First Reformed Church of Scotia

August 10, 2014

OUR LIFE OF WORSHIP & TODAYÕS EVENTS

WELCOME .  .  . Welcome to our worship of God this morning.

After the 10:00 service all are invited to juice on the plaza for fellowship and conversation.  We thank the Hermance Family for hosting our fellowship hour today.

RESTROOMS .  .  . There is one restroom just off the narthex.  Others are through the door on the right hand side of the sanctuary -- then to the left, or down the long hall to the right.

LISTENING DEVICES .  .  .  are available for the hard of hearing.  Speak to an usher if you would like to try one.

LARGE-PRINT BULLETINS . . . are available for both the 8:00 and 10:00 services.  Speak to an usher if you would like one.

CHILDRENÕS BULLETINS  .  .  .  are available in two formats, ages 3 to 6, and 7 to 12.

LEADING AT 8:00                           LEADING AT 10:00

Greeting: Phyllis Beck                        Greeting: Dot Allen

Heather Kramer, Preaching                  Ushers: Russ Garrison, Bill Eberle,

Bobbie Nelson, Organist                        Mike Torelli, Mike Trbovich

                                                      Ken Nelson, Tuba

                                                      Bobbie Nelson, Organist

                                                      Heather Kramer, Preaching

NURSERY .  .  .  Our nursery for children through three years of age is the first room on the right after leaving the front of the sanctuary.  It is staffed from 9:30 to 11:30.  Nursery Director, Diana Ackner, coordinates volunteers, and leads regular Bible stories and prayers.  We ask that a parent stay with babies younger than six months old.

LEADING WORSHIP THIS MORNING . . .  This morning, while pastors Craig and Jan Hoffman are on vacation we welcome our own Heather Kramer to lead worship this day.  Last year, upon our consistoryÕs recommendation, Heather was received as Schenectady ClassisÕ Candidate for Ministry.  She is now a distance-learning student at the RCAÕs Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI.

Heather has taken her class in preaching and is now engaged in formal experiential learning, and needs evaluations after her preaching assignments.  You can help support her with your honest evaluation of her leadership today.  If you are willing, please meet Heather by the Communion Table after she finishes greeting.  She will give you a Western Theological Seminary form to fill out for her.  Thanks!

FUTURE WORSHIP LEADERS . . . Pastors Craig and Jan Hoffman are away on continuing education and vacation at the Chautauqua Institution through August 26.  Our worship council has arranged for the following worship leaders those Sundays.

á  August 17:   We welcome Elder Karl Griffith.  Karl has led our worship several times, and we thank him for leading today.

á  August 24:   We again welcome Candidate for Ministry Heather Kramer (see above).

OUTDOOR WORSHIP . . .  Weather permitting, our 8:00 worship is held outdoors on the plaza in front of the sanctuary through Labor Day Sunday, August 31.  Bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on.  Worship on the plaza is informal, and a good way to introduce someone to our church.  If the weather is too cool or wet, we simply move into the sanctuary.

We need people to come to worship early to welcome worshippers.  Please sign up on the clipboard on the church steps to greet at 8:00, or contact Anne Fetter at 377-3775 to greet at 10:00.

OUR LIFE OF CHRISTIAN GROWTH

SUMMER SUNDAY SCHOOL .  .  . The date for the next session is next Sunday, August 17 for a Team Building workshop where we will be learning about our special gifts and how we can work together to share GodÕs love. These summer sessions are open to all kids in Kindergarten through High School.

FOWLER CAMPERS  . . .   You can support our churchÕs Fowler campers, volunteers and staff members by sending them a card.  At weekÕs end, anyone getting three cards or more has to kiss the moose!  Address this weekÕs cards as follows:

Camp Fowler

Name, Week #80

P.O. Box 131

Speculator, NY 12164

This weekÕs in-camp number is #80.  Campers are Rebecca Carpenter, Brittney Schaefer, Ellie Zenner and Jordan Zenner.

Volunteering at Fowler this week are Ethan Schalekamp and Ethan Szemansco as SWiMs, Students Working in Ministry.

DonÕt forget our members on FowlerÕs permanent summer staff: Joya Clark, Tim Monaghan, Kent Busman, and Hannah Busman.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL . . . VBS will be held Monday through Thursday, August 18 - 21 at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Swaggertown Road, in Scotia.  This yearÕs theme is, ŌGet a Clue -- Finding That Which Is Lost.Ķ  Please contact Coordinator of Christian Education Kristin Bodden if you are interested in attending or volunteering. 

YOUTH GROUP LEADER . . .  We are delighted to announce that our own Maggie Busman has agreed to be our new Youth Group Leader.  Maggie will be working in the Anthropology Dept. at Union College and coaching field hockey at Scotia-Glenville this fall.  She begins her work with our youth on Sunday, September 28.

OUR LIFE AS A COMMUNITY OF FAITH

ABOUT OUR PEOPLE  .  .  .

á  Church Organist Justan Foster is away on vacation this morning.  We thank retired Church Organist Bobbie Nelson for taking her former seat at the organ this week.

á  Mr. Joe Homer is receiving physical therapy at the Teresian House in Albany, and Mrs. Betsey Homer is recovering at home from knee surgery.

á  Pastors Craig and Jan Hoffman left yesterday for 2½ weeks at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York, part of it continuing education, part vacation.  In case of pastoral need, please call the church office, 370-4751.

HANDYMAN/HANDYWOMAN DAY  .  .  .  Our Buildings and Grounds Council has set aside Saturday morning, August 16 from 8:30 to noon to finish some chores around our church including: installing code-required CO detectors, replacing the ballasts in the kitchen ceiling lights, repairing and installing a lock on the attic door, installing a grab bar in the narthex bathroom, and hanging a new white board in Room 1.  Join others that day with your tools, your experience, your willingness to help and to learn, and letÕs ŌGit Ôer done!Ķ

BASEBALL TICKETS ARE HERE .  .  .  If you pre-purchased tickets for the church outing to go to the Valley Cats game on August 20 and would like to sit next to another family you know, please see Kristen Shave in the office to choose your tickets.  All remaining tickets will be left at the Ōwill callĶ booth on the night of the game.

CAREGIVERS  .  .  .  meet monthly from 11:30 – 12:45 in Memorial Lounge.  We next meet Tuesday, September 16.  This group supports those caring for family members or friends.  All are welcome to join this support group – bring a friend.  Please continue to read No Act of Love is Ever Wasted.  If you need a copy, see Pastor Jan.

MEMORIAL LOUNGE GLASS CASES .  .  .  See the ByerÕs Choice collectibles:  patriotic figures on one side of the case.  Some of our Dutch memorabilia are in the other side of the glass case.

DUTCH FAIR .  .  .  This yearÕs Dutch Fair is Saturday, September 20, from 9:00 to 3:00.  Justan Foster, 965-2389, and Tracy Swearingen, 944-8794, are this yearÕs chairmen.  Call them and tell them youÕd like to help out.  Or call one of the following booth chairpersons.  This year we give the first $5,000 of our Dutch Fair income to a local mission.  The rest weÕll use to help maintain and improve our buildings and grounds. 

BOOTH                               CHAIRPERSON

á  Book Nook                        Ellen Schultz, 399-6029

We need books, but NOT encyclopedias, magazines or condensed books.

á  Jewelry                             Marge Almy, 372-0951

á  Next to New Clothing         Becky Penn, 928-4007

We need clothing for Next to New, especially childrenÕs clothing.  This is a real ministry to our community.

á  Toy Shop                          Marty Gilgore, 393-8329

                                       Linda Naumowicz, 399-1366

á  White Elephant                  Jane Lansing, 372-6082

Thanks for the millions of twenty-five-cent items.  Now we need to fill in with higher sales items.  So please look in your closets, basement, attics É etc.

á  Cider & Donuts                  James and Sarah Hoffmann, 381-4689

á  Home and Garden                Fern Lee, 577-2070

We need plants, especially bittersweet and Japanese lanterns.  Deliver them on Friday before the fair or Saturday morning. 

á  Bake Sale

We need everyone who can to bake something.  We always sell out!  Bring your baked goods to the church office on Friday before the fair. 

á  Silent Auction                   Dorothy Horstkotte, 374-8105

We need items for our silent auction!  Contact Dorothy.  Also, donÕt forget to ask the businesses you shop at – they may be very happy to donate an item or service. 

á  GiffyÕs BBQ                      Natalie Monaghan, 399-1102

Dinners cost $10.00 per chicken meal, $17.50 for ½ rack of baby back ribs meal.  (Rib meals ONLY available as pre-sales.)  Get advance tickets from the church office or from Mail ÔnÕ More on Route 50 in Burnt Hills.

á  Publicity                           Mike DeMasi, 371-1667

Help us get the word out.  Pick up some Dutch Fair posters from the narthex or from the church office.  Post them where you can, or put them in the back side windows of your car.

OUR LIFE OF SERVICE TO THE WORLD

AUGUSTÕS MISSION OF THE MONTH . . .  is Camp Fowler Ministries, a significant 60- year ministry of the Synod of Albany.  Want to see what Fowler is all about?  Talk to one of our campers (their names are posted outside Pastor JanÕs office,) or drive up to Speculator during the month of August.  About 850 kids spend time during the summer at Fowler.  WeÕll send more than twenty campers, ten volunteers, and five staff members to Fowler this summer.

WeÕd like to raise $2,000 to help renovate one of the cabins the campers live in.  Front porches are being rebuilt, cabins are being fitted with ceiling fans, counselors have a special bed built just for them, there are new easily washable bathroom floors and new paint!  WonÕt you help refresh our old cabins by contributing to the Fowler Mission of the Month?

Please give generously to the Mission of the Month using the specially marked envelopes in your box of giving envelopes.  Need a box?  Call the church office.

SeptemberÕs Mission of the Month is the Samaritan Counseling Care Fund.

100 HEARTS . . .  Maya Wright, granddaughter to our own Gordon and Ann Wright, and daughter of former members Tim and Kathy Wright who moved to Saratoga, needed heart surgery at Boston ChildrenÕs Hospital when she was little.  In gratitude for the care she received, Maya has coordinated eleven charity events, including an annual online fundraiser for the ChildrenÕs Hospital, www.100hearts.webstarts.com.  The Missions Council of our congregation made a $50 donation to Maya and told her we would publicize her event.  Maya raised $2,100 last year and would like to significantly increase that amount.  She puts together ten baskets and sells raffle tickets for the baskets.  Go to the website or speak to her grandparents for more information on how you can participate. 

SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM . . .  Free summer lunches are distributed in Collins Park weekdays through August 15.  Our congregation served meals two of these weeks, July 14-18 and July 21-25.  Thank you to all those who made and served meals, and to those who coordinated our servers.  We make a significant presence in the Park.  Thank you!

Please, would you help make the lunches?  Union College intern Dan Pallies makes the lunches in our kitchen at 10:00 each morning and can use some help.  Please call the church office, 370-4751, to volunteer to help Dan.

THE SCOTIA FOOD PANTRY .  .  . The basket in the Narthex receives our weekly food donations for the Scotia Food Pantry.  Note:  The Scotia Pantry does not need Enfamil or baby food.  Please add the "food of the week" to your shopping list to share with others.  The pantry always needs dry mixes (tuna helper, potato and noodle dishes).   We thank Kristen and Bill Shave for delivering our donations to the food pantry this month.  Would you like to volunteer to bring food donations down to the food pantry?  Call the church office, and we will add you to the list of helpers.

AUGUST 17 FOOD OF THE WEEK:

PASTA

THE CONSISTORY OF FIRST REFORMED CHURCH OF SCOTIA

Ministers of Word and Sacrament

The Rev. Craig Hoffman

The Rev. Jan Hoffman

Elders                                                             Deacons

Russ Garrison (14)                                            Chris Bodden (14)*

Pam Walsh (14)*                                              Mike Carpenter (14)*

Diane Faubion (15)                                           Pete Lewis (15)

David Schalekamp (15)                                      Beth Vaccaro (15)

Karl Griffith (16)                                              Bill Monaghan (16)

Don Schermerhorn (16)                                      John Pierce Jr. (16) *

An * indicates a person's second term

THIS WEEKÕS CALENDAR

Sunday, August 10

   8:00      Worship, Candidate for Ministry Heather Kramer, preaching

 10:00      Worship, Candidate for Ministry Heather Kramer, preaching

11:15      Fellowship on the plaza

Saturday, August 16

   8:30      Building and Grounds Handyman/Handywoman Day           

Sunday, August 17

   8:00      Worship, Elder Karl Griffith, preaching

 10:00      Worship, Elder Karl Griffith, preaching

11:15      Fellowship on the plaza