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Weekly Newsletter March 24, 2019

West Side is a welcoming church, rooted deeply in Christ, inviting all to connect, grow and serve.

The Many Faces of Need: Healing Minds and Souls Take a good look at the people around you today—in worship, at work, the gym, the supermarket, the playground, the dinner table. One in five of the people you see is living with a mental illness. Young. Old. Rich. Poor. Mental illness doesn’t discriminate. Meet Rosie, a teenager in Bergen County struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide. Her family has health insurance, but the annual deductible is $5,000 and their annual income is $36,000. Her parents cannot afford to pay for the mental health services that she needs. Rosie is one of the 3,000 people who turn to West Bergen Mental Healthcare for help each year. “As part of our core mission, we provide care for clients without regard for their ability to pay,” said Michael Tozzoli, chief executive officer of West Bergen, “so parents don’t have to choose between feeding their family and getting help for their child.” The agency offers a reduced fee, sliding scale payment option to qualified clients, which allows them to pay what they can afford. Currently, about one-third of West Bergen’s clients utilize the sliding fee scale, paying an average of $18 per visit.

This Lenten season, we are challenging the congregation to raise $71,000 to support those who cannot afford critical mental health services—seniors living on fixed incomes, single parents, families living paycheck to paycheck, etc. $46,000 ($1,000 x 40 days of Lent + 6 Sundays or “Little Easters” = $46,000) will go to West Bergen Mental Healthcare and $25,000 to our mission partners who minister to the vulnerable. Donations can be made at westside.org/giving or by using the offering envelope during worship. Will you help? Today, the conversation gets personal, as longtime member Susan McBrayer shares her story of how mental illness has affected her family. After worship, in the Narthex, please stop by the West Bergen Mental Healthcare table, peruse the brochures and learn about their many programs tailored to the special needs of children, families, adults and seniors—anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, divorce, anger management and more. One of these programs may benefit you or someone in your life. Thank you in advance for your participation and support!

Is This Your First Time Visiting West Side? Welcome! We’re so glad you’re here. We look forward to helping you connect with others, grow more deeply in your faith and enrich your own life by serving others. Wherever you are on life’s journey, there’s a place for you at West Side. Please stop by the visitor table located just inside the front doors, fill out a Let’s Connect card and pick up a visitor bag. And please stay after the service to enjoy coffee/tea and refreshments and meet the pastors and members. Have a question? Our staff is here to help: Rev. Marc Oehler, pastor, [email protected] Rev. Penny Hogan, associate pastor, [email protected] Rev. Liz Junod, pastoral associate, [email protected] Deborah Holden-Holloway, minister of music, [email protected] Pat McGlade, R.N., faith community nurse, [email protected] Esmé Elkins, children’s ministry coordinator, [email protected] Anne Lee, executive administrative assistant, [email protected]

Mozart’s Requiem There’s no need to travel to NYC to hear great classical music. West Side’s Oratorio Choir and Orchestra will present Mozart’s Requiem on March 31 at 3:00 pm. Come hear this haunting, emotionally stirring choral masterpiece, which remained unfinished at Mozart’s death on December 5, 1791 at the age of 35. The performance takes place under the baton of Deborah HoldenHolloway, minister of music, and features: Kristine DiMauro-Gonzalez, soprano; Apryl Helder, mezzo-soprano; Mathew Tartza, tenor; and David Langan, bass baritone. Admission is free; donations are welcome. Arrive early to get a good seat...and bring your friends!

Anthony DeMello Retreat Followers of the author won’t want to miss this retreat and workshop on Saturday, April 6 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm in the Pulsifer Chapel. It begins with bagels and coffee and continues with four workshops throughout the day presented by Karen Starr Venturini and Desmond Towey of the DeMello Stroud Spirituality Center in Manhattan. Laughter, love, happiness, silence and freedom are just a few of the topics that will be discussed. Please bring a brown bag lunch. To register, or for more details, get in touch with Pastor Liz ([email protected]). 2

Will You Join Us? Nearly 300 people contributed to our Advent/Christmas Campaign for New York City Relief, raising $63,461. So far, only 9 people have donated to our Lent/Easter Campaign to raise $71,000 for those who cannot afford treatment for mental illness, which is often invisible but devastating nonetheless. We have a long way to go! Can we count on you to support this important initiative? To give today, please use a pew envelope or visit westside.org/giving.

High School BARN Tonight High school youth meet in the Barn every Sunday night for fun, faith and fellowship from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. It’s a great chance to get recharged before the start of the school week.

Healing and Wholeness Service Do you suffer from “headline stress disorder”? Come to our Healing and Wholeness Service on Wednesday, April 3 at 7:30 pm in the Pulsifer Chapel. This half-hour contemplative service is an oasis of calm in our stress-filled world—an opportunity to be still and center yourself in a peaceful candlelit setting. Come...and bring a friend. You’ll be glad you did.

First Friday Women’s Group We’re getting together at Esmé Elkins’ home on April 5 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm to enjoy great food, conversation and fellowship with women of all ages. Want to join the fun? Please RSVP to Pastor Liz ([email protected]) by April 1...and feel free to invite a friend.

Are You Ready to Call West Side Home? You’re invited to a New Member Class on April 7 and April 28 from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. (Dinner and child care will be provided.) This dynamic two-part class is designed to help you get to know our clergy and church leaders, connect with other prospective members, ask questions, and consider how God is calling you to become part of our ministry and mission. To sign up for the class, or if you have questions, please reach out to Anne Lee ([email protected]).

Easter Egg Hunt Bring the kids (up to third grade) to hunt for eggs and take pictures with the Easter Bunny on Palm Sunday, April 14. The hunt will begin at 11:45 am on the church plaza, where children will be directed to an area appropriate for their age. Don’t forget to bring a basket.

Women’s Retreat Save the dates—April 26 to April 28—for the Women’s Retreat at Johnsonburg. The theme: Resilience for the Fearfully and Wonderfully Made. For details and to register, visit www.campjburg.org. Several West Side women have already signed up! 3

T O D AY AT W E S T S I D E 8:00 am—Little Lambs Child Care - Room 202 8:15 am—Chapel Worship - Chapel 9:00 am—Contemporary Worship DePhillips Hall 9:00 am—Sunday School - Rooms 206, 306, 311, 312 and Serenity Room 9:00 am—Lenten Small Group Conference Room 9:15 am—Lenten Small Group - Chapel 9:45 am—Centering Prayer - West Side Room 10:00 am—Lenten Small Group West Side Room

10:15 am—Traditional Worship - Sanctuary 10:15 am—Sunday School - Rooms 206, 306, 311, 312 and Serenity Room 11:15 am—Lenten Small Group - Chapel 11:15 am—Prayer Circle - Chapel 3:00 pm—Parlance Chamber Concert Sanctuary 6:00 pm—Music Ministry Task Force Meeting Conference Room 6:00 pm—FOCUS - Barn 6:00 pm—Men’s Council - Various Rooms 7:00 pm—High School BARN - Barn

C O M I N G U P AT W E S T S I D E March 30 - New Jersey Children’s Chorus in the Sanctuary at 6:00 pm March 31 - Mozart’s Requiem in the Sanctuary at 3:00 pm April 3 - Healing and Wholeness Service in the Chapel at 7:30 pm April 5 - First Friday Women’s Group at Esmé Elkins’ Home at 7:00 pm

April 5 - New York Classical Players Concert in the Sanctuary at 8:00 pm April 6 - Anthony De Mello Retreat in the Chapel from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm April 6 - Ridgewood Choral Concert in the Sanctuary at 7:30 pm April 13 - Salvation Army Band Concert in the Sanctuary at 7:30 pm April 14 - Palm Sunday Procession at 9:00 am and 10:15 am services April 14 - Easter Egg Hunt starting on the Plaza at 11:45 am April 17 - Third Thursday Men’s Group at the Ridgewood Country Club at 7:30 pm April 18 - Maundy Thursday Dinner in DePhillips Hall at 6:00 pm April 18 - Maundy Thursday Worship in the Sanctuary at 7:30 pm 4

Please visit www.westside.org for more information about our programs.