The Words of the Feddema Family

Wonderful and Exciting ‘Sukiyaki’ and ‘Valentine’s Day’ Parties by Small Groups in New Jerusalem Community

Masako Feddema
February 16, 2008
Family Fellowship District Coordinator -- District #3

As the small groups have been having their meetings regularly (weekly or monthly) for over a year and half, one of our goals for this year is to elevate the small group activities to the community level. In November of last year, the new Community Leaders System was established, based on 40 small groups in New Jersey. Twelve new community leaders were selected, and 3 -- 5 small groups were assigned under them according to the area. Five community leaders got inspired by the idea and took initiative to have some community-level events; the timing was right with New Year and Valentine’s Day.

1) New Year’s Sukiyaki Party:

Two communities (Shigeki and Gloria Sato, and Carlos and Christine Libon) in Clifton with five small groups came together and held a New Year’s Sukiyaki Party on the evening of January 26 (Sat.) at the Fellowship Hall in New Jerusalem Family Church. Five small group leaders met twice to organize the event. (Sukiyaki is a typical Japanese winter dish that you cook and eat at the same time on the table.)

The preparation of the event helped to create harmony, unity, and close relationships among the members and leaders within the communities. About 20 members volunteered to prepare food and set up. The program was divided into two parts: enjoying food and dancing. Cooking and eating food together brought members closer, and they enjoyed their time getting to know each other.

While they were enjoying a delicious Sukiyaki dinner, the photo montage was shown on the screen to introduce each small group’s activities and families. Well over 200 pictures were submitted! All the families danced. The couples especially enjoyed slow dancing. Over 100 members participated (adults and children), and there were several new guests. Everybody left the event with the positive, warm and happy feeling of community.

2) Family Valentine’s Day Party at the New Jerusalem Family Church:

The Belleville/Glen Ridge community (Stephen and Yoshiko des Laurier) with four small groups had their family Valentine’s Day party on February 17 (Sat.) at the Fellowship Hall in New Jerusalem Family Church. There were over 70 people (adults and children) including 20 guests (including 2 new guests). Mrs. Hope Igarashi and Mrs. Lydia Compton, as the planning committee, did an excellent job organizing and coordinating the event: with an essay contest, various performances by participants, speeches, dancing, and so forth.

It was a potluck dinner without an admission fee. The main speaker that night, Rev. Alain Tamelessio (member), got suddenly ill and was not able to come. One of his guests, who was planning to attend, came to visit him and learned of his illness. She offered to help give a speech at the event. (She happened to be a minister). She gave a very good speech on Valentine’s Day, and she was so deeply touched by the event that she testified later that she would like to receive a Blessing by True Parents.

One Japanese guest sang an opera piece. It was her birthday that day, so they celebrated her birthday with a cake and a present. Another guest, who is a neighbor of Yoshiko-san, performed traditional music on Mexican drums. He brought his family. Dr. Velez, who is the deputy mayor of West Orange, attended with his wife and two grandchildren. All the participants enjoyed dancing, dinner, and performances. They want to develop this kind of event as a community so that they can connect their contacts to future Blessing Ceremonies and the Global Peace Festival in August.

3) Valentine’s Day Home Party at the Roghainian’s Residence:

Tony and Lila Francisco (Nutley Community Leaders) were very inspired by the Clifton community’s Sukiyaki Party. So, they called their four other small groups right away and decided to have a Valentine’s Day event. They wanted to do it at the Church, however, but Feb. 17th was booked already. They decided to do it at one of the members’ houses. Over 60 people attended (adults and children) including 5 new guests. There were lots of good food and fun.

There were excellent performances by 2nd generation children: violin, piano, trumpet, guitar, and so forth. Japanese brothers and sisters presented a song together. One of the guests, who is an Italian, sang a few Italian songs. He came with his wife and two children, and he really enjoyed the group and loved entertaining.

Tony expressed his love towards his wife, Lila, through a song on a CD, and they danced together to that music. Several couples joined them in dancing. It was the first event done with the joint efforts of 1st and 2nd generation. Mrs. Francisco believes that this kind of event will bring a great result. She is planning to have events more often in the future.

4) Let’s Dance! -- Valentine’s Day at the Community Center:

The community of Totowa, Dover, and Westwood (Bjorn and Carol Ottosson) with three small groups rented a room in the Community Center of Pompton Plains for $75 on February 16 (Fri.) from 7pm to 10:30pm. They invited brothers and sisters to come, dance, and have fun. All families brought a small snack and a happy heart.

There were about 30 people, including children. The evening was joyful, with lots of music, dancing, sharing, limbo, Macarena and musical chairs. The meeting ended at 10:30pm with singing and prayer. Arranging the music was the major preparation; other than this, the preparation was simple. It was the first event of this kind for Bjorn and Carol, as the community leaders, and they are anticipating more events in the near future. It was a successful event in that it gave the members confidence and encouragement to invite their contacts for the next event.

When three or more small groups come together to create events like the ones above, it is powerful and exciting to invite guests, and it bonds brothers and sisters. It also can create the feeling of wholeness in the community -- the community to which you want to belong because you feel love and joy being there. This is what we anticipate to create in the future in the New Jerusalem Community by having these kinds of gatherings and events more often.

Major holidays like Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas are the best time to have these community-level events so that we can invite our new and old guests, friends, and contacts to build and deepen personal relationships, and eventually connect them to the Divine Principle and the Blessing.

We believe that Family Fellowship small groups are the way to build Cheon Il Guk substantially here on earth. May God Bless All Small Groups!

Masako Feddema

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