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Scripture Reading
Deuteronomy 18: 15-20
1 Corinthians 8: 1-13
Preacher
Dr. Christine James
Seminary Intern
Liturgists
Rev. Nancy Mikoski
Rev. Casey Aldridge |
This Sunday worship will take place as a live stream broadcast from the sanctuary, beginning at 10:15 am, using YouTube. You will be able to connect to the 'broadcast' on the online-worship page. Begin at the home page of the website and use the link on the top right.
Link to pennpres.org
How to access worship by telephone is communicated directly to our seniors. If you need this information, contact the church office at office@pennpres.org.
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Psalm 111: Praise for God’s Wonderful Works
1 Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2 Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
3 Full of honor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
he is ever mindful of his covenant.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the heritage of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
8 They are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it [a] have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever.
Source
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- This issue focuses on how you may be able to help your neighbors -- food and diapers are urgently needed. This includes a very important role for our youth. Please consider the several options presented below.
- Additional support is still needed for the traditional college student packages. Please learn more below.
- The Older Adult Ministry has an interesting 'Brown Bag' program that relates to today's headlines. This event will take place on February 19 at 1 pm over Zoom or by telephone. Read more below. Reserve through office@pennpres.org or at 609-737-1221, extension 10 so you may receive the link or phone number. Guests from the community are welcome but ask them to register with the church office.
- The Pennington Presbyterian Nursery School registration opens on February 1. Learn more below. Please share this information with the community.
- All child, youth, and adult Christian Education programs continue over Zoom. See the recurring schedule at the end of this newsletter.
- For youth programs, please contact Rev. Casey Aldridge, or if you are already registered, look for his emails.
- If weather becomes an issue affecting power or travel, anticipate that you will be sent a newsletter or email with updated information. We will also post on the PPC Facebook page. You may also call Rev. Nancy Mikoski's extension at the church to hear the update in the outgoing message: 609-737-1221, extension 14.
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The PPC Mission, Peacemaking, and Justice Committee recently received requests from The Hopewell Valley Mobile Food Pantry and Arm in Arm for assistance. There is a continuing great need for food, household items, and diapers in our local community. Many families have been impacted by COVID-19 and food is a necessity for these families. Please consider donating nutritious food, necessary household products like laundry detergent, and diapers (especially larger sizes.) Please leave food and household items at the reception entrance from the courtyard and between the double glass doors. If it is easier, you may drop off diapers in the large bins on the church steps.
Thank you for your continued support of our neighbors. This is a photo of a recent delivery to Arm-in-Arm.
You may also contribute directly to both organizations.
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Thirty-one years ago in Columbia, South Carolina, a group of Presbyterian students learned that Super Bowl Sunday was and is the biggest food day every year in America—bigger than the Fourth of July, bigger than Christmas, and even bigger than Thanksgiving. From burgers and barbecue and pigs in a blanket to potato chips and tortilla chips or celery and carrots, more money is spent on food in advance of Super Bowl Sunday than any other American holiday.
And yet, in 2018 14.3 million Americans were thought to be food insecure, meaning that they have limited or uncertain access to enough food. The pandemic has driven that number significantly higher, with one in six Americans—50 million people in this, the richest country in the world—experiencing food insecurity.
In 1990, that youth group organized something called the Souper Bowl of Caring in order to "tackle" hunger. The campaign has become a tradition across the country, including right here in Pennington. Though the tradition looks a little bit different this year, our middle school youth will create a video asking you to contribute canned food and personal care items to the Hopewell Valley Mobile Food Pantry, an initiative born out of this pandemic that currently serves 80 food-insecure families in our community. We'll share the video next week.
Please drop off canned vegetables, canned fruits, canned meats, breakfast cereals/bars, shelf-stable milk, cooking oil, household products, and/or personal care products directly at the HVRSD Administration building at 425 S. Main Street in Pennington on or before Super Bowl Sunday (February 7) to help us tackle hunger locally. And to show our youth how our church family has responded to the call, we would love for you to put on your favorite jersey or sports paraphernalia and take a photo (.jpg) with the goods you drop off. Feel free to send any such photos to Pastor Casey at casey@pennpres.org so that he can share them with Sunday Night Central.
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2021 College Care Package
In years past the Deacons’ Heart Tree allowed the PPC congregation to sponsor Care Packages that were delivered to our young-adult members who were attending college, working from home or working elsewhere. This year, due to COVID-19, there will be no Heart Tree, so we ask for your help by making monetary donations either by check or by using the Donate Now button at the top of the PennPres.org website. Please make sure you write “College Care Package” on the check memo line or in the Donate Now Notes section. Your donations will be used to buy food items and gift cards as well as to offset the cost of shipping. All donations are due by Sunday, Feb. 7, so that we can purchase the items, package, and ship. Please contact Ron Russell or Kathy Pietras with your questions.
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From Hope Anderson, Director of PPNS:
Pennington Presbyterian Nursery School is beginning registration for the 2021-2022 school year on February 1st. Next year is our 60th anniversary and we are grateful to everyone from our church who has helped and supported us through this difficult year. Special thanks to John Coats, Pam Paluzzi, Liz Coats, Nancy Mikoski and the PPNS
If you are interested in receiving the school's registration packet, please contact Hope Anderson at hopeanderson.ppns@gmail.com. I am able to provide tours of the school in the afternoon when our children and teachers have left for the day. We have strict COVID-19 health and safety protocols in place which prohibit visitors while classes are in session.
You can also visit our school website - www.ppnschool.org - for info about PPNS and registration forms.
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Older Adult Ministry
'Brown Bag' over Zoom at 1:00 PM on February 19
"The Pandemic and Hopewell Valley Shools: Challenge, Response, and Lessons Learned" with Guest Speaker Dr. Thomas A. Smith, Superintendent of the Hopewell Valley Regional School District
Our special guest speaker will make a brief presentation and answer our questions. The program is offered by the Older Adult Ministry Committee as part of its well-established Brown Bag Lunch Program series. This program is designed to inform those who do not have connections with the school system about the ways in which the schools grappled with the pandemic over the past year to maximize both learning and safety. Please contact the church office to register and receive the Zoom link. And please notify your friends who are not members of the congregation about this special opportunity. The program is open to the entire HV community. Attendees will gather beginning at 12:45 on February 19. The one-hour program will begin promptly at 1. (Those who do not use a computer or smartphone may participate by telephone. Just have them call the church office and leave their name and phone number: 609-737-1221, extension 10)
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Pray for our Community ...
- Our neighbors at the Pennington United Methodist Church
- For our new government that they may serve us all well and faithfully
- Our healthcare workers who are doing heroic work as the pandemic continues to rage
- All those suffering from COVID19 or who have lost family and friends to COVID
- All those developing, approving, manufacturing, transporting, receiving, and administering the COVID19 vaccines and therapeutics so that this pandemic may be controlled and lives saved
- All those suffering the many forms of insecurity due to COVID19 and all those who are helping
Continue to Pray for …
Melanie Parsons (1); Hal and Marilyn Wittlinger (2); Galen Meyer and his family; Edna Neu(3); Barb Sergeant; Jean Cooper's family and friends; Ruth Morewood's family; Cindy Reeder; Evelyn Marion Keneman; Virginia Silliphant; the family of Dorothy Bryan; the family of Alice Blackwell; Don Trismen; Edna Stout; Robin Hepburn; Elsa and Charles Koczan; Melanie Parsons; Bob Macek; Shirley Norton; Corinne Beyer; Bill Sherman; Marji McAvoy; Marge Ryan; David Anderson; Michael Berkowitz; Karen Kelly; Dawn Cocco; Bob Fletcher; Dee Wilson; Caroline Woodward; Jayne and Jay Neary; and all families who are grieving and lonely.
(1) Melanie had her fourth and hopefully final surgery to treat brain aneurysm. Please pray for an uncomplicated recovery and for her family
(2) Hal is in hospice care and Marilyn has the burden of worry and care.
(3) Edna is recovering well from COVID. The family appreciates the love and ongoing prayers of our church family.
Pray for Our Church Family ...
We pray each week for those listed alphabetically in our church family directory. This week: Corinne and Eric Orlando; Rob and Benji Orr; Gretchen, Ron, Elliott, and Marshall Overheiser; Michael Paleudis and Samantha Rosenstock and their children June, Mira, and Selene; Betty Parker
Pray for the People of the World …
Please continue praying for the world. All nations are being impacted by the pandemic, on top of the daily universal challenges that include climate change, and economic, food, and physical insecurity.
Prayer Chain ...
Contact Nancy Lehman to request prayers. She will distribute the request to the PPC's Prayer Chain. If you want to use a telephone, please call Barbara Pratt.
Let us Pray in the Name of Jesus Christ ...
Dear Lord, We lift up to you our concerns about our neighbors near and far.
(list the names you are praying for)
To you, they are much more than names. They are all your precious children. They are parents, sisters, brothers, children, bosses, employees, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and neighbors. They are yours. You know every detail of their lives. You know their needs. I humbly beseech you to hold your people in your hands as they struggle with ordinary and extraordinary challenges. Give them the strength to persevere and do better each day. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
(Source: Adapted.)
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Recurring Schedules at a Glance
It's never too late to sign up for any Christian Education, Youth Group, or other repeating events. You may send an email to office@pennpres.org to be put in contact with the program leader.
Sunday Schedule
9:00-10:00 am - Adult Education: Bible and Theology on Zoom
9:15-9:45 am Age 3 - Grade 4 Church School and Music with Mr. Phil on Zoom
10:15 am Worship via our website or on Zoom (contact the church office to receive links to worship over Zoom or by telephone)
11:30 am - Virtual Coffee Hour on the first Sunday of the month (Find the link on the online worship page.)
11:30-12:30 Grades 5-8 Church School on Zoom
11:30 - 12:30 Grades 9-12 Church School on Zoom
6:30-7:30 pm Sunday Night Central Youth Group (grades 5-8) on Zoom
Youth Group Events
Please contact Rev. Casey Aldridge, Youth Minister, if you are interested in programs for young people in middle-school and high-school. Registered youth and their parents will receive an invitation to Church School and youth activities with the link to a Zoom meeting or other information about the activities or events.
Weekday Christian Education and Fellowship Events
Wednesdays, 9:30-11:30 am, Shalom (a women's study group) on Zoom) Contact Madeleine Mansier if you are interested in joining.
Thursdays, 2:00 - 3:00 pm, Racial Equity Discussion Group (formerly the Wednesday afternoon group) following Eddie Moore Jr's "21 Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge." Contact Nancy Schluter.
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