The Giants Football team is not the only organization celebrating this week!
We are too! We will kick-off our year-long celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the Sanctuary building, starting this Sunday, February 12 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm with a Dutch Cultural Event.

Come enjoy Psalm Singing, Dancing, and delicious Ethnic Food.

Entrance Fee: $20-General, $16-Seniors, $5- Students & Children

Here’s what’s happening this week at FRC:

Monday, Feb. 6
RADAR Staff Mtg 9:30 am
Fundraising Comm. 7:30 pm

Wednesday, Feb. 8
Hall Fund Mtg @ PC[USA] 7:00 pm
Choir Rehearsal 7:30 pm

Thursday, Feb. 9
Pastors at the RCA Conversations Event

Sunday, Feb. 12
Choir Rehearsal 9:30 am
Breakfast & Banter 9:30 am
Worship 10:30 am [Ushers: Janet & Norma]
Church School 11:00 am
Women’s Guild 12:00 noon
Dutch Cultural Event 4:00 pm in Sanctuary

Blessings and peace be with you,

Pastor Susan

Town Clock CDC

Sometimes the path we have chosen makes an unusual turn which we do not expect. That is what occurred for us as the Fundraising Team tried to create a brochure for the project.

Since the Consistory approved of the name Dina’s Dwellings, we have been trying to find a picture of Dina Van Bergh (Freylinghuysen Hardenbergh). Our search took us into the RCA’s Archivist’s office of Russ Gasero, who had much to say about the life and witness of Dina. Most likely, he informed us, there will be no portraits of Dina, since she was a part of the pietistic movement in the middle colonies of the 1700′s. It was common practice that such Christians refrained from hanging mirrors or portraits in their houses because this would promote vanity. What evidences remain of Dina are some of her diaries which have been translated into English. However, the Archivist shared with us a beautiful doll which was hand made by Louretta Lane in 1980. Ms. Lane was once the organist at the Readington Reformed Church and created the doll for their Harvest Home event. Supposedly the doll is wearing a replica of a dress of Dina’s that is held by Rutgers University’s Special Collections. What we are excited about is that we will receive the Dina doll on permanent loan from the RCA Archive.

Here is the photo of the Dina doll. It wasn't a wedding dress, but a dress that is held by Rutgers University special collections. It apparently was a dress of Dina's and the women modeled this doll's dress after that one.

The Town Clock CDC Board is also excited to continue it’s fundraising for the project. We received a $1000 from Johnson & Johnson, which will be used to purchase a new computer. Other donations from individuals have come in throughout the last couple of months. And we thank FRC for the donations taken during the Christmas Play.

Furthermore, we have begun working with our new real estate developers: Bergen County’s United Way and the Madeline Corporation, who are helping us to secure our funding.

This year we have chosen Agnes Crespo, a music teacher in the New Brunswick school district. For years she has brought groups of her students to our Lunchtime Recitals, students she feels would benefit from a specific concert, sometimes it is because the performer plays the same instrument or another good reason to bring them. It must not be easy to do that since so many districts have trouble finding funding for field trips. But every year she comes walking with a group of students from the Livingston School to have these children experience some life music and a nice luncheon afterwards.

A sign up list will be posted for all to sign up to bring some breakfast items. We have some gifts for Agnes in the making to go with her Award. I hope that all of you can come and support us at the Award. The breakfast is open to all.

In February we will hold our Guild meeting on the second Sunday after worship, a Bible study is on the agenda.

Prayer shawls are still being made, either knitted or quilted. IF you have any material that you think can be used please let Erie know.

We are also in need of birthday cards for the residents of the Reformed Church Home. They really appreciate the token of attention, so if you have some cards that can be used, you can drop them off at church.

Sausages will be served following the worship, at which a symbolic liturgy of ashes, including the washing away of them again will precede the Lord’s Supper.

Save the date: Annual Congregational Meeting on February 26th directly following worship. A special lunch will be served that day, too.

The concert was meaningful. It did not just celebrate the historic achievements of the Civil Rights Movement, but made it clear that our society has still much need for improvement. We talked, for example, about the recent attacks on the synagogue Beth-El in Rutherford, NJ and praised the efforts of Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli, who advised not only the synagogues of Bergen County to be on alert, but all religious institutions.

Raíces Cultural Center supported the efforts of the Rainbow Choir with several songs in Spanish language and performed by their own ensemble. This opened our ears to the international relevance of Civil Rights issues.

It was a great concert! Thank you, Ben, for your fine efforts in building a new community choir! And thanks to all the children whose enthusiasm was apparent!

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 event will be at the First Reformed Church, 9 Bayard St. in New Brunswick from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and will be conducted by Brian’s Wine Store, Stelton Road, Piscataway. Proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward scholarships for needy and deserving New Brunswick high school students for post-secondary educational expenses.

The cost is $25 per person or $40 a couple and includes the wine tasting, light refreshment and valuable door prizes. Tickets may be obtained from the church office or the following members of the Hall Education Fund: Susanne Clark, David Waanders, Susan Kramer-Mills or Kathy Fekete. We hope to see you there!

There are some smaller issues that remain. The northern set of the handrails in front of the church will be repaired; the roofing of the pediment cornice on the Bayard-Street side of the education building will be replaced, and a permanent sign explaining the significance of our buildings will be installed by the main entrance of the church.

Then I have to submit a Final Report to the State, and from then on an annual report with pictures, providing evidence that we honor the Easement and keep the property in good shape. But, boy, am I happy that the reporting will diminish. In 2011 alone, we submitted 234 written pages and 208 pages with pictures to the State. I can only thank Architect Margaret Westfield, Project Manager Brian Monteith and Treasurer Stef Beemsterboer for always providing me with the needed documents on time!

This, of course, was only Phase I. We still have substantial building problems. The stained glass windows are sagging; the upper parts of the rose window in the steeple have even separated from the frame. Our walls need repointing very badly, and we still have unaddressed foundation problems. We will deal with these things in due time. For now, we need a break to regroup and to grow our ministry.

We will open our series with a Dutch cultural event, which is an important outgrowth of our diverse heritage. This will take place at First Reformed Church on February 12, 2012 at 4:00pm. The descendants of Dutch immigrants kept our denomination alive in the New World, and New Brunswick was a haven for the first churches of the RCA (Reformed Church in America). We will learn how to sing traditional and modern settings of psalms, led by Professor Martin Tel of Princeton Seminary, see a performance of the Van Wickle Dutch Dancers, led by Erie Beemsterboer, and eat a delicious ethnic meal prepared by Ellen Hamilton, Janet Waanders, Mrs. Beemsterboer and others.

Please join us for this exciting celebration of culture. Price for admission is $20 per person, $16 for senior citizens, and $12 for students and children (each price includes food).

Here is the bit of history: On September 27, 1812, the congregation of First Reformed Church dedicated their sanctuary across from Hiram Square and we officially settled into our modern location. Two hundred years later, we look back upon our achievements and our ministry in the city of New Brunswick. This year, we plan to celebrate our rich history; at the same time, we want to look to the future and evaluate our place in modern society.

Joe and Allen provided much welcomed insight in the actual market value of the treasures people brought. However, I deemed it even more important that they provided much historical context for the various objects, and they proved extremely knowledgeable. Consider the range of things: We had everything from colonial jewelry and furniture over British etchings from the 1830s, a New England gingerbread clock and an art deco one from France, all the way to a tribal doll from Africa and a mysterious cloth document from centuries ago in India.

The Fundraising Team with Janet Waanders and Lauren Bernhofer in the lead had prepared the event well, and many contributed to the well-placed bake sale that added to the raised funds. Kathleen Boyles, a member of our Confirmation Class, did a fine job selling items. There remains only one question: When are we doing this kind of an event again?

It was long overdue that we met in this round. For some, it was the first time that they saw each other face to face. So there was a lot of sharing. We even started painting a community canvas together – something Raíces Cultural Center had introduced. It’s a canvas showing our community in the shape of a tree. Participants were invited to paint parts of the tree according to their own need for expression.

Finally, the round decided to engage in some community service together. We discussed two possibilities: The Family Dinner Program “House of Manna” always appreciates accompanying offers. It would not be difficult for our various groups to rotate their presence during the meal times of House of Manna. Another possibility was the idea of a kiosk prepared by our groups for young people in New Brunswick, preferably during sports games at various locations. The kiosk would offer an invitation to our groups and thus offer an alternative to hanging out in the streets.

Upon conclusion, we all agreed: The block party was an evening filled with laughter, fellowship, serious talk, planning for the future and, last but not least, good food from our Lebanese neighbors.

The tree-lighting ceremony of 2011 is long in the past. However, it left an impact on the future, and it is for this reason that I want to mention it here, at the beginning of the first newsletter of the year.

We could have decided not to participate in the ceremony. There are so many other groups already contributing to city-wide events like this one. It would have been easy not to go -especially after a week with meetings almost every night. But then I tried envisioning the ensuing picture. Our city is rich in traditions and ethnic backgrounds. The talents of our various community groups are extremely diverse. There are Mexican and Hungarian dancers; there is a modern dance group from one of the public schools. We have choirs, poets, jazz ensembles and a school orchestra. We have performers trained for cabaret and humorous presentations, and we have serious and critical solo singers. We have everything under the sun.

What, however, would it all mean, if you could not see among all this variety the pretty white coifs and the dignified dresses and aprons of our Dutch costumes? What would it mean, if there were’t a trace left of the Dutch klompendans with wooden clogs and flying skirts? Our city would not have had a chance to encounter its origin, an opportunity of being in touch with its very beginning; that’s what it would mean. Let me draw the comparison with a live person. It would not be healthy for any of us, if there were blank spots on the map of our lives. Nobody can go into the future and deny a part of him or herself. Likewise, one cannot easily proceed with a biography with blank spots that are inaccessible to the self.

Is a city like New Brunswick not similar to a person like that? How could it then be expected to develop authentic community without a live memory of its Dutch past? This is the reason why we are, culturally, obliged to support our city by keeping the memory of its past alive. And so, our women dressed up and danced, and our choir sang.

Please see the pictures from the eventful night. Transfer, if you will, my words of cultural and historical obligation into the matters of faith. The world has certainly moved away from the clarity and plain structure of Reformed worship. The Calvinist tradition behind it seems to be a thing of the past, something shared by a dwindling minority.

But what would it mean, if this minority disappeared now and for good? What would it mean in a city like ours, in all the changes of our time? This is a question, dear Reader, which I would like to leave with you, as we progress together into this New Year. Sometimes, we see the relevance of something first when we imagine a world void of it. And then we realize, perhaps, a cause worth striving for, and it becomes a proposition for the New Year.

May God bless you richly in your thoughts!

Yours fondly,
Pastor Hartmut

Help is needed in getting volunteers to stay overnight. If no one is available then the answer to the question in the title of this article is NO THERE IS NO ROOM FOR YOU.

What a terrible thing to have to say to someone who will then have to sleep outdoors all night or possibly the entire week if there we are not able to open.

Please look at your schedule and see if there is not an evening that you will be able to stay here. There will soon be a sign up sheet in fellowship hall or you can call the office (732-545-1005) to sign up.

Matthew 25:37- 40 …Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink. When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? … The King will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.

On January 7, from 1-4PM, Joe Bodnar (Bodnar’s Auction) will be speaking about antiques and appraising anything and everything that comes through our doors. The Historic Preservation Fundraising Team is sponsoring this event to raise funds towards our matching grant. There will be refreshments, contests to test your antiques knowledge, and plenty of opportunity to share the stories behind the stuff!

We need everyone’s help to sell 100 tickets at $10 per appraisal (includes admission) and make this event a success! For the spectator only, the entry fee will be $2.00 at the door.
Please invite everyone you know!

** Note – The appraisals are for fun and enlightenment, not insurance purposes.

Please tell everyone you know about this event and help us to make it a Huge Success!

Just a reminder, in addition to our morning preschool programs, we have a wonderful afternoon program we call “Splendid Day”. It runs from 11:30 until 3:30 and can accept children ages 2 up to under 7. It’s great for children who attend a morning preschool or kindergarten because it provides them a longer school day and lots of opportunities for mixed-age play. It also provides parents a longer free day. For more information, contact Lolly or Tracy at 732-463-8555.

Under the direction of Dr. Sheng-Hwa Yu, the chorus sang beautifully and with such joy that the audience clearly caught the spirit, appreciating both the skill of the singers and their emotion. We at First Reformed Church have been privileged to know the YueYue group for a long time and on this occasion were privileged to receive its gift of music. All of the donations made by audience members are designated for the church’s Historic Preservation Fund and will be used to help complete the replacement of the slate roof.

Our thanks go to every member of the chorus, to Dr. Sheng-Hwa Yu, and to Artistic Director Maestro Sharon Yuan. Also, one of our members, Julius Fekete, used the occasion to sell his spectacular woodcarvings and to donate profits to the Preservation Fund as well. The soon-to-be-completed roof of the sanctuary certainly covered and united a throng of talented and generous-spirited people on this hopeful Advent night.

$ 8.00 per person / $20.00 per family
Contestants eat for free!
There will be Prizes for the 1st, 2nd and, 3rd best chili.
Cornbread, Salad, Cheese, Sour Cream, Dessert and Ice tea and Lemonade will be provided. Hot Dogs & Buns will also be provided for those who like chili less!
All proceeds will be used to cover the cost for new lights in Fellowship Hall

All in all around 65 women and 2 men enjoyed the home made treats and fellowship. I would like to thank all of you who donated time and or breakfast items. Without all your help we can not keep this tradition that is enjoyed by so many. Every year again I hear comments from the visitors that they are all looking forward to our breakfast as it gives them an opportunity for fellowship and reflection in this busy season.

On another note, one of the ministries of the Women’s Guild is card writing to the residents of the Reformed Church Home. Each resident received a Christmas card from us! Phew! That was a lot of writing!! We are now out of all Christmas and Birthday cards. Please see if you have any at home that you can donate for this.

Our Prayer Shawl ministry is still on-going. We accept both knitted and quilted shawls or lap-sized throws. I hope to bring another quilt to be tied during our next meeting. At that time we will also work on our plans for the Martha Award, planned for March 5th.

Our next meeting is January 15th, this is the THIRD Sunday as there are meetings planned after worship on the second Sunday. Every women of our congregation is welcome to attend!!!

First, our guests from the Colts Neck Reformed Church arrived: A large part of their Senior Choir, to sing with us. Some choristers from Colts Neck were well known to us, as they had participated in previous years in the reconstruction of our bathrooms. We had a great dinner time together – with pizza, homemade under Erie’s leadership.

Now the music and choir directors took over: Maggie and David Tripold from the Colts Neck Reformed Church and Ben Berman for us. Not that we were allowed to sing any carols! Instead, we had a singing campaign with each choir giving samples of its more difficult repertoire. In the end, we mixed and sang the first Chorus from Handel’s Messiah together: “And the Glory of the Lord…: See the pictures of the listeners, especially the ones that show Sandy and Walter and Julius and Allison.

Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus interrupted the musical gathering with a loud “Ho-Ho-Ho!” Bruce had jumped in at the last minute, and Lolly was a most attentive wife. We had so much fun. In the end, Bruce summarized, “There’s a lot of ham in Hamilton!” Just as funny was the pageant rehearsal that followed. In true European-proletarian tradition, Erie and Lolly brought in this humungous, paint-covered ladder when it was time for the angel to appear. And there he was, this Gabriel in blue jeans, with something like a misappropriated white plastic tablecloth over his shoulders and a golden halo in his hair. It was a sight to behold, and it was driving home the point that Christ was born, not in the royal chambers of the eternal city, but in a feeding trough, which may even have smelled.

All the while, our Colts Neck guests enjoyed a tour of the church and a visit to the grave of Dr. John Henry Livingston, the pastor whose work in the late 18th century had laid the foundation of our American denomination’s independence from the mother church in the Netherlands.

Now, you tell me, was this a well-rounded evening or not? I am grateful for all the support from many sides that had made this possible. I am especially grateful for the rather meaningful relationship that is developing between Colts Neck and us.

This is a great time to think about whether your want to join the Bell Choir, we can certainly use a few more players to get us back to playing 3 octaves, which also produces a nice brighter sound. Let me know if you want to join the choir so I can tell you all about it!