Eat Well. Raise Funds.
Grab a meal at The Four Seasons Diner on October 23 & a percentage of each meal will be donated to support PCTR’s 2025 Night to Shine, a prom for Special Needs Students 14 yrs and up sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation.
What's Happening Now
We exist to connect people to full life in Jesus. Cultivating the sort of relationship with Jesus that yields full life is rooted in community –more specifically, a community that is striving to know Jesus. Below, you can find an up-to-date list of opportunities to get connected here at PCTR.
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Coat Drive
The leaves are changing color and the weather is getting cooler. That means it’s time to clean out your closets ahead of winter! Gather those gently used warm coats that you’re no longer using and donate them to our Coat Drive on October 26 and 27. Donated coats will be given to our neighbors in need through the Hope Center’s Gifts of Warmth distribution the following week.
Gifts of Warmth
The Hope Center will be distributing coats, hats, gloves, and scarves to our neighbors in need on November 2nd. Volunteers are invited to pitch in and help them with organizing the items to be given away, as well as to serve the day of the event. Interested? Contact Ashlee at [email protected] or call the Hope Center at 732-341-4447.
Kids’ Choir
Kids grades K - 5th, come sing with us! We’ll be rehearsing November 3-17 and December 8-22. Then we’ll share our songs in worship on November 24 at our combined 10 am service and December 24 at our 4 pm Family Worship. Grab a postcard at Church School or the Welcome Center with time and details.
Veteran’s Breakfast
If you served in any branch of the US Military, this one’s for you! Join us for our Veterans Breakfast on November 9, 9 am - 12 pm. Grab a postcard invite (or two or three) in the Welcome Center to share with a friend!
Surviving the Holidays (Grief Share)
No matter how long it has been since your loved one(s) died, grief can make the holidays a painful time. Surviving the Holidays is a special Grief Share seminar that will help you get through the holidays and discover new reasons to enjoy them again. Join us on November 9 at 10 am for this one session event. Grab a postcard invite from the Welcome Center to share with someone else who may benefit from this gathering.
Book Discussion Group
We’ve picked out some great titles for this year’s Book Discussion Group! Bring a lunch and join us to talk over our next book, Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger.
Pop The Trunk Volunteers
Every Friday morning we host “Pop the Trunk,” a drive-through FulFill food bank. On November 22, Pop the Trunk will be giving away nearly 1,000 turkeys and other components of a Thanksgiving meal! Volunteers are needed to help pack and distribute! Join us in the parking lot on 11/22 (or any other Friday!) at 7:30 am to help sort food and distribute bags. Bring warm gloves (those frozen turkeys can make your hands cold!).
Celebrating Freedom! Worship & Lunch
We are now confident that our mortgage debt will be paid IN FULL by Thanksgiving and we want to celebrate with you the way God’s been at work in our midst across the Freedom campaign. Join us on November 24 at 10 am for worship to celebrate FREEDOM with great joy and gratitude. Stay for a delicious catered lunch and continued festivities! (Please note, there is only one worship service this weekend.)
Human Trafficking Awareness Session
Did you know in 2023, the National Human Trafficking Hotline identified 170 cases of human trafficking in New Jersey, the highest total since 2019. Join us on November 25 at 6:30 pm for presentation from NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking to learn more about this growing problem in our state. This is part of our Deacons efforts to better understand the problem and consider how God may be calling us to serve those at risk.
Contemplative Prayer
How can contemplative prayer help you connect more fully to full life in Jesus Christ? Join us on November 25 at 7 pm to find out. We’ll explore what contemplative prayer looks like and how it can help you deepen your relationship with God, Scripture, each other and life in faith.
Christmas Food Drive
We want to help our friends at the Hope Center ensure families in our community can celebrate Christmas with a delicious meal. We'll are collecting non-perishable food items in support of their holiday meal give away on December 18, Please pick up a list of specific items needed in the Welcome Center. Donations can be brought to the cart in the Welcome Center anytime between November 16 and December 1. * Canned sweet potatoes * Cranberry sauce * Boxed instant mashed potatoes * Stuffing & stuffing Mix * Canned fruit * Canned vegetables * Jars...
Angel Choir
Women / Treble Voices in 4th grade and up, come make a joyful (Christmas!) noise with us! Our "Angel Choir" will be singing at the 8pm Christmas Eve (12/24) worship service and we'd love to you have sing with us. Rehearsals will be on Sundays (10:50 - 11:10 am) and Thursdays (6:25 - 6:45 pm) throughout December - come to one (or both) each week starting December 1. There's no audition or experience needed - just a desire to sing with joy for Christ's birth! Questions? Please contact Karin Gargone at [email protected]
Confirmation Orientation
We invite prospective parents and students (8th grade and older) to join us for lunch and a mandatory Confirmation Orientation on December 1 at 12 pm as we unpack the vision for the 2025 confirmation experience and spend some time answering the question, “What is Confirmation?” Got questions or want to RSVP? Contact Kevin at [email protected] or call the office at 732-349-1331.
Eat Well. Raise Funds
Grab a meal at Outback Steakhouse (2770 Hooper Ave, Brick) on December 4 & 5 and a percentage of each meal will be donated to support PCTR’s 2025 Night to Shine. Night to Shine is a prom for Special Needs Students 14 yrs and up sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation. Funds raised will support the Presbyterian Church of Toms River’s event celebrating our special guests and their families on 2/7/25!
PW Christmas Tea
Presbyterian Women’s Christmas Tea is a great way to kick-off the season with lunch, tea, and dessert. All women are welcome to attend. A $10 suggested donation will be accepted at the door to defer the cost of the meal. RSVP to [email protected].
Parent’s Night Out
Parents, kick off your holiday season with a few hours to yourselves. We've got a great night of fun planned for your kids (potty-trained 3 year olds through 5th grade.) We’ll share a pizza dinner and tons of fun with games and crafts! Help us make sure we have enough pizza & pre-register at pctr.org/parentsnight
Next Gen Wreath Sale
Stop by the table outside Fellowship Hall and buy a hand-decorated Christmas wreath from Next Gen: Students this weekend! Each wreath is $20 and proceeds support Next Gen Student initiatives like scholarships for this weekend’s high school service weekend with the Philly Project!
Christmas Joy Concert
This is one of our favorite holiday traditions! This musical event features our choir and an orchestra performing holiday favorites. No ticket required. There will be an opportunity to make a donation to the concert series during the concert.
Christmas Giving Tree
Grab a tag off the Giving Tree in the Welcome Center and buy the gift card listed on it to help us help our mission partners! Donated gift cards (returned no later than 12/15) will be distributed to those in need by The Hope Center and Urban Promise.
Poinsettia Donations
If you’d like to donate a poinsettia in memory or celebration of a loved one, grab an envelope from the Welcome Center or fill out the form online at pctr.org/poinsettia. Poinsettia’s are $12 and donations must be made by December 15th.
Congregational Meeting
A meeting of the Congregation and Corporation of the Presbyterian Church of Toms River will be held on Sunday, December 15, 2024 at approximately 10:20 a.m. in the Sanctuary. The purposes of the meeting will be: to receive the report of the Nominating Committee, to elect Elders and Deacons for the class of 2024, and to address such other business as the Nominating Committee may bring forward.
Christmas Party
Our annual Christmas Party is loads of festive fun including fire pits, games, food trucks, lights, roaming carolers, photos with Santa and more! Bring your family, friends, and neighbors to this free event! (Bring money for food trucks.)
Contemplative Prayer
Do you need a "silent night"? A park bench to rest on amid the holiday rush? Join us for a Contemplative Prayer workshop on Monday, December 16, at 7 pm in the Sanctuary as we consider the special nature of the relationship between us and God.
Christmas Eve Worship
Join us for worship this Christmas! We'll have 4 worship services on December 24: 2 pm - Traditional Worship, 4 pm - Family Worship in the Sanctuary (Kids Choir will sing. “Candlelight” service with glowsticks!), 5:30 pm - Contemporary Worship in Fellowship Hall (Worship Band. Candlelight service.), 8 pm - Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary (Choir will sing. Candlelight service.) Our Sensory Room will be open with volunteers at the 2 pm and 4 pm worship services. A limited number of sensory bags with fidgets and headphones are available at each service. Children's activity bags...
Next Gen Students: New Year’s Hangout
Students (6th - 12th grade) let’s celebrate the New Year together! Join us on December 30 (5-8 pm) at PCTR for an evening of games and snacks!
Friday Night Special Needs Ministry Group
Our Special Needs Ministry Teen & Young Adult Group meets regularly on the 2nd Friday of each month. On January 10, come ready to stretch and learn some basic martial arts moves with our friend Mr. Jason. Volunteers are encouraged to join us and share in the fun!
Next Gen Student Kick-off
Students (6th - 12th grade), meet us at FunBag Cornhole on Rt 37 in Toms River for a little friendly cornhole competition to kick-off 2025!
Grief Share
As we try to navigate life after the death of a loved one, we can feel isolated and alone. This is the space Grief Share steps into. This weekly group offers support to people grieving the death of a loved one. It’s a place where you can be around others who understand the pain of your loss and how you feel as you come to terms with it. A new session begins January 14 at 10 am.
KidMin Tuesday Returns
KidMin Tuesday is back starting January 14 at 4:45 pm. We pack a bunch into Tuesday afternoons with our elementary-aged friends. We start with time to play together, then we get into smaller groups to talk with our friends and leaders about Jesus. And of course, there’s snack time, too!
Night to Shine Wishlist
Can you believe there's just about a month left to Night to Shine, a prom for Special Needs individuals age 14 years and up, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation! Help us through an EPIC bash by volunteering (pctr.org/nighttoshine) or donating something from our Amazon Wishlist which you can find at pctr.org/shinelist
Human Trafficking Awareness Session
Join us on January 25 at 11 am for presentation from NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking to learn more about the growing problem of human trafficking in our state. This is part of our Deacons efforts to better understand the problem and consider how God may be calling us to serve those at risk.
PCTR Music
Let’s make some music together! Handbells, (6 pm) Women’s Ensemble (6 pm) and Sanctuary Choir (7 pm) will return to a regular rehearsal schedule starting this Thursday. New voices are always welcome! Kids’ choir returns January 26 at 9:45 am. Our Worship Team practices on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm.
Book Discussion: The Last Days of Night
We’ve picked out some great titles for this year’s Book Discussion Group! Bring a lunch and join us to talk over our next book, The Last Days of Night, by Graham Moore
Night to Shine Set-up
There are 123 honored guests, plus their families, buddies, and an assortment of other volunteers headed our way on February 7th for Night to Shine, a prom for individuals with special needs sponsored by the Tim Tebow foundation. We need YOUR help in getting our spaces prom ready for them! Join us after worship on February 2 (about 12 pm) to start decorating and transforming our rooms into a spectacular winter wonderland! Can’t make it on Sunday? Connect with us in the office as volunteers are needed for other set-up times during the week and...
Contemplative Prayer
Need some warmth in winter? More light for the darker days, and peace from the world's hustle and bustle? Join us for our Contemplative Prayer Workshop in the Sanctuary at 7 pm on February 3. This interactive guided workshop provides a shared time for quiet prayer and private reflection as we consider various aspects of our life with God.
Spring Concert Choir
Join with members of the Sanctuary Choir to learn music for our Spring Concert. The concert is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, and will feature favorite patriotic songs accompanied by a full orchestra. Rehearsals take place on Thursday nights staring February 6 from 7:45-8:30. Singers from 6th grade and older are welcome to join us, no previous experience required! Contact Josh Melson for more information: [email protected].
Volunteers – Night to Shine
PCTR is hosting Night to Shine sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation on February 7, 2025 and we need your help making sure our guests have a sensational time! Night to Shine is a prom night experience, centered on God’s love for people with special needs age 14 and older. We’ve got an extensive list of volunteer roles to be filled. Sign-up to help at pctr.org/nighttoshine.
Night to Shine
We’re excited to host this year’s Night to Shine, a prom for Special Needs individuals age 14 years and up, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, on February 7, 2025 from 6-9 pm. We’re even more excited to have you join us! If you’d like join us, visit pctr.org/nighttoshine (click the graphic on the left to open the full listing and view the link). Please note that our in-person event is at capacity. Details about the virtual event will be available shortly.
Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting of the Congregation and Corporation of the Presbyterian Church of Toms River will be held on Sunday, February 16, 2025 at approximately 11:45 a.m. in Fellowship Hall, following the 10:30am service. The purpose of the meeting is to hear and see the way God has moved in and through each of us in 2024, to present the 2025 Budget, approve the 2025 Terms of Call for Pastor Robbie Ytterberg, receive year-end reports and address such other business as may appropriately come before the body.
Volunteer for Night to Shine!
Our team is starting to plan for the 2026 Night to Shine on February 13, 2026 and we need YOUR help making sure our guests have a sensational time! Night to Shine is a prom-type event for Special Needs individuals age 14 years and up, sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation and hosted at the Presbyterian Church of Toms River. We’ve got an extensive list of volunteer roles to be filled and we’re opening VOLUNTEER registration for it now. Sign-up at pctr.org/ntsvolunteer. To find a full list of roles we're looking to fill visit Night to Shine Volunteer.
Homework Club
Our Homework Club is getting ready to start meeting with students from Walnut Street Elementary School. If you have considered volunteering to help but have not yet done so, now is the time! Contact the church office at [email protected] or call 732-349-1331.
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