Dear Friends in Christ,
This Sunday is Trinity Sunday – that day the Church celebrates a Truth, more than an event in the life of Jesus, the early Church, or the Old Testament. The Truth that is the Trinity is that at the heart of God is a community of love: the love of God shared mutually between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That is the love we are all drawn into, and sent forth from into the world. Good News, indeed!

And Monday is, of course, Memorial Day, which began after the Civil War as Decoration Day to mark the graves of the fallen soldiers. As it developed, the day expanded to remember all those who have given their lives in service to our country, especially in times of war. While that is still the official definition of Memorial Day (Veterans’ Day being a time to honor all Vets), we now also give thanks for all who served our country in the Armed Forces in any way. However you mark Memorial Day, let not the sacrifice of those who were willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of all of us go unremembered, and pray that the peace for which our service men and women worked and died will flourish.
+ + + + + + + +
Last weekend was a very exciting time to be an Episcopalian in the Diocese of Newark! Saturday started, of course, with the broadcast of the royal wedding, and our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s wonderful sermon; the Gospel preached with clarity and conviction.

Then, at our Diocesan Convention in Morristown, we elected the Rev. Carlye J. Hughes to be our next bishop. She was elected on the first ballot (in which there needs to be a majority of votes from the laity and from the clergy), which is very unusual. There was overwhelming support and acclamation for her. Details of the arrival in New Jersey of Bishop-elect Hughes and her husband David Smedley will be coming soon, In the meantime, save the date Saturday, September 22 for the Ordination and Consecration of our new Bishop at NJPAC in Newark. The ordaining bishop and preacher for the day will be the Presiding Bishop. And we are all invited to attend! Please keep Carlye+ and David, and the Beckwiths, in your prayers in this time of endings and beginnings.
* * * * * * *
 Here are this week’s announcements:

• Family Service (Worship)
• Vacation Bible Camp (Christian Formation)
• Lifetime Achievement Award (Diocesan News)
• Parish House (Vestry News)

CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Sunday School is over for the season, but Nursery Care at 10 am continues. June 3 will be the last Family Service before the summer break. June 10 will be both Sunday School recognition and Choir Sunday. Hope to see you at both!

In the Evening – Sunday June 24-Thursday, June 28, Vacation Bible Camp: “Wizards and Wonders – A Hero’s Journey with Harry Potter.” This will be an inter-generational experience for kids, adults, and families...and at a new time: 6:00-8:30 pm, starting with a simple dinner. Invite friends and neighbors. Pick up a flyer in the Narthex!

Bible Study/Adult Christian Ed Wednesdays at 10:15 am in the Rath House. We are currently reading and discussing Inwardly Digest: The Prayer Book as Guide to a Spiritual Life, by Derek Olsen. This week we are discussing Chapter 9, “The Shape of the Eucharist.” Even if you haven’t read the chapter, the presentation and discussion will be open and helpful to you. Hope to see you there!

WORSHIP
Family Service – next Sunday, June 3rd at 10 am.

Choir Sunday – June 10. The last Sunday for our choirs before the summer break.

Altar Guild – are you looking for a behind-the-scenes way to serve God and All Saints’? The Altar Guild welcomes anyone interested in this ministry. What do they do? Set up the altar for Sunday services, care for the linens and silver, as well as caring for the interior of the worship space. Members work in teams once a month, with all hands on deck for Christmas and Easter. This is a practical and prayerful ministry and your help would be greatly appreciated. For more information speak to Liz Gorny or Mother Vicki.

DIOCESAN NEWS
Sister Monica Clare will take her final vows as a fully-professed Sister in the Community of St. John Baptist in Mendham on Friday, June 8 at 10:30 am – and we are all invited! Sr. Monica spent several years with us, singing in our choir and doing pastoral visiting when she first came to the Community. This is both a solemn and joyful event – a blessing to CSJB and the whole Church.   If you plan on going, please RSVP to the Convent so they can plan for lunch, etc., 973-543-4641. If you need a ride, please speak to Mother Vicki to arrange a carpool.

This year’s Diocesan Senior Ministries Lifetime Achievement Award recipient from All Saints’ is Hugh Wallace. The awards will be made at a festive Evensong at St. Peter’s, Morristown at 4 pm on Sunday, June 10., preceded by a reception at 3 pm. Hugh has been a parishioner here for forty years and has served as an usher, a greeter for Family Promise Homeless Shelter, a member of the Going Local Guiding Team, a driver for the food pantry, a coordinator for quite a number of buildings and grounds projects, and an integral part of the Veterans’ Dinners team. Please come and show your support and appreciation for Hugh on June 10. Congratulations, Hugh!

Save the Date – September 22! Consecration of Bishop-elect Carlye J. Hughes.

VESTRY NEWS
Your hardworking Vestry has been busy in the last few months with several different projects:

• Parish House Energy Savings – we qualified for a state grant for 70% of the cost of retro-fitting the lighting and heating in the Parish House. All the light fixtures have been fitted with LED ballasts and dimmable bulbs. We will be adding dimmer switches to the ceiling lights upstairs and down. Later in the spring the gas-fired forced hot-air furnace will be replaced. This is both an environmental and financial benefit. Our portion of the project will be paid for in savings on our energy bill in fifteen months, and we’ll have continued savings going forward. We are also hoping to replace the boiler in the Church on a similar program. We will hear in July if we qualify.
• Parish Hall Floor will be refinished in June. The color will match the stairs in the main entryway. This is the last time the floor can be refinished so it will receive three coats of polyurethane to be extra durable. The floor in the upper hall will also be replaced. This project will increase our attractiveness to groups and individuals seeking rentals, as well as general upkeep of the building.
• And there are some other repair projects that are in the pipeline, as there always are at your own house. As we get closer to them, we’ll let you know about them.

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Wednesday Walkabouts: Coming Again in June and July! On three different evenings we’ll gather to walk a neighborhood in our parish community, to learn more about the places we live and work, and about our neighbors. We’ll end each walk with dinner. Look for more information to come soon!

FUN & FUNDRAISING
Rummage Sale! The Sale is coming.... September 29, and we need you to sort, price, bake, staff tables, help with publicity, set up, and donate rummage. The sign-up poster is in the Narthex. Please take a look and see what you can do. We’ll begin accepting rummage August 5, “The First Sunday of Rummage.” Questions? Speak to Kimberly Celeste.

PRAYER & SPIRITUAL LIFE
Thy Kingdom Come – thank you to everyone you offered names last Sunday of those for whom you have been praying during the days between Ascension and Pentecost. Please continue to pray for those who need to know the blessing of the love of God in Christ. The names that you offered will be prayed for at the Thursday morning service for the next month. And here is a link to Archbishop Justin’s reflection on this year’s effort across the Anglican Communion and ecumenically: https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/priorities/evangelism-and-witness/thy-kingdom-come/thy-kingdom-come-2018-message-archbishop-justin

PARISH CALENDAR
5/28 Parish Office Closed for Memorial Day
5/30 Bible Study                    Rath House, 10:15 am
5/31 Eucharist & Healing        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
Memorial Day Prayers
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead: We give thee thanks for all thy servants who have laid down their lives in the service of our country. Grant to them thy mercy and the light of thy presence; and give us such a lively sense of thy righteous will, that the work which thou hast begun in them may be perfected; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ~ BCP pages 488 & 823

And here is a link to a recording of the hymn “I bind unto myself today the strong Name of the Trinity” (aka St. Patrick’s Breastplate) https://youtu.be/dWdZ13cH5lU

Trinity blessings, Vicki+
 

Dear Friends in Christ,
Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia! This Sunday is Pentecost – the celebration of the giving of the Holy Spirit, one of the principal feasts of the Church year. Both our 8:00 & 10:00 am services will begin at the front door of the Church, before we process inside. At 10 am the children will start at the front door, process into the Church, and then downstairs to Sunday School. Please wear something red – the color of the Holy Spirit!

The Diocesan Convention to elect our next Bishop begins at 10 am Saturday, May 19. Please keep our diocese in your prayers as we listen to the movement of the Holy Spirit in this election, that we may be faithful to God’s vision for our Church - the Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement here in northern New Jersey.

And finally, our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has been invited by the Archbishop of Canterbury to be the preacher at Saturday’s royal wedding! Even if you don’t get up early Saturday morning to watch the service live, do look for it on-line later on You Tube. He is a powerful and engaging preacher. As Bishop Beckwith said when he was here Sunday, turn on your TV and then jump back! It should be a wonderful opportunity for our Episcopal Church to shine. And who knows - a neighbor or work colleague who tuned in to the wedding may even ask you what it means to be an Episcopalian, or what our Church is all about!

* * * * * * *
 Here are this week’s announcements:

• Veterans’ Dinner (Helping Hands)
• Vacation Bible Camp (Christian Formation)
• Lifetime Achievement Award (Diocesan News)
• Parish House (Vestry News)

HELPING HANDS
Veterans Community Dinner, this Saturday, May 19 at 5:30 pm - Vets and their families from our local community and from the V.A. in Lyons will be invited for fellowship, conversation, and friendship...and a wonderful home-cooked meal in All Saints' Parish House at no charge. How can you help? Set up, clean up, serving, cooking (side dishes, salads, desserts). And please invite any Vets you know! This ministry is a partnership with our friends in the Christian (Catholic) Community. For more information speak to Kerrie Stepko.

CHRISTIAN FORMATION
In the Evening – Sunday June 24-Thursday, June 28, Vacation Bible Camp: “Wizards and Wonders – A Hero’s Journey with Harry Potter.” This will be an inter-generational experience for kids, adults, and families...and at a new time: 6:00-8:30 pm, starting with a simple dinner. Invite friends and neighbors. Pick up a flyer in the Narthex!

Bible Study/Adult Christian Ed Wednesdays at 10:15 am in the Rath House. We are currently reading and discussing Inwardly Digest: The Prayer Book as Guide to a Spiritual Life, by Derek Olsen. This week we are discussing Chapter 8, “The Spirituality of the Eucharist.” Even if you haven’t read the chapter, the presentation and discussion will be open and helpful to you. Hope to see you there!

WORSHIP
Altar Guild – are you looking for a behind-the-scenes way to serve God and All Saints’? The Altar Guild welcomes anyone interested in this ministry. What do they do? Set up the altar for Sunday services, care for the linens and silver, as well as caring for the interior of the worship space. Members work in teams once a month, with all hands on deck for Christmas and Easter. This is a practical and prayerful ministry and your help would be greatly appreciated. For more information speak to Liz Gorny or Mother Vicki.

DIOCESAN NEWS
Sister Monica Clare will take her final vows as a fully-professed Sister in the Community of St. John Baptist in Mendham on Friday, June 8 at 10:30 am – and we are all invited! Sr. Monica spent several years with us, singing in our choir and doing pastoral visiting when she first came to the Community. This is both a solemn and joyful event – a blessing to CSJB and the whole Church.   If you plan on going, please RSVP to the Convent so they can plan for lunch, etc., 973-543-4641. If you need a ride, please speak to Mother Vicki to arrange a carpool.

This year’s Diocesan Senior Ministries Lifetime Achievement Award recipient from All Saints’ is Hugh Wallace. The awards will be made at a festive Evensong at St. Peter’s, Morristown at 4 pm on Sunday, June 10., preceded by a reception at 3 pm. Hugh has been a parishioner here for forty years and has served as an usher, a greeter for Family Promise Homeless Shelter, a member of the Going Local Guiding Team, a driver for the food pantry, a coordinator for quite a number of buildings and grounds projects, and an integral part of the Veterans’ Dinners team. Please come and show your support and appreciation for Hugh on June 10. Congratulations, Hugh!

VESTRY NEWS
Your hardworking Vestry has been busy in the last few months with several different projects:

• Parish House Energy Savings – we qualified for a state grant for 70% of the cost of retro-fitting the lighting and heating in the Parish House. All the light fixtures have been fitted with LED ballasts and dimmible bulbs. We will be adding dimmer switches to the ceiling lights upstairs and down. Later in the spring the gas-fired forced hot-air furnace will be replaced. This is both an environmental and financial benefit. Our portion of the project will be paid for in savings on our energy bill in fifteen months, and we’ll have continued savings going forward. We are also hoping to replace the boiler in the Church on a similar program. We will hear in July if we qualify.
• Parish Hall Floor will be refinished in June. The color will match the stairs in the main entryway. This is the last time the floor can be refinished so it will receive three coats of polyurethane to be extra durable. The floor in the upper hall will also be replaced. This project will increase our attractiveness to groups and individuals seeking rentals, as well as general upkeep of the building.

FUN & FUNDRAISING
Rummage Sale! The Sale is coming.... September 29, and we need you to sort, price, bake, staff tables, help with publicity, set up, and donate rummage. The sign-up poster is in the Narthex. Please take a look and see what you can do. We’ll begin accepting rummage August 5, “The First Sunday of Rummage.” Questions? Speak to Kimberly Celeste.

PRAYER & SPIRITUAL LIFE
Thy Kingdom Come - In the days between the Feast of the Ascension and Pentecost (May 10-20), the Archbishop of Canterbury has called us to join with Anglicans (Episcopalians) and other Christians throughout the world to pray for God’s kingdom to come “on earth as it is in heaven” as Jesus taught us. That means praying daily for people in your life (individuals or families) to know the love of God in Jesus, as well as praying for a blessing of the common good of our communities, that they will reflect God’s wholeness, peace, and justice. At our Pentecost celebration on Sunday, May 20 we will highlight these prayers, writing down the names of those for whom you have been praying, and offer them to God.

PARISH CALENDAR
5/23 Bible Study                 Rath House, 10:15 am
       Altar Guild Dinner         6:00 pm
5/24 Eucharist & Healing     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
Prayer of St. Bonaventure to the Holy Spirit
Lord Jesus, as God's Spirit came down and rested upon you,
May the same Spirit rest on us,
Bestowing his sevenfold gifts.
First, grant us the gift of understanding,
By which your precepts may enlighten our minds.
Second, grant us counsel, by which we may follow
in your footsteps on the path of righteousness.
Third, grant us courage,
by which we may ward off the enemy's attacks.
Fourth, grant us knowledge,
by which we can distinguish good from evil.
Fifth, grant us piety,
by which we may acquire compassionate hearts.
Sixth, grant us fear,
by which we may draw back from evil
and submit to what is good.
Seventh, grant us wisdom,
that we may taste fully the life-giving sweetness of your love. Amen.

And here is a link to a recording of the Veni Sancte Spiritus (Come, Holy Spirit) hymn from the Taizè Community: https://youtu.be/ak4a-fu-R-c  

Pentecost blessings, Vicki+
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Dear Friends in Christ,

Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia! 

Rector away: Mother Vicki will be in California attending a family event from 5/9-5/12. That means that both the Wednesday Bible Study and the Thursday morning Eucharist are cancelled for the week. During that time any pastoral emergencies will be covered by the Rev. Susan Sica at St. Gregory’s, Parsippany. Her number is (973) 887-5879.
* * * * * * *
 Here are this week’s announcements:

• Reception for Bishop & Reflection Questions (Parish Visitation)
  
• Veterans’ Dinner (Helping Hands)
• Pentecost (Worship)
• Parishioners on the Move (Fellowship)

 
PARISH VISITATION
THIS SUNDAY, May 13 - Bishop Mark Beckwith will be with us for his last parish visitation at All Saints’. He will be the celebrant and preacher at the 10 am service, and at the Peace he will also have a children’s homily. Children go to Sunday School first, and then come upstairs at the Peace for a brief homily with the Bishop; he has something special prepared for them! During Coffee Hour he will lead an Adult Forum (child care will be provided), after which Bishop Beckwith will meet with the Vestry and deputies to Diocesan Convention.
The Coffee Hour will be a festive reception/lunch. Please bring finger foods – sandwiches, appetizers, fruit, cheese & crackers, cookies, etc.
Bishop Beckwith has asked us to be thinking ahead of time about the following questions:
What do you do as a congregation that Jesus would recognize and love?
What is your congregation’s purpose?
What are your challenges?  What gets in the way of living out your mission?
What would you like to ask me or want me to know so that the Diocese can be of assistance in supporting your mission and ministry?
Please plan to be here and offer him our great All Saints’ hospitality!

FELLOWSHIP
Team All Saints’ Treasure Hunt Results – Here are the big prize winners who collected the most artifacts and information about the communities of our parish: First Winners - Randy Gaulke & Fikirte Peterson; Second Winners – Kerrie Stepko, Steve Kowalik, Barbara Barbeau, & Janice Lettieri; Third Winners – Carol Berry & Janet Mansfield. We all had a great time getting to know one another and our communities better. Thanks to Laurie Gaulke and Suzanne Kosempel for organizing this! What’s next? How does a Murder Mystery & Dinner sound? Stay tuned.

Parishioners on the Move – in the last six weeks two parish families have moved out of the area. Pam and Gary Mehes sold their house in Millington in the last week of March and moved to Savannah, GA, where they can play golf year round! Alison Temple moved last week from her home in Chatham to a continuing care community in Hamilton, NJ where she will be close to her son Dan and his family. We miss them and are grateful for their presence here at All Saints’. But we know that God’s goodness and mercy shall follow them all the days of their lives.

HELPING HANDS
Veterans Community Dinner,  May 19 at 5:30 pm - Vets and their families from our local community and from the V.A. in Lyons will be invited for fellowship, conversation, and friendship...and a wonderful home-cooked meal in All Saints' Parish House at no charge. How can you help? Set up, clean up, serving, cooking (side dishes, salads, desserts). And please get the word out and invite any Vets you know! A sign-up sheet for volunteering will go out soon. This ministry is a partnership with our friends in the Christian (Catholic) Community. For more information speak to Kerrie Stepko.

Food Ministry Grant from ShopRite – All Saints’ has received a $500 grant from our local ShopRite in Stirling through their Partners in Caring program for support of our food ministry with the Veterans dinners and other food pantry needs in our community. Thank you, ShopRite

CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Save the Dates – Sun., June 24 – Thur., June 28 for Vacation Bible Camp: “Wizards and Wonders –A Hero’s Journey with Harry Potter.” This will be an inter-generational experience for kids, adults, and families...and at a new time: 6:00-8:30 pm (Sun-Thu), starting with a simple dinner. This is something to invite friends and neighbors to. Flyers are on the table in the Narthex.

Bible Study/Adult Christian Ed will not meet this week, May 9. We’ll resume on May 16 at 10:15 am in the Rath House. We are currently reading and discussing Inwardly Digest: The Prayer Book as Guide to a Spiritual Life, by Derek Olsen. Starting in June we’ll be back to focusing on a book of the Bible. Which one would you like to learn more about? Let Mother Vicki know, and join us, even if you have never done any Bible study before! Hope to see you next week!

WORSHIP
Pentecost is May 20, the celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit, and one of the major feast days of the Church year. Please plan to be here for worship!

DIOCESAN NEWS
The election for our new Bishop will take place Saturday, May 19. The three candidates for our next Bishop are: the Rev. Carlye Hughes; the Rev. Lisa Hunt; the Rev. Canon Scott Slater. The deputies from All Saints’ who will vote in the election: Tom Day, Jean Kimak, and Ellen Lewis; as well as Mother Vicki. Please be in touch with them about your questions, observations, reactions, insights concerning the candidates. Here is their contact information: Tom Day tmdjr@aol.com, 973-615-1341; Jean Kimak jckimak@gmail.com, 908-672-4966; Ellen Lewis ellenblewis20@gmail.com, 201-280-3893. Please keep them, and the diocese as a whole, in your prayers.

Sister Monica Clare will take her final vows as a fully-professed Sister in the Community of St. John Baptist in Mendham on Friday, June 8 at 10:30 am – and we are all invited! Sr. Monica spent several years with us, singing in our choir and doing pastoral visiting when she first came to the Community. This is both a solemn and joyful event – a blessing to CSJB and the whole Church.   If you plan on going, please RSVP to the Convent so they can plan for lunch, etc., 973-543-4641. If you need a ride, please speak to Mother Vicki to arrange a carpool.

PRAYER & SPIRITUAL LIFE
Evangelism Matters Video – recently Mother Vicki and two other clergy from our diocese (the Revs. Bill Allport and Miguel Hernandez) recorded a short video about their experience at the Evangelism Matters Conference they attended. Take a look, and then if you have questions or comments, or would like to have a conversation, or would be interested in being part of a prayer effort for the work of evangelism (i.e. sharing what you love with those you love), please speak to Mother Vicki. https://dioceseofnewark.org/content/report-evangelism-matters-2018-conference

Thy Kingdom Come - In the days between the Feast of the Ascension and Pentecost (May 10-20), the Archbishop of Canterbury has called us to join with Anglicans (Episcopalians) and other Christians throughout the world to pray for God’s kingdom to come “on earth as it is in heaven” as Jesus taught us. That means praying daily for people in your life (individuals or families) to know the love of God in Jesus, as well as praying for a blessing of the common good of our communities, that they will reflect God’s wholeness, peace, and justice. At our Pentecost celebration on Sunday, May 20 we will highlight these prayers, writing down the names of those for whom you have been praying, and offer them to God.

PARISH CALENDAR
5/9    Junior Choir                 Choir Room, 5:15 pm
         Adult Choir                    Choir Room, 7:30 pm
5/13 Bishop’s Visitation       Church/Parish House, 10:00 am
5/15  Vestry                            Rath House, 7:30 pm
5/16  Bible Study                  Rath House, 7:30 pm
5/17  Eucharist & Healing   Church, 7:00 am  
          Junior Choir                 Choir Room, 5:15 pm
         Adult Choir                    Choir Room, 7:30 pm
5/19 Bishop’s Election         St. Peter’s, Morristown, 9:00 am
         Vets Community Dinner  Parish House, 5:30 pm
For a full schedule of our buildings check the website calendar www.allsaintsmillington.org.

CHRISTIAN PRACTICES
The Feast of the Ascension – is one of the seven principal feasts of the Church year, but it always falls on Thursday, because it is forty days after Easter. This means that many churches skip over it or give it a nod on the following Sunday. Here at All Saints’ we’ve always had two Ascension Day services – one at 7:00 am (our regular Thursday), and one in the evening. Sometimes the later service has been Eucharist, sometimes it has been Evensong.

This year, because I will be in California, there will be no service, but do look for the Daily Prayers for Ascension Day. And in the meantime, here’s a bit more about it, from the website Full Homely Divinity:
“The nine days from Ascension Day to the Eve of Pentecost are the original novena--nine days of prayer. Before he ascended, Jesus ordered the disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. After his Ascension, they returned to the upper room in Jerusalem where they devoted themselves to prayer. These last days of the Great Fifty Days of Easter can be a time for us to prepare for the celebration of Pentecost. As we anticipate the coming of the Holy Spirit, this can be a time to pray for renewal in the Spirit and a time to reflect on the gifts which the Spirit bestows on the Church. The prayer for the newly baptized, p. 308, in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer is the traditional prayer for the seven gifts of the Spirit, based on the prophecy of Isaiah 11:2-3. This prayer could be the basis for daily reflection on the gifts of the Spirit in the days between the Ascension and Pentecost and the following adaptation of it could be used daily as a simplified novena."
Heavenly Father, we thank you that by water and the Holy Spirit you have bestowed upon us the forgiveness of sin, and have raised us to the new life of grace in your Son Jesus Christ. Sustain us, O Lord, in the gifts of your Spirit: an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works. Amen.

And Thursday, Ascension Day, is the time the Archbishop of Canterbury has asked us to join in Thy Kingdom Come prayer effort – to pray for God’s kingdom to come in the lives of people we know, love, and care about, and to pray for them by name on a daily basis. I hope you’ll take this prayer project on.

Here is a lovely anthem for Ascension Day by Gerald Finzi, “God is gone up with a shout” https://youtu.be/Y_67yfaroek

Easter blessings, Vicki+

Dear Friends in Christ,
Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia! 

Rector away this week: Mother Vicki will be in California attending a family event from 5/9-5/12. That means that both the Wednesday Bible Study and the Thursday morning Eucharist are cancelled for the week. During that time any pastoral emergencies will be covered by the Rev. Susan Sica at St. Gregory’s,                                                                                                               Parsippany. Her number is (973) 887-5879.
* * * * * * *
Good News from Sister Monica Clare – We have received word from the Community of St. John Baptist in Mendham that Sister Monica Clare will take her life vows as a sister in the Community on June 8, 2018. That means that her training and provisional status is over, and she will be a permanent member of CSJB, engaged in their ministry of prayer and service to God’s people.
Many of you will remember Sr. Monica Clare from the time she spent here at All Saints’, singing in our choir several years ago when she first came to the Community. This is good news for Sister, for the Community, and for the wider Church. We are all invited to the Profession service in the Convent chapel at 10:30 am, June 8. Please RSVP to the Convent so they can know how many to plan for lunch and other details. Here is the phone number and e-mail: 973 543-4641; csjb@csjb.org
 Here are this week’s announcements:

• Team Saints Treasure Hunt (Fellowship)
• Reception for Bishop & Reflection Questions (Parish Visitation)
• Rogation Sunday (Worship)
• Boy Scout Troop 56 Flower Sale (Around the Neighborhood)
• Evangelism Video with Mother Vicki (Christian Practices)

FELLOWSHIP
This Saturday: Team All Saints’ Treasure Hunt; Saturday, May 5th. Team up with family, friends, fellow parishioners, or neighbors and head out to find, collect and discover our community! All ages welcome. The teams have been busy this week following clues, taking photos, gathering information, etc. On Saturday May 5th at 4 pm gather in the Parish Hall to share what was discovered and collected. We’ll celebrate the winners, enjoy some delicious munchies, and award some prizes! Even if you don’t do the Treasure Hunt itself, come to the party and enjoy all the discoveries that will be shared, get to know your fellow parishioners better, and have some fun! Questions? Speak to Laurie Gaulke or Suzanne Kosempel.

WORSHIP
This Sunday, May 6 is Rogation Sunday, the day we bless the parish gardens and grounds at the end of our 10 am Family Service (see more about Rogation below in Christian Practices).  At the end of the 10 am service we’ll process out to the Memorial Garden for our Rogation liturgy, and we’ll also distribute seeds for planting in your home garden or in our parish Community Garden.

We will also recognize the children who have completed their Eucharist Instruction class, as well as our usual prayers for birthdays and anniversaries at both services. It will be a great day. Please join us!

HELPING HANDS
Veterans Community Dinner, possibly May 19 at 5:30 pm - Vets and their families from our local community and from the V.A. in Lyons will be invited for fellowship, conversation, and friendship...and a wonderful home-cooked meal in    All Saints' Parish House at no charge. How can you help? Set up, clean up, serving, cooking (side dishes, salads, desserts). And please get the word out and invite any Vets you know! A sign-up sheet for volunteering will go out soon. This ministry is a partnership with our friends in the Christian (Catholic) Community. For more information speak to Kerrie Stepko.

Food Ministry Grant from ShopRite – All Saints’ has received a $500 grant from our local ShopRite in Stirling through their Partners in Caring program for support of our food ministry with the Veterans dinners and other food pantry needs in our community. Thank you, ShopRite!

CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Save the Dates – Sun., June 24 – Thur., June 28 for Vacation Bible Camp: “Wizards and Wonders –A Hero’s Journey with Harry Potter.” This will be an inter-generational experience for kids, adults, and families...and at a new time: 6:00-8:30 pm (Sun-Thu), starting with a simple dinner. This is something to invite friends and neighbors to. Flyers are on the table in the Narthex.

Bible Study/Adult Christian Ed will not meet this week, May 9. We’ll resume on May 16 at 10:15 am in the Rath House. We are currently reading and discussing Inwardly Digest: The Prayer Book as Guide to a Spiritual Life, by Derek Olsen. Hope to see you then!

PARISH VISITATION
SUNDAY, May 13 - Bishop Mark Beckwith will be with us for his last parish visitation at All Saints’. He will be the celebrant and preacher at the 10 am service, and at the Peace he will also have a children’s homily. During Coffee Hour he will lead an Adult Forum (child care will be provided), after which Bishop Beckwith will meet with the Vestry and deputies to Diocesan Convention.
The Coffee Hour will be a festive reception/lunch. Please sign up to bring finger foods – sandwiches, appetizers, fruit, cheese & crackers, cookies, etc.

Bishop Beckwith has asked us to be thinking ahead of time about the following questions:
What do you do as a congregation that Jesus would recognize and love?
What is your congregation’s purpose?
What are your challenges?  What gets in the way of living out your mission?
What would you like to ask me or want me to know so that the Diocese can be of assistance in supporting your mission and ministry?
Please plan to be here and offer him our great All Saints’ hospitality!

DIOCESAN NEWS
The “walk-abouts” for the Bishop candidates are this weekend - public meetings to hear from all the candidates and ask questions of them: the Rev. Carlye Hughes; the Rev. Lisa Hunt; the Rev. Canon Scott Slater.  Look at the diocesan website for details: https://dioceseofnewark.org/bishop-search, and be sure to read their statements.

And then talk with one or more of the deputies from All Saints’ (who will be voting on May 19) about your questions, observations, reactions, insights. Here is their contact information: Tom Day tmdjr@aol.com, 973-615-1341 ; Jean Kimak jckimak@gmail.com, 908-672-4966; Ellen Lewis ellenblewis20@gmail.com, 201-280-3893. Your input and prayers are important!

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD
The Long Hill Township Robotics Team will hold a fundraising concert here at All Saints’ on Sunday, May 6 at 4:30 pm. Students from the team will perform on a variety of instruments. The money raised will help send them to the World Robotics Competition, representing New Jersey! Please come and support these talented students from our community!

Troop 56 Flower Sale – our Boy Scout troop is holding its annual Flower Sale on May 4-6 in the Valley Mall in gillette. They have a wide assortment of flowers, vegetables, and hanging baskets. Come out and support the Scouts!

PARISH CALENDAR
5/5 Treasure Hunt Party       Parish Hall, 4:00 pm
5/8 Finance Committee        Rath House, 7:30 pm
5/9 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
Sharing What You Love with Those You Love (i.e. Evangelism)
Earlier this week Nina Nicholson, the diocesan communications director, published a video report on the Evangelism Matters Conference with the three clergy our diocese sent to Cleveland Heights in March: the Rev. Bill Allport, the Rev. Miguel Hernandez, and me. Here is a link to the page on the diocesan website, https://dioceseofnewark.org/content/report-evangelism-matters-2018-conference  and here is the direct link to the video on You Tube https://youtu.be/tyOdLEKB5AA. It’s short (about 6 minutes long), so please take a look and offer comments, questions, start a conversation.

You’ll see in the video that one major thing I took away from the conference is the importance of prayer for the work of evangelism – personal prayer, corporate prayer, for the parish, for the diocese, and for the Church as a whole. If that strikes a chord with you and you’d like to know more about it, or you are interested in being part of a prayer effort for the work of evangelism, please speak to me; I’d love to talk with you about it. And remember, the definition of evangelism in the Episcopal Church is “the spiritual practice of seeking, naming, and celebrating the loving presence of Jesus in the stories of all people…and then inviting them to MORE!”
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Thy Kingdom Come
Two weeks ago a link was sent with information about this year’s invitation from the Archbishop of Canterbury to participate in Thy Kingdom Come – a world-wide effort of prayer for friends, family members, the world as a whole, to come to know the blessing of the love of God in Jesus. Thy Kingdom Come starts on Ascension Day, May 10, and runs until Pentecost May 20.

How are you doing with that? Have you chosen someone, or several people, to pray for? Here is a short video by Archbishop Justin Welby on the power of quiet, persistent prayer: https://vimeo.com/255739089. And here is the link to Thy Kingdom Come website: https://www.thykingdomcome.global/
On Pentecost we'll symbolically offer to God our prayers for the people who have been in your hearts and on your minds.Your prayers do matter, and they do count. Thank you for praying!

Easter blessings, Vicki+