In addition to traditional Lutheran worship services, Zion Lutheran ministries include Sunday school, a preschool, Bible study, youth and prayer groups, a church choir and more. Originally begun in Newark in 1928 by a group of Czechoslovakian immigrants, Zion Lutheran moved to Raritan Road in Clark in 1967.
Prevention Links is a nonprofit serving the Union County community. The center's mission statement is to "foster healthy, sustainable communities by empowering people through education, collaboration, and linkages to resources." The organization provides a variety of elementary, middle school, high school, parenting and community programs to Union County. For more details on its programs and services please call the number provided or visit its website.
Colonia Chapel is home to a non-denominational, Bible-believing Christian congregation on Lake Avenue. In addition to Sunday Breaking of the Bread services, Colonia Chapel also offers adult and children's Sunday school, Bible study, a youth club and prayer meetings.
Clark Recreation Center plays host to a variety of community events and workshops. This center stands as an education and leisure resource for the community. Clark residents can take advantage of cooking workshops, arts and crafts sessions, music lessions, sports clinics and health and wellness classes.
The New Jersey Building and Construction Trades Council provides resources to affiliated trade unions in the construction industry. The Council helps its affiliated unions by offering a variety of services, including making job sites safer, delivering apprenticeship and journey-level training, organizing new workers and supporting legislation that affects working families. Call for more information.
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses hosts services in English, Polish and French. Each service includes a public talk and Watchtower study. All meetings are open to the public. For more information on the Polish congregation, contact Stan Michalowski at 908-420-9544 or 732-738-1535. For information on the English congregation, contact Paul Naused at 908-472-4766 or 732-381-1350.
Temple Beth O'r / Beth Torah's mission is to be a warm and welcoming center of Jewish life. Its spirited services draw a congregation from throughout Union County and the surrounding areas. Amongst the most popular offerings here are the temple choir, health and fitness programs, monthly "Friday Night Alive" services, Saturday Kiddush luncheons, a preschool enrichment program, Hebrew high-school, adult education programs, and USY Kadima youth groups. In addition to the sanctuary, Temple Beth O'r / Beth Torah also includes a library, small chapel, social hall and newly renovated lounge, which is available for parties and celebrations. Steven Stern currently serves as cantor and spiritual leader.
Osceola Presbyterian provides an evangelical ministry for all ages with a special emphasis on families and children. Church staff strive to make all parishioners and visitors feel welcome and at home, and to provide a place to reconnect and find solace. Osceola Presbyterian has a long history as a neighborhood church that began during WWI when the first real development in Clark, Sunny Acres, was built across the street and residents needed a place of worship. The name Osceola comes from the Osceola Farm that once existed on this strip of Raritan Road. Today, Osceola Presbyterian offers a weekly youth program, Bible study, Sunday school, a preschool, events, volunteer opportunities and more. The church also lends its space to other groups and ministries. Pastor John S. Naugle leads the congregation.
The Clark Historical Society operates and maintains the Dr. William Robinson Plantation House, a registered historic site. Circa 1690, the plantation belonged to Dr. William Robinson, a Scottish physician and surgeon. The restored house is a rare example of 17th-century architecture and hosts regular educational events, reenactments and tours with guides dressed in period clothing. The plantation also features period furniture, medical artifacts, farm tools, a barn and an herb garden of plants the doctor would have likely used to treat patients.
The Clark Historical Society also runs the History Room in the Clark Municipal Building, which contains other documents, maps, artifacts, and hundreds of historic photographs. The 50-member group holds monthly meetings and is always looking for new members. Annual dues are $25.
The Deutscher Club was established in 1935 by a local group of German immigrants who wanted to preserve and honor their heritage. Started in a Rahway deli, the club moved to its present location in 1969, and aims to be an oasis for German-Americans in New Jersey. The club is well-known for its summer picnics, live music and Biergarten nights, and also hosts social events, Friday and Saturday evening dinners, dances and more throughout the year, many of which are open to the public. The Deutscher Club is the largest German-American club in the state, and the second largest in the country. The organization also works to advance German education through financial support of cultural institutions and annual college scholarships.
If you're looking for free entertainment and solid resources, the Clark Library has plenty to offer. The building, overhauled in 2006, and is packed to the gills with a collection of more than 98,500 books, CDs, DVDs, audiobooks, downloadable e-books, reference materials and more. The multi-windowed space is a sunny, well-lit spot for reading and encourages lingering. Several weekly programs make the library a hub for activity, including three weekly movies (one with popcorn included), story time, programs for kids, computer classes, book discussion groups, regular lectures and more.
The library also offers several online databases and resources, including one that features test prep and a job aggregator. The library's four full-time librarians answer an extensive amount of research questions each year (18,400 in 2009), especially questions regarding health. The multimedia room, study rooms, children's room and computer lab are available for rental.
Director Patty Anderson says if you don't have a library card yet, you need to get one or you're missing out.
St. Agnes is a Roman Catholic church within the archdiocese of Newark. The church offers Sunday school, adult choir, children's choir, youth group, bible study, and all of the sacraments. Rev. Dennis J. Cohan leads the congregation. St. Agnes School (offering preschool through 8th grade) was added to the church in 1964.
Membership at this organization is open to military veterans and their sons and daughters. The bar downstairs serves members and their guests every day from 1pm until midnight. There are two rooms available for rent to non-members for special events.
You can't miss the Clark American Legion with its authentic US Army helicopter perched on the front lawn (not to mention the cannon). Located at the corner of Liberty Street and Westfield Avenue, this post is known as a children and youth post because it makes many donations to youth organizations in town throughout the year. Members collect cookies for disabled veterans and used cell phones to ship to soldiers. It will accept and burn tattered American flags in a respectful ceremony. The indoor hall is available for rent with a capacity of 105 people; the outdoor pavillion is available for warm-weather parties. Besides organizing observances for Memorial Day and Veterans Day, the Legion hosts lots of events throughout the year, such as a Halloween party and steak nights in the pavillion.