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7/30/2019 Cross & Comments - April 2013
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7 0 1 S a n d C r e e k R o a d , C
o l o n i e , N e w Y o r k 1 2 2 0 5 - 2 4 9 7 — B r u c e K . C o r n w e l l , P a s t o r — T e l e
p h o n e ( 5 1 8 ) 8 6 9 - 5 5 8 9 — w w w . c o
l o n i e r e f o r m e d . o r g
U p c o m i n g E v e n t s
Women’s Bible Study Apr 6
R&R: Rest and Re-creation in theSpirit Apr 10
Easter Cantata Apr 14
Murder Mystery Dinner Apr 20
Consecration Sunday Apr 28
Outdoor Worship Begins May 5
I n t h i s I s s u e :
Joy of First Communion 2
Living Gospel Ministry 3
Mission of the Month 3
Fowler Camperships Available 4
Easter Cantata 4
New Reformed School Study 2
Come Solve the Mystery 6
StewardshipTina Bottini
Stewardship, it's a scaryword, I know, and yet we doit every week. Every Sunday
we go to our dresser, desk,or wherever it is that we keepour box of church envelopes,we pull out the nextenvelope, insert our offeringand drop it in the offering basket when it’s time.
But, do we ever stop to thinkwhat all those envelopes arereally for?
No worries I'm going to
explain.
The first one, the one that islabeled initial offering, is usedto help with the cost of each box of envelopes.
The yellow envelopes are for
each Mission of the Month.Throughout the year, theStewardship and MissionTeam chooses a number of organizations that we, as achurch, will support,sometimes monetarily andother times by collection of donated items.
The white envelopes are usedfor the everyday expenses of the church such as salaries,office supplies, worshipsupplies, Sunday schoolsupplies, utility costs, and,yes, supplies for the CD's so
we can go home and listen toBruce's sermon again.
There is also an envelope forfuel, an often costly expenseconsidering we live in thenortheast and winter canseem like it goes on forever.
Ah, the blue one, the RCAAssessment. Those are forthe dues that each church
pays according to the numberof its active members. Thosefunds are spent across theregion on staffing andprogramming.
Then we come upon specialtyenvelopes such as those for
Thanksgiving, Christmas,Lent, Good Friday, andEaster. Those offerings gointo the general fund for thedaily operations and upkeepof God's church.
Stewardship is something weare called upon toincorporate into our lives asChristians. Often, ourchurch envelopes are themost concrete reminders of our stewardship, but let’salways remember that thereis more to it than that.Stewardship, if we really
think about it, is somethingwe do every day in God’sname, for all those we meet.We do it with our time, ourtalents, and, of course, thetreasures we put in thoseenvelopes.
As Jesus says in John 15:5, "Iam the vine and you are the branches."
Like the branches of the vine,we are all intertwined; thestewardship of all of our livesweaves together for the benefit of our church and theworld around us.
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Milestones in Faith: the Joy of
First Communion
Lisa McGee
On Sunday, March 10th, Aimee Cook,
Mattea Kallner, and Emma York
participated in our communion celebration
for the first time. Two other children,
Harmony Bredice and Ryan Stein, will joinour communion service in May.
The five children spent four Mondays in
February and March learning about the
sacrament of Communion. Through games,
books, and activities, they each learned
about the importance of celebrating the
sacraments of baptism and communion, the
origin of communion, and the way we
celebrate the sacrament at CRCC.
To remember all that they learned, each
made a communion banner and
personalized it in a way that was special to
each one. On the back, each child wrote
the reasons we celebrate communion so
that they could look at it whenever they
needed to refresh their memories. These
reasons were simplified so they could be
easily memorized:
Remember Jesus died on the cross
Thank Jesus for forgiving our sins
Celebrate being part of God’s family
Undoubtedly, the banners will be long term
reminders about this special step on their
Christian journey.
This is such an exciting time in the life of
our church, and I was so honored to be able
to play a role in their journeys. What a
blessing these children are!
Reformed School
Bible Study for April
and May: Managing
Life
This four-sessioin-depth studyof scripturerevealssurprisinglymodern and
practical suggestions formanaging our time, ourstress, our anger and ourfamily. Group participationand real-life questions areincluded each week asparticipants come to see
that the Bible is a valuableresource in helping to copewith the struggles of dailyliving. Adult ReformedSchool meets on Sundaymornings at 8:45 am in the
back of the sanctuary.Everyone is welcome toattend.
THANK YOU!!
Thanks for all those who contributed so generously to the
TALENT AUCTION!
What a talented congregation we have!
A special thanks to the Men’s Group (M.E.S.S) for lunch, toRon Smith for his talents as auctioneer and to the
Fundraising Committee members Patti Van Kempen andRalph and Pat Smaldone.
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The Living Gospel Ministry BringsPeter to Life During Sunday Service
Cynthia Placek
Using everyday language to describe howhe felt during Jesus’ crucifixion andresurrection, the Apostle Peter came tolife during a recent Sunday service underthe artistry of Matthew Zawisza of TheLiving Gospel Ministry.
The ministry, headed by Matthew and TinaZawisza, is based on the belief that “theeyes remember more than the ears” anddescribe Matthew’s portrayal as partsermon, part drama and all the Word of God.
Dressed in simple garb typical of Christ’stime, Zawisza became Peter, recountinghis inner turmoil as he struggled with thefact that he had denied Jesus three times.
“I had denied my dearest friend…
did it out in the open for thewhole world to see.”
And now, it was too late to even say hewas sorry.
He recounted his life and how he’d firstmet Jesus.
“Thank you, Peter…you truly are
a faithful friend,” Peter recalled Jesus saying.
“There was that word ‘faithful’again. I compounded that lie untilthe cock crowed.”
He remembered running away from all thepeople who accused him of being with Jesus. He remembered watching from adistance “as they mocked my friend.” Heremembered the huge rusty spikes in Jesus’ankles.
And then there was the day he heard aknocking at the door and, once again, hehid. But this time, it was Mary Magdalene,gulping for air after running to tell Peterthat they had taken Jesus’ body.
Sure enough, the huge stone had beenmoved, but once inside, Peterremembered that Jesus had said he wouldrise again in three days.
Peter saw Jesus twice in the days that
followed, the second time when he went back to his old life as a fisherman. Despitefishing all night, he and John “caught zero.”And then he saw a man next to the fire onthe shore. The man shouted that he shouldcast his net on the right side.
John was the first one to realize that theman was Jesus.
“I took a swim,” Peter said. “Idove in and swam as fast as Icould to the shore.”
It was there that the Lord asked if Peterloved him.
“He asked me three times,” Petersaid, explaining that Jesus did thatto remind him of the mistake hehad made, adding that Jesus alsodid it because he hadn’t fullysurrendered. It was at thatmoment that Peter’s life changedcompletely.
Zawisza concluded hisreenactment of Peter by explaining that hisreason for speaking tous was simply to ask,“Are you on the boator are you on theshore, on yourknees?”
April Mission of the Month
Supports Homeowners
Affected by Hurricane Irene
Tina Bottini
With over 100 families in the SchoharieValley still waiting to return to theirhomes, the synod mission workinggroup and the Albany Synod Ministries
Board, challenge synod congregationsto answer a request for items forneeded “Welcome Home” baskets andtotes.
In response to this call, CommunityReformed’s April Mission of the Monthwill focus on collecting items forhomeowners affected by HurricaneIrene.
Please support this mission by donatingany of the items specified below:
Basic kitchen items
Cookbooks, utensils,towels, detergent, ovenmitts, baking pans,measuring cups
Basic cleaning supplies
Cleaning solutions, rubbergloves, laundry detergent,dust pans, brushes
Basic bathroom needs
Soap, towels, air fresheners
For more suggestions, log onto the
events page at www.albanysynod.org.Welcome Home Baskets will bedistributed by SALT (Schoharie AreaLong Term Recovery) as homes arecompleted.
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Book Group News:
April’s selection is Angel with Attitude,by Michelle Rowen
Valerie Grace isn'tquite sure how she
went fromheavenly angel toplunging into thekiller whale tank atNiagara Falls'Marineland, but
that's what's happened. All sheknows is that earth can be atough place for a fallen angel,what with all the demonTempters lurking around everycorner, anxious to recruit herto the "other team" - the evil
team. All she can do is keep aneye out for the elusive Key toHeaven, try to help people, andhope that somebody up therenotices what an angel she is,even if she's not literally oneanymore.
Award-winning author LaniDiane Rich says,
“ANGEL WITH ATTITUDE is such
a fun story…Michelle Rowen has
proven herself to be an ace
storyteller with a truly fresh and
sharp sense of humor. I’m officially
a fan!”
April’s Book Group meeting isset for 7:00 pm on April 23.Please see Karen Reynolds formore information.
CRCC OFFERS FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE TO FOWLER
CAMPERS
Camp Fowler is an
RCA Christian
summer camp foryouth. Located on
Sacandaga Lake near
Speculator in the
Adirondacks, the 245 acre camp offers
week-long summer camp experiences
with an emphasis on enjoying and
honoring God’s
natural creation.
Campers attend with
others of their age
group - starting with
elementary school
aged children
(finishing third grade)
and extending
through high
school.
Children and
youth who
would like to
attend Camp Fowler this summer are
eligible for financial assistance from ourchurch. Please see Doris Neese for
further information.
If you are unfamiliar with Camp Fowleror would like to know more about thisChristian summer camp and view a slideshow, go to www.campfowler.org
Easter Cantata to be Presented April 14
Community Reformed’s annualEaster Cantata will be performedduring morning worship onSunday, April 14.
This year’s presentation is
Russell Mauldin’s Rise Again. Masterfully arranged, with amixture of old favorites and new
songs, and a powerful script, Rise Again willhelp all who are present to celebrate theresurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Rise Again brings the love of Jesus to life: hislife, his works, his sacrifice, and his triumph overdeath.
Please be there as the choir and ensemble
perform this moving cantata.
Table Grace for April
Bless our food, dear God we
pray, and bless us, too,
throughout this day.
Keep us safe and close to you.
Keep us just in all we do.
Amen
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M a r c h C a r i n g f o rC r e a t i o n : H o n o r i n g
G o d ’ s C r e a t i o n t h r o u g hE n v i r o n m e n t a l
S t e w a r d s h i p
A Simple Recipe for Green Spring
Cleaning
After a long winter, it's time for spring-cleaning. Unfortunately, the vastmajority of home cleaning products areloaded with strong, artificial colors andfragrances and harsh cleansing agentslike bleach, ammonia and acids. Thesechemicals can produce indoor airpollution by off-gassing toxic fumes thatcan irritate eyes and lungs. Childrenand pets are most at risk. Manycleaners also contain unnecessary
antibacterial agents (pesticides,technically), that can actually make bacteria stronger, and more resistant toantibacterial drugs.
And commercial cleansers cost a lot. Somake your own! Even the biggestmesses and toughest stains can be
attacked effectively with baking soda, borax, lemon juice and other simpleingredients.
Porcelain and Tile
Keep your bathrooms and kitchen tilespotless and hygienic with these naturalcleansers:
Baking Soda and Water: Dust surfaceswith baking soda then scrub with amoist sponge or cloth. If you have
tougher grime, sprinkle on some koshersalt, and work up some elbow grease.
Lemon Juice or Vinegar: Got stains,mildew or grease streaks? Spray ordouse with lemon juice or vinegar. Letsit a few minutes then scrub with a stiff brush.
Disinfectant: Instead of bleach, makeyour own disinfectant by mixing 2 cupsof water, 3 tablespoons of liquid soapand 20 to 30 drops of tea tree oil. It'seasy!
More recipes will follow in futureNewsletters, or go towww.thedailygreen.com and click on“Make your Own Green Cleaners” atthe left on the home page.
From Creationto Re-Creation:
An Indoor-Outdoor Retreat
With Rev. Kent Busman
and Rev. John Paalberg
April 29 - May 1
Fowler Camp & Retreat Center
$395 per person
(Sorry, no discounts for this course)
Love the Outdoors? Love tosleep in a warm bed?
Get the best of both worlds! This year's retreat will be based out of Camp Fowler's comfortable Chi RhoHouse, where campers will begin eachday enjoying the amenities of indoorAdirondack lodging, and move outdoorsto explore the beautiful gems of creationwaiting to reveal something of God'sword... During the day you may hike,canoe or kayak to a variety of areas inand around the Speculator Region; in the
evening there will be ample time aroundthe fireplace to reflect upon the day'sadventures, while exploring scripturesabout humanity's role in creation, andlearning from one another as well.
Through story, discussion, and creativeworship Kent and John will lead you ona discussion of Scripture that willexplore the wisdom of the early myths,
the tale of the flood, and more...Discover how God's Creation can speakto you and bring re-creation to your life.
All facility fees included; breakfast and
dinner served at Chi Rho.
The retreat begins at 10:00 am on April
29, and closes at 5:00 pm on May 1.
Register at www.capitalrtc.org by April15, 2013. Or call 462-2470.
Happy April Birthdays to…
Barbara Birdsall
Robert Chandler
Ana Crosbourne
Daniel DeRusso
Ryan Stein
If you would like to have family birthdays
published, please contact Lou Ann
Three boys are in the school yard bragging abou
their fathers.
The first boy says, 'My Dad scribbles a few word
on a piece of paper; he calls it a poem, they giv
him $50.'
The second boy says, 'That's nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on piece of paper, he calls
it a song, they give him $100.'
The third boy says, 'I got you
both beat. My Dad scribbles a
few words on a piece of paper,
he calls it a sermon, and it
takes eight people to collect all
the money!'
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Come Solve the MysteryFirst of all, let me introduce myself. I amWinifred Stout, wife of multi-millionaire MalachaiStout.
We’d like to extend an invitation to all of you to join us for a “family reunion” Mystery Dinner
show at 5:30, on Saturday, April 20.You’ll be introduced to Malachai Stout’s family,who’ve come home for a reunion, or forced familyfun, for lack of better words.
Of course, the other members of the family will be there, too.
Regrettably, something unfortunate will befall Malachai that night. Luckily forus, you’ll be there to solve the mystery.
While playing detective you’ll dine on a delightful tossed salad, chickenparmesan, pasta and a mystery dessert.
Please see Kathy Jubert or Sue Bredice for reservations.
We do so hope you will be able to attend our soiree.
Tickets are a mere $10 (prepaid) or $15 at the door, not bad for a deliciouslyprepared repast and an unforgettable experience. And of course, the proceedswill go to our favorite charity, Community Reformed Church.
There’s Harrison, who likes to
have a drink or two.Our daughter, Penelope.
Our eldest son, Mortimer.And our self-absorbed
college student, Sabrina.
Help Needed: Using your gifts
Have you been looking for an opportunityto use your gifts to benefit our church insome way?
The Newsletter staff could use a couple of “understudies” to act as back-ups for thepositions of editor and lay-out designer.
The job of editor requires well developedreading and writing skills and familiaritywith Community Reformed’s programs,leadership, and missions, or the willingnessto develop that closeness.
The job of lay-out designer requirescomputer skills and an email account.
The Nursery needs a volunteer withleadership and management skills tooversee maintenance of supplies, toys,furniture, etc., as well as scheduling of ouralready excellent and faithful team of childcare volunteers.
If you feel called to any of these positions,please see Kathy Jubert. For more detailedinformation about the editor’s job, pleasesee Lou Ann Connelly. Please talk toShawn Turner for details about thenewsletter lay-out job.
And “Thank you” for any help you can give.
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701 Sand Creek Rd
Colonie, NY 12205-2497
Bruce K. Cornwell, Pastor
Community
Reformed
Church of
Colonie
Editor: Lou Ann Connelly
Layout Designer: Shawn Turner
Articles are due by the 15th of the month and may be submitted to
louannconne@nycap.rr.com or given to Lou Ann Connelly.
www.coloniereformed.org
701 Sand Creek Rd
Albany, NY 12205-2432
Carol Grasso, Director
Tel: (518) 869-0131
E-mail: cgrasso6@yahoo.com
Colonie
Community
Day Care
Center
Tel: (518) 869-5589
E-mail:
CrccChurchOffice@nycap.rr.com
Bible Verse for April
In each issue of Cross and Comments we offer you a Bible verse to contemplate, study andmemorize. It is our hope that this will be one more way you can connect with God‘sword.
“I have come like light into the world, in order that no one who believes in me may
remain in the dark.”
John 12:46
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