You may be a little curious as to what "co-pastors" are - we are a pair of pastors who serve the church together and, in this case, happen to be husband and wife.  We like to think we bring a wide range of complimentary skills to our ministry and are excited to be part of one of the most caring, compassionate and fun congregations we've ever found.  All churches are meant to be places of compassion, healing and forgiveness and at First Presbyterian Church of Rockaway, the members really take that to heart.  Our Deacons carry out the caring ministry of the congregation, our parish leaders keep in personal contact with all of our members and friends, and in particulary difficult times, the Stephen Ministers are trained to walk with you on your faith journey.

From the December 2009 Pastors' Page in The Church Street Journal (our newsletter):

We believe in Santa Claus.

Now before anyone starts to scratch their head in disbelief or wonder if we’ve lost our mind, let us explain exactly what it is we believe.

We believe in the very real story of Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to those in need and his love for children.

There are many wonderful stories about the generosity and compassion of Bishop Nicholas or, as he was later known, Saint Nicholas.  Yes, over the many hundreds of years that have passed since Nicholas gave all that he had to help those in need, he is known by many names: Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas, and Santa Claus.  The modern day version of Santa Claus is a long way from the true story of Nicholas, but they do have some important traits in common – kindness, a special love of children, and the giving of gifts.  The difference is that Nicholas did not simply give gifts at Christmastime, in honor of the birth of Jesus – Christmas wasn’t even widely celebrated till hundreds of years after Nicholas lived.  Nicholas gave all year round, to those especially in need. 

When we say we believe in Santa Clause, we mean we believe that the legend of Saint Nicholas has a foundation in fact.  It is the story of a young man whose compassion for others and giving to those in need was based on a faith taught to him by his parents.  We believe that we all have the same stories that Nicholas would have heard and that each one of us has the potential to be just as compassionate, kind and giving as Nicholas was, as we too respond to our faith and the example of Jesus.  And that’s something worth believing in.

May this Advent/Christmas season be one of new hope, new beginnings, and a renewed faith in the love of God for each one of us.

God bless us, everyone.

Mitch & Sue Trigger