THE MESSENGER From Pastor Jason's Desk: First Reformed Church of Scotia
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JANUARY 2023 FIRST REFORMED CHURCH OF SCOTIA VOLUME 74, NUMBER 1
The Rev. Jason White, Lead Interim
THE MESSENGER
From Pastor Jason’s Desk:
I love New Year’s resolutions. They have this way refers to royal time; the time of potential events and
of making you feel like anything is possible. expectancy; the time of meaningful interruptions
Part of it is the arbitrary and yet incredibly and signi cant breakthroughs; is time which is
powerful event of the start of a new year itself. over owing with the presence of God.
Even though we could conceivably start a new year
T h e C h u r c h Ye a r
on any day, once you choose to count from a certain
confronts us with this
place, it gives the impression of a new start.
kairos version of time.
January 1st, of course, ows with absolutely no
Every Sunday it intrudes
disconnect from December 31st, but that’s beside
into the middle of our
the point. What matters is that we’ve decided to
ordinary, chronological
count 1/1 not simply as a continuation of 12/31, but
days and months with
as something new.
the call of God to be ful lled by the mystery of
And then we get the resolution part. It sounds so God, to be transformed by God’s kairos even in the
wonderful and so purposeful. And the real beauty midst of our chronos, and to be swept up into the
of resolutions, of course, is that they are about the passionate drama of God’s mercy and grace. The
future – about what we will do in a new and rhythm of this Christ- centered drama is uneven, so
untainted 2023. And so making resolutions feels that the plot does not move by rote but is
delightful and costs nothing. The tricky part is punctuated by changes in tempo and pace. And so
keeping them. Which is why I’ve only kept a very after the building anticipation of Advent comes the
few over the years. I’m not alone. Experts estimate joy of Christmas and the re ection on this
that while two-third of folks in the U.S. make revelation in Epiphany. Similarly, the mounting
resolutions, less than 10% keep them. I think that tension of Lent precedes the passion of Holy Week,
what makes a New Year’s resolution so delightful is the agony of Good Friday, and the triumph of
also what makes them so fragile. Overly optimistic Easter, only to be followed by seven weeks of
about the potential of the new year to be different “unwrapping” this surprising victory and gift.
from the last year, we aim too high. And by not
The second half of the year, beginning at Pentecost
actually having to do anything in the moment, we
and going through Christ the King Sunday, focuses
are unrealistic about what it will take to keep the
on the task of living in the world as people who
resolution.
have been transformed by the drama of Christ, as
So this year I’d like to do a few things, one, make people who are now major players in the ongoing
more intentional choices. Not everything has to or drama of God’s working out of God’s intention for
can change, so what are the priorities? Two, learn to and toward the world. And so we’re all a part of it
love imperfection. Often we stumble by setting the as we participate again in the drama of our Lord
bar so high that any back-step deters us or gives us and are both swept up into God’s kairotic time and
an excuse to stop trying. Lastly, I’m going to let transformed by God’s redemptive love for God’s
myself be guided by the ideals wrapped up in the people and world. So this “new year,” pay attention
Church Year. The Greeks had two words for time. as the dramatic story of God’s love for us and all
The rst, “chronos” refers to common, ordinary the world unfolds. But even more, take part, as this
time; the mundane time of everyday chores and is one drama not to be missed.
routines. The second word for time, “kairos,” which
~ Past Jas
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JANUARY 2023 FIRST REFORMED CHURCH OF SCOTIA VOLUME 74, NUMBER 1
Worship January 2023
Sunday January 1 - Isaiah 9:1-7
Sunday January 8 - Luke 3:15-22, Communion
Sunday January 15 - 1 Corinthians 12:3-13, Installation of new Consistory members
Sunday January 22 - Dr. Lou preaching
Sunday January 29 - Mark 1:14-20
Sunday February 5 - John 2:1-11
Consistory Update:
At our annual meeting, Pam Walsh was con rmed as Elder and Sue Penn and Becky Okpoti Jarcynski were
con rmed as Deacons. Tom Bodden will serve another term as Elder and Spike Ahl will ll the one year
term vacated by Diana Ackner when she became a permanent staff member. Their installation will be
January 15.
We are thankful for Christina Stryjek, who completed a three year term as Deacon, and Sunny Baldwin who
served as an Elder for six years, and for the past three years has also been the Vice President of Consistory
and served on the Executive Committee.
As we begin 2023, the Consistory is evaluating the ministerial needs when Pastor Jason continues his
internship for his Masters Degree in Counseling. We anticipate him working fewer hours in these next few
months and his call will be revised. Pastor Jason will be sending a letter in early January to detail the
changes. We will be working together to continue our bright future with the help of our wonderful staff.
Please pray for your church leaders as they discern the paths to follow.
Offering Envelopes: Also, this year we will NOT be providing
“numbered” offering envelopes. We WILL have offering envelopes available for
your use, in making your pledge or nancial offerings. These envelopes are available
in packages in the Narthex or at the Main entrance. If you want to be sure to have
your own set, please contact the Church Of ce (either Kristen or Vicki) and let us
know. We will be happy to make you up your own special set of envelopes. Please
make sure (especially if you are putting cash into the envelopes) that you put your
name on the envelope so that we may credit you appropriately for your annual giving
statements.
Cookie Walk Results: By 1:30, we decided to make up a
Our 6th Cookie Walk was held on Saturday, few boxes for our Sunday
December 10. Over 400 pounds of delicious churchgoers who couldn’t make it to
cookies were baked by members of our the event and closed up shop. We
congregation, Trinity Presbyterian, Schoharie High raised $3,343 with all proceeds going
School VOTEC students and church friends. to the BackPack Program’s extra
food distributions. Thank you, to
Shoppers were excited to be able have a all the bakers and volunteers!
complimentary cup of coffee with their neighbors
and friends again and to view the cookies, and Next year - We are going to start at 11:00 (the same
select their favorites again this year, with the help time as the other area event) and we anticipate that
of “Cookie Elves” explaining all of the goodies we we will need MANY MORE COOKIES! So start
had to choose from. We opened a bit early, since thinking of what cookies you want to bake!!!
there was time confusion with another area event,
and the masses of “shoppers folded in steadily. By
12:45, our cookie selection had already dwindled.
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JANUARY 2023 FIRST REFORMED CHURCH OF SCOTIA VOLUME 74, NUMBER 1
Blood Drive: January is Blood Drive Awareness month. Please donate here in Brink Hall
on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, 12:00-5:00 pm. The easiest way to register is to download the
Red Cross app and sign up. Otherwise you can schedule online or call 1-800-RED CROSS.
Walk-In’s are also welcome. Hope to see you there!!
Community Meal
The grab and go lunch is the January 11. We will have chicken soup and sandwiches.
The community lunch on January 28, will be our Christmas celebration. We will have beef goulash, salad
and cake. The towels and blankets that were so generously donated by members will be given out then.
The Chili cook off will be (TAKE TWO) will be February 3. it will run from 4:00-7:00 pm. More
information will be given out soon.
Happy New Years all! ~ Mark Holley
Our January Mission of the Month & Communion Offering:
Our January Mission of the Month is our Deacons’ Fund. Our Deacons’ Fund enables us to respond to local
emergency needs as they arise. At the close of each year we use the balance of the Deacons’ Fund for the
Christmas appeals of our local mission partners. The Deacons’ Fund also enables our pastors and Board of
Deacons to respond to the emergency needs of people connected to our congregation.
Contribute to our Mission of the Month either by using your specially marked envelope in your box of
offering envelopes or by writing “Mission of the Month” on the memo line of your check to First Reformed
Church.
January Communion Offering - a Communion Thanksgiving Offering will be received for our Deacons’ Fund
Sunday January 8.
2023 Missions of the Month: 2023 Special & Holiday Offerings:
January Deacon’s Fund New Year Deacon’s Fund
February Bethesda House February SiCM
March Fowler Ministries March Summer Lunch Scotia
April Community Lunch Easter Regional Food Bank
5 Local Pantries
May Backpack Program
May Scotia HS Food Pantry
June FRCS’s Emergency Food
Distribution Program June Deacon's Fund
July Classis Student Care August SG Food Pantry
August Fowler Ministries September Habitat for Humanity
September Scotia Relief October Concerned for the Hungry
October Samaritan Care Fund November Joan Nicole Prince Home
November City Mission Thanksgiving YWCA
December Over The Bridge Program December Things of My Very Own
Christmas Eve Regional Food Bank
5 Local Pantries
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JANUARY 2023 FIRST REFORMED CHURCH OF SCOTIA VOLUME 74, NUMBER 1
Health & Wellness Note: Well here we are again, starting a New Year
and most likely considering some New Year Resolutions. For many the new year seems
like the perfect time to start fresh and try to change our behaviors. Studies show people
who make resolutions are ten times more likely to actually change their behaviors. Yet,
as much as we want to change, most people who set them abandon them by March and
it could be because we don’t know how to keep them.
The most common resolutions are: losing weight, sticking to a healthier diet, exercising regularly, making
better nancial choices, quitting smoking, and spending time with family. But can you gure out what the
problem is with them? For starters, there are too many. It’s too dif cult to gure out where to start. They also
aren’t S.M.A.R.T., which means they aren’t speci c, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time speci c. To
better achieve your resolutions:
1. Limit the number of goals or resolutions so that you can concentrate on just one. Then when that goal
is met, you can set another. If you have a large goal, break it down into small parts that you can
actually achieve. For example, instead of saying I want to spend more time with my family, say I will
play 1/2 hour a day with my children after supper.
2. Make the goal speci c. Do you have a goal of losing weight? Does that mean you want to lose ve
pounds or twenty? So make the resolution as concrete that you can realistically set your sights on.
3. Make the goal measurable. If you want to decrease stress, decide how to measure whether you are
successful. Don’t just say I will try to meditate. Instead say, I will meditate for 10 minutes three times a
week. Then keep a journal and indicate your stress level before you meditate, how long you meditated,
and what was your stress level afterwards.
4. Make the goal attainable. Is it really reasonable to run a marathon when you’ve never run in a race
before? Most likely it would be more attainable if you begin with steps to meet that goal. For example,
I will run 30’ three times a week and keep a log. Then after two weeks reevaluate and make a new
goal.
5. Make your goal relevant. If you want to be more active, but hate running, then don’t make a resolution
to run. Maybe Zumba, playing with your kids 20’ per day, cycling, or swimming is a better option for
you.
6. Make your goal time speci c. It’s not enough to say I will get t. Instead, include when you plan to
meet the goal. If you are going to save money, the resolution could be I will save $10 a week for ten
weeks. Then when 10 weeks are over, measure how well you did and see what you want to continue or
change.
7. Lastly, don’t forget to plan ahead of time what your resolution will be. Planning is essential and
remember that nowhere does it say you have to start on January 1. Maybe there are circumstances that
make it a better time to lose weight, run outdoors, or quit smoking. Perhaps you want to research
support groups to help you.
Remember you can do it! Happy New Year from the Health & Wellness Team!!
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Kids Hope USA, Life Together is Life at its Best: There are 10 children at
Sacandaga Elementary School that, each week, have huge smiles as they greet their mentors and look forward
to spending one hour with a trusted adult friend. Among the many activities they enjoy are playing
basketball, throwing Styrofoam snowballs, playing games such as Candy Land, Uno and Sorry, making Play-
dough and Slime, and, recently, making gifts for their families. Having a mentor provides stability that many
of these children do not have in their homes. One of the tenets of Kids' Hope is to "just show up" each week.
Just showing up provides a predictability and stability that is often missing in these children's lives. This is
one of the greatest gifts we can give.
Backpack Program: It continues to be a challenging year for the families in our backpack
program. Several families reached out to ask for assistance, not only with food, but for help in the Christmas
season. One family experienced pipes bursting, and another needed help meeting utility bills. Once again,
the Scotia Glenville community stepped up to help meet these needs. Scotia Relief, a community
organization, promotes the practice of neighbors helping neighbors in the Scotia-Glenville community,
provides annual assistance to residents in need of daily living supplies. Assistance is provided in the form of
vouchers for resources including food, clothing, heating fuel, and school supplies." This all-volunteer
organization was formed during the time of the Great Depression and currently supports 50 to 60 families and
residents annually. Our own Deacon's Fund was also able to help a family.
On December 21, we distributed 43 boxes of food to help families during the vacation period when children
are not able to get free breakfast and lunch at school. These boxes contained cereal, pancake mix and syrup,
canned fruits and vegetables, pasta and sauce, peanut butter and jelly, bread, soup, and crackers and snacks.
We were also able to include a whole chicken, two to three pounds of ground beef, a pound of hot dogs,
cheese, two dozen eggs, and two milk cards for a gallon each at Stewarts. Much of the meat and cheese was
provided free through the Regional Food Bank. Because of the extremely generous donation (a full pick-up
truck) by Keith Buhrmaster, we also gave families bags of potatoes, apples, squash, and various other
vegetables. The Regional Food Bank has been out of peanut butter for months, but Glenville Hannaford
donated 45 jars of peanut butter, bottles of syrup, bags of oranges, and snacks. It's dif cult to convey to you
as a congregation of First Reformed Church of Scotia the profound, positive impact that we are having on
these families.
Thank you so much for your support.
Thank You’s:
• From Joan Grant: thank you for the many thoughts, prayers, owers, and phone calls I have received
while recovering from recent injuries. I appreciate the love and support shown by the congregation.
Giving:
Each month we report our giving.
Here is how we gave so far this year:
(*Giving is through 12/28/22, **Expenses are for the entire month)
Annual Budget YTD Budget Total to Date Over/Under Budget
Congregational Giving* $290,000 $290,000 $263,408 -10%
Other Income $255,110 $255,110 $216,528 -15%
Total Income $545,110 $545,110 $479,936 -12%
Total Expense** $557,110 $557,110 $517,691 7%
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Design Committee Update: Last spring, our congregation did some dreaming. In two
sessions, we brainstormed about dreams for the future of our church – what we wanted to be and how we
wanted to act as a congregation. We listed nearly 100 ideas, which ranged from expansion of community
meals, to music concerts, to a ride-sharing program, to creation of a speaker series, to hosting support groups.
We even had a suggestion for a dock on Collins Lake.
We then organized these dreams and ideas into similar categories. From this, we could clearly see the tenets
that were important to us – in essence, our core values:
• We are a Welcoming, recognizable, inclusive, approachable presence in the community.
• We value and support Creative Worship, arts and activities.
• We value Service and Outreach.
• We are Christ-centered and Spiritually Nurturing.
Our Consistory asked 6 people to serve on a Design Committee – Linda Lewis, Steve War eld, Nancy Passer,
Bob King, Lynn Makrin, and David Walsh. The Committee’s charge is to take the information from the
congregational sessions and propose initiatives and projects that clearly demonstrate these values. Our job is
to translate dreams into a plan of action.
We have drafted a set of 13 initiatives, categorized as short term (less than 4-5 months), medium term (4-12
months), and long term (over a year). We are sharing these ideas with Church program staff and leaders to
gather feedback on feasibility, resources, alternatives, and just plain rationality. Some of the initiatives may
be modi ed, some replaced with better ideas, some may be set aside for another day.
We will present the nal plans to Consistory, and then do a presentation to the full congregation – hopefully
by the end of February.
Part of the congregational presentation will be an ask: where do each of us see ourselves participating in
some aspect of this work? Where can each of us help? Our goal as a congregation is to ful ll God’s calling.
Some of the response to these initiatives will be, “Wow, you folks are really dreaming!” That is absolutely
true. Collectively, we started this process by stating our values and our dreams. We have the faith and the
ability to reach for our dreams and meet God’s call.
Sunday School: Sunday School continues weekly. Babies through
4 year olds meet in nursery at 10 for a lesson with Miss Diana. K-7th
graders meet upstairs after children’s message for a time of learning and
creating with Miss Diana. 8th-12th graders meet downstairs with Miss
Sunny, Miss Claudia and Mr. David.
*New in 2023 - High schoolers who wish to stay in church for the service can meet with Miss Diana at
11:15 for a time of re ection and discussion in memorial lounge.
Youth group 2023:
January 8th - NO meeting. (Miss Diana will be leading the Women’s retreat.)
January 15th - NEW TIME: 6:30-8:00pm - Games & scavenger hunt
Jan. 22nd - TBA
Jan. 29th - TBA
Adult Bible Study: As we begin the new year, we are planning on two adult Bible studies”
• The “Renew Bible study” that meets via Zoom on Tuesdays at noon will resume January 3 to nish
the Generation to Generation Advent study. The following week they will resume reading the Upper
Room, which is available at church. Contact Sunny Baldwin, 518-320-4562, for the Zoom link.
• The other potential study is new and based on the daily devotional, Disciplines 2023. Date and time
are still being decided, and whether to Zoom or meet in person or a combination of both. Are you
interested? Contact Sunny Baldwin at 518-320-4562, by January 10 so plans can be made.
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224 N. BALLSTON AVE, SCOTIA, NY 12302 7JANUARY 2023 FIRST REFORMED CHURCH OF SCOTIA VOLUME 74, NUMBER 1
January Birthdays
1 Jim Light Laura Willoughby 20 David Gonyea 28 Tom Bodden
2 Kevin Beauchemin 10 Heather Landry 21 Bob Grumbling Rebecca Penn
5 June Coryer, 12 Barret Germain 22 Lucy Trbovich
Brad Faubion, Brittney Schaefer 23 Bradley Coryer
Chelsea Wentworth 13 Alexandra Bicknell 24 Sally Knutson
6 Jacob Crisci 16 Connor Kilgallen
Jessica Crisci 25 Cindy Taft
17 Sunny Baldwin
MaryLynne Davidson 26 Claudia Garrison
Naomi Faulkner 18 Tom Lansing Duane VanPatten, Jr.
Benton North
9 Chris Grumbling Sue Pitts 27 Matthew Miller
Joe and Cathy Deamer 1 Please note: We list the birthdays and
Wayne and Susan Penn 15 anniversaries of our church’s local active
members and friends.
Bub and Janet Bekkering 21 If we missed yours, please call the church
Mike and Susan Torelli 22 of ce, (518) 370-4751. Thank you.
Kirk and Linda Willoughby 30
Address Service Requested
(518) 370-4751
Scotia, NY 12302
224 N. Ballston Avenue
First Reformed Church of Scotia
224 N. BALLSTON AVE, SCOTIA, NY 12302 8
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