Now it Feels Like Christmas!

Sunday we had our annual Christmas Pageant, and what a wonderful day it was.  The weather threatened to undo all our best-laid plans.  After an epic snowfall on Saturday it turned to icy rain overnight.  The parking lot and sidewalks were a skating rink at 7 am.  But a heroic effort from our man Donald, who even brought a friend to help, the sidewalks were cleared and the snowplow came through one more time to scrape off the ice.
Before they were even done, the cars started arriving to drop off excited children who would become sheep, and angels and contestants and singers!  Denise Schutz and her team herded the sheep into the room where they put on their costumes and got ready for the big event.  I was rushing around trying to stay calm so I could calm the nerves of others.  But I must admit I was nervous, especially about our big surprise.

The surprise was that one of the children in the pageant was going to call a friend for help on a trivia question, like they used to do on the "Millionaire" show.  When Steve Bauer asked Tess Fuqua (whose name was Sarah for the pageant) who she wanted to call, she said, "Our neighbor and good friend, Governor Andrew Cuomo.  Steve said, "Sure, we'll call the Governor" faking disbelief.  But he was as nervous as anyone because he was going to make the call connect. Little did we all know, but the Governor had called in from his car in Buffalo, NY.  We were all holding our breath, hoping that his voice would be heard.  There were a few misplaced beeps of the prop phone, but then we heard it, "This is Andrew Cuomo."  Everyone gasped and then applauded.  His answer to the trivia question was the gospel of Luke (where the birth story is told).  Then he went off script and extended a special greeting to his neighbors at PCMK!

It was quite a thrill, but when he hung up the show went on.  The kids told the story of the birth of the savior with joy.  At the end of the service the Governor's staff member came forward and received our appreciation.  She said that when the Governor learned he would be out of town he said, "I really want to be in that pageant, so make it work."  So we did.

It was a wonderful day that will not soon be forgotten.  But there are more Christmas memories to be made--Lessons and Carols, Saturday at 8, The Fourth Sunday of Advent at 10 am, and the Christmas Eve candlelight services at 5 and 10 pm.

See you in church
Pastor Dale

Parties, Parties, Parties

One of our favorite things to do during Advent is have people in our home for food, fun and fellowship around the fireplace.  Last week we had three parties in five days, which explains why I haven't written in this blog for a while.

The first gathering was not exactly a party.  It was the December meeting of the session of PCMK.  It is now our tradition to have the December meeting in the living room of the manse.  We got our business done in a holiday atmosphere.

Then on Friday evening we had our annual staff Christmas party.  As grillmaster I was a little slow on the draw which made dinner later than planned.  But everyone was good and hungry by the time we ate our delicious (if I say so myself) pork roasts.  After dinner we held our White Elephant gift exchange.  There some great laughs over some of the oddities that got wrapped up.  I got a pious picture of Jesus from the 1950's.  not sure what to do with it.  I can't throw it out--that would be sacrilege!

Sunday, after a wonderful morning worship service, the high schoolers came over for their Christmas party.  After making Christmas cards for PCMK homebound members, we enjoyed a dinner of Elisabeth's homemade chili.  We too had a Whilte Elephant gift exchange with some great gifts.  I ended up with a tie with a piano keyboard that actually plays music.  Maybe Terry wants this one?

Advent is a busy time of year, but it is truly wonderful.  One of the things that makes it so is the time spent with friends and family.  We have one more PCMK party to go (the middle school youth), and then we have family to welcome into our home for the celebration of the greatest gift ever given.

While good things are happening in homes, there are some amazing events coming up at PCMK.  Don't miss our Christmas Pageant (the 15th), Lessons and Carols (the 21st), and Christmas Eve (you know the date).

See you in church,
Pastor Dale

Three Reasons to Celebrate

Sunday was a very big day in the life of PCMK and a big day for me.  It started with a wonderful worship service where we dedicated our pledges for 2014.  The music was inspiring and we were almost moving to the beat of our theme song, "Celebrate the Journey."  I'm looking forward to continuing the journey with all of you as we begin another year of ministry together.

After church we enjoyed  a delicious brunch prepared for us by our Stewardship Committee.  Do you realize how rare it is to have such fun with stewardship?  For so many churches it is a stressful time of hand-wringing and anxiety.

The fun continued as Sarah Lucas and I took the high school youth group to a game (actually two games) of laser tag in Elmsford.  I thought I was the expert at this harmless form of combat until I encountered Theo Coutsorous.  He scored more points than our entire team!

After a few slices of pizza with the youth I returned to the church for an amazing dinner of Middle Eastern foods.  It was our Interfaith Dinner with folks from the Islamic School.  The food and fellowship was great and then we enjoyed a fascinating presentation on Islamic Art.  I hope we do this again real soon.

It was a big day.  These three events captured what is so special about PCMK.  We worship joyfully, we have lots of young families, and we reach out to our neighbors in creative ways.  All this is worth celebrating. How about another slice of pizza!

See you in church

An Evening of Music

Saturday evening was the first of our 2013-2014 PCMK Musicale Concerts. Naturally I was thrilled that our son was one of the musicians for the event. He is a member of the Amphion String Quartet and they are an exciting and passionate group of young musicians. We had a great audience of PCMK members and folks from the community. A beautiful reception was prepared, so the evening was a success on every level. There are more exciting concerts planned, the next one being the Baroque Soloists on New Year's Eve. Our own Terry Flanagan plays harpsichord with that group. They are back for their third concert by popular demand. All these musical events provide "points of entry" for people who are not (yet) part of the PCMK family. We can invite friends and folks in the community hear about these events and come. Terry even talked to one woman who was on her way to shopping when she saw the sign out front, decided this sounded better and came on in. I encourage all PCMK members to invite friends to these point of entry events (such as the Christmas Pageant). We want to share all the joy being part of PCMK has brought into our lives as we are "On the Journey Together."

On the (Crop Walk) Journey Together

On Sunday members of PCMK gathered with dozens of other Christians from churches in our part of the county.  At least two other Presbyterian Churches were represented.  As you can see from the pictures, we had a great group of young and not so young members (who's the bald guy in the picture?) from PCMK.
It was the annual CROP walk where we raise sponsorship and walk to support hunger relief around the world through Church World Service.  Lami Adebayo says we raised over $1000 from our PCMK family. Once again you make me proud to be your pastor.
The walk was in the beautiful Pound Ridge Reservation on a glorious late fall afternoon.  The sun was shining and the temperature was moderate until the sun hid behind a cloud.  We walked roughly a mile until we reached a creek, took pictures and started back.  The event was over before you knew it and I found myself wanting to keep on walking.
What made the time (and miles) go by so quickly was the company on the journey.  For a while I talked to a pastor from another church, and then we both realized we wanted to join our people.  Then I talked to several members of our church family and even sang along with the kids who were fresh from children's choir rehearsal at church.  They sang, "Praise, praise, praise the Lord; praise God's holy name hallelujah!" in both English and French).
The afternoon was the perfect example of our Stewardship Theme for 2014, On the Journey Together.  We were literally on a little journey together, but more important was the common goal and the bond in Christ that we shared.
Over the next few Sundays we will look at some of the great journeys of Scripture and see how they can inspire us for our journey together into the future God has for us at PCMK.
See you in Church.

Pumpkins and hot dogs

Sunday evening was the perfect Autumn event.  It was our annual? youth group bonfire at the Lucas' family farm.  Over 20 youth showed up to carve pumpkins, roast hot dogs and veggies and make smores (of course).  The end of the evening is always the fun of hide and seek in the dark.  And it is certainly getting darker earlier these days.

Sarah Lucas is doing such a fine job with our young people.  From Sunday morning youth group, to bonfires, to mission trips; she is there building relationships with and among our kids.  It is so great to see them having so much fun together.  As a pastor, I enjoy the opportunity to let my hair down (what hair?) and carve pumpkins and make smores.  We are blessed to have so many youth in our church and we are blessed to have Sarah.  Many thanks to the parents who help make youth group happen at PCMK.

Raising Good Kids is what youth group is about and it is what we have been talking about in our parenting series on Sunday mornings.  On this past Sunday we focused on the unique challenges of raising teenagers.  This coming Sunday we will learn how to have a toolbox of effective parenting techniques.  Not all methods work for all families in all situations, so we need to have options.

No matter whether you have kids or not, we encourage everyone to attend this last class after church and join in our shared task of "Raising Good Kids."

See you in church,
Pastor Dale

Raising Good Kids - Session 2

What are Sundays For?

The picture with this blog should tell you what Sundays are for.  They are for worship (which we covered in the sermon on Sunday) and Sundays are for relaxation, friends and family.  On Sunday after worship the Southorns and the Flanagans and Maxine Gaddis got together for lunch and a walk.  We headed to the bridge over the Croton Reservoir which is beautiful any time of year, but with all the fall colors the scenery was breathtaking.

Little Terence is growing up quickly.  Growing is also what Sundays are for.  As Christians we should all be growing in our faith.  That growth can take on different forms.  For some it means getting more involved in social justice and mission outreach.  For others it means more time in the classic practices of Bible study and prayer.  For others it is contributing to the life of our church through serving on committees, or teaching Sunday School, or singing (or ringing) in a choir.  There are so many ways to grow in our faith here at PCMK.  For me, one of the things that’s keeping me growing and excited about my faith is all the children in our church.  Like Terence they will all grow so fast, it’s up to us to “raise good kids” together.  Speaking of which, there is a class on just that topic this Sunday after church.

So see you in church, or out on the trail.  Either way we are on the journey together.

Pastor Dale

Raising Good Kids

Sunday was the first of our three-week series on parenting.  Our guest speaker was Edna Venterola (love that name!), and she was engaging, informative and facilitated a lively discussion.  Kathy Anderson shared some insights on how to take Christian education into the home.

We all realized that 'raising good kids' is a team effort.  We all agreed that a faith community has an important role in imparting values into a child's life.  Where else can a child have dozens of adults who take a vow to pray and care for them as they grow through high school and beyond?

One simple truth we came away with was how important it is to come to church.  If parents make regular church attendance a priority then several good things will happen.  The child will be in church!  The child will see that faith is important (even more important that sports or sleeping in!).  The child will be less inclined to resist going to church when that issue starts to come up for many other families with teenagers.

Speaking of teenagers, our second speaker on October 20th will focus on "This Too Shall Pass" (surviving the teenage years).

This class is not just for parents.  The entire church family is welcome as there is something we can all learn about raising good kids here at PCMK.

Bell Towers: Chicago and Mount Kisco

I just returned from a class at McCormick Seminary in Chicago.  The class focused on pastoral leadership and I learned a lot.  One of the assignments was to write a personal mission statement for my vocation as a pastor.  All I could think of was our wonderful PCMK mission statement.  With a little fine tuning to make it personal, it is my mission statement as well.  During the month of October I plan to preach four sermons on the themes and core values addressed in our mission statement.

We print it on the front of our bulletin, but in case you haven't read it lately, here it is.

Seeking Light for the Journey, we come together to
worship God, nurture faith, pursue social justice and
share love in the name of Jesus Christ.

While in Chicago we got to visit our daughter Debbie who lives on North Lincoln Ave in the Lincoln Park area.  At the end of her block is this beautiful church.  I took this picture of the impressive steeple and bell tower.  But when I got home I found Fred and Terry working on our own bell tower.  It is not as tall, but when those bells ring out I feel blessed to be your pastor.  That's two blessings a day (noon and 6pm) and three times on Sunday!

See you in church (the bell rings at 10:00 AM!).

Pastor Dale

You’re in Good Hands

I am on a Southwest plane headed for McComick Theological Seminary in Chicago.  Of course, by the time I got on board there were only middle seats left.  So I am trying to type with my elbows in front of me (wish there was less of me to be in front of!).  I am looking forward to this program I have enrolled in at our mid-west Presbyterian Seminary.  It is called the “Certificate in Executive Leadership.”  The program is designed to help develop leadership skills for pastors and non-profit administrators.  So far the readings and advance assignements have helped me focus on my strengths and weaknesses (they call them ‘growing edges’ these days). 

I enjoy getting away for a time of study and reflection, but I leave with great excitement about PCMK—who we are and where we are going.  In fact, I am working on an October sermon series that will explore our excellent mission statement.  When I was preparing to become your pastor I naturally reviewed things like the PCMK mission statement.  I was so pleased I have decided not to change a word.  It says everything I would want to say about being a healthy, forward and outward looking church.

Last Sunday, with the high school mission team reporting is a great example of what is so exciting about PCMK.  We have a church that cares about its youth and helping others.  Put those two things together and you have an experience like our trip to West Virginia that has had an impact on us all (maybe especially me—I was so proud of these young people last summer and last Sunday.

While I am away I am pleased to leave the church in such capable hands.  Our staff will take care of church business and prepare for yet another great Sunday at PCMK.  My colleague and friend, our parish associate, Charles Barton will preach a sermon with a provocative title.  I can’t wait to hear it online from my room in Chicago.

See you in church, next week.

Pastor Dale

Lindsay E. - Call to Worship

Theo C. - Prayer of Confession

Lindsay E. and Alexa L. - Children's Time

Alexandra K - Scripture Reading

Graham B. - Living in West Virginia

Juliet K. - Road Trip

Bailey F. - People we met at the worksite

Lindsay E. - Worksites

Akin A. - Kid's Club 

Team Photo

Welcoming our new member, Suzanne Katz

Meetings, meetings, meetings

Fall is here.  On Sunday the sanctuary was full, children were in Sunday School and after worship there were several meetings happening at the same time.  In the Akin room the trustees were reviewing the stewardship of the church's finances and the building.  In the conference room new Sunday School teachers were getting their game plan for the year.  Next door in the little 'pocket' room the deacons were reviewing the needs in our caring ministries.  In the library four new members were meeting with the membership committee.

What a busy and thriving church we have.  I am so grateful for all these boards and committees who are working hard to help our church thrive and grow even as we care for one another and the community.

In addition to meetings, there were two rehearsals going on in the time after worship.  In the community room the youth hand bells were getting back into ringing shape.  In the sanctuary the children's choir was learning some new songs.

As I was going back to the office after the trustee meeting the pizza man was delivering lunch to the middle school youth group.

I enjoyed summer, but I am glad summer is here.  I'm glad to see so much ministry taking place under one roof (a roof recently repaired by our trustees).

See you in our busy church,
Pastor Dale

A Dozen Years Ago

Where were you on that morning 12 years ago today?  If we are older than 16 or 17 we undoubtedly remember that day.  We were living in Portland, Oregon and Elisabeth woke me up with the terrible news that someone had crashed a plane into the World Trade Center.

Immediately I remembered my visit to the Towers some years earlier.  I was so impressed I even read a book on the engineering marvel of the twin towers and PATH station below.  But all I could think about was the staggering number of casualties we should expect.  Up to 50000 worked in the buildings.  I gasped a prayer for all those families, and all of us.  The death toll was not in that range, but it was still staggering.  In the words of Mayor Giuliani that day, "More than any of us can bear."

Since moving to New York, we have visited the World Trade Center site and the 9/11 memorial many times.  I even know where you can find free parking after 7pm.  We always take out of town visitors there.  I think it is especially powerful at night.  Touching the names and hearing the rush of water falling into the darkness captures the mood of the moment very powerfully.

I was not a New Yorker then, so I don't claim to know how powerfully 9/11 affected those of you who were here.  You have my respect and my prayers on this day 12 years later.

Our sanctuary will be open today for a place of quiet prayer and reflection.

Happy New Year

On Sunday, September 8th, the PCMK family celebrated the start of a New Year with our second annual Fall Family Festival.  The New Year theme seemed to fit as it was a few days after Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year; and of course, it was the start of a new year of Sunday School.  The sanctuary was full of children as we introduced Kathy Anderson as our new Christan Education Director and prayed for our SS teachers.  The theme of worship was "The Church as Family," where we celebrated PCMK as a healthy and growing faith family.
But the real party started when we went outside for our Fall Family Festival.  The kids came rushing down the stairs and out the door to play games and jump in the bouncy castle.  We know they got something to eat because there was a long line at the ice cream truck when he arrived.  He even knew some of our kids by name (from visiting their Mt. Kisco neighborhood).
The adults enjoyed an amazing lunch of home-made salads, burgers and dogs grilled to perfection, and fabulous desserts.  We then went outside with our plates and were entertained with top-notch jazz with the Carelli Orchestra.  Their smooth sounds were complimented by the talents of some of our members who played flute and sang on several songs.
It was a fun party for our PCMK family, but it was also great opportunity to meet new families.  Some had visited worship, but others wandered in from the neighborhood (who can resist the smell of the grill, the sounds of live jazz, and the fun of a bouncy castle?).
The new year is here and if Sunday was any indication, it is going to be a great year of living, loving and growing together at PCMK.

Cheryl, Kelly, Lisa, and Phyllis

All smiles at the buffet lunch line

Music from Gerard Carelli 

Anne performing a solo with the band

Playing carnival games

Patiently waiting by the ice cream truck

Rolling Up Our Sleeves

As you can see from the picture, the staff is enjoying a rare outdoor Wednesday lunch.  We share a potluck lunch every Wednesday after staff meeting, but we were only outdoors one other time this summer.  It was either too hot, or too cold, or raining, or windy.  It was a little hot this week, but we just had to take advantage of one of the last days of summer.  (You'll notice the empty chair for Stephanie Boorman, who took the day off, and we have with us most weeks volunteers Lynn Lucas, Ginny Vickers, MaxineGaddis and, of course, family members like Elisabeth and little Terrance.)

We are enjoying a few minutes of relaxation together, but we have been hard at work.  We have been preparing brochures, planning events, holding committee meetings, preparing mailings and in general getting ready for Fall.  Our new CE director, Kathy Anderson, is doing double duty of learning the ropes and getting ready for Fall all at once.  Fortunately, Angie Kung and Lynn Lucas have been offering help and support.  Terry is planning for choir rehearsals, Elisabeth is preparing for children's choir, Fred is painting everything in sight, Linda is making sure the bills are paid, and Stephanie is at command central, holding everything together.  I am doing my usual pastoral stuff, and I fell honored to have such a great staff team.

As much fun as we have working together, we are looking forward to working with all of you once again in September on Sunday School and choir and deacons and trustees and session and committees and fellowship and adult education and social justice and...and...and.

Summer Open House

Sunday was the perfect day for an open house at the manse.  The weather was relatively cool with a cloud-cover, which made the back deck perfect for visiting.  I even turned on my gas fire pit for ambiance and even a little warmth.  Rain threatened, but the few drops never drove anyone inside.
We had over 40 PCMK members of all ages drop by for food and conversation.  As always, Elisabeth did a lovely job preparing nice refreshments with the help of Alexa La Pierre.  (Alexa had gone with us on the mission trip and we "sponsored" her and in return she was willing to help host the event.)  We couldn't have done it without her.
A highlight of the event was the opportunity to get to meet Kathy Anderson, our new Christian Education Director.  Kathy had her first day in the church office last week and is getting her feet on the ground.  If you haven't met her yet, come to church this Sunday.  She'll be with us every Sunday from now on!  Welcome Kathy!
I've attached a few pictures of the event.  It's hard to believe summer is fast fading away.  So it was nice to linger over a summer afternoon with our church family.
See you in church.
Pastor Dale

Welcoming Kathy to PCMK!

Coast to Coast

We're back!  It's good to be back on the East Coast after covering the West Coast from British Columbia to California.  It was a great vacation with the opportunity to see family, friends and beautiful scenery.  Our first stop was Portland, Oregon where I officiated at a wedding of a young man who grew up with our son David.  It was a beautiful outdoor wedding and the couple looked so young and happy!  We then headed nortth to Canada to be with my Dad, brother and sisters.
We had a few days to travel by ourselves and then visited friends from Seattle and back in Portland.  We ended the trip in California with Elisabeth's family.
We came back to beautiful weather here in NY and it was good to be back in our home, to see the staff and to get to work.
There are still a few weeks of summer, but fall is fast approaching.  Plans are underway for a wonderful and full season of worship, discipleship and service to others.  Actually, all those things never really took a vacation, did they?
See you in church.
Pastor Dale

Special Guests

Our home has been filled with family, old friends and some special new ones since we have been back from West Virginia.  Our daughter Debbie came home for a couple days over the Fourth of July before heading up to Vermont.  We had a great Fourth watching fireworks from at least 5 communities along the river.
Then it was so good to be back in worship with our PCMK family.  Matt Brewster shared some thoughts and memories from the mission trip and we celebrated Communion.  The message was the first of our Summer Sunday School Series based on the story of Moses in the Bull rushes.
But the real treat of the day was the visit from dear friends from Erie, PA and their Brooklyn son.  Dave and Sandy Herman were some of the first people in the building for worship.  I have so many wonderful memories with them.  Dave's hearty laugh was a daily inspiration.  I had performed the wedding ceremony for their son Jimmy and Megan in State College, PA in 2011.  After lunch we visited back at the manse before they had to head home.  They all thought PCMK was not only a beautiful church building, but they commented on the friendliness of the people.
While they were still here Elisabeth went and picked up our two special guests.  We are home stay sponsors for these two girls visiting their moms at Bedford Correctional Facility.  They are 9 and 8 years old and we have been having fun together.  We love having kids around to take to McDonald's, make S'mores, watch Disney movies and eat pizza.  Elisabeth has a passion for social justice and she has been getting very involved in prison issues in our area.  She is an inspiration to me.  I love watching her with these little girls.
So, as you can see, we love having guests in our home.  In August, we want all of the PCMK family to be our guests.  We are going to host an open house on Sunday, August 18th, in the afternoon.
Until then, enjoy your summer and see you in church.
Pastor Dale

Matt Brewster sharing his WV experience with the congregation