TABLE OF CONTENTS
From Our Executive Director:
LIGHT A CANDLE
Last year during Hanukkah, several outdoor menorahs were vandalized on Long Island. In St. James, a number of us from the LICC and the Smithtown Interfaith Clergy Association joined in the lighting ceremonies over the next few nights. We did not make any big speeches - we just showed up - but our presence was deeply appreciated by a community that has suffered way too many bias attacks already. As an ardent church-state separationist myself, I prefer to see crèches in front of churches and menorahs in front of synagogues, rather than in public parks, but when someone is trying to intimidate and isolate our neighbors, we should stand with them, wherever their symbols are located.
Something similar occurred in Montana a few years ago when bigots attacked an African American church and threw a brick through the window of a Jewish home in Billings where a menorah was lit. The local painters union responded immediately to help paint over hateful graffiti. White neighbors worshiped with the black church. 10,000 non-Jews put menorahs in their windows. The motto of this spontaneous outbreak of goodness was "Not in My Town." This grass-roots movement inspired two documentaries with that name and a nationwide anti-hate movement.
Just a few weeks ago, when several hundred neo-Nazis descended upon Prague for a brazen march on the anniversary of Kristallnacht, "the Night of Broken Glass" that was the Nazi's precursor to the Holocaust, Prague's small Jewish community found some unusual allies: anarchists, a Muslim leader and thousands of non-Jewish Czechs. On a freezing Sabbath afternoon that marked the 69th anniversary of the Night of Broken Glass, the neo-Nazis got the boot in the Czech capital - literally, in some cases. Thousands of Czechs filled the streets to protest the neo-Nazis in an unusually large and emotional show of solidarity with the country's Jews. Masses of non-Jews marched through the streets, many wearing yellow Stars of David, just like those that Jews were forced to wear under the Nazis, inscribed with the word Jude.
Now and then, we Long Islanders have done ourselves proud. When a synagogue in Hauppauge was firebombed, Jews and Christians flocked there to offer both emotional and financial support. When Muslims feared reprisals in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, many of us visited mosques and invited Muslims to speak in our churches and synagogues, Baha'i fellowships and Unitarian Universalist congregations. A Reconstructionist synagogue offered to guard a mosque. When bigots brutally assaulted two day laborers in Suffolk County, 2000 of us rallied in Hauppauge at a candlelight vigil.
I hope and pray that we will rise to the occasion once more. Hanukkah is a minor holiday in Judaism - it has grown in importance only because our culture hypes Christmas buying so much. Minor holiday or not, though, nobody likes to see their traditions trashed. The spate of recent graffiti attacks on Long Island synagogues this fall must leave many of our neighbors feeling a bit nervous as Christmas approaches. The Suffolk County Police Department is offering assistance to any community that would like to develop a Menorah Watch to prevent vandalism, which is a good idea, but I have an additional suggestion. Hanukkah begins this year on December 5. Why don't you call your local synagogue and ask if you can join them when they light a candle? I am listing below a few that I have heard about - and I will be at Temple B'nai Sholom myself. By standing with our neighbors in their celebration of the Feast of Freedom, Christians can demonstrate that we actually mean what we sing in December about peace on earth and goodwill to all.
And if anyone tears down a menorah this year on Long Island, I think I will put one in my own front yard.
Shalom/Salaam/Shanti/Pax,
Tom
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COMMUNITY MENORAH LIGHTING CEREMONIES
- Oyster Bay's Community Menorah Lighting will be Monday, Dec. 3, at the Oyster Bay gazebo. Rabbi Marvin Demant would like to recognize interfaith guests. Please let him know (DaReb@aol.com) if you will be attending.
- B'nai Israel Reform Temple of Oakdale will light the Menorah in three locations:
- Dec. 4, 5 pm in Blue Point at the base of Montauk Highway and Nicolls Road
- Dec. 4, 6 pm in Holbrook on Main Street
- Dec. 4, 7 pm in Oakdale in front of the LIRR train station
- Temple B'nai Sholom will light their outdoor (weather permitting) community Menorah on Wed, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. at 100 Hempstead Avenue, Rockville Centre. Rabbi Barry Dov Schwartz would like to recognize interfaith guests. If you are coming, please call him at 516-764-4628.
- Temple Sinai, 131 Washington Avenue (at Central Avenue) in Lawrence, invites interfaith guests to join them for their Hanukkah dinner on Friday, Dec. 7, at 6:30 p.m., which will be followed by a Shabbat (Sabbath) worship service at 8:00. David Napell would like them to be his guests, but please RSVP to the synagogue at 516-569-0267 so he will know that you are coming.
- Temple Beth Chai, 807 Townline Road in Hauppauge (the synagogue where we rallied after it was fire-bombed) invites the community to their Hanukkah celebration and menorah lighting on Sunday, Dec. 9, from noon to 2:30. There will be a magician, some craft activities and a musical show put on by the religious school children. This is designed for the whole family and all are welcome.
- The Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center lights an 18 ft Menorah that is lit each night of Chanukah in front of the Center, which is located at 300 Forest Drive in East Hills. The lighting times are Dec. 4-6 at 5 p.m., Friday, Dec. 7, at 1:45, no formal lighting ceremony Dec. 8, and Dec. 9-11 at 5 p.m. Call Susan Bender at 516-484-1545 for further information.
- Temple Beth David will light a Menorah at the 5 Corners in Lynbrook (Hempstead Avenue & Merrick Road) on Sunday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m., sing Hanukkah songs, and then share refreshments with the community at their synagogue, which is located at 188 Vincent Avenue.
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MORE ON THE MORTGAGE MELTDOWN
Last month's column by our Executive Director tackled the complex issues surrounding the recent meltdown in the mortgage market. Here are some further thoughts from the mortgage broker he quoted as saying "All of these things happened because the system was too lax!" This broker wishes to remain anonymous, since he must work with both mortgage banks and "depository" banks (more highly regulated savings banks and commercial banks). There is, as he and many others have observed, plenty of blame to go around:
"Fixed Rates are the safest form of mortgage, unless the borrower is a Senior Citizen, then we usually try very hard to get them to use a Reverse Mortgage, but very often it is their own children who try everything in their power to get the Senior Citizen to resist, for their own selfish reasons. . . . I will try to remember to show you a file where the borrower should have been given a Reverse Mortgage and the bank instead "churned" them four times in three years. The poor old man had a $38,000.00 mortgage when he started and was over $260,000.00 when they were done. . Why are banks allowed to charge 27% - 36% and why if you miss a payment for any reason can other banks treat you as if you failed them as well and they arbitrarily raise their rates to 35%?"
It is worth noting, too, that the National Association of Mortgage Brokers, which represents about one fifth of the nation's brokers, implemented new ethical standards on November 4. As Bob Tedeschi reported in the New York Times, to earn the Lending Integrity Seal of Approval, brokers must pass criminal background checks, complete annual continuing education on ethics and other issues, and meet the association's code of ethics. Borrowers may bring complaints to the association about loans made either before or after the new program went into effect and the association will share information about consumer complaints with state banking departments.
Congress is on track to eliminate the provision in bankruptcy law that has prevented courts from adjusting terms of first mortgages. There is broad support for this change, though it is likely to have some unintended consequences, too. Andrew Caplin, an economics professor at New York University, has an intriguing proposal: let the courts substitute equity-a share in the value of the home-for mortgage debt. This would both allow borrowers who are in trouble to remain in their homes and might help prevent future borrowers having to face higher mortgage rates to pay for others who have gone into bankruptcy.
Senator Schumer also proposed recently that the Federal Home Loan Bank should stop lending money to mortgage companies that base their borrowing on risky mortgages such as "option-ARMs" in which homebuyers have the option of skipping payments on their Adjustable Rate Mortgage-and going further into debt. If FHLB lending met the guidance issued earlier this year by the Federal Reserve Board-and adopted by other federal financial regulators such as the Office of Thrift Supervision and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-concerning "exotic" home loans, it would prevent risky mortgages from being over-marketed to people who should avoid them and would provide an incentive for lenders to modify risky mortgages to safe, affordable and sustainable loan products for their borrowers.
Assemblyman Rory Lancman summarized the mortgage crisis nicely in Newsday on Nov. 23: "Too many borrowers were lent too much money at too high interest rates through brokers too interested in their own profit margins in order to feed the appetites of lenders and mortgage-backed securities investors too hungry for high returns to see that the whole scheme was, well, too good to be true." Lancman proposes that mortgage brokers should be legally obligated to act in the best interest of borrowers and that mortgages should be offered with at least as much plain disclosure of their costs as is already required for a credit card.
In last month's Prelude, we listed incorrect Web sites for two resources:
- For help to avoid losing your home, call Kisha Wright at the LIHP (631-435-4710) or the foreclosure prevention hotlines established by Nassau County (516-571-HOME) and Suffolk County (631-853-4800). Those off-island, can get free foreclosure-avoidance counseling referrals by calling NeighborWorks at 888-995-HOPE or by visiting their Web site: www.foreclosurehelpandhope.org.
- To report suspected fraud or incompetence on the part of realtors or appraisers, visit the Department of State's Website: www.dos.state.ny.us/cnsl/complain.html.
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A WORD OR TWO OF THANKS
Sara C. Weiss, Director of Development
We thank the following for their generous support in October, and for the blessings these gifts bring to the people in need whom we serve:
| Congregational Church of Manhasset | $1,000 Use where most needed |
| Episcopal Diocese of Long Island | $7,000 Annual Support |
| First Presbyterian Church of Freeport | $500 Use where most needed |
| Garden City Community Church | $2,400 Emergency Food, Unrestricted |
| Gloria Dei Evangelical Lutheran Church | $600 Use where most needed |
| Islamic Center of Long Island | $500 Emergency Food |
| Metro NY Synod Women of the ELCA | $500 Women at the Well |
| Presbytery of Long Island | $6,000 Emergency Food |
| Community Church of Syosset | $500 Use where most needed |
| Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church | $700 Use where most needed |
| United Way of Long Island | $1,633 monthly Allocation & Special Distributions |
| United Way Special Distribution | $744 Annual Gift |
| United Way Special Distribution | $744 Annual Gift Match |
| Washington Mutual Bank (WAMU) | $2,000 Multi-Faith Forum |
We also thank the many other individuals who made donations but asked that we not publish their names, and we thank the institutions that gave less than $500. We are grateful for all of these gifts, each and every one of which enables us to continue our mission to serve Long Islanders in need.
Most Urgent Need
Although home heating oil is not normally among the social services we provide, we have been inundated with requests for fuel assistance. 20 people asked us for help in one week. (This was at the beginning of November when we had the first cold snap of the winter.) We had to turn them all away.
United Way provides fuel assistance through Project Warmth up to $200/family once a year. At current prices, that would pay for about a week's worth of fuel, and Project Warmth funds do not become available until December. The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) does not open until December, and the Department of Social Services has very limited assistance.
Clearly the gap between the needs and resources is huge and growing. We need gifts totaling $1,500 to help ten families with fuel assistance.
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. Call Sara for a list. We also have planned giving opportunities that will sustain these programs in perpetuity.
Our Website Address
We've simplified our website address. You can now access it at: www.liccny.org. If you have bookmarked our old website address, you can still access it through that address.
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TAX FREE DISTRIBUTIONS FROM IRA'S TO CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS
The Pension Protection Act of 2006 is one of the most significant changes we thought would interest donors who give to charitable organizations; it is that individuals who are 70 ½ or older can now make tax-free distributions from their IRA's for charitable purposes. This opportunity is available only through the end of December unless extended by Congress.
Donating your IRA distributions to charity will allow you to direct your required minimum distribution proceeds (or more, up to $100,000) to the Long Island Council of Churches and/or other charitable organizations. This can benefit you because it will reduce your earned income, although you cannot deduct these charitable contributions from your IRA on your income taxes.
We believe this is a great opportunity for you, the Long Island Council of Churches, and other charitable organizations you support. Some individuals are sufficiently comfortable financially that they do not need their required minimum distributions, although because it is required, you must take them. If you normally make charitable contributions, please consider making them directly from your IRAs. Here are some limitations that should be considered:
- The donor must be at least 70 ½ when making the gift.
- The maximum allowable is $100,000 per taxpayer per year.
- The law applies to gifts made only in 2006 and 2007, unless extended by Congress.
- The recipient charity must be an organization described in section 170(b)(1)(A) (other than an organization described in section 509(a)(3) or a donor advised fund as defined in Section 4966(d)(2).) Public charities would be qualified, but supporting organizations, donor-advised funds or private foundations are NOT qualified.
- The law does NOT apply to distributions from employer-sponsored retirement plans, including SIMPLE IRAs and simplified employee pensions (SEPs).
- When making the tax-free distribution from your IRA to the charity, the distribution must be directly from your IRA to the charity as an alternate payee.
- You must keep receipts of the charitable contributions from the charity for your tax records.
Please contact your tax advisor and financial representative to discuss this further before executing your contribution.
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IDEAS YOU CAN USE
- Put Your Mission in Your Photo Directory
- Community Massapequa United Methodist Church found a nice way to celebrate a congregation's connection to mission projects, missionaries you support, or kids you sponsor in a mission school somewhere: put their photos in your parish photo directory.
- Souper Bowl Sunday
- Last winter more than 11,000 congregations from 50 denominations took part in the Souper Bowl of Caring. They asked each worshiper for $1 to feed the hungry on Super Bowl Sunday, raising more than $3 million dollars for soup kitchens and emergency food pantries, plus substantial donations of canned goods. In doing this, they also encouraged people to remember our neighbors in need even after the Christmas-Hanukkah-New Year's Eve season has passed. Will your congregation take part in Souper Bowl this year? The MICAH interfaith anti-hunger campaign encourages you to consider doing so! And please consider collecting food and money for the LICC's pantries. Information on the Souper Bowl of Caring is available at 1-800-358-SOUP or www.souperbowl.org.
- Recovery Sunday
- Thousands of 12-step support groups help people recover from alcoholism, drug abuse, compulsive gambling, and many other addictive behaviors.
The granddaddy of them all, Alcoholics Anonymous, was an ecumenical endeavor from the beginning: the founders were a Methodist and an Episcopalian who based the Twelve Steps on the way the Oxford Movement tackled religious renewal. Churches and other houses of worship host most of these groups today, and there is a spiritual component to recovery, but many recovering addicts find it difficult to re-enter sanctuaries, even after they have been clean and sober for years.
The Rev. Louise Stowe-Johns has found a way to celebrate those in recovery and to help make it easier for folks who meet in the basement to come upstairs into the sanctuary. Recently at East Norwich United Methodist Church and 1st UMC in Amityville, her Recovery Sunday worship used Steps 1 through 3 to invite people to prayer: "We admitted we were powerless over ours sins. . . We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God. . ." A litany based on Steps 4-7 called the congregation to confession: "We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings." The Prayers of the People concluded with the Serenity Prayer, which is recited at the end of countless self-help meetings ("God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change...."). Prayers for Healing and anointing of the sick followed the Serenity Prayer.
The morning's message was testimony offered by those in recovery, including a speaker from Anchor House, a United Methodist treatment center in Brooklyn that grew out of the ministry of the Assemblies of God. The Response to the Word was based on the 11th and 12th Steps: "We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God. . ."
Other congregations have offered "12 Step Sunday School," a series of adult education sessions based on the Steps. Maybe you'd like to try something such as this yourself?
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TV WORTH WATCHING: "The Birth of Christ", "David Broza at Masada", "Saving Grace", "A Saint for Our Times," & "Frontline"
The Birth of Christ
Christmas music on television tends to be like all too many holiday worship services: a repetition of what is comfortable and familiar. Shouldn't we include something completely unexpected when we proclaim that God has done the unimaginable, that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among use, full of grace and truth…"? Hats off to WLIW, Long Island's public television station, for bringing us the international premiere of Andrew T. Miller's cantata, The Birth of Christ.
Yours truly must confess that he is not a great fan of modern art or modern composers, but I was pleasantly surprised to find The Birth of Christ refreshingly lyrical, accessible, and ecumenical. Filmed at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, a block from the place where the Catholic George Handel used the Protestant choirs of Christ Church and St. Patrick's Cathedral to unveil "Messiah" in 1742, this concert brings together these historic Protestant choirs with the Catholic singers of St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral. Crossing sectarian divisions, they create wonderful music together.
Miller, the music director at the Federal Way (Washington) United Methodist Church, uses a text by an Irish-born Catholic priest, Father William Treacy, who did pioneering interfaith dialogues with Rabbi Raphael Levine in Seattle. Between songs, actor Liam Neeson narrates Luke's version of the Nativity, including important parts of the story that are heard too seldom in holiday music, such the story of Elizabeth and Zacharias.
All the singers in this performance are good, and three soloists from the Pacific Northwest, young tenor Robert McPherson, soprano Amy Bils, and baritone John B. Cooper are simply superb. As Zacharias, for example, Cooper does some fine acting as well as singing. When the angel Gabriel announces that Elizabeth will bear a child, a stunned Cooper protests with vehemence, "How can this be? This is impossible. I am an old man. My wife is stricken!"
Miller gives this duet between Gabriel and Zacharias unusually dark, angry music that is both highly original in a Christmas cantata and highly appropriate. He also weaves traces of Jewish and Middle Eastern tunes into "Mary's Canticle," where Cooper does a short, playful, cantor-like riff. The cantata opens and closes with "One Blessed Night," soaring music that embodies the unexpected joy of the Incarnation.
The Birth of Christ reminds us that God is still at work in the ecumenical movement, joining hearts and voices into new gifts for the world. It premieres Saturday, Dec. 1, at 8 a.m. on WLIW/21 and repeats Friday, Dec. 21, at midnight. It airs various times before Christmas on public television stations across the nation.
Saving Grace
Just when the writers' strike is taking nearly everything off the air except unreal "reality" television, TNT is broadcasting four new episodes of its outstanding new series Saving Grace on Dec. 3, 10, 17, and 18 at 10 p.m. (Eastern Time). Clearly the most provocative offering of the new season, Saving Grace features a hard-drinking, hard-loving cop (played by Holly Hunter) who meets her Last Chance Angel, whose mission is to give hopeless sinners one final opportunity to turn their lives around. The other characters are all complex human beings, too: a cop who reads the Bible but spends more time in adultery than in church, a deeply religious criminologist who forgives others but has a hard time forgiving herself, a cynical killer who is willing to make amends before his date with the executioner. Saving Grace avoids easy answers and saccharine conclusions. In this series, miracles do not save us from the consequences of our actions: they allow us to confront them. In the Dec. 3 episode, death row inmate Leon Cooley makes a major turn in his religious journey. In the stunning season finale on Dec. 18, we learn why Grace is so angry with God, and she confronts a man who scarred her life. As with the other episodes, you might want to watch this one after the kids have gone to bed. For adults, though, this is powerful drama that raises profound spiritual issues. For a full review of the earlier episodes, see the July-August 2007 Prelude at www.liccny.org.
David Broza at Masada
Pledge Week, which runs December 1-9 on most public television stations, is certainly the most annoying form of programming after "reality" dating shows. At least two other Pledge specials on PBS are worth checking out, though. David Broza at Masada: The Sunrise Concert was performed at the ancient fortress of Masada in the southern Israeli desert. Israeli composer, guitarist, and singer Broza performs in English, Spanish, and Hebrew, with flamenco-tinged folk-rock melodies. He is joined in this concert by singer/songwriter Jackson Browne, Grammy Award-winner Shawn Colvin, and Arab musician Ebrahim Eid. The sun rises dramatically over the Dead Sea as Browne and Broza sing about our common humanity in "Chileno Boys." Broza and Eid perform their international Hebrew/Arabic hit "In My Heart," which Broza describes as a love song for both people and land, accompanied by a Palestinian and Israeli children's choir. Broza, Colvin, and Browne join together in "Yihye Tov" (Things Will Be Better), a song celebrating Anwar Sadat's courageous trip to Jerusalem and three decades of peace between Israel and Egypt. David Broza at Masada offers hope for peace and reconciliation at Hanukkah and Christmas, in a year where such hope is badly needed.
The program premieres Saturday, December 1 at 9:30 pm on WLIW/21 and is scheduled air again on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 5 p.m., and Monday, Dec. 3 at 2:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.
A Saint for Our Times
Pope John Paul II: A Saint for Our Times traces the key themes of the life and papacy of John Paul II, the longest-serving pope in modern history. This special airs at a time when the Vatican is completing the process of beatification, often the first step toward canonization, a procedure that mystifies most Protestants and non-Christians. Whether or not viewers agree with this understanding of sainthood, they will probably learn something new about how Catholicism decides who is a saint. It airs on Saturday, Dec. 1, at 5 p.m. on WLIW/21 and repeats on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 2 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 6, at 8:00 p.m., Friday, Dec. 7 at 1 p.m.
Frontline
Finally, on Christmas evening, the public affairs series Frontline offers its own unusual holiday fare, "A World of Good," profiling some remarkable individuals who are doing good. In Uganda, reporter Clark Boyd finds out how a San Francisco-based non-profit called Kiva is revolutionizing the world of micro-credit, and Macarena Hernandez travels to Mexico to meet a man who has rediscovered an ancient method of pottery-making that is bringing fame and prosperity to a rural village. In Poland, the Chopin International Piano Competition offers a window onto the world of young virtuosos who come to learn that there's much more to music than just playing the notes. Finally, in South Africa, a remarkable invention, a schoolyard merry-go-round that drives a water pump, provides a great leap forward for poor, rural communities in need of clean water. This edition of Frontline airs Dec. 25 at 9 p.m. (Eastern Time) on WNET/13 and most public television stations. Broadcast times in your area may vary, though, so remember to check your local listings.
-twg-
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DID YOU KNOW?
- NEWSDAY's Help-a-Family Campaign Matched by McCormick Tribune
- The McCormick Tribune Foundation matches 50 cents for every dollar raised by Newsday's annual Help-A-Family campaign. Thousands of children and families on Long Island wait in hope this holiday season. They hope that the paycheck will stretch far enough; the lights will stay on; the children will be able to eat, the rent will get paid. But unfortunately, without our help, many of those hopes will go unfulfilled.
Because Newsday and the Foundation pay all administrative fees, 100 percent of Newsday Charities donations, plus the match, go to the people who need it most. For the past 57 years, Newsday has united Long Islanders in the act of giving. In the past 7 years alone over $5 million has been granted through Newsday Charities, a fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, to local nonprofit agencies-including the Long Island Council of Churches--that help people in need. · Call Newsday at 631-843-3056 to donate by credit card.
- Student Loans Forgiven for Non-Profit Workers
- Recent and future university graduates who go to work for government, the military, or not-for-profits can have a substantial portion of their educational debt forgiven under the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007. The New York Nonprofit Press reports that after making modest repayment during ten years of full-time employment with government or a not-for-profit organization - such as the LICC - you can have the remaining amount of debt forgiven. Employment since Oct. 1, 2007, counts toward the required 120 months, which do not have to be uninterrupted.
The new law also lowers monthly loan payments on federally guaranteed student loans for everyone. For more information, visit http://loanconsolidation.ed.gov and www.finaid.org.
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Needed/offered
Needed:
- Old Clergy Robes and Stoles:
- Peter O'Neill, the Lay Speaking coordinator for the Long Island East District of the United Methodist Church, is collecting old clergy robes and stoles for pastors and lay preachers in Sierra Leone. Many receive little or no compensation, are in need of housing and face the rejection of their families for being unable to provide food and clothing for them. With little income to spare, most are unable to afford the trappings of their position - clergy robes and stoles. such simple things are looked upon as the required symbols of authority. He suspects that most churches have a few old robes hanging in a closet that could be put to good use. He will co-ordinate getting any donations to the proper location. If you would like to contribute to this effort, robes can be mailed to:
Peter O'Neill
55 Riverview Court
Oakdale, NY 11769
If a pick up is needed, please call him at (631) 750 -3488.
- Christmas gifts:
A Gift of Hope for Christmas
Over the years the Long Island Council of Churches have remained steadfast in their giving, and because of this the least fortunate among us has been able to have a Merry Christmas.
We extend our thanks for donations of:
- Nursery and layette items, dolls, trucks, games, tea sets, etc.
- Large building blocks, books, Bibles, coloring books & crayons.
- Computer games, radios, cd players, board games etc.
- Clothing for older children, hats, gloves and sweaters
Therefore, join us and don't leave a kid gift less this Christmas. Call or write with your donations and allow the less fortunate to be merry. Money should be sent to the Long Island Council of Churches office in Hempstead.
Food donations should go to the Emergency Food Center in Freeport.
- Office: 1644 Denton Green, Hempstead, NY 11550
- Emergency food Center: 450 N. Main St. Freeport - 516-868-4989
We will be signing up people who would like to receive Christmas baskets or gifts for their children in our Hempstead office and Freeport emergency food pantry Nov. 26 to Dec. 7. Distribution will be Dec. 17-21. Please bring gifts and Christmas food donations to Hempstead, Freeport (450 N. Main Street) or any LICC meeting.
- Church World Service "Depot" Needed:
- We need a new "sub-depot" somewhere in Eastern Nassau or Western Suffolk to collect Gift of the Heart Kits from 10-12 on the last Saturday in April for Church World Service, our ecumenical partner in disaster relief work. A room in your congregation or even a covered porch at your home will do fine, since we only need about 10 feet by 10 feet of space. If you can help, please call Helen Samuels at 631-744-3870 or Grace MacMillan at 516-785-3951.
Offered:
- HELP LOWERING YOUR ENERGY BILLS:
- Lower income customers can get help reducing their bills by installing cost-effective electric energy efficiency measures, through extensive in-home energy education and counseling. REAP works directly with weatherization providers, offering qualifying customers free installation of cost-effective electric energy saving measures. This program is available at no cost to those who meet the income guidelines.
Call, toll-free, 1-800-263-6786. A REAP professional will contact you to schedule your meeting or answer any questions you may have. You must be a LIPA electric customer, live in a one- to four-family dwelling, and meet the annual income guidelines, which range from $45,990 for a single person to $86,660 for a family of 8. Energy-saving and money-saving tips for everyone can be found at LIPA's Web site: http://www.lipower.org/residential/tools/.
- HELP LOWERING YOUR CONGREGATION'S ENERGY BILLS:
- The Environmental Protection Administration will send energy conservation ideas and earth-care tips to those who sign up for their Energy Star Congregations program. They also will provide links to your congregation's Web site, providing free publicity to those who are being responsible stewards of resources. In addition, the EPA offers free energy management software for your congregation and free on-line training for it. Visit energystar.gov/congregations.
And remember that LIPA offers free "energy audits" of houses of worship and parsonages/rectories/manses. You can even request a free evaluation of your buildings suitability for generating solar energy. The audit report will include suggestions for conserving energy and saving money while at the same time making your building better lit, more comfortable, and easier to maintain. Some steps are easy and affordable, such as replacing hard-to-reach incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones as the old bulbs burn out, or replacing incandescent exit sign lights with energy-miser LEDs. You will find out how much each option might cost, how soon it will pay for itself in reduced expenses, and how you may qualify for rebates. The request form for a LIPA energy audit appeared in the September Prelude and can be found on our Web site (www.liccny.org). Send it to the Neighborhood Network, 7180 Republic Airport, Farmingdale NY 11735.
- Help Sharing Housing Expenses:
- Many older homeowners on fixed incomes struggle to pay property and school taxes while many college students, young professionals, and other adults are looking for a place to live at a reasonable cost. The Family and Children's Association has a program called HomeShare/Long Island to match Nassau County homeowners who are 60 or older and have a spare bedroom with single adults at least 18 years old who are in college or working. Anyone convicted of a crime is ineligible for the program, and landlords must be the legal owner of the house to be shared and must reside in it. The program is legal because you're sharing the home, you're not putting in a separate kitchen. Rents are negotiated, usually in the $500-$600-a-month range. There is a one-time fee of $200 for both the homeowner and the home seeker to pay for a social worker's background and reference checks. The program is administered by Kathleen Petkus (516-292-1300, ext. 231) at FCA (175 Fulton Avenue, Suite 505, in Hempstead).
- Interfaith Roundtable Discussion:
- The Molloy College Institute for Christian/Jewish Dialogue is offering a free program on Sunday, December 9, at 3 p.m. in the Anselma Room of Kellenberg Hall (1000 Hempstead Avenue in Rockville Centre) with Monsignor Donald Beckmann, Rabbi Ted Tsuruoka and Andrea Honigsfeld from Molloy prompting audience discussion of opinions, beliefs, and pre-conceived ideas about other faiths. All are welcome.
- Screening of "Darfur Now" Dec. 10 in Huntington:
- The American Jewish Committee Long Island is sponsoring the Long Island premier of the documentary film Darfur Now on December 10 at 7:15 p.m. at the Cinema Arts Centre (423 Park Avenue in Huntington). The film profiles six people who are making a difference in addressing this tragic situation. It shines a ray of hope in an otherwise bleak landscape. If you are not already familiar with this film, please go to www.participate.net to learn more. The suggested donation is only $7, which attendees can consider a tax-deductible contribution, since all donations will be used to purchase solar cookers for the people in the refugee camps. To buy tickets on-line, visit http://www.kintera.org/autogen/home/default.asp?ievent=257582.
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Need a Guest preacher?
- Our Executive Director, the Rev. Tom Goodhue, has some weekends available this winter for guest preaching. You can reach him at tomgoodhue@optonline.net or 516-565-0290, ext. 206.
- Alric Kennedy, our Director of Community Resources, also does guest speaking and preaching. You can reach him at 516-565-0290, ext. 204, or alrickennedy@optonline.net.
- Barbara Harrison, the manager of our Freeport Emergency Food Center, is available for guest speaking. You can reach her at 516-868-4989.
- The Rev. Nancy Schaffer, an LICC chaplain who is ordained in the United Church of Christ, is available for guest preaching. She would be glad to speak to church groups at other times about our Women at the Well project that helps women avoid incarceration. She can be reached at 631-586-9667.
- Fran Hoyer, a deacon in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the chair of the LICC's Pastoral Care Committee, is available for guest-preaching in Western Suffolk or Eastern Nassau. You can reach her at 631-427-6526.
- Sue Terry is a graduate of New Brunswick Seminary and is a licensed preacher in the United Church of Christ (and can celebrate communion in Suffolk County). She can be reached at gterrys@aol.com or 631-751-1170.
- Jesse Glick and Kathy Burton from Church World Service, our partners in disaster response, would be glad to preach or speak about the work of CWS. Call 888-297-2767 or email jglick@churchworldservice.org.
- Tom Lyons, a member of Mt. Sinai Congregational Church (UCC) and the LICC's Public Issues Committee who is active in the Heifer Project, would be happy to speak or preach in local churches. He can be reached a 631-928-4317 or lyonheifer@aol.com.
- The Rev. Elsa Callender, a United Church of Christ clergywoman, is available for guest and supply preaching. You can reach her at 917-836-8524.
- The Rev. Max B. Surjadinata, who has served UCC congregations on Long Island and now lives in Manhattan, would be glad to speak about his experiences in Israel and Palestine with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program of the World Council of Churches. He can be reached at 212-222-1899, srjdnt@aol.com, or mbsur@yahoo.com.
- Sister Camille D'Arienzo, RSM, who has done extensive prison ministry with death-row inmates, is available for speaking and preaching. You can reach her at cherilife@aol.com or 718-366-0966.
- Beverly Furey, a retired United Methodist pastor living in Calverton, is available for guest preaching anywhere in Suffolk County. You can reach her at 631-727-3979 or RevBevGrpt@aol.com.
- The Rev. David Stevens, a retired United Methodist clergyman living in Port Washington, is available for guest-preaching and supply preaching. He can be reached at 516-883-1494.
- The Rev. Pat Sealy, a graduate of New Brunswick Theological Seminary who is ordained in the Elim International Church, is available for guest preaching. You can reach her at patsealy@optonline.net or manna0504@optonline.net.
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LONG ISLAND BLOOD SERVICES
UPCOMING COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVES FOR DECEMBER 2007
| Event Date | Site | Address | Start/End Time | Chairperson/Phone |
|---|
| 12/2/07 | Presbyterian Church of St. Albans | 190-04 119 Avenue
St. Albans 11412 | 9:30 AM
3:00 PM | David Roberts
(646) 210-3979 |
| 12/2/07 | Congregational Church of Patchogue | 95 E Main St
Patchogue 11772 | 9:00 AM
1:00 PM | Phyllis Deedy
(631)758-7296 |
| 12/3/07 | New Life Community Church | 380 Lakeland Ave
Sayville 11782 | 4:00 PM
9:30 PM | Mike Paxson
(631) 868-0648 |
| 12/8/07 | Bethel Gospel Tabernacle Church | 110-36 Guy Brewer Blvd.
Jamaica 11434 | 9:30 AM
3:00 PM | Sandra Thompson
(718) 340-7091 |
| 12/9/07 | Full Gospel Church | 4101 Austin Blvd.
Island Park 11558 | 9:00 AM
2:30 PM | Miguel Vega
(516) 432-0232 |
| 12/9/07 | Gurdwara Temple Sikh Cultural Society | 95-13 118th Street
Richmond Hill 11419 | 10:30 AM
4:00 PM | Arvind Kaur Kohli
(718) 441-1721 |
| 12/14/07 | First Baptist Church-Patchogue | 482 North Ocean Ave.
Patchogue 11772 | 3:00 PM
8:30 PM | Elizabeth Porcelli
(631) 730-7751 |
| 12/16/07 | Swaminarayan Hindu Temple | 43-38 Bowne Street
Flushing 11355 | 10:30 AM
4:00 PM | Sneh Thakkar
(516) 931-2744 |
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SCHEDULE A CONVENIENT APPOINTMENT, PLEASE CALL 1-800-933-BLOOD (2566)
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ADVERTISING IN THE PRELUDE
Each month, about 3000 copies of our newsletter The Prelude are mailed to both the clergy leaders and lay leaders of 1350 faith organizations. We also email this newsletter to 2200 religious leaders. The LICC accepts paid sponsorship ads, display ads and simple listings (classifieds). Advertising in The Prelude is a great way to reach clergy, lay leaders, and volunteers in Long Island's congregations. To receive a "media kit" with advertising rates, copy requirements, and copy deadlines, please call 516-565-0290 or email licchemp@aol.com. Congregations that join the LICC and groups that join the Friends of the LICC receive a free classified ad in thanks for paying their annual dues.
ADS:
TAIZÉ SERVICES
Second Fridays of every Month at 7:30 pm, beginning December 14, 2007
First Parish Church UCC
5267 Sound Avenue in Northville
There aren't many times when you can actually go somewhere to be silent. Come join those seeking peace, harmony and spiritual connection with the Christ of God through the simple, candle-lit worship service. To achieve this soul-quieting effect there will be singing of uncomplicated, contemplative songs, candles lighting, prayer and meditation, following in a simple order of worship. Prayerful contemplation is nurtured by the simplicity of the Taizé tradition, blending together music, word, and silence. We will be lead in song by Valerie Griggs (Spiritual Director/Singer-Songwriter)
The Labyrinth will be available for prayer walks after the Taizé Service
A free will offering will be received
"DONA NOBIS PACEM" by Vaughan Williams
Holiday music with organ, trumpets and orchestra
Tickets: $20, Students & Seniors: $18, Children under twelve: $5
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2007, at 8:00 PM
Garden City Community Church, 245 Stewart Avenue
ADVENT WORSHIP IN GERMAN
Ascension Lutheran Church, 145 Franklin Avenue in Franklin Square, is offering an Advent worship service in German, Plattdeutscher Gottesdeenst, on Sunday, Dec. 16, at 3:00 p.m.
Pastor em. Erich Behrens, from Saint Nikolai Lutheran Church in Elmshorn, Germany, guest preacher
For more information, please call 516-352-1263.
HOUSE FOR RENT
$2,250 per month - Not-For-Profit organization preferred.
Ideal For Non-Profit Residential Use/Offices/Services
3 BR, 1 ½ Bath, LR, DR, Sun Room, Kitchen, Attic, Basement, Yard
Freeport Public Schools, Low-Cost Municipal Electric
Convenient to Public Transportation, Major Roads
Contact: 1st Presbyterian Church of Freeport, 516-379-1114
PARSONAGE AVAILABLE IN OCEANSIDE
Parsonage available for rent to a member of the clergy. 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, living room, dining room, eat in kitchen, study, 2 car garage, all newly painted, with large yard. Rent $2000 per month plus utilities. Call Oceanside Lutheran Church 516-766-0136 and leave a message for our president John Maxwell
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JOB OPENINGS
Organist / Choir Director
The United Methodist Church in Huntington and Cold Spring Harbor is seeking an organist and choir director for their 400 member congregation, which has an adult choir of 15-16 singers and instrumental talent within the congregation. They have a 2-manual Wicks pipe organ built in 1955 with 25 Stops plus Mixtures that is currently being repaired and upgraded.
The position is available November 30, when the current Director of Music is leaving to take a position in the church served by her husband.
Contact the Reverend Warren S. Beaven at 631-427-0326 or Ms. Melinda McCormack, Chairperson of Staff-Parish Relations Committee, at 631-692-6179.
Organist / Choirmaster
Hempstead United Methodist Church is seeking an Organist/ Choirmaster to direct the Chancel and Children's Choirs and a Youth Orchestral Ensemble. Their worship music ranges from old-time hymns to contemporary classics. The organ is a 1968 3-manual, 45-rank Tellers Pipe Organ, which has been very well maintained. Rehearsals are Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings. Salary is negotiable. Please send resumes to:
Mrs. Hermena Fullard, Music Committee Chair
101 Thorne Avenue
Hempstead, NY 11550
Telephone: 516-486-5408
Senior Minister
Senior Minister with minimum ten years experience sought to lead active Long Island, New York, inter-denominational, 250 member church. Responsibilities include: supervision and leadership of Christian education, visitation and staff. Ideal candidate will have strong communication and organizational skills. Compensation package includes housing. Benefits and salary commensurate with experience. Qualified candidates should e-mail resume in confidence to: ccewsearch@yahoo.com.
Church Sexton
Calvary Lutheran church in East Meadow is seeking a self-motivated, efficient part-time church sexton beginning January 1. Job requires cleaning & maintenance of church and education buildings & gymnasium. Fax resume and letter of interest to 516-735-1804 or email calvarysexton@yahoo.com with "church sexton" in the subject area.
Youth Worker
Immediate opening at Calvary Lutheran Church in East Meadow for a part-time youth guide. Schedule & hours flexible. Contact Pat Schneider at 796-8155 if interested.
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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:licchemp@aol.com
Web: www.liccny.org
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