TABLE OF CONTENTS
From Our Executive Director:
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
As I prepared to preach at Sea Cliff United Methodist Church on April 11, I was startled to read, in a widely-used translation of the Gospel reading for the day, John 20:19, "That Sunday evening, the disciples had locked the doors for fear of the Jews. . ."
What's wrong with this picture? Who's hiding? At least eleven guys who've had a bar mitzvah.
The word Ioudaoi can mean either "Jews" or "Judeans" (those who lived around Jerusalem). Does it make sense to translate it as "the Jews" in this context? Not a bit. The disciples of Jesus naturally feared Judeans because Galileans (Jesus and his friends) saw these folks as a bunch of corrupt city-slickers who often collaborated with the Romans who oppressed them.
Throughout John's account of the life, death, and resurrection of Rabbi Yeshua, bad intentions are attributed to the Ioudaoi. In every case the context indicates Judeans rather than B'nai Israel, the children of Israel, which is what the community that nurtured Jesus generally called itself, not "Jews." Some translators get it right: the Scholars Version reads "for fear of the Judeans." Most translations, though, perpetuate the myth that "the Jews killed Jesus," when they did not have that power in the first place under Roman occupation, and most likely saw him as a good man whom the Romans unjustly executed. Some say that the disciples feared "the Jewish authorities," but this also is misleading: the Gospels are clear that the only Jewish leaders involved in the death of Jesus were illegitimate authorities in cahoots with their occupiers, not real leaders of the children of Israel.
Faroque Khan, one of the founders of the Islamic Center of Long Island, often says, "Islam may be perfect, but Muslims aren't." The same goes for my tribe. Christians could stand to learn from Islam that every translation of Scripture is an interpretation, not the holy text itself. In the case of John 20, the Bible is not bigoted, but most translations are, feeding misinterpretation and anti-Semitism.
I'm annoyed by bad translation any time of the year, but to accuse our fellow People of the Book of persecuting the first Christians is particularly disturbing on Bright Sunday, the Second Sunday of Easter, since this is the time when we Christians are called to laugh at death and proclaim the Resurrection, not diss other folks. And Holy Week is the liturgical season in which Christians through the centuries have been most likely to slaughter their Jewish neighbors. Perhaps it seems paranoid to you for anyone to fear pogroms today, but, given our history, it's probably a miracle that more Jews and Muslims and others aren't paranoid. When I was in grade school, Jerry Ward was my best friend for years before he mustered the courage - or perhaps before I earned his trust - to tell me that he was Jewish. When your family has had to flee half a world from home and the folks whom you trusted did little to protect your loved ones, who wouldn't be a tad anxious when the neighbors started libeling you? As Freud is said to have observed, "Even paranoids have real enemies."
This year, April 11 also happens to be Yom Ha Shoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. Genocide always has many causes, but certainly one factor behind the Final Solution was that so many Christians distorted Judaism for so long that it was easy for the Nazis to demonize the People of the Covenant.
So I'll be laughing at death and celebrating the Resurrection in Sea Cliff on April 11, but I'll also be trying to get the translation right. If you are preaching, I urge you to do the same. And if your parson gets it wrong, try to muster the courage to speak up. Jerry's family, and all the descendants of those who raised our Savior, deserve no less.
Shalom/Salaam/Shanti/Pax,
Tom
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LONG ISLAND COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
PODCASTS ON "LIFE IN DIFFICULT TIMES"
Our friends at Podarama have just launched "Life in Difficult Times - How to Make It Through," a series of podcasts to inform and aid people in need during this stressful economic period. It features Thomas Goodhue (Executive Director of the Long Island Council of Churches), Allan Varela and Barbara Sakovich. "Life In Difficult Times – How to Make It Through” is produced by Sunlost Publishing for Podarama Matrix in cooperation with the Long Island Council of Churches. Those who download these programs are encouraged to support the LICC’s efforts to feed people in need. All net proceeds go to LICC Food Pantries. The first three programs are
- The Magnitude of the Problem
- Pride
- How You Can Help
I’d love to hear what you think of these programs. Please visit: http://www.podarama.com/licc.
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ECUMENICAL EASTER DAWN WORSHIP AT JONES BEACH
The Long Island Council of Churches, our region’s largest ecumenical and interfaith organization, invites one and all to its Easter dawn worship service at Jones Beach. “This has been a rough year for many people,” observes the Rev. Thomas W. Goodhue, Executive Director of the LICC, “and Easter reminds us of the promise of new life after tragedy, loss, and death."
“There is something particularly moving about seeing dawn break over the ocean,” Goodhue adds. “We organize this worship service for those who do not have a sunrise service in their own church or community—and for those who like to celebrate Easter on the beach.”
This year’s preacher will be the Rev. Garner, the new pastor of Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church. Soh Young Lee-Segredo from Freeport United Methodist Church and founder of the Multi-Cultural Peace Mission Choir will sing, as will Don Warner from Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church. Goodhue will tell the children’s story, from his collection Sharing the Good News with Children (St. Anthony Messenger Press), which received a Catholic Book Award.
All are welcome at this ecumenical service, which begins at 6:00 a.m. on Easter Sunday, April 4, rain or shine, at Jones Beach State Park. Enter Parking Field #6 and head due south toward the beach, where there will be a large LICC banner directing you toward the gathering place. The service is brief and informal. Worshippers are encouraged to dress warmly and bring beach chairs or blankets.
Worshippers also are encouraged to bring non-perishable food or monetary donations for the LICC’s emergency food pantries, which have been inundated with requests for help this year. They also are encouraged to bring Church World Service disaster response kits to help victims of earthquakes in Haiti and Chile and other catastrophes. CWS will be collecting these kits at locations across the Island on Saturday, April 24. Directions for assembling “Gift of the Heart“ School Kits, Kid’s Kits, Cleanup Kits, and Health Kits can be found by visiting www.churchworldservice.org or by calling 1-888-CWS-CROP.
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DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT:
Sara C. Weiss, Director of Development
Special thanks go to the following February donors:
- Knapp Sweezey Foundation for a gift of $25,000 for Riverhead staff support
- An individual donor who gave $5,000 to be used where most needed
- The business owner of one of our vendors who gave $1,300 for emergency food and where most needed
- To a board member and a committee member who each gave $1,000 to help us launch our first ever special fundraising event scheduled for Sunday, November 7th.
We also thank the following institutional donors for their gifts of $500 and more:
| Church of the Ascension, Rockville Centre | $725 for Emergency Food |
| Community Presbyterian, Malverne | $565 Emergency Food |
| Congregational Church of Manhasset | 750 Where Most Needed |
| First Parish Church UCC-Jamesport | $558 Where Most Needed |
| First Presbyterian Church of Northport | $500 Where Most Needed |
| Nassau/Suffolk Law Services Committee | $1,058 Where Most Needed |
| Oceanside Lutheran Church | $815 Emergency Food |
| Orient Congregational Church | $900 Food & Where Most Needed |
| Trinity Evangelical Lutheran-Rocky Point | $750 Where Most Needed |
We are also grateful to the institutions that gave less than $500, and to all of our individual donors, though we do not list them because they have asked to remain anonymous.
And many thanks to Harry Janson at Shoprite of Hauppauge for donating more than $29,000 worth of food and other items to our emergency food pantry in Riverhead - and to the youth of 1st Presbyterian Church in Smithtown for inspiring Harry Janson to make this gift, and to Kundig Construction for loaning a truck to haul it, and to John Weisman for driving the truck to Riverhead!
Most Urgent Need
We are out of regular bus tickets for our Riverhead clients. A number of them have cancer and have had operations at the Stony Brook Hospital. One typical client is a 40-year-old woman with two teenage children. She was operated on to remove a cancerous tumor and must return to the hospital twice a week for six to eight weeks for additional treatments, but she cannot afford the bus fares to get back and forth. If she does not have her follow-up treatments, she will end up back in the hospital.
Memorial/Tribute Gifts
A great way to remember a loved one, whether living or deceased, is to give a memorial or tribute gift in his/her name. In your letter accompanying such a gift, please tell us who the gift is in memory or tribute to, and who is giving the gift. We will send a thank you letter to the contributor and to the family of the loved one in accordance with your instructions. Please send your contribution to the LICC, attention Sara Weiss. If you have any questions, call Sara for further information at 516-565-0290, ext. 207. Naming and Tribute opportunities are also available for our programs. Please call Sara for a list. We also have planned giving opportunities that will sustain these programs in perpetuity.
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SAVE THIS DATE - Thursday, May 6
The Long Island Council of Churches will have its annual meeting on Thursday, May 6, at 1st Presbyterian Church of Smithtown (175 East Main Street) from 11:00 to 2:00.
Our guest speakers will be Gregory Blass, the new Commissioner of Social Services for Suffolk County, and his counterpart from Nassau, John Imhof, who will address the plight of the working poor on Long Island, how they are trying to help, and how they can help congregations and faith based organizations minister to victims of the current economic victims.
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NEW DIRECTORY OF LOCAL CHURCHES AND SYNAGOGUES
We have now mailed our new directory of 1500 churches, Unitarian Universalist fellowships, and synagogues on Long Island to our member congregations, the Friends of the LICC, and our major donors. And we’ve begun handing it out at our Board and meetings. It lists local congregations/parishes, denominational executives, local ecumenical and interfaith organizations, non-parish clergy, chaplains, pastoral counselors, and campus ministers, as well as information on how to find worship services in many languages, from American Sign Language to Urdu. If you have not received your copy, this may be a sign that you need to do the paperwork to officially join.
We sell the directory for $50 to not-for-profit organizations and for $100 to some businesses that have a legitimate need to find local clergy, such as funeral homes and hospitals. We also can email you the directory as a Word file if this would be helpful. You can snail-mail a check made out to the LICC to 1644 Denton Green, Hempstead NY 11550 Attention: Sara Weiss or you can charge it to your MasterCard or Visa by calling 516-565-0290 with the relevant information. If you have any questions, please contact Sara Weiss at 516-565-0290, ext. 207 or saraweiss@optonline.net.
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DOING SPRING CLEANING? REMEMBER YOUR NEIGHBORS!
Suffolk County is facing a two-thirds cut in federal funding under United Way’s Emergency Food & Shelter Program—and there isn’t enough money to help families in crisis in Nassau, either. Many families will not receive emergency rent or mortgage assistance this year, putting them at risk of becoming homeless—and forcing them to seek emergency food from local pantries and soup kitchens. It also means that these pantries have less EFSP money to purchase food in bulk.
While doing your spring cleaning, you could look at the food in your cupboards and ask if someone else needs it more than you do. Most of us have food in our homes we will never eat, food our neighbors need. This is a good time to go through the canned goods and give away anything that you are not going to use that is not dented, many years old, or otherwise inedible.
Do you have unopened boxes of matzoh or Girl Scout cookies? Jars of gefilte fish? Fruitcake tins left by the Ghost of Christmas Past? Fancy jellies and jams you received last December? A gift you received of flavored coffee that is not your cup of tea? Anything else that is edible that you probably will never eat? Why not donate these items to your local emergency food pantry?
The Long Island Council of Churches, for example, our region's largest ecumenical and interfaith organization, operates emergency food centers in both Nassau and Suffolk counties. “It’s really a shame to let food go to waste when some of our neighbors are going hungry,” observes the Rev. Tom Goodhue, Executive Director of the LICC. "Each year we feed more and more hard-working Long Islanders who just cannot make ends meet and must choose every month between paying the rent, filling a prescription, or putting food on the table.”
The LICC gladly accepts all sorts of non-perishable food. They are particularly eager to receive baby formula, baby food, prenatal vitamins, and diapers. Do you have any of these that your children have outgrown? These can be dropped off at their Riverhead office (407 Osborne Avenue at Lincoln, opposite the Polish Town Civic Association, 631-727-2210), their Hempstead office (in Christ’s 1st Presbyterian Church at the village green on Nichol’s Court, 516-565-0290), or their Freeport Emergency Food Center (450 North Main Street, 516-868-4989). And if you have a large quantity of food to donate, they would be glad to pick it up.
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IDEAS YOU CAN USE
Remember the Poor at Your Party
The grandson of LICC Board member Werner Reich recently asked the guests at his bar mitzvah to bring canned food for the LICC’s emergency food pantry in Riverhead. What a great way to remember the poor at your party!
Cans, Prayers, Beads, and Candles for the Hungry
This year during Lent, 15 teenagers at Garden City Community Church took part in a 30-hour fast. They built a labyrinth with more than 5000 cans of food they collected for the LICC’s emergency pantry, and decorated the labyrinth with signs about remembering those who are hungry, and then prayed for the poor as they walked the labyrinth. (For more about prayer labyrinths, see “Walking in Circles” in the October 2009 Prelude at www.liccny.org.) They also strung a long chain of tiny beads throughout their sanctuary, with one bead for each person who starves each day. They also concluded a worship service by extinguishing a candle every 3 seconds, representing the fact that someone dies of hunger and malnutrition each three seconds.
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WORTH QUOTING
Truth, Fear, and Dialogue
“It is not possible for the Lord to agonize over the unity of His disciples and for us to remain indifferent about the unity of all Christians. . . . The truth does not fear dialogue, because truth has never been endangered by dialogue.”
--Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Sunday of Orthodoxy encyclical, 21 February
The Kind of Housing We Really Need
“Both young and older families generally don’t have children; they need less space to live than families with school-age kids; and they usually have less money, so they can’t afford substantial mortgages. So why can’t we provide more housing that integrates, rather than segregates, our communities by age? . . . These types of developments—thoughtfully designed—can actually take us back to our earlier suburban landscape, when many communities resembled New England villages centered around downtowns.”
--Ron Roel, Newsday February 27, 2010
Condemn Beliefs, Not Believers
“It is not proper to condemn a believer, but it is perfectly proper to condemn a belief. Believers, unless they physically harm someone else, are made in God’s image and must be respected for that reason alone. However, some religions do seem to me to be misguided, magical, authoritarian, or triumphalist, and I have no qualms about saying so. I’ve never felt insulted or degraded, for instance, by Christians who take issue with my non-Christian beliefs, as long as they affirm my right to hold them as a child of God.”
--Rabbi Marc Gellman, “The God Squad,” Newsday February 27, 2010
Charity Is No Substitute for Public Policy
“Soup kitchens and emergency food pantries are important, but to off set the cuts in food stamps that Congress and the President enacted in the 1980s that have never been restored, each and every congregation in America would have to raise $100,000.”
--Mark Dunlea, Executive Director, Hunger Action Network of New York State, speaking at the MICAH/HANNYS/Bread for the World conference
Upper Room Ministries, Dix Hills, March 5, 2010
Who Is Hungry on Long Island?
“The 2010 study by Long Island Cares and Island Harvest found that one in ten Long Islander needs emergency food each year, and 110,000 of these neighbors of ours are children. That is more kids than would fit in Citifield and the Yankees stadium.”
--Randi Shubin Dresner, Executive Director of Island Harvest, speaking at the MICAH/HANNYS/Bread for the World conference
Upper Room Ministries, Dix Hills, March 5, 2010
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DID YOU KNOW?
- In Suffolk County, those who earn too much to receive regular HEAP utility assistance may be eligible for the Middle-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. For an application, call 631-853-8825 or visit www.suffolkcountyny.gov/upload/dss/pdfs/miheapapp2009.pdf.
- The Suffolk County Police recently named Nayyar Imam, a leader of the Islamic Society of Long Island in Selden, as an Inspector Chaplain, apparently the first time a Muslim has been appointed as a chaplain in a Law Enforcement Agency on Long Island.
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WAYS TO SAVE MONEY
At one of the LICC’s recent personal finance seminars for the Salvation Army in Blue Point, Rich Murphy from Wells Fargo gave our students a homework assignment for our second session: come up with at least one way you could save money and reduce your expenses. Here are some ideas they shared:
- Lower your thermostat at night and during the day while you are out of the house.
- Try store brands instead of name brands.
- Take lunch to work or school instead of buying it.
- Sell stuff you don’t need on E-Bay.
- Sell, give away, recycle, or throw out the stuff in any rented storage space you have.
- Donate stuff a charity such as the LICC can use or distribute and get a tax deduction.
- Collect and redeem the deposit bottles and cans your neighbors toss.
- Order groceries cheaply through Angel Food (see the March Prelude at www.liccny.org)
- Go to a VITA site to file taxes for free, get the Earned Income Tax Credit, and receive refunds quickly without a “refund anticipation loan” (see the March Prelude).
- Visit govbenefits.org to see what government benefits you qualify to receive.
- Rent out spare space in your home, garage, or shed to someone who needs storage at a reasonable price. You can advertise the space you have available for free at StoreAtMyHouse.com or SpareFoot.com.
The LICC offers seminars on how to manage your money well - and not get ripped off on loans. Our presentations usually run an hour to 90 minutes, and we will tailor it to the needs of your audience. We can do shorter programs, for example, for a college class, campus ministry group, or youth and their parents. They could be a great addition to your congregation’s stewardship campaign, helping people to think faithfully about our stewardship of all our resources. Each presentation is shaped around the needs of the audience and we are prepared to address a wide variety of topics.
We would also be glad to do presentations for religious leaders on how to manage a congregation’s money more effectively, reduce expenses, pay for energy conservation measures, etc. And as the Wall Street Journal reported recently, a growing number of houses of worship are in trouble with their mortgages. We’d be glad to help your congregation think about its options in managing money.
The LICC will arrange speakers, educational materials, and other freebies. There is no charge for this program. (Thanks to grants from Astoria Federal Savings, Bank of America, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Capitol One, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, Ridgewood Savings Bank, the State Bank of Long Island, TD Bank, and Wells Fargo Home for making it possible for the Long Island Council of Churches to provide this free program!) We have speakers who can handle a variety of languages. If you would like to have such a seminar, call 516-565-0290, ext. 206, fax 516-565-0291, or e-mail tomgoodhue@optonline.net.
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OFFERED/NEEDED
Offered:
- MENTORS NEEDED—AND OFFERED
- BUDDY (Building Unique, Dynamic & Diverse Youth) brings together three nonprofit organizations - the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, the Long Island Council of Churches, and the Mentoring Partnership of Long Island - to launch a mentoring program for children in Nassau County whose mothers are incarcerated.
Children of incarcerated parents often experience fear, anger, sadness, loneliness, abandonment, embarrassment, guilt, resentment, isolation and emotional withdrawal from family and friends. Family instability, trauma linked to witnessing the parent's arrest, incarceration and/or criminal activities and uncertainty about the future challenge even the most resilient children. Without assistance, many of these children are at increased risk for poor academic performance, drug and alcohol abuse, unsafe sexual behaviors, and juvenile justice or criminal justice system involvement. This program will help break the cycle and ensure that Nassau's most at-risk kids get the help they need to be successful.
We need volunteer mentors who can devote an hour a week to a young person. Orientations are held monthly and we'll give you all the training and support you need to have a great experience. Also, if you know of a young person (4-18 years) whose mom is incarcerated and who could benefit from mentoring, please call Valerie Taylor at LICADD (516-747-2606).
- Women’s Support Group
- Ascension Lutheran Church in Deer Park is offering a free, confidential 8-week peer support group for women of all denominations and backgrounds called “Self Esteem in Relationships.” The group will explore intimate relationships in a Christian context and the next group begins in April. Pre-registration is required and all inquiries are kept strictly confidential. To register or to get further information, call Vicki or Helen at the church office, 631-667-4188.
- Info on Prenatal Care
- Are you pregnant? Not sure what to expect or where to get help? The first step to having a healthy baby is getting health care. Prenatal care throughout your pregnancy is important, starting immediately. You and your child both deserve to be healthy. For help finding a health care provider, call the Suffolk Perinatal Coalition at 631-475-5400.
Needed:
- A Bunny Costume
- Glenwood Presbyterian Church in Glenwood Landing is doing a pre-Easter event for children and has just discovered that half of their bunny costume is missing. Do you have an adult bunny suit you can lend them Saturday, April 3, from 10:30 to Noon? If so, please contact Sarah Caponi, the Clerk of Session, at sunflowermomma@aol.com.
- New Home for Riverhead Food Pantry
- Open Arms Soup Kitchen may need to move this June from its current location at the Riverhead Train Station. 1st Baptist Church of Riverhead has been serving lunch at various locations for 27 years. They plan to continue serving lunch on Sundays but would like to pass the leadership for weekday lunches to another congregation. The soup kitchen has plenty of volunteers — and plenty of hungry people who need a good meal — and 1st Baptist promises to support the efforts of anyone willing to provide a new location or new leadership. If you are interested, please call the Rev. Charles Coverdale at 631-727-3446.
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DISASTER RELIEF KITS COLLECTED APRIL 24
Church World Service, our ecumenical partner in disaster response, has issued an urgent appeal for “Gift of the Heart” disaster relief kits. Please help assemble disaster response kits if you can. They will be collected on Saturday, April 24, to be sent to the CWS staging area in New Windsor, Maryland. They will also be collecting donations to pay for shipping the assembled kits where they are needed. Here are the collection sites:
- Hempstead United Methodist Church, 40 Washington Ave. at Front Street
- 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Contact: Jenny Connolly, 516-538-0039
- Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 53 Verbena Drive, Commack,
- 9 a.m.-noon, Contact: Rev. Dennis Walker, 631-543-6783
- Riverhead United Methodist Church, 204 East Main St.,
- 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Contact: Ginny Fisher, 631-727-2327
- Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church, 1845 Wantagh Ave.
- 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Contact Rev. Ron Garner, 516-785-1829
You can also ship kits at any time to:
Church World Service
Brethren Service Center Annex
601 Main Street
P. O. Box 188
New Windsor, MD 21776
Donations for shipping also can be made on-line or by sending checks to:
CWS Kit Program
P. O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515
For instructions on how to assemble kits or more information about the kit program, please call Kathy Burton at 888-297-2767 or visit CWS on line at www.churchworldservice.org.
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WORSHIP WITH THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
- Mt. Sinai Congregational Church (233 N. Country Road) has a “Welcome Service” designed for those with special needs on the last Sunday of each month at 11 a.m. at 233 North Country Road.. All are welcome at all their worship services, including groups from group homes. They also offer a Serenity Sunday for those in recovery on the last Sunday of each month at 5 p.m. ASL interpretation is available at all worship services. For further information, visit http://mtsinaichurchli.org or call 631-473-1582.
- St. Thomas of Canterbury Church (Episcopal) in Smithtown (90 Edgewater Avenue) offers worship designed for families with autistic and other behaviorally challenged members on the first and third Sundays of each month at noon. For further information, call 631-265-4520, email stthomasofcan@optonline.net, or visit http://stthomasofcanterbury.net.
- In Bay Shore, the Rev. David Sellery from St. Peter’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church and the Rev. Tom Coogan from St. Patrick’s Catholic Church have founded a Faith & Life ministry with the developmentally disabled and their families. For more info, call Fr. Sellery at 631-665-0051.
These Catholic parishes offer liturgies for children and adults with special needs:
- Bay Shore:
St. Patrick’s Msgr. Coffey Center, Third Saturdays, 5 p.m. Contact sarinasivilli@optonline.net.
- Franklin Square:
St. Catherine of Sienna, Third Sunday of each month, 3 p.m. Contact Joe Persico 516-352-0146.
- Hicksville:
Holy Family, Second Sunday of each month, 1:30 p.m. contact cweiss@holyfamilyparishny.org
- Massapequa:
St Rose of Lima auditorium, usually first Saturday, 4 p.m. Contact skskkh@optonline.net.
- Rockville Centre:
St. Agnes Parish Hall, usually the last Saturday at 5 p.m. Contact mplawless@verizon.net.
And you can find a roster of churches that offer worship interpreted in American Sign Language in the back of our new directory.
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GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE! GIVE BLOOD!
LONG ISLAND BLOOD SERVICES’ BLOOD DRIVES IN APRIL
| 4/2/10 | St. James Episcopal Church, 490 N. Country Rd. | 3:00-7:30 PM |
| 4/6/10 | St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 106 Vernon Valley Rd., E. Northport | 3:00-8:30 PM |
| 4/17/10 | Grace Church, 61 Overton St., Sayville | 8:30-2:30 |
| 4/17/10 | Evangel Church of God, 12 West John Str., Lindenhurst | 9:00-3:00 |
| 4/19/10 | St. Paul's United Methodist, 270 Main St., Northport | 3:00-9:00 PM |
| 4/24/10 | Christ Lutheran/Iglesia Luterana de Cristo, 61 N. Grove St., Freeport | 9:15-3:15 |
| 4/25/10 | Centerport United Methodist Church, 97 Little Neck Rd. | 8:45-1:15 |
| 4/26/10 | First Presbyterian Church, 79 East Main Street, Babylon | 3:00-9:00 PM |
| 4/27/10 | Church on the Sound 335 Oxhead Rd., Stony Brook | 2:45-8:45 PM |
Call 1-800-933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org to verify the date and time of the blood drive.
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EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA April 3 in Huntington Station
Bethany Presbyterian Church (425 Maplewood Rd. at Park Ave. in Huntington Station) invites children 10 and younger and their parents to an “Easter Eggstavaganza” on Saturday, April 3, at noon. There will be an Easter egg hunt, an Easter story, face painting and crafts. A donation of $2 per child is requested. Bring your Easter basket!
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EASTER SUNDAY APRIL 4, 2010
6:00 A.M.
EASTER DAWN SERVICE
Preaching Rev. Ron Garner
Music By: Soh Young Lee-Segredo
Don Warner
Jones Beach State Park - Parking Field 6
East of the East Bathhouse
Dress warmly & Bring beach chairs/blankets
Sponsored by:
THE LONG ISLAND COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
Information/Questions: LICC Office (516) 565-0290
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VOLUNTEER DISASTER CHAPLAIN TRAINING COURSE
Garden City • April 14-15
Co-sponsored by the Episcopal Community Services, Long Island Council of Churches, and the Mercer School of Theology of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island, this training is open to faith leaders of all faiths. Florida participants who complete this certification can volunteer with the Long Island Council of Churches or through Long Island VOAD partners. NDIN can also assist unaffiliated volunteers in finding disaster spiritual care volunteer opportunities in local communities across the United States. Emergency managers and disaster mental health professionals may take this course to develop their knowledge of disaster spiritual care best practices.
This two-day training prepares faith leaders or institutional chaplains to volunteer as disaster chaplains in mass care settings or to serve as disaster chaplains within their house of worship, religious community or professional institution. Each registrant must be endorsed for this training and/or currently serve as a professional chaplain and/or credentialed religious leader. Emergency managers and disaster mental health professionals may register using their agency affiliation.
Wednesday, April 14 and Thursday, April 15 • 8:15-5:00PM
The George Mercer, Jr. Memorial School of Theology
65 Fourth Street • Garden City
Attendance is limited to 35 participants • Tuition $195 - Paid in Advance
(Continental breakfast, lunch and training materials included)
This course complies with NIMS (National Incident Management Systems) and incorporates FEMA Incident Command System training. It also complies with National VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) Points of Consensus for Disaster Spiritual Care.
The Course Curriculum Incorporates:
- Operations & Spiritual Care: General Principles; Interventions; Sites and Specifics
- Emotional and spiritual phases of the disaster "life cycle"
- Spiritual First Aid: PCAID (Presence, Connect, Assessment, Intervention, Develop Plan of Care) as an intervention appropriate in any phase of a disaster
- Disaster human services operations and disaster site operations
- Practice in applying principles of spiritual and emotional care in various disaster scenarios
- Mental Health: Introduction; Impact of Disaster; Response and Reaction
- Phases of psychological reaction to disaster and impact on behaviors, thoughts, & feelings
- Psychological First Aid as a basic intervention that does not require professional training
- Indicators that referrals for professional mental health care may be appropriate
- Self-Care: The Need and Techniques; Individual and Community Resilience
- The need for caregivers to develop effective self-care practices
- Practices that minimize compassion fatigue ("the cost of caring") and other stresses related to providing care in times of crisis
- Strategies to promote recovery and resiliency, especially through support systems that monitor, nourish and maintain self-care for individuals and community.
To register or download a training brochure, visit www.n-din.org
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WHOSE EARTH IS IT ANYWAY - a prayerful response
Join us on Tuesday April 20 at 7:30pm as we reflect on a faithful response to the ecological crisis of our time. A time to think, and pray, and act in a spirit of unity. An eco-prayer event for the whole community.
Following the service is a cake reception where Mr. Chuck Schwartz of the L.I.Green Network will have information available to home owners and houses of worship on how to green up and funding sources available to help you do it! Hosted at St. Paul’s UMC - 270 Main St. Northport.
The following churches and organizations are co-sponsoring this event: St. Philip Neri R.C. of Northport, the First Presbyterian Church of Northport, St. Paul’s UMC, Union United Methodist Church of East Northport, the Lutheran Church of the Abiding Presence of Ft. Salonga, Evangelical Covenant Church, Trinity Episcopal, Centerport United Methodist Church, the Lay Ecumenical Council, the L .I. Green Network, and the Long Island Council of Churches
For additional information call 631-261-0804.
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WELCOMING THE IMMIGRANT
Resources to Teach, Preach, and Talk About Comprehensive Immigration Reform
The Long Island Council of Churches, Long Island Wins, and Long Island Jobs with Justice invite religious leaders, clergy members and active lay leaders to be our special guests for an afternoon to discuss immigration on Long Island.
This event is for members of all faiths. Please join us on one of these dates, at the location most convenient for you:
- Friday, April 23 St. Brigid Roman Catholic Church - Westbury, NY
- Friday, April 30 Congregational Church of Patchogue
- Friday, May Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Stony Brook
- Friday, May 14 St. Hugh of Lincoln Catholic Church - Huntington Station
- Friday, May 21st TBD
All sessions will be 2:00pm to 4:00pm
In this workshop you will receive resources to start a dialogue in your congregation and community on the need for comprehensive immigration reform and concrete tools for public-policy advocacy. Topics will include:
- The DREAM Act: Helping Our Undocumented Children Become College Students
- How to Preach, Teach, and Talk about Difficult Issues
- Facts and Fears: Immigration in Historical Context
- Putting a Human Face on Immigration
- Comprehensive Immigration Reform: The Time is Now
Speakers:
- the Rev. Tom Goodhue (Long Island Council of Churches)
- Fr. Bill Brisotti (Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal)
- Maryann Slutsky (Long Island Wins)
- Richard Koubek & Maria Contreras (Jobs with Justice)
Sessions are FREE but seating is limited. Please RSVP by April 20. Send your name, house of worship, and which session you will attend to: teachingandpreaching@gmail.com
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"NEED A PLACE TO LIVE?"
Saturday April 24
Farmingdale State College-10am to 3pm
This is a Free Event!
Come meet Lenders, Builders, Landlords, Realtors, Attorneys, the LI Housing Partnership, Habitat for Humanity, Nassau & Suffolk County Economic Development and Housing Divisions, Community Development Corporation of LI and Others who will help you find the perfect place to live!
Special presentation on the “Future of Housing & Development on Long Island” at 12:30
WOR News Talk Radio 710's Dottie Herman will broadcast live from the event 10-12
http://ActionLongIsland.org/20.html
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LICC ANNUAL MEETING AND LUNCHEON 2010
WHEN: Thursday, May 6, 2010
TIME: 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
WHERE: First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown
175 E. Main Street, Smithtown, NY
COST: $40 per person (includes lunch)
AGENDA
11:00 AM – 11:30 AM Registration & Coffee
11:30 AM – 12 Noon Business Meeting
12 Noon – 12:30PM Panel Discussion
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM Lunch & Awards
Discussion topic: Guest speakers Gregory Blass, Commissioner of Social Services for Suffolk County, and John Imhof, Commissioner of Social Services for Nassau County, will address the plight of the working poor on Long Island, how their Departments of Social Services are trying to help, and how they can help congregations and faith-based organizations minister to victims of the current economic crisis.
ANNUAL MEETING RESERVATION FORM
Registration and payment must be received no later than April 30, 2010.
Name _______________________________________
Number attending __________
Address ____________________________________________________
City __________________________________ State_________ Zip ________________
Day-time telephone ____________________________________________________
E-mail address ____________________________________________________
Please complete and print out hard copy. Address check for $40 per person to: Long Island Council of Churches. Please write “Annual Meeting Registration” in the memo section and mail to:
Timothy Denton, Director of Finance
Long Island Council of Churches
1644 Denton Green
Hempstead, NY 11550
Or call 516-565-0290 to charge your reservation to your credit card.
Directions:
From the WEST: Go East on Northern Parkway past Sunken Meadow to the end of Parkway. The road divides about 2 miles past the end of the Parkway. At the divide, take Rt. 347 to the left; go to Highway #111. Get into the right lane, then turn around & come back to the light at the intersection of #347 & #111. Go North on #111 about 2 miles to Route #25 (also Main Street). At the intersection you will see the church—a stately white building—ahead of you. Turn left, then take the first right into the church driveway.
From the EAST: Take the LIE West to Exit 57. Go Northwest on Veteran’s Highway (#454), then turn right onto Route #111 and go North about 2 miles to Route #25 (also Main Street). At the intersection you will see the church ahead of you. Turn left, then take the first right into the church driveway.
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The Long Island Council of Churches is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. The Long Island Council of Churches unites diverse Christians to work together in ministry with the poor and to promote interfaith understanding. All donations are tax-deductible and much appreciated.
The Rev. Thomas W. Goodhue
Executive Director
Long Island Council of Churches
1644 Denton Green
Hempstead, NY 11550
voice: 516-565-0290, ext. 206
fax: 516-565-0291
email:tomgoodhue@optonline.net
Web: www.liccny.org
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