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
MARCH 2010
Mountain Meditations by Rev. Lawrence Bartel
This spring is the fourth anniversary of the Lay Academy of the Presbytery of Utica. Though the work of the Lay Academy may seem beyond the vicinity of Old Forge and the Adirondacks, the Lay Academy is far too important to be a secret!
Would you like to dive into the Hebrew Scriptures? Would you like to walk the road with the early Christians through the writings of the New Testament? Would you like to experience Reformed Worship and Sacraments from the best worship leaders in the Presbytery? Would you like to connect the dots between Presbyterian history and polity (theway we govern ourselves)? The Lay Academy offers free courses for all of these inquiries and more!
Over these four years lay leaders from across the Presbytery – from Lowville to Springfield Center, from Oneida to Little Falls, from Utica to Clinton – have gathered for year long courses, intensive courses, and preaching experiences offered by the Lay Academy. In 2009 we celebrated two graduations and in 2010 we anticipate six more.
These lay leaders were already serving their home congregations with passion and faithfulness. As graduates they will continue to resource their home congregations first and foremost. Several of the graduates will likely become Authorized Lay Preachers who lead worship from time to time in various churches throughout the Presbytery. Others may discern the call to become a Commissioned Lay Pastor to a small congregation that doesn’t have the resources to call a full time pastor.
Since the inception of the Lay Academy I have served as the dean of communication. I believe in the transforming power of the equipping and nurturing lay leaders in our Presbytery. Naomi Kelly serves with me in her role as dean of content. Our Lay Academy leadership team is strengthened by the presence of the stated clerk as well as another pastor and two Commissioned Lay Pastors.
Are you, the reader of this, called to take a class from the Lay Academy? The next offering is a course on Pastoral Care in April and May which will be taught by the Rev. Sam Pendergrast from Rome and Rev. Betsy Jay from Cooperstown. The following course on Reformed Worship and Sacraments in June will be taught by the Rev. Dennis Dewey in Clinton. These are perfect opportunities to experience the thrill of learning as well as the spirit of mutual care and support that is part of every Lay Academy experience.
Perhaps you would like to learn even more about the Lay Academy and all the courses we offer. Then it’s not too early to plan on joining us for our annual Inquiry Day this year on Saturday, April 24th at Westminster Church in Utica.
Finally, you may not have the call to the Lay Academy but perhaps you have observed beyond a shadow of a doubt that someone from within our congregation has the gift of pastoral care or the spirit of a preacher. If so, speak with that friend in Christ.
The most effective congregations have teachers and mentors that observe others in their midst who have the gifts for the ministry. These mentors ask them to consider God’s call. These mentors reveal the gifts hidden in plain sight.
Transitions
Each month we share “transitional experiences” within the Niccolls family.
Please call the church for more information or if you have an individual to add.
Compassion
Bev Burnap - home
Dee Fetterman - Sunset
Don Kress - Sunset
Greg O'Hara - home
Leo Villiere - Sunset
Condolences on the passing of
Pearl Cortese – mother of Lois Lowenberg
Tom Fox – father of Jamie, Joel, Kim, Melissa and Erin
David Reynolds – brother of Deb Langworthy
Bonnie Russell – mother of Karen, Brett, Bob, Greg, and Jessica
On February 7th, members of the Sr. Youth Group, including Whitney Levi, left,
collected donations for the “Souper Bowl of Caring”.
All money collected was given to the Deacons for the Food Pantry.
Financial Snapshot as of January 31, 2010
Tithes & Offerings for January $10,304.70
Expenses for January _12,140.29
Deficit ($ 1,835.59)
Tithes & Offerings Fiscal Year to Date $62,283.56
Expenses for Fiscal Year to Date 50,880.57
Surplus $11,402.99
Lenten Meditation services are being held every Tuesday from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m. through March 30th in Niccolls sanctuary, led by members of the Worship Committee.
Maundy Thursday service will be held at Niccolls on April 1st at 7:00 p.m.
A Good Friday ecumenical service will be held at St. Bartholomew’s Church on April 2nd at 7:00 p.m.
On Sunday, February 7th the congregation celebrated Bess Folsom’s role as Treasurer Emeritus after performing the role of Nicolls Church Treasurer for 45 years!
Haiti Assistance
Your generosity in response to the devastating earthquakes in Haiti has resulted in more than $3,830 sent through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to help with immediate needs and ongoing recovery for the residents of that country.
Additional gifts are still welcome by writing “Disaster Assistance” on the memo line of a check made payable to Niccolls Church. Thank you to all who have helped raise much needed resources for this urgent need.
A large gathering of Thrift Shop volunteers met for lunch and conversation on February 1st in the Social Room.
Church Library
Check out the February 9, 2010 edition of The Christian Century on the coffee table in the in our church library. The cover story “Travel as a Political Act” spotlights the work of Rick Steves.
As a writer Steves recognizes the spiritual component of travel and its capacity to shape our worldview as followers of Christ in the 21st century.
Niccolls Women’s Fellowship by Ruth Brussel and Ginny Milton, co-moderators
The Victorian Tea was a smashing success thanks to Linda Hippisley’s e-mail to many of the ladies in church. We had so much help Friday with cooking and decorating that it went fast. Barb Proper came and brought chair back covers that she made that made such a difference in the room’s appearance. Louise Watson’s beautiful Baltimore hand made quilt was a big topic of conversation during the tea. We were grateful for all the help. And we were able to send the 6 girls off to Mexico with some money in their pockets as a result of a great turnout on Saturday. Thank you all for your support.
The ladies have planned to have a “Stone Soup” Soup Sunday February 28th which is always a fun time for the congregation to get together. If you don't remember what “Stone Soup” is come and be surprised.
Come to the meeting March 1st at 10 a.m. when Joanne Strike will be telling us about her trip to the South American coffee plantation. Hope to SEE YOU THERE.
Here are the Trailblazers from Pioneer Club....now nearly grown and
A good time was had by all at this year’s Victorian Tea Room Luncheon. world travelers...and great servers at the Victorian Tea!
Come Swim in Our Money Bin! by Ken Strike for Session and the Personnel Committee
As a child I enjoyed the comic books about Scrooge McDuck (Donald Duck’s rich uncle) who had a swimming pool filled with money into which he dove and in which he swam. Even though Jesus said “the love of money is the root of all evil” Uncle Scrooge, while a bit stingy, did not seem such a bad duck. And even Jesus’ disciples had a Treasurer. Do you have an inner Scrooge McDuck that wants to get out? If you do Niccolls will provide you the opportunity to swim in its money bin (although, since our money bin is a good deal shallower than Uncle Scrooge’s, diving is not recommended).
The recent revisions Session has made to the processes whereby we handle money provide for five offices. These are Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Assistant Treasurer, Assistant Financial Secretary, and Treasurer Emeritus. Under our new system, the Treasurer receives money, pays bills, prepares the annual budget, and does banking. The Financial Secretary keeps records and does reports. Linda Folsom has
agreed to serve as Treasurer and Ron Barker has agreed to serve as Financial Secretary. The Treasurer Emeritus is filled by Bess Folsom in honor of her long service as Treasurer. The offices of Assistant Treasurer and Assistant Financial Secretary are unfilled. Session is looking for volunteers to fill these offices.
What do the occupants of these offices do? Mainly they assist and provide backup to the Treasurer and Financial Secretary. You would need to learn the job well enough to help out and fill in when necessary.
Those who fill these offices are also members of the Finance Committee. These are important positions because good stewardship and careful handling of our money are essential to the success of our ministries. Qualifications: a willingness to serve, a few hours to donate, basic math skills, and a little computer literacy.
If this is you, we would love to invite you to swim in our money bin. If you are interested please contact Lawrence or MaryAnn Nelson. A copy of our new Financial Management Handbook which has fuller descriptions of these offices is available from Mary at the church office. Come swim in our money bin.
Adult Christian Education
Faith and Fellowship Groups Are Continuing
New Members are welcome at any time. We hope you will find a group you are interested in, either because of the topic, the friends who are attending, the time it meets, or just to get out, and come for a time of Faith and Fellowship.
The American Religious Landscape is being held on Sunday mornings at 11:30 and is being led by Rev. Lawrence Bartel looking at Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism. Do these religions have anything to say to us as Christians? This is a very interesting group which would love to have others join in the discussion.
The Couples Study Group is meeting for a social time and a discussion of marriage as a lifelong covenant. It meets at the home of Wayne and Danielle Beckingham on a Friday evening in March at 6:30 PM. Babysitting is provided.
Deep Waters, the Faith and Fellowship group for men, meets at Walt’s Diner at 7:00 AM on Saturday, March 6.
The Midweek Bible Study has resumed on Wednesdays. It is studying the book of James, and I & II Peter, and I, II, & III John, and Jude. Have you ever read right through any of these very short books? This Faith and Fellowship Group will read and discuss the ideas in these epistles. Bring your lunch at noon for a time of fellowship. The study will be held at 12:30 until 2:00.
Fair Trade Travel by Joanne Strike
The fifteen members of the Enough for Everyone delegation were looking forward to meeting Fair Trade farmers and their families, but it was almost dark when we arrived at the El Tesoro Cooperative in Boaco, Nicaragua. Members of the cooperative and the delegation of Presbyterians and representatives of Equal Exchange Coffee were introduced to one another with the help of Carolina, our translator. We then began to figure out which delegates were staying with which family. Four women were asked if we could walk 10 minutes with our packs. Of course we could! So we were put on a bus with other groups to be dropped off at the path to the farm. By then it was very dark and we enjoyed the brilliant stars as we began our “10 minute walk.” We noticed the 10 minutes was going to be straight uphill on a rocky, rutted path enhanced with cow pies. Good thing we all had flashlights. We walked 10 minutes. Then 10 minutes more, and 10 more and10 more until we lost track. Finally, we arrived to meet our lovely host family.
Norman and Yocanda Aguilar had worked very hard, joined the El Tesoro Cooperative, gradually expanded their farm, learned new techniques, and become successful farmers. I felt proud of Niccolls for contributing to their success by using Fair Trade coffee during our fellowship times. In the morning, we admired the spectacular view of the mountains finally seeing the view we deserved after our hike. After a breakfast of beans & rice, cabbage salad, and a delicious fruit juice mixture, we were joined by others in our group for a chance to pick coffee cherries in Norman’s coffee plot. As we walked to the coffee plants, we passed a section of new seedlings which had been given by the Planting Trees for Life Project sponsored by the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s Small Farmer Fund. The money for this fund comes from a premium from Equal Exchange for each bag of coffee sold through The Presbyterian Coffee Project. This is in addition to the premium per bag given to the Farmer’s Cooperative in Nicaragua to expand their facilities and improve their community. The next day we visited the new dry mill which has just been built with these funds. The members of the Cooperative were so proud of their new facility which makes it much more efficient for these farmers to finish the processing of the beans to get them ready for export.
I loved the chance to stay with Norman and Yocanda and meet their four children. The three teenagers were hard working like their parents, getting up early to milk the cows, feed the chickens, help prepare the tortillas, and perform any other chores as needed. The fourth child, Norman, Jr. was 7 years younger than the others and followed his father around, climbing into his lap whenever he had a change to sit. However, while he appeared to be pampered, he also was learning all the farm chores and was a well disciplined, helpful child, interested in these foreign women who had trouble speaking his language. He could pick coffee much more skillfully than the Americans could!
I was filled with such hope after visiting this family. As he said grace before dinner, this farmer, with the home with a dirt floor and an outdoor latrine, asked that God would help them always remember those who had less than they did.
Memorial Sunday
The first Sunday of each month, the Worship Committee plans to place two flower arrangements in the chancel in memory or honor of the loved ones of the Family of Faith. Each arrangement costs $18.00.
If you would like to partner with the Worship Committee in providing flowers in honor or memory of a loved one, you may send a donation of $15.00 or $30.00 (for two) with the form below to Niccolls Memorial Church, marked “flower fund.” Your gift will be recognized in the bulletin unless you ask otherwise.
For more information please contact Mary the church office at 369-3475.
All Are Invited to a
FREE Community Lunch
Co-Sponsored by Area Churches
Thursday, March 25th
LOAVES & FISHES CAFÉ
St. Bartholomew
Church Hall
**** Homemade ****
Soup, Chili, Sandwiches, & Desserts
Plus Hot & Cold Beverages
LUNCH SERVED at 12 NOON
Need a Ride?? Call by Wed, March 24th
From Inlet/Eagle Bay: Call 357-2811 or in Old Forge area: Call 369-3475
