The Voice of FRC - December 2025

The Franklin Reformed Church

www.frcnutley.com

frcnutley@optimum.net

973-667-7022 Church Office

But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked Jesus a question to test him, “Teacher what is the great commandment in the law?”. And Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these commandments depend all the law and the prophets” Matthew 22.34-40

So, I’m guessing you are thinking that I might have confused Advent and Lent, as this comes in the Gospel of Matthew as Jesus is teaching in the Temple in the last week of his life. It has become for our church community verses that are guiding our study of the Bible in Discovering God this year.

During our last Discovering God session Linda R. remarked that the first few sessions of our study have made her think of the gravitas of this message, that confronts us in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament we are reminded that the people of Israel were once strangers, and slaves, in Egypt, and in their remembering they should treat strangers, gentiles, aliens, and slaves as if they were a part of their community.

In both the Old and New Testaments, we find the echoes of this law again and again, in different contexts. As we wander through this year in adult Christian education, and the Biblical narrative, we will find stories that put flesh and blood onto these important commandments.

As we read and hear the familiar story of the birth of Jesus, there are many “strangers” that show up as important characters in this story. The angel Gabriel, the innkeeper, Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, the shepherds, and the Magi who came from the East.

The strangers at the manger remind me that we often see these figures as “part” of the story, but they were in essence different from those who would have been expected to be part of God’s story of the Incarnation. We are reminded that our neighbors can be from many different places, and we may know little about them, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t compelled to love them. To witness in the very birth narratives how God is already at work in prefiguring the central message of the

Gospel, that God came into the world to serve the least, the lost, the outcast, the poor, and the stranger.

And on Christmas eve we once again meet the strangest stranger of them all, Jesus. Fully God and fully human, unlike anything else the world had ever known. And so, we will sing with love and the promise of this season: Gentle Mary laid her child, lowly in a manger, There he lay, the undefiled, to the world a stranger...May we come with open hearts to find this One, of humble birth but no more a stranger to us. Instead, He is the One who will lead us in love to the Kingdom that God has promised us.

This and That

If you would like to be included in the FRC Christmas card, please speak to Jeff Grieco. We are asking for a $10 donation per household. Deadline is Sunday, December 7th.

If you are interested in purchasing Poinsettias for the holiday decorating at the church, please contact Jeff as soon as possible.

The Consistory will meet next on December 14th, after worship. Pray for the leaders of God’s church.

Generally, Communion occurs on the first Sunday of each month, unless otherwise decided by the Consistory. We will celebrate communion next on December 7th, in the Sanctuary at 11am. If you are unable to join us in person, please call the church office to schedule home communion.

Discovering God, our Adult Christian Education program, this program year will be looking at the “greatest commandment,” which Jesus tells us is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” In December we will meet only on December 14th. We meet at 10am in the Conference Room; sessions are also on ZOOM. Join us as we learn more about what these important commandments mean for us today.

If you haven’t returned your Commitment Card, please send or drop it off to the church office. This helps Consistory with planning.

You are invited to join together to decorate the Sanctuary for Christmas on Saturday, December 20th, at 9:45am. The “crew” will go out to breakfast afterwards.

The doorjam Christmas Concert will be on Sunday, December 21st, at 4pm in the Sanctuary. We have always relied on the generous donations of time - decorating the Community House and Sanctuary - and talent - creating the amazing soups and treats for our guests. Prayerfully consider how you can help us out again this year. There is a sign-up sheet for “soups and...” on the bulletin board in the Cone Building. A free will offering will be taken during the concert, which is designated for the church’s General Fund.

Christmas Eve service will be held on Wednesday, December 24th at 7:30pm. Join us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

On December 13th at 7pm there is a fund raiser for NFSB at Vincent United Methodist Church for the Nutley Family Service Bureau’s Annual Appeal. Winter Harmonies: A Holiday Concert for Hope, featuring the Sebek Tenors. Tickets can be purchased on the NFSB website.

We want to assure folks that the funds for the new doors in the Community House are still set aside for that purpose. Unfortunately, the contractor is having some health issues so installation has been delayed, and we may need to find someone else to complete the project.

It takes a church! I am grateful to God for all those who have lent a hand, taken on a task and shown their commitment to the ministry of our congregation over the last month:

• Tricia and Jainie for their Advent banner, and preparing the Sanctuary for the Advent season

• The grateful and generous donor who arranged for our annual Thanksgiving Church Family Dinner to be catered by Stew Leonard’s. It was delicious!

• The kitchen, set-up, and take down volunteers at the Thanksgiving Dinner

• Jeff who manages the flower donations every week, and the special seasonal flower displays

• Jeff and Tricia for their work on the FRC Christmas Card.

• Lin and Vicky who make sure that the trash and recycling go out for pick-up

• Jim T. who looks after the Cemetery

• Robert W. who continues his father’s legacy by tending to the church buildings and landscaping

• Consistory members who have agreed to extend their terms on Consistory one year to provide consistent leadership for this time of transition.

• The Nutley Clergy Fellowship for their revival of the Ecumenical Community Thanksgiving Service

As a reminder: except for Elders meetings, all church gatherings are open to every member of the Congregation, including Consistory meetings. If you are interested in attending any gathering that is announced, contact the church office for more information. Consistory minutes and financial reports are always available upon request.

Update: I have appreciated your support over the last two and a half years as I have worked towards a D.Min degree at New Brunswick Theological Seminary in Pastoral Care and Counseling. Due to several factors, I have extended the timeline for my final project into the fall semester 2026, which moves eventual graduation to May of 2027- to quote Shirley Ho “God willing!” This new timeline allows for me to better balance both church life and schoolwork.

Tuesday Morning Bible Study: Tuesday Morning Bible Study participants gather at 10 am via ZOOM. We are currently studying Paul’s letter to the church at Galatia. If you are interested in joining us, please send an email to the church office (frcnutley@optimum.net) with “Tuesday Bible Study” in the subject line and you will receive the ZOOM link every week.

Thank you to all who have signed up to sponsor flowers for Sunday morning worship. Your support has meant that we have had a lovely arrangement of cut flowers each week - with special thanks to Jeff who oversees this ministry. The calendar for 2026 will be posted soon.

REMINDER: We are grateful to those who have made their contribution towards the assessment amount in 2025. Assessments for 2025 are $137.00, or if you use the 3 Assessment envelopes in your “box set” it is $46.00 per envelope. THERE IS STILL TIME TO MAKE YOUR DONATION TOWARDS OUR ANNUAL ASSESSMENT for 2025.

From the Mailbox

Dear FRC friends and family,

A HUGE Thanksgiving Thank You to all who created this year’s Thanksgiving feast at FRC.

Glory to God for blessing us all with a delicious meal (and the generous donor of the Stew Leonard’s catering) filled with many shared memories of those we lost, seeing old friends, and meeting new ones. I am so thankful to God and you all (especially Jainie and Gail who organized this). The beautiful inviting décor (thanks, Lin) and using the church “China” so many used before us (remember Fish and Chip dinners and Joe Day’s dishwasher?).

This would have been a lonely and depressing day (I really do not enjoy the holidays since Mom and Dad passed). It became a day filled with love, joy, and laughter.

Thank you, FRC family for being there and showing up when it would be easier not to. Thank you, God (and Steve) for the nudge.

This was indeed a Thanksgiving to remember! God bless you, everyone!

Yours in Christ and love, Nancy Willis

From the Historian

I recently came across the January 1982 Newsletter From "The Little White Church on the Hill:". in which I had shared "Christmas Living" by Carolyn Crabb. It was given to her many years ago and was written by Betty Tuers. She mentioned that Betty's father had been a custodian at our church. Now 44 years later I know much more about Elizabeth Tuers and her family!

Simon Tuers (1836-1921) is buried in our church cemetery. He served in the Civil War. He was the father of Calvin who was born in December of 1871 and was our church custodian for many years. He and his wife Bertha were the parents of Elizabeth Tuers. The family lived at 125 Church Street that was originally part of the Captain Abram Speer House property known as The Tuers Homestead. The Speer Home at 149 Church Street was built in 1760 and owned by the family until 1929. Elizabeth Tuers had been a secretary to the Mayor of Nutley, and left Nutley around 1957-58 to teach at the University of Aleppo, Syria.

"Christmas Living"

"What warms the heart and makes it glow at Christmastime, and makes it swell with love and

generous giving?

What softens the harsh word and finds the smile appear, and makes the soul to sing with

laughter and good cheer?

I think it's the Light from yonder star, the glow from the small manger bed, the gentle, soft

fluttering of angel wings, and their voice strong and sweet. In their song of Peace on Earth good will...Which age upon age repeats. Could we not heed their voices strong? Not just for Christmas but all year long, how truly would it be Christmas giving, could we but spend a year in Christmas Living!"

When I came to Nutley in 1965 and met the Hewitt family who lived at 125 Church Street and had been members of Franklin Reformed in the late 1950's and a few years into the 1960's before joining Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. Edith and Alan Hewitt were especially known for being artists in town and were the parents of Wendy, Paul and Beth. They moved during the summer of 1972. In 1970 Edith created a magnificent banner which still hangs in the back of the sanctuary at Holy Trinity, "Go to The Whole World & Preach the Gospel to All Mankind".

From the Hart

What a difference a year makes! Last year on Thanksgiving I was barely out of the hospital and recovering from major surgery. I wasn’t allowed solid foods, so Linda R. concocted a smoothie for me, consisting of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and I don’t remember what else. Maybe cranberry sauce? Jainie provided pumpkin ice cream for dessert. It was the most unusual Thanksgiving dinner ever! But also, the best, because it came from love. This year I was able to spend the day participating in the event, and I managed to eat almost everything on my plate. What a blessing! But the best part of both days was spending time with the people I love most. I am so grateful for you all. So, as we enter the seasons of Advent and Christmas, I wish you all peace, love, and joy. And maybe an extra slice of pie.

Till next year, Lin