One of Jack Holloway’s heroes: Reformed theologian Karl Barth (1886-1968). Among the many things for which Barth is remembered and appreciated: in 1934, he wrote the Barmen declaration, which rejected the influence of Nazism on German Christianity. “It was through Barth that I started getting into the Reformed tradition,” Jack says. “so I thought, maybe I’ll get ordained in the Reformed Church of America. I […]
We are pleased to share a message from our Old First organist and Baroquelyn founder and director, Aleeza Meir: I’m very excited to give you the heads up about a big new endeavor I’m starting: As you may know, I’ve recently formed a music ensemble called Baroquelyn. Our first concert in November was a big success, and I’m about to do a second concert this Sunday. […]
Again this year, Old First member Jennifer Nelson brings her beautiful voice to our bluegrass-themed Good Friday service. Although Jennifer sang in churches all her life, she was never quite keyed in to the typical Good Friday service. “I grew up in Oklahoma,” she says. “[For Good Friday services], they just covered everything in black. We would have the service, and then we would walk […]
River terrapins are considered a critically endangered freshwater turtle species, mostly due to human consumption and habitat destruction. The Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that is working hard to reverse and/or eliminate this unfortunate trend. Our Vera Nieuwenhuis’ impactful images are helping TCS to spread the “word.” Each year, Photographers Without Borders (PWB) connects volunteer photographers like Vera to […]
“There is a rich tradition in the Bible of really questioning God,” says our seminarian intern Jabe Ziino. “I find a lot of value there, knowing that it’s okay to not know everything. I think that’s where our experience in faith can really be very powerful for us.” Jabe recently completed his first year at Princeton Seminary (with two more years to go). He’s heading […]
“The history of God’s chosen people is a history of movement, of saying goodbye to your beloved home at a time of pain and broken hopes, of entering an unknown and dangerous new land, of longing for the true home that God has promised to you.” Seminarian Jabe Ziino, July 24. This Summer, as Pastor Daniel Meeter has been away for his vacation and reading […]
I have been asked to speak about why I volunteer at Old First, keeping in mind the theme of Volunteer Sunday: “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?” Let me start by describing what I do as a volunteer. I am one of the many volunteers that support our summer shelter program. For several years now, Old First has served […]
“They said, ‘Do the scariest thing in the world for you.’ For me, it was singing in front of other people. But I think that experience propelled me.” That prophetic statement comes from our favorite countertenor, Jeff Mandelbaum, as he recalls his early days at a Wesleyan summer program at The Center for Creative Youth. Yep, he faced his fear and the rest is history. […]
Old First Vice President (and resident yoga instructor) Jenny Burrill has written Baby’s Big World: Yoga, for the popular Barnes & Noble children’s book series. The books in this collection — which include subjects like music, chemistry, and even the U.S. government! — are meant to be read to babies (however, don’t let that stop you if you are in a more advanced stage of life). […]
Seminary intern Adelheid Duhm is spending four weeks in Brooklyn and at Old First as she participates in a practicum on her way to the ministry. She’s currently a student at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, and a candidate in the Badische Landeskirche there. She explains that her practicum is a voluntary internship, which supplements her initial experience, in Mannheim, Germany. There she participated […]