Category Archives: Property Committee

Notes from the Property Committee

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Gary Bernhofer

Many members of the FRC don’t make it down into the basement of the Church House often, however, lots of work has been going on down there. With the help of the Intensive Supervision Program, we removed a rotted floor … Continue reading →

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A House not Built on Sand

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Rev. Dr. Hartmut Kramer-Mills

When I told three of our community service workers that they were a blessing to the church, someone remarked that they had not heard this in a long time. This may be true, but so was my remark.

In fact, the Intensive Supervision Program is a blessing both ways: We as the church get a lot of work done while the ISP participants spend their time in a meaningful way and with constant contact to members of the church. By functioning as an ISP site, we contribute to the participants’ reintegration in society. Therefore, this is a ministry.

Our latest accomplishment is the replacement of a wooden floor and sub-floor in the basement room that houses the entry of the gas line for our buildings. The wooden floor was rotted away and posed danger especially in cases of emergency. Can you imagine firefighters in full gear rushing down to shut off the gas and falling through the floor? Continue reading →

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Spiritual Formation Group

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Church Staff

How does one live more fully as an LGBTQ Christian?
LGBTQ persons often find themselves at a confusing crossroad between religion and gender/sexual expression, leading to feelings of alienation or even rejection. First Reformed Church and the Reformed Church of Highland Park are teaming up to create a small group experience, with Rev. Patty Fox and Brad Redeker co-facilitating. Together, we will experience sanctuary and refuge as we journey in community, spiritual growth, worship and service through the unique lenses of our LGBTQ experiences. Continue reading →

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A Gem on Our Street

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Rev. Dr. Hartmut Kramer-Mills

It may be true or not that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton responded to an email, “Who rules the world?” with a lapidary word: “Girls!” The fact speaks for itself. On April 14, five young women, all students at RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, spent an afternoon here at church painting the Sexton’s House. Parts of it had been primed in the fall already, but there had not been enough people power to finish those parts. So the house had looked white. Continue reading →

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Creativity and Community

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Rev. Dr. Hartmut Kramer-Mills

As Easter comes upon us, we have a remarkable coincidence with the dawn of a new period of ministry here at First Reformed Church. The reason is that our historic preservation project comes to an end. This means less reporting, less building issues, and less work for the Finance Committee and the Consistory. The Fundraising Committee even had its last meeting.

So, we are resurrecting from construction and paper files and bank statements. Now is the time to become creative again and to continue to nurture the exciting community that has formed around us during the years of brick-and-mortar. It is also important that we invest more efforts, prayer and thoughts in growing our church. What would our meaning be, if we did not try to reach as many of our neighbors near and far in order to offer them participation in God’s peculiar way of relating with us? Continue reading →

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Spiders in the Sanctuary!

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Rev. Dr. Hartmut Kramer-Mills

When, on February 4th, I snuck into the sanctuary in the morning in order to water one of the plants in the chancel area, I could not trust my eyes! Every pew, all the chancel furniture and even the three microphones had been covered with what looked like white, fibrous spider webs. The entire sacred hall, it seems, had been turned into the vicious trap of some mean arachnid predator!

But where was the alien beast? Of course, there was none, only Rob “Smiley” Callahan and his wife, who had busied themselves painting the segments in the ceiling that had suffered mild water damage during the roof replacement of the previous weeks. The cobwebs were soon exposed as mere drop cloths, protecting whatever they covered. Continue reading →

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Rutgers Students Returned to First Reformed!

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Rev. Dr. Hartmut Kramer-Mills

Thanks to the generosity of Rutgers University and its Student Volunteer Council, we had another great work day on our premises, the Martin Luther King Day of Service on February 18, 2012.

Twenty-three Rutgers students and their two student supervisors followed the call and spent several hours with janitorial and other chores in our buildings. Their cheerful work included: Continue reading →

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