Your December Miscellany

"Let light shine out of darkness."

—2 Corinthians 4:6

Longing for Light

Greetings, South!

When the world seems darkest, we most long for light.

This month we light Advent candles of hope, peace, joy, and love this month, remembering the promises of God. We pray together that out of darkness, grief, war and suffering in the world will come the joy and wonder of the arrival of Emmanuel – God With Us.

God of promise, we stay alert, we wait.

Into our darkness, come and bring us light.

Awaken the earth. Tear open the heavens.

Enliven our hearts. Come.

We await you in wonder and trust.

Amen.

On Wednesday 12/6/23 at 5:00 pm we will hold a Service of Comfort and Peace for Benny Rodriguez and the Rodriguez family. This will be a brief time of community, prayer, quiet vigil and music as an offering of love and support.
On Sunday 12/17/23, please join us for afternoon caroling, a beloved South Church tradition. Please contact deacon Anne Day, anne@anneday.org, if you would like to join us or if you would like to add a stop for yourself or someone who may enjoy a visit.
On Sunday 12/24/23 we will celebrate the 4th Sunday of Advent at 10 am, AND Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols at 7:00 pm. Check the Bulletin and www.southpres,org for more updated information.
On Tuesday, 12/26/23. Midnight Run Party on the Streets returns! Please be in touch with Kris Kliemann, kliemannkris@gmail.com. Lots of help still needed: cookies, sandwiches, soup, gift wrapping, financial contributions. Plenty of room to join us in person! Help us spread the joy of the holidays with our friends on the streets.
On Sunday 12/31/23 at 10 am, Music Director Dr. Amir Khosrowpour will lead a festive Hymn-Sing of favorite Christmas songs. Do not miss this!
Throughout this season, the Church is filled with greenery and decorations in honor and in memory of our loved ones. Please consider a donation to sponsor a wreath, poinsettia or candle by contacting office@southpres.org.

Join Us - All Welcome

We gather together on Sunday mornings

8:30 am - Choir rehearsal in the sanctuary. Join in! FOR DECEMBER, extra choir rehearsals for 1 hour after Worship. All welcome. Contact Amir.

10:00 am - Worship service in the sanctuary.

10:15 am - Church School in Fellowship Hall. Children and teachers leave church together. Questions? Contact Marie-Louise.

11:00 am - Coffee and conversation in Fellowship Hall and enjoy the art exhibit in The Donald Gallery.

Services are also streamed on Facebook.

RETURNING ON SUNDAY JANUARY 21, 2024

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY BRUNCH

For more information, http://weblink.donorperfect.com/MLK-Bfast

FIND THE FULL CALENDAR HERE

Giving & Receiving

Give Online

PLEASE REMEMBER SOUTH CHURCH IN YOUR END OF YEAR GIVING

The end of 2023 is quickly approaching. If you have not yet made your planned contribution, please consider making a tax-deductible gift by December 31.

For questions about year-end giving, please contact John Gunther-Mohr, jagmohr@gmail.com

Reminders About Other Ways to Give

Securities

Gifts of appreciated assets, such as stocks, bonds, or mutual funds, are appealing because long-term gains are not taxed, and the gift is generally deductible from income tax at the full fair market value on the date of the gift. Gifts of appreciated property can be deducted up to 30% of adjusted gross income.

Charitable IRA Rollover

If you own a traditional individual retirement account (IRA) and are age 70-½ or over as of December 31, 2022, consider making a charitable IRA rollover gift to the church. The charitable IRA rollover can be used to satisfy your required minimum distribution, to certain limits. The rollover amount is not subject to income tax and your gift will not be subject to charitable gift limitations.

Your support sustains our worship and service opportunities, music and arts programs, and more.

THANK YOU TO EVENT PLANNERS EXTRAORDINAIRE

PETER BRENNER AND LAURA GIANNONE

The South Church Community shared a beautiful evening of fun, food, festivities and friendship. Rain could not dampen the light and love shared by all. Truly the most wonderful way to begin the holiday season!

Special THANKS to all of the volunteers who decorated the Sanctuary, cooked a delicious meal or dessert, coordinated a craft or children's activity, wrapped a gift for Midnight Run, shared their talents with the "Mediocre Ensemble", helped to set-up, clean-up, and take down: Bill Gaske, Eric Greenberg, Anne Day, Andrew Smith, Eric Sweeting, Andrew Smith, Duke Coffey, Maria Harris, Linda Jo Platt, Doug Epstein, Lenore Person, Roubi Eliopolis, Marg Ripley, Eric Martinez, Henry Marroquin, and everyone else who helped in any way.

CLICK HERE TO SEE A COLLECTION OF ADVENT PARTY 2023 PHOTOS

Faith, Justice & the Arts

DOBBS FERRY FOOD PANTRY

Thanks For Giving

Wow! What a response. Thanks to all the individuals and groups who donated an unbelievable amount of nonperishable food and household goods.

On the day before Thanksgiving, a group of teens marched single file through the food pantry’s distribution operation, bringing 150 pies for neighbors who would soon be waiting in the cold to get the food that they needed for their Thanksgiving celebration.

The Dobbs Ferry High School Hands-In community service club sponsored the drive, assisted by English teacher and club advisor MaryAlice Fahy and the Dobbs Ferry PTSA. The students not only delivered the pies to the pantry on time, they stayed to help volunteers stock the tables with fresh produce, shelf-stable food, protein and household products like detergent and paper products.

To read more, click HERE

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN HELP, CLICK HERE. .

ASYLUM SEEKER NETWORK THANSGIVING DINNER

Embrace gratitude

Thanksgiving week started with an amazing reminder of these two active words as communities came together to host and welcome some of our newest neighbors.

It was a brief pause of near constant work since June when buses of new asylum seekers suddenly arrived from New York City to ternporarily live at a local motel, in a place none of them had ever heard of before, often with nothing more than what they were wearing. The story could have continued in any number of ways — as headlines of hate, fear, predjudice and even violence heralded similar arrivals, and isolation greeted others after they were dropped off at places where their presence has been simply tolerated or ignored.

That did not happen here in Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry and the Rivertowns, as community and faith organizations immediately responded and mobilized to not only meet all sorts of needs, but also meet the actual people who risked their lives to get here from many countries, cultures and traumas. And so the embrace began!

No one community or organization could handle what was needed on their own, so a network naturally evolved, was brought together by Ardsley Mayor Nancy Kaboolian, and decided that so much more could be done together in partnership — and we are all the better and stronger for it. The Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry and South Church communities were among the first to respond without hesitation, and then continued to find ways to support. With each encounter, trust builds, relationships form, people connect, stories are shared - the embrace is returned. Giving is receiving. Receiving is giving. And now, it was time to pause. To come together in person, in community. Some working behind the scenes with various organizations had never met in person. Thanksgiving was the perfect timing and opportunity.

There are too many people to single out and name, but the beautiful setting was provided by Woodlands Community Temple. We all learned more about each other and practicing the true meaning of one of America’s finest traditions through this unforgettable experience. And of course, there was the food!!! At the end of the day, embrace gratitude means making sure love wins - again and again and again

Stay tuned for more information about the recently approved Asylum Seeker Network initiative of the Hudson River Presbytery, sponsored by South Church and other interested congregations.

DONALD GALLERY

Hummelland, or Smalls Acts of Resistance Opens at Donald Gallery on December 17th

Witness Hummel figurines take on “Small Acts of Resistance” at The Donald Gallery this winter.

Behind the cheerful uncanniness of these nostalgic collectibles hides a complex history of faith, rebellion, and hope.

Hummelland, or Smalls Acts of Resistance, places Hummel figurines in fantastical compositions free from their normalized cultural context such as the curio-cabinet, mantlepiece, or as objects of kitsch. Interested in the mindset of the collector and the historical enthusiasms surrounding porcelain, artist Rachel Sydlowski investigated the origins of Hummel figurines to create this dynamic display. The experiential synthesis of viewing Hummel collections in private homes and the novel Utz by the British writer Bruce Chatwin guided this collection of digital collages that recontextualize porcelain figurines in quixotic dreamscapes with saturated colors, sacred geometry, lush gardens, and forests.

You can see Hummelland by Rachel Sydlowski at the Donald Gallery starting December 17, 2023, through January 28, 2024. An opening show will take place on Sunday the 17th from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM with coffee and light refreshments. Please check https://www.southpres.org/donaldgallery/ for a schedule of events. The exhibition can also be viewed in person by appointment. Please email office@southpres.org to arrange a viewing.

FAMILIAR FACES

History of Queer Community in Westchester Project to Feature Stories of South Church

South Church's history of seeking Justice for the LGBTQ community will be featured in a County Project being developed by Allee Manning. Our own Katy Gravenor will be working with Allee to record these important stories. In the picture taken at a meeting held on December 5, 2023, from left to right: Ray Bagnuolo, Katy Gravenor, Kathy Dean, Allee Manning, Susan DeGeorge, Margery Rossi. Stay tuned! For more information:

https://westchesterlgbtqhistoryproject.com/

SACRED SPIRIT YOGA

Dancing Home with Lucia Rich

Friday, December 8th, 6:00 - 7:00 pm,

Unwind, shake loose what is stuck and step back into connection with your best Self. Organic movement and curated music lead the way in this free-form movement based process with guided instruction. There are no choreographed moves, no right way to do it. Each session is unique to you and your body's intrinsic movements. Come as you are and Dance Your Way Home. More / register

New Year's Day Sound Bath

Monday, January 1, 2024

Start your year with an inspiring sound bath of Tibetan bowls, gongs, crystal, chimes and other vibrational instruments. The New Year invites us to open our hearts, start with a clean slate, discover new intentions and let our creativity flow. Renew your Spirit with the New Year! This healing experience will create the space for you to let go and release what you no longer need, so you can manifest what Spirit has in store for you. See what mysteries unfold. More / register