Grace Happens in Ringwood
Community Presbyterian Church sits on Carletondale Road in Ringwood, New Jersey, in the wooded terrain of the state's northwest corner. The congregation describes itself as "a hugely imperfect and healthy community attempting to follow Christ," and the phrase "Grace Happens" is more than a slogan. The church is built on the conviction that "we believe in progress more than perfection, love more than church legalisms, and compassion more than judgment." Visitors are openly invited: "If you have been yearning for a good spiritual community...we invite you to join us."
Members sum up their outlook with these words: "We know that this world is both greatly troubled and profoundly beautiful. On this 3rd Rock from the sun...we try to help with the love, work, joy, sorrows, missions, and play of our people. We do believe that there are good folk everywhere whom God will claim. We believe in the God of the New Day and the Fresh Start. Grace Also Happens."
Worship at 10 a.m. Each Sunday
Sunday morning worship is held at 10:00 a.m. The service draws on the musical gifts of the Adult Choir and the Handbell Choir, which rotate through the morning, and the music is complemented by organ. Communion is celebrated either "by intinction," when the bread and wine are placed at the front of the sanctuary for worshippers to take themselves, or passed by the elders through the congregation in trays.
Children do not sit on the sidelines. The Faith in Action children's program meets during the worship hour, with the first Sunday of each month set aside for Children's Church - a time of music, prayer, a Bible lesson with themed crafts and games. On the remaining Sundays, the children gather in a more traditional church school classroom setting.
For those who cannot be in the sanctuary, the service is livestreamed on YouTube each Sunday at 10 a.m. A sermon archive stretches back to 2001, allowing the wider congregation to revisit past messages from Pastor Romaine and the ministers who preceded her.
Faith in Action: Children and Youth
Children's and youth ministries all fall under a banner called Faith in Action, with the conviction that "we believe in instilling the values of Christ not just talking about him!" The program runs from elementary through high school and is built around active participation in mission work rather than passive instruction.
Elementary children in grades K through 5 take part in church school during the 10:00 a.m. service. A robust music program supplements the classroom time: Little Chimers (grades 1-3) introduces younger children to handchimes, the Children's Choir welcomes all grades, and Children's Handbells serves grades 4 through 12. These groups meet on Thursday afternoons using Orff instruments alongside handbells and handchimes, and they contribute to worship services monthly while preparing seasonal Christmas and Easter music.
The Senior High Youth Group (grades 9-12) operates as a "youth run, youth led" ministry, with a youth council that meets regularly to set direction and changes annually. The Junior High Youth Group (grades 6-8) gathers monthly on Sunday evenings for about an hour and a half, aiming to "impart a Christian message in a fun environment for the kids." Tracy Rynkowski, Director of Youth Ministries, brings decades of experience organizing service-based mission trips. She has taken youth to Tennessee, South Carolina, West Virginia, and beyond, believing that "a service based mission trip is life changing for all who participate."
Three Mission Partners: Local, National, International
The congregation has chosen three major mission areas to support. On the local level, the church partners with the Center for Food Action, whose mission is "to prevent hunger and homelessness and improve the lives of individuals and families living in poverty." On the national level, the church works with Son Servants, partnering in service projects across the country and "sharing compassion through hands-on ministry." Internationally, the church supports Charity: Water, a nonprofit bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries.
These three partnerships shape how the church spends its time and money, and they tie directly into the Faith in Action youth program, which emphasizes hands-on mission work over classroom lectures.
A House of Music
Music is woven into nearly every aspect of life at Community Presbyterian Church. The Adult Choir, led by Sue Cail, sings during worship every Sunday and at special services throughout the year. The Adult Handbell Choir, directed by Neil McDonald, is a sixteen-member ensemble that meets every Thursday evening from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. between September and June, and participates in worship once a month.
Neil McDonald, the Director of Music, brings a deep resume. After studying voice at Westminster Choir College, he made his Carnegie Hall solo debut in 1999 and has performed there many times since, including the world premiere of John Rutter's Mass of the Children in 2003. A former head of Sales and Marketing at Malmark Bellcraftsmen, he has toured through 45 states with the Westminster Concert Bell Choir and is a sought-after handbell clinician who has taught classes on the regional, national, and international level for Handbell Musicians of America.
Maureen Butler, the church's organist, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Jersey City State College (now New Jersey City University) and a Master of Arts in Creative Arts/Piano Performance from NYU. She has been playing the organ in churches since the eighth grade, worked as a parish music director in New Milford for fourteen years, and has freelanced on organ and piano in northern New Jersey and New York for the past thirty years. She also serves as President of the Ringwood Friends of Music.
Skylands Learning Center: A Childcare Ministry in the Building
Housed inside the church building, the Skylands Learning Center (SLC) is a New Jersey State licensed childcare facility that has been part of the church's ministry since 1992, when it opened as Community Educare. SLC offers full-time and part-time nursery school and daycare, as well as before- and after-school care, and serves children from six weeks to 13 years old. The preschool class uses The Creative Curriculum for Preschool alongside tablet technology, and the center maintains a clean, stimulating, "home-like" environment. Kaitlyn Sweeny, who has spent two decades in early childhood education, directs the program.
Skylands Music Academy
Also sponsored and hosted through the church, Skylands Music Academy (SMA) is designed to bring musical arts to Ringwood and the surrounding communities. Led by Neil McDonald and Erin Schwab, SMA offers instruction to students who want to grow as musicians, extending the church's tradition of music-making beyond its own walls.
Men's Breakfasts, Ladies' Zoom Coffee, and a Hiking Group
Adults at Community Presbyterian have many ways to connect. The Men's Breakfast Group meets every Wednesday morning from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. at the Ringwood Luncheonette, and all are welcome. The Ladies' Zoom Coffee Group gathers at 11:00 a.m. on the first Tuesday of each month, including both present and past members of the congregation. A monthly Hiking Group, led by Colin Lauder, takes on local trails of varying difficulty, weather permitting.
Each year, the pastor offers two adult study classes - one in the fall and one during Lent - accessible both in person and via Zoom. A church library sits just inside the entrance on the way to the Sanctuary, stocked with a wide variety of books available to borrow. Coffee hour after worship is treated as a ministry of its own; as one longtime member put it, "real church is at coffee hour."
The Church Garden, Memorial Garden, and Labyrinth
A small group of dedicated volunteer church gardeners tends the church garden and the Memorial garden, including a labyrinth on the property, keeping the outdoor spaces looking tidy and well cared for. The Ringwood Community Garden, housed behind the church building, offers plots for community members to tend, with access to sun and water.
A Parish Nurse and a Congregational Care Team
A Parish Nurse program, led by Linda Jamison, provides healthcare grounded in spiritual principles and a focus on holistic health. A Congregational Care team, under Karen Caviasco, responds to needs across the congregation - offering prayers, meals, visits, rides, and other forms of support. The Carpenter's Club, a monthly gathering led by Chip Cronauer, takes care of the building and grounds, and the Flower Program places weekly arrangements in the sanctuary, with members of the congregation able to donate flowers and include a dedication in the bulletin.
Pastor Arlene Romaine
Rev. Arlene Romaine accepted the congregation's call to become minister of Community Presbyterian Church on July 1, 2024. A native of Butler, New Jersey, she was baptized at the Wanaque Reformed Church and came to faith in 1987. She earned a Certificate in Theology from New Brunswick Theological Seminary in 2006, becoming the first Commissioned Pastor of Christian Discipleship in the Classis of Passaic Valley of the Reformed Church in America. She went on to earn a Master of Divinity and was fully ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the RCA, and she currently chairs Student Supervision in the Classis of Greater Palisades. She is now studying for a Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Care and Counseling.
Pastor Romaine describes CPC as "a place for all ages to explore the message of God's redeeming love, practice what it means to be Christian disciples who work together for the glory of God, and a gathering place (both in-person and online) to seek refreshment for our souls." She adds, "In a multitude of ways CPC is impacting lives, both inside and outside our church, bringing ministries of healing and wholeness through Christ's redeeming gift of grace. The gospel is a message of extravagant love, true hope, and ever-expanding diversity, that has the power to heal our social divisions by reframing the way we see ourselves, our world, and our place in it."
Groups That Share the Building
Beyond its own ministries, the church property hosts several community organizations. The Ringwood Community Garden, located behind the church building, has plots available to tend. Ringwood Friends of Music, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering the study, performance, and enjoyment of music in the community, sponsors several free concerts a year from the building, featuring prominent classical chamber musicians.