Keeping in Touch: PoP’s Weekly E-news - 11/03/2026
Events and Ministry Opportunities at Prince of Peace and the House Next Door
This Week
Pastor Paul Rorem will be presiding and preaching on Sunday, 11.8.26. Thank you Pastor Rorem.
Announcements
Adult Forum
On Sunday November, 8th following the 9:30 service, there is an adult forum discussing, “Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying” (ELW 436) led by Pastor Paul Rorem.
Interim Pastor Announcement!
The Holy Spirit has blessed Prince of Peace! We are pleased to announce that Prince of Peace has an interim pastor! Pastor Hephzibah Penumaka will start on November 25 with November 29 being her first Sunday - the first Sunday of Advent. Pastor Hephzi has come to the NJ Synod from the Southwestern Texas Synod where she served her first call at Grace Lutheran Church in Round Rock, TX. She attended Princeton Seminary and graduated with her Master of Divinity in 2019. Your council has met with Pastor Hephzi and are quite excited for her to come to Prince of Peace. The council has asked the Synod to appoint Pastor Hephzi as our 3/4 time interim pastor for 12 months. That does mean she will not be here on all Sundays and we are having conversations about what that looks like. God is Good!
Upcoming Events
Church Bells are ringing!
The Bell Choir will be meeting weekly at 7:00 PM. We will alternate between Wednesdays and Thursdays for the near future. For October, Thursdays 10/29. These will be listed on the POP calendar so you can always check there. We are ringing simple pieces. All are welcome to join - experience is not required.
Trunk or Treat returns to St Bart's!
St. Bart’s will be hosting a Trunk or Treat event in their parking lot on Saturday October 31, 1-4 pm. Joan New will be attending with her car! Candy/treat donations are welcome! If you would like to donate any treats, Joan will be at church on Thursday evening and will check the bin outside the white doors.
I-RISE
On November 8th from 2-4 pm, Interfaith Rise is hosting the 12th Annual Community Walk for Refugees and Immigrants at Reformed Church 19 S. 2ND Ave., Highland Park, NJ. Funds raised will support job readiness + rent, utilities, food, and medicine. Donations can be made at https://interfaithrise.org/donate and questions can be made to fida@interfaithrise.org.
50 Years of Faithful Friendship
Join WHAM on Sunday, November 22, 2026 from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm for the Interfaith Thanksgiving Worship Service to Celebrate 50 Years of Faithful Friendship. Hosted by First United Methodist Church of Hightstown, Located at 187 Stockton St, Hightstown, NJ. Also will be livestreamed at facebook.com/FUMCHightstown.
Tending Hope in Hard Times: An Advent Retreat, Led by Pastor Lena Warren
Saturday, December 5 from 10:00-3:00
More than just wishful thinking, hope is a driving force for action, a motivation for living, and a vision of a better future. Join us at the House Next Door as we tend to the seeds of hope in our own times. Thanks to a generous donation, this retreat is free to members of Prince of Peace. Space is limited. Please register at dale.graceministries@gmail.com.
Service Opportunities
Gardening to Feed Our Neighbors; VOLUNTEERS OF ALL AGES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME! NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! Harvesting is winding down and will take place on just Fridays from 9-11 in the two large gardens here at POP to provide a variety of fresh produce for our food-insecure neighbors served by Enid's Food Pantry at our partner church, St. Barts in Trenton. Contact Shari at srexroad915@gmail.com or just come see how you can help for an hour or a shift, even if not on a regular basis!
POP's Immigration Ministry needs volunteers and donations. I-RISE (Interfaith Refugee and Resettlement Services and Empowerment) continues to serve our immigrant neighbors in numerous ways. With funding cuts, there's even more need for volunteers to help with learning English or basic laptop use, drivers to deliver food bags, take them to appointments or to help them practice driving, or mentors to work with a 15-24 year old. Our volunteer team works directly with a Haitian family of 7 in Trenton as well as supporting other services and events through the Trenton office. Summer Camp Scholarship sponsors or gift cards for Uber, Lyft, Shoprite, Walmart, Visa or Mastercard and donations of gently used household goods or seasonal clothing are always needed. For these and other ways to help, see team members Joan New, Cathy Corcoran, Lisa Schott, or Nancy Reyes or email nancyauerreyes@gmail.com.
Thanksgiving Food Bags for St. Bart's Needed by November 15, 2026
The list of the needed items are in the November issue of the Tidings newsletter and copies are on the table in the gathering area.
Weekly Opportunities
Prayer Circle - Fridays from 1:30pm-2:30pm on Zoom As members of the Body of Christ, we are a people of prayer. All are welcome as our Prayer Circle gathers weekly for discussion, reflection, and prayer. The Zoom link for this ministry is sent, along with our prayer list, every Thursday via an email communication titled “Pray With Us”. Come once; come weekly!
Christian Focus - Wednesdays from 11:30am-1:00pm Christian Focus welcomes new members. We meet every Wednesday at 11:30 in the lounge. Bring a lunch if desired. Each session lasts until around 1 p.m. At the present time we are viewing and discussing a video series on the New Testament. The lecturer is Amy Jill Levine, a prominent Jewish professor. Each 30 minute video focuses on a different aspect of the New Testament including the Gospels, the letters of Paul and Revelation. It is interesting to get a different perspective. If you are interested in joining us, contact Phyllis Church at p.church@mindspring.com
Joyful Stitchers - Mondays at 7:00pm on Zoom Every week Joyful Stitchers, PoP’s stitching arts group, spends an hour knitting, crocheting and socializing. All are welcome to join us. If you don’t know how to knit or crochet and would like to learn, we can teach you! We have experienced knitters and crocheters who are happy to help anyone learn; and we have a good stash of yarn, needles, and crochet hooks to get you started. If you would like to join us, please contact Kate Chen at kcmchen@comcast.net.
Lectors needed - Sundays at 9:30 Please consider signing up to read the lessons also called lectoring. The lessons are included in the weekly bulletin that is sent out on Fridays and are already printed in a notebook for reading from the pulpit. Please sign up at: https://bit.ly/pop-sunday-signup
. It is helpful to sign up by the Wednesday prior to the Sunday you wish to serve. Worship is the work of the people. Please be a participant. Thank you.
2026 Flower Chart The 2026 Flower Chart has numerous opportunities to designate altar flowers throughout the year. All are invited to remember a loved one or celebrate a special occasion by placing flowers on the altar. The flower chart is hanging on the bulletin board outside of the Church Office. The cost is $45.00. Thank you for enhancing our worship and adding to the beauty of our sanctuary.