Dear Friends in Christ,
It’s hard to believe January is almost over! February brings its own themes and focus to our parish life. The Feast of the Presentation this Sunday (“Candlemas”), our Annual Meeting, a fun social event in the Grateful Gathering/Murder Mystery Dinner, and then Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper a few days later. Through all of it, the theme of the Light of Christ continues – in our worship, in our parish life, and in our hearts and the way we live in the world.
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Here are this week’s announcements, especially:

• Candlemas (Worship)
• Murder Mystery Dinner Night (Parish Life)
• Annual Meeting (Parish Life)
  
• Prince Caspian Film (Christian Formation)
  

PARISH LIFE
Annual Parish Meeting will be Sunday, February 9 at 11:15 am in the Parish House. We’ll elect new Vestry members and deputies to Diocesan Convention. We’ll hear from our parish clergy and lay leaders. And we’ll have time for discussion and fellowship with fellow parishioners. Please plan to attend this important event in the life of our parish.
The following people are standing for election (as of 1/30/2020): Linda Kestler -Warden; Randy Gaulke, Steve Kowalik-Vestry; Waring Webb-Convention Deputy.

Grateful Gathering: February 22, 6:00 pm, Parish Hall - Murder Mystery Dinner Night! This is a fun event to gather together as a parish and spend an evening together. Primarily for adults, it’s appropriate for youth in middle school and older, also. Table teams will work together to solve the mystery of a murder drama with a 1920’s/Jazz Age theme: “Stiffed at Speakeasy”. Dinner will be catered at $15 per person; you bring a dessert or appetizer. Laurie Gaulke is our director; she and Patricia Vovchansky will need help to set up and decorate. There is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex to volunteer. Look for the online invite in your inbox, bring your friends and join us for a fun evening!

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, Feb. 25, 5:45-7:30 pm. Burning of the Palms, 5:30 pm. Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday – traditionally a time for using up all the butter/oil/sweets in the house – hence the pancakes! It’s also the day to burn last year’s Palm Sunday palms to make ashes for Ash Wednesday. If you have last year’s palms, please bring them.$5 per person/$20 maximum per household; kids under age 3 are free. Sign up on the sheet in the Narthex so we know you are coming and if you can help set-up/serve/clean-up. Thanks!

WORSHIP
This Sunday, Feb. 2, is Candlemas, also known as the Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple. It recalls the day that Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to give thanks for his birth through the customary offerings (Luke 2:28-31). There they met Anna and Simeon, who recognized Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah.  Simeon’s words of joy and thanksgiving are what we know as the canticle Nunc dimittis.
The name Candlemas comes from the traditional candlelight procession into the church, recalling Simeon’s words, “A light to enlighten the nations.”  It is also the day, in many churches, when the candles to be used at the altar throughout the year are blessed. In this procession we are reminded that Jesus is the Light of the world, and that we meet Christ in our worship and in the Eucharist, just as Anna and Simeon met him in the Temple.

This Week: Family Service at 10 am. No Sunday School. Children worship with their families.

Ash Wednesday, February 26. Eucharist & Ashes will be offered at 9:30 am and 7:30 pm. You can also Drop-in for Ashes & Prayer between 11:45 am-1:00 pm.

STEWARDSHIP
Pledge Envelopes are available to be picked up in the Narthex on Sunday. If you don’t see your box, or if you now would like weekly offering envelopes, there are extras—pick up a box. You can use them even if you haven’t pledged.
New this year: the envelopes are not numbered by donor, if you are giving cash, be sure to write your name on the envelope so we can include it in your pledge statement.

ShopRite Cards – buy a ShopRite gift card for your own groceries or as a gift for someone else. You pay face value and All Saints’ gets 5%. See Barbara Barbeau or call the Parish Office.

OUTREACH
Family Promise: March 9 is our next date to serve at the homeless shelter program when it is hosted at Trinity House in Stirling. We always love to have new folks be part of this wonderful outreach ministry – cooking, greeting/visiting with shelter guests, staying overnight at Trinity House in a private room. Interested – want to help? Speak with Afsaneh Thursfield, faerietale@hotmail.com.

Soup Ministry - Winter Soup is available to take home after Church on Sundays during coffee hour ($5 quart/$3 pint – frozen; please return the containers). It is also available to take to sick or shut-in parishioners. Varieties available this week: Chicken Noodle, Minestrone, French Onion, Cream of Mushroom. Questions? Speak to Jane Hayden or Kathy Pfeil.

CHRISTIAN FORMATION
No Sunday School this week because of Family Sunday.

Prince Caspian Film - on Sunday, February 16 at 4:00 pm we'll have a screening of  Prince Caspian (based on C.S. Lewis' book) in the Lower Room of the Parish House! This is a follow-up to our Narnia Book group, and it's open to all- adults and kids alike...even if you've never read the book! Hope to see you there.

Bible Study will meets on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 10:15am in the Rath House, discussing Revelation, Chapter 17. New folks are always welcome. Questions? Speak to Mother Vicki.

CONVENT CORNER@CSJB in MENDHAM
You’re invited to the Convent! If any All Saints parishioners would like to have a tour of the Convent, walk our outdoor labyrinth, stop by for noonday prayer or join us for lunch on a Sunday after church, please contact Sister Monica Clare at srmc@csjb.org. Since one of our primary ministries is hospitality, we always welcome visitors.

Winter SEARCH Program, Feb. 14-17 at the Convent. Our SEARCH program is not only for those feeling called to be Sisters, but for anyone who is hoping to determine God's call in their lives, whatever that call may be. Our program includes classes in prayer, time for discussions with individual Sisters and participation our Divine Office and daily Eucharist among other activities. Please call Sister Pamela at 973-543-4641 ext. 9 or email sr-pamela@csjb.org for more information.

PARISH CALENDAR
2/5 Bible Study Rath House, 10:15 am
2/6 Eucharist & Healing Prayer, 7:00 am, Church
Junior Choir, 5:30 pm, Choir Room
      Adult Choir, 7:30 pm, Choir Room
For a full schedule of our buildings check the website calendar www.allsaintsmillington.org

CHRISTIAN PRACTICES
The Way of Love: Rooted in Jesus 2020 – The conference I attended in Atlanta last week was a wonderful event. There were 1500 Episcopalians from all over the Church gathered to think, learn, discuss, and pray about all of the many aspects of being disciples (followers) of Jesus. Workshops and events were offered in seven different areas: Preaching, Formation (aka Christian education), Stewardship, Evangelism, Leadership, Communications, and Mission.

During the conference the Diocese of Atlanta hosted an Episcopal Revival with 2000 people in the gym of Clark Atlanta University, and our wonderful Presiding Bishop Michael Curry preached, along with talks/testimonies from people in four different areas of the diocese’s work: youth, prisoners, veterans, and refugees. The music was varied, up-beat, and multi-cultural. You can watch the video here: https://livestream.com/accounts/12656718/events/8966611/videos/201060770/player?width=560&height=315&enableInfo=true&defaultDrawer=&autoPlay=true&mute=false The actual event starts at minute 10 and the Bishop Curry start at 1hour, 35 minutes.

There was also an address by the Rev. Dr. William Barber, a Disciples of Christ minister and president of Repairers of the Breach. In many ways, Dr. Barber and those who work with him have picked up some of the threads of Dr. Martin Luther King’s work. The link to the conference website with the video of Dr. Barber’s address and other resources is here: https://rootedinjesus.church/videos/

My primary take-away from the conference is the importance of linking our evangelism with our formation as Christians. We can invite people to a come and see what a Christian community is all about, invite them to church, offer them an experience of God, but if our parish community is not deeply rooted in the practices and prayers of an intentional Christian life, then there will be little for a person new to faith to connect with. Of course this has always been true, but as our surrounding culture gets more secular and more spiritually hungry at the same time, it is even more important for us to feed and water our faith on a regular basis.

Blessings, Vicki+
 

Dear Friends in Christ,
Happy New Year, everyone!
Please take a look at this week’s announcements, especially:

• Family Promise Homeless Shelter (Outreach)
• Chalk Blessing for your House (Christian Formation)
• Epiphany Soup & Sandwich Lunch (Parish Life)
• Guest Preacher & Sunday Forum (Worship)

PARISH LIFE
THIS SUNDAY: Epiphany Soup and Sandwich Lunch & Fruitcake Bake-off, 11:15 in the Parish Hall. Come share a relaxed meal with your fellow parishioners, pull a Christmas party “cracker,” and join in the Christmas fruitcake bake-off – either as a baker or as a judge! The cost of the event is $5 per person; $20 maximum per household. Kids under age 3 are free. This is a fun way to close out the holiday season and start the New Year!

Annual Parish Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, February 9 at 11:15 am in the Parish House. Please put it on your calendar and plan to attend this important discussion in the life of All Saints’.

WORSHIP
THIS SUNDAY: Family Service at 10:00 am. Children remain in worship. No Sunday School.

Thank You to everyone who contributed their time and efforts to make our Christmas season worship so beautiful and meaningful – choirs, Altar Guild, ushers, Lectors & LEMs, and all who participated in worship. Christmas and the mystery of the Incarnation was well and truly celebrated.

Next Week, January 12: Teri Prasa Lawvor will be our guest preacher. Teri is the president of the Board of Episcopal Relief and Development, recently returned from a pilgrimage to Sri Lanka with the Presiding Bishop and others. Teri, daughter of Carol Prasa, grew up at All Saints’. She will also lead a discussion of the work of ER-D during our Coffee Hour/Sunday Forum time. Please be on hand to hear Teri’s informative and inspiring message.

Thursday Morning Eucharist & Healing Prayer – looking for mid-week connection with God and others? Our weekly service of Eucharist and Healing Prayer may be just what you are looking for! 7:00 am in the Church. We are finished by 7:45. Optional breakfast at the Millington Station Café afterwards. Try it out.

OUTREACH
Family Promise Homeless Shelter – our next time to serve at this program for homeless families will be January 13 (Monday evening-Tuesday morning) when they stay at Trinity House in Stirling. Please look at the sign-up sheet in the Narthex to see what help we still need with this important ministry. Questions? Speak to Afsaneh Thursfield.

Soup Ministry - Winter Soup is available to take home after Church on Sundays during coffee hour ($5 quart/$3 pint – frozen; please return the containers). It is also available to take to sick or shut-in parishioners. Chicken Noodle is available this week. Questions? Speak to Jane Hayden or Kathy Pfeil.

Twelve Baskets Food Pantry provides food for individuals and families in need. The food pantry is available throughout the year by calling the Parish Office. We offer a monthly outreach at the Long Hill Senior Center, and also at the Valley Brook housing complex at the Veteran’s hospital in Lyons. If you know someone struggling with food insecurity, please pass the word along to them.

STEWARDSHIP
Gratitude in 2020 – All Saints’ is very grateful for all of the support – money, ministry, and prayer – that is given throughout the year to provide the means to carry out God’s mission in and through this parish and our wider community. As we begin the new year we are blessed with a healthy base of pledged financial support. It is also important to have every person who calls All Saints’ home be part of the ministry support in whatever way they can. If you have not yet made your pledge for 2020, please do so as soon as possible. There are extra pledge packets in the Narthex, or you can make a pledge via confidential e-mail to allsaints_rector@hotmail.com. Thank you!

CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Blessing Your House with Chalk for Epiphany - Since the Middle Ages there has been a tradition that on (or near) the feast of the Epiphany we pray for God’s blessing on our homes, marking the entrance with a Christian insignia in chalk (an incarnational image reminding us of the dust of the earth from which we were made). We will bless chalk in Sunday’s services. You may then take a packet home with you on your way out of church; it contains chalk and directions.

Sunday School meets next week 1/12 in the Undercroft (lower level) of the Church at 10:00 am. Children then join their families in worship at the time of the Peace.

Bible Study meets Wed. 1/8 at 10:15 am in the Rath House, covering Revelation, Chapter 15. We’re always glad to have new people join us and learn more about the Bible and its connection to our lives. Questions? Speak to Mother Vicki.

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Chair Yoga in the Parish House Lower Room – gentle Hatha yoga for body posture, breath control, flexibility, balance, stress-relief, and meditation. Exercises can be done standing or sitting in a chair. The class is open to all skill levels. Classes meet Tues 1:30-2:30 pm and/or Fri 1:00-2:00 pm. Sessions run for 8 weeks. Cost is $40 for 8 weeks 1x per week/$80 for 8 weeks 2x per week. Please come to a class to observe or participate.

CONVENT CORNER
The Epiphany Party!
Sunday January 5, 2020; 5:00 - 7:00pm, at the Convent of the Community of St. John Baptist, 82 West Main Street, Mendham, NJ. This event is for old and new friends of the Community. Enjoy an evening of music and fellowship with the Sisters. Vespers and Reception of Associates 4pm. Informal Supper and Hymn Sing at 5pm. Come when you can!

PARISH CALENDAR
1/8 Bible Study             Rath House, 10:15 am
1/9 Holy Eucharist        Church, 7:00 am
      Junior Choir             Choir Room, 5:15 pm
      Adult Choir               Choir Room, 7:30 pm
For a full schedule of our buildings check the website calendar www.allsaintsmillington.org

CHRISTIAN PRACTICES
Way of Love: Pray – In this New Year many of us have tried to refocus on things that are important – health, family, community, care for God’s creation, and prayer.

Here are two resources that might help you with prayer. The first is a Morning Prayer podcast, produced by Forward Movement. It’s a 15-minute audio version of Morning Prayer from the BCP with readings, Psalms, prayers – everything you need on the go. It’s called “A Morning at the Office”. Here is a link to it, but you should be able to find and download it wherever you get podcasts: https://amato.podbean.com/?fbclid=IwAR2uk34ljeWBDYQekPQU4dml9g45zKwHKb0Z4axLDbt3YSHwHliARqq4Jv8 .
You can listen and pray in the car, while you walk, on the train...wherever your morning takes you.

A second resource is visual, rather than auditory. It is the Daily Office app, from the Brotherhood of St. Gregory https://dailyoffice.app/ . You can download this to your phone or tablet. Depending on the time of day it connects you to Morning Prayer, Noonday Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline. While it gives you all the readings and Psalms, you can customize some selections (the font, the Canticles, etc.). This is like having a fully inclusive worship bulletin in your pocket!

Try one or both of these and see if this helps your prayer to be more consistent, while being more mobile.
Blessings, Vicki+