Church Ministries

We have many community programs and ministries to let you get involved as you meet new friends as well as opportunities to explore your faith and spirituality.

Alcoholics Anonymous
We host two Alcoholics Anonymous support groups meeting two days a week: Wednesday and Sunday. The Wednesday meeting is called "The Cresskill Wednesday Night Group of AA." and the Sunday group is called "The Cresskill Sunday Night Step Meeting of AA" Both meetings begin at 8:00 PM and end at 9:00 PM. The Wednesday meeting is an "open speakers meeting" which is open to all who wish to attend. The format at that meeting is an incoming group of AA from the northern NJ area come in and a leader and two speakers from that group speak about their stories of alcohol addiction and recovery. There is no discussion at that type of meeting. On Sunday night, the format is a "step meeting" which is open to all who have a desire to stop drinking.

          If you know someone who would be interested in attending either or both of the meetings, they are invited and encouraged to come. For more information about AA, you may visit their website at www.aa.org or contact the church office.

Artists Circle
The Artists Circle is a support group where artists meet to take and do art together, share suggestions and ideas, and to build friendships. Artists may work on their own or in a group. During each session, the artists will gather together to share and discuss each other's work. For more information, you may contact Kathy Lindner at kathylindner123@yahoo.com.

Bible Study & Discussion
Meeting Wednesday afternoons at church and evenings at a local diner, we discuss a particular topic taken from today's news and look to the Bible to respond to it.  The conversations teach us how best to interpret our faith and make it relevant to our understanding of faith.  This has become one of our most popular faith studies.

Art Exhibitions
Periodically, we host unique art displays from our own artists workshop as well as other local artists in the community and from the students at the Cresskill High School. We leave the art work up for a week or two to give the artists an opportunity to have their work displayed and recognized.

            
Community Concerts
From time to time, we offer various concerts open to the public.  We have music ranging from classical to chamber music to special soloists from Manhattan perform. 

Girl Scouts of America
Each week, local GSA troops 624, 635, and 1141, from the borough of Cresskill, meet to offer its youth an opportunity to install the values and comraderie associated with team building, community service, and friendship. Each troop meets once a week on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday from roughly 5:00pm to 7:00pm in the fellowship hall.

First Impressions Team
Each Sunday, we have persons attending to greet newcomers and church members stationed at various locations in the church.  This ministry is the face of the church, often one of the first contacts our newcomers have with us.

Health and Wellness
Meeting Saturdays throughout the year, we offer a way to help provide spiritual and physical care to our bodies and souls.  Sessions include stress management, yoga, visualization, meditation, and nutrition.  Each session is open to the congregation and community.

Ladies Aid Society
Older than our congregation itself, the Ladies Aid began as a social group for ladies in 1850.  Eventually becoming part of our congregation since most of the ladies were in our congregation, the Ladies Aid was and continues to be a social group dedicated to acts of charity and kindness for the town of Cresskill, NJ.

Lay Leaders
During Sunday worship, lay leaders participate in the worship service in various ways: leading the liturgy, offering prayers, and reading the Scripture.  Persons wishing to participate in this vital aspect of our Sunday worship need only speak with the Chairperson of our Board of Deacons or the Pastor.

Mission Committee
This committee helps to coordinate, promote, and oversee mission projects in the church.  Also, it provides opportunities for financial gifting to local charities who provide care and support.  Due to a generous donation, our Mission Committee will be able to offer assistance for years to come through an endowment set up to provide such support.

Rainbow Cafe
In partnership with our congregation and PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), we sponsor Bergen County's only Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth Support group.  We provide a safe space to question, socialize, grow, and be affirmed in one's sexual orientation or gender identity.

Religious Education
We offer a host of opportunities for religious education for the entire family.  We have programs for youth to include church school before worship, children's time during worship, and Confirmation Class for youth and adults.  We also have a variety of seasonal Adult Education that includes midweek spiritual studies, book clubs, and after church discussion groups throughout the year.

Sojourners Prayer Ministry
This ministry is a dedicated group of church members who meet every other month to pray for the needs of the congregation and provide  prayerful reflection.  This ministry prays for anyone who requests prayers for healing, comfort in facing death, and the family after the passing of a loved one.  Also, the ministry also pray for world peace, church growth, special intentions, and joyful blessings.  On average, the ministry has a list of about 50-75 people that each participant prays for on a daily basis.

Writers Group
As an ecumenical outreach ministry celebrating individual's creative gifts, we sponsor a Writers Group that meets the first Tuesday of each month at 8:00pm in the church's fellowship hall. It is open to persons of all faiths - or no faith - from throughout Bergen County and the surrounding areas. We offer what we consider an informal "workshop in progress," where all attending will have the opportunity to read and discuss their poems, as well as short stories, essays, or parts of longer projects (such as novels or memoirs), or just to listen to others. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Henry Hecht at hrh15@columbia.edu or by calling 201-750-7770.


For contact information about any or all of these groups, please call the church office at 201-568-0608 or email office@cresskillucc.org.