New Church Challenge invites you to the Annual Membership Meeting to be held on Wednesday, May 3rd at 7:30PM at Cairnwood Village dining room. You are welcome to attend in person or attend via zoom.

A brief business meeting will update you on the activity and financial situation of the organization. There will be the election of the proposed directors: James Cole, Mac Frazier, Nina Kline, and Sarah Wong. 

Following the business meeting will be a presentation by Roxanne Genzlinger and her son Caleb about the Caleb’s Cafe coffee shop in Kempton, and a presentation by Leona Fritch on the Special Education paraprofessional assisting at the Kempton New Church School this year.

James Cole is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: New Church Challenge Annual Meeting
Time: May 3, 2023 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

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https://Jefferson.zoom.us/j/99713491662

Meeting ID: 997 1349 1662
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Our newsletter is published twice a year and is mailed to all members and donors. We present the Spring 2023 issue online as well. Please read brief biographies of our board members and brief sermon by the Rev. Solomon Keal.

New Church Challenger Spring 2023

Dear Members and Friends,

Please join us for the New Church Challenge Membership meeting tomorrow, Tuesday May 3, at 7:30PM in Pendleton Hall Auditorium at Bryn Athyn College of the New Church. 

There will be a brief business meeting where I will fill you in on the recent activities of New Church Challenge, then the election of board members, followed by a presentation, “Thoughts about Special Education in New Church Schools” by Jessica Baker. Jessica is a recent graduate of the College’s Master of Science in Special Education and a teacher in the Bryn Athyn Church School’s Student Support Center.

If you are unable to attend in person, you may join online where you can see the meeting and presentation and ask questions via chat.

Microsoft Teams link

shorturl.at/nHU46 

If you do not have a Microsoft Teams account you can click on

“Watch on the web instead” and then on the next page below the Sign In option, click Join anonymously.

or dial-in

+1 717-553-4039 United States, Lancaster (Toll)

(866) 658-6779 United States (Toll-free)

Kind regards,

James P. Cole, president

New Church Challenge is pleased to announce a new grant to allow families to more independent living arrangements to their family member living with a disability, within their current homes.

We encourage you to think about privacy and other needs your family member might need and to apply to New Church Challenge for a grant to facilitate these needs.

For more information and the application form, please see New Church Challenge Housing Grant.

New Church Challenge is excited to announce the opening of Caleb’s Cafe, a project made possible by a grant from the Carlson Bequest. See more photos here of this exciting new business!

You are welcome to attend the New Church Challenge Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 5th at 7:30PM via zoom.
There will be a brief business meeting and then a presentation by the president,

Innovative Approaches to Housing

Zoom Meeting ID: 927 6121 3541

For passcode see the Bryn Athyn Post, check your email if you are a member, or request the link and passcode by emailing NewChurchChallenge@gmail.com

New Church Challenge

New Church Challenge is also currently seeking a candidate for the position of Administrative Assistant/Recording Secretary. The successful candidate should have good organizational skills and proficiency in office software as well as light web editing skills on WordPress or Squarespace platforms.

The demands of the position usually only require a couple hours a week of work from home, with more hours around certain projects.

See the job description here for further details:

Since we were unable to hold our Annual Membership meeting, I present a brief update on the business of New Church Challenge. Hopefully, we will see you all in person for our 2021 Annual Meeting!

President’s Report

New Church Challenge, marks with sorrow and gladness the passing into the next life of one of our founding fathers, and long-time president, Kurt Horigan Asplundh.  Kurt passed on, surrounded by his family on May 3, 2020.

Kurt Horigan Asplundh

Thank you to Les Alden, our treasurer, who is a volunteer and an expert at the numbers.

Our financial status is still good. While investments took a hit, they are again climbing, and our operating capital is secure. We continue to look for new opportunities to serve individuals, and families in the New Church. 

We are supported entirely by your dues and your generous donations.  We were unable to hold our big fundraiser, the Pancake Breakfast this year. Thank you for your continued donations.

The Family Grants program is a better known program of New Church Challenge and it continues to be a very popular recipient of generous donations. Please encourage anyone in any New Church congregation to reach out to us with further needs. 

I would also like to mention the Carlson Fund, which is not well known. The Carlson Fund was a bequest to the General Church to promote the vocational training for a young person with disabilities. New Church Challenges manages this fund, and to date we have had one small disbursement. Please consider whether you know anyone who could benefit from this fund.

We are very excited that we have had the first two successful recipients of the New Church Challenge Scholarship for New Church Teachers enrolled in the Bryn Athyn College Master of Science in Special Education. 

We do continue to work towards a New Church Challenge residence for adults with disabilities. The Building Committee, headed by Bob Fazio, is exploring an exciting opportunity.

Our other activities include our lovely newsletter, published twice a year for our membership. Nina Kline, the editor for many years has done a fabulous job of soliciting and collecting wonderful stories and news.

The Horizon Group, under the leadership of Cathy McQueen and Lori Odhner, planned many fun activities for our young adults. Though in-person gatherings were restricted this spring, participants including some Education students from Bryn Athyn College enjoyed a successful online trivia night.

Website and Communications: We continue to add information, and resources to the Website: www.NewChurchChallenge.com

Thank You!

James P. Cole, President
New Church Challenge

Nominations: 

The nominating committee presented a slate of directors, published in the last newsletter. Usually during our annual meeting the candidates are offered for affirmation by the membership of New Church Challenge, before presenting the slate to the General Church Board of Directors, who elects our Board. Since the annual meeting had to be cancelled, we offer the names below, all of whom are incumbent Board members who are seeking re-election. If there are no objections, the slate will be presented to the General Church Board of Directors at their June meeting:

Mrs. Sarah Wong
Mr. James Cole
Mrs. Nina Kline
Rev. Mr. Philip Schnarr

The nominating committee is also seeking an appropriate candidate to fill the vacancy left by Kurt Apslundh’s passing. If you would like to be considered or have a suggestion for the committee, please contact us at NewChurchChallenge@gmail.com

 

New Church Challenge marks the passing of Kurt Horigan Asplundh from this life to the next.  Kurt and his wife Martha were the driving force for the establishment of New Church Challenge. Kurt served as the leader and president for many years and he continued in his participation and his support until the very end of his earthly life.
While we are sad for his family’s loss of his calm and loving presence in this world; we are excited to think of his continued service to our Lord as he enters into His courts with praise.

Psalm 100       A psalm of confession.
Shout ye to Jehovah, all the earth.
Serve ye Jehovah with gladness;
Come before Him with a loud song.
Know ye that Jehovah, He is God. It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves, His people, and the flock of His pasture;
Therefore we are His, His people and the flock of His pasture.
Come into His gates with confession, His courts with praise; Confess ye to Him, bless His name.
For Jehovah is good; His mercy is to eternity;
And His faithfulness even to generation and generation.

We are sad to report the passing of our friend and former President of New Church Challenge, William Buick.

Bill moved on from this life on February 21, 2020, at his home in Bryn Athyn, surrounded by his wife and family. Much like his usual demeanor, Bill had a quiet and graceful struggle against cancer, since his diagnosis in late 2018.

After serving as President  from 2009-2018, Bill stepped down from the role when he began his treatment. He never wanted to burden his friends and he continued to serve as an active supporter of New Church Challenge, despite his health.

Bill was recognized at our last annual meeting for his many years of service and he was given a new dogwood tree for his yard which was planted last spring.  Bill will not see that tree blossom this year, but we hope he is enjoying the heavenly blossoms with his keen spiritual senses.

Well done, good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful in a few things;
I will appoint thee over many. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Matthew 25:21