TABLE OF CONTENTS
From Our Executive Director:
THE SHOOTER WAS A SHRINK
Within hours of the horrific murders at Ft. Hood in Texas, Muslim friends began sending me denunciations of the killings issued by major Islamic organizations: they wanted their fellow Americans to know, whether or not we were ready to listen, that this is not what their faith teaches. Stunned soldiers likewise told reporters that they could not believe this attack had been perpetrated by one of their own. Soon we learned that the only suspect, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, was a psychiatrist, but nobody expected the AMA or the American Psych Association to hastily reassure us that this sort of violence does not represent therapy.
Why is that? Why do we demand immediate denunciations from Muslims but give physicians and therapists a free pass? Why are we not asking if Freudian theory encourages terrorism? Or why so many shrinks go crazy?
I mean no disrespect to therapists. I have done a fair amount of pastoral counseling myself and I have referred many parishioners to psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, and pastoral counselors who had training and experience that I lacked. Most therapists I know are decent, hard-working, law-abiding citizens who are a credit to their profession, but the stereotypes many people have of Muslims are equally true of shrinks: some hold extreme views, some commit serious crimes, and some are just plain nuts. The same is true of clergy.
This does not, of course, let Muslims off the hook. As one Muslim friend, Imam Khalid Lateef told me recently, "The truth is, there are too many people that call themselves `Muslim" who are doing some crazy things. These crazy acts demand that the Muslims in America and throughout the world make strong and clear statements condemning such acts and take action to rid their mosques of the type of individuals that speak words that would plant the seeds of hate that lead to these outrageous acts."
It is important for every faith community to confront evil within its ranks, and some Muslim leaders clearly incite violence, but they are a tiny minority within their religion, and Islamic organizations have learned that they must oppose any acts of terrorism loud and clear. I only wish that my people were as quick to condemn extremism among us. We are, after all, the folks who gave the world the Crusades, the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and the invasion of Iraq. I'm quick to point out that we Methodist weren't around during the Crusades, helped make peace in Ulster, and opposed the invasion as an unjust war, but the President and Vice President who led us into this unholy slaughter are both United Methodists, so my denomination can hardly duck some responsibility for this murderous misadventure. As the Quran teaches, "Do not turn away from the truth, even when it forces you to testify against yourself."
It is not just that we Christians tend to see violence to Islam rather than our own religion - we also have been miseducated to see religion itself as the source of strife. William T. Cavanaugh, professor of theology at the University of St. Thomas, argues in his new book The Myth of Religious Violence (Oxford University Press, 2009) that those who see faith as irrational and prone to violence generally ignore the far more widespread slaughter promoted by nationalism, which may be the most powerful theology of this or any other nation. Seeing Third-World people as adherents of dangerous faiths justified colonial violence. Few Americans today would kill others in the name of Christ, Cavanaugh points out, but many people in many lands are willing to kill those whom their nation labels enemies.
If we can question the myth of religious violence, Cavanaugh concluded in his recent Rudin Lecture at Auburn Theological Seminary, we may be able to move away from violence itself. This year, as Christians along with Muslims, Bahais, Unitarian Universalists, and lots of other folks celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, may we make room in our hearts for him to "come to us, abide with us" as the old carol says. May we truly become peacemakers, the people whom He called blessed.
Shalom/Salaam/Shanti/Pax,
Tom
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DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Sara C. Weiss, Director of Development
Special thanks to an anonymous donor who gave $20,000 toward the third Riverhead staff position for 2010, and to two other individuals who gave $1,000 and $500 in much-needed unrestricted gifts. And we thank the following institutional donors for their gifts of $500 or more:
| Reformed Church of Locust Valley | $2,000 Use where needed most |
| Roslyn Plaza Housing Association | $3,000 Use where needed most |
| Roslyn Presbyterian Church | $3,000 Use where needed most |
| Setauket United Methodist Church | $1,000 Use where needed most |
| TD Bank Charitable Foundation | $5,000 Predatory Lending Prevention |
| Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Huntington | $1,391 MICAH |
| Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church | 2,000 Emergency Food Program |
| Women's Club/Congregational Church of Manhasset | $500 Emergency Food Program |
We also thank the institutions that gave less than $500, and all of our individual donors, though we do not list them because they have asked to remain anonymous.
Help Us Help Your Neighbors in Need
Remember that you can take a tax deduction for any donation you make to the LICC by Dec. 31. You can also deduct a gift that you charge to your VISA or MasterCard by Dec. 31 if you call 516-565-0290 with the relevant information, even though the bill will not arrive until January.
And up until Dec. 31, any funds transferred ("rolled over") from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) are exempt from taxable income, which can save donors on taxes while also yielding badly needed gifts for charities such as the LICC. The following limitations apply:
- The donor must be age 70½ or older.
- The cap on annual IRA rollovers is $100,000.
- The contribution must be a direct gift to a charity (rather than a planned gift such as a charitable annuity).
You can also avoid capital gains taxes by directly transferring appreciated property, such as stocks and bonds, which may be a good thing to do even if your portfolio is down.
Other Giving Incentives
People who use their vehicles for disaster relief can deduct 41 cents per mile through the end of 2009. The rates have been 14 cents per mile for charitable activities and 58.5 cents for business activities. Volunteers can also exclude from their income reimbursements from charities for use of their vehicles up to the amount of the standard business rate through the end of 2009.
The following additional provisions were also reinstated and extended through 2009:
- Extension of enhanced charitable deduction for contributions of food inventory
- Enhanced charitable deduction for contributions of book inventories to public schools
- Extension of enhanced deduction for corporate contributions of computer equipment for educational purposes
This information comes from the Association of Fundraising Professionals website. Please consult your tax advisor before acting upon this information.
Most Urgent Need
Our most urgent need for the Christmas season is store gift cards for older children ages 13 through 18 both in Nassau and Suffolk. Though we've always had generous donations of toys and other items for the little ones, older children often get left out. We assume that's because donors don't know what they would like to have.
This year we ask that donors to our Christmas programs give gift cards we can distribute to teenagers so they can buy teenager-type items such as electronic hand-held games, board games, clothing, boots, sneakers, and other items more suited to older kids. Gift cards could be from Target, Wal-Mart's, Best Buy, Timberland's, Macy's, Bloomingdales, Sports Authority, Modell's, clothing stores, etc. We are not endorsing any of these stores - just trying to come up with ideas we think will work for teenagers.
We especially like this solution because it's based on the same model as our newly implemented Client Choice program we use to distribute food from our Freeport Emergency Food Center. Like Client Choice, gift cards confer the dignity of personal choice for the people we serve (and their parents), and it also means donors don't have to scratch their heads trying to figure out what a teenager might want for Christmas. Then we can distribute gift cards according to each family's personal preferences so family members of all ages can have Christmas gifts.
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.
Save on Taxes
Remember that you can take a tax deduction for any check you write to the LICC by Dec. 31. You can also deduct a gift that you charge to your VISA or MasterCard by Dec. 31 if you call 516-565-0290 with the relevant information, even though the bill will not arrive until January.
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IDEAS YOU CAN USE
How to Welcome Immigrants
Several people asked this question at our recent lunch at 1st Baptist Church of Riverhead on how to teach and preach about immigration issues. Here are several ideas we surfaced:
- You might offer English as a Second Language classes, for which there is a tremendous desire among immigrants and not nearly enough classes.
- You might ask those who attend such classes to teach Spanish as a Second Language or other languages in your congregation.
- Volunteers from your congregation might offer English Conversation for an hour once or twice a week, to help immigrants who already know some English to become more proficient - an option that does not require ESL teacher training, just a willingness to chat with new neighbors.
- You might consider offering bilingual worship occasionally or starting a worship service in another language. The new LICC directory will include an updated list of all such services we have found thus far, which will give you a clue whether your community might need such a worship service.
- You might offer to share your sanctuary with an immigrant congregation that needs space. The LICC often helps match those who need space with those who would be glad to have someone else use it - and to help maintain the building.
- You could post an "Immigrants Welcome Here" sign - Kirby Einhorn at Long Island Wins (kirbyliw@gmail.com) would be glad to send you some.
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WORTH QUOTING
Affirm Others First
"With yourself, a child, or a church, first affirm before criticizing. . . . It might be good, for example, when you lead prayer to offer thanks for those in your flock who do good, for all the blessings rendered by members of the church."
--Tony Campolo, Bible Korean United Methodist Church in Dix Hills, Oct. 24, 2009
The Search for Christian Unity
"The search for Christian unity is very costly, as well as slow and painful. And yet there is hope for the quest of church unity by God's grace. . . . The unity of the Church will be achieved only if we, with repentance, humility and discernment, return to our common sources of the undivided church. . . . We are all the people of God. And despite our being divided God's grace reaches out to all God's children."
--Metropolitan Gennadios of Sassima, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople & Vice-Moderator of the World Council of Churches, WCC News Service, Oct. 12, 2009
Being Religious vs. Being a Friend of God
"Religion is, I think, one of the biggest hindrances to finding God. God described Abraham as a friend. . . . I want to know God in a relationship that one day he will describe as a friendship."
--Anne Graham Lotz (Billy Graham's daughter), United Methodist Reporter Oct. 9, 2009
The Limits of Science
"Science will certainly not shed any light on what it means to love someone, what it means to have a spiritual dimension to our existence, nor will it tell us much about the character of God."
--Francis Collins, director of the Human Genome Project and a theistic evolutionist, quoted by Edward J. Larson in Evolution (Modern Library).
Wishing Others a Merry Christmas
"I am a Jew, and every one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it doesn't bother me even a little bit . . . when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year."
--Ben Stein, CBS Sunday Morning Commentary
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DID YOU KNOW?
- Our Executive Director is included in the 2010 edition of Who's Who in America.
- While congregations across the nation face many challenges in the current recession - as does the Long Island Council of Churches - only 30% suffered a decline in giving in the first half of 2009, according to the 2009 Congregational Economic Impact Study, a joint project of the Alban Institute and the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving. Donations are up, in fact, at 37% of congregations.
- St. Martin's School in Amityville recently was recognized by the US Dept. of Environmental Protection as an Energy Star School for its efforts to conserve energy
- The Cenacle Retreat House in Ronkonkoma recently broke ground for a new "green," LEED-certified building.
- The Community Synagogue in Port Washington has reduced its use of electricity in its sanctuary by 86% by switching to more efficient lighting, and has reduced its electricity bills even though it recently added a two-story, air-conditioned early childhood education building.
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WORTH READING: "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers' new non-fiction book "Zeitoun" tells the moving tale of Abdulrahman Zeitoun, an immigrant from Syria, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Zeitoun settled in New Orleans, built a successful business as a painter and contractor, became a proud citizen of the USA, married a remarkable American woman, raised four terrific kids, and spent a week paddling his canoe through his ruined city, rescuing his stranded neighbors and their starving pets while FEMA, National Guardsmen, and other governmental officials abandoned them. He is exactly the sort of neighbor you wish you had when disaster strikes - particularly if you are an elderly pastor and your government refuses to lift a finger to save you. You may have thought you heard it all about how thoroughly the powers that be failed to respond to the chaos that descended on the Gulf Coast, but you have not heard the half of it.
Rather than applaud Zeitoun's selfless heroism, the authorities see him and three friends (two of them Anglos) as possible Al Qaeda operatives - I'm not making this up - and jail them without needed medical care, without allowing them to call a lawyer, and without telling them the charges against them. Eventually Zeitoun is accused of possession of stolen property (his own belongings found in a home he owns) and bail is set at $75,000 - but he is again denied a call to let anyone know where he is so they can bail him out. When a prison ministry volunteer, a Christian layperson, defies prison rules to get word to Kathy Zeitoun that her husband is alive, prosecutors refuse to tell her where he is being held, how she can see him, or where the court is that will try his case. She hires an attorney and gathers character witnesses, but they are denied an opportunity to testify, and she is told that he will be freed if he pleads guilty to a crime he did not commit and pays a $10,000 fine.
Zeitoun refuses to lie or pay for his wrongful incarceration and all charges against him are dropped, after being held for 23 days. Someone from the DA's office returns his wallet, though his credit cards and cash are missing. His friend Nossir is held for eight months and robbed of his entire life savings. Their two white friends are jailed for five months and nine months and they too are robbed, both by those who arrested them and by looters, since the arresting officers fail to lock or secure their homes. One of them later admits that he routinely looted himself in the wake of the hurricane.
There are lessons aplenty in this book, but three stand out:
- heed mandatory evacuation orders, as Zeitoun wishes he had done,
- it takes very little risk to help right many wrongs, like the compassion shown by the prison ministry volunteer and the ADA, and
- immigrants and Muslim-Americans endure injustice that the rest of us cannot imagine.
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WAYS TO SAVE ON TAXES IN 2009
The 10% tax credit for energy saving home improvements has been expanded in 2009 to apply to biomass fuel stoves and includes installation of skylights, windows, outside doors and high-efficiency furnaces, water heaters and central air conditioning.
Those with lower incomes can get higher child tax credits in 2009.
Several key ceilings on retirement plans are higher:
- The maximum 401(k) contribution rises to $ 16,500 in 2009, up $ 1,000. Individuals born before 1960 can put in as much as $ 22,000. These contribution limitations apply to 403 (B) and 457 plans as well.
- The ceiling on SIMPLE will go to $ 11,500. Folks age 50 or older in '09 can put in $ 2,500 more.
- There's no change in the pay-in limits for IRAs and Roth IRAs. The limits remain at $ 5,000 plus $ 1,000 more for anyone born in 1959 or earlier.
The costs of setting up a guardianship for an Alzheimer's patient may be deductible as a medical expense. This includes attorney fees to establish the guardianship as well as mileage expense for driving to the lawyer's office.
This information comes from the IRS, but check with your tax adviser before taking action. And remember that donations to charities such as the LICC are tax-deductible!
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DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT?
The EITC is a refundable federal income tax credit that returns Federal and State government dollars to working families and individuals. However, thousands of Long Island tax credits go unclaimed every year. In 2008, close to $8 billion in EITC refunds went unclaimed. The IRS reports that 20 to 25 percent of eligible Long Island workers miss out on thousands of dollars every year because they fail to claim their EITC.
For hardworking families, the amount of money refunded can be considerable. For 2009, a single parent raising three or more children with an income of less than $43,279 (or $48,279 for a married couple filing jointly) can get an EITC refund of up to $7,354.
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NEEDED/OFFERED
Needed:
- Pinch-Hitting Newsletter Editor
- The LICC needs someone familiar with Publisher or Pagemaker who can edit the January issue of The Prelude while our newsletter editor recovers from surgery. Could you put together an issue if we email you the material? If so, please contact Tom Goodhue at 516-565-0290 or tomgoodhue@optonline.net.
- Volunteers, Toys, and Christmas Baskets
- The LICC needs volunteers before Christmas in our Hempstead office, Monday through Wednesday between 9:00 and 4:30. If you would like to help, please call Yolanda Murray at 516-565-0290.
- Donations for toys and Christmas baskets are needed in both Nassau & Suffolk, particularly toys for teenagers. If you can help, please call Carolyn Gumbs at 631-727-2210 or Yolanda Murray at 516-565-0290.
- Someone Driving South This Winter
- Church World Service, our ecumenical partner in disaster response, has issued an urgent appeal for “Gift of the Heart” disaster relief kits. If your church assembles kits, they would love to receive them before the usual late-April collection date. Are you driving south this winter? Could you take some kits with you to New Windsor, Maryland (about 30 miles north of Baltimore, between Gettysburg and Baltimore)? If so, please contact Kathy Burton, associate director of CWS for Long Island, at 860-598-9194, 888-297-2767, or kburton@churchworldservice.org. Please let her know, too, if your church has some kits ready to go. Information on how to assemble CWS kits can be found at www.churchworldservice.org.
- Kidney Donor
- Recently a member of Bellmore Presbyterian Church who volunteers with the Long Island Multi-Faith Forum did something extraordinary: she donated one of her kidneys so that another person might live a long, healthy life. A member of Garden City Community Church needs a similar act of generosity. Irene Torino’s kidney function has deteriorated to the state where she needs the gift of a kidney from a donor as soon as possible. Her family is small and her relatives have all been medically excluded as possible donors. The decision to be a living kidney donor is a personal choice that requires introspection and reflection. The first step as a potential donor is to fill out a medical questionnaire or contact the number below. It takes only a few minutes. Donors must be in good health, from 21 to 60, and those with type O blood may be able to do a simpler, direct donation rather than a more complicated “paired exchange.” For further information, contact Irene M. Torino at 516-248-8213 or imt102@optonline.net or Karen or Maureen at New York Presbyterian Hospital’s Renal Transplantation Unit, 212-305-6469.
- Parsonage Needed
- An interim pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is seeking a parsonage in Nassau, Western Suffolk, or Queens for two parents, two college-age children, and a cat. They need 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Contact nb605c@aol.com OR 516-754-8176.
- Bus and Bus Driver Christmas Morning
- Bayport United Methodist Church needs a bus and a CDL-licensed driver on Christmas morning around 10:30-11:00 to transport people to a Christmas dinner the church offers to all who need a meal or fellowship. If you can provide either a driver, a vehicle, or both, please contact Denise Darling at seadee03@yahoo.com or 631-885-5395. Or you may contact the church secretary at 631-472-0770 Tuesday through Thursday 9am-4pm.
Offered:
- Spanish-Language Finance Seminar in Dix Hills on Nov. 30
- The LICC is presenting a program in Spanish for parents in Dix Hills on Monday, November 30 at 7:30 p.m. Topics will include how to set a family budget, how to reduce household expenses, and how to manage credit. This program will be in the Fran Greenspan Administration Center of the Half Hollow School District, 525 Half Hollow Road in Dix Hills, 631-592-3000
- Free Foreclosure Consultation Clinic Dec. 15 in Mineola
- The Nassau Bar Association is offering a Mortgage Foreclosure Consultation Clinic on Tuesday, Dec. 15, from 4 to 6 p.m. at 15th & West Streets in Mineola, a block south of Old Country Road. Volunteers from the Bar Assn. will give Nassau homeowners facing foreclosure free individual consultations, and housing counselors from the Nassau County Homeownership Center, a bankruptcy attorney, and a representative of Nassau/Suffolk Law Services also will be on hand. The clinic is free but reservations are required. Please call 516-747-4070 and please remember to bring your mortgage documents.
- Free Christmas Dinner
- Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Huntington Station will have a gala, free dinner on Christmas Day from noon to 2:00 at 22 East 18th Street, one block east of Route 110 (New York Ave.), with turkey, lights, music, a special treat for children, and gifts for all. For more info, please call 631-271-2466.
- Free Worship Resources for Advent
- The World Council of Churches has liturgical resources for the four Sundays in Advent that can be downloaded for free from http://www.oikoumene.org/advent. New York Interfaith Power and Light recommends the Advent candle-lighting liturgy developed by the Rev. Jan McClary Rowell, a member of the Troy Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. It provides material for each Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve. It can be downloaded for free as a Word document from www.nyipl.org/congregation/thru_the_year.html
- Hammond Organ
- A member of Grace Lutheran Church in Mastic Beach would like to donate a 1954 Hammond Organ. If you are interested, please call the church office at 631-281-8196.
- Use of Mercer and Immaculate Conception Theological Library
- The Episcopal Diocese of Long Island allows those who are not members of the Diocese to use Mercer Library in Garden City, provided that they register and guarantee return of borrowed materials. The Library has been recently reorganized and has made its catalog available on-line at youseemore.com/gmercer. The Library is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 9:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 to 3:00 and by appointment other times on Tuesdays and Thursdays if you call 516-248-4800, ext. 39 or email cegleston@dioceseli.org.
- Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington also extends library privileges to local clergy. They are particularly proud of their collection of books on Paul’s letters.
- Help with Heating Bills
- Project Warmth, United Way of Long Island’s emergency heating assistance program, will open sometime around Dec. 1. It provides one-time aid of up to $400 for fuel and/or $100 for fuel-related electricity bills. The LICC can help residents of Suffolk, Nassau, or the Rockaways to apply for Project Warmth, and if our locations are not convenient, our staff can direct people to another agency near them. Applicants must
- have a heating and/or fuel-related electricity bill in their name that is severely overdue, pending disconnection, or terminated,
- demonstrate financial hardship and provide acceptable explanation for their arrears,
- apply first for Emergency HEAP if eligible (which holds off termination for 30 days, allowing the customer to apply for Project Warmth and negotiate a payment plan with the utility or fuel supplier).
Agencies that process applications are listed at www.unitedwayli.org. For further information, call United Way at 631-940-3757.
- Low income households also may be eligible for the Home Energy Assistance Program or Emergency HEAP. The income limits vary with family size from $2,030 gross monthly income for a single person to $6,029 for a family of 11, for example. For more information in Nassau County, or to request an application, call 516-565-HEAP (4327). In Suffolk call 631-853-8825. Or call the New York State HEAP Hotline at 1-800-342-3009. Seniors may be able to apply via mail or telephone or in person at the Suffolk Dept. of the Aging (631-853-8326) or the Nassau Dept. of Senior Citizen Affairs (516-227-7386) rather than the Dept. of Social Services.
DSS also may be able to pay up to four months utility arrears (a “one shot”) though this must be paid back later.
- National Grid customers may be able to receive $400 off their back gas bills though the On-Track program (1-800-298-7715).
- Those who qualify for LIPA’s REAP program (1-800-263-6786) may be able to save a considerable amount of money through energy conservation measures, which can pay for anything from free light bulbs to a free refrigerator. In addition, the Long Island Power Authority is giving a $200 credit toward electricity bills for customers who are 62 or older and who meet income criteria, such as having less than $23,556 in annual income for a single person or $30,804 for a couple. Further info is available at www.lipower.org/residential/seniors.html.
- Scholarships for Organizing Blood Drives
- Here's a unique way to raise college funds for high school and college students, grandchildren, or neighbors: help a student organize a community blood drive. Simply invite friends, family, teachers, co-workers, and religious leaders to the blood drive. Collect 30 or more pints and the student will receive a $250 or $500 scholarship. Last summer, more than 50 students organized
blood drives, earning more than $10,000 in college scholarships. To participate, students must host their blood drive between December 13, 2009 and January 31, 2010. For more information, please send your name, the student's name, address, town, phone number and school name to: LIScholarship@nybloodcenter.org or call Natalie Barnofsky at 516-478-5006. If you cannot donate, but still wish to bring life-saving aid to those in need, please consider volunteering at a local blood drive. For additional information about volunteering, please e-mail Natalie Barnofsky at NBarnofsky@nybloodcenter.org
- Free Counseling for Soldiers and Their Families
- The Soldiers Project, which started in California and is now on Long Island, is a group of volunteer psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, marriage counselors, and family therapists who provide free, confidential counseling for military service members of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and for their families. Veterans and their wives, husbands, children, parents, and other loved ones are all affected by military service and the challenges of returning home. Project Soldier can make the transitions easier. For further information, call (toll free) 1-877-576-5343, email info@thesoldiersproject.org, or visit www.thesoldiersproject.org.
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LONG ISLAND BLOOD SERVICES’ DECEMBER BLOOD DRIVES
| 12/5/09 | Bethel Gospel Tabernacle Church, 110-36 Guy Brewer Blvd., Jamaica | 9:30 - 3:00 |
| 12/7/09 | New Life Community Church, 380 Lakeland Ave., Sayville | 4:00 - 9:30 |
| 12/27/09 | Full Gospel Church, 4101 Austin Blvd., Island Park | 9:00 - 2:30 |
Call 1-800-933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org to verify the date and time of the blood drive.
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ADVERTISING IN THE PRELUDE
Each month we mail about 3000 copies of our newsletter The Prelude to the clergy leaders and lay leaders of 1350 faith organizations. We also email this newsletter to 2200 religious leaders and post it on our Web site (www.liccny.org), which receives more than 2000 visitors each month. Filled with timely articles, news briefs, updates and notices affecting Long Island's communities and churches and the wider world, The Prelude is a must read for all who would "work together to improve Long Island and promote interfaith understanding and cooperation." 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 tomgoodhue@optonline.net. 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.
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ADS & ANNOUNCEMENTS:
JOB OPENING: Executive Director, Long Island United Campus Ministries
Long Island United Campus Ministries, Inc. (LIUCM) is seeking a part-time Director to oversee its operations and mission in serving ministries at C.W. Post College, Hofstra University, and Stony Brook University. The Director reports to the LIUCM Executive Board and is expected to direct all affairs, including administration and finances, of LIUCM; attend all LIUCM Executive Board meetings (approximately six per year); develop the Board of Directors through active recruitment of denominational and local campus ministry board members; maintain and develop relationships with denominational representatives; be support to, provide resources for, and remain in regular contact with LIUCM campus ministries; seek the active involvement and support of denominations not presently part of LIUCM; and help to discover new ways to implement and fund campus ministry. For a complete position description, please e-mail kerhardt@optonline.net. The applicant may be clergy or laity. He/she should submit a résumé that attests to his/her competence in filling the position and a statement describing his/her interest in campus ministry. Applications should be mailed to Long Island United Campus Ministries, Inc., c/o The Community Church, 36 Church St., Syosset, NY 11791.
TAIZE EXPERIENCE
Saturday, December 5, 4:00-5:00 pm; Taize Worship Service at 5:30 pm
Mt Sinai Congregational UCC Church, 233 North Country Rd, Mt Sinai
This is a free event but the workshop prior to the service will only be held if 20 people register. To register or get further info, please call 631-821-2255, visit www.parishresourcecenter.org/lieast, or email info@prcli.org.
“THE CASE FOR CHRISTMAS” DEC. 6 IN SAYVILLE
“The Case for Christmas”
Author Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg
New Life Community Church
December 6
6:15 PM Christmas music and refreshments
7:00 PM the simulcast will begin.
Finish time is scheduled for 8:30PM
Bring your friends who are tired of commercial Christmas and the skeptics who could use an intelligent look at historical evidence.
380 Lakeland Ave., Sayville, NY 11782, info@nlcc-li.com
NO CHARGE / FREE WILL OFFERING
FREE “MESSIAH” CONCERT DEC. 11
Handel's Messiah, Part I, with singers from St. John's United Methodist Church of Elmont and other churches, at the Brooks Memorial United Methodist Church, 143-22 109th Avenue in Jamaica, NY, on Friday evening, December 11, 7:30 PM. Doors open at 7 PM for seating. There is no charge and everyone is invited.
CHRISTMAS CONCERT DEC. 12 IN EAST MEADOW
Holy Trinity Orthodox Church (369 Green Avenue in East Meadow) invites one and all to its annual Christmas Concert on Saturday, December 12, at 7:00 PM. The Holy Trinity Choir will sing Orthodox hymns and traditional carols for Christmas. Refreshments will follow the concert. The concert and reception are free, but a free-will offering will be received to support Emmaus House in Harlem. For more information, call 516-483-3649 or visit www.htocem.org.
JIM FORBES TO SPEAK AT MLK BREAKFAST JAN. 18
The Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes Jr., the emeritus senior pastor of the Riverside Church, will be the keynote speaker for 25th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast sponsored by 1st Baptist Church of Riverhead on Monday, January 18, at 8 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Wind Watch Hotel in Hauppauge. For tickets ($50 requested donation) call 631-727-3446 Tuesday through Friday 10 to 6. Tickets must be reserved by Dec. 31.
HEALTHY CONGREGATIONS FACILITATORS TRAINING EVENT
January 20-21, 2010, Koinonia Retreat Center, Highland Falls, NY.
Participants completing the 15 hours of training are certified to present the Healthy Congregations program to any congregation. For details, contact Rev. John A. Jurik at 631-271-3581 or jjurik@optonline.net.
LONG ISLAND COUNCIL OF CHURCHES - CHRISTMAS OF HOPE
We will be accepting applications for families needing assistance with toys and gifts December 1 thru December 11, 10am-4 pm (Please bring two forms of ID).
Donations of New Gifts needed! (Toys & Clothing for all ages)
Thank you for your assistance
Long Island Council of Churches, 1644 Denton Green
Hempstead, NY 11550 - (516) 565-0290
Priority will be given to families with no income or on a fixed income on a first come, first served basis and a waiting list for more fortunate working families.
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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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