The Blawenburg Beacon

Holy Scripture tells us we're going on a journey someday, and when we reach our destination we'll receive new bodies. The seeds of these new bodies, which is spiritual, are planted in the ones we have on this earth and we can tend to them every bit as much as we tend to our physical selves. In fact, spiritual fitness requires following the same regimen as those who try to stay physically fit. Here it is.

1) Recognize your need to get in shape. Are you worried, stressed, grieving, embroiled in turmoil or strife, unable to sleep, angry, or just plain depressed? If so, chances are you are spiritually undernourished. In small doses all of these things are natural, but if any of them consumes more than a few moments in a day, you need help.

2) Make a decision to begin. Once you've accepted your need for help, your next step is to take action. In a spiritual sense this means turning to God and asking for help in prayer, what the Bible calls "repentance." Like your first day in the gym, you may not see any immediate results, but most likely you'll feel better instantly. No earthly exercise can match the sense of well-being found in that first prayer.

3) Seek out professional guidance. If we're serious about physical fitness, we join a health club and consult a personal trainer. They know better the foods and exercises that are best for us. Likewise, Christian clergy are educated professionals in the field of spiritual health. Whether it's in worship, Bible studies or conversation, we can show you where to concentrate your efforts to guarantee the greatest return in the smallest amount of time.

4) Start eating a healthy diet. Most of us like some form of junk food, but we also know our need of the good stuff, like vegetables, fruits, plenty of water, etc. Similarly, we gravitate toward junk in our spiritual lives, most of it coming from toxic conversation and whatever screen we happen to be watching at the moment. While few find themselves able to cut out junk altogether, we can minimize it's unhealthy effects by reading scripture, attending worship and Bible studies, reading and viewing Christian oriented material, and socializing with spiritual people.

5) Exercise regularly. We build muscle to look and feel better and also to enable ourselves to carry heavier burdens. The more weight we lift, the stronger we become; the more cardio-vascular training we undergo, the greater our stamina. Spiritual exercise can be summed up in one word: prayer. The more we exercise our spirits, the greater burdens we can carry in life, and the more we can help others with theirs. Prayer also gives us the strength to endure any trial that life throws our way, because we know it will pass and be explained someday.

With so much help available it makes no sense to continue in a valley of depression or despair. A simple prayer, "God help me!" can start all of us on the road to wellness. Why wait any longer?

The Beacon is a publication of the

Blawenburg Reformed Church

424 Route 518; P.O. Box 266

Blawenburg, NJ 08504

e-mail address: brc2001@msn.com

Website: blawenburgchurch.org

Phone: (609) 466-3108, Fax: (609) 466-8237

Rev. Richard Van Doren, Minister

The nursery is trying to make a smooth and comforting transition from the summer months into the Fall and Winter schedule, but several areas need your help in order for this to happen. August 31, September 7, and (hopefully no longer than) September 14 the nursery needs volunteers to care for our small children during the church hour.

We are also looking for a teenager or 2 as full-time paid caregivers throughout the year. We would like someone over the age of 14 who is experienced with small children and could be in the4 nursery from 9:45 AM until 11:15 AM. We pay $20 for this time period. If there are two teenagers they could watch the children together or alternate weeks or months. It is important that there is no more than one or two constant caregivers so that the babies are familiar with the person(s) in the nursery. Do you have a neighbor, babysitter, or a friend who might be interested in the position? If so, please let Jean Beachell or Barb Pavlicek know about them.

Jean and Barb would also like someone to take over as supervisor of childcare!!! It’s not hard – we just need someone to make sure the nursery is covered each week and that the caregiver has someone to call if they will not be there or any problems arise.

            The purpose of the Student Aid Fund is to assist, financially, the members and children of members of the Blawenburg Reformed Church who desire to further their education beyond high school. The assistance is also available to church members who wish to further their education after a lapse in their schooling program, regardless of their status or age in life.
            42 students have availed themselves of this financial assistance, making the total amount loaned, as of Sept 1998, $32,351.35. The financial responsibility of 1 of these students has been paid in full; while 2 of the students are still in college or making payments towards their loans.
            If further information is desired, please contact any member of our committee: Evelyn Cochran, Tom Skillman, Bernice Van Nostrand and Ethel Terhune.

Have you noticed how much better the church exterior looks? While not finished, it is looking much better thanks to your contributions to the BRC Fund. We have received sufficient funds to pay for the painting. Thanks to all who have and will continue to contribute over the next three years. The fund has approximately $260,000 in cash and pledges. This is just over half of our $500,000 goal.

This fall we will be seeking new ways to raise funds through donations and projects. We will begin to plan the restoration of the foundation of the church when we have sufficient funds to pay for it. We appreciate your part in our huge project and ask you to continue thinking of creative ways that we can reach our goal. If we can preserve our church, it can carry on its mission for years to come.

            “A great crew of people got together and put on a benefit dinner and silent auction for Alan on Thursday night (August 7^th). It was really a wonderful evening filled with love and compassion that poured out into everything that went on. It was amazing to see so many friends from so many different paths of our lives. Not only current family and friends, co-workers, church family, disc golf family, etc., but old friends from previous churches, previous workplaces, Boy Scouts, the Montgomery Township School system - Alan’s classmates (2001) AND Ginny and my classmates (1978 for me, Ginny would prefer I didn’t say what year for her so I won’t - but it was the year before me) and teachers both that worked with Ginny’s mom, Bernice and those that taught us. Alan’s Kindergarten teacher was there, Ginny’s First Grade teacher was there. At one point I looked up and noticed that most of the weight team from the Montgomery High School track team was sitting at a table - from Alan’s era mind you – although we were both Captains of the team – in my era I almost WAS the weight team. (And yes Jim – we most definitely will have a weight team reunion and once again instill fear into the hearts of the folks running the China Buffet.) Township dignitaries were there – the Mayor and Deputy Mayor (also Ginny’s boss,) who donated a home-cooked meal for eight to the auction, and many of the township’s farming and political movers and shakers from across the years (Ginny’s father Maitland was mayor back in the 70’s too.)
            “It was a magical night of renewing friendships and reminiscing about what Alan calls “back in the day” -- I just wish Alan could have seen it all. He said it sure SOUNDED like a huge crowd. I’ve attached some photos from the dinner and auction items.
            “We can’t possibly individually thank everyone who made the evening possible and contributed to raise nearly $20,000 for Alan’s expenses.”

If you've been away for awhile, you might be surprised at the changes taking place at our church. With the arrival of a new renter and the expansion of BVS, we've moved things around to accommodate the growth.

First, Salta! Jump into Spanish, a school which teaches the Spanish language, has contracted to rent the old Sunday school room in Memorial Hall (MH). Early next year they will move into the big room in MH, which will have been "fitted out" to include 3 classrooms.

In need of additional classroom space, BVS has been given the former Lounge in Cook Hall. All of the furniture and books from the Lounge have been moved to the MH Theater, which will be the site of all future consistory and committee meetings.

Finally, our church administrator Nancy Curtis has moved her office into the former BVS library, right next to the stairs leading down to the Cook Hall basement. The former church office will continue to house BVS administrator Sharon Fritzinger and also serve as the BVS teachers' lounge.

It looks like we're going to have a lot of kids in Sunday school this coming year, so we need help from people who love to work with them. We already have a great staff of teachers and assistants in place, but we always need more! We'll be moving into our very own space, the 2^nd floor of the old school house, complete with meeting room and two individual classrooms. This will enable us to reduce the class size somewhat and provide a greater sense of intimacy with the Bible lesson. All of the lessons come from the Faith Alive! curriculum and are pre-prepared, which means the average preparation time is between 1 and 2 hours for teachers, no preparation necessary for assistants.

Please, please, please lend a hand. If you're willing to work with the Sunday school just once every two months that would be a huge help. Also, since Sunday school runs at the same time as worship, you can put in some church time without having to listen to the sermon! Thank you in advance.

Our own Pat Wengel, with her husband, Doug has published a beautiful book entitled Comic Character Metal Sand Toys - Take a trip through nostalgia, remember your trips to the beach or in your own sandbox, and then be astonished by the selling prices of these collectables today. Bernice is willing to loan you her copy if you are interested.

Three women , a Muslim, a Christian, and a Jew, meet for a couple years to talk and write about their faiths. They were trying to discover common beliefs and promote understanding. They did learn about each other, but also had to deepen their understanding of their own faith in order to explain or defend it in their discussions. The book was the result.

This book was recommended to me by Ellen Villenga, Our Children and Worship trainer for serveral years. Her church in Tucson used it in a 4 session discussion. group. The book is available through Mary Jacobs Library.

CROPWALK for the Hungry: Mark your calendars now for Sunday, October 19^th, at 1:30 PM! We will walk from St. Charles Borromeo this year. Plan to walk with us and sponsor walkers with donations. Envelopes will be available in September. 25% of the $$ raised goes to SHIP and the Somerset County Food Bank Network – needed now more than ever.

GIFT OF THE HEART KITS: Did you see the touching pictures during these Olympics of hygiene kits being handed out to children to share with their families, victims of the terrible earthquake in China? Between fires, tsunamis, cyclones, earthquakes, floods and the ‘normal’ abhorrent displacement by famine and genocide, all of these kits are now needed more than ever! We are collecting for the Hygiene, School and Baby Kits and the Emergency Clean-up Buckets through September. Now is the time to take advantage of all the back-to-school sales for the school kits. Collection boxes will be available in the sanctuary through Labor Day and then in Cook Hall along with lists of items needed. You can access these anytime through www.churchworldservice.org/kits . Materials and $$ donations are all needed. Make checks payable to BRC, noting ‘Kits’ in the memo.

Starting in September our new Director, Karen Hill,
will be writing an article for the Beacon. Keep an eye out for
news and features from our wonderful PreSchool.