Presbytery of Western New York
E-Newsletter

August 24, 2010

Chairs for Camp Duffield

Camp Duffield would like to invite any church, group, or individual that has a surplus of folding chairs to consider donating them to the Camp. The existing chairs have been "in service" about five years longer than designed for and definitely need replacement. For pick up or to discuss the situation please call Chet Seymour at (716) 662-5593.

Around the Presbytery

First Presbyterian Church @ 149 Broad Street in Tonawanda, will host a "Mom's Night Out" on Wednesday August 25th from 5-7pm.  Come join us for fellowship and fun!  We will have a cookout for dinner, make an awesome summer craft, play games and have stories too!  We hope everyone can make it!  To RSVP please email MDietrich5@verizon.net by Monday August 23rd.  See you there!  

“Kick-Off Sunday” at Faith United Presbyterian Church is September 12, 2010.
To help celebrate, the Fellowship Committee will be sponsoring a special Krolick’s Chicken Dinner. Dinners will be available for dine-in or take-out from Noon to 2:00 p.m. Dinner donations are $8.00 for adult dinners and $4.00 for children’s dinners (aged 12 years and younger). Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling the Church Office (875-9550) or at the church the day of the dinner. The church is located at 3150 Elmwood Avenue in Kenmore. Reserve your dinners today!!

A Hunger Banquet for youth in grades 6-12 and their advisors/chaperones will be held at the Orchard Park Presbyterian Church on Sunday, November 7 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.  So save the date and watch future e-newsletters for a flyer with more information.
 
On Saturday, August 15, eighteen hardy souls of all ages (2 - 75) from Springville Presbyterian Church worked from 9am to 5pm clearing brush to clean up a large area at Camp Duffield.  It was a hot day, but everyone worked hard and full of joy.  A member volunteered with his heavy equipment.  All the worker bees cleared brush, cut trees, and raked.  The "truckers"  used tractor and trailer to haul all the brush to the far side of the baseball field. Tree stumps were dug up and hauled away.   Our heavy equipment owner's wife brought lunch and cold beverages. And to top it off, they invited all the workers to their home for pizza and swimming after it was all done.  Oh- and the 2 year old smoothed " the dirt" where the stumps had been removed!

Help Needed to Repair Tonawanda Indian Church

The Tonawanda Indian Church sustained severe fire damage to its sanctuary several weeks ago.  All Seneca music and some banners were destroyed as well as doors and windows. Sometime soon they will replace the damaged windows and doors and then be ready to begin painting. The interior has been cleansed of smoke damage and is paint-ready. 
I suggested to the church that I would try and locate a substantial group of painters to prime and finish coat the walls and ceiling. If you would like to participate I would be happy to hear from you. We will need to have adventurous people that can set up and move scaffolding, use rollers and trim brushes, and generally have a good time. If you have access to scaffolding it would be a great help.  We will provide carpooling information, cold drinks and lunch for all.  This probably will not happen for at least three weeks.  Chet Seymour, Orchard Park PC  (716) 662 5593, (716) 863 7623 cell, Chetseymour@msn.com

Presbyterian Women "Patterns"

The latest newsletter for all Presbyterian Women is now online! Click here to view it , or visit the Presbyterian Women section of the presbytery website.

Orchard Park Church Will Host Family Justice Satellite Center

The Orchard Park Presbyterian Church, in collaboration with other churches in the OP community, will be the future site of the Family Justice Satellite Center.  Clean up work has begun on the house on our property that will be home to the FJ Center that offers free, confidential wraparound services to victims of domestic violence and their children.  Services include advocacy, civil legal assistance, safety planning, counseling, shelter referrals, medical examinations and access to criminal and civil courts.   This will not be a shelter.  This is a place where resources to help victims are coordinated.

Volunteers are needed to help with the ongoing rehab taking place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30-9:00 p.m. as well as Saturdays from 9:00 till noon.  Volunteers should arrive ready to work with gloves, particle masks and safety glasses.  Long sleeves/jeans are recommended due to the nature of the work.  Certain tools are also helpful – claw hammer, screwdrivers, crowbars, sledgehammer or saws all.  Contact Terrie Murray @ 646-0228 or Tom Grogan @ 662-8520 for more information.  The Family Justice Center has a comprehensive website which can be found at www.fjcSAFE.org.

One in the Spirit

On the Waterfront Completes Summer Film Series

The popular, free, monthly film discussion series at Orchard Park Presbyterian Church continues on Friday, August 27th with the showing of eight-time Academy Award winner, On the Waterfront.

The film tells the story of an ex-prizefighter turned longshoreman, who struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses.  Made in 1954, this classic film stars Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Lee J. Cobb and Karl Malden.  “As unspoiled in its key elements as the day it was made, On the Waterfront is indisputably one of the great American films, its power undiminished.  Even more today than half a century ago, it demands to be seen,” according to LA Times film critic, Kenneth Turan.

The unrated movie is intended for mature audiences, due to language and content.

On the Waterfront will be shown beginning at 7:00 in the air-conditioned Reception Room of Orchard Park Presbyterian Church, 4369 S. Buffalo Street.

Open to the public, “Films to Talk About” offers a unique experience of watching a movie and then discussing it with other adults, exploring interpretation and meaning through the medium of film. 

Retreat to Camp Duffield this Winter
 
Are you feeling disconnected from the one true God?  Missing that spiritual connection? Lacking the energy for everyday encounters with those with confused beliefs?
Camp Duffield is the perfect place to reconnect with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.   A weekend retreat spend in repentance and prayer at Camp Duffield is probably what you need.  Visit www.CampDuffield.org to find out how to reconnect with the God of the Bible.

News from the Network of Biblical Storytellers

A great Festival Gathering! Lots of worship, storytelling, great people, workshops. Seven of us from WNY Guild! Make sure you come to the next WNY NBS Guild meeting to hear all the details - 7 p.m. Tuesday, August 24, at Church of the Nativity UCC, 1530 Colvin Ave. Tonawanda, NY.

Also check out the NBS website. It's new and wonderful! www.nbsint.org

Learn the stories. Tell the stories. Teach others to tell the stories!

Five Easy Ways to Promote Your Fall Programs (and more)

Click here for the latest e-mail update from Presbyterian Media Mission. 

Vacation Bible School Still Going Strong in Randolph
 
God has smiled on Randolph's ecumenical Vacation  Bible School programs for more years than most can remember.  This year was no exception and the attendance was more than 60 for this five day session,  exposing young people to God's word.  This year the school was held in the participating Methodist Church in East Randolph with Randolph's St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Grace Episcopal and the Presbyterian Church furnishing staff, volunteers and food. Hosting the yearly event is shared by the churches involved.
The hat project was one of the big events of the week letting the young use their God given imagination and talents to...decorating a hat!!!  The youngsters pulled out all their imaginative stops to show the World that little people have quite an imagination.  Insert shows Presbyterian Susan Ashdown modeling one of hats following her short explanation of the project to fellow parishioners in the Presbyterian Church.
Photos by Jack Berger