March 2012 - Community Spice

GOOD TIDINGS
A Monthly Newsletter of The Presbyterian Church of Morris Plains
March 2012
Special points of interest:
INDEX
Wednesday Night
1/2 Hour Praise will
resume after Easter.
Wednesdays during
Lent feature
Simple Supper at 6:15
Wednesdays
March 25 there will be
another delicious
SOUP SALE by the
youth group at 10 AM.
Join the Chancel Choir
or the Praise Team
and enjoy creating
beautiful music for
Easter celebrations!
Reserve your spot now
on the bus trip to the
Philadelphia Flower
Show! March 6.
Citrus Fruit arrives on
Saturday, March 10.
Community 2
Christian Education 2
Schedule for Lent 3
Joyful Noise Registration 4
Presbyterian Women 5
Magic Pennies NEWS 6
Flower Show Bus Trip 6
Anthony de Mello is an Indian Jesuit
priest who I find writes some amazing
little books of faith and spirituality.
His books often contain a gathering
of short stories or poems that
give us clues and insights into the
life of faith and prayer. The other
day I came across this reading of
his.
True Spirituality
The master was asked, ‘What is
spirituality?’
He said, ‘Spirituality is that which
succeeds in bringing one to inner
transformation.’
‘But if I apply traditional methods
handed down by the masters, is
that not spirituality?’
‘It is not spirituality if it does not perform
its function for you. A blanket
is no longer a blanket if it does not
keep you warm.’
‘So spirituality does change?’
‘People change and needs change.
So what was spirituality once is
spirituality no more. What generally
does under the name of spirituality
is merely the record of past methods.’
Don’t cut the person to fit the coat.
The reading is one that clearly
points out to us that the journey of
faith is one that is ever evolving.
For those of us who may have
found reading our bibles and praying
thereafter was a long source of
support can come to a time when it
does not support us in the same
way. From the above story it is clear
that simply our lives of faith have
evolved into a new place and we
need to find new ways or praying
and encountering scripture to refresh
our growing faith.
These new methods might include
imaginative contemplation, using
more silence in our praying, attending
a bible study class or a whole
host of other possibilities. Lent is a
magnificent time to begin this
deeper searching if you have found
such a change occurring within you.
The Wednesday evening bible
study class is pursuing a tape
based study through Lent that might
open some of these methods to you
– please come along if you feel it
might help. Otherwise, enjoy the
journey of discovery that these six
weeks alone can bring us!
Yours in Christ!
Scott

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Community
On Easter the sanctuary
will be decorated with
lilies. If you would like
to remember or honor
your loved ones by donating
a lily, please sign
up in the church office
no later than Sunday, April 1. The cost
for a lily is $14. Please indicate if you
would like to take your lily after the 11
a.m. service on Easter. All remaining
lilies will be delivered to shut-ins. The
names of those being remembered will
be listed in the bulletin on Easter.
Men’s Ministry
Our next FREE, delicious pancake
breakfast for men of all ages will be
Saturday, March 10 at 8:30 AM. One
of the greatest blessings of this breakfast
has been having the men from the
Market Street Mission join us each
month. We hope to see you on 3/10!
Women's Bible Study
Bad Girls of the Bible Study on Wed. at
9:30am in the Adult Studies Room with
Pastor Liz. All bad girls welcome!
Facebook PCMP Page
Yes, it’s true the Presbyterian Church
of Morris Plains has a presence on
Facebook. Join the group!
April Newsletter Deadline
is March 26. Email submissions to
K.smith@mppresby.org
Christian Education Corner
We Shall Worship Together
The Christian Education Ministry
is committed to teaching children
about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit
and to encouraging and preparing children
to worship. As we begin the Spring
semester of Sunday School, there will be
some changes to the schedule to try and
do this more effectively. In the past we
have done this through Kids Own Worship
(KOW) on two Sundays a month.
Beginning March 11th, there will be a
change. We will no longer have Kids
Own Worship. Instead, children will go
downstairs following the All Ages Address,
as usual, and then into their respective
classrooms. This will give the
kids more time to learn Bible stories and
about our faith.
While they will be getting more
Sunday School class time, they will still
get to worship. Beginning March 4 th ,
following the All Ages Address, children
4 th grade and younger will go downstairs
to their classrooms for Communion Education
and then come back up, following
the sermon, to receive communion. .
Children in 5 th , 6 th , and 7 th grades will go
to a designated pew to sit with their
classes and Sunday School teachers for
Searching for an Adult “Sunday
School” Experience? Or something
better? Search no further! Come to
the Sunday Morning Bible Study!
Leader, Bob Lipka and the rest of this
vibrant group invite you to join them in
the Parlor from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
on Sundays. Worship at 11:00 a.m.
Newcomers are always welcome!
Bereavement Support Group
Fellowship with others who are experiencing
bereavement can provide much
needed understanding and comfort.
Please join our group if you are
grieving the loss of a loved one. If you
know of someone who is mourning a
loss invite them to join. Participation is
not limited to members of the
congregation or to those whose
loss is recent.
Call Caroline Grossmann, Nurturing
Ministry Elder, at 973-
993-9134 for more information.
Citrus Fruit Sale
The Walsh Memorial Bell Choir
Program would like to thank all
those who helped support our
citrus fruit sale. The fruit will
be delivered on Saturday,
March 10. Some extra fruit
was ordered and may still be
available. If you are interested,
please contact Carl
Loutzenheiser, (973) 267-1258,
the remainder of worship. The new format
will allow children to learn to worship
with the whole congregation and eliminate
confusion about where children
should go on a given Sunday.
One Great Hour of Sharing
Since 1949 Presbyterians have
joined with millions of other Christians
through One Great Hour of Sharing to
share God’s love with those in need. Your
generous gifts assist those affected by
natural disasters, provide food to the
hungry, and help build strong communities.
Each Sunday in March there will be
an insert in the bulletin describing the
work done through the Presbyterian Hunger
Program, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance,
and Self Development of People
ministries, with our contributions to this
offering. Additionally, children will receive
a fish-shaped bank to fill during
March. The banks will be returned on
March 25 th during the All Ages Address
when they will be dedicated.
Palm Sunday
On Palm Sunday, April 1 st , there
will be one, blended worship service, in
carl.bells@mppresby.org or come to the
church after 10:00 am. on March 10th.
The Book Club
Book Club will meet on March 26 to discuss:
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A
Natural History of Four Meals – by
Michael Pollack - A national bestseller
that has changed the way readers view
the ecology of eating, this revolutionary
book by award winner Michael Pollan asks
the seemingly simple question: What
should we have for dinner? Tracing from
source to table each of the food chains
that sustain us--whether industrial or
organic, alternative or processed--he
develops a portrait of the American way
of eating. Join the discussion!
the sanctuary, at 10:00am. We will
meet at Robert’s Garden (on Mountain
Way) at 9:30AM where we,
along with St. Paul’s Episcopal and
Trinity Lutheran, will gather to bless
our palms together. We will then
parade back to our own sanctuaries
to celebrate the triumphal entry of
Jesus into Jerusalem and prepare for
the Passion of the week to come. All
who are able to walk, meet at Robert’s
Garden at 9:30AM. Those unable to
walk, join us in the sanctuary for worship
at 10:00AM. All ages are welcome. Children
and families are encouraged to attend.
Soup Sale on
March 25
Delicious quarts of
homemade soup will be
available during Coffee
Hour on 3/25. All proceeds
benefit the Teen
Mission Trip. A Soup
Recipe booklet will also
be available. Many
thanks to all the
GREAT cooks who donated their delicious
creations!

Parenting in the Pew
Pastor Liz highly recommends
this author and is excited to let
you know about the opportunity
to hear Dr. Castleman in person.
Parenting in the Pew
"Mom, why do we go to church?"
"Do I have to go to Sunday School?"
Do your kids ask tough questions,
balk at going to church, and wiggle
through the service? We know that a
strong spiritual foundation is important
for our children, but how do we give it to
them? How do we move from "going
to church" to a genuine experience of
joyful worship?
If you have ever wondered
about the answers to these and other
questions about children's faith, you are
invited to join us!
Saturday, March 24th
9:30-11:30 am
Hilltop Church
14 Hilltop Rd., Mendham, NJ 07945
Dr. Robbie Castleman, author of Parenting
in the Pew, will present a seminar
filled with practical ideas on answering
the "whys" and managing the "hows" of
guiding children into the joy of worship.
Worship Ways
Simple Suppers and Communion
On Lenten Wednesday evenings
in February and throughout
March, we will be meeting in Westminster
Hall at 6:15 PM for Simple
Suppers of soup and bread. Following
dinner, we will have a brief
worship service and celebrate
communion around the dinner
tables. No reservation is required.
Come as you are, bring soup or
bread if you can or bring nothing.
There will be plenty for all.
Holy Week – Ecumenical Services
Palm Sunday – April 1, 9:30AM,
begin at Robert’s Garden
On Palm Sunday, April 1 st , there will
be one, blended worship service, in
the sanctuary, at 10:00am. We will
meet at Robert’s Garden (on Mountain
Way) at 9:30AM where we,
along with St. Paul’s Episcopal and
Trinity Lutheran, will gather to bless
our palms together. We will then
Open to parents, grandparents, teachers,
and anyone concerned with passing
faith on to our children.
We will have bagels and muffins,
juice and coffee to help move us
into the morning. We hope to see
you! While there is no charge for the
seminar, please let us know you are
coming. To RSVP or for further information,
please contact:
Patty Heppenstall, Director of Children's
and Family Ministries at Hilltop
Church. Phone: 973-543-4012
Email: pheppenstall@gmail.com
Dr. Robbie Castleman, Associate Professor
of Theology, Magee Chair, Biblical
Studies, John Brown University
Dr. Castleman is the author of
several books, including Parenting in the
Pew, True Love in a World of False
Hope, and Faith on the Edge. She is
married to the Reverend D. Breck Castleman,
and they have two grown sons.
When not teaching, Robbie likes to take
walks and is an avid reader of good fiction.
parade back to our own sanctuaries
to celebrate the triumphal
entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and
prepare for the Passion of the week
to come. All who are able to walk,
meet at Robert’s Garden at 9:30AM.
Those unable to walk, join us in
the sanctuary for worship at
10:00AM. All ages are welcome.
Children and families are encouraged
to attend.
Maundy Thursday – April 5,
7:30PM, at St. Paul’s Episcopal
We will join with our neighbor
churches in a celebration of communion
that commemorates the
first communion that Jesus’ celebrated
with his disciples on the
night of his betrayal.
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The Personnel Ministry is pleased to
announce that following the Annual
Meeting, prayers were answered. We
were able to advise the Music Director,
Skip Yingling, that additional support
was support was forthcoming from several
sources allowing the position to
remain fully funded through the balance
of 2012.
The concern and assistance provided by
our membership was truly overwhelming.
A special thanks to both George
and Don Olson who spoke so eloquently
and convincingly of the need for this
very important ministry to continue.
What a blessing!
Thank you All!
Steve Johnson, Chair, Personnel Ministry
Good Friday – April 6, 7:30PM,
at Trinity Lutheran
We will remember that dark day with
a worship service of scripture reading,
prayer, music, and darkness.
Join us for this moving service in
which the Passion story will be read
and candles will be extinguished until
we are left in silence and darkness.
If you have not participated in Tenebrae
before, it is a moving worship
experience that unflinchingly prepares
each person
for the silence of
Saturday and the
hope of Sunday.
Easter – April 8,
9:00 and
11:00AM, PCMP
Come hail the saving
resurrection of
Jesus to eternal life,
and us with him, in
joyous celebrations
of worship and
communion.

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Joyful Noise Preschool & Day Care
At Joyful Noise, registration for the 2012-
2013 school year is in full swing. Priority
registration for Joyful Noise alumni and
church families begins March 1st, and
registration is open to the public March 5th.
Registration for summer programs, including
Vacation Ventures for preschoolers,
begins March 26th.
If you are interested in enrolling your child,
or have friends or neighbors who may be,
now is the time to call for more information,
or visit our website at
www.joyfulnoisemorrisplains.org.
As always, we thank you for your prayers
and support!
Cook’s Night Out!
MONDAY
MARCH 12
5 PM—Closing
At
Tiffany’s Restaurant
Speedwell Avenue
Morris Plains
Tiffany’s will donate 10% of all food sales
from our group on Monday, March 12th
and make a donation to the Teen Mission
Trip. Please take a copy of this ad
with you to show to your server.
Their Monday Night Special is a NY Strip
Steak for only $12.99. Thank you for
your continued support.
Godspell on Broadway
Church bus trip to NYC to see Godspell on
Broadway on Saturday, May 5. Noon to
approx. 5:45 pm. Show begins at 2:30.
Tickets are $100 per person. This delightful
musical is appropriate for ALL
AGES. Visit www.godspell.com for details
and previews of this exciting show. Make
checks payable to “PCMP” and drop off in
the church office. Space is limited!
Upcoming Events
Benefit Concert
Saturday
April 28
Begins at 7 PM
in the Sanctuary
FEATURING TWO BANDS!
Shades of Purple
The Edmund Brothers
Tickets: $10
Benefits Teen Mission Trip
Rummage Sale
Let your Spring cleaning begin!
The Teen Mission Team will be holding a
Giant Rummage Sale the weekend of May
19. Items may be brought in for donation
from Monday, May 7 through Friday,
May 18 and left in Westminster Hall.
If you would like to help with the sale
or have any questions, please contact
chairperson Kelly Caccavale at
kellycacc@yahoo.com.
Thank You!
2012 nationwide: 8,977 groups generated
$8,762,437 in cash and food
items for local charities through the
Souper Bowl of Caring.
Those are amazing totals for an annual
event that began with one small youth
group that was trying to make a difference
on Super Bowl Sunday. They were
concerned for the hungry in their
neighborhood while they and many others
were enjoying massive amounts of
food at their Super Bowl parties. Their
simple plan has grown into a major
event.
Thanks to your support, our youth
group has participated in this event for
the past 13 years. Your generous donations
to date have totaled $5,930.42!!!!!
THANK YOU! This year, the youth collected
$519 and 204 POUNDS of food!
One Great Hour of Sharing
Here are two examples of how resources
provided through the Presbyterian
Church’s One Great Hour of
Sharing are Used: Within hours of the
January 2011 shooting of congresswoman
Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others
in Tucson, Arizona, Presbyterian Disaster
Assistance (PDA), a program supported
by gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing,
was at work. National Response Coordinator
John Robinson reached Rev. Sue
Westfall, presbytery pastor/stated clerk
in the Presbytery de Cristo, to offer consolation
and resources. John and his colleagues
provided counseling, consultation,
and support—including resources for
a community worship service—and talked
about the next steps in recovering from
the shooting.
Jesus used fish and fishermen in a pivotal
role throughout his earthly ministry. They
provided both physical and spiritual food
for the people. Just as in biblical times,
the fishing industry today provides jobs
and food for many. This is especially true
in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, home
to the South Plaquemines United Fisheries
Cooperative. Determined to rebuild
their lives after Hurricane Katrina, this
multiracial group of lifelong shrimpers,
crabbers, and fishermen may have been
down, but they are not out. PC(USA) has
helped through OGHS!

Sharing the Love
Happy March Birthday to:
Poage, Katrina MAR 1
Frazzano, Pete MAR 2
MacHale, Emily MAR 2
Robinson, Troy* MAR 2
Bohn, Cheryl MAR 3
Cantrell, Maddie MAR 3
Rosenfeld, Jillian MAR 3
Rosenfeld, Ted MAR 3
Thorne, Melissa MAR 3
Lioi, Joan* MAR 5
Oakley, Judy MAR 5
Robinson, Seth MAR 8
Martella, Mae MAR 9
Rushmore, Susan MAR 9
Karr, Andrea MAR 11
Oakley, Bill MAR 11
Benjamin, Art* MAR 12
Jackson, Dorothy MAR 12
Mitchell, Betty Lou MAR 12
Gibson, Sandra MAR 14
Kress, Christine MAR 14
Kress, Ryan MAR 14
Morgan, Deborah MAR 14
Smith, Joshua MAR 14
Janser, Emily MAR 15
Barwick, Brendan MAR 16
Barwick, Meghan MAR 16
Barwick, Ryan MAR 16
Falcone, Michael MAR 16
Baloche, Clayton MAR 17
Cady, John (Mac) MAR 17
Chambers, Keith MAR 17
Lanza, William MAR 17
Beeck, Ryan MAR 18
Presbyterian Women
WHOOPIE Pie Sale - Sunday March 4
It's not a PIE....It's not a CAKE....It's not
a COOKIE.....It's a WHOOPIE PIE.
Also known as "gobs", whoopie pies
are baked treats made of two small round
chocolate (or other flavored) cakes sandwiched
with sweet, creamy filling inside
(yum...how could you go wrong?)
There is controversy over the origin of
Whoopie Pies and where they got their
name. However some stories say that
they got their start from the Pennsylvania
Dutch.
Amish women would bake the tasty
treats from leftover cake batter and put
them in the farmers' lunch pails which
would bring shouts of "Whoopie!" when
the gentle farmers sat down to lunch.
If you haven't had one....Presbyterian
Women are bringing you the chance to
give them a try. We are offering our first
ever "WHOOPIE PIE FUNDRAISER" on
Sunday, March 4.
Come visit our table and see what all the
"Whoopie" is about! They're guaranteed
to put a smile on your face (and maybe a
little cream filling too!)
Kattermann, Suzanne MAR 18
Foley, Colin MAR 20
Rossetti, Erica MAR 20
Talbert, Grant MAR 21
McKeever, John MAR 22
Ramirez, Lucas MAR 23
Martin, Debby MAR 24
Granade, Michael MAR 25
Risko, Judy MAR 25
Foley, Lisa MAR 26
George, Marge MAR 27
Crain, Kevin MAR 29
Csengeto, Melissa MAR 29
Fisher, Jessica MAR 29
Rosenfeld, Rich MAR 30
Brabandt, Timothy MAR 31
Janser, Sarah MAR 31
MacHale, Cameron MAR 31
Toye, Camryn MAR 31
Wedding Anniversary Celebrations:
Charles & Joan Bushong March 1
26 years
Robert & Ann Fawcett March 22
32 years
Emergency Plan
Session has developed an emergency
plan for the church. If the governor
issues a state of emergency that is
in effect on a Sunday, church will be
closed.
Annual Spring Dinner - PW Celebrates
the 25th Anniversary of our first
Mother-Daughter Dinner. More details
to come, but ladies (of all ages),
please mark your calendars and plan to
join us for this special event on Friday,
May 12th, 6:30 pm in Westminster
all. (Help is needed for planning the
program.. It will be fun!)
Annual Fall Retreat - It's not too early
to plan ahead for our annual return to
Grove Hall Retreat Center in peaceful
Ocean Grove, NJ. We hope you'll plan
to join us for the whole weekend - or
part of the weekend for fellowship
and relaxation— Friday to Sunday,
September 21-23, 2012. More details
coming soon!
For more info on any of these or other
Presbyterian Women's activities, please
contact Kathy McNall (973-627-8708),
Cathy Brabandt (973-644-3037) or
Laurie Fu (973-605-8602)
All females are
a part of
Presbyterian Women
Lenten
Simple Suppers
Wednesdays
During Lent
6:15 pm
Westminster Hall
Except Holy Week
Bring soup or bread to
share if you are able
or simply join us.
Communion
will be served.
Per Capita
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Per Capita—Please do your part.
In essence, per capita is a set amount of
money (apportionment) per member that
congregations pay to the larger Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.). For 2012 the
amount remains at $29 per active
member. Our church will pay
$13,601.00. Please help offset this expense
by paying your Per Capita for
2012. If you have any questions please
speak with any Session member. Thank
you very much.
Ringing Note Cards
The Walsh Memorial Bell
Choir Program continues to
have ringing cards available
for purchase. The card
rings: " What A Friend We
Have In Jesus". The song
selection is actually rung and recorded by
the Walsh Memorial Bell Choir in
2010. Cards are blank on the inside and
make nice Birthday, Get Well, Thinking of
You, or Thank You cards. Cards are available
for purchase through the church
office or by contacting any ringer. Cards
are $7 each or 3 for $20. Thank you for
your continued support of the Walsh Memorial
Bell Program.

Everyone is Welcome to Worship the Lord
Magic Pennies — Scrip Program
MANY MANY THANKS go out to
Susan Weismantel for handling our
Magic Pennies Program. Susan’s work
on the Finance Ministry and with Magic
Pennies has been joyful and invaluable.
The Weismantel family, Susan, Paul and
their son Alex who is a student at Virginia
Tech, have relocated from
Randolph to Boynton Beach, Florida.
They will be missed very much.
Suzanne Young is our new Magic
Pennies coordinator! Her phone # is
973-895-9653 and her email is
Suzanne.r.young@gmail.com.
Have you noticed someone pay for their
groceries or other shopping with a gift
card? Maybe the cards were not received
as gifts — maybe that person is
supporting their church through the
Scrip program! Here at PCMP, we’ve
chosen to call it MAGIC PENNIES -
for you, using the cards is just like
using cash — and for the church,
it’s like receiving pennies from
heaven! Each participating business
gives back a percentage of the gift card
value as money to the church!
You purchase cards during Coffee Hour
or order the types and amounts you’d
like, and the church gets to keep a
percentage of the money. How easy is
that!?!
Gift cards are available each week during
Coffee Hour and for order from Home
Depot, Target, Walmart, Shoprite, Acme,
Whole Foods, Stop&Shop, gas stations,
grocery stores, restaurants, American
Express, Disney, hotels & travel, most
stores and even online stores such as
Amazon. com, Overstock.com + more.
Contact Suzanne Young for info at
suzanne.r.young@gmail.com or visit the
www.glscrip.com website for a full list of
participating retailers and details.
Ecumenical
Community Worship
At Trinity Lutheran Church
Good Friday, April 6
7:30 p.m.
Maybe You
Have Seen
The TV
Commercials
Currently
Advertising
The
2012 Philadelphia
Flower Show
Everyone is invited to experience
a vision of Hawaii’s Beauty
Bus Trip Sponsored by the PCMP
Gardening Group
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Leaving Morris Plains 7:30 a.m.
Returning 7-7:30 p.m.
Cost: $59 Includes ticket, deluxe bus
transportation, bus driver tip & continental
breakfast. $25 deposit to hold your
reservation, payable to Kathy Opsasnick.
Mail your deposit or full payment with
name, address, phone number, cell
phone number and email address to:
Kathy Opsasnick, 46 Parks Road,
Denville, NJ 07834
Questions: call 973-627-6425 evenings
or email ringduets@optonline. net
The
Presbyterian Church
of Morris Plains
400 Speedwell Avenue Phone: 973-539-3481
Morris Plains, NJ 07950 Fax: 973-539-1225
Web: mppresby.org
TO:
EVERYONE is welcome here to worship the Lord!
Worship on Sun. at 9 & 11 AM and Wed. at 7 PM