Flowers, Candles, a Cross — and more

A beautiful altar always enhances the worship experience. Now that we see the altar through a camera lens, altar design is even more important. We asked Hyosang Park to tell us her she decides to arrange what we see on the altar. Working with the altar guild and the worship committee, she considers the sermon topic, the seasons and the church year, and the color of the floral arrangements.

“I am not sure most people recognize this extraordinary ministry,” says Judy Miller. “Hyosang creates such beautiful altar arrangements and puts so much thought, time, and detailed handmade touches into them.”

“Sometimes I quickly put together the altar table on Sunday morning,” says Hyosang. ‘But there are some Sundays that I prepare arrangements weeks ahead of time. For example, in the photo above, I looked for days in many web stores to find lamps to illustrate Pastor Ginny’s sermon on Thy Word is my lamp unto my feet, and Ginny helped me decide.”

“To create the altar for Thanksgiving Sunday in 2019 (on the right), I stopped my car many times on the side of the roads, to harvest beautiful reeds.  Dana Dreibelbis and Lori Pantaleo also brought beautiful fall plants for me to use.”

 

With construction tools, this altar celebrated the safe return of the ASP team and the sharing of their stories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For World Communion Sunday 2019, shown at the top of the page, Lori Pantaleo shopped and gathered the different breads and the fabrics shown. “Lori and I got together on Saturday to decorate the table. After taking a few pictures we took it down since we wanted to have fresh bread on Sunday morning. Yes, we redecorated the table Sunday morning. “

An altar arrangement for Advent

Creating Lent/Easter arrangements took few more steps then other Sundays. “First, the Worship committee voted on using white, pink and purple colors on Easter Sunday,” Hyosang explains. “Pam Nugent talked to our florist to find suitable plants for Easter.  Meanwhile, my cockatiel laid 7 eggs in February. So, I decided to use a bird nest that Dana Dreibelbis gave back in 2019.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Ideas started to float into my head, and I began putting things together in my mind first…… 1. bare tree branches, 2. empty bird nests,  eggs in the nest,” says Hyosang.  Cherry blossoms made out of crepe paper were glued on after Maundy Thursday service.

On Friday, following Hyosang’s color requests, Judy Miller brought pink and white tulips, pink Hydrangeas, solid deep purple pansies, and white pansies with a deep purple center. “I was so pleased by the spectacular finished arrangement,” says Judy. “Stunningly beautiful.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Help Send Teens to Appalachia

For four decades Princeton United Methodist Church sent teen and adult volunteers to work for the Appalachia Service Project (ASP) to help make homes warmer, safer, and drier.  A dinner auction and a handbell concert will benefit this summer’s mission trip.  The ASP dinner and auction is Friday, May 3 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 ($30 per family). To receive information about the dinner or the youth program, email Skitch@PrincetonUMC.org. 

A freewill offering will be taken at the handbell concert on Saturday June 1, at 2 p.m. The concert features Quarants, a nationally known quartet.

ASP is a Christian ministry, but it is open to those of any faith. It aims to inspire hope and service — instilling compassion for other people and a fresh appreciation for one’s place and purpose in the world. 

ASP Team Works in Flood-Ravaged Town:

Pictured, back row, from left: Will Hare, Alex Roth, Lincoln Roth, Robert Scheffler, Jack Tunkel, Lachlan McCarty, Nathaniel Griffith, Yannick Ibrahim. Second row: Julia Kahn, Thomas Bartell, Matthew Heim, Catherine Kenney, Rich Kahn. Third row: Sydney DiStase, Dan Bartell, Christine Shungu, Mary Jo Kahn. Not pictured: Skitch Matson, Matthew Ireland, and Kieran Ireland, Connor Langdon, Alex Lenart, Andrew Lenart.

With hammers and saws they work in Appalachia, then return to share their inspiring stories about making homes warmer, safer, and drier. For four decades Princeton United Methodist Church has sent teen and adult volunteers to work for the Appalachia Service Project (ASP).

Rainelle on the day after the 2016 flood

This year’s 23-person team will go to Rainelle, West Virginia. Founded as a sawmill town (the sawmill is gone now), it was ravaged by flash floods on June 24, 2016. At least 200 people from the 1,500 people in Rainelle had to be rescued, and residents fear that it will become a ghost town. ‘Here is a video. “It looked like a war zone,” said a state trooper.  

Skitch Matson, youth pastor, leads the team along with Mary Jo and Rich Kahn, Christine Shungu, Robert Scheffler, Matthew Ireland, and Dan Bartell. Don’t miss this inspiring worship service on Sunday, July 9, at 10 a.m.

ASP is a Christian ministry, but it is open to those of any faith. It aims to inspire hope and service — instilling compassion for other people and a fresh appreciation for one’s place and purpose in the world. Preparation was an eight-month process that included learning Appalachian culture and raising funds with an auction dinner and Super Bowl hoagies.

Handbells: May 7

“How can I keep from singing,” a concert at Princeton United Methodist Church on Sunday, May 7, at 5 p.m., might well be entitled “How can I keep from ringing” because the musicians are handbell artists. Hyosang Park will direct the handbell choir and ensembles. With pianist Julia Hanna, she will also be featured as a solo handbell artist. The concert is free, and donations will benefit the Appalachia Service Project mission team.

The handbell choir plays at the 9:30 and 11 a.m. services on third Sundays including Easter Sunday, April 16.

Handbell concerts are rare, and even rarer are solo artists — fewer than a dozen concertize with four octaves of handbells in the Eastern United States. “We aim, not only to bring the sound of handbells to a wider public, but to also enable nonprofit organizations help those who are in need,” says Park. As the director of music at Princeton United Methodist Church, she has master’s degrees in both sacred music and piano performance from Westminster Choir College of Rider University. She has private piano students and also teaches at St. Jerome Catholic School in West Long Branch.

For 40 years Princeton United Methodist Church has sent teen and adult volunteers to the Appalachia Service Project (ASP) to make homes warmer, safer, and drier. ASP is a Christian ministry, but it is open to those of any faith. It aims to inspire hope and service — instilling compassion for other people and a fresh appreciation for one’s place and purpose in the world.

Organ and Trumpet: This Joyful Eastertide

Christopher McWilliams , with guest artist Michael Carl Green, will present This Joyful Eastertide — a joyous selection of works for organ –– on Sunday, April 23 at 2 p.m.  at Princeton United Methodist Church. The concert is free, and an offering will be taken to benefit the Appalachia Service Project.

The program spans four centuries of music for trumpet and organ. It includes The  Trumpet Tune No. 1 in C major by Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1751),  Sarabande (For the morning of Easter) by Herbert Howells from Six Pieces for Organ (1892-1983), Sinfonia from Cantata No. 29 “Wir Danken Dir, Gott, Wir Danken Dir”  by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) arranged by Alexandre Guilmant, Alléluias sereins d’une âme qui desire le ciel  (Serene Alleluias from a soul longing for Heaven)  by  Olivier Messiaen  (1908-1992), Sonata for Trumpet and Organ in F major by George Friedrich Handel,  Partita on Duke Street by Charles Callahan, and Trumpet Tune on “This Joyful Eastertide” for organ by David Lasky (1979-).

Both McWilliams and Green are on the faculty at Westminster Conservatory of Music.  A Vermont native, McWilliams has a Bachelor of Music in Piano and Organ Performance and a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy and Performance from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, where he studied with Phyllis Lehrer, Matthew Lewis, and Kenneth Cowan. He teaches private lessons in piano at the Westminster Conservatory of  Music, at PUMC, and in students’ homes, and is a frequent accompanist at the Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church.

Michael Carl Green

As a composer and arranger, Green orchestrated a Broadway show and co-wrote and performed on the score for documentary films. A pianist as well as a trumpet player, he plays in area orchestras, chamber and jazz ensembles, concert and brass bands, and pit orchestras.

For 40 years Princeton United Methodist Church has sent teen and adult volunteers to the Appalachia Service Project (ASP) to make homes warmer, safer, and drier. ASP is a Christian ministry, but it is open to those of any faith. It aims to inspire hope and service — instilling compassion for other people and a fresh appreciation for one’s place and purpose in the world.

Located at the corner of Nassau Street and Vandeventer Avenue, PUMC is a diverse congregation, whose members come from many surrounding communities, backgrounds, and faith histories. Parking is free on Sundays, and the church is wheelchair accessible. For further information, call 609-924-2613, email office@princetonumc.org, or visit http://www.princetonumc.org/

 

 

Hashtags: Vacation Time!

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Photo by Robin Birkel

It’s vacation time!Join us for worship on Sundays at 10 a.m. for our Vacation Tweets sermon series.  These phrases, such as “are we there yet” and “this is the life” are so universal. We’re looking forward to how our pastors relate them to our growing as disciples of Christ. If you have a Twitter account, feel free to use the hashtags! (Hint: our Twitter handle is @PrincetonUMC)

June 26: #didweforgetanything            Donald Brash

July 3: #imtooexcitedtosleep                Jana Purkis-Brash

July 10: #arewethereyet                       ASP Team

July 17: #thisisthelife                            Catherine Williams

July 24: #itsraining                               Jana Purkis-Brash

July 31: #idontwanttogoback              Jana Purkis-Brash

Come early to join in the hymn sing (9:45). A nursery is available and children will enjoy the Summer Sundays: Fun Plays program. Everyone is welcome and, yes, the church is air-conditioned!

Love in French and Italian: June 5 concert

2016 June Alex ImboFrench and Italian songs speak love in quite different ways, says soprano Alex Farkas. With Hyosang Park she presents a concert of works by Donaudy, Puccini, Fauré, Schwartz, and Hayes.  “Songs of Love and Joy” will be Sunday, June 5, 3:30 p.m. at PUMC, 7 Vandeventer Avenue.  The concert is free, and an offering will be taken for the Appalachia Service Project.

French songs express different colors of harmony without any rubato, in contrast to the Italian, which uses beautiful legato lines with rubato — a musical term that refers to expressive and rhythmic freedom by changing the tempo momentarily. Farkas will also sing sets of of lullabies and inspirational songs such as ‘A Bridge over Troubled Water,’ ‘You Raise Me Up,’ ‘Over the Rainbow’ and more.

Farkas, a Belle Mead resident, has a Bachelor of Music and an MA in teaching from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, where she sang with the world-renowned Symphonic Choir that performed in Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center under the batons of such distinguished conductors as Pierre Boulez and Kurt Masur. As a soprano soloist, Farkas has performed in such works as the Duruflé Requiem, Bach Cantata No.19, Haydn’s Theresienmesse, and the world premiere of Ken Morrison’s “God Won’t Pass You By.” Currently she studies with  Mark Moliterno. A K-12 certified music teacher in New Jersey, Farkas teaches in the Music Together program in schools in the Trenton area. She also offers music education to many families in Mercer County and works as an In-School Services Mentor at Music Together’s international headquarters in Hopewell. She is a member of the PUMC Chancel Choir and Bell Choir.

As PUMC’s music director, Park leads the Chancel Choir and Handbell Choir and concertizes as a solo handbell artist. She has double master’s degrees in sacred music and piano performance from Westminster Choir College of Rider University. A Cranbury resident, Park has private piano students and also teaches at St. Jerome Catholic School in West Long Branch.

For four decades youth from PUMC have been participating in the national ASP program, which aims to help make homes in Appalachia warmer, safer, and drier.  Preparation for this year’s trip to Sullivan County, Tennessee includes fundraising, learning Appalachian culture (and the poverty many face), basic construction skills, and the meaning of service to others. “The PUMC youth program welcomes all teens of all backgrounds, church members and non-church members alike, to participate in the life-changing experience of the ASP,” says Rev. Jana Purkis-Brash, senior pastor. The ASP team will lead worship and report on their trip on Sunday, July 10 at 10 a.m.

 

 

 

 

PUMC’s Jim Looney: Teacher of the Year

looney londonFor the second year in a row, PUMC member Dr. Jim Looney will take the Science Olympiad team at West Windsor-Plainsboro North High School to represent New Jersey at the National Science Olympiad, May 19-21 in Wisconsin. Currently president of United Methodist Men, and a leader for several Appalachia Service Project teams, he was recently named Teacher of the Year by his colleagues at WW-P North. Congratulations, Jim! For more details… 

Help at our Communiversity Oasis! 4/17/16

2016 4 P1020822 bell choir and street

9:30 a.m. ONE WORSHIP SERVICE, “It’s Cool in the Furnace” musical

10:30 -11 a.m. Coffee hour, Appalachia Service Project serving

10:30 to 11 a.m. Silent Auction for Appalachia Service Project

11:15-11:45 Lunch for those staying for Communiversity and musical

Noon to 6: On the lawn, Appalachia Service Project bake sale, PUMC “Prize Wheel,”  Woman Cradle of Abundance’s photo op bird, Womanspace table, Boy Scout tent

Noon to 6: In the Sanford Davis room, Oasis hosts welcome visitors to restrooms, tables for seating with ice water and coffee

1 p.m. Bell Choir on the lawn

2 to 2:30 p.m. “It’s Cool in the Furnace” in the sanctuary (cast at 1:15)

3 to 6 p.m. Toddler area in the Sanford Davis Room sponsored by Conquer Paralysis Now

I want to help PUMC make community friends at Communiversity: Comment on Facebook or email growth@princetonumc.org

Donate for ASP bake sale (individually wrapped, no nuts) _________ or https://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/366675246068

Help set up lunch 11-11:15 __________________________

Help clean up lunch11:45-noon ___Lorie and choir mothers________________

Bring chips, washed grapes, or washed strawberries _____

Bring makings for P&J sandwiches ____choir mothers_________________

Order and pick up deli tray of meats/cheeses/bread for 40 _________

Help drive “Shuttle” to and from Jana’s house_________________

Welcome visitors from lawn___________________________________

Welcome visitors in Sanford Davis Room__need 3 to 6 p.m.__________________

Be a docent for stained glass window tours ______________________

Supervise middle-schoolers on our Prize Wheel___have one, need two _______

Donate items for Silent Auction or Prize Wheel __________________

Donate a gift card for the Prize Wheel

Help clean up Sanford Davis Room 5:30-6:30 __________________

Another idea? __________________________________________

SIGN UP IN THE OFFICE OR SANFORD DAVIS ROOM! OR EMAIL GROWTH@PRINCETONUMC.ORG 

help for parking mid-afternoon is available !

Ruth Woodward, Pat Hatton: Quilt for ASP

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A quilt designed by the late Ruth Woodward will be featured at the dinner auction, to benefit the Appalachia Service project, on Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m. Ruth —  a PUMC member who was committed to missions — did not finish it before she died, so Patricia H. completed and donated the quilt.

Her pasttime was quilting, but in her professional life she was an historian, author,  and editor. She wrote the history of PUMC.  She co-edited at least two volumes of a biographical dictionary and was a supporter of, and the historian for, the Women’s College Club of Princeton.

The dinner and auction, in Princeton United Methodist Church’s Fellowship Hall, will be hosted by youth in grades 9 to 12. The evening also includes many bargains at a silent auction. All proceeds go to the annual service trip to Appalachia, where the teens work to make homes warmer, safer, and drier. Tickets are $5.

To complete the circle, Michele TuckPonder will “call” the auction for this quilt, and she lives in the Woodward’s former house.
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