Pastor Doug recently recorded a podcast interview with Princeton Seminary's Institute for Youth Ministry. 

follow this link to the podcast,

http://www3.ptsem.edu/offices/coned/iym/Podcast/

you can listen to it simply by clicking on his head.

Looking for a church home?

Save The Dates!!

Make sure you save the dates Friday and Saturday, February 26 and 27, and Thursday through Saturday, March 11-13 2010!  These are the dates when Olan Mills will take photos of our church family for a new pictorial directory, and everyone who participates will receive a Free Church Directory and an 8x10 photo.  Additional photos can be purchased in a variety of formats. Don't miss this great opportunity! 

If those dates don’t work, let Pastor Jan know and your photos can be taken at another church in the area whose times are better for you. 

Please talk to Pastor Jan if you have any questions.

Winter Gala

(A fundraising event for the church) to be held on

January 30, 2010

From 6:00pm – 10:00pm

At the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite Hall,

103 Dunns Mill Road in Bordentown

Hooray, it is time again for the GALA – the fifth one!  The evening will feature catering by Mastoris, DJ, dancing, an auction, great company and loads of fun!  Please make your reservation for this fantastic event NOW before it is sold out!  Individual tickets for the Gala are $55.  Gift certificates are available for anyone who would like to surprise loved ones, friends, or acquaintances with a ticket.  See you there!

For reservations, call Craig Doolittle at (609) 890-7312 or e-mail to: craigdoolittle@yahoo.com

The Youth Group is providing babysitting.  Donations would be appreciated and go towards the Mission Trip. Contact Pastor Doug for more info. 

`PLEASE HELP SUPPORT THE GALA

(We will be having a Silent Auction and an Ad Book)

We are seeking donations for the Silent Auction and the Ad Book.  If you would like to donate something to the Silent Auction or need more information about what to donate, please call Lucille & Joe Fennimore at 609-586-5789, or email to: LucilleJoe@gmail.com.  This year we are including Talent Items and Services in the Silent Auction.  Although every contribution is greatly appreciated, used items of value would be better donated to the Rummage Sale where an area is set aside each year for special pieces.  If you have already decided what you would like to offer for the Silent Auction, please fill out the form below.  If you are interested in placing an ad or would like more information, please contact Craig Doolittle at (609) 890-7312.  You or your business can purchase space.  Ads range in size from quarter page (the size of a business card) to a full page!  The cost is $35, $50 & $100 for quarter, half and full page, respectively.  The inside and back covers are being sold; please call Craig about availability.   Tell your friends or businesses you frequent about our Ad Book.

Please place this completed form in the offering plate.

Name ___________________________Phone__________________

PLEASE PUT THE TYPE OF ITEM AND THE DESCRIPTION FOR THE SILENT AUCTION BELOW:

Estimated value of the donation______________

___Yes, I would like to place an ad.

___I have attached the ad I would like to place.

The Choir of the College of William & Mary

 will be performing at our church on

 Monday, March 22 at 8 pm.

 The Choir of the College of William and Mary is an organization of approximately 65 members, including Kelsey Rothera.  The concert program will be about an hour in length. Admission is free.   

 The Choir’s repertoire this year is diverse, including a study of the African American Concert Spiritual, with selections ranging from the early 1800s to the present day, and selections from Joseph Haydn’s “Missa in Angustiis,”, among other pieces. 

Host families will be needed to house the students overnight and provide breakfast on Tuesday morning.   If you are interested in being a host family, please contact Andrea or Robin Rothera.

A Per Capita Primer

One aspect of what “makes us” the Presbyterian Church is our connectional form of government.  As members of First Presbyterian Church of Hamilton Square, we are part of the Presbytery of New Brunswick, the Synod of the Northeast, and the General Assembly.  Each of these bodies has responsibilities for managing some part of how we function as one Presbyterian Church, USA.  As members of the denomination, we are called upon to share the cost of being a national, inclusive church, governed as a representative democracy.  This support is called the per capita apportionment.  Every Presbyterian church in the country is required to pay the per capita for each member on its rolls.  The per capita amount for 2010 is $28.09 PER MEMBER. 

Our per capita pays for many things: meetings of the governing bodies, the office of the stated clerks at each level, committees and commissions that carry out church functions (the committee on preparation for ministry, for example), and costs to administer the work of the governing bodies (insurance coverage, accounting and financial services, communication efforts, etc). Per capita also funds our ecumenical work.

We all benefit from being members of the Presbyterian Church.  Per Capita asks that we all share in what it costs to be the Presbyterian Church.  The Per Capita line item in our church budget is more than $10,000, because per capita is paid for everyone who is listed as a member of this church whether or not the member participates in the life of the church.  You can help defray a large part of the church’s per capita expense by sending $28.09 per member, including confirmed youth to the church.  Place your contribution in an envelope, label it Per Capita and include your name.  Place the envelope in the offering plate or mail it to the church.  Paying per capita is a tangible and faithful way of supporting our connections with one another so that our witness to the world in the name of Jesus Christ is visible and vibrant.  Thank you for your faithful support.

The Stewardship Committee

Get ready for fun! 

We are having another Church Retreat in 2010

At Camp Johnsonburg

Please mark your calendars for October 15 – 17, 2010