Newsletter
January 2010
GREENVILLE COMMUNITY CHURCH
(Reformed Church in America)
270 Ardsley Road, Scarsdale, NY, 10583
MINISTER
Reverend Dr. Edward H. Schreur
MINISTER OF MUSIC
Dr. Corazon Bisda
CHURCH ADMINISTRATOR
Elizabeth Follen
Telephone: (914) 723-1266
Fax: (914) 723-1268
Email: Greenvillechurch@gmail.com
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK
I know you have little strength,
I am coming soon.
Yet you have kept my word …
Hold on to what you have,
1
Newsletter
January 2010
Revelation 3:8, 11
So that no one will take your crown.
Let’s Hold On To What We Have!
The first few chapters of
Revelation, the final book of the
Bible feature seven letters to
churches. Christ is the author of the
letters, each of which are critical of
churches except one --- the letter to
the Church in Philadelphia
(Revelation 3:7-13).
They wanted to close the door on
grace.
The Church in Philadelphia was
praised for holding on to faith even
though they were small in
numbers. Not only were they a
small church, they were also
persecuted by the “Synagogue of
Satan,” which probably
represented those who claimed that
Christians must keep all the laws of
the Old Testament. The Synagogue
of Satan tried to take away the
freedom that comes from faith in
Christ.
Perhaps we are like the
Philadelphia Church. We are small
in number. We struggle with what
it means to follow Christ. In such
circumstances, it is natural to rely
on our own strength, even though
that would be a spiritual mistake.
Maybe that is why so many New
Year’s resolutions fail --- we rely on
our own strength.
Christ spoke warmly and
sympathetically through his letter
to the struggling Christians in
Philadelphia, assuring them that he
would be their strength.
Christ promised to come to the
Philadelphia Church and be their
strength. Our prosperity as a
church depends on how accurately
we imitate the Church in
Philadelphia. Our weakness
becomes a huge asset when we
depend not on ourselves but hold
fast to Christ, who promises, “I am
coming soon.”
Edward
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
NOTEWORTHY
The Epiphany of Our Lord
The Epiphany of Our Lord is January 6. Epiphany is the
day when we remember that the Magi arrived at Jesus’
home and gave him precious gifts of gold, frankincense
and myrrh. We count the Sundays after the Epiphany
until the start of Lent, which begins with Ash
Wednesday on February 17. During the Sundays after
the Epiphany, we remember the light of Christ that
dispels darkness in our lives. On the last Sunday after
the Epiphany, we observe the transfiguration of Jesus
and remember the mountaintop experience Jesus had
with Peter, James and John.
2
Newsletter
January 2010
NOTEWORTHY
Our Shoe Project was a success! We were able to
provide $5,000 through Payless Shoes to give $25
gift cards to 200 children and youth at Coachman
Family Services. Coachman is part of Westhab, a
not-for-profit corporation that provides housing
and services to Westchester County families in
need.
Thank you to everyone who contributed.
The Consistory will meet on Saturday, January
16, beginning at 9:30 A.M. The meeting will be
held in the church lounge.
A Broadway Sing-Along will be held on January
10, at 4:30 p.m. The event is part of the musical
recital series at Greenville Community Church.
burial was held at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla.
Precious to God is the death of his saints.
We have a Church Book Discussion Group,
which meets once a month. New members are
welcome! This month the group is reading The
Help by Kathyrn Stockett and will meet on
January 12 at 7:30 p.m. For more information call
or email the church office.
The Book Group is also planning an outing on
February 5 to the Jane Austen exhibit at the
Morgan Museum in New York City. Stay tuned
for more logistical information on that trip.
Continued…
We remember Oscar Campbell. Oscar, who was
active in the life of Greenville Community
Church, passed into the nearer presence of God
on December 20. A private committal service and
3
Newsletter
January 2010
(Continued)
The Classis of
Rockland/Westchester will meet
on January 19. Greenville
Community Church is a member of
the Classis, which is an assembly of
17 local congregations of the
Reformed Church in America. The
Classis congregations reported a
total of over $7,800,000 income last
year for local, national and
international ministries. Joanne
Fernandez-McDermott and
Edward Schreur represent
Greenville Community Church at
the Classis.
David Shenton’s Recital on violin
will be held on January 24 at 4:30
p.m. Watch for additional
announcements on David’s
selection of music.
Committee Meetings will be held
on Sunday, January 31, at 11:15.
The meetings will be held in
Hessler Hall.
The Confirmation Class, year 2, is
in session. Students are at work to
learn more of the foundations of
Christian faith. The class meets
approximately two times per
month and will conclude with a
celebration of accomplishment on
Pentecost Sunday, May 23.
church email address is
greenvillechurch@gmail.com.
Please feel free to contact Pastor
Edward with your news and
concerns.
The Growth Committee has
recommended, and Consistory has
approved, a reorganization of our
Sunday ushering function. The new
structure is now being organized
and will consist of five usher
teams, each with a leader (captain).
There will be 7 or 8 persons on each
team, including the captain,
assuming that most eligible usher
candidates agree to serve. This
structure will provide for better
training, a broader spreading of
assignments so that no one will
usher more than once every 6 or 7
weeks, a readily available list of
substitutes when needed, a more
effective shepherding function for
visitors, and removal of the need
for the church office to embark on a
recruiting mission every week.
CHRISTMAS
GREEN
A word of gratitude and thanks
to the Krautter family of
Sprainbrook Nursery who
generously donate yearly the
tree for our sanctuary, the
wreath on the balcony and the
outdoor wreaths.
How very blessed we are!
The Office Hours at Greenville
Community Church are Tuesday
through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to
2:00 p.m. You may contact
Elizabeth Follen, our church
administrator, during that time for
church business. The church
telephone number is 723-1266. The
FAX number is 723-1268. The
4
Newsletter
January 2010
SPIRITUAL LIFE COMMITTEE
An Invitation to join the
Spiritual Life Committee from
the chairperson, Muriel Rose
“First, I wish you a Peaceful and
Healthy New Year. Our
Committee invites anyone who
wishes to offer his/her time and
talent to join the Spiritual Life
Committee (SLC). As you might
be aware, committees meet on
the last Sunday of each month.
So please join us at our first
meeting in January."
church family (during our
“pastoral transition” period)
initiated several programs listed
below.
A Bible and Music
Workshop in April
International Coffee Hour
Concerts (in cooperation
with our Music Director) as
an outreach service to the
community
Helped with our Newsletter
We wish to express a big
thank you to all for their
input and attendance at
various events.
In the past year, the SLC, with
the help and support of our
5