The Presbytery of the Palisades

Highlights of the Stated Meeting, June 15, 2010

Maha Faragalla — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:41:27 -0400

The meeting was hosted by Claremont Lafayette United Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Carlisle Dickson, Elders, Deacons and members of the congregation welcomed the Presbytery members very warmly, and provided gracious hospitality. It was noted by Presbytery members how the congregation was vibrant, and the premises were beautifully restored.

The worship service was led by Rev. Carlisle Dickson, and Elder Robert Mason. The Choir “Voices of Praise” enchanted attendees with their singing. The Rev. Dr. Adrian A. McFarlane, Interim Pastor of the United Presbyterian Church in Paterson, preached a sermon entitled “The Bridge That Unites”.

Highlights in summary:
- The EPT (Rev. Tischler & Elder Faragalla), in addition to their written report, shared their different involvements:

Joseph attended among a group of 10 people, the National Multicultural Church Conference. During the conference, he had the opportunity to work with the Multicultural Network in the area of providing resources and encouraging engagement in the Immigration issues. He invited Rev. Debra Given, who was among the attendees to give her view. He was also working with some ethnic churches on different issues.
Bruce shared that the efforts continue to follow-up on the Retooling Project, working with setting up the Roundtables, with various church issues, and also shared about the assets income from church sales.

- The Stated Clerk read, in its entirety, the report of the “Request for Jurisdiction in a Judicial Process,” and the report of “Decision and Order of the PJC of the Synod of the Northeast”

- Elder Barkley Calkins gave a quick account of who will be serving on the three Roundtables. Click here for a quick view of the Roundtables./ or view an animated version. He also heartily thanked the outgoing Treasurer, Adina Yacoub, and introduced the New Treasurer, Elder Judith Hartley for installation.

- There were short commissioning services for:

The commissioners to the 219th General Assembly
The youth from different churches who will attend the Youth Triennium 2010.

- Celebration of Ordination Anniversaries

- Upon the recommendation of the Committee On Ministry, the Presbytery examined, enrolled and approved the calls of:

The Rev. Sandro Ferriera, to continue to serve in the Portuguese Ministry
The Rev. Mark Oehler , to serve as Associate Pastor at the West Side Presbyterian Church of Ridgewood.

- Members of the Presbytery and of West Side Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood, participated in saying words of appreciation to the Rev. Kent Smith, who is retiring from his youth work in West Side Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood.

- The Presbytery voted down a proposal from the Personnel Committee regarding the Interim Connectional Presbyter position.

The meeting was adjourned by prayer and thanks to the hosting Church.

THE NEXT STATED MEETING OF THE PRESBYTERY
WILL BE HELD ON
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2010
AT THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF HACKENSACK

Special Presbytery Meeting, May 4, 2010

Sam Stone — Fri, 07 May 2010 11:30:08 -0400

Notice was duly given that, in accordance with Book of Order G-11.0201, and at the request of the Ministers and Elders of the Presbytery Council, the Moderator has called a Special Meeting of the Presbytery of the Palisades to be held on Tuesday, May 4, 2010, at 7:00 P.M., at the Trinity Presbyterian Church of Paramus (650 Pascack Road, Paramus, New Jersey, 07562).
The meeting was held as notified and a quorum was present. Agenda items, Nominating Committee slate, and Administrative Commission for Edgewater slate, were approved and members gave very warm words of appreciation to Rev. Wanda Lundy, who will continue as a member of Presbytery, and will also be teaching at New York Theological Seminary. The purpose of the Special Meeting was:

1. To elect the members and Chair of the Presbytery Nominating Committee

2. To act upon the recommendation of the Committee on Ministry that Presbytery dissolve the pastoral relationship between the Rev. Dr. Wanda Lundy and the First Presbyterian Church of Edgewater, at their mutual request.

3. To act upon the recommendation of the Council that Presbytery establish an Administrative Commission for the purpose of carrying out all matters related to the dissolution of the First Presbyterian Church of Edgewater, at the request of the Session and congregation.

4. To elect the members and Chair of the Administrative Commission for the dissolution of the First Presbyterian Church of Edgewater.

+++++

Materials for this Special Meeting were prepared and made available by the Committee on Ministry and the Council.

Click here to download meeting agenda.

Highlights of the Stated Meeting, March 16, 2010

Maha Faragalla — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:49:13 -0400

The meeting was hosted by First Presbyterian Church of Englewood. The Rev. Richard Hong welcomed the Presbytery members very warmly, and provided the most gracious hospitality. The meeting coincided with the Church's festive series of celebrations of its 150th Anniversary. The host Church provided space that was delightful, inviting and equipped with up-to-date technology systems.

The Pre-Presbytery workshop: IGNITE Your Hospitality, was the third in the series of workshops about Evangelism, presented by Rev. Chris Walker (EvangelismCoach.org), International Evangelism Training Ministry. The workshops were very well attended and attendees found them inspiring and helpful. Mp3 and notes will be posted shortly on the Presbytery website and a notice will be sent out accordingly.

The worship service was led by various Presbytery members and the Rev. Chris Walker gave an inspirational message entitled “What Amazes Your Neighbors?”
Highlights in summary:
- The EPT (Rev. Tischler & Elder Faragalla) shared their involvements and a Power Point Presentation of their additional responsibilities during the transitional time of the Connectional Presbyter’s search.

- During the council report the position description of Treasurer was approved and the members were divided into three groups to further discuss the three Roundtables (Resourcing, Outreach/ Evangelism, and Discipleship). The groups were given the task of identifying the need, the interests and the resources available in the congregations.

- The COM report included:
         o The Rev. Beverly Dempsey will serve First Presbyterian Church of Ramsey as Transitional Pastor and Moderator of Session, effective April 5, 2010.
         o Rev. Hong will serve the First Presbyterian Church of Englewood as Pastor beginning May 1, 2010. The installation service will take place on May 29, 4:00 p.m. at the chapel of Brookside Cemetery in Englewood.
         o The installation service of Rev. Lindner, as Designated Pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Tenafly will take place on March 21, 4:00 p.m. at the Church.
         o Rev. Ditmars will serve New Milford P.C. as Pastor effective April 1, 2010. Installation service will be held on May 16, 2010, 4:00 p.m. at the Church.
          o The “Oasis Fellowship” was recognized as a new immigrant fellowship within the bounds of the Presbytery. The Rev. Dae Junn Kwon providing Pastoral Leadership.

- The Mission Communication Committee gave the first presentation in the newly approved series Moment for Mission. This series was established, as part of the permanent Agenda, to communicate the various missions within and without the bounds of the Presbytery, to promote mission, help enlarge the vision, and widen the participation opportunities of the Palisades members. The presentation was about the “New City Kids,” ministry led by Trevor and Linda Rubingh in Jersey City.

- The Personnel Committee gave a report (distributed during the meeting) with several recommendations which were approved (and or amended and approved). These recommendations included:
           o A $1,200.00 monthly increase for the two EPTs at least until June 2010.
           o A search for an Acting Connectional Presbyter to start as soon as possible. In case a qualified person is identified by Personnel, he or she will also be provided with the possibility of applying for the permanent position in the future.

The meeting was adjourned by prayer and thanks to the hosting Church.

THE NEXT STATED MEETING OF THE PRESBYTERY
WILL BE HELD ON
TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2010
AT THE CLAREMONT LAFAYETTE UNITED P.C.
OF JERSEY CITY

Ignite! Evangelism Worshop

Sam Stone — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 10:49:28 -0500

Chris Walker

Discover ways to lead your church into new growth through personal evangelism and hospitality.

Led by Rev. Chris Walker (www.EvangelismCoach.org)

Monday, March 15 at
First Presbyterian Church Englewood

Click here for the event flyer

Click here for online registration

Highlights of the Stated Meeting, January 26, 2010

Maha Faragalla — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:12:28 -0500

The meeting was hosted, for the first time, at the newly acquired premises of the Presbyterian Church of Passaic. Members of the Presbytery were welcomed into the well lighted spacious sanctuary. The atmosphere was a reflection of the joyful and hospitable welcome extended by the Pastor, Rev. Raymond VandeGiessen.and the congregation.

The Pre-Presbytery meeting presented and explained in detail the New Proposed Structure to the attendees. Click here to view the The Power Point Presentation, prepared by the Council Chair, Rev. Donald Brown.

The worship service was coordinated by the Rev. Fran Thiessen. Members of the Presbytery participated in the moving service by offering prayers and reflections to our brothers and sisters in Haiti. The offering was dedicated to the crisis relief efforts in that country.
Highlights in summary:

The installation of the Moderator, Sophie Corporan, and Vice-Moderator, Sam Stone, and transfer of the Symbols of Office. Rev. Donald Brown, former Moderator, presided and propounded the constitutional questions.
The Rev. Philip Gehman, Regional Board of Pensions Representative, presented a summary of changes and important information for 2010. All information is posted on the website: www.pensions.org
The New Structure Proposal was discussed; the Council’s recommendations for moving forward, were voted on and adopted by the Presbytery.
The Presbytery examined and received Mr. Salvatore Seirmarco as a Candidate.
The following recommendations from COM were approved:

Rev. Hector Seda to be Part-Time Stated Supply and Moderator of St. Augustine Presbyterian Church beginning February 1, 2010.
Rev. Dr. Eileen Lindner to serve as Designated Pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Tenafly, for a period of two years, beginning February 1,2010 (on one-half time basis) and becoming full-time beginning March 1, 2010.

The Personnel Committee also submitted several recommendations (in a report distributed during the meeting) concerning the transitional period, the staffing and reviews of the EPT. The recommendations were discussed, amended and approved.

THE NEXT STATED MEETING OF THE PRESBYTERY
WILL BE HELD ON
TUESDAY, March 16, 2010
AT THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
OF ENGLEWOOD

Highlights of the Stated Meeting, November 17, 2009

Maha Faragalla — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:24:46 -0500

The meeting was hosted at United Presbyterian Church of Paterson. The welcome and host committee led by the newly received, Interim Pastor, Rev. Dr. Adrian McFarlane, extended exceptional hospitality and made every member feel warmly welcome.

The Rev. Dr. Eileen W. Lindner, Connectional Presbyter led a Pre-Presbytery workshop with minister members, in which they shared continued education experiences.

The moderator, Rev. Donald Brown, opened the meeting by prayers for the family and a short tribute to the late Rev. Fred Maier, who passed away on November 15, 2009 at age 94. The Funeral Service will be conducted at Norwood Presbyterian Church on November 28, 11:00 a.m.

The worship service was led by the Rev. Donald Pitches, Chair of The Congregational Support and Resourcing Unit. Members of the unit together with some attendees of the BIG Tent participated in the service. The sermon was entitled “Our Easter Moments”.
The consent agenda was approved. The different reports are posted on www.palpres.org under the Pre-Pak and the Day-Of.

The Presbytery examined and received three ministers of Word and Sacrament:
- Rev. Dr. Adrian McFarlane, Interim Minister of United Presbyterian Church of Paterson.
- Rev. Hector Seda, who was received and also granted the title of Honorably Retired.
- Rev. Munsung Jung, was received in a validated “non-parish” ministry. Rev. Jung will provide pastoral services to the newly established New Garden Fellowship.

Rev. Michael Carrier of First Presbyterian Church in Ramsey celebrated his retirement amid words of appreciation and recognition by his congregation and that of J.C. Mideast, which he served as Moderator for many years. He was also thanked and recognized for his faithful service in Committee for Ministry.

During the report of the Council re the Structure subgroup Presentation, the Presbytery members were divided into smaller groups to discuss the proposed structure and answer some specific questions. Please follow this link to view the Power Point Presentation. http://www.palpres.org/mediagallery/album.php?aid=7&page=1
The feedback from this time will be compiled and further discussed in upcoming Council and Presbytery meetings.

The proposed budget for 2010 was reviewed and approved.

The audit reports for 2007 and 2008 were received and approved.

The outgoing Chairs of units and committees were thanked and given small tokens of appreciation, including the Moderator of the Presbytery Rev. Donald Brown and the Council Chair, Elder Barkley Calkins.

Mrs. Maha Faragalla was recognized as a Commissioned Lay Professional in her area of service. The Personnel Committee Chair, Elder Richard Jones read the recognition award and the Moderator, Rev. Donald Brown propounded the Constitutional Questions from Book of Order W-4.4003.

CAMEOS:

Elder Jan Holt, on behalf of the Session Records Committee, encouraged congregations to pick up their reviewed minutes from the Presbytery Office. She also announced that The First Presbyterian Church in Tenafly will be leading a trip to New Orleans soon.

Rev. Lilia Ramirez, recognized the work of Joe and Selena Keesecker for the Latino Team and they were given a certificate of appreciation. Rev. Ramirez also asked for computer donations and teachers for ESL.

Elder Barkley Calkins reminded members of the Tenth Annual Humanity Award on November 21, 2009.

Elder Paul Talarico, on behalf of the Mission Communication Unit, reminded congregations to send their stories, of which one will be published in the Mission Yearbook of 2011. Also, the DVD ‘Reaching Out Together” is now available in English for Mission Committees and congregations and will shortly be available in Spanish, Korean, Chinese and Arabic. Request your copy from info@palpres.org.

The motion to adjourn was moved and seconded.

The meeting was concluded with prayer and thanks to the hosting Church for a well done and wonderful job.

THE NEXT STATED MEETING OF THE PRESBYTERY
WILL BE HELD ON
TUESDAY, January 26, 2010
AT THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
of Passaic

Fewsmith Memorial Presbyterian Church- CALL FOR PASTOR

Maha Faragalla — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:28:53 -0500

Fewsmith Memorial Church is located in the town of Belleville, 444 Union Ave Belleville, NJ 07109, (973) 759-6869,
fewsmithchurch@juno.com. It is about 15 miles west of New York City and an hour away from both the mountains and shore area. Within 10 minutes you will access either train or bus for easy and fast commute to NYC. Fewsmith Memorial church has a dedicated, hard working nucleus of members, whose commitment to the church is life-long. Fewsmith Memorial has been committed to community involvement and we would hope our pastor would continue in this endeavor. As an example of some of that commitment is our sponsorship of all phases of scouting; use of our building by Narcotics Anonymous, and an in-house nursery school. Fewsmith Memorial recently celebrated its 85th anniversary this past year. Fewsmith Memorial also has a beautiful manse that consists of 4 bedrooms, kitchen, living room, dining room and a large backyard steps away from the church. We understand that the job of a part time pastor can be demanding at times and our dedicated elders and deacons will be by your side ready to help and support our new pastor.
If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity and obtaining a CIF, please contact Kenya Hegazy via e-mail kenyabosque@gmail.com or feel free to call Diana Stangl, 973-751-1396.

Presbytery of the Palisades Stated Meeting, Nov. 17, 2009

Sam Stone — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:33:16 -0500

Dear Members of Presbytery:

Our next Stated Meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 17th, at the United Presbyterian Church of Paterson, and we look forward to the hospitality of the officers, members, and staff. Our newest colleague in ministry, the Rev. Adrian McFarlane, who has just begun serving as Interim at United, will be our host Pastor.

We convene, formally, for business at 4:00 P.M., and a very full agenda awaits our attention.

There is a Pre-Presbytery gathering scheduled at 3:00 P.M. - an opportunity for Ministers to
share Continuing Education experiences.

Some highlights of our time together: -Worship...
-Review and approval of the Proposed Budget for 2010...
-Review and approval of the Audit reports for 2007 and 2008...
-A first reading and discussion/feedback on a proposed, new Presbytery structure...
-A special report on changes in the way in which the problem of homelessness is to be addressed in Bergen County...
-Review and adoption of a proposed policy on Commissioned Lay Pastors...
-Farewell to some good friends...welcome to new colleagues...

Please take time to review the materials in the Pre-Pack, in preparation for our time together.

There will be additional materials distributed at Registration on the 17th. As always, we will make good, judicious use of the Consent Agenda to expedite our Meeting.

I look forward to seeing you all at United on November 17th!

And may Almighty God continue to Bless us all in our continuing ministries...

Sincerely,

-signed-

Gregory J. Keosaian, Stated Clerk

Palisades Presbytery Tweets

Sam Stone — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:36:32 -0500

Now you have another option to get regular updates on what's going on at the Presbytery. Palisades Presbytery is on Twitter. Here is the link: www.twitter.com/palpres.

Highlights of the Stated Meeting, September 15, 2009

Maha Faragalla — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:58:37 -0400

The meeting was hosted at First Presbyterian Church in North Haledon, home of the Presbytery Moderator Rev. Donald Brown. Staff and volunteers from the church organized the meeting and extended wonderful hospitality to the Presbytery members.

The worship service was prepared and lead by Rev. Donald Brown. The sermon was entitled “Soft Clay or Hard Clay?” Other leaders who participated in the service were Revs. Gloria Tate, Donald Pitches and Elder Sophie Corporan. Prayers were offered for those elder members who passed away in the last year and left behind a great legacy of service.

Rev. Linda Rubingh, presented a pre-presbytery workshop entitled “Youth Leadership Development.” The workshop was sponsored by the Mission Communication Unit of the Presbytery in an effort to spread more understanding of ways of communication and training of young people to engage them in ministry. Rev. Rubingh gave a quick recap about how, she and her husband, Rev. Trevor Rubingh, found ways to grow this ministry from a few kids to become a New City Kids Church located in Northern New Jersey and investing in the lives of hundreds of kids.

The Presbyters Leadership Team, (Connectional, Multicultural, and Transformational), presented new initiatives and opportunities in the “Invest Yourself” flyer. They also surveyed the members present on the most challenging matters that the congregations face today. The responses will help in the process of re-envisioning and re-aligning of the existing structures to meet the current needs of congregations and better serve the Church’s mission.

The Presbytery also approved the consent agenda as presented and affirmed the matters submitted by Council “For Action.”

At the latter part of the meeting the Presbytery discussed and voted on some important matters presented by the Committee On Ministry.

CAMEOS:

Rev. Bill Chapman, H.R. encouraged members to read and order the Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study. He and his wife, Elder Zitta Chapman, who is an active Palisade member and COM Co-Chair, have been faithfully reading and meditating on this publication for 25 years. The Palisades article coincided with their anniversary. Rev. Chapman also has a blog presbywonk.com.

Rev. Gretchen Janssen, Non-Parish and Director of Creative Living Counseling Center, invited members to attend the inspirational presentations on November 21, for all ages. Flyer and more information will be posted shortly on the website.

Elder Barbara Kellam-Scott, Presbytery Writer-in-Residence, announced a free workshop that will be presented in Franklin Lakes, September 27, entitled “Tools for Everyone to Explore the Bible.” She also invited members to visit her website bkswrites.com and preview the magazine she produces.

Elder Barbara Van Tilburg, reminded members about the Presbyterian Women Fall gathering in October 24 at the Presbyterian Church in Edgewater. Leader Rev. Dr. Eileen W. Lindner will speak about “An Encounter with the Risen Christ: The Post-Resurrection Stories.” Click here for more info.

Rev. Dr. Sam Stone, Pastor of Trinity United in Paramus, invited members to submit their mission stories as soon as possible to the Mission Communication Unit. The winning story will appear in the Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study 2010.

Rev. Carlisle Dickson, Stated Supply in J.C. Claremont/Lafayette, invited members to support a new class of seven young communicants and to participate in the upcoming free open seminars on Church Windows Software. Click here for more info.

Rev. Richard Hong, Pastor, announced a Presentation on October 20, 2009, 7:00 p.m.at First Presbyterian Church of Englewood, entitled “The Rise of the Religious Right,” by Prof. Randall Balmer, Columbia University.

Rev. Donald Pitches, Pastor, invited members to submit the names of three nominees, adult and youth volunteers. The chosen nominees will receive an award on October 20, from the Bergen County Council of Churches.

Rev. Harold Thornton, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Elmwood Park, informed the members that his Church is slowly coming into a closer relationship with the Korean Oasis pastor and congregation.

Elder Giselle from West Side Englewood, was overwhelmed with emotion as she tried to invite members to support the church at this transitional time and attend the upcoming concerts to help the Church in its efforts to stay alive. Click here for concert schedule.

The motion to adjourn was moved and seconded.

The meeting was concluded with prayer and thanks to the hosting Church for a well done and wonderful job.

THE NEXT STATED MEETING OF THE PRESBYTERY
WILL BE HELD ON
TUESDAY, November 17, 2009
AT THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
In Paterson