Be sure to keep warm this week – the weather reports promise an end to this cold snap by the end of the week! Remember to check in on elderly relatives and neighbors, too. And thanks to Dave Pratt for checking in on me last week! Please note that there will not be a Buzz next week, January 18, as the office is closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Joys and Concerns
Why does it seem that it is more difficult to think of joys than concerns? Is it because we take our blessings for granted? Let’s make an effort to note all our many blessings – great and small! At our last staff prayer time we shared names of many families in our congregation and community who suffered losses in the past month. Please pray for all those families as they cope with loss and grief. We especially pray for Susan Bremiller, who has moved to Washington state, on the recent death of her brother. She is returning to the area for the funeral. Cards can be sent to her new address: 2527 Cliffside Lane NW, Apt. Y203, Gig Harbor, WA 98335. Continue to pray for those in our Sunday bulletin’s prayer corner.
Worship Information
The next two Sundays we will be emphasizing local missions (Jan. 17) and international missions (Jan. 24). Gathering begins at 8:45 AM with Forward Motion leading worship. Sunday school for The Gathering: Children in PreK-5 start in worship with their families; youth in grades 6-12 start in the Youth House. Foundations begins at 10:30 AM with the Chancel choir leading worship. Sunday school for Foundations: Children in grades Pre-K-5 start in worship with their families; youth in grades 6-12 start in the Youth House.
HRC Journey – Journey is at Tymor Park every Sunday at 10:00 AM. Worship is led by Lynn and Wayne Morrison. Sunday school is available for children in Pre-K through 5th grade. Odyssey is the 2nd & 4th Sundays of every month.
Common Ground – The Common Ground service meets at Arlington Reformed Church’s parsonage at 129 Ray Blvd., Poughkeepsie NY beginning at 4:00 PM.
Upcoming Events
January 18 – Ecumenical service at the Church of the Resurrection at 7:30 PM
January 19 – Odyssey choir meets at Arlington Reformed Church parsonage at 7:00 PM
January 22 – Blood Drive 3:00 – 8:30 PM in the fellowship hall
January 23 – 4th & 5th grade Game Night in fellowship hall at 6:30 PM
January 31 – start of ChristCare leader training
There is a program at the Vassar Brothers Institute on January 13 entitled “Hidden Jerusalem”. There are a group of people from HRC attending this event. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Doug Archer at 221-1507 or check out http://vassarbrothersinstitute.org.
SNOW CANCELLATIONS: If you are ever wondering if worship is cancelled on a Sunday morning, there are several ways to check this out. (1) You can go to cancellations.com and register (this is free) to receive notifications from us. (2) You can call the church office (221-9542). (3) You can check the church website at hopewellreformedchurch.org. Regardless, please use common sense when deciding about travel in inclement weather.
Hilary Holbrook is back in Mexico. Check out her blog at http://hilaryholbrook.blogspot.com to read about her adventure and see some pictures of her students!
There are two items that came to me this past week that I would like to share with you. The first is from the Dutchess County Dept. of Health. January 10 – 16 (this week) is National Influenza Vaccination Week. For a list of clinics in our area, go to www.dutchessny.gov. Protect yourself and those around you!
The second item is for those who live in the town of East Fishkill. The town is encouraging everyone to complete a short survey on open space. This is your chance to be heard on a very important issue. Please go to www.efopenspaces.org and fill out the survey. I did and it took less than 10 minutes. There will be an Open Space Preservation Committee Public Hearing on January 11, 2010 at the town hall starting at 7:00 PM. If you have an opinion on this issue, please attend this hearing!
Don’t forget to check out our website, HopewellReformedChurch.org.
And that is all the buzz there is this week!
Your sister in Christ,
Birgit
