How much

richer would our lives be if more of our interactions

were real face-to-face conver-

sations?

We thought about how we can (continued page 6, right side)

Page 7 of 8

SPECIAL “THOUGHTFUL CHRISTIAN” FEATURE:

LIVING SIMPLY IN A COMPLEX WORLD

PASTOR’S THOUGHTS (cont’d from page 1) VOLUNTEER NEEDED FOR SUMMER

STORY TELLING AT WORSHIP

A woman met with me to talk about her

work in the community. We had a great

conversation. At the end, as she was leav-

ing, she told me that the Pennington Pres-

byterian Nursery School had welcomed

and supported one of her children who

needed extra supports for learning. She

was grateful not only for our kindness but

also for our faithfulness to God being

lived out through the commitment our

nursery school has to working with chil-

dren with special needs.

Keep an eye out for the Spirit’s fruits. They come

not just in the church, but in the world, too. The

Spirit is never bound or limited. What fruit is God

growing in your life today? What fruits do you

see in others? Take time to thank God for these

fruits. If you have an extra moment, send a note

or an email or a text to share with someone what

fruit you see in their life. Words of encourage-

ment that acknowledge the Spirit’s work in our

lives are precious and powerful!

In Christ,

Page 8 of 8

In July and August our worship themes are based

on the Fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-

26. We want to include story telling by the con-

gregation. Do YOU have a 2 or 3 minute story to

share about how you have experienced a gift of

the Spirit from one of these Fruits in your life or

in the life of someone you know? Can you be here

on the day when that fruit is the focus? Sign up at

fellowship time or by emailing Nancy Mikoski at

Nancy@pennpres.org

July 2: Love (Sr.

High Mission Team)

July 9: Joy

July 16: Peace (the

Pratts)

July 23: Patience

July 30: Kindness

Aug. 6: Goodness/Gen-

erosity

Aug. 13: Faithfulness

Aug. 20: Gentleness

(Hope Anderson)

Aug. 27: Self-control

July 12

Wednesday, 6 pm

Tacos & Jazz: Carlito’s Taco Wagon, Viva Gelato, and Monday Blues Jazz

Orchestra (Instagram or Facebook for Carlito’s Taco Wagon; vivagelatonj.com, and

mondaybluesjazz.com)

July 29

Saturday, 2 pm

Hopewell Valley Children’s Theater: “Beauty and the Beast” at Performing

Art Center; followed by Cream King (For tickets in advance, go to http://hvct.org)

August 16

Wednesday, 6pm

Family Movie “Moana” and a Luau in the Courtyard

(Burgers & hotdogs provided; bring a salad, side dish, or dessert to share.)

PLENTY OF LEFT IN 2017!

Congratulations to former member Shannon

Smythe who was ordained as a Minister of Word

and Sacrament in Washington State on June 25.

Shannon serves as Assistant Professor of Theologi-

cal Studies at Seattle Pacific University. We join to-

gether to thank God for Shannon's ministry and pray

for Shannon, her husband Kevin and son Micah.

(Note: Tickets for “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” on Broadway are

sold out for the August 26 matinee that a group from PPC will be attend-

ing.)