One of the oldest buildings in Greenpoint and a landmark is struggling for survival. These days the 160 year-old Union Baptist Chruch at 151 Noble Street is closed and surrounded by a fence. It’s fighting demolition, but it has a champion. Pastor Mike Newberger is fighting to raise the money to save the church and its amazing historic legacy. Continue reading →
Do you have a voice that clears a bar during karaoke but you always wanted to sing in a church choir? Take a hint and ring some bells instead.
Greenpoint Reformed Church is starting a Greenpoint-style handbell choir. If you’ve always wanted to participate in a musical ensemble playing beautiful music on magical bells – come out on for an informational meeting this Sunday 6/22 at Greenpoint Church (136 Milton St) at 12:3pm0. Beginners welcome – all you need to know is how to ring a bell! They’ll start with easy songs, then work up to THIS….Tchaikovsky – whatever.
The next love story in our Valentine’s Day series is courtesy of Rev. Ann Kansfield and Rev. Jennifer Aull, who are co-pastors at Greenpoint Reformed Churchon Milton Street. Jen is also a licensed marriage and family therapist with a practice in North Brooklyn and midtown. Read on to hear more about how they met and established roots in Greenpoint. Continue reading →
Just when you thought film crews on our streets couldn’t get any more annoying, the producers of “The Knick” decided to dump all of their waste into the sewers on Milton Street after filming a storm. Well they got an unintended stormy scene from the Milton Street Block Association who were justifiably upset by this illegal action. Dear Steven Soderbergh, we are especially sensitive about illegal dumping in our neighborhood!
Walking over the Pulaski Bridge will get a lot safer next year when a new bike lane will replace a lane currently being used by speeding drivers. In the short term, this may actually lead to more accidents for bicyclists, but let’s hope it works itself out. (Daily News)
As most of you probably know, Banksy spent the past month putting up his legendary street art throughout NYC. Some people love it, some people hate it and others just don’t understand, but every property owner in NYC who got their building painted by the famous artist cashed in on the new addition except one guy in Greenpoint. (Gothamist)
In addition to not enjoying free famous street art, some Debbie Downers in our neighborhood made a big deal about silencing our friends at Adelina’s “quietest DJ night in Brooklyn” because absolute silence is what you should expect when you move into an apartment above a restaurant on Greenpoint Avenue.
In local foodie news, move over Cronut lovers, this article from Brooklyn Based about made to order cinnamon buns from Greenpoint’s River Styx looks amazing and I want one of these right now!
And finally, in developer news, have you seen this Leonard Street church that got transformed into expensive condos? Regardless of what you think about the changing neighborhood, can you at least admit that the restoration from drab vinyl siding to beautiful bricks at least brightens up the block? (Daily News)
This Sunday (10/13) at 3pm, The Church of the Ascension (127 Kent Street) is offering a different kind of service…and opening its doors to some non-traditional guests.
Visitors are invited to bring their pets, big and small, to the church to receive a blessing. The names of loved pets who have died in the past year will also be read in rememberence.
“It is quite healing for people to experience grief for their beloved animals in a public and communal context,” said Reverend John Mertz.
The blessing will last approximately 20 minutes.
If anyone attends, let us know how it goes…and if your pup is acting more pious post-blessing.
Question: What do you do when you have very deep roots within a church that you love and sacrifice for, and then in comes a new honcho who stops ALL ACTIVITIES within the church and Parish. The Parish was finally in a good place, someplace it had not been in awhile and wham, torn to pieces again. Do you look for a new Parish or do you keep fighting those in charge?
Dear Displaced Disciple,
It sounds like you’re going through some difficult changes in your local church. Who knows, you could be describing my church. Over the time that I’ve served the Greenpoint Reformed Church, lots of changes have occurred. I’m sure that some of these were greeted with joy and others…well, I know that some folks aren’t so thrilled with the changes that have been made.
Houses of worship, especially in a city as vibrant as ours, are constantly changing. Continue reading →
You know you love gospel music. Secretly. Or not so secretly! Aretha Franklin? Mahalia Jackson? America’s best music has come from the gospel tradition.
Don’t you want to sing some old school gospel music in a grown-up choir? Come join us! All you need is a love of singing, the ability to clap, shout and just a pinch of soul. No prior experience or religious affiliation necessary. Not sure? Come to a rehearsal and try it out. You’ll be singing “Halleluyah!” before you know it!
REHEARSALS: every other Sunday, 1-3 PM at Greenpoint Reformed Church, 136 Milton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222
PERFORMANCES – during Sunday worship service at Greenpoint Reformed Church and other related events
CONTACT: Choir Director Beth Price at pricebeth99 (AT) gmail.com.
Do you need help feeding your family or would you like to volunteer some of your time? Greenpoint Reformed Church & Church of the Ascension can help. Please see them at the address and times below:
Greenpoint Church
136 Milton Street
Brooklyn, NY 11222
Hours: Wed 6-7pm Dinner; Thurs 10a-5pm Food Pantry
Phone: 718.383.5941
¿Necesita ayuda para alimentar a su familia o gustaría ser voluntario de tu tiempo? Pueden ayudar la Iglesia de Greenpoint e Iglesia de la Ascensión. Por favor, vea en la dirección y horarios más abajo.
Iglesia de Greenpoint
136 Milton Street
Brooklyn, NY 11222
Horario: Miércoles 6-7m Cena; Despensa de comida 10- 5pm Jueves
Teléfono: 718-383-5941
Iglesia de la Ascensión – Despensa de Comida
122 Java St, Brooklyn 11222
Horario: Mar 10-11am
Tel: 718-389-3831
Today is 3 Kings Day or the Epiphany, when the wise men visited the baby Jesus and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and mir. During church today, John Dobranski Jr. told us about the manger on the alter of the Greenpoint Church that his father, a Greenpoint firefighter made 50 years ago.
On #Sandy: From Fr. Merz’s latest “In Touch” – Please read and consider sharing:
“I think it is worthwhile to appreciate how dis/reorienting events like these can be for each us, these cataclysms. They may remind us of the contingency and frailty of human life and that our anchors of security are finally without weight. Along with this present event–the fact of Sandy– other distant pains and memories seemingly unrelated may be dredged up to the surface of our consciousness. All this points toward death as reality and signifier of all we are and know, and that in time, all life, all stasis must, will and does end. Somewhere in the disorienting haze of such a basic human awareness floats the strange and almost absurd sign of the cross, the Sign of Jonas.
3 days. The 3 faces of time. Past Future and Eternity. The bones of this idea are displayed in the Gospels in that ineluctable march of Jesus and his band of happy fools lurching toward Calvary and they receive flesh when we live with soulful love, even in the midst of our current blindness. There is togetherness and connection; loss, betrayal and death; finally that mystery of deeper being and life we so blithely tame and name as Easter. We are being conformed to this reality day by day.
Keep reaching out and find ways to help and pray for those who suffer any need.”
