Hempstead Happenings
December 2010
Cheesecake Factory Gives Back on Thanksgiving
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Cheesecake Factory Gives
Back on Thanksgiving
1
Hempstead Decorated at
“Hanging of the Greens”
1
Frank & Allison Hunter
Inducted into NCC Sports
Hall of Fame
2
Corps Cadet Lesson
Learned
2
Pastoral Letter
3
Angel Tree Program
4
50th Anniversary flyer
4
December Prayer List
4
Silver Bells Then & Now
5
Greeting from Captain
Kisser
5
Corps Schedule
6
Preaching Calendar
6
The Salvation Army
Mission Statement
6
Volunteers from The Cheesecake Factory‟s Oscar and Evelyn Overton Charitable
Foundation served a very special „Cheesecake Factory‟ style holiday meal to 365
guests at Hempstead Citadel on Thanksgiving Day. As they listened to the musical
talents of The Blessed Generation Mass Choir, guests enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal
which included a slice of The Cheesecake Factory‟s seasonal Pumpkin Cheesecake.
Excerpt from www.CheesecakeFactory.com
“The mission of our Thanksgiving Day Feast is to offer staff members the
opportunity to give back to their local communities by donating their time and
energy in preparing and serving a fine-dining Cheesecake Factory experience
to those less fortunate. In addition to providing exceptional food and service, the
dinner offers personal fulfillment for our staff member volunteers and our
Salvation Army guests.”
Hempstead Decorated at “Hanging of the Greens”
On Sunday November 28, the Hempstead congregation learned the history of many
traditional Christmas carols during the annual Hanging of the Greens ceremony. By
the end of the program, the garlands were hung and the tree was decorated, all by
the hands of the congregation.
Scenes from Jesus‟ birth in Bethlehem were reenacted by Stephen Ditmer and Sarah Rader as
Joseph and Mary, along with Kyle Brown, Jacob &
Joshua Rader, and CJ & Chibueze Ezenyilimba.
Leah Rader shared a beautiful piano rendition of
What Child Is This? and Rebekah Kisser organized
the placement of the poinsettias.
A great effort was made by Deputy Songster Leader
Lois Rader to bring the entire program together and
by Bandmaster Christopher Ward for leading the
band.
The final carol sung was O come all ye faithful. As Major Mrs. Mack explained this
carol‟s history, she asked the congregation to focus on the final verse: “Yea, Lord, we
greet thee, Born this happy morning; Jesus, to thee be glory given; Word of the
Father, Now in flesh appearing: O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord!”
To God be the glory for the gift of Jesus, the Word in flesh! Let us adore Him and
celebrate Him as we enjoy our own long-lasting traditions this season.
The corps’ Christmas concert, featuring the Music Sections of the corps, will
take place Sunday, December 19th at 6:00 pm.
HEMPSTEAD HAPPENINGS
Page 2
Frank and Allison Hunter Inducted into NCC Sports Hall of Fame
by Yvonne Granby
I was so privileged to attend the Awards Program at
nd
Nassau Community College on October 2 . The
following are Mike Candel‟s words on the ceremony:
Sixty-two athletes and coaches became charter
members of the Nassau Community College Sports
Hall of Fame recently and it was a wonderful evening
for the Hunter Family. Both Allison Hunter and her
deceased father, Frank Hunter, were among the 62
charter members inducted into the school’s Sports
Hall of Fame on October 2.
Allison Hunter was selected because she was the
school’s only female individual national champion
during the college’s first 42 years. She won the
National Junior College Athletic Association allaround competition. “From 1960, when the college’s
athletic program began, until 2002, when Claudia
Arteaga won the NJCAA tennis championship,
Allison Hunter stood alone as the only woman to win
a national title,” said athletic director Mike Pelliccia.
Frank Hunter, who passed away in 1999, was
characterized as the most beloved person in the
college’s athletic program. He was the school’s
athletic trainer for three decades and during that
time he had an impact on more than a thousand
students. “More teaching about life went on in that
training room than in any course I ever took,” said
former athlete Peggy Dinan. “Frank was a surrogate
father to hundreds of athletes.”
It was also pointed out that Hunter was an historical
figure at Indiana University where he was in the first
group of African American football players to
integrate the Hoosiers program. He later played for
the old Boston Patriots in the American Football
League. Hunter’s other two daughters, Dana and
Leslie, accepted the Hall of Fame plaque for their
father.
It was a great pleasure being in the company of so many
people who loved Frank as I did. As I was sitting with the
Hunter family, I was bombarded with words of
endearment and love for Frank from former students,
many of whom looked up to him as a father figure. I
enjoyed being reminded of the wonderful times that I
spent with Frank and the rest of the Hunter family. In
fact, I consider Frank to be the big brother I never had.
Corps Cadet Lesson Learned
by Francilla Saul
Corps Cadet class is a Bible Study and leadership
training course. My favorite lesson has been about
Jesus and the Samaritan woman. This lesson taught me
that no matter who I am or whatever my sins are, God
will forgive me.
John chapter 4 tells the story of Jesus and the
Samaritan woman. Jesus was sitting by a well when a
Samaritan woman walked by. Jesus asked her if she
would give him some water. She was shocked because
Jews and Samaritans didn‟t associate.
In verse 10 Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God and
who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have
asked him and he would have given you living water.”
He also said in verse 14, “but whoever drinks the water I
give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them
will become in them a spring of water welling up to
eternal life.”
The woman asked if she could have some of that water.
Jesus told her to go and get her husband. She replied
that she had no husband. In verses 17-18, Jesus said
to her, “You are right when you say you have no
husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and
the man you now have is not your husband. What you
have just said is quite true.”
This is my favorite parable so far because it shows that
Jesus is trustworthy and compassionate to all. Jesus
knew information about the Samaritan woman without
her telling him anything, which shows that God knows
everything that‟s on our minds and in our hearts
whether we say it aloud or not. Jesus has compassion
for all, not just for his disciples and fellow Jews.
Two ways I learned how to apply the lesson of this
parable to my life are to show compassion to all no
matter the differences and to listen to others so I can
become trustworthy. It‟s been great to learn how
lessons from the Bible can still be applied to my life
today.
HEM P ST E AD C IT AD E L 65 ATLANTIC AVE, HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550. (516) 485-4900
Captains James C. & Deborah L. Kisser, Corps Officers / Captains Jairo & Raquel Ramirez, Assistant Corps Officers.
Annabel do Santos, Editor. E-mail: AnnabeldS@verizon.net
HEMPSTEAD HAPPENINGS
Page 5
Silver Bells Then and Now
“City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style.
In the air there's a feeling of Christmas. Children laughing,
people passing, meeting smile after smile. And on every
street corner you'll hear: Silver bells. Silver bells. It's
Christmas time in the city. Ring-a-ling. Hear them sing.
Soon it will be Christmas day.”
Silver Bells, a classic Christmas tune heard on radios
throughout the holiday season every year, was originally
written in 1950 by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston. It was
inspired by Salvation Army bell-ringers. But how did this
fund-raising tradition become such a staple in the city‟s
landscape?
In 1891, Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee was
distraught because so many poor individuals in San
Francisco were going hungry. He committed to serve a
free Christmas dinner for the poverty-stricken even though
he had no ideas on how to fund the project. Captain
McFee decided to place a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry
Landing with a sign beside it that read, “Keep the Pot
Boiling.” He soon had the money to see that the needy
people were properly fed at Christmas.
The kettle idea spread across the country. In 1901, kettle
contributions in New York City provided funds for the first
mammoth sit-down dinner in Madison Square Garden; a
tradition which continued for many years.
Captain McFee‟s kettle idea
launched a tradition that has
spread not only throughout the
United States, but all across the
world.
Everywhere,
public
contributions to kettles enable the
Salvation Army to continue its
year-round efforts at helping
those in need. According to The
Salvation Army Greater New York
2009
Annual
Report,
the
Salvation Army‟s Red Kettle
donations soared to a new high in
2009, $139 million. That‟s $9 million more than its
previous record, which was set in 2008.
Christmas Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ, the King
of kings and the Lord of lords!
So, what is your favorite Christmas carol?
One of the favorites in the Kisser household is #101 in The
Song Book of The Salvation Army (NHQ, 1987), sung to
the tune „Margaret‟, the first verse of which reads:
“Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown
when thou camest to earth for me; But in Bethlehem’s
home was there found no room for thy holy nativity.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus; There is room in my
heart for thee.”
(Emily Elizabeth Steele Elliott, 1836-97)
One cannot help but think of the Christmas story found in
the second chapter of Luke‟s gospel. We are reminded of
the 80 mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem endured
by Joseph and the very-pregnant Mary. We are also
reminded of the lack of adequate housing which forced the
Holy Family to accept any lodging available.
The accommodations were most primitive. Travelers were
responsible for their own provisions; all that the innkeepers
of that day were obliged to provide was food for the
animals and a fire on which to prepare the family‟s food.
We are told that Bethlehem was over-crowded due to the
census which was being taken.
I always get a mental picture of Old Orchard Beach, Maine,
when all the Salvationists arrive for our annual camp
meetings. “OOB” swells from a sleepy little sea-side town
of about 6,000 during the off-season to a bustling
metropolis of perhaps hundreds of thousands throughout
the summer months. If you don‟t book your vacation
lodging well in advance, you will be hard pressed to find
even a room available.
The lack of a room in Bethlehem for Jesus‟ family was
symbolic of what would happen some 33 years later,
where the only place where there would be room for Him
would be on a cross at Calvary.
Christ came to gain entry into the over-crowded hearts of
people, and He was rejected…and still today, there are
those who reject Him.
But for those who have opened their hearts to Him…those
who claim the name of “Christian” as their own…there is
joy and gladness year-„round for those who have accepted
the Babe in the manger as their Savior from sin.
th
“When you [consider] the devastation of natural
disaster, addiction, human trafficking, and other
tragedies, the amount of need in this country is truly
amazing. And yet the generosity of our donors has
been even more amazing. …As always, we have
worked diligently to do the most good with every single
penny. And we will continue to do so as we move
forward, surrounded and illuminated by the light of
your generosity.”
-The Salvation Army GNY 2009 Annual Report.
In our house, we love the triumphant 4 verse and chorus
of Song #101, and must admit to singing it with a grateful
trembling in our voices and a thankful tear in our eyes:
“When Heaven’s arches ring, and her choirs shall sing,
at thy coming to victory, Let thy voice call me home,
saying: Yet there is room, there is room at my side for
thee!And my heart shall rejoice, Lord Jesus, When
thou comest and callest for me.”
We pray that this will be your experience this Advent
Season as you celebrate not only the birth of Jesus, but
your own re-birth into God‟s family by accepting Him as
Lord of your life.
th
Kettle season lasts until December 24 . Hempstead
Citadel is still in need of more bell-ringers and kettle
counters. Contact the corps officers with your
availability and help The Salvation Army continue its
long standing tradition of helping others by ringing
their “Silver Bells”.
May God bless you!
Captains
James C. and Deborah L. Kisser,
Corps Officers
HEMPSTEAD HAPPENINGS
Page 6
Corps Schedule
Sunday:
9:45 am
11:00 am
11:30 am
12:30 pm
5:00 pm
Sunday School & Corps Cadets
Morning Worship
Junior Soldiers
Coffee & Fellowship
Prayer & Praise Meeting / Bible Study
194 Front Street, Hempstead A.R.C.
Monday:
9-4:30 pm Seasonal Activities (Kettles, Toy Shop, LOM, etc.)
Social Ministries/Community Care Ministries
Pastoral Care – Corps Officers Available
Officers‟ Councils – Quarterly
Noon
Nassau County Women‟s Division (Bi-Monthly)
Evening Visitations
Tuesday:
9-4:30 pm Seasonal Activities (As scheduled)
Social Ministries/Community Care Ministries
Corps Finances
Pastoral Care – Corps Officers Available
4:00 pm Sunbeams
Evening Visitations
Wednesday:
9-4:30 pm Seasonal Activities (As scheduled)
Social Ministries/Community Care Ministries
Pastoral Care – Corps Officers Available
Sermon & Worship Service Preparation
Evening Visitations
Thursday:
9-4:30 pm Seasonal Activities (As scheduled)
Social Ministries/Community Care Ministries
Pastoral Care – Corps Officers Available
10:00 am Home League
4-10 pm Junior & Senior Music Rehearsals/ Gospel
Arts/Timbrels
Sermon & Worship Service Preparation
Nassau County Advisory Board (Bi-Monthly)
Evening Visitiations
Friday:
9-4:30 pm Seasonal Activities (As scheduled)
Social Ministries/Community Care Ministries
Staff Meetings (As scheduled)
Pastoral Care – Corps Officers Available
Sermon & Worship Service Preparation
Divisional Events (As scheduled)
Friday, December 3 & 17:
7:00 pm Young Adult Bible Study
at Captain Ramirez residence.
First Saturday of every month (Sept – June):
Women‟s Breakfast
Venus Restaurant on Hempstead Ave
Second Saturday of every month (Sept – June):
Men‟s Breakfast,
Venus Restaurant on Hempstead Ave
Preaching Calendar
December
5 ADVENT II – “Spend Less” (Matthew 25:31-46; Acts 20:35)
12 ADVENT III – “Give More” (2 Corinthians 9: 1-15)
19 ADVENT IV – Christmas Sunday “Love All”
(Isaiah 9: 16; Matthew 5: 14-16)
26 “Carrying Christmas Into Life”
(Matthew 1:18 – 2:12 & Luke 2:1-20)
31 Watch Night Service – “Resolutions for the New Year”
THE SALVATION ARMY
HEMPSTEAD CITADEL
65 ATLANTIC AVENUE
HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550
THE SALVATION ARMY MISSION STATEMENT
THE SALVATION ARMY, AN INTERNATIONAL MOVEMENT, IS AN
EVANGELICAL PART OF THE UNIVERSAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
ITS MESSAGE IS BASED ON THE BIBLE. ITS MINISTRY IS
MOTIVATED BY THE LOVE OF GOD. ITS MISSION IS TO PREACH
THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST AND TO MEET HUMAN NEEDS IN
HIS NAME WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION.