What a Swan Song!

From left, Rebecca, Linda, Sandra and Denise

Remember the song, the Twelve Days of Christmas?  It goes on so long, you usually try to hurry to get it over with.  But that was not the case last Sunday as our children once again put on the amazing PCMK Christmas Pageant.  The theme was the Twelve Days of Christmas and the morning was filled with pipers piping, drummers drumming and maids a milking.  This last group even included our neighbor, Sandra Lee, who graciously shared in the day with us.

There were so many wonderful moments in this pageant that it is hard to list them all.  I suggest you go to the pcmk.org website and watch the video as soon as it is posted.

They say all good things must come to an end, and sadly this is true for our pageant team led by the talented Denise Schutz.  She, along with Linda Carelli and Rebecca Wassem have put on at least 7 great pageants.  And what a way to go out!  Their swan song even featured a beautiful dancing swan.

It really feels like Christmas now, and the stress level has even come down a notch for us all.  Thank you leaders and children for this wonderful Christmas gift!

Pastor Dale

PCMK Hosts HRP

On Tuesday, December 9th, PCMK hosted the stated meeting of the Hudson River Presbytery, and we did it with style!  The weather threatened to undermine all our careful planning, but the Nor'easter just brought heavy rain to most of the region.  Snow and ice was a problem for folks from counties up north, so there were many cancellations.  Still, there were over 100 presbyters from churches both sides of the river who came to worship, fellowship and conduct the business of our corporate life together.

As host pastor I couldn't have been more proud.  I know that pride is one of the 7 deadly sins, but there are different kinds of pride.  I was not proud of myself--I was proud of our team.  Kelly Marlow is a saint!  She pulled together a team of volunteers who worked for days to make the event something worthy of the Royal family (who were in town at the same time).  The narthex Great Hall and Community Room were decorated in beautiful seasonal style.  There were friendly people to greet visitors at every turn.  There was coffee and snacks and even the information table looked elegant.

In addition to being proud of Kelly and her team, I was proud to help lead worship in our beautiful sanctuary.  Terry blew everyone away with his sensitive and flawless work on the organ.  Carmen Emery set up our beautiful communion service and Fred helped set up all the AV equipment and so much more.

If it is a sin to be so proud of our church, I am going to be sinning in a big way this Sunday as the children once again tell us the story of Christmas in our annual pageant.

Come to church this Sunday and sin along with me!

Pastor Dale

A Surprise Party

November 20, 1994

November 23, 1014

A few weeks ago I realized that I was approaching a significant milestone in ministry.  I was ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament on November 20, 1994, so this year marks 20 years in this crazy and amazing line of work.  Well, I should have known, but Elisabeth let some folks at PCMK know about this anniversary and next thing you know we had a party!  My colleague in ministry, the Rev. Charles Barton had very thoughtful remarks and the Fellowship Team put on a beautiful reception.  The most embarrassing part was the picture from 20 years ago!  What happened!

As I think back over 20 years it is as though God has had a plan all along.  I feel the experiences I have had in three different congregations have prepared me to be the pastor of this diverse, intelligent, gifted, motivated and compassionate place we call PCMK!  If I try to think of the highlights of the last two decades I remember close to 20 mission trips with youth and adults; dozens of baptisms, weddings and funerals; hundreds of sermons; countless session and committee meetings and many wonderful staff colleagues.  But the best part of all is the rhythm of starting my week in worship with my church family.  I usually have lots going on, but it is still worship and it is still a chance to greet good people over a cup of coffee and a cookie.

That reminds me what happened to the guy in the picture--thousands of cookies over 20 years!

As we move through this week of Thanksgiving we prepare to prepare; we are getting ready to get ready.  We once again begin Advent, the season of preparation for the greatest celebration of all--the birth of the savior.  Advent is a month-long party that starts and ends with worship (November 30th and December 24th).  In between are celebrations like the Christmas Fair, the Children's Pageant, and Lessons and Carols.  And, oh yes, lots of cookies.

See you in church,

Pastor Dale

Stewardship is Fun at PCMK

Stewardship is a dreaded word at so many churches.  People brace themselves for lectures on how short the budget is and how much deeper they need to reach into their pockets.  The result is that stewardship Sunday is not exactly something to look forward to.

Not so at PCMK.  Stewardship is a highlight of the year at PCMK.  We have a great team that puts together excellent mailing materials, we celebrate all God's blessings in pictures and stories; and the children even get involved.  Last year the Sunday School used their offerings to buy animals through the Heifer Project.  This year they are going to provide clean drinking water through Living Waters.

Stewardship Sunday (November 16th) was one of our best-attended worship services in a while (not necessarily what you would expect.  There were children everywhere as the Angelikids Choir sang three delightful songs and we even had a baptism.  To top it all off we went straight to the Great Hall for a delicious luncheon sponsored by our Stewardship Team.

I came home from worship feeling full in every sense of the word.

See you in church,
Pastor Dale

A Busy Day

Tuesday, November 4th was election day at PCMK.  Our Great Hall has been a polling place for years, and usually it is a very quiet non-event.  Recently a local election turned out only a handful of voters for the entire day.  But this time around was different.  Tuesday was a circus of protesters, demonstrators, media trucks, police officers and, oh yes, the occasional voter.

All the excitement was in anticipation of the arrival of Governor Cuomo and Sandra Lee who would cast their votes in front of the cameras.  Elisabeth and I were ushered through the crowd to say hi once again.  After they voted the Governor held a brief press conference in our narthex.  I knew where he was going to stand, so I put the easel with our new logo right where it would be seen in any pictures.  But his staff cleared out all our material and he stood in front of the painting of Rev. Lee Fairchild, who seemed to be asking, "Who are you and why are you in my church?"

It was an exciting day and I must confess it was fun to be in the middle of such a significant event.  But once the Governor left, the parking lot cleared and we got back to work.  It is good to be back after more than a week away.  Session meets tonight, we are in the middle of stewardship season, and before you know it Advent will be here.  It was great to have the parking lot so full for arrival the Governor, I just hope it will be as full as we once again anticipate the arrival of the Savior.

See you in church,
Pastor Dale

October Surprises



October 19th was a memorable day at PCMK.  As someone commented after worship, "Boy, there were a lot of moving parts in that service today."  There certainly were.  Some were planned and some were a complete surprise!
The planned highlights were two excellent anthems from our choir.  The first was a choral version of "The Lord's Prayer" by Durufle.  The beauty of the music made the French lyrics seem more prayerful than when we say it in English.  The anthem following the sermon built on the theme of "A Glimpse of the Divine."  The music was a dramatic selection from Mendelssohn's Elijah--the story where Elijah has his 'glimpse of God' in the still small voice.
Another planned highlight was the introduction of our new logo and branding of PCMK.  The tri-loop logo has so many elements of meaning that it will be interesting and yet instantly recognizable.  Ron Pence, Herb Reinke, Steve Griffe, Vicki Fuqua, Lisa Flanagan and I worked on this project for many months.  We even worked with a local graphic artist and after many drafts took some proposals to session for input.  These are exciting days at PCMK and this logo will be part of our identity as we journey into the future God has for us.
At the end of the service we introduced two couples as new members of our church.  One couple has an infant and the other is expecting their first.  More baptism coming up!
Then there were the surprises.  The first surprise was seeing friends from my church in Erie, PA sitting in the sanctuary!  John and Diane were always a joy to see in church in Erie, so I had to stop and take a second look when I caught them out of the corner of my eye.  We went for lunch after worship and we caught up on things.  They even treated for lunch as a birthday gift!
And that is the final surprise--the kind words, the cake and the singing of "Happy Birthday" for Terry Flanagan and myself.  Our birthdays are a few days apart in October and it has been fun to celebrate each year together.  We make a great team and we appreciate the love and support of our PCMK family.  We even spent Sunday afternoon together picking pumpkins and going for a Hayride with little Terence.
Later this week I am off to Canada and California for my dad's 85th birthday and a friend's daughter's wedding.  I have made some plans for the trip, but there will probably be some surprises along the way.  And that's the way it should be.
See you in church,
Pastor Dale

hellos and goodbyes

Our new team members (from the right)  Cindy and Barb

The first few days of October were bittersweet around the church office.  Wednesday, October 1st was Cindy Tanico's first day as our new Office Manager.  She was welcomed warmly and trained enthusiastically by Stephanie Boorman, who was on her last few days with us.  Friday was her last day with us before starting her new life in retirement on Long Island.  (Stay tuned for news about the birth of a new grandchild).

 Friday was sad, but Wednesday was all smiles.  At our weekly potluck staff lunch we welcomed Cindy and Barb, who is now a permanent employee after 5 months as a temporary.  She is doing a great job as our bookkeeper.  As you can see from the photo, several of our wonderful office volunteers were able to join us as well.  It was a great day.

These are exciting times at PCMK.  Our new staff team is complete, we have launched the new website, a new logo and branding will be introduced October 19th, and last Sunday we welcomed 7 new members into our fellowship.  God has been good to PCMK!

Drop by the office when you can and introduce yourself to our new staff members.  And you too can be part of the team!  We need more regular and occasional volunteers to help answer phones and prepare mailings etc.  Call Cindy if you have a few hours to share during the week.

See you in church (the sanctuary or the office!)
Pastor Dale

A Swinging Good Time

5,4,3,2,1.  We counted down the last few seconds of our 24 hour "Swing-a-thon" with two of our kids swinging away for Haiti.  What a wonderful weekend at PCMK.  Friday evening families arrived with young children in tow from 4-7 pm and the swinging began.  Elisabeth and I were out of town at a concert of our son's, but constant updates with photos kept us part of the action.
As the evening went on, our middle schoolers came by from 7-10 pm and the high schoolers finished the night covering from 10 pm to 1 am.  After midnight, the kids were so tired they were lying on their backs keeping the swings going.  Of course there was good food and even a movie to keep everyone entertained while the swinging continued hour after hour.
Sunday morning our kids once again kept the swings going until noon so we could cover all 24 hours of swinging for Haiti. It is so exciting to think these actual swings will give years of fun to the children of Haiti at the Lambi community.  If you want to donate to this project, send a check marked "swingathon" to the church office.
To make the theme of "Journey Outward" personal, our youth mission team shared the message and led worship.  Elisabeth even added some very powerful comments and observations of her own as a veteran of mission trips.
PCMK is on a journey outward into the community and world.  Sunday showed all the ways we do that as we had representation from all the agencies and ministries we support.  We even had a guide dog, Belinda, to 'show us the way.'  The journey is definitely more exciting than the destination.
See you in church,
Pastor Dale

Journey Inward

Sunday was our first Ministry Fair.  All of the ministries that take place within the walls of the church were represented.  It was part of our stewardship theme for the year, "Journey Inward/Journey Outward.  Our mission statement says we are "seeking light for the journey."  We are on a journey, an it is a journey with two directions.  We journey inward as we grow in our faith.  We journey outward when we take our message of God's love out into the world.

So, this Sunday we featured all our internal ministries so PCMK members could see ways that they can go deeper on the journey inward.  Next Sunday we will feature all our ministries of outreach into the community.  As part of that theme, the high school mission team will lead the worship service.

It is great to be back on the journey this fall.  The sanctuary was full, the children were ready for Sunday School and we commissioned the Sunday School teachers.  I topped off the day with having the high school mission team to the manse to get ready for next Sunday.  It was a great day on the Journey Inward/Journey Outward.

Fall Festival Fun

Pastor Dale and Elisabeth took a swing for $5

On Sunday, September 7th we held our third annual Fall Family Festival.  After worship we gathered in the parking lot for food and fun for the whole family.  There were fabulous salads to go with burgers and hot dogs cooked to perfection.  There was the bouncy castle, games and face painting for the kids.  New this year was the swing that was there to get us ready for the Haiti Swing-a-thon on September 19-21.

Volunteers had arrived early to set up our new easy to roll-out tables and stackable chairs.  We used all 12 tables with seating for 100, and every chair was filled.  It was great to have PCMK members back after summer vacations, and we hosted several visitors from the neighborhood who just had to stop and see what all the excitement was about.

The excitement is about all the good things that are happening at PCMK.  We are learning and growing in our faith together, and as we saw Sunday, we are having fun doing it.  We can even have fun raising money for good causes.  On Sunday I finally got around to responding to the challenge I got from a young member of our church to take the ALS Ice Bucket.  I had to respond because if he can do it, I can.  But I also care about ALS as a long time member of our church suffers with the symptoms of this terrible disease.

Part of me is sad to see summer fade away, but it is really great to see the children back in Sunday School and to hear our choir lead is in worship.  If you are looking for where you can become involved in this busy church, be there on Sunday, September 14th.  We will be holding our first Ministry Fair, which will highlight all our ministries and programs.  There is a place for you.

See you in church,
Pastor Dale

The Maestro Bringing in the New Choir Chairs

A Shelter in the Storm

On Sunday afternoon we held our third annual Open House at the manse.  It has been such a beautiful summer I did a lot of work to spruce up the yard and add extra chairs on the deck.  But then the weather decided it was going to be an inside event.  First it was blazing hot and humid, so no one wanted to go outside.  We all enjoyed the efficient central air conditioning that made the house so comfortable.  Then the sky turned dark and we had some thunder showers.  And wouldn't you know it, some of our guests had to leave just as the rain was coming hard.  I helped them to their car with an umbrella and it stopped raining as soon as I got back to the house.

We love having people of all ages in our home, but we especially like having children.  Little Terence Flanagan feels at home here, and he was joined by the great kids from the Fink and Carpenter families.  They played pool and ping pong in the basement and ran up occasionally to see what was happening.upstairs (and maybe to grab another cookie).

I've missed the dozens of children who are usually running around PCMK on Sundays.  But this Sunday they will be back.  Summer is over and Sunday School is back, and so is our third annual Fall Family Festival.  We move ahead rain or shine, but it looks like it will be a beautiful day, so plan on being there.
See you in church,
Pastor Dale

A Day on the River

On Sunday, August 17th, Sarah Lucas and I took some high schoolers out on the river for some summer fun. We put the boat in the water at George's Island Park in Montrose.  The wind was blowing down from the north and was kicking up some good-size waves.  But we found a sheltered cove just south of the park and we began to take turns on the big tube.

Sarah was the bravest.  She went first and showed how fun it was to skim around behind the boat on both sides of the wake.  In turn Alexa, Isaac, and Theo also got on the tube.  Each had a great ride, and I enjoyed taking lots of turns to send them swinging around behind us.  The real challenge was to make Theo tip over as he was going to try to go without holding on (look, mom, no hands!).  Well, he was no match for the river and my driving as I had him flipped off the tube in seconds.  I dumped him in a second time even after he was trying to hang on.

We came back and grilled some dogs in the park, overlooking the beautiful Hudson.  It was a perfect afternoon/evening until I went to put the trailer in the water to pick up the boat--I had a flat tire on the trailer.  To make a long story short, everyone got home safe, sound and a little tired.

I enjoy any time I get to spend with our youth.  It was especially nice to have one more outing with Akin Adebayo who left for college last week.  We will miss him and look forward to his return home at Christmas or sooner.

Speaking of Christmas, summer is slipping away and it will soon be fall.  I think I'm ready, but I need at least one more day on the water.  Anyone want to take the no-hands tubing challenge?

See you in church (or on the water)
Pastor Dale

A PCMK Summer

Girls in disguise at McDonalds

A Sunset Boat Ride on the Hudson

Our third summer here in Mount Kisco has been busy and relaxing at the same time.  In July we were able to get out of town and spend a week by the lake.  Morning and evening boat rides, along with afternoon naps were just what the doctor ordered.  I then travelled to Canada to share in the celebration of my sister's 40th wedding anniversary.

Back here at home we have had some excellent guest preachers.  The two women who were in the pulpit in July were excellent.  I encourage you to check out their messages on our PCMKNY Youtube channel.  One of them, Dorothy Muller is a chaplain at Bedford Hills Women's Prison.  She brought to our awareness the opportunities for ministry with a group of people Jesus seemed to care a lot about.  We are working on coordinating the many prison ministry possibilities and providing some focus as part of our social justice outreach.

Elisabeth and I have participated in one prison related ministry that has been just delightful.  For the second year in a row we have hosted two girls who are participating in a summer visitation program at Bedford Hills.  Their mothers are incarcerated and the Children's Center at the prison makes this week of mother-child interaction possible.  We pick up the girls on Sunday and have them each evening and overnight.  During the day  they are with the moms doing crafts and playing games.  It breaks your heart to see these families struggle with the separation, but this program offers at least a few hours of much needed family time.

Other PCMK families have participated in this program and they all report it is a rewarding experience.  I know I enjoyed having toys to step over at night and kids to rush out the door in the morning.  It was exhausting and fun at the same time.  That's what summers here at PCMK are all about.

See you in church (soon, I hope),
Pastor Dale

A Presbyterian Life

A Presbyterian Life
PCMK said goodbye to one of its saints on Saturday, July 12th.  A good size congregation gathered on a mid-summer weekend  because Mary Mace was one of our best.  She had been a member for over 40 years, having made the move from the village to our present location.  Over those decades it would be impossible to count the ways she contributed to the life of our church, and our outreach to the community.  The tributes that were spoken of her at the service were moving and even humorous at times.  Her son Andy gave a poignant eulogy that captured the essence of his mother, their relationship and her beloved role as "Grandma New York."

In my remarks I noted how thoroughly Presbyterian Mary was.  All these life-cycle events took place in a Presbyterian Church or organization: baptism, confirmation, college, marriage, adoption of Andrew, a lifetime of service, funeral, and final resting place in our Columbarium.  Hers was a truly Presbyterian and Christian life.  We will miss her, but as the Scripture says, "blessed are those who die in The Lord, they rest from their labors and their deeds follow them."  Mary Mace will have quite a following for a very long time.  Thanks be to God.

The Week is Almost Over

 Today is the last day on the trip!:( It's July 4th too, and so far we're helping set up the barbeque the community mission service is providing. We painted the tables yesterday so everything looks very nice! After this we're traveling to Canada to spend the rest of the day, and are going to go on the Maid of the Mist, which is a boat that takes you under the falls! I'm so exited, but also sad to leave everyone I met at the community mission, especially the children. I've become really close with Alexa, a little girl who is living here, and every day she runs in the room and hugs me, and begs me to have lunch with her, which I do.  She always  has so much to talk about. I will miss her a lot, and hope I was able to be a good role model and make an impact on her as well.
-Juliet:)

Parents and PCMK family, you would be so proud of your high schoolers.  These are some of the most amazing young people I have ever been around (and I've been around a lot of them in my time).  They work hard (most of the time) when there is work to be done, and they play hard when they have time to goof off.  They have survived living together in very close quarters for a week with no fist fights.  We have gotten on each other's nerves (an old person's expression), but they are quick to forgive.  They will be fighting one minute and having a blast the next.

What has impressed me most is that they are really thinking about and processing what they are experiencing.  Last night at our group time one of the youth observed that she's always heard Westchester and especially Chappaqua was life in a bubble.  She never knew what that meant until spending a weeek in this community where everyone seems to be struggling so much.

Yesterday we had a tour with Pastor Mark, the chaplain of the Mission.  We saw the rooms that serve as emergency shelter, and HIV/Aids section and the respite rooms (for people stuggling with mental illness).  He observed for us that these would be the people Jesus cared about and would want to help.  So they were being Christ-like as they helped the MIssion help them. I agree.

We are looking forward to one more day in Niagara Falls, NY and Canada.  We'll see you soon.

Yet More Photos