Yellow Frame Church: 1750-2025, 275 years of worship and service. Sunday Worship is at 10:00 a.m. Welcome! Frequently Asked Questions at Yellow Frame Church
1. Do I need to be a member to participate? No, you are welcome to worship, receive communion, attend Sunday School, and participate in any church functions whether you are a member or not. Becoming a church member is always welcomed,but it only does four things for you: (1) makes you eligible to vote in congregational meetings; (2) allows you to be nominated for and serve as a church officer (Session or Deacons); (3) for High School seniors and college students, it is one of the qualifications for potentially receiving the annual Yellow Frame Scholarship award; (4) allows you to present a child for baptism. Other than these four things, non-members can participate as fully as members.
2. I am not a member. May I receive the weekly church emails and be added to the church directory? Yes, simply send your information to yfchurchoffice@gmail.com and the church office administrator, will add you.
3. My child is new to Sunday School. May I sit in the class until he/she is comfortable? Yes. Sunday School is generally offered from September-May, with some Sundays off due to holidays. Sunday School teachers are receptive to parental involvement. If your child has particular needs/challenges/interests, please share these as well. Susie Hildebrant is the Superintendent: She can be reached at mshildebrant@yahoo.com or 973-383-3565. 4. May I sing in the choir?Absolutely! In order to save people time, the rehearsals happen on Sunday morning prior to the 10:00 a.m. worship,with choir members gathering at 9:15 a.m. in the room at the end of the upstairs hallway in the Sunday School wing of the church. All are welcome.
5. What about money/giving? At Yellow Frame Church only two people know what everyone gives, the treasurer and the church office administrator, neither of whom are church members. While all financial records are thoroughly reviewed each year, the individual names of donors and amounts are kept confidential. The Session does not know this information, nor does Michael or the annual Financial Review Committee. Noelle, the church office administrator, will mail you a tax statement each year, and if you ever need one more frequently, simply ask her. Some people prefer giving via a box of envelopes for this purpose. If you want such a box, let Noelle know. Many people give without such envelopes in the offering plates each Sunday, and an increasing number of people give by electronic means. Donations can also be mailed to YFPC, 1Yellow Frame Rd. Newton, NJ 07860. Every Church depends on the generosity of its members and attendees, and we are grateful that since 1750 Yellow Frame Church has survived through good times and bad times.
6. Is there a staffed church nursery? Not at this time but there has been in years past when the need for it was greater. If this is something that would be of help/interest to you, let us know of such interest.
7. Why is it “Michael” and not “Reverend Nelms?” As Presbyterians, we believe in the “Priesthood of All Believers," and therefore we do not “reverence” any one person more than another, or believe than some individuals have a closer connection to God than others. “We all live and move and have our being in God.” (Acts 17:28) Michael is a member of the Presbytery of the Highlands of New Jersey, and he was called and elected to serve as the Teaching Elder of this congregation on September 1,2001, and as Teaching Elder he serves a particular role/function in leading the church organization and teaching the Scriptures, but this function/role does not make him, or is not the result of him, being closer to God or deserving of special "reverence."
8. How do I contact Michael? Speak to him after church, call him at973-262-3152, or email yellowframeteachingelder@gmail.com.
9. What is a Presbyterian? We’re still figuring it out: Join us for the journey! Presbyterians have a saying, “Reformed and always reforming.” It is a dynamic process, not a static set of beliefs. For historical background, you can check out www.pcusa.org and click on the “whatwe believe” section, as well as our church website, www.yellowframechurch.com.
10. How do I become a church member? Simply attend the church services. If after attending for a few months you feel this is a good place for you to learn, serve, and grow in faith, just let Michael know you want to become a member. Many churches have “New Member Classes” where people are required to sit through 6-8 (or more) one-hour classes about what the church believes. Here at Yellow Frame, we are convinced that if you attend worship on a regular basis, you will learn everything you need to know to make an informed decision about whether this is a church community right for you. The Session gladly receives new members twice each year, once in the Spring and once in the Fall. You do not have to attend the Session meeting.
11. What is“the Session?” It is the governing board of a Presbyterian congregation, consisting of twelve church members elected by the congregation for three-year terms. As a group they are called“the Session,” while individually they called “Ruling Elders.” Like Michael as Teaching Elder, Ruling Elders are not elected because they are viewed as being “closer to God,” “more saintly,” etc. They are elected to perform a certain role/function, and their collective role is to make decisions about church property (maintenance,improvements, insurance, expansions), church finances (how the money received is spent, preserved, grown, etc.), education (Sunday School and more), worship(times, style, frequency, etc.), membership (receiving new members, providing occasions for community, etc.), personnel (staffing, pay, etc.) and more. Notice “Ruling Elders” make the decisions, not the Teaching Elder. This is somewhat unique for Presbyterians when compared to many other church denominations.
12. Who are the “Deacons?” Nine people elected by the congregation for three-year terms to lead the church in care and concern for those in need. Deacons, Ruling Elders, and Teaching Elders in the Presbyterian Church(USA) are all “Officers”of the church, with each performing a certain role. All congregational members are part of the “Priesthood of Christ,” so all congregational members are“ministers.”
13. How does Yellow Frame Church serve the local community and beyond? Individual church members volunteer at a variety of local, charitable organizations, giving their time, talent, and energy both as Board Members and otherwise. The Deacons coordinate our church’s involvement with Manna House on the first Tuesday of each month, a monthly collection of food pantry donations, as well as gathering donations for charities between Thanksgiving and Christmas,and more. The Sunday School regularly contributes to organizations like Heifer International and the Michael J. FoxParkinson’s Foundation and many others. There is much more. A partial and brief description of over twenty-five organizations the church and its members are involved in is in the document, LovingOur Neighbors. Copies of this document can be found in the narthex.
14. Why is it called the communion table instead of the “altar?” The Protestant Reformation in the 1500’s, from which Presbyterians and most other non-Roman Catholic groups derive, got rid of “altars” in churches as they believed Jesus was sacrificed “once for all time,” as opposed to the Roman Catholic understanding that Jesus is sacrificed again at every worship service (Mass). A sacrifice requires an altar, thus Roman Catholics have an altar and Protestants have communion tables, as we commune with Christ but we do not “sacrifice” him again on an “altar.”
15. Just how old is Yellow Frame Church? Yellow Frame Church is one of the few churches in New Jersey (and nation) dating back before the American Revolution. Some written sources date the beginning as 1740, others as 1763, but most agree on 1750 as the date. Probably some individuals began to meet in the open air or at one another’s homes around 1740, but in 1750 land was leased in the “Dark Moon” section of what is now Johnsonburg, about one mile from the current church building. On that land, a small log cabin for church gatherings was built, it the church was called “The Upper Hardwick Presbyterian Church.” At that time, “Upper Hardwick”referred to most of what is now Sussex and western Warren County, while “Lower Hardwick” referred to the area that would become Hackettstown and Long Valley. By the time of the American Revolution in 1776, the need for a new church building was agreed upon, but the war years postponed all endeavors to build a new church. Following the Revolutionary War, it was agreed (not without disagreement) to build a new church one mile away on the top of the ridge along the dirt path (now Yellow Frame Road) known as Shaw’s Lane. The majority of people liked the high elevation and its proximity to “the Post Road” (now Highway 94), while a minority wanted to build a new church on the Dark Moon site. In 1786, the new church building was dedicated with Dr. John Witherspoon, President of Princeton University and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, presiding. That church building was located just inside what are now the cemetery gates across the street from the current church building. The current church building was built in 1886-87, in the Queen Anne Victorian Style, and the manse next door was built at the same time. The church cost a little over $5,000 and the manse a little over $2,000. An educational wing was added to the church in the 1950’s, and that two-story educational wing with classrooms, bathrooms, kitchen and dining hall underwent major renovations that were completed in 2016, debt-free. In 1990, the current Church Office was added on the back of the church. In addition to the manse (yellow house on highway 94), the church also owns and rents the house on the northeast side of the church behind the white fence.
16. What are these “Grocery Cards” people talk about? Under the leadership of Becky Paulson, the church sells grocery cards for Weis, Shoprite, and Acme. You give the church $100 and you get a $100 card. Because the church buys the cards in bulk, the church gets a discount and thus makes $5 for every $100 of cards sold. Eighty percent of the money made supports the annual church operating budget (around $4,500 a year), and twenty percent of the proceeds are put in an investment account for a “rainy day.”
17. What is the Holiday Home Tour & Luncheon & Santa’s Gourmet Shop? This is a fundraiser that has happened the past 32 years on the first Saturday in December. Tickets are sold to tour houses and then also an optional lunch for an additional cost. There are also homemade crafts, cookies and other goodies for sale in the shop. Yellow Framers bake quiches and desserts and make soups for the lunch, as well as Christmas cookies for both the lunch and the gourmet shop.
18. What is Harvest Home? In 1875, it was a simple potluck dinner outside in September, and in the 150 years since it has been held on a variety of other dates and has taken a variety of forms. In the past twenty-five years or so, it has been a fundraiser held on the fourth Saturday in July. Yellow Framers prepare and serve a country buffet dinner from 5-7 p.m. served both inside and outside under a tent. In addition, there has been at times a silent auction from 4-7, and a live auction beginning at 7:00 p.m., and there has often been live music provided as well. In 2025, there was just a live auction at 7:15 p.m. Again, this has been the most recent incarnation of it, though it was a hamburger/hotdog picnic in 2015 when the kitchen and dining hall were being renovated, and it was unfortunately cancelled in 2020-2022 due to COVID-19, though there was a successful online auction during 2021. The in-person event was once again held on July 22, 2023 and over $10,000.00 was generated for the annual operating budget,a success since repeated.
19. Does the church do rummage sales? Yes. There is a rummage sale the first weekend in May and the first weekend in October.
20. Does the church have an internet/social media presence? Yes. The church website is www.yellowframechurch.com. The church youtube channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS7Q6jJyDipm9QFeJmZO56wYou can find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/yellowframechurch And on Instagram at www.instagram.com/yellowframepresbyterianchurch
21. Is the cemetery across the street part of the church? No. The cemetery is a separate and distinct organization.
22. Do I pay Michael for baptisms, weddings, or funerals? If you are church member, Michael is already paid to be your Teaching Elder in all aspects of life, including these special occasions. No additional payment is expected.
23. Are there any church pews/seats that are reserved? No, with an occasional exception when there is a baptism or other special occasion when the front pews may be reserved for the family presenting a child for baptism. On all other occasions you are free to sit wherever you desire.
24. Why are the windows and doors closed with the air conditioning on in the summer even when it is not too terribly hot? Since the church sanctuary is a 139-year-old (in 2026) wooden structure (aluminum siding) and has no insulation and is built just two feet above dirt with a stone foundation, the inside temperature must be maintained between 64 and 76 degrees to prevent mold, particularly in the summers. It is also true that none of the window locks work, most of the window sashes are broken, and to help with energy efficiency, storm windows are kept up all year round.
