Dear Friends in Christ,
This is the parish e-letter for the last week of July and the month of August. Please note events and offerings coming up in September. And have a blessed remainder of your summer!

• Creation Care (Stewardship)
• Rummage Drop-off and Volunteering (Rummage Sale) (Stewardship)
• Welcome Sunday Neighborhood Picnic (Parish Life)
• Pastoral Emergencies & Office Schedule (Vacation & Pastoral Coverage)

RUMMAGE SALE
The Rummage Collection has begun! What do we take? Housewares, yard & garden, small furniture, electronics, games & toys, linens, kids’ books (none for grown-ups, thanks), boutique, and more! What don’t we take? Tires, cribs, large couches, entertainment centers and over-sized dressers and china cabinets, clothes, mattresses, or anything broken or dirty. Please let your neighbors know. Sign up to help receive rummage, sort, price, organize, work the day of the sale. And invite a friend to join you – it’s more fun that way, and gets others involved. The volunteer sign-up poster is in the Narthex. Date of the actual sale? September 28. Need more info? Speak to Kimberly Celeste.  

STEWARDSHIP
Creation Care – our parish team has been meeting to explore some of the ways we can be better stewards of creation and the resources God has given us to care for here at All Saints’. We’ll begin to roll out some of these ideas in September. In the meantime, here are some links to information and ideas that you can do on your own. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something!

• Anglican Communion Environmental Network https://acen.anglicancommunion.org/
• Recycling in LHT – check here for updates https://www.longhillnj.gov/DPW/recycling.html
• On Facebook: “GREEN Anglicans”
• Practice using glass or stainless-steel water bottle instead of single-use plastic.

ShopRite Cards – you can buy ShopRite gift cards for yourself or someone else after the 10 am service. You get the full value of the card, and All Saints’ gets 5%. Please see Barbara Barbeau to buy a card...or two!

PARISH LIFE
Welcome Sunday Neighborhood Picnic, September 8 – Gather with fellow parishioners for a new school year/program year get-together after the 10 am service. We’ll grill hot dogs and veggie burgers; you bring a salad, side, or dessert. And we'll have ice cream form Ava's! New this year: we’ve invited our neighbors (with an RSVP) and we hope they will want to join us. If you know someone in the neighborhood, please be sure to invite them to come along! We’d like to do a better job of knowing and connecting with our neighbors. Please sign-up on the sheet in the Narthex, and let us know what you will be bringing, or e-mail the Parish Office at allstsmill@hotmail.com.

MUSIC
All Saints’ Choirs for Adults and Children are on their summer break. Rehearsals for the new season will start in early September. Anyone who loves to sing is welcome and invited to be part of our choir. We also enjoy having instrumentalists play during our services – we’ve had everything from violin to handbells to ukele! To learn more about our music ministry, please speak with Director of Music Alison Siener Brown.

MusikGarten classes for babies to early elementary school children (including group piano classes) are offered here at All Saints’ during the academic year. It’s a great way to give your child a love and facility for music. For more information visit http://musicsh.org/musikgarten/ or speak with Alison Siener Brown.

CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Bible Study is on break for the summer. We’ll be back on Wed. 9/4 at 10:15 am in the Rath House when we’ll start6 on the book of Revelation. Look for us then!

Narnia Book Club for adults, kids, and families will be returning in the fall. We’ll read and discuss Prince Caspian, from The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. There will be a Facebook-based discussion group, and also an in-person group that will meet during Coffee Hour. Dates to be announced soon.

Sunday School for children Age 4-Middle School begins again on September 8. Sunday School meets downstairs in the Church at 10 am. Children join their families in worship at the Peace.

YOUTH
Diocesan Youth Ministry Event - Save the date! On September 22 join us at St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Oakland/Franklin Lakes to compete in the very first Pop Up Youth Ministry Epic Games! Registration begins at 3:30 and the event will begin at 4:00 and end at 6:30. Go for the gold against friends old and new in a series of the most epic games ever imagined. We will top the night off with dinner, a medal ceremony, and a worship by campfire. All youth grades 6-12 are invited and encouraged to participate. We can't wait to see you there!

WORSHIP
August Schedule – during the month of August when the Rector is on vacation our Sunday worship and worship leaders will be as follows:
8/4   Holy Eucharist – the Rev. Shawn Carty
8/11 Holy Eucharist – the Rev. Shawn Carty                                                                                                              
                                Sr. Monica Clare preaching at 10 am
8/18 Holy Eucharist – the Rev. Shawn Carty
8/25 Morning Prayer – LEMs

Guest Musician Gregory Geerhan will be our organist on the following Sundays when Alison Siener Brown is away: 8/12, 8/19, 9/1. We are glad to welcome Greg back to All Saints’!

VACATION & PASTORAL COVERAGE
The Rector will be away on vacation from July 29-Aug. 29.
From 7/29-8/18 & 8/26-8/28 pastoral emergencies will be covered by the Rev. Beth Rauen Sciaino from St. Bernard’s in Bernarsdville. Her number is 973-615-4778.
From 8/18-8/25 the Rev. Shawn Carty will be covering pastoral emergencies. His number is 208-471-0244.

Parish Administrator Susie Harris will be away from 8/5-8/17. During that time the Parish Office will be closed. E-mail and phone messages will be retrieved on 8/19.

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Shrine of St. Joseph 9/11 Interfaith Service will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 11 from 7:00-8:00 pm at the Shrine’s Tower of Remembrance on Long Hill Road in Stirling. If you have never visited the Tower (built from WTC steel beams) or participated in this service, it is a moving time to gather with those of all faiths and no particular faith to pray for hope and peace in God’s world on this important recent anniversary in our nation’s life.

CHRISTIAN PRACTICES
GO: Cross boundaries, listen deeply, and live like Jesus (the sixth practice in The Way of Love) – The summer is a time when many of us travel, for the day or longer. That gives us a wonderful opportunity to practice being in a new place or with new people. As you find yourself in new situations, try to stop and pay attention to what you see, hear, and feel. How do you see God at work in your surroundings? In the people you meet? In your own reactions to these new situations? What seems challenging for you? What seems life-giving? Pondering these questions can help you to grow in living more like Jesus.

Blessings, Vicki+

Dear Friends in Christ,
This Saturday, July 20, is the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. They crossed a frontier all those years ago that we as a country and as the human race still have not yet fully comprehended. The achievements of the astronauts and the NASA team and all the scientific developments that went into that mission were marvelous. But along with the science was a new spiritual awareness (at least for us moderns) of our place in God’s vast universe. On December 24, 1968, eighteen months earlier, the iconic “Earthrise” photo was taken by William Anders when the Apollo 8 astronauts circled the moon as a manned flight for the first time. When Aldrin, a faithful Presbyterian Christian, landed on the moon, he took Communion from consecrated bread and wine that he had carried with him. Here is a link with more details about that event: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-you-should-know-about-the-communion-service-on-the-moon/. Let us remember to give thanks this weekend for the courage, intelligence, and faith of those space pioneers.
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This Sunday a quartet of our choir members will sing an offertory anthem and a Communion anthem. Thank you to our faithful choir for offering their time and talent to beautify our worship and lead us in singing God’s praises.

Here are the week’s announcements:

• Creation Care (Stewardship)
• Rummage Drop-Off (Stewardship)
• Welcome Sunday Picnic (Parish Life)

STEWARDSHIP
Rummage Drop-off will begin Sunday, August 4 in the Parish Hall. What do we take? Good, useful, clean items that you can no longer use: furniture, house wares, linens, electronics, garden/lawn tools, toys, children’s books, holiday items, small appliances, boutique items, etc. We don’t take tube TVs, tires, broken items, large appliances, pull-out couches, entertainment centers and other over-sized furniture, shoes, clothes or hardcover books for grown-ups. Right now we need people to volunteer to help sort and price rummage (in air-conditioned comfort!) throughout August and September. To volunteer, please be in touch with Kimberly Celeste. Sale date: September 28. Thanks!

Summer Finances – we always have a cash flow slow-down during the summer as people are traveling and on vacation. If you can keep current with your pledges and contributions it would help greatly! In addition to putting a check in the mail or in the office mail slot in the Rath House, you can set up a direct payment through your bank to All Saints’ Church, or sign up for EFT. For information about these options, please speak with Barbara Barbeau. Thank you. ~ The Finance Committee

Creation Care Team will meet this Wednesday, July 24 at 7:00 pm in the   Rath House. We’ll be continuing our conversation about the ways we can be better stewards of God’s creation and resources, starting with our own habits and practices here at All Saints’. Anyone with interest is welcome to join us!

ShopRite Cards Available – when you buy a ShopRite gift card for yourself or someone else the user gets the full face value and All Saints’ gets 5%. Cards are available on Sunday from Barb Barbeau or in the Parish office Mondays & Thursdays.

CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Bible Study this week, Wed. at 10:15 am in the Rath House. We’ll discuss Chapter 16 of Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense by N.T. Wright – “New Creation Starting Now.” This will be our last meeting for the summer, so we’ll also think about what part of the Bible or what topic to study when we meet again on September 4. Questions? Speak to Mother Vicki.

WORSHIP
Charlie Hogan’s funeral will be this Saturday, July 20 at 11 am. It will be followed by a reception in the Parish Hall. Please keep Charlie’s children Mike, Kathleen, and Chuck and their families in your prayers.

August Schedule – during the month of August when the Rector is on vacation our Sunday worship and worship leaders will be as follows:
8/4   Holy Eucharist – the Rev. Shawn Carty
8/11 Holy Eucharist – the Rev. Shawn Carty; Sr. Monica Clare preaching at 10 am
8/18 Holy Eucharist – the Rev. Shawn Carty
8/25 Morning Prayer – LEMs

PARISH LIFE
Summer Refreshments after our 10 am worship are served on the lawn - iced tea, lemonade, cookies. Please join us for this enjoyable time of conversation and friendship with parishioners and visitors. And if you see someone you’ve not met before, introduce yourself!

Welcome Sunday Picnic, September 8 – Gather with fellow parishioners for a new school year/program year get-together after the 10 am service. We’ll grill hot dogs and veggie burgers; you bring a salad, side, or dessert. New this year: we are sending invitations to our neighbors (with an RSVP) and we hope they will want to join us. Please sign-up on the sheet in the Narthex, and let us know what you will be bringing, or e-mail the Parish Office at allstsmill@hotmail.org.

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Blood Drive at St. Mark’s, Basking Ridge – next Sunday, July 21 from 9 am- 2 pm the Red Cross will hold a Blood Drive in St. Mark’s Parish Hall, 140 South Finley Avenue. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS or go to RedCrossBlood.org and enter St. Marks to schedule an appointment. This event is co-sponsored by Congregation B’nai Israel.

DIOCESAN NEWS
Still trying to plan a summer getaway? Cross Roads, our diocesan camp and conference center in Port Murray, NJ, has openings for Family Camp Week and Family Camp Weekend at the end of August (8/18-8/23 & 8/23-8/25). Kids stay in cabins, adults stay in the Christ Center, meals are served in the dining hall. Fun camp activities and faith-building experiences in a beautiful outdoor setting. Take a look at their website for more info: www.crossroadsretreat.com.

Bishop’s Message: “Immigration, the Bible, and our Baptismal Covenant.” This has been a summer of intense news and strong feelings about immigrants and the events taking place on our southern border. Here is our Bishop Carlye Hughes’ reflection in a short video: https://dioceseofnewark.org/. It’s on the diocesan home page, so scroll down a little bit to watch it.

PARISH CALENDAR
7/20 Hogan Funeral           Church & Parish Hall, 11:00 am
7/24 Bible Study                  Rath House, 10:15 am
7/24 Creation Care Team  Rath House, 7:00 am
For a full schedule of our buildings check the website calendar www.allsaintsmillington.org.

CHRISTIAN PRACTICES
The Way of Love: Bless – There are many ways to bless one another and those we come across throughout our day. But have you ever considered that your practice of stewardship might be a blessing to others?
When we practice taking care of God’s Creation, and act as good stewards of our natural and man-made resources we help to ensure that others have clean water to drink, clean air to breathe, that our “foot print” on the planet does not take up more resources than we need, and that there will be resources available for other people as they need them. That is certainly a blessing.

Our financial stewardship, also, is a way to bless others. When we share our God-given financial resources, those things that the Lord has put into our hands to care for on God’s behalf, we make it possible for others to share in a community of faith, to participate in outreach, to have a place of beauty and fellowship in which to worship and welcome those who are seeking a connection to God. The way we use our money can be a blessing to others, as well as to ourselves.

Here are six values or practices that are characteristics of Christian stewards (as outlined by Charles R. Lane in “Ask, Thank, Tell”). Some of values may seem more surprising or challenging than others. And yet they are all things that we can get better at the more we practice them:

• Be intentional – develop a plan for giving and then follow through with the plan.
• Be regular – weekly, monthly, quarterly. Having a schedule helps create a habit.
• Be generous – God is so generous to us, and when we give generously we become more like God.
• Be a “first-fruits” giver – means giving to God first before we take care of our other expenses and “nice-to-haves.”
• Be a percentage giver – God only asks us to do what we can do, not what someone else can do; but a way to be honest with ourselves is to understand what percentage or proportion of our income we are giving to God.
• Be a cheerful giver – this comes from learning to trust God and to remember that we are all part of God’s big family of faith

As we practice both environmental and financial stewardship we will surely be a blessing to others – and may well find ourselves blessed in the doing of it!

Blessings, Vicki+

Dear Friends in Christ,
Here are the week’s announcements:

• Summer Finances (Stewardship)
• Rummage Drop-Off (Stewardship)
  
• Children’s Corner (Worship)
  

STEWARDSHIP
Creation Care Conversation, Thursday, July 11 at 7:30 pm in the Rath House. A group will be gathering for an initial discussion of ways we here at All Saints’ can be good stewards of the environment and resources God has given us – especially here at Church. No one can do everything.... but everyone can do something. Questions? Speak to the Rector.

Parish Work Day, Saturday, July 13, 9 am-12 noon. Please come and help for an hour...or three. What needs doing? Outside work around the Church, Parish House, and parking lot; garage & shed. If we get a good turn-out we can get a lot done. Kids can help, too! Bring work gloves and helpful yard/garden tools. Please sign up on the sheet in the Narthex to let us know you can help. Thanks!

 Rummage Drop-off will begin Sunday, August 4 in the Parish Hall. What do we take? Good, useful, fairly clean items that you can no longer use: furniture, house wares, linens, electronics, garden/lawn tools, toys, children’s books, holiday items, small appliances, boutique items, etc. We don’t take tube TVs, tires, broken items, large appliances, pull-out couches, entertainment centers and other over-sized furniture, shoes, clothes or hardcover books for grown-ups. Right now we need people to volunteer to help sort and price rummage (in air-conditioned comfort!) throughout August and September. To volunteer, please be in touch with Kimberly Celeste. Sale date: September 28. Thanks!

Summer Finances – we always have a cash flow slow down during the summer as people are traveling and on vacation. If you can keep current with your pledges and contributions it would help greatly! In addition to putting a check in the mail or in the office mail slot in the Rath House, you can set up a direct payment through your bank to All Saints’ Church, or sign up for EFT. For information about these options, please speak with Barbara Barbeau. However you contribute, please know your support is greatly appreciated. Thank you. ~ The Finance Committee

CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Bible Study this week, Wed. at 10:15 am in the Rath House. We’ll discuss Chapter 15 of Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense by N.T. Wright – “Believing and Belonging”. Questions? Speak to Mother Vicki.

Diocesan Youth Ministry Event - Save the date! On September 22 join us at St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Oakland/Franklin Lakes to compete in the very first Pop Up Youth Ministry Epic Games! Registration begins at 3:30 and the event will begin at 4:00 and end at 6:30. Go for the gold against friends old and new in a series of the most epic games ever imagined. We will top the night off with dinner, a medal ceremony, and worship by campfire. All youth grades 6-12 are invited and encouraged to participate. We can't wait to see you there!

WORSHIP
Charlie Hogan’s funeral will be this Saturday, July 20 at 11 am. It will be followed by a reception in the Parish Hall. Please keep Charlie’s children Mike, Kathleen, and Chuck and their families in your prayers.

Summer Hymn Sings - in July we begin our 10 am services with a Hymn Sing. That means you get to suggest a favorite hymn and we’ll all sing a verse or two. Your old favorite may be someone else’s brand new hymn – so we’ll all learn something.

Children’s Corner – We’ve created a corner of the church to be welcoming to our parents with babies and toddlers who have a hard time sitting in a pew during worship. It has a bench, a rocking chair, space on the floor - with a rug to come (that is currently being cleaned), and a basket of soft, quiet toys. Young children who can see and hear what is going on at the altar while they have the space to wiggle a bit are much more likely to be engaged with the service. They absorb far more than we often give them credit for. And it helps their parents, too! The corner is at the back of the side “alcove” (under the windows that face Basking Ridge Road). For adults who sit in that area during worship, the front four pews in that section remain exactly as is, while making room for our youngest members. Take a look.

PARISH LIFE
Summer Refreshments after our 10 am worship are served on the lawn - iced tea, lemonade, cookies. Please join us for this enjoyable time of conversation and friendship with parishioners and visitors. And if you see someone you’ve not met before, introduce yourself! And we need refreshment hosts during the month of August. Please take a look at the sheet in the Narthex and sign up.

Welcome Sunday Picnic, September 8 – Gather with fellow parishioners for a new school year/program year get-together after the 10 am service. We’ll grill hot dogs and veggie burgers; you bring a salad, side, or dessert. New this year: we are sending invitations to our neighbors (with an RSVP) and we hope they will want to join us. Please sign-up on the sheet in the Narthex, and let us know what you will be bringing, or e-mail the Parish Office at allstsmill@hotmail.org.

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Blood Drive at St. Mark’s, Basking Ridge – next Sunday, July 21 from 9 am- 2 pm the Red Cross will hold a Blood Drive in St. Mark’s Parish Hall, 140 South Finley Avenue. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS or go to RedCrossBlood.org and enter St. Marks to schedule an appointment. This event is co-sponsored by Congregation B’nai Israel.

CONVENT CORNER
Outdoor Labyrinth – a labyrinth is a prayer pathway laid out on the floor or the ground that is a tool for meditation. The Community of St. John Baptist in Mendham has an outdoor labyrinth on the Convent grounds (to the right of the retreat house), and everyone is welcome to use it.If you want to know more about this aid to prayer and centering in a peaceful and beautiful spot, go to the Community website at www.csjb.org.

PARISH CALENDAR
7/13 Parish Work Day        Parking Lot, etc., 9am-12pm
7/17 Bible Study                  Rath House, 10:15 am
7/18 Eucharist & Healing   Church, 7:00 am    
7/20 Hogan Funeral            Church & Parish Hall, 11:00 am
For a full schedule of our buildings check the website calendar www.allsaintsmillington.org.

CHRISTIAN PRACTICES
The Way of Love: Worship – worshiping God is at the core of our lives as a Church and as individual Christians. But how often do we stop and think about what worship is for? Here are two basic answers to that question: 1) to give praise, glory, and thanks to God from whom our very existence and all of life’s blessings flow 2) to become more and more Christ-like (over time) so that we may be more truly the people God created us to be.

To delve into that a little further, here are two quotations about worship from N.T Wright, Church of England bishop and New Testament scholar:

“You become like what you worship. When you gaze in awe, admiration, and wonder at something or someone, you begin to take on something of the character of the object of your worship.” – from Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense
“When human beings give their heartfelt allegiance to and worship that which is not God, they progressively cease to reflect the image of God. One of the primary laws of human life is that you become like what you worship; what’s more, you reflect what you worship not only to the object itself but also outward to the world around.

Those who worship money increasingly define themselves in terms of it and increasingly treat other people as creditors, debtors, partners, or customers rather than as human beings. Those who worship sex define themselves in terms of it (their preferences, their practices, their past histories) and increasingly treat other people as actual or potential sex objects. Those who worship power define themselves in terms of it and treat other people as either collaborators, competitors, or pawns. These and many other forms of idolatry combine in a thousand ways, all of them damaging to the [image-of-God-bearing] quality of the people concerned and of those whose lives they touch.” – from Surprised by Hope

How do you find yourself being drawn close to God in worship?

Blessings, Vicki+

Dear Friends in Christ,
This Sunday at both services we’ll offer prayers for our country, and at the 10 am service we’ll have some patriotic music – including an anthem by guest soprano Jody Mullen.
If you missed Sister Monica Clare’s sermon last Sunday at 10 am, you can find it here or here. Thank you, Sister, for your ministry of preaching!
Here are the week’s announcements:

• Creation Care Conversation (Stewardship)
• Parish Work Day (Stewardship)
• Diocesan Pop-up Youth Ministry (Christian Formation)
• Independence Day (Christian Practices)

STEWARDSHIP
Creation Care Conversation, Thursday, July 11 at 7:30 pm in the Rath House. A group will be gathering for an initial discussion of ways we here at All Saints’ can be good stewards of the environment and resources God has given us – especially here at Church. No one can do everything.... but everyone can do something. Questions? Speak to the Rector.

Parish Work Day, Saturday, July 13, 9 am-12 noon. Please come and help for an hour...or three. What needs doing? Outside work around the Church, Parish House, and parking lot; garage & shed. If we get a good turn-out we can get a lot done. Kids can help, too! Bring work gloves and helpful yard/garden tools. Please sign up on the sheet in the Narthex to let us know you can help. Thanks!

The Rummage Sale is Coming! September 28! We start accepting rummage donations on August 4. Let your neighbors know. What do we take? Housewares, yard & garden, small furniture, electronics, games & toys, linens, kids’ books (none for grown-ups, thanks), boutique, and more! What don’t we take? Tires, cribs, large couches, entertainment centers and over-sized dressers and china cabinets, clothes, mattresses, or anything broken or dirty. Sign up to help sort, price, organize, work the day of the sale. And invite a friend to join you – it’s more fun that way, and gets others involved. The volunteer sign-up poster is in the Narthex. We start accepting rummage donations on August 4. Let your neighbors know. Need more info? Speak to Kimberly Celeste.  

CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Diocesan Youth Ministry Event - Save the date! On September 22 join us at St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Oakland/Franklin Lakes to compete in the very first Pop Up Youth Ministry Epic Games! Registration begins at 3:30 and the event will begin at 4:00 and end at 6:30. Go for the gold against friends old and new in a series of the most epic games ever imagined. We will top the night off with dinner, a medal ceremony, and a worship by campfire. All youth grades 6-12 are invited and encouraged to participate. We can't wait to see you there!

Bible Study this week, Wed. at 10:15 am in the Rath House. We’ll discuss Chapters13 & 14 of Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense by N.T. Wright – “The Book God Breathed” & “The Story and the Task”. Questions? Speak to Mother Vicki.

WORSHIP
Funeral for Charlie Hogan will be held on Saturday, July 20 at 11 am here at All Saints', followed by a reception in the Parish hall. Please come and offer your prayers and presence for Charlie who was so much a part of the life of All Saints' before he moved to Maryland several years ago when his health began to decline.

Summer Hymn Sings - on Sundays through July we’ll begin our 10 am services with a Hymn Sing. That means you get to suggest a favorite hymn and we’ll all sing a verse or two. If you have a hymn that you love that is not in our blue Hymnal 1982, please tell Alison so she can plan to have a handout available for the congregation ...and tell her what Sunday you plan to be in Church so we know when to sing it!

PARISH LIFE
Summer Refreshments after our 10 am worship are served on the lawn - iced tea, lemonade, cookies. Please join us for this enjoyable time of conversation and friendship with parishioners and visitors. And if you see someone you’ve not met before, introduce yourself! And we need refreshment hosts during the month of August. Please take a look at the

CONVENT CORNER
There’s More Than One Way to Join a Religious Community. The Community of St. John Baptist welcomes all who are interested in becoming Associates. If you'd like to find out what Associates do, and how to join our over 300-strong community of Associates, please contact the CSJB Superior, Sister Eleanor Francis at 973-543-4641 ext. 3 or email her at sref@csjb.org.

DIOCESAN NEWS
"Just in Time" Stewardship Workshop - Sat, Aug 3, 2019, 10:00am to 11:30am at Episcopal House, 31 Mulberry Street, Newark - Join us at 9:30 AM for networking, coffee and bagels. Program begins at 10 AM sharp. Cost: $5 per person. Join the diocesan Stewardship Teaching Team for this Workshop. It will provide you and your team with lots of techniques and practical steps to help get your Fall Pledge Campaign up and running right on time and with the best chance of success. This Workshop is ideal for Stewardship teams, Wardens and Vestry, Treasurers and Clergy, and anyone interested in the ministry of Stewardship. Spaces are limited. Don’t wait – register today! Questions? Please contact Cynthia McChesney at cmcchesney@dioceseofnewark.org or 973-430-9909.

PARISH CALENDAR
7/9   Finance Committee    Rath House, 7:30 pm
7/10 Bible Study                Rath House, 10:15 am
7/11 Eucharist & Healing    Church, 7:00 am    
       Creation Care             Rath House, 7:30 pm
7/13 Parish Work Day        Parking Lot, etc., 9am-12pm
For a full schedule of our buildings check the website calendar www.allsaintsmillington.org.

CHRISTIAN PRACTICES
Independence Day is a Prayer Book holy day. It is also the day in 1905 when the ground was broken for the building of All Saints’ Church, the first shovelfuls being during by Bishop Edwin Lines (pronounced Lin-ess) and Miss Mathilda Schumacher, the chairwoman of the mission’s Ways and means committee (pictured in the photo above).

Because our spiritual ancestors in colonial days belonged to the Church of England, after the Revolutionary War we needed to establish ourselves as a separate, but related church (the beginnings, in some ways, of the Anglican Communion). In 1788 the “Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States of America” was born; the first Prayer Book for the new church was published in 1789.

But prior to that was a proposed Prayer Book in 1786, which set aside “the Fourth day of July to offer thanksgiving for the inestimable blessings of Religious and Civil liberty.” Here is the proposed Collect for the Day:
“Almighty God, who hast in all ages shewed forth thy power and mercy in the wonderful preservation of thy church, and in the protection of every nation and people professing thy holy and eternal Truth, and putting their sure trust in thee; We yield thee our unfeigned thanks and praise for all thy public mercies, and more especially for that signal and wonderful manifestation of thy providence which we commemorate this day; Wherefore not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name be ascribed all honor and glory, in all churches of the Saints, from generation to generation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” ~ Proposed BCP, 1786

And in keeping with the colonial theme, here is a patriotic hymn by the New England composer William Billings. The timeliness and specificity of some of its lyrics may sound quite unusual to us today. It rivaled “Yankee Doodle” in popularity: https://youtu.be/t7S_07E-9CA

Blessings, Vicki+