The music featured the cultures of Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Africa. In our quest for world music, the Rainbow Choir has gone a long way to discover the essence of songs from all over the globe. Kudos to these children who are so dedicated to their music. They will perform again at the Interfaith Earth Day event on April 22.

Finally, we learned one very important thing at the event: that in order for humankind to continue its struggle for peace among nations, we have to educate our heart’s mind, and better embody the virtues of honesty, loving kindness, and justice.

The Alban Institute is an ecumenical, interfaith organization founded in 1974, which supports congregations through consulting services, research, book publishing, and educational seminars.

The voices of our children create a rainbow of peace and understanding. How can a child grow in community with other children? There is no greater gift than the gift of song. Help us harness that gift so the children of New Brunswick can sing together once again: in a vast community of children from different faiths, cultures, and ethnicities.

We are looking for singers in grades 3-6 to join the Rainbow Children’s Choir and sing the music of our diverse heritages. Contact Benjamin T. Berman at First Reformed Church, 732-545-1005 or at benjamin.t.berman@gmail.com for more information.

The Sunday School teachers will share this year’s lesson topics for the Little and Big Lambs, in addition to a description of how lessons are generally taught.

The Committee also wants to solicit from parents what they hope their children would gain by participation in the Sunday School program.

Throughout the coming year, lessons will focus on stories from the New Testament. Specific lesson topics will include “compassion”, “forgiveness” and “patience”, among many other faith characteristics. The Big Lambs will have their first meeting on September 25th. For the remainder of the year, the Little Lambs will meet on the first and third Sundays, with the Big Lambs meeting on the second and fourth Sundays. The months of October, January and April incorporate five Sundays, which allows for a special activity for all children on each of the three fifth Sundays. Gary and Lauren Bernhofer, Norma Vande Bunte, Sandy Boyles and Emily Sena will return as teachers.

We arrived around 11:00 a.m. and went on a hike around the retreat center. The estate is large, and with the new St. Paul’s Prayer Chapel there are now two nice sanctuaries to pick from. After the hike, we returned to the Picnic Grove and had a lavish potluck lunch.

Slideshow – Pictures from the Warwick Retreat

Then the Circus opened! As in many years before, we used the performance to test features of the Rally Sunday program at church in the end of summer. Everybody had a good laugh, and we decided the program was worthwhile.

Following this, the majority of us took a long break at the swimming pool while others went on a hike in the woods belonging to the Center.

We concluded the retreat with a devotion in the newly built prayer chapel. Most of us were back home between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m.. It was a fun day.

But then you look at the details. Vivaldi was a priest and a music director for children. The Gloria was specifically composed for girls and only later arrangements added the men’s voices. Consequently, it was not difficult for our two Sunday School classes to make contributions to Children’s Day based on Vivaldi.

The older class researched his life online. Computer work comes natural to kids; all one has to do is to provide direction: “See what you can find out about a man called Vivaldi”. The class found out that he started a pauper and ended as such. They learned about his emergency baptism during an earthquake, and they took note of his attempts of settling in Vienna after his music had grown out of fashion in Venice where he was born. Following this research, we turned the information into three fun little skits that would interrupt our performance and provide much needed context.

The younger class was intrigued by Vivaldi’s nickname as the “Red Priest”. Apparently his hair color had earned him that name. So the class set out to draw two portraits of the Red Priest. Put on an easel during worship, they gave a sense of Vivaldi’s physical presence as we listened to his music.

But do you know what I liked the most? The incredible beauty of the Gloria; its non-quivering stateliness that persevered so easily despite the interruptions of our fresh skits! We are a small urban congregation, constantly suffering from shortages of all kinds: attendance, volunteers, money, air-conditioned space, etc.

Who would have thought that a place like ours can have a five-piece orchestra, including an oboe and a harpsichord? So we thank especially the musicians who joined us for the day for their selfless service: Julia Fendler (oboe), Beth Maliszewski (viola and violin), Aimee McPeak (cello) and Samantha Tomblin (violin). A great thank you goes also to Ben Berman, not just for conducting and playing the harpsichord, but for organizing this wonderful occasion. And our choir was superb!

I have one closing remark: If it is relatively unlikely that a small inner-city church can organize a rich musical worship like this, think how this corresponds to Vivaldi’s circumstance! It is a well-known euphemism that Vivaldi worked for a Venetian “orphanage”. In reality, it was a place for the “illegitimate” daughters of anonymous Venetian noblemen. In their nobility, these men endowed the institution to such degree that it was able to afford someone like Vivaldi. In summary, this means that his most sacred music was built on one of the great dislocations of the culture of his day. But isn’t that what true Christianity so often does?

In any case, in order for us to watch this annual crazy race, please bring in plastic eggs filled with either candy or small change – you get to pick – before worship on Easter! We will need a few volunteers for the hiding part. The children (and the squirrels) provide the rest of the entertainment! And families – don’t forget to bring a bag or basket for the eggs.

The text will be the resurrection of Lazarus and the theme of the discussion will be “Grave clothes to be shed“.

All are welcome to come! This Bible study does not require previous participation.

On March 14th, Sherri Novack, Ben Berman and I took a chance and followed an invitation to the Fort Washington Collegiate Church in Manhattan. We wanted to take part in a somewhat historic moment when the presidents of our three denominational colleges came together here on the East Coast to nurture the relationships with our students and churches here. You are not sure you know our colleges? They are all located in the Midwest: Hope College in Holland, MI; Central College in Pella, IA and Northwestern College in Orange City, IA. The picture shows the three presidents during a question and answer session with students and parents.

The evening was fun and informative. We had a chance to talk with some of our national leaders, enjoyed a great Dominican dinner, as well as a step-dance and rap performance by ensembles of the Fort Washington Church. There was even opportunity for a picture with our retiring General Secretary Wesley Granberg-Michaelson. We also enjoyed the historic surroundings of the church. It is part of the famous Collegiate Corporation of the Manhattan’s Reformed churches. In driving home, we agreed: it was a worthwhile journey to the center of who we are as a wider church.

When the players had gone through the play of couple times, the kitchen crew had three pizzas ready to warm them all up. By that time, the other guests had arrived as well. All in all, we had around 25 people sitting around the tables and enjoying the beautiful tree. I could hear lots of comments about people appreciating the music that came from the Randolph Room where Ben kept everybody entertained with Christmas music.

When the children had their fill of pizza and the parents had made sure they had eaten some salad , we were surprised by a visit from Santa. Boy, did he know all the children that were present; he knew all the names, even the one from Pine Grove Nursery School. All the children got to sit on Santa’s lap or next to him and they could tell him their wishes. After that, they all got a little treat to take home. Some of them started to eat it immediately since it looked so good! Some of the adults where called forward as well and had to sit on Santa’s lap. We all enjoyed his visit very much!

Then it was time for dessert, brownies with ice cream. No matter how cold it is, that is something we all like!

Thank you to all who helped with this party in one way or the other. It was a great success again. I am looking forward to bringing my rolling pin next year!

Why is singing so important for children? This is a grave question that never is discussed enough, since recently music teachers in the state of New Jersey find their jobs in danger. I do not have a complete answer to this question, except a holistic point of view about the spiritual benefits of singing, especially in a group. My very wise friend, Reverend Jeffrey Eaton of Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, taught me about the importance of music for its contribution toward the enrichment of children’s lives. Music teaches all of us, he said, responsibility to others; it teaches us to be aware of each other’s deficiencies, and it makes us all more empathic since we are aware.

I argue that music is even more essential than that (of course, with reverence to the revered Reverend). Singing is a universal language. If there is one thing that has been constant in the expression of human emotion throughout history and in every culture, it is singing. Children need to sing, and the urge to do so is in their biological make-up. Furthermore, there is latent musical potential within every child. That inner voice needs to be nurtured, even in the rawest expression of cacophonous outbursts, and encouraged to come to the surface whenever possible. Gone are the days when people walk down the street singing throughout the day, but we all still carry this deep-seated urge to express that inner voice.

So our job as parents in this congregation is to provide as many opportunities for children to sing as we can. Take advantage of the church’s musical resources: bring them every week to church, so their singing can take shape in the form of worship. Together we will serve our children with an immense opportunity to sing with joy, in praising the Lord.

When? Every fourth or fifth Tuesday of each month at 7:30PM:
September 28
October 26
November 30
December 28
January 25
February 22

Where? In the Church Library.

Subject? “Others may say I’m over the hill, but I want to feel on top of the world. How can I look back with gratitude and look ahead by passing on to someone else what I’ve learned?”

Participants? Everybody who finds himself or herself reflecting on the phenomenon of growing older. This could be someone who graduated from college, someone undergoing a career change, an empty nester, a retiree, etc.

Throughout the year, a mixed group of graduate and undergraduate had worked on this Preservation Plan.

You might remember that 75% of the corresponding Preservation Plan for our buildings was funded with $50,000 planning grant from the NJ Historic Trust. This gives you an idea how expensive these kinds of plans are – even if the Preservation Plan for our cemetery is substantially shorter. Now the students presented their findings to a public audience in a very involved PowerPoint presentation. They started by delineating the existing conditions of the cemetery. The results were compiled in a digital database, easy to store, expand and share with others in years to come. It includes pictures of our grave stones – an irreplaceable documentation of the current status quo.

Following this, the plan entailed treatment recommendations, beginning with a chart of priorities and concluding with a cost estimate for restoration. Finally, there were the treatment reports. Again, at no cost to the church, the students had cleaned 46 grave markers with an architectural antimicrobial. They had also repaired two grave markers that had broken apart.

It was an evening of interesting speeches, much appreciation for our history, and a good fruit punch in the end. A great thank-you goes to Erie Beemsterboer who presented Christine Miller Cruiess with one of her beautiful handmade quilts. We also thank Ethel Salamone, Joan Fekete and Pastor Susan for the wonderful reception afterwards.

The weather on Sunday provided us 100 + worshippers at the Van Wickle House in Somerset an delightful backdrop to celebrate the Lord’s Day! The children sang, a special children’s sermon was performed, and well known hymns were sung, followed by a great amount of sandwiches and salads for the outdoor picnic.

This Sunday, we return to the cooled interior of Fellowship Hall for our worship. But mark your calendars for the concert with Loraine Nelson Wolf on September 11 at 7 PM. See below for details. It’s for a free will offering. Also, please note that on Sept. 12th, we will be having our RALLY DAY and worship returns to 10:30 am.

Monday, August 30
Personnel Mtg 8:30 am
Fundraising Mtg 7:30 pm

Tuesday, August 31
House of Manna 4 – 7 pm

Wednesday, Sept. 1
Staff Mtg 9:30 pm
Choir Rehearsal 7:30 pm

Thursday, Sept. 2
House of Manna 4 – 7 pm

Sunday, September 5
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
Set up of chairs in Fellowship Hall 8:30 am
Singing w/ Ben 9:00 am
Worship 9:30 am
Teacher Training Event 11:15 am

Come for a night of inspirational songs and stories with the Billboard & ASCAP award-winning composer, singer, and pianist. Lorraine’s husband, Godfrey, and daughter, Lauren Nelson, are her special performer guests.

Another school year is drawing to a close, but not without some celebration. Our last day of class will be on Jun 20th. On Jun 27th, we will officially mark the close of the school year with an Open Air service on the steps of our sanctuary (weather permitting, of course!) and a picnic. In the meantime, the children will be once again working with Ben to prepare wonderful music for the open air service. Our Little Lambs will end the year studying the acts of the apostles after receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The Big Lambs have a variety of interesting topics in store.

Finally, please note that each week’s bulletin will now include the Bible verse and topic of the Sunday School lesson for the day.

On Sunday, May 9th, Sandy presented a children’s sermon celebrating those in our congregation who have served as a Sunday school teacher at some time in the past, and inviting those who wish to become a part of this long tradition. Many in the congregation that day were surprised to hear Sandy tell that we have the oldest continuously operating Sunday School in the country (1779 — present). The torch has been passed many times in 211 years, and it must continue to be passed. Please join our teachers group and help carry our tradition into the future!