Every Member Survey Coming Soon

Watch Your Email for Exciting News!. Yes, Exciting News Coming Soon..... September 2010 Dear Members, Keep watching your email for important and exciting news happening at FPC - to include an invitation to participate in an on-line every member survey. Please take a few minutes to do this as we need to hear your voice! John 15:13-15 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn't know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you. ================================================================ Below is what we say about ourselves on our website as the Congregation of FPC. "Welcome to the First Presbyterian Church of Matawan, NJ. We are an active community striving to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. It is the people of our congregation who make this church a special place. Our faith family seeks to live in a Christ-like way, to learn stories of faith, to love as God loves us, and to share the grace of Christ. We invite you to join us on our faith journey and celebrate God's love." May we all live our daily lives to be these people that we profess to be! Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen. ================================================================ REMINDER: Church School for children and adults resumes on September 12 at 9:00 am. Worship Service returns to 10:30 am, with Fellowship Time at 11:30 am. Mark 12:30 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. Blessings Everyone! Communications Team Director Kathy Plotner 732-566-2663 Visit our website at www.fpc-matawan.org

Mission Commission Update

Reported by Jim Peterson, Chair, Mission


Bulletin Board —Look for updates with Missionaries Christi and Jeff Boyd information, Crop Walk signs, Mission Matawan Thank you quotes and Photos, Peacemaking, and Help Wanted for Food Pantry unloading of food from Temple Shalom.

Food Pantry—Vacation Bible School Collected $150 in cash donations and 30 bags of groceries. About 30 families are being helped.

Upcoming Events (September/October):

• Mission Luncheon
• Crop Walk — October 17, 2010 in Red Bank. Look for Information soon!
• Peacemaking Offering

Next Mission Commission Meeting —September 13th 2010 at 8:00pm.

Presbyterian Disaster Relief in Pakistan

With thousands still living in makeshift shelters, still trying to recover from previous disasters, food and shelter are the most urgent needs in flood-ravaged Pakistan. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has been working quickly with our ecumenical partners on the ground to distribute essential aid to families and deliver critical relief to people affected by this crisis. Assistance includes food and non-food relief items, emergency shelter and basic health services. In cooperation with other ACT Alliance members on the ground, the emergency distribution of relief items including shelter items and food packages have reached 155,200 people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. ACT members and our long-term ecumenical partner in Pakistan Church World Service (CWS) are working to reach even more.

Christian Education Update

Reported by Diane Farry, Chair, CE

CALENDAR COORDINATION

• 8/25 - Sunday School Teacher Meeting 7:30 Adult Lounge
• 9/12 - Sunday School Resumes - Commissioning of Sunday School Teachers
• 9/19 - Youth Group Resumes
• 9/26 - Second Hour Program Resumes

Adult Education- Stay tuned for details

• Sally Ann Jausch to lead a bible study class
• Sue Ritacco to lead a class on the GA (short course in September)
• Joe Ritacco to lead a class on issues (possibly to begin after Sue’s class ends)
• George Koulousias to lead a book study
• Loril Hawk to lead a class on spiritual gifts

Upcoming Peace Event - 3 October 2010

11th Shanti Peace Lecture

Where: UU Meetinghouse, 1475 Front St, Lincroft, NJ 07738

When: 3 October, at 4 p.m.

Speaker: Gillian Sorensen, Senior Advisor to the United Nations Foundation

Ms Sorensen will address the world’s most pressing problems as she works to broaden UN support thorough advocacy, education, and public outreach.

With a rare insider perspective, she explores the issues that populate the headlines such as foreign policy, humanitarian relief, global public health, human rights, and regions of conflict. She inspires and mobilizes individuals, communities, and organizations with her frank and proactive message about the importance of the UN and the many accomplishments of the venerable organization.

Stepping beyond her influential role as an international civil servant, she engages and elevates the discussion around the UN, the US, and the roles they serve in the world.

Sponsored by: Monmouth Center for World Religions and Ethical Thought, www.interfaith-mcwret.org

Reporter: Joe Ritacco

Missionaries from Cameroon in Area in August

Joe Ritacco reports:

Christi and Jeff Boyd , Presbyterian Church (USA) Mission Workers in Cameroon, will visit Monmouth Presbytery in August. You are invited to share in the ministry of Christi and Jeff in worship, at a special event for Youth, over food, in the garden, and more. If your congregation doesn't have a connection with a PC(USA) mission worker, this is a great opportunity to hear about the amazing things happening around the world through World Mission!
Sunday, August 15 at 9:15 a.m. - Worship at First PC, 4 East River Road, Rumson
Tuesday, August 17 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. "Sandwich Seminar" at Plumsted Presbyterian Church, 14 Front Street, New Egypt
Tuesday, August 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. - "Eat and Greet" at Allentown Crossroads Youth Center - pizza, ice cream, post-Triennium conversation, and "The Africa Game"
Wednesday, August 18, 6:30 - 8:15 p.m. Supper and Sharing at Church on the Hill, 10 Cold Indian Springs Road, Ocean - supper and sharing are free, but please R.S.V.P. by Sunday, August 8
Saturday, August 21, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Westminster PC Garden, 94 Tindall Road, Middletown - tour the new PAR (Plant a Row for the Hungry) Garden, visit with representatives from Rutgers University Master Gardeners of Monmouth County, meet and greet Christ and Jeff Boyd, hear from Westminster's Garden Team about how to start a garden at your church, learn what's happening with the Food Sovereignty initiative in Cameroon.
· Sunday, August 22 at 10:00 a.m. - Worship at Church on the Hill, Ocean

Mission Matawan 2010 Set for June 26 - July 3 2010

Registration forms: check
Donations: check
Client List: double check
Volunteers: highly anticipated

The executive committee of Mission Matawan is set for its final pre-event meeting on Thursday, June 24 to determine the order of projects. Of the 40 or so project requests initially received, there are still about 26 left to work on. Others were either too extensive, did not meet requirements, or were minor in nature and easily completed in an initial visit.

This year heralded a banner year for the project, in its 8th year. Mission Matawan provides home and yard assistance to the elderly, disabled, poor, and others asking for help in the greater Matawan and Aberdeen area.

Members may still sign up by contacting the church and leaving a message. The necessary registration forms can even be downloaded and completed at home, and brought in at the start of the day.

When: June 26 - July 3 (except for Sunday)
Day: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch provided by the program
Where: First Presbyterian Church, in the Fellowship Hall