Thursday, January 03, 2008
Free Community Dinner, January 30, 6 to 7 pm
Free Community Dinner in the Undercroft! Every month we host a free dinner for the community. Holy Spirit pays for the food and supplies. You provide the labor. Are you tempted to try to host, but aren’t sure if your cooking skills are up to the task? Don’t worry– plenty of people are willing to co-chair! Or just help to set up or clean up. Call the parish office for more information.
Boston Coffee Cake Sale, January 6
Here’s your chance to place orders for the delicious Boston Coffee Cakes which will be delivered for Palm Sunday. Ordering continues only through February 17, so get your info and place your request now. Great-tasting cakes and supporting our church: two good things in one!
How to Make A Difference to Holy Spirit
January 1 means that many people make new resolutions to become better people during the next year. Often these resolutions fall by the wayside because they are overly ambitious and become burdensome. Here are a few suggestions to help you make a difference without causing you a lot of pain or expense:
1. Buy gift cards to use in Acme, ShopRite, or Shop’N Bag. Yes, you heard correctly. Every Sunday, after each service, members of our fund-raising committee sell gift cards to use in any one of these 3 food stores. Holy Spirit earns a 5% rebate on each card, and you get the full value of the card when you go to the food store. You don’t have any restrictions on when to use them, and you do not need to purchase particular products. You can still receive double coupons or any other promotional offer from the stores. It costs you nothing, so it does not impact your budget. Yet, last year Holy Spirit made over $2,700 to help pay our expenses. Do you spend $200 a month on food? You can donate $10 to Holy Spirit, or another $120 a year, without paying an additional cent. Start now, and start small. Cards are available in denominations of $5, $10, and $25. Just like any other gift card, you don’t need to use the entire card at one time. Unlike other gift cards, there is no penalty for not using it quickly. Buy one to keep in your wallet for times that you stop at the store on your way home from work for milk or bread. But who doesn’t need to buy food? You can always be sure that you have those extra dollars for necessities this way.
2. Host one coffee hour after the Sunday service of your choice. Father Terry calls the fellowship after Holy Communion “the eighth sacrament.” Admit it: you enjoy it too. Why not become a part of the fun? It need not be costly. Just bring milk for the coffee and a snack to share. If you like to bake, you can take this opportunity to show off without needing to keep it all yourself, tempting you to stray from your diet. If you don’t bake, use those gift cards mentioned in #1 to buy coffee cakes or assorted doughnuts at the store. You set up the coffee and tea pots, and stay to clean up afterwards. Let’s see: 52 weeks a year, 2 services, some weeks with special events like the annual meeting, means about 100 coffee hours… yeah, we can all do one week a year.
Look! You made a difference !
1. Buy gift cards to use in Acme, ShopRite, or Shop’N Bag. Yes, you heard correctly. Every Sunday, after each service, members of our fund-raising committee sell gift cards to use in any one of these 3 food stores. Holy Spirit earns a 5% rebate on each card, and you get the full value of the card when you go to the food store. You don’t have any restrictions on when to use them, and you do not need to purchase particular products. You can still receive double coupons or any other promotional offer from the stores. It costs you nothing, so it does not impact your budget. Yet, last year Holy Spirit made over $2,700 to help pay our expenses. Do you spend $200 a month on food? You can donate $10 to Holy Spirit, or another $120 a year, without paying an additional cent. Start now, and start small. Cards are available in denominations of $5, $10, and $25. Just like any other gift card, you don’t need to use the entire card at one time. Unlike other gift cards, there is no penalty for not using it quickly. Buy one to keep in your wallet for times that you stop at the store on your way home from work for milk or bread. But who doesn’t need to buy food? You can always be sure that you have those extra dollars for necessities this way.
2. Host one coffee hour after the Sunday service of your choice. Father Terry calls the fellowship after Holy Communion “the eighth sacrament.” Admit it: you enjoy it too. Why not become a part of the fun? It need not be costly. Just bring milk for the coffee and a snack to share. If you like to bake, you can take this opportunity to show off without needing to keep it all yourself, tempting you to stray from your diet. If you don’t bake, use those gift cards mentioned in #1 to buy coffee cakes or assorted doughnuts at the store. You set up the coffee and tea pots, and stay to clean up afterwards. Let’s see: 52 weeks a year, 2 services, some weeks with special events like the annual meeting, means about 100 coffee hours… yeah, we can all do one week a year.
Look! You made a difference !
It's Mardi Gras Time Again!
Are you ready? We have an early Easter this year (March 23), so Ash Wednesday falls on February 6– the day after the Presidential primary here in New Jersey! That means the Saturday before Ash Wednesday is February 2– Groundhog Day. How scrambled up is that?
It also means that you better scramble to buy your tickets to our second annual Mardi Gras celebration dinner. Holy Spirit’s answer to Emeril, Anna and Ernie Tews, have whipped up a fabulous menu to be served family-style beginning at 6 pm. This year’s dinner will still only cost $17.00 per person, but here’s what you’ll get: salad/appetizer; your choice of seafood or chicken gumbo; and chicken & sausage etouffee for the main course. Dessert will be New Orleans bread pudding served with bourbon sauce and whipped cream, along with King cake.
Purchase your tickets after each Sunday service. Elizabeth Hill will help you after the 8 am service, and Carol Lofton after the 10:30 am. Last date of sale will be January 27, if any still remain, and no tickets will be sold at the door. Once again, seating is by reservation, but we can accommodate group if you notify us in advance. Just tell us how many will join you, and we’ll block off your seats.
If you need more info, or want to join in the fun, please call the parish office. We still need help decorating, setting up, cooking and serving. Oh– did I mention the 50/50 raffle?
Mardi Gras is the end of Carnival, which always begins on Twelfth Night (Epiphany, January 6) and ends on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras celebrations are held throughout the world, but surely you will have no more fun anywhere else than with us in HS!
It also means that you better scramble to buy your tickets to our second annual Mardi Gras celebration dinner. Holy Spirit’s answer to Emeril, Anna and Ernie Tews, have whipped up a fabulous menu to be served family-style beginning at 6 pm. This year’s dinner will still only cost $17.00 per person, but here’s what you’ll get: salad/appetizer; your choice of seafood or chicken gumbo; and chicken & sausage etouffee for the main course. Dessert will be New Orleans bread pudding served with bourbon sauce and whipped cream, along with King cake.
Purchase your tickets after each Sunday service. Elizabeth Hill will help you after the 8 am service, and Carol Lofton after the 10:30 am. Last date of sale will be January 27, if any still remain, and no tickets will be sold at the door. Once again, seating is by reservation, but we can accommodate group if you notify us in advance. Just tell us how many will join you, and we’ll block off your seats.
If you need more info, or want to join in the fun, please call the parish office. We still need help decorating, setting up, cooking and serving. Oh– did I mention the 50/50 raffle?
Mardi Gras is the end of Carnival, which always begins on Twelfth Night (Epiphany, January 6) and ends on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras celebrations are held throughout the world, but surely you will have no more fun anywhere else than with us in HS!
A Gift From a Friend: Priceless
Have you ever had a friend give you a gift that you were not expecting to receive? How did you feel? Were you embarrassed? Did you want to give your friend something back in return? How could you do that graciously, especially if the gift meant something special to your friend or had a great value attached?
Well, Someone has given you a great gift. He gave His life for your salvation. Jesus is that friend, of course. We have an idea for something that you can give Him back in return. At the same time, you can give a friend here on earth a gift even MasterCard would call “priceless”: the gift of eternal life.
January 27, 2008 will be the first Invite A Friend Sunday in the Diocese of New Jersey. The entire Diocese– all 160 parishes! - will participate in this great event to help the “unchurched” (meaning the 80% of the American population who are not associated with any organized religious groups) feel comfortable enough to try to attend one of our services. You will play a major part because you can be a “bridge to God” for a friend who no longer attends church, or never did in the first place.
Think about it. You probably have regular contact with six or seven people who have only been to church for a wedding or a funeral during the past 6 months, if they’ve been at all. These are the people who would never think to attend a Christmas church service, much less an annual meeting!
We call them your “circle of contacts.” These are the people that become your circle for sharing the good news of everlasting life through Jesus. We can suggest at least eight categories: Neighbors; hobby and recreation friends, like your fishing buddies or quilting ladies; co-workers (be careful here not to stop on corporate toes, but let people know how happy you are in your church, and make them feel comfortable asking you questions); personal friends; contacts in clubs and organizations, like the Red Hatters; relatives; newcomers to our community; and families with new babies. You may not know someone in each category, or you may know more than one person in a particular category. That’s okay. These are just general guidelines. Pray for your contacts daily, and ask God to send the Holy Spirit to you. As you pray for your friend, ask God to reveal a need in his/her life which may give you the opportunity to tell your friend how your faith sustains you.
Rely on the Holy Spirit for help. Don’t think that you need to do this alone. Remember how God sent the Holy Spirit on that first Pentecost to help His disciples? Ask Him to help you now.
Be prepared to answer some hard questions. Start by asking yourself some, such as: what prompted me to visit this congregation when I was looking for a new church home? Was it just because it was Episcopal? Why did I become a member of Holy Spirit? What is special and unique about our congregation that would appeal to guests? What would someone new to our congregation receive by becoming one of us? What would our congregation gain by inviting friends to visit with us for worship and other activities? Do I really want new people in our congregation (be honest with yourself. Why or why not?)? Would new people be welcomed in our congregation?
I would answer the last question with an unqualified “yes.” We have learned to greet strange faces and welcome them to coffee hour, or to the altar rail. We must continue to seek them out at the “Sign of the Peace.”
We have a lot to do in the next few weeks leading up to Invite A Friend Sunday. You will receive lots more info as the weeks pass. Please begin now to consider who might benefit from an invitation issued personally by you. As Episcopalians, we will definitely “step out of our comfort zone” when we begin to speak about our faith. But if you begin to prepare now, and drop a few hints occasionally that you are willing to discuss your faith if anyone has questions, you may open the door for others to reach out to God through you.
Now that’s “paying it forward” in a big way! What a great gift to give your friend– at no charge to you! Truly a “Priceless” gift!
Well, Someone has given you a great gift. He gave His life for your salvation. Jesus is that friend, of course. We have an idea for something that you can give Him back in return. At the same time, you can give a friend here on earth a gift even MasterCard would call “priceless”: the gift of eternal life.
January 27, 2008 will be the first Invite A Friend Sunday in the Diocese of New Jersey. The entire Diocese– all 160 parishes! - will participate in this great event to help the “unchurched” (meaning the 80% of the American population who are not associated with any organized religious groups) feel comfortable enough to try to attend one of our services. You will play a major part because you can be a “bridge to God” for a friend who no longer attends church, or never did in the first place.
Think about it. You probably have regular contact with six or seven people who have only been to church for a wedding or a funeral during the past 6 months, if they’ve been at all. These are the people who would never think to attend a Christmas church service, much less an annual meeting!
We call them your “circle of contacts.” These are the people that become your circle for sharing the good news of everlasting life through Jesus. We can suggest at least eight categories: Neighbors; hobby and recreation friends, like your fishing buddies or quilting ladies; co-workers (be careful here not to stop on corporate toes, but let people know how happy you are in your church, and make them feel comfortable asking you questions); personal friends; contacts in clubs and organizations, like the Red Hatters; relatives; newcomers to our community; and families with new babies. You may not know someone in each category, or you may know more than one person in a particular category. That’s okay. These are just general guidelines. Pray for your contacts daily, and ask God to send the Holy Spirit to you. As you pray for your friend, ask God to reveal a need in his/her life which may give you the opportunity to tell your friend how your faith sustains you.
Rely on the Holy Spirit for help. Don’t think that you need to do this alone. Remember how God sent the Holy Spirit on that first Pentecost to help His disciples? Ask Him to help you now.
Be prepared to answer some hard questions. Start by asking yourself some, such as: what prompted me to visit this congregation when I was looking for a new church home? Was it just because it was Episcopal? Why did I become a member of Holy Spirit? What is special and unique about our congregation that would appeal to guests? What would someone new to our congregation receive by becoming one of us? What would our congregation gain by inviting friends to visit with us for worship and other activities? Do I really want new people in our congregation (be honest with yourself. Why or why not?)? Would new people be welcomed in our congregation?
I would answer the last question with an unqualified “yes.” We have learned to greet strange faces and welcome them to coffee hour, or to the altar rail. We must continue to seek them out at the “Sign of the Peace.”
We have a lot to do in the next few weeks leading up to Invite A Friend Sunday. You will receive lots more info as the weeks pass. Please begin now to consider who might benefit from an invitation issued personally by you. As Episcopalians, we will definitely “step out of our comfort zone” when we begin to speak about our faith. But if you begin to prepare now, and drop a few hints occasionally that you are willing to discuss your faith if anyone has questions, you may open the door for others to reach out to God through you.
Now that’s “paying it forward” in a big way! What a great gift to give your friend– at no charge to you! Truly a “Priceless” gift!
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Free Community Dinner, December 26
Looking for a few good people to cook, serve and clean up on Boxing Day, the British holiday for servants to return home. Join us for a home-cooked meal in thanks for God's blessings. To reserve your seat, call the parish office.
ECW Christmas Celebration at Meadowview Nursing Home, December 19
Our ECW provides gifts and party fixings for all 177 residents so they may celebrate Our Lord’s birth. ECW prepares throughout the year for this very special celebration with the residents of Meadowview, many of whom receive no visitors and receive no gifts from family. For more information, contact the parish office.
Gaudete Sunday, December 16
In our church, we light the pink (or Gaudete) candle on the third Sunday, the Sunday of “Joy.” The color is lighter because we celebrate the fact that we are now half-way through the season of Advent (one priest told me that there was no truth to the rumor that it was called Mothering Sunday because the mothers were being warned to get their cleaning underway before the holiday arrived!).
This year, the children of our church will participate in our celebration of the lighting of the Advent wreath on Dec. 16 during the 10:30 service. Join us as we light the candle and participate in the service by distributing the bulletins and collecting the offerings.
This year, the children of our church will participate in our celebration of the lighting of the Advent wreath on Dec. 16 during the 10:30 service. Join us as we light the candle and participate in the service by distributing the bulletins and collecting the offerings.
UTO Ingathering, December 9
Please drop your box or envelope into the collection basket at the door to help fund good works.
Card and Game Party, December 11
The ladies of the church gather each month strictly for fun, so come out and play! Bring cards or your favorite board game, and be prepared to wage war!
First Friday Pot Luck, December 7
Join us in family-style fellowship. Bring an entrée, bread, or dessert– or just yourself! Or see you next month on Friday Jan. 4.
ECW Christmas Dinner 2007
Once again our ECW has arranged for a parish holiday celebration at Creevey’s on Atlantis, the fine dining restaurant located in the clubhouse of Atlantis Golf Course, Country Club Boulevard in LEH. Mike Creevey always does a fabulous job and we go away well fed.
This year’s menu is a choice of tilapia, loin of pork, or chicken francese, along with veggies, potato, rolls, dessert and coffee or tea. Adults will only pay $20 for their meals. A children’s menu is offered for $10, and offers chicken fingers, pasta or a hamburger.
You truly have no choice but to join us on Thursday, December 20 at 6 pm. Sign up now and be sure you have a place at the table!
This year’s menu is a choice of tilapia, loin of pork, or chicken francese, along with veggies, potato, rolls, dessert and coffee or tea. Adults will only pay $20 for their meals. A children’s menu is offered for $10, and offers chicken fingers, pasta or a hamburger.
You truly have no choice but to join us on Thursday, December 20 at 6 pm. Sign up now and be sure you have a place at the table!
A Very Special Event at St. Mary's Abbey, Delbarton
Here’s a letter we received for an upcoming event:
This is a “save the date” notice for a lecture which will be held in the Fine Arts Center of St. Mary’s Abbey/Delbarton in December, 2007. St. Mary’s Abbey/Delbarton is located three miles west of Morristown Square on Route 124; and the Fine Arts Center can be found on the great lawn on the School Property. This public lecture is part of the sesquicentennial celebration of the New Jersey Benedictines in 2007-2008. You are welcome to be the guests of St. Mary’s Abbey/Delbarton for this event.
Monday evening, Dec.10, 2007– 7:30 pm, a public lecture by Bishop Frank Griswold. Bishop Frank Griswold is the former Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States. A theologian and an authority on monasticism, Bishop Griswold is an oblate of Mt. Savior Priory in Elmira, NY. He will speak about the education if St. Benedict as discerned from the Dialogues of St. Gregory and how we can employ in our contemporary teaching what we can learn from St. Benedict’s education. A reception for Bishop Griswold will be held at 6:30 pm in the Fine Arts Center as well as after his lecture.
Also on display in the foyer of the Fine Arts Center for those who attend Bishop Griswold’s public lecture will be a generous sampling of images from the traveling exhibit of the St. John’s Bible from the monks of St. John's Abbey, Collegeville, MN.
This is a “save the date” notice for a lecture which will be held in the Fine Arts Center of St. Mary’s Abbey/Delbarton in December, 2007. St. Mary’s Abbey/Delbarton is located three miles west of Morristown Square on Route 124; and the Fine Arts Center can be found on the great lawn on the School Property. This public lecture is part of the sesquicentennial celebration of the New Jersey Benedictines in 2007-2008. You are welcome to be the guests of St. Mary’s Abbey/Delbarton for this event.
Monday evening, Dec.10, 2007– 7:30 pm, a public lecture by Bishop Frank Griswold. Bishop Frank Griswold is the former Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States. A theologian and an authority on monasticism, Bishop Griswold is an oblate of Mt. Savior Priory in Elmira, NY. He will speak about the education if St. Benedict as discerned from the Dialogues of St. Gregory and how we can employ in our contemporary teaching what we can learn from St. Benedict’s education. A reception for Bishop Griswold will be held at 6:30 pm in the Fine Arts Center as well as after his lecture.
Also on display in the foyer of the Fine Arts Center for those who attend Bishop Griswold’s public lecture will be a generous sampling of images from the traveling exhibit of the St. John’s Bible from the monks of St. John's Abbey, Collegeville, MN.
Mark Your Calendars - Annual Meeting January 20
It’s that time of year… when our church plans for the future. Here’s your chance to have a voice in our decision-making process by attending our annual meeting on January 20, 2008. We present reports on the activities of all of our committees during the previous year, and elect the new members of our Vestry (technically our Mission Committee, but that’s a longer name!), as well as our convention and convocation delegates.
This is a very important time in the life of our congregation. We need to have a firm foundation as we continue the transition from a small church to our current home. We will vote to fill two seats on our Mission Board and the position of Senior Warden. According to the By-Laws of the Church of the Holy Spirit:
Article IV: Committees
4.a) A Nominating Committee shall be comprised of two (2) Mission Committee members and two (2) members of the congregation who are not members of the Mission Committee. Said Nominating Committee shall convene at least forty-five (45) days prior to the annual meeting. The names, addresses and telephone numbers of the Nominating Committee shall be published and the Committee members shall receive recommendations for elective mission officers from any member of the congregation entitled to vote at the annual meeting who in turn shall ascertain from those recommended whether or not they will serve and thereafter make nominations for said elective officers from those recommended at the next annual meeting of the congregation.
B) The Vicar may attend the first meeting to offer suggestions to the Nominating Committee.
C) The recommendations of the Nominating Committee will be made known collectively at the annual meeting when nominations are opened. After which nominations may be received from the floor by a motion and a second by voting members of the congregation.
Our Nominating Committee to date is comprised of Evie Brown, Mary Malone and Bill Chapman, all of them reaching the end of their elected terms. Please pray for God to guide them during their search for our new leaders.
This is a very important time in the life of our congregation. We need to have a firm foundation as we continue the transition from a small church to our current home. We will vote to fill two seats on our Mission Board and the position of Senior Warden. According to the By-Laws of the Church of the Holy Spirit:
Article IV: Committees
4.a) A Nominating Committee shall be comprised of two (2) Mission Committee members and two (2) members of the congregation who are not members of the Mission Committee. Said Nominating Committee shall convene at least forty-five (45) days prior to the annual meeting. The names, addresses and telephone numbers of the Nominating Committee shall be published and the Committee members shall receive recommendations for elective mission officers from any member of the congregation entitled to vote at the annual meeting who in turn shall ascertain from those recommended whether or not they will serve and thereafter make nominations for said elective officers from those recommended at the next annual meeting of the congregation.
B) The Vicar may attend the first meeting to offer suggestions to the Nominating Committee.
C) The recommendations of the Nominating Committee will be made known collectively at the annual meeting when nominations are opened. After which nominations may be received from the floor by a motion and a second by voting members of the congregation.
Our Nominating Committee to date is comprised of Evie Brown, Mary Malone and Bill Chapman, all of them reaching the end of their elected terms. Please pray for God to guide them during their search for our new leaders.
Christmas Services at Holy Spirit
It’s finally here! Advent is nearly over. By now you plan to help “green” the church for Christmas and will be here Dec. 23 after the 10:30 service. But what about the Christmas season services? When will we see you?
We offer three celebrations for your choice. They begin after sundown on Christmas Eve, as our wait for the birth of Jesus comes to an end.
The first service is our traditional Children’s Celebration at 7 pm. Father Terry asks all young people to join as we set up the crèche. This was the time that Joseph brought Mary to the stable in search of shelter as her time drew near to deliver Our Saviour. Father also invites everyone to stay for a few minutes after the Eucharist to party in our Fellowship Hall.
We extend an invitation to everyone to join our second celebration as we begin with the Carol Sing at 9:30 pm on Dec. 24. Our choir practices all month to lead us as we rejoice in the birth of Jesus and commemorate the appearance of the angels to the shepherds as the Good News was made known to all.
A Solemn High Eucharist begins at 10 pm on Dec. 24. We welcome the arrival of the Baby with full reverence and display, including incense and choir, concluding with a candlelit Silent Night.
Christmas Day begins with a quieter, more reflective Eucharist at 10 am. Join us to observe the birth of our Saviour before you celebrate with your family. May God bless all of us and watch us.
We offer three celebrations for your choice. They begin after sundown on Christmas Eve, as our wait for the birth of Jesus comes to an end.
The first service is our traditional Children’s Celebration at 7 pm. Father Terry asks all young people to join as we set up the crèche. This was the time that Joseph brought Mary to the stable in search of shelter as her time drew near to deliver Our Saviour. Father also invites everyone to stay for a few minutes after the Eucharist to party in our Fellowship Hall.
We extend an invitation to everyone to join our second celebration as we begin with the Carol Sing at 9:30 pm on Dec. 24. Our choir practices all month to lead us as we rejoice in the birth of Jesus and commemorate the appearance of the angels to the shepherds as the Good News was made known to all.
A Solemn High Eucharist begins at 10 pm on Dec. 24. We welcome the arrival of the Baby with full reverence and display, including incense and choir, concluding with a candlelit Silent Night.
Christmas Day begins with a quieter, more reflective Eucharist at 10 am. Join us to observe the birth of our Saviour before you celebrate with your family. May God bless all of us and watch us.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Free Community Dinner, November 28, 6:00 PM
Marlene Johnson and Anna Tews lead the way with a home cooked meal of thanks for God’s blessings. Sign up now to join this month's meal. Maybe even host next month's meal! Details are available at the parish office.
ECW Meeting, November 20, 1:30 PM
All women of the church are automatically members, so join us each month and reach your full leadership potential.
Christmas Bazaar, November 17, Downstairs
What a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season! Come and choose some handmade gifts for friends and family, buy some homemade baked treats, share some laughs and good times, and support your church at the same time.
Giving Thanks by Donating Blood
December 1, 2007 will bring a first-time event to our new home. Sally Sedon and Mary Malone plan to hold a blood drive in conjunction with Central Jersey Blood Center, a non-profit organization which for over 40 years has provided blood for such hospitals as Saint Barnabas in Livingston and the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
Blood is always needed by hospitals, and holidays make the need crucial. Blood cannot be synthesized by science at this time, and must be donated.
Leukemia, the general name covering 4 types of cancer of the blood, affects the ability of the body to produce normal red cells to carry oxygen and white red cells to fight infection. Colleen Richard of our congregation suffered from this disease. We dedicate this drive to her honor. At your request, we will add your name to a certificate we will present to the Richard family.
Please call the church office to sign up. We will have either the Bloodmobile in the parking lot or tables in the Undercroft, depending on the number of donors expected. The CJBC will be with us from 9 am until 1 pm, and we are accepting appointments. Allow about 1 to 1 1/2 hour for the whole process.
I’ve given blood at least 10 times, and the discomfort is minimal. Drink lots of fluids in the days before your donation, and eat well. (What an excuse!!)We’ll give you a souvenir tee shirt, some juice and some special treats. I’ll see you there.
Make this a gift to Jesus for His birthday and help others to celebrate it also.
Blood is always needed by hospitals, and holidays make the need crucial. Blood cannot be synthesized by science at this time, and must be donated.
Leukemia, the general name covering 4 types of cancer of the blood, affects the ability of the body to produce normal red cells to carry oxygen and white red cells to fight infection. Colleen Richard of our congregation suffered from this disease. We dedicate this drive to her honor. At your request, we will add your name to a certificate we will present to the Richard family.
Please call the church office to sign up. We will have either the Bloodmobile in the parking lot or tables in the Undercroft, depending on the number of donors expected. The CJBC will be with us from 9 am until 1 pm, and we are accepting appointments. Allow about 1 to 1 1/2 hour for the whole process.
I’ve given blood at least 10 times, and the discomfort is minimal. Drink lots of fluids in the days before your donation, and eat well. (What an excuse!!)We’ll give you a souvenir tee shirt, some juice and some special treats. I’ll see you there.
Make this a gift to Jesus for His birthday and help others to celebrate it also.
Giving Thanks by Planting Trees
We’ve lived the nightmare ourselves. Pictures of flames reaching into the night-blackened skies tell of unfathomable damage to the denizens of the arroyos and mountains. Stories of the wildfires in southern California bring back some recent memories for those of us who live among the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey.
For five days last May, we experienced the same fears as our brothers and sisters across the country. We prayed for our neighbors and friends as over 6,000 people were evacuated during the fires, which eventually consumed more than 18,000 acres of woods. Through the grace of God, we were luckier than the Californians: no one died. Fire destroyed five homes, and damaged thirteen others. God’s rain came late Wednesday night, and aided the fire fighters in their battle.
Our fire was set accidentally; the California fires were set, in part, deliberately by arsonists. At least seven people died, and estimates say 2,300 homes were destroyed in California. Despite Do you know the purpose of your “little blue box?” Many of us have gotten them for years without fully understanding their existence.
The United Thank Offering began life in 1889. The General Convention of the Episcopal Church met every three years, and the Women’s Auxiliary held worship services during the convention. During the 1886 service, over 500 women attended but only $87 was collected. A delegate from Pittsburgh, Mrs. Ida Soule, was horrified by the miniscule amount. She spoke with Julia Emery, who agreed that more knowledge of the intended recipients of the money might inspire people to be more generous. Just before the next Triennial Meeting, Ms. Emery published a letter in the Spirit of Missions from Mrs. Soule designating the intended recipients. Thus began the UTO.
The mission of the United Thank Offering is to encourage people to offer daily prayers of thanksgiving to God. The donation made daily will be tangible evidence of thanks.
According to the UTO Website, “God calls each of us to grow in awareness of God, our own relationship with God, and our relationship in community with all whom God has created. As habits of daily thankful prayer mature, our personal relationship with God grows. Daily prayers of thanksgiving strengthen our being and doing. The blue box can be a reminder of our many blessings. Uniting our own gifts of thanks with those of others keeps us in thankful relationship with them and with all of creation.
In sharing our thank offerings with those throughout the Communion who seek to address compelling human need and extend the mission of the Church, we deepen our sense of participation in the lives of others. The shared prayer and money offerings help others to respond to God’s call and to grow in their own deepened sense of living within the greater Christian community. Through our shared stories, God calls us to continue to grow into the fullness of the Kingdom.”
These little “mite boxes” provided grants of $2.4 million last year, and funded Episcopal projects such as the completion of a hospital in Pakistan, the building of a new church in Homer, Alaska, and the inauguration of a Sunday school program in Jackson, Mississippi. Remember the goals when the ECW collects.
For five days last May, we experienced the same fears as our brothers and sisters across the country. We prayed for our neighbors and friends as over 6,000 people were evacuated during the fires, which eventually consumed more than 18,000 acres of woods. Through the grace of God, we were luckier than the Californians: no one died. Fire destroyed five homes, and damaged thirteen others. God’s rain came late Wednesday night, and aided the fire fighters in their battle.
Our fire was set accidentally; the California fires were set, in part, deliberately by arsonists. At least seven people died, and estimates say 2,300 homes were destroyed in California. Despite Do you know the purpose of your “little blue box?” Many of us have gotten them for years without fully understanding their existence.
The United Thank Offering began life in 1889. The General Convention of the Episcopal Church met every three years, and the Women’s Auxiliary held worship services during the convention. During the 1886 service, over 500 women attended but only $87 was collected. A delegate from Pittsburgh, Mrs. Ida Soule, was horrified by the miniscule amount. She spoke with Julia Emery, who agreed that more knowledge of the intended recipients of the money might inspire people to be more generous. Just before the next Triennial Meeting, Ms. Emery published a letter in the Spirit of Missions from Mrs. Soule designating the intended recipients. Thus began the UTO.
The mission of the United Thank Offering is to encourage people to offer daily prayers of thanksgiving to God. The donation made daily will be tangible evidence of thanks.
According to the UTO Website, “God calls each of us to grow in awareness of God, our own relationship with God, and our relationship in community with all whom God has created. As habits of daily thankful prayer mature, our personal relationship with God grows. Daily prayers of thanksgiving strengthen our being and doing. The blue box can be a reminder of our many blessings. Uniting our own gifts of thanks with those of others keeps us in thankful relationship with them and with all of creation.
In sharing our thank offerings with those throughout the Communion who seek to address compelling human need and extend the mission of the Church, we deepen our sense of participation in the lives of others. The shared prayer and money offerings help others to respond to God’s call and to grow in their own deepened sense of living within the greater Christian community. Through our shared stories, God calls us to continue to grow into the fullness of the Kingdom.”
These little “mite boxes” provided grants of $2.4 million last year, and funded Episcopal projects such as the completion of a hospital in Pakistan, the building of a new church in Homer, Alaska, and the inauguration of a Sunday school program in Jackson, Mississippi. Remember the goals when the ECW collects.
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