It is missing the vehicle for which God’s grace is bestowed at the time of Baptism, it is missing the water. Our liturgy for Baptism uses a beautiful description of the properties of water, when it says: “Water cleanses; purifies; refreshes; sustains; Jesus Christ is the living water.”

Because water is an essential element in Baptism, our Board of Elders decided that it would be good to add water to our Baptismal Font. When entering the sanctuary you will not only have a visual reminder of your Baptism, but a tactile symbol as well. To be able to dip your fingers into the water, you can experience the reminder of God’s grace more fully.

At the time of your Baptism, either you or your parents made a promise to reject evil and embrace faith in Jesus Christ. Some may want to make the sign of the cross with the water, being mindful that we are to always renew our promise to reject evil

and embrace faith. In doing so, we can offer our sincere prayers and worship to God with pure hearts.

Starting February 7th, there will be water in the Baptismal Font for each of us to “remember our Baptism” as we approach to worship God.

*Drawing of Baptismal Font by Nan Coffey

The first time I walked into Brookville Church I was pleased to discover that the Baptismal Font was in the entryway to the sanctuary, so that every time we enter God’s house of worship, we are reminded of our Baptism.

This may sound like a strange thing to say since most of us were baptized as infants. How could we possibly r e m e m b e r o u r B a p t i s m ? “Remembering our Baptism” is a liturgical way of saying that every time we enter worship we should be reminded that through our Baptism we were claimed as God’s own son or daughter and declared deeply loved by God. At the time of our Baptism we experience the holy grace of God given to us. In the Reformed Church in America (RCA), the protestant denomination that Brookville Church is a member of, we celebrate two Holy Sacraments: Baptism and The Lord’s Supper. We call both these Sacraments “the means of grace.” Through both, God bestows grace upon us. The RCA liturgy for Baptism says, “baptism is the sign and seal of God’s eternal covenant of grace with us.” Even though we have the visual symbol of the Baptismal Font in the entrance of our sanctuary, it is missing an important element.

Remembering Your Baptism

REV. VICKY L. EASTLAND Rev.Vicky@verizon.net

2 BROOKVILLE ROAD BROOKVILLE, NY 11545

516-626-0414 Brookvillechurch@gmail.com www.facebook.com/BrookvilleChurch www.BrookvilleChurch.org

Where our doors are always open! February 2016

~Rev. Vicky

Brookville Church News 2B

Did you know the big Amazon.com has a charitable heart?

Yes, it does. Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to Brookville

Church. Here’s how it works: To shop at amazon.com, go to smile.Amazon.com. You can simply log in as you normally would. In the search box on the lower right corner of the screen, type Brookville Church. From the list that appears, pick our Brookville, NY location. At the top of the Amazon page you will see: Supporting: Brookville Church. Shop as normal, and 0.5% of your eligible purchases will be sent to Brookville Church at the end of every quarter. It’s that simple!

Do a good deed and support our church.

Thank you!

News 12 Emergency Closing Systems for Brookville Church

We have recently registered Brookville Church with News 12 Emergency Closing Systems so

that we may more quickly inform our congregation of cancellations.

To use this service, simply go tohttp://longisland.news12.com

and click on the red !Closings/Delays barat the top of the page to see our

closing status information.This information is also available on Optimum

channel 612, but only subscribers canaccess this channel.

Please Note: Our outgoing phone message at Brookville Church will also

have cancellation information.

Dear Members of the Brookville Church Family,

For the past several years we have asked each member of the church to consider paying his or her share of the item in our budget called “Classis Assessment.” What is the Classis Assessment? The assessment is a per capita levy made annually, upon each church in the Reformed Church in America, which is used to carry out the administrative work of the denomination. This includes the administrative work of the General Synod, The Regional Synod of New York, and the Classis of Nassau/Suffolk. The assessment is based on the figure that the church reports as “Active” members. The total assessment for our church this year is $5,866.85. The amount per church member is $106.67. If each of us pays this amount, it will be a big help toward meeting our own local budget. Please indicate the amount you would like to enclose for the confirmed members of your family. You can cut out the form below to mail in with your payment or return it to the Church office at your earliest convenience.

Checks should be made out to the Brookville Reformed Church.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

Rev. Vicky L. Eastland, on behalf of the consistory.

2016 Classis Assessment

Classis Assessment 2016 Please send to the Church Office at:

The Brookville Church 2 Brookville Road, Brookville, NY 11545

Enclosed please find $___________ to pay the Classis Assessment for the communicant members of our family listed below, at $106.67 each.

Signature:________________________________

MEMBERS: _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

#

“I stood beside a hill Smooth with new-laid snow, A single star looked out From the cold evening glow…” ~ Sara Teasdale

Brookville Church News 3B

Rev. Justin Meyers is the Director of Education at the Al Amana Centre in the Middle East. The centre’s mission is to seek deep understanding and peace b e t w e e n M u s l i m s a n d Christians. This work is significant to our church because of our relationship with the Muslim Reform Movement Organization www.mrmo.org which has met on our campus for over a

decade. Our Partnership with MRMO in working toward peace, friendship and unity across religions is linked with this global effort that is like-minded.

~ ~ ~ Remember to pray for our Partner in Peace and Education, Rev. Justin Meyers, his wife Stephanie and their sons, Gavin and Collin as they promote peace among religions in the Middle East.

Learning About Brookville Church Membership Have you ever been interested in learning more about Brookville Church and the denomination we are affiliated with—the Reformed Church in America? In this new year, Rev. Vicky will be offering a class on these topics. If you are interested in attending to learn about membership at Brookville Church and what this Protestant denomination is all about, then speak with Rev. Vicky. Also, watch your email and future newsletters for more information.

The Economic Opportunity Commission of Nassau County, Inc. Last Thanksgiving our Multifaith Campus raised $695.00 for the EOC (Economic Opportunity Commission) of Glen Cove. The Director, Janice Wardlaw, was very please with our donation (please see her thank you letter insert).

The low income community in our immediate area is constantly in need of assistance. If you would like to help, please see the following list of goods accepted by the EOC:

*Coats - for adults and children (mainly children because there are many coat drives in the area, but they are not usually for children).

*Bed sheets - new

*Comforters - new or gently used

*Pillows - new

*Furniture - (another large need)

*Donations for youth activities

To find out more about how you can help out, please contact:

Janice Wardlaw, Director Glen Cove EOC 4 Mason Drive,

Apt. BB (Lower Level) Glen Cove, NY 11542

jwardlaw@eoc-nassau.org Office Phone (516) 801-2672 Office Fax (516) 676-4958

The full measure of a man is not to be found in the man himself, but in the colors and textures that come alive in others because of him. ~Albert Schweitzer

ReflectionsReflections

In June 1954, over sixty years ago, 759 young men, mostly eighteen years old, came together to begin a four-year odyssey as Cadets of the West Point Class of 1958. Four years later twenty-five per cent had been lost, mostly due to academic failure, resignation and other reasons. June Week 1958 and Graduation Day were the culmination of our efforts, and one of our happiest times. We removed our cadet uniform and donned our new officer’s uniform to stand with proud parents and friends. For two days the Cadet Chapel (Protestant) and Catholic Chapel held wedding ceremonies every thirty minutes; the couples drew numbers to determine their turn. The rest of that year, from graduation on, was filled with many exciting times as our military careers began in stations all over the world. As the calendars marked the passage of time, we who once felt invincible began to understand the reality of life. We are reaching the time when our course on earth is ending, and we are often saddened as another classmate dies. Even so, we are still discovering the strength of the bonds we made then, which have endured for sixty years. A large number of military retirees live in the Washington, DC area and my class is a part of that crowd.

Last September a classmate died. He was a little more special to me than others because we were both in the same cadet company, and for one year he was my roommate. Bill Ganey was a brigadier general and had a full military honors funeral. Because there is a waiting list for such funerals, the family had to decide to either wait or have a simpler funeral in September. So they waited, and I believe this was the right decision.

The funeral was scheduled for January 20th, and well before the starting time the troops of the Old Guard began their preparations, getting formed up and having the horses and caisson in place. They were in front of the Old Post Chapel at Fort Myer, VA and waited for the casket to come from the funeral home. The Honor Guard started at exactly 1245 hours bringing the casket into the Chapel. I looked around and saw fifteen of us who made the effort to bid adieu to one of our fellow classmates.

The extent of military honors increases with the rank of the deceased. Whatever you have seen in movies and on television is quite accurate. After the service in the Chapel, the flag draped casket was placed on the caisson pulled by six large matched white horses followed by a dark black caparisoned horse (riderless with empty boots facing backwards in the stirrups). The pageantry of marching soldiers, the cannon’s eleven gun salute and, as always, hearing Taps were all integral parts of the occasion. The slow car ride from Chapel to gravesite passing through rows and rows of white gravestones has to stir one’s soul. That day, in front of every headstone, there were still Christmas wreaths with red bows.

Afterwards a reception was held in the Officer’s Club and, on a cold January day, it was especially pleasant to warm up while spending time with the family and friends. Bill’s wife, Angela, was able to remember meeting me as a cadet. She and their daughter both wanted to know what kind of a person he was for the four years we were cadets. I cannot imagine anyone going into Arlington with detachment – there is too much to stir the emotions.

The same emotions come to me while driving through our nation’s capital. From the first time we paraded as cadets in Washington to passing through as travelers today, that city is, for me, the epitome of what a national capitol should look like. It is awesome to see the beautiful buildings and monuments again, still just as impressive as on my earlier visits. Over the years, more monuments and buildings have been added. Their placement, beauty and reason for being there enhances any visit all the more. Our ride home, going through the city, was enjoyable even though it was commuting time, and the winter day held other memories.

There is much grumbling and sniping about how our country is run and how dysfunctional Washington is, but for me it is none of that. It is our capital and worthy of all the pride bestowed upon it. Branch Worsham

End Word: Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death. ~Omar N. Bradley You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor. ~Aristotle

THE CANNONEERS ~~ WITH HAIRY EARS ~~ ON WIRY WHISKERS ~~

USED TIN SHEARS ~~ UNTIL THEY FOUND ~~

But how do we emulate God?

Begin with a new openness to the world around you. Reawaken your capacity for wonderment. Make room for the sense of awe you felt as a child when you first beheld the beauty and the mystery of the natural world. These are Divine sparks. Allow yourself to experience them.

Create positive thoughts of love, tolerance, understanding, and acceptance of yourself and your fellow human beings. Turn on the Divine light within you each day and notice that light in all others you encounter.

For those of us who are parents, we emulate God by parenting. Parenting can no doubt be the most exhausting job, but it can also be the most rewarding.

On this Tu B’Shevat may we recommit to planting seeds of empowerment, confidence, and love in ourselves, in our children and in theirs, and in all those we hold dear.

“As my ancestors planted for me, so too I plant for my children and my children’s children.”

~The Talmud

Rabbi Stuart Paris, HaKohen

Tu B’Shevat, Jewish Arbor Day

Tu B’Shevat, or the "New Year of the Trees," is Jewish Arbor Day. The holiday is observed on the 15th

(tu) of the Hebrew month of Shevat (this year corresponding to January 25th). Tu B’Shevat was an agricultural festival, marking the emergence of spring. The holiday has become a tree-planting festival in Israel, in which Israelis and Jews around the world plant trees in honor or in memory of loved ones and friends.

Tu B’Shevat is a holiday that brings us back to nature. After all, this is a time of year when we could easily lose sight of the beauty of nature. The sky is often gray. The days are often short. Tu B’Shevat reminds us that spring is going to happen after all, the blue sky will come back and flowers will bloom again. It is a holiday that hinges on hope and possibility. The tree is a symbol of life; belief in the face of doubt; strength amidst uncertainty.

This holiday is a time to plant, taking the idea of hope and making it real by rolling up our sleeves and contributing to the promise of the future. We are told that we were created by God. We are told that we have a Divine spark within us. We are told that each one of us, like God, has the power to create worlds; to perform acts of abounding goodness; to bring greater peace to our world.

“Every blade of grass has its Angel that bends over it and whispers, ‘Grow, grow.’” ~ The Talmud

Brookville Multifaith Campus News 2M

The Saturday Night Live Group of Alcoholics Anonymous meets at the Brookville Church every Saturday night at 9pm. (Coffee and cake starting at 8:30!) As one of Nassau County's oldest AA groups, this meeting has been in existence for over 40 years. If you think you have a problem with alcohol, you

are welcome to attend this meeting. For more information,

feel free to contact Carol B. at (516) 428-0479.

LEAVE A BOOK TAKE A BOOK

We have a lending library! Anyone who has read a book and would like to lend one is

welcome to bring it to the bookshelf in the Fellowship Hall Conference Room. Hard cover and paper back books are welcome. If you don’t have a book to lend, you can make a donation and purchase one.

Bring in a book and take one home!

Play Dates for Interfaith Families with Young Children

Do you ever wonder, "Are there other interfaith parents like us with infant to pre-school aged children who would be interested in gathering together for play dates with their children?” There has been an interest by some of our young interfaith families to have "Play Dates" on our campus.

If you would attend these occasional Saturday morning events with your children, please contact the church office at: BrookvilleChurch@gmail.com letting us know of your interest. If there is enough of a response, we will organize this program for interfaith parents with toddlers.

I’ve just finished reading a book entitled, While We’re Far Apart by Lynn Austin. I was looking for an entertaining book to read while on vacation and a friend had recommended this book to me which I had dutifully added to my “when I have a chance book list”.

I honestly hadn’t thought this would be much of anything since my friend and I really don’t have

the same reading taste. I was so surprisingly taken by this book that I decided to write this and to share my thoughts.

As an Interfaith Minister, who is also a tremendous fan of the Interfaith Community of Long Island and the community that we have built at the Multifaith Campus at the Brookville Church, there is a very good reason why this book resonated with me in the way that it did.

The book itself is a work of somewhat simplistic fiction. It is an easy and fast read, telling a story that takes place in Brooklyn (my birth place) during the time of WWII (I actually hadn’t been born quite yet☺). It is a story that simultaneously tells about a young Christian woman who was raised by narrow minded, elderly parents and an older, religious, Jewish man, whose family is trapped in Hungary for the duration of the war.

No spoilers! I do not wish to ruin the book for any of you who are interested in reading it.

What I do want to share is that this is a story that runs the gamut from bigotry, prejudice, fear, and hatred to love, compassion, faith and healing.

To me, the most important aspect of this book is its underlying message and reminder that God is always working in our lives, even at those times when we despair and even at those times that we are shaken in our faith.

Reverend Enid Kessler Advisor to the Interfaith Community of Long Island

Faith Is for Everyone

Brookville Multifaith Campus News 3M

SAT REVIEW CLASS Do you know a high school student who needs to prepare for the SAT exam? If you do, suggest they come to the SAT Review Class at the Brookville Church Multifaith Campus. The class will be instructed by Rev. James Eastland and Cathy O’Neill. Rev. James and Cathy are trained secondary education school teachers and are volunteering their time to help raise funds to send underprivileged children to summer camp at Camp Warwick.

Classes will be held in Fellowship Hall, Wednesdays from 4pm - 6pm. Class Dates: February: 3, 10, 17, March: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, April: 6, 13, 20, May: 4

Suggested donation for the class is $400 (that’s less than $35 a session!) plus $35.00 deposit for book.

For more information or to sign up call the Brookville Church office: 516-626-0414

February Birthdays

Branch Worshm - 5th Heidi Hunt - 7th Gabe Cirker - 8th

Helen Thompson - 11th Rev. Enid Kessler - 12th

Brandon Pala - 13th Janîce Leotti - 14th Bill Waldorf - 16th Todd Rowley - 19th

Helen Hessinger - 21st Valerie Ritacco - 25th Rick Ritacco - 25th

Elaine McCusker - 26th Joyce Hanna - 27th

Edward Jacobson - 28th Richard Frame - 28th

Reformed Church in the Middle East.

COMMON GROUNDS COFFEEHOUSE COMING MARCH 11!

Common Grounds is happy to be starting the New Year with our very own

MUZIKA SHMUZIKA! March 11 at 7:30 pm in Fellowship Hall

Please come and help support sending under-served children to summer sleep away camp at Camp Warwick, and enjoy the talents of Nan, John, Fran, Mark, Mike and Pam as they entertain us with their prodigious musical talents!

Refreshments and raffles will be sold during what promises to be a fun

filled evening!

If you have questions, raffle or food/beverage donations or want to help out just

call Lisa Denison at 516-695-1123.

All are welcome!

Brookville Multifaith Campus News 4M

TUESDAY NIGHT NEEDLES KNIT &

CROCHET GROUP!

Want to learn to knit or crochet? Already know how and want to get together with others to share your craft and skills? Tuesday Night Needles will be starting soon, so come and join us, starting March 1st!

Want to know more?

Email Lisa Denison at: lmdenison24@gmail.com or call/text 516-695-1123

Save the Date: March 20th

following the Palm Sunday Service

Special guest speaker, author and journalist,

Sue Katz Miller will talk about her new book:

4TH ANNUAL LENTEN MOVIE STUDY We are looking for anyone who wants to make a connection with others while exploring the spiritual themes buried in a Hollywood movie. Revs. Vicky and James are keeping the name of the movie under wraps, but are excited to reveal the details in an upcoming email, so watch your Inbox. The study will begin on

Thursday, Feb. 11th from 7-10 p.m. at their home: 171 Glen Ave., Sea Cliff.

Then for the next 5 consecutive Thursdays they will be holding a discussion from 7-8:30 p.m. (again at their home in Sea Cliff) on the spiritual implications of the movie or movies yet to be revealed. To sign up for this intriguing journey, please email Rev. Vicky at: rev.vicky@verizon.net

Disclaimer: The only thing this has to do with Lent is that it is the time of year the study is occurring. You don't have to be a Christian to attend this exciting study!

Being Both Embracing Two Religions in

One Interfaith Family

To read about Sue visit: www.susankatzmiller.com

Her book is available on Amazon All are welcome!

Brookville Multifaith Campus News 5M

On January 18th, eight of our campus' youth along with their parents, got up before sunrise to pack and distribute hot food and warm clothes to Day Laborers in our area. Each bag contained a message of hope, both in English and in Spanish, providing contact numbers to The Workplace Project and Unity Housecleaners who assist those who are victims of harassment, threats, wage theft or injuries on the job. We are proud of our youth for spreading love to those who are often neglected.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Service Project

Everyone enjoyed breakfast together afterwards.

Thank you to Martha Worsham

& Sarah Cirker

for organizing this event !

Brookville Multifaith Campus News 6M

Raise Money for Brookville Church by having H&R Block prepare your taxes!

It’s easy! Obtain a referral form from the church office.

Office hours Sept.-June Mon.-Fri. 9:00 - 1:00 pm Take the referral to a participating H&R Block office and give it to your

tax professional. (To find an H&R Block office, go to hrblock.com.)

If you are a new client, Brookville Church receives $20.00! Feel good knowing you helped your church raise money and you received

exceptional tax preparation service!

Thank you for participating!

Intergenerational Women's Commissioning Ceremony

"Leaving a Legacy” Sunday, February 28, 5:00pm

at the

The Community Reformed Church 90 Plandome Rd

Manhasset, NY 11030

All women and girls are invited to gather, be affirmed, and be inspired by uplifting music, an empowering message, and a personal blessing for the Lenten season.

Join us as we celebrate one another and our ecumenical ministry, Girl Inspired.

RSVP requested: lesleymazzotta@gmail.com or 516-627-3494.