Stony Brook Online Bulletin

Games night Friday, January 21

2011-01-17T12:46:00.001-05:00

5:30pm. Pizza & games. Bring salads & desserts. Invite friends, all ages.

Christmas Eve Service

2010-12-13T10:04:00.002-05:00

"O Come Let us Adore Him!" Gather for a candlelight service of readings and carols, 7 to 8 pm Christmas Eve.

Angel Tree Party

2010-12-13T10:03:00.001-05:00

Angel Tree party at the church, Tuesday, December 14, 7pm.

Women's Christmas tea, December 19

2010-12-02T17:34:00.001-05:00

Sunday, December 19, 4pm. Women's Christmas tea at the Brown's house.

Men's Breakfast December 11

2010-12-02T17:23:00.002-05:00

Saturday, December 11, 8am. Men's breakfast at the church.

Holiday Stroll this Friday

2010-12-02T17:21:00.002-05:00

Come by the town common this Friday, December 3, after 5pm. We'll be giving out free cookies and hot cider.

All Church Picnic

2010-06-25T15:18:00.001-04:00

Saturday, August 7. The Stony Brook all-church picnic, traditionally known at the BBB (ask!), will be on Mount Tom this year. Stay tuned for details.

Summer Wednesdays

2010-06-25T15:13:00.001-04:00

Light, Love, Life -- The Themes of I John. Wednesday's, beginning June 30, gather for food, fellowship and to study these and other themes from the First Letter of John. The meal will begin at 6 p.m., the study at 6:45. Main dish and drinks provided. Feel free to bring a salad or dessert if you like.

Holy Week Services

2010-03-26T13:33:00.004-04:00

This Holy Week, beginning on Palm Sunday and continuing through Good Friday, we will meditating together on the last words of Jesus. Monday through Friday morning services begin at 6:30am, and Monday through Thursday services are followed by breakfast at 7am. We also invite you to a Communion Service on Thursday evening, 7pm to 8pm. Here's an outline, with readings:

Holy Week Services & Readings

March 28 – April 4, 2010
Last Words of the Messiah

Palm Sunday. 10am - Father, forgive them

Monday 6:30am - Today you will be with me in Paradise
Ps 36:5-10, Is 42:1-9, Heb 9:11-15, Jn 12:1-11

Tuesday 6:30am - Woman, here is your son
Ps 71:1-14, Is 49:1-6, I Cor 1:18-31, Jn 12:20-36

Wednesday 6:30am - My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Ps 70, Is 50:4-9a, Heb 12:1-3, Jn 13:21-32

Thursday 6:30am - I thirst
Ps 116:1-2, 12-19, Ex 12:1-14, I Cor 11:23-26, Jn 13:1-17, 31b-35

Thursday 7pm - It is finished
Maundy Thursday Communion Service

Friday 6:30am - Into your hands I commit my Spirit
Ps 22:1-21, Is 52:13-53:12, Heb 10:1-25, Jn 18:1-19:42

30 Hour Famine

2010-03-26T13:32:00.000-04:00

Stony Brook youth and some of their friends will be fasting today and tomorrow for the World Vision 30 hour famine. Please pray for them, and consider supporting their efforts financially. Gifts can be made out to World Vision or to Stony Brook and marked for World Vision. As a church family we will provide a potluck dinner to break the fast on Saturday evening at 6pm at the church. All are welcome. and if you can join us please bring something to share.

Winter Weather

2009-12-18T09:45:00.000-05:00

When a weekend snow storm is on the way I am frequently asked whether Stony Brook will cancel services. The short answer is no.

Here's the long answer: Because we have people who live close enough to walk, there will always be someone to worship with at the building on Sunday morning. That said, I encourage you to use wisdom and caution in deciding whether it is safe to drive. Keep in mind that you may arrive to find that the parking lot has not yet been plowed. South Hadley DPW plows the parking lot, and our lot is not their highest priority. If the lot is not plowed it sometimes makes the best sense to park at the Village Commons -- assuming their parking lot has been plowed -- and walk down to the church.

Men's Breakfast

2009-11-11T21:50:00.000-05:00

Saturday, November 14, 8am.

Family Night & Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

2009-11-11T21:48:00.000-05:00

Friday, November 13, 6pm we're having a family night at the church. Pizza provided. Bring a salad or dessert to share if you can. Feel free to bring a favorite game, and invite a friend. We will also be assembling Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. For ideas of things to bring for the shoeboxes, check out this link:

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Pack_A_Shoe_Box/

If you aren't able to make purchases, each box also requires $7 to cover shipping, so you can consider contributing in that way.

Annual Meeting

2009-10-22T08:38:00.000-04:00

Stony Brook's annual meeting will be Tuesday, November 17, 7pm. Members should plan to be there. All regular attenders are welcome and encouraged to come.

World Outreach Conference, October 28 - November 1

2009-10-22T08:31:00.003-04:00

The theme of our upcoming world outreach conference will be A light to the Nations (Isaiah 49:6). Our conference is jointly held with the College Church. Here is a schedule of events:

Oct 28 Wednesday 6-8 PM. Family Night at the church. Focus on Africa. African food, Fun, and Fellowship; Oct 30 Friday 6 PM at College Church- Covered Dish Supper. Bring food to share. Topic: Short Term Missions- How to do Short Term Missions well; Oct 31 Saturday 8-9am at College Church - Fellowship and Refreshments; 9am - noon: workshops on Ministry to Muslims, International Students, Refugees, Perspectives, Urbana, Bible Translation; 12:30 Lunch; Nov 1 Sunday - Sunday School at Stonybrook- Guest speakers in all classes; Worship at 10:00 AM- Special Missions Emphasis

Farewell Potluck for David Main this Sunday

2009-08-31T10:48:00.003-04:00

Please plan to stay after our service this Sunday for a potluck to say goodbye to David and to express our appreciation for his service. Bring a main dish, salad or dessert to share if you are able. Also, David's departure will leave a big gap in our music team. If you think you might be able to help, contact Dan.

Sunday School Breakfast

2009-07-31T09:55:00.003-04:00

We'll resume our Christian Education program on the Sunday after labor day at 9am with an all-church breakfast. Whether you have been involved in Sunday School or not, you are welcome. We'll also be introducing our fall program, which will focus on the minor Prophets. Regular classes begin the following week.

Dan & Carol's July Travels

2009-07-04T11:22:00.004-04:00

Carol and I will be away in east Africa for a good part of July, leaving July 6. For the first week we will be in Kenya at the invitation of Wycliffe Bible Translators to speak at the Uganda Tanzania Branch conference. I'll be giving a series of talks from II Corinthians. The following week we will travel with Louise Nagler to Tanzania to spend some time with her before returning home on July 24. Thanks for your prayers.

Wednesdays in July

2009-07-04T11:18:00.002-04:00

Wednesdays in July we'll meet together at Stony Brook for a meal, fellowship and to renew our vision. The evening starts at 6pm with a meal. Plan to bring something to share, but listen to announcements the Sunday before for specific instructions. Children's program included. Exception: Wednesday, July 15 you are invited to come to Indian Hollow Campground in Chesterfield to enjoy fellowship and a campfire with other church families who will be camping there.

Stony Brook Summer Mini-Retreat

2009-06-25T14:54:00.001-04:00

This Friday evening at 5 pm we will gather at Camp Lewis Perkins in South Hadley. Dinner will be at 6pm. Please bring a salad or dessert to share. There is quite a group signed up, 50+ so you don't want to miss it.

For those who will be staying overnight bring a sleeping bag, pillow, toiletries, bug spray and flashlight. There will be a morning walk at 7 am and pancake breakfast to follow at 8 am. Games and fun for the morning and lunch to follow.

Potluck, Sunday, May 31

2009-05-22T13:11:00.003-04:00

Plan to stay after our Sunday service on May 31, and bring good things to eat and share. We will also need some help moving furniture out of our main floor Sunday School rooms to the second floor.

George Nash on William F. Buckley Jr., May 12

2009-05-08T09:19:00.004-04:00

Tuesday May 12th at 7:00 PM the Stony Brook Lecture Series will resume with George Nash presenting a lecture entitled,

Faith, Freedom, and the University: William F. Buckley Jr.'s GOD AND MAN AT YALE Revisited

Buckley's 1951 bestseller launched his career as a conservative commentator and ignited a fierce national debate about the content and control of American higher education. The lecture will examine this bitter controversy and its continuing reverberations for Christians and conservatives, who contended that America's leading colleges and universities were becoming increasingly inhospitable to Christian faith and conservative political philosophy.

Our lecture series is a cooperative ministry of Second Baptist and Stony Brook Community Churches of South Hadley, MA. Second Baptist hosts the lectures in its Church Sanctuary, 589 Granby Rd. (Rt. 202), South Hadley, MA

membership application

2009-04-23T11:12:00.003-04:00

Here's a pdf of Stony Brook's membership application, posted here in response to popular demand (yes, that's you, Kate). I'll give it a proper menu link in time, and be forewarned that one of the pages is upside down. Maybe that will get fixed sometime too.

Veritas Forum Saturday night, 7pm

2009-04-17T10:36:00.002-04:00

April 18, 7-8pm, Hooker Auditorium, Mount Holyoke College

Andi Saccoccio of International Justice Mission (IJM) will speak on restorative justice and the work that IJM does to bring about systemic change and restore the lives of former slaves, bonded laborers, and child sex slaves.

Many of you will remember Andi from her work with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship on the Mount Holyoke Campus in the 1990s. She was also one of the charter members of Stony Brook Community Church. The International Justice Mission is involved in active intervention and legal action in defense of victims of injustice throughout the world.

No Sunday School on Easter

2009-04-10T15:40:00.002-04:00

Sunday School classes will not meet on Easter Sunday. We resume regular classes for all ages on April 19, 9am.

Art exhibit reception tonight

2009-04-09T12:27:00.003-04:00

I Believe: Visual Meditations for Holy Week.
Original works by Todd Sinclair, Jennifer Sinclair and Kathleen Reed.
Reception, Artists' discussion and Performance, 7 pm tonight (Thursday, April 9).
Also available for viewing Saturday, 1pm to 4pm.

Holy Week Services

2009-03-28T12:12:00.003-04:00

Palm Sunday, April 5.

Morning services, Monday, April 6 through Friday April 10, 6:30 to 7:00 am followed by a light breakfast. This year we'll be focussing on the Nicene Creed.

Easter Sunday Celebration, April 12, 10 am.

Family Night

2009-03-28T12:12:00.002-04:00

Tonight. (Saturday, March 28). 5 pm. Bring Mexican food to share. Stay for good conversation and a rousing game of Jeopardy.

International Pot Luck

2009-03-20T11:27:00.002-04:00

Plan to stay after the morning service this Sunday for a meal, and plan to bring an international dish, dessert or salad to share. Louise, back from Tanzania, will be with us and we have a visiting speaker, Bobby Bose, from Emmanuel Gospel Center in Boston.

Holy Week opportunities

2009-02-26T13:01:00.002-05:00

In addition to Holy Week morning services, we have some new plans and opportunities this year. We're hoping (maybe!) to pull together an art exhibit drawing on the work of artists in the congregation. See Todd Sinclair if you are interested or might be able to help. Also, the Levys will host a Messianic Passover Seder on Wednesday of Holy Week. You'll need to let them know in advance if you'd like to participate.

Men's Advance

2009-02-26T12:58:00.002-05:00

Men's Advance, March 20 & 21 at Pine Brook camp. This is a College Church organized event that Stony Brook men are invited to join. Keep an eye open for flyers at church.

worship summit

2009-02-26T12:53:00.002-05:00

Worship teams throughout the area are invited to gather at Maple Ridge Church, 659 Amherst Road, Sunderland, MA 01375 (www.mapleridge.net ) on Saturday, March 7 for Integrity's Worship Summit 2009

Worship Summit 2009 is not just for music professionals -- it's for pastors, ministry leaders, and everyone who has a heart for worship and who wants to learn more about helping others worship God! Saturday, March 7, 10.00 am – 5.00 pm ET

Online ticket sales are now open. Here is the ticket pricing structure online:

Feb 1 - March 6 Individual $79 Group $59 please go to www.worshipsummit.com

Website back online

2008-08-23T14:57:00.004-04:00

We're back up, including the worship schedule. Which you can find through the worship link at left.

Web site difficulties

2008-08-23T14:51:00.003-04:00

We're having some troubles with the web site. In particular, I've been unable to post the worship schedule, which many of you rely on. We have our technical team working round-the-clock to solve this problem :) and I'll update this post when we have a solution.

Audio Sermons Updated

2008-08-05T13:21:00.002-04:00

Our sermon database is now up-to-date through August 3. Click here for the updated listing.

Becoming a 24/7 Christian

2008-06-30T13:12:00.001-04:00

Wednesdays, 6 pm, beginning July 9. Food, fun & games, discussion, and a children's program. Discussion topics: 24/7 Trust (overcoming anxiety); 24/7 Love (caring for hurting people); 24/7 Wisdom (facing hard decisions); 24/7 Character (seeing self from God's perspective).

Summer Schedule

2008-06-30T13:08:00.002-04:00

Sunday services continue at 10 am through the summer, but no 9 am Sunday School classes until the fall. Feel free to come early to pray. Through July small groups will meet all together at the church on Wednesday nights.

Help wanted: Webmaster

2008-04-30T10:18:00.002-04:00

OK, so the position is neither prestigious nor does it pay, but anyone who uses this website knows we need help. If you have basic html skills, a bit of time, I would love some help in keeping the site up-to-date.

Distinguished Preaching Series: The Elements of Christian Faith

2008-04-30T10:04:00.005-04:00

Beginning June 8 we have invited Dr. Sean McDonough, Professor of New Testament at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, and his brother, Reverend Alex McDonough of Hope Church in Waltham, for a special month long preaching series on "The Elements of Christian Faith." This will be a great chance to learn from and be challenged by two gifted and thoughtful speakers. If you value good Bible teaching (and you should!), don't miss this opportunity.

Updated Audio Sermons

2008-04-30T10:01:00.002-04:00

For those of you who pay attention (Hi Liz, Emma & Tanya!) I've finally caught up on adding audio sermons.

Potluck this Sunday

2008-01-25T11:57:00.000-05:00

Plan to stay after church this Sunday, January 27, and bring food to share if you are able. The Gorton family will be with us, and this will also be Yvonne's last Sunday.

Audio sermons

2007-12-20T16:44:00.000-05:00

Recent sermons are (slowly) becoming available in audio format. If you missed church because of the storm last Sunday, you can still catch the sermon. And it turns out (or so I've been told) that it is easier to stay awake listening to sermons outside of church.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

2007-12-20T16:42:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve, 7 - 8 pm. Children are welcome in the service.

Loomis house service Monday

2007-12-12T16:40:00.000-05:00

If you are available Monday, December 17, 10 am, join us for a Christmas service at Loomis House in Holyoke. Residents enjoy visiting, especially with children.

Map here

Farewell for Gortons this Sunday

2007-12-12T16:32:00.000-05:00

Plan to stay after church this Sunday for lunch, to say good-bye to the Gorton family. This will also be an opportunity to visit with Louise, back from Tanzania for Christmas, and Yvonne.
Bring food as you are able.

Christmas Party

2007-11-24T20:07:00.000-05:00

Reserve Wednesday, December 19, for an all-church Christmas party. We'll be inviting Angel Tree families to join us. Stay tuned for time & place.

Congregational Meeting

2007-11-24T09:31:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, November 27, 7 pm. Mark your calendar. Both members and regular attenders are encouraged to attend. If you are a member and know you won't be able to make it, ask about a proxy form.

Gortons' move

2007-11-13T16:35:00.001-05:00

The Gorton family needs help loading a truck for their move, beginning Saturday, 8:30 am, Central Avenue, South Hadley.

Thanksgiving Eve Service

2007-11-09T14:20:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, November 21, 7 to 8 pm. A service of thanksgiving, ending with the celebration of the Lord's supper together.

Coffee House, October 26

2007-10-24T17:23:00.000-04:00

Coffee House at Mount Holyoke College. Friday, October 26, beginning at 7:30. Torrey Hall living room. See Aimee Gould if you can help with refreshments, and Todd Sinclair about music.

World Outreach Conference, November 3, 4, 5

2007-10-24T10:30:00.000-04:00

A Heart for the Harvest

Friday Nov 2, 6 PM Family Night at Stony Brook. Enjoy a meal together and play the "Don't Have a Clue!" game with your whole family. Saturday Nov 3, 9:30- 1:00: Care of Creation Seminar at College Church. Ed Brown, Director, Care Of Creation Inc. , Madison, Wisconsin Sunday Nov 4 10 AM at Stonybrook: Special Speakers, Mission report. Lunch and Displays at College Church: 12:30. Breakout Groups 1:30-2:30

Conference Participants: Tanya, Emma, Yvonne, Ed Brown-Care of Creation, Pat Osborne-Brown- Ethno-Serve,Boston, Janalyn Taylor- Indonesia, Maria - Tajikistan, Jamie Burt- Interserve, India & USA

Women's book club

2007-10-18T09:13:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, October 23, 7:30 pm at Meade's house to discuss Tracy Kidder's Mountains Beyond Mountains.

Christmas Cantata

2007-10-17T17:19:00.000-04:00

Cantata practices have begun, Mondays 7 pm, at College Church. A great chance to sing, and alot of fun. If you need more information, talk to David Ranen.

Audio Sermons

2007-10-17T17:14:00.000-04:00

Recent sermons are now available as audio files. Apologies to those of you who prefer text, as I do. Transcribing takes rather alot of time. If you would like to volunteer to work on this, let Dan know.

No Sunday School in August

2007-08-02T11:44:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder that we give our Christian Education teachers the month of August off. If you come to church at 9 am you may find the worship team practicing, but no Sunday School classes. Our worship service begins, as always, at 10 am.

Church Picnic August 5

2007-08-02T11:22:00.000-04:00

Plan to stay through the afternoon this Sunday, August 5, for Stony Brook's Annual picnic -- food, games, or just time to relax and visit. Hamburgers & hotdogs provided. Bring a salad to share.

website migration

2006-08-15T22:30:00.000-04:00

Our web hosting service has recently switched us to a different server. As a consequence you may find some links in our site broken while we sort out the changes. We also now have some new church email addresses, including:

info@stonybrookchurch.org -- all purpose email box
pastor@stonybrookchurch.org -- self-explanatory
bulletin@stonybrookchurch.org -- for bulletin announcements

Our old spa addresses will continue to work.

Habitat Update

2006-01-06T12:28:00.000-05:00

The start of building for the habitat project in Holyoke was delayed, but will start soon. Stony Brook has reached our initial pledge commitment, but the project still needs more money, so continue to be generous. Meanwhile, Dave, husband of Lise who has been the energy behind the project has been quite ill -- please pray for his recovery.

Finally, Stony Brook has been assigned dates to help with food at the build site. Our first responsibility will be for Saturday, February 11.

Missions policy now online

2005-12-01T16:35:00.001-05:00

Stony Brook's missions policy is available here.

Stony Brook Church Library

2005-11-22T11:54:00.000-05:00

Our newly-organized library is in the church office in the basement level of the building. We have a sorted list of 500 titles, and a simple self-checkout system.