Lenten and Easter Schedule
February 17th – Ash Wednesday Service
7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary
March 28th – Palm Sunday
Sunday School at 9:00 a.m.
Outdoor procession with palms
Pony rides will take place after the procession
Regular worship service at 10:00 a.m.
April 1st – Maundy Thursday
Potluck dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Worship service with Holy Communion at 7:30 p.m.
Traditional participation by Confirmands
(Note: Both the dinner & service will be in Memorial Hall)
April 2nd – Good Friday - Tenebrae Service
7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary
April 4th – Easter Sunday
Sunrise service at 7:30 a.m.
Breakfast at 8:15 a.m. in Memorial Hall
Sunday school at 9:00 a.m.
Regular worship service at 10:00 a.m.
April 11th – Second Sunday of Easter
Sunday school at 9:00 a.m.
Messiah Sing-In Service at 10:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary - The “Messiah Sing-In” Service has become a tradition at Hillsborough Reformed Church. Held twice per year, in the Christmas and Easter seasons, we incorporate Handel's Oratorio "Messiah" into our Sunday worship service with solo and congregational singing and scripture readings. A copy of the music score for “Messiah” is provided to each member of the congregation so they can follow along or join in singing with the choir. The “Hallelujah Chorus” is the high note on which we end the Christmas portion and start the Easter portion.
Healing Service: February 28th at 11:00 a.m. - The Healing Service will take place immediately following our regular worship service. As a congregation, you may participate with singing and by praying silently for the people who have requested healing. Those who desire physical, emotional and/or spiritual healing will come forward to the front pews so that elders may anoint them with oil, lay-on hands and pray for them.
Prayer Shawl Dedication: March 14th during the regular worship service. The prayer shawls and lap blankets that have recently been crocheted, knitted or quilted will be brought forward by those who made them so that they may be blessed. Since this ministry began, numerous shawls and blankets have been distributed to those with a special need of God’s warmth, comfort and love.
Unbinding Your Heart "E-vent", February 21st through March 28th.
We are doing an all-church study of Unbinding Your Heart. "This book is about untying the knots that keep us from living exciting lives"...with God and with each other. "It's about unbinding the Good News that God adores us and everyone else that God has shown this to us through Jesus Christ."* It's also a prayer journal with many forms of classic Christian prayer included in the daily prayers that accompany the study.
People in churches across the country are excited about what is happening in their congregations through their 'E-vents'; deeper relationships with God, a rich, meaningful personal prayer life and a new sense of God's activity in their lives. People are saying they can be more 'real' with others as their relationship with God grows...and that this extends to relationships within their families and with people in every area of their lives.
*Quotes are from the Introduction to Unbinding Your Heart, page 3.
Women's Crossroads Retreat XXVI: April 16th-17th at Harvey Cedars Conference Center on Long Beach Island, NJ.
This is our annual women's retreat for the Reformed Church Women of the Mid-Atlantic. It will begin on Friday evening and end after dinner on Saturday. The retreat is designed so that you may stay overnight or just come for the Saturday program. There will be two keynote speakers as well as many interest/discussion groups in which to participate. This year's theme is "Challenges in Our Spiritual Journey". Registration forms are available in the vestibule of the church on the welcome/information table or you may request one from the church secretary, Darlene Purcell, at 908-359-3391. More detailed information about the speakers and interest/discussion groups are available by accessing the February RAM newsletter on this church website. The registration deadline is April first. The cost for the Saturday program including 3 meals is $46. The cost for overnight and Saturday with 3 meals ranges from $66 to $118 depending on which hotel accommodation is chosen and how many people share the room.