Call for Applications from ABCNJ Churches

The Public Mission Committee of the American Baptist Churches of New Jersey have received a Palmer grant in order to enhance the instruction and opportunities for language minority individuals living in New Jersey.  The proposed project will focus on preparing adults for the workplace by providing instruction and exposure to language that will be encountered in the workplace.  We seek to launch two to three English for the Workplace classes in 2010, serving a maximum of 60 adult students per semester (120 per year).  If the Pilot Project is successful and future funding is secured, we hope to expand the project to at least 5-6 sites across the state by 2011, which would enable us to serve 120 adult students per semester (240 annually).

ABCNJ Churches in covenant with the region are encouraged to apply for a grant.  Applications should be on church letterhead and be one page in length.  The letter should briefly describe the aims of your ESL ministry, key people who will be involved in the ministry and a budget outline.  The application is due by May 5, 2010.

Dr. Spitzer's Note:  Beverly and Tom have served ABCNj and ABCUSA in numerous capacities.  ABCNJ's Public Mission Committee encourages all of our churches to support the Penny Project.
 

On Sunday, February 28, the Sunday morning service at Christ Congregation included a Children’s Sermon focused on the ways that love, in little steps over the long haul, is a reflection of God’s enormous love and commitment to us. It was also a way of recognizing and honoring Beverly and Tom McNally, who celebrated their 50^th Anniversary in December, Carol and Charles McCollough (50^th last June), and Priscilla Brown, who was married to her husband Bob for 59 years before his death in 2008.

In the Children’s Sermon, each child was asked about how long they had been loved (i.e., their age) and then held up a piece of paper with the number. In our small congregation, we were hoping to get to 50 or more, and sure enough, we got to 56. Then the McNallys, McColloughs and Priscilla Brown were invited up as examples of people who had worked hard to love “over the long haul,” as God loves us.

In the fall, Beverly McNally had done a Children’s Sermon on behalf of the Social Action Committee of Christ Congregation, initiating our involvement in The Penny Project, an American Baptist Churches in the USA project originating in New Hampshire by the commitment of some children to start contributing pennies to help other children in need.  Beverly was back in church today after several weeks in the hospital due to her ongoing battle with cancer.  We had hoped to do this on Valentine’s Day, but postponed it until today for that reason.

So today, in the surprise ending to the Children’s Sermon, all the children, along with all the other members of the congregation, had been invited to bring 50 or more coins to our big Penny Project jar, simply to note that love, over time, is step by step, penny by penny, act by act.  We did not quite fill up the jar (it’s a big one!) but it went up a number of inches. 

The children of the church will be consulted in the ways that these funds should be distributed to help children in our communities.

It was a great morning, and it is a great project. Christ Congregation urges you to join in.