Our Spirit Hour ended for the season with some exciting activities. During the worship service, Pastor Marsden met with the children as they presented a quilt they had made. The idea for the quilt came from our Parish Nurse, Carol O'Neill, who has spearheaded the Prayer Quilt Ministry of the church. Prayer Quilts are sown with a prayer said during the tying of each knot. The finished quilts are given to people in the congregation who are having health concerns. The children decided to make their own quilt and it was on display during the service. The pictures below show Pastor Marsden visiting with the children and the finished quilt.

Following the "Time for Children", the children and teachers went to the Education Building for their classes. They worked on their chalk drawings on the sidewalk outside. The following pictures were taken by Staci Walby, one of the Spirit Hour teachers. We thank her for her contributions. The first two pictures show the kids as they were creating their sections of the quilt. The rest of the pictures show them creating their chalk drawings as well as the time during Fellowship Hour when their parents and the entire congregation came to admire their creations.

That's the question many people at Old Paramus might be asking their fellow members. A garden featuring many separate beds has been put in place in the Pines area of the church grounds. Members were given the opportunity to claim one of the beds for their own. Some planted vegetables, some flowers, some herbs. They each are responsible for tending to their own little garden. Although many people helped construct the wooden boxes and put them in place, Rob Shean and Kevin Rager oversaw the planning and construction. On Sunday, June 13, following the morning worship service, Pastor Tom Marsden officially dedicated the garden project as some church attendees gathered around. It will be interesting to watch as the products grow and produce some very tasty and healthy vegetables. The picture on the left shows the garden boxes just after they were put into place in early May. On the right, is the garden as it appeared about a month later during the dedication ceremony.

Stewart Holmes, Music Director and Organist, was surprised on Sunday, June 13, when Pastor Tom Marsden called him forward from his organ bench to present him with a token of the church's recognition for his outstanding work throughout the years. He was particularly pleased with the gift that was presented. It was a scholarship donation in his name to the American Guild of Organists. The AOG is held in very high regard by Stewart. The picture clearly shows his delight. The congregation gave him a rousing round of applause. We are indeed fortunate to have Stewart as our Music Director. The OPRC Choir, though relatively small in number, does an outstanding job week after week under his direction.

The Women's Guild meeting in June had as its guests, the "Blue Knights and Fair Ladies", a singlng quintet from the Church of the Presentation of Upper Saddle River. Their program included popular show tunes and songs from the "30s to the '60s. The program opened with a song from The Wizard of Oz. The performance was well received by the audience as they applauded and participated in some of the selections. One could tell that the members of the group really enjoy what they do from the enthusiasm they showed throughout the performance. Several of the Guild members dressed in costumes that represented various fictional characters from literature. It made for a fun time.

"Time For Children" takes place each Sunday morning during the worship service. Pastor Tom Marsden gathers the children around him and shares a message with them that relates to the sermon he will be preaching later to the adults in attendance. After the "Time For Children", the teachers and children leave for their Spirit Hour lesson in the Education Building. Elyce Shean recently captured these pictures at two different services of the children as they were listening to Pastor Tom.

On Sunday, November 15, Juanita McClelland was presented with a special recognition award by Carol O'Neill, Parish Nurse. Juanita, a charter member of the Health Cabinet, was recognized for her many years of service. A surprise until the close of the worship service, Juanita was escorted to the front of the sanctuary where she was given a bouquet of flowers and a special plaque. A round of applause after the plaque was presented said it all. Juanita McClelland is a treasured member of Old Paramus who gives of her time and talents to all. Congratulations, Juanita, for your genuine spirit of helpfulness and caring.