Northeast Community Transformation, the diaconal and social justice team of Classes Hudson and Hackensack, invites you to attend The Justice Conference via simulcast at William Paterson University on Friday Feb 21 (6-9pm) and Saturday Feb 22 (8:30am-9pm). Tickets are $29 if ordered by Jan 31 and $34 after Feb 1.The Justice Conference is intended to educate, inspire, and connect a generation of men and women around the world who share a concern for the poor and oppressed. This year's Justice Conference will feature speakers such as NT Wright, Richard Stearns, Jim Wallis, Bethany Hoang and many more.Visit The Justice Conference website for tickets or see the flyer for more information.

In the coming few weeks, two events will highlight the new hymnal produced by the CRC and RCA, called Lift Up Your Hearts.First, Ridgewood Christian Reformed Church will be hosting a hymn sing on Sunday, January 26 at 5pm.  Simply show up and join the song!Second, the Wyckoff Reformed Church will be sponsoring a workshop on Saturday, February 1, beginning at 4pm in the church sanctuary.  The workshop will be led by Dr. Martin Tel, Professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, and one of the editors of the hymnal.  The workshop will break at 5:30PM for a pick up choir to practice, all are invited. Then a light dinner be served at a price yet to be determined (between $6 and $10). At 7:30 PM the hymn sing will begin and your whole church is invited.  Please call the church office at 201-891-1782 for more information and to make a reservation for dinner.

The annual Christmas update from Mid-Atlantic Ministries is available here.  Mid-Atlantic Ministries is the church planting and regional missions arm of Classis Hudson and Classis Hackensack.

The Board of Trustees of the CNCNA has mandated the Strategic Planning and Adaptive Challenges Team (SPACT) to facilitate a fundamental reframe of the denominational ministry plan.  The team is asking for your voices and insights at a feedback gathering session at Covenant CRC in North Haledon, NJ,  This session will be held on Monday, October 28 from 7-10 pm.  The question which will guide the evening's discussion i this: "In light of the cultural dynamics within and outside the CRC - the dynamics of the world, the community, and the church/ministry in which you serve - where do you see the challenges for yourselves and the church?"  Identifying these challenges will help the SPACT in moving forward with the reframing of the denominational ministry plan.An article on a similar meeting held recently in Grand Rapids is here, and an overview of the whole process can be found here.

Councils of churches in Classis Hudson are reminded that the deadline for submitting Paramus Fund grant requests for the coming year is December 1, 2013.   Application forms may be found here.The Paramus Fund was created in 1980 from the remaining assets of the former Paramus Christian Reformed Church, which closed in 1976.  The Fund provides grants each year for “ministry and church programs” within the congregations of Classis Hudson.  It is administered by the Classical Interim Committee and the Treasurer.

Classis Hudson met at Cedar Hill CRC in Wyckoff on September 16-17, 2013.  Details of the meeting are available here.