Niccolls Memorial Presbyterian Church
PO Box 605, 228 Crosby Blvd., Old Forge, NY 13420
Phone: 369-3475 email: niccolls@frontiernet.net web site: www.niccolls.org
NOVEMBER 2008
Mountain Meditations by Rev. Lawrence Bartel
Just over a week ago, I was driving along Hollywood Hills Road on my way back to church from a pastoral call. The morning sun had already warmed up the chilly night air so I opened the sun roof for one last time this year. As I came around the corner where the road kisses First Lake, I saw a stream of golden leaves cascading from a maple tree leaning over the road. I slowed down as I passed under that shower of blessing and beauty. At the rate the leaves were falling the tree would certainly be bare by noon.
I took a moment to marvel. The frost of that particular night seemed to loosen the leaves just enough so that the slight morning breeze simply lifted the stems off the branch. Furthermore, the events of that particular morning led me on a path right over that holy ground. Given any one of a variety of factors, I might not have witnessed such a moment in which creation seemed to shout God’s praise aloud.
If that moment may have been described by John Calvin and the other reformers as a glimpse at the providence of God, then I say AMEN!
The beauty and brevity of this season affords a wonderful opportunity to pause – take even a moment of Sabbath – and reflect with gratitude and prayer. As I write this meditation, I’m preparing to begin a six month course in the Clergy Coaching Institute through Auburn Theological Seminary.
I first heard about the Clergy Coaching Institute last year when it was publicized within the Presbytery. Patricia Schick, a colleague within the Presbytery at the time and former intern at Church of the Lakes, spoke about the institute as a “transforming” experience.
Transformative since clergy coaching takes seriously Paul’s exhortation in 1 Corinthians 12:31 But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. In the context of the epistle to the Corinthians, this verse culminates Paul’s beautiful description of the “body of Christ.”
Indeed, I am continually surprised by the astounding variety of gifts possessed by our congregation. Yet I take to heart Paul’s challenge that in Christ there is always a more excellent way. Christ shows us the way to transform our static gifts into dynamic ones. Christ beckons us to move from functional relationships that maintain the status quo to life-giving ones that carry out our mission with vision and vigor.
The Clergy Coaching Institute begins with a three day residential stay at the Chautauqua Institution. In this residential time, I will reflect on the goals and challenges of ministry, engage leadership theory, and practice and begin individual work with a professional coach. I will speak with this coach bimonthly over the next six months.
Not only is clergy coaching a timely opportunity to learn and grow by reflecting on these first years of ministry together, it seeks to nurture “hardiness” in pastors and congregations. Auburn was founded nearly 200 years ago when upstate New York was the frontier of a growing country. The seminary focused on the formation of the church leader hardy enough for life on the frontier.
Today you and I are on another frontier in the 21st century. The religious landscape of this country is shifting quickly. Changing even more rapidly is the worldwide economic outlook. Hardy congregations grow and even thrive in these stressful times.
I could not have imagined how much I would have grown with you. Looking back already over these few years of our ministry together, I catch a glimpse of providence. It is a shower of blessing and beauty. I’m already looking forward to where God is leading us together along a more excellent way.
The Choir has a new look! by Judy Barker
Colorful choir stoles now unite the choir in one colorful look. The stoles were woven by the Ruth and Naomi Program of the Methodist Church of Guatemala. Guatemala is quite a distance from Old Forge, N.Y, so how did these beautiful stoles end up as part of our choir’s attire? Here’s the story. On her spring medical mission trip to Guatemala, Nancy Dowd purchased a stole and gave it to Pastor Lawrence as a gift. The choir, who had outgrown their choir robes, liked the stole so much that they asked Nancy if she could buy enough for 25 choir members. Although she had purchased Pastor Lawrence’s stole from a street vendor, she looked into a multiple purchase and found out about the Ruth and Naomi Project. This project provides a home and workplace for widows, orphans and families in extreme poverty. The sale of craft items supports the program.
With this information at hand the choir members contributed toward the purchase of the stoles and Nancy took our $500.00 to Guatemala with her and brought the stoles home with her to Florida. Terry Dowd then shipped them north to us.
Nancy and Terry are dedicated Thrift Shop volunteers during our warmer months. These stoles are just one example of the circle of care between the Thrift Shop, other parts of our church’s ministry, and the world. The choir feels good about wearing stoles from such a good project. We hope that when the congregation sees us wearing them they will be seen as one more sign of Niccolls’ involvement in mission.
Transitions
Each month we will share “transitional experiences” within the Niccolls family.
Please call the church for more information or if you have an individual to add.
Compassion
Dee Fetterman – St. Luke’s Home
George Fuge – Upstate Medical Center
Gigi Hollister – home
Dorothy Pearsall – Sunset
George Villiere – home
Condolences
On the passing of Kris Cummings – wife of Jay
The Season of Advent Anticipation and Hope
Advent marks the beginning of the Church Year. In 2008, it begins
November 30th, the fourth Sunday before Christmas. The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival.” On each of the four Sundays of Advent, please linger a few moments following the Worship Service for a brief gathering (15 minutes) to share ways to keep Christ in your family’s Christmas as you prepare for the arrival of the new and everlasting life brought through Jesus the Christ.
Stewardship Update
Our fiscal year ended on September 30, 2008 with an unpaid sum of $10,793.10 in pledges to the operating budget of our ministries. At the time of printing we received $2,838.75 which represents 25% of these arrearages.
In these tough economic times we are grateful for the receipt of any gifts which fulfill your pledge as we seek always to reach out in faith and love.
If you have any questions about the final statement you received for the past fiscal year or if you are unsure if you have fulfilled your pledge please contact Linda Folsom at 369-6391 or by email at lindafolsom@Adelphia.net.
Alternative Christmas Market by Joanne Strike, for the Peace & Mission Committee
This year’s Alternative Christmas Market will be held on Sunday, November 23rd following both the 7:30 and 10:00 services. This is your chance to shop and make a world of difference at the same time. Your purchase of fairly traded handcrafts or foods will help create empowerment, opportunity, and employment for artisans and farmers in 36 countries around the world.
The Niccolls Fellowship Hall will have displays of hand crafted items from India, South America, and Africa. We plan on having beautiful hand-woven baskets, other household items, and unique holiday decorations.
There will also be musical instruments, toys, and a display of Cross necklaces, as well as other lovely jewelry. This year we will have more food items which can make good Christmas or hostess gifts. There are soup mixes made by the Women’s Bean Project, a variety of nuts, Fair Trade chocolate from Ghana, WHOA sauce from Hope House, and, of course, Equal Exchange coffee, tea and cocoa.
When you buy a gift for a relative or friend (or yourself), also consider the person producing the gift. Your gift gives twice – to your friend and also to the artisan. All our purchases help them maintain steady work and a sustainable income so they can provide for their families and obtain school needs for their children.
The Niccolls’ youth will be taking donations for Church World Service. Please give generously. If you need a gift for the person who “has everything”, consider making a donation in that person’s name.
There will be activities for children to teach them about another part of the world and to let parents admire the crafts and shop. Put November 23rd on your calendar as the day to do your Christmas shopping in Niccolls Fellowship Hall.
Niccolls Women’s Fellowship by Ruth Brussel, co-moderator
Our small but faithful group of women was busy this month. We had a very successful Craft Fair at the at the beginning of October under the wonderful leadership of Grace Flock and Jeni (and her dog, Gracie). Many folks helped us from the congregation and friends of Grace from Big Moose. We were blessed.
Five of us went to the Presbytery Women’s Fall Gathering in Forestport and had a great time. The speakers were breast cancer survivors and had a lot of wise suggestions for all women.
We will be sponsoring the Samaritan’s Purse “Operation Christmas Child” boxes again in November and more will be heard about this in church with bulletin inserts and a Minute for Mission. The boxes will be due in by November 16th. We are so pleased to have our co-moderator Ginny Milton back with us and to celebrate, our next meeting will be held at her home on November 3rd at 10:00 a.m. Be sure and come to Ginny’s on the 3rd and join us for a fun filled meeting.
Christian Education News by Linda Hippisley
for youth in grades K-6 each Sunday morning following the Time with Children.
We encourage all children, including visitors, to join us for Bible study, crafts, and fellowship.
K.I.D.S. Club Kids learning a new song with Judy and participating in Bible study with Janice.
K.I.D.S. Club is for children in grades K-5th and meets at Niccolls Church each Tuesday from 2-4 PM.
Interested children can join at any time – please call the church office for details.
KIDS Club members are busy learning the songs and associated Bible story for the May 2009 production of another wonderful Allen Pote musical called, A Technicolor Promise. Please take a moment to step into the Fellowship Hall at Niccolls and enjoy the children’s creative talents evident in the imaginative likenesses of themselves scattered around their glittering rainbow.
YOUTH GROUP – Next meeting: November 9th from 2-4pm at Niccolls Church
*FELLOWSHIP *DISCUSSION *GAMES
Confirmation classes will begin in December.
Parents and Students are encouraged to attend the Confirmation Information Meeting which will be held in November (date to be announced). The meeting will summarize class curriculum and will review the expectations and requirements of the program.
If you are interested in Confirmation classes, please contact the church office: 369-3475.
Adult Study:
Social Room; 12 noon bag lunch & fellowship; 12:30-2:00PM Bible study.
Young Adults Group
(You qualify if you are in your 20s, 30s, 40s,or 50s – married or single – with/without children.)
The next scheduled gathering of the Niccolls’ Young Adults Group will be in January 2009 (exact date and time to be determined). Resource packets will be available two weeks in advance of each gathering. Please call the church office at 369-3475 or send an e-mail message to reserve your place at the table for an evening of relaxation and socialization. You are encouraged to sign up for an electronic mailing list, which will be the primary way to stay informed of the group’s news and upcoming events. To sign up: Niccolls@frontiernet.net
NOVEMBER Birthdays:
Austin Down 11/7 Taylor White 11/23
Carlie Hunkins 11/9 Chloe Brosemer 11/24
Carolyn O’Hara 11/15 Lani Ulrich 11/26
Linda Hippisley 11/16 Haley Hoffman 11/27
Haley Josephson 11/16 Mallory Kleps 11/30
Molly Harrington 11/17 Molly Rodriguez 11/30
Colden Hippisley 11/18
Utica Community Thanksgiving Dinner
The First Presbyterian Church in Utica will hold their 29th Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27th. They will feed about 1,000 people and are asking for assistance. An hour or two, a dollar or two, a prayer or three, will help!
There are wonderful opportunities to help financially, with a donation of food, or by volunteering. Please see the donation forms on the tables in the Narthex if you are interested in donating money, food or time.
Their goal is: “To serve anyone who needs a meal, companionship, or neighborly love on this day of thanks.”
Nov. 2 Nov. 23
Greg & Carolyn O’Hara Sheila White
Star Livingstone Jean Kull
George Lapinsky Jean Gaudin
Barb Proper
Nov. 9
Grace Flock Nov. 30
Char Pylman Tom & Penny Smedley
Ruth Hawksley Nancy & Roger Pratt
Gloria Weiman Donna Pohl
Sue Norris
John & Therá Levi
Derrick & Maria Fielteau
Vanderkamp Wish List
Is your family looking for a creative way to celebrate Christmas without adding to your family’s bulging closets? May we suggest that your family consider purchasing an item to donate to the Vanderkamp Wish List -- there are items in every price range.
Program Wish List:
Digital Camcorder ($300 to 500) Koob Games (2 - $60 ea)
Archery Program Upgrade ($500) Big Box Hockey ($180)
Storage Unit for Archery & Field Equipment ($250) Golf Cart
Disc Golf Assortment ($140) GPS Units (4 - $200/ea)
Lycra Tube for Challenge Program ($150) Baggo Game (1 - $90/ea)
Hammock “Village” ($250) Takraw Ball Game Set ($85)
Materials for Rock Hockey Tables ($150) Lacrosse Training Set ($175)
Craft Supplies and Equipment ($500) Nature Study Package ($300)
Tetherball Standards & Soft-touch balls (2 - $135/ea) Tinikling Dance Package ($150)
Wooden Tabletop Games Assortment (4 - $200 total) Free-standing Porch Swings
Finish the restoration of the War Canoe Adirondack Chairs, Porch Rocking Chairs
Green Tips for Stewards of God’s Creation by Janice Walter-Ferrick for the Peace & Mission Committee 
“In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”
From the Great Law of the Hau de no saunee.
If you haven’t already done so, now's the time to take down the screens and wash the windows. It always seems so much brighter without the screens, and this time of year, we can use all the sunlight we can get! Here are a couple of ideas for washing windows without breathing in the ammonia fumes:
1. Club soda. Pour it into a spray bottle, spray it on your windows and wipe. What could be simpler? This also works well for stains
on carpets, furniture, and clothes.
2. For outdoor, dirtier windows try 1 squirt of liquid dish soap in a bucket of water. Use a squeegee and a rag.
I also like to put on some music and make it look like fun so that the kids will want to join in. Since there are no toxic chemicals involved, I’m more than happy to let them take over!
Got a clogged drain? No, of course not, but I bet you know of someone who has them on occasion. Try this:
Pour 1/2 cup baking soda into the drain (I use a funnel for this), add a cup of white vinegar. The mixture will start to fizz. Cover the drain for a couple of minutes until the fizzing stops. Then pour boiling water down the drain.
I’m excited to report that we can now get biodegradable dish soap and laundry soap locally (thank you D’Orios!). What makes their soap better than others? Well, for one thing, it’s soap and not detergent. What’s the difference? Detergents are petroleum-based, contain alcohol, and are usually heavily scented. This is bad for the environment (petroleum) and bad for your skin (alcohol is very drying). Soaps are usually vegetable-based (though historically they were made from lye and lard). There is no chemical smell to cover up so they can be purchased unscented (for those of us with allergies to fragrances and dyes). If you’re unsure, check the ingredients.
Items Needed by the Karen People
As reported in last month’s Bellringer, Niccolls Church the Thrift Shop has been putting aside winter jackets and coats for the 100+ new families – Karen People – from war-torn Myanmar (formerly Burma) who’ve settled in the Utica area since summer. Rev. Jim Davison and his wife, Edith, recently picked up the collection of winter outerwear. They were thrilled to have so many “snow coats” as the refugees call them, to take back to Utica. They are still in need of more so if you have any winter outerwear –coats, jackets, hats, scarves, gloves, mittens, etc. – that you’d like to give to the refugees, please drop them off outside in the church basement, or bring them to the office. When asked what other items the families need, they provided us with the following list:
Winter outerwear for all ages and sizes, except very large
Boots and shoes in good condition:
(Men’s–under size 10; Women’s–under size 9; kid’s–all)
Baby car safety seats
Foldable strollers (such as the umbrella type)
Sweatshirts – all sizes except very large
Blankets and comforters
Bed pillows and throw pillows
Soup / serving spoons
Serving-size bowls
Pots and pans (in good shape)
Please mark your donations “Karen People.” Many thanks to those who have already donated items for the refugees. Your generosity will really make a difference!
