NEWS

Moravian Music Sunday

Sunday, April 20th, is Moravian Music Sunday. The service will feature lots of great music, both vocal and brass, presented by our choirs.

We are fortunate that music plays a part in our worship every Sunday. Next week we will raise the level of its importance, as we recognize the value that Moravian music has played in our worship and in our lives, as we sing and listen to familiar songs - and some not-so-familiar, and as we praise God in this uniquely Moravian way.

So come, spread the word and invite your friends.

2008 Summer Mission Trip - Dates have been set!

We will again be organizing a mission trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Our previous trips, as you may remember, touched many lives and we are once again assembling a group of adults and youth (16 and over) to go back to Gulfport and provide assistance to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Yes, there are still people whose homes are uninhabitable because of that storm.

The dates for this trip are as follows: We will be leaving on Friday morning, July 11 and returning on Sunday, July 20. More details will follow, but if you think you may be interested, talk to any of the people who have gone before (Diana Koenig, Kris Van Orden, Steve McGee, Jackie Probeck, Steve Lightfoot or Jeff Van Orden), and listen to their stories. The trip will give you an opportunity to be a missionary in ways you might never imagine.

Women's Fellowship News and Notes

"Tastefully Simple," a line of gourmet food and gifts, will be giving a demonstration following the morning service on Sunday, May 18. A light lunch will be served, and there will be an opportunity to purchase items from their catalog. MEN AND WOMEN ARE INVITED! If you are planning on attending, please RSVP to the Church office or to Kris Van Orden.

Thanks to all who generously contributed personal items for the Moravian Open Door ministry in New York City. They will be delivered April 10.

Christian Family Sunday

Sunday, May 4 is Christian Family Sunday here at First Moravian. We will be celebrating this annual event with a Children's Lovefeast in our morning worship. This is a time for parents and children to plan to attend worship together, as we underscore the role that family plays in the faith formation process.

Pentecost

Plan to celebrate the Birthday of the Christian Church with us on Sunday, May 11. This year, in addition to our traditional Pentecost celebration of Holy Communion, we will be receiving a number of young people into our membership through the rite of Confirmation. A big event in the life of our congregation. Don't miss it!

Picture Directory

We are in the process of producing a new pictorial directory of our congregation. Everyone is urged to participate.

The photographers from Olin Mills will be here on Friday, April 18 from 3:00 to 9:30 PM and on Saturday, April 19 from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Make sure to sign up for a slot.

Men's Retreat

All of the men of our Congregation - members and friends - are invited to attend our Second Annual Men's Retreat.

The retreat will be held

           Date:   Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12
           Time:   Leaving Riverside Friday at 4:00 PM
                      Returning Saturday at 5:00 PM
           Place: Hope Conference and Renewal Center, Hope, NJ

We will be exploring the theme of Fatherhood - what it means to be a father, a son, and/or a grandfather in the context of our Christian Faith and the pressures of life in the 21st. Century.

If you have not already signed up, please do so right away. If you have questions, please contact Jeff Van Orden.

Prayer Services - New Date and Time

Beginning with Tuesday, April 8 we will continue our practice of gathering each week for a service of prayer and meditation. Here are the details:

" We will gather each Tuesday evening (Trustees' meetings have been moved to Thursday to allow for a regular prayer service on Tuesday).
" We will meet at 7:00 for approximately 30 minutes. Hopefully this later time will allow for participation by those whose schedules conflicted with an earlier time.
" We will spend the half-hour listening to prayerful music, observing silence and offering intercessory prayer - as has been our practice in the past.

If you have not availed yourself of this opportunity to refresh your spirit each week, please try to do so. You will find that it is time well spent.

Adult Education Forum - First in a series

In an effort to enhance our Christian Education program for adults (and teenagers), between now and the end of June we will offer a series of three-week courses on a variety of topics. The courses will be held in Hahle Hall on Tuesday evenings, following our Prayer Service, from 7:30 to 9:00 PM. Each session will include a presentation and lots of opportunity for discussion.

The first series will be focused on concepts presented in Diana Butler Bass's book Christianity for the Rest of Us - How the Neighborhood Church Is Transforming the Faith. This book, you may remember, was the inspiration for three articles in this newsletter: one on the spiritual journey, the second on the concept of hospitality and the third on the importance of providing a ministry of healing. In summary, this first forum will look like this:

Week One - Tuesday, April 8 - Enhancing our Spiritual Journey

Week Two - Tuesday, April 15 - Providing Hospitality

Week Three - Tuesday, April 22 - Offering a Healing Ministry

Plan to participate. Each session will stand alone, but you will get the most out of the series by attending all three.