Dear Friends in Christ,
There are several new items this week. Please take a look!

• Mind Your Mask
• Rummage Shoppe News
• Sunday 8 am, 10 am, 5 pm registration links, bulletins, and Zoom info
• Church Leader University offered by our Diocese
• Blessing of the Animals

Blessing of the Animals – Sunday, Oct. 4 is the Feast of St. Francis and our annual Blessing of the Animals at 5 pm. This year it will be held in the church parking lot to give us more room to spread out and will include a Celebration of Creation. It will take the place of our regular 5 pm Evening Prayer service. The reservation link for Blessing of the Animals will go out early next week. Bring your pet (on a leash or in a carrier for their comfort – or a photo of your pet – and come celebrate the goodness of God’s creation!

All Saints’ Rummage Shoppe – our first sale day was a great success! Thank you to all our volunteers. Thank you, also to everyone who donated. Look for the announcement of the next sale day. Tell your friends. Items are also being sold on-line here: https://www.facebook.com/AllSaintsRummageShoppe/ This is an on-going fund-raiser for All Saints’ ministries. Thank you to our Rummage Team for their creativity and resourcefulness!

Bible Study meets Wednesdays at 10:15 am. We are studying parts of the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament – a central part of our worship and prayer life. We meet via Zoom. If you would like to participate or want more information, please e-mail Mother Vicki at allsaints_rector@hotmail.com. 

Food Ministry – our Twelve Baskets food pantry serves families and individuals in the Long Hill Township area in several different ways. If you know a person or a family who is struggling to make ends meet and can use food assistance, please have them call the parish office 908-647-0067x4 and leave a secure message.

Diocese of Newark: Church Leader University, Saturday, Oct. 3 – this is a morning of workshops for parishioners and lay leaders that is offered to help equip people in their ministries. There are both “nuts & bolts” AND faith-development sessions. This is a free Zoom event, but you do have to register ahead of time. To look at the list of offerings and registration, click here:  https://dioceseofnewark.org/clu-fall-2020

Mind Your Mask - Important reminders for in-person worship and gatherings!

• Please remember to wear your mask and have it cover both your nose and mouth. Don’t remove it when you are speaking – that defeats the purpose of wearing a mask. Here’s a helpful phrase to remind yourself or someone else:      Mind Your Mask (with thanks to the London Underground for inspiration – Mind the Gap). If someone says that to you, they are respectfully asking you to adjust your mask.
• Stay at least 6 feet away from anyone you don’t live with, no matter how glad you are to see them.
• Doing these things will help to keep you, your families, our parishioners, and our community safe. Thank you!

Worship
1. In-person Worship:– Sunday 8 am Rite 1 Morning Prayer, Outdoors In-person in the Memorial Garden (weather permitting). Reservations are required here :  https://reopen.church/r/bloP83YN.  Bring a lawn chair, the copy of the service leaflet (attached to this e-mail or on the website www.allsaintsmillington.org) or your own Book of Common Prayer; wear your mask.
2. In-person Worship: Sunday 5 pm Evening Prayer Outdoors (weather permitting). Reservations required here:  https://reopen.church/r/bloP83YN.  We gather on the side lawn (between the Church and the parking lot). Bring a lawn chair, the copy of the service leaflet (on the website www.allsaintsmillington.org) or your own Book of Common Prayer, your mask, and maybe some bug spray.
3. If you are interested in attending in-person services, please read the guidelines on our website before making a reservation: http://www.allsaintsmillington.org/uploads/1/2/5/1/1251925/outdoor_worship_at_all_saints_gudelines.pdf . Our outdoor services will continue to adapt and evolve as we evaluate the experience. 
4. On-line Worship: Sunday 10 am Morning Prayer. We are pleased to have you join us on-line. Please e-mail allstsmill@hotmail.com for the Zoom credentials.

Christian Practices: For the Nation
Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. ~ Book of Common Prayer, p. 258

Blessings, Vicki+

Dear Friends in Christ,
There are several new items this week. Please take a look!

• New: Sunday 8 am In-person Outdoor Service start Sept. 20
  
• Rummage Shoppe Opens Sat., Sept. 19
• Sunday 10 am Zoom Worship
  
• Sunday 5 pm In-person Evening Prayer
  
• Parish Staff Updates and Thank You

Worship
1. In-person Worship: New – Sunday 8 am Rite 1 Morning Prayer, Outdoors In-person in the Memorial Garden. Reservations are required here :  https://reopen.church/r/bloP83YN.  Bring a lawn chair, the copy of the service leaflet ( on the website www.allsaintsmillington.org) or your own Book of Common Prayer; wear your mask.
2. In-person Worship: Sunday 5 pm Evening Prayer Outdoors (weather permitting), reservations required here:  https://reopen.church/r/bloP83YN.  We gather on the side lawn (between the Church and the parking lot). Bring a lawn chair, the copy of the service leaflet (on the website www.allsaintsmillington.org) or your own Book of Common Prayer, your mask, and maybe some bug spray.
3. If you are interested in attending in-person services, please read the guidelines on our website before making a reservation: http://www.allsaintsmillington.org/uploads/1/2/5/1/1251925/outdoor_worship_at_all_saints_gudelines.pdf . Our outdoor services will continue to adapt and evolve as we evaluate the experience. 
4. On-line Worship: Sunday 10 am Morning Prayer via Zoom. Please e-mail allstsmill@hotmail.com for the Zoom credentials.
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All Saints’ Rummage Shoppe – our shop is having its first sale day on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 9 am 12 noon in our Parish Hall. Make an appointment here (we can have 8 shoppers per hour) https://reopen.church/r/bloP83YN. Note – this is the same link we use to register for in-person worship; look for the Rummage Shoppe heading. Wear your mask. Tell your friends. Items are also being sold on-line here: https://www.facebook.com/AllSaintsRummageShoppe/ This is an on-going fund-raiser for All Saints’ ministries. Thank you to our Rummage Team for their creativity and resourcefulness!

Bible Study meets Wednesdays at 10:15 am. We are studying parts of the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament – a central part of our worship and prayer life. We meet via Zoom. If you would like to participate or want more information, please e-mail Mother Vicki at allsaints_rector@hotmail.com. 

Food Ministry – our Twelve Baskets food pantry serves families and individuals in the Long Hill Township area in several different ways: with donated food from the wider community, items we have been able to purchase in large quantity from the Community FoodBank of New Jersey (with financial support from ShopRite, the Elks, and individuals), and direct donations of produce and bakery from ShopRite. We have been supporting Vets in the Valley Brook apartments in Lyons and sharing with the Pop-Up Food Pantry at St. Bernard’s in Bernardsville. If you know a person or a family who is struggling to make ends meet and can use food assistance, please have them call the parish office 908-647-0067x4 and leave a secure message.

Diocese of Newark: Church Leader University, Saturday, Oct. 3 – this is a morning of workshops for parishioners and lay leaders that is offered to help equip people in their ministries. There are both “nuts & bolts” AND faith-development sessions. This is a free Zoom event, but you do have to register ahead of time. To look at the list of offerings and registration, click here:  https://dioceseofnewark.org/clu-fall-2020
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Parish Staff Updates & Thanks You – over the summer many folks have been able to get away (even in this COVID-time) or have at least spent time away from e-mail and on-line life in general, so you may not know how hard our part-time and volunteer parish staff have been working all summer:

Our Director of Music Alison Siener Brown has become our primary technology person for Sunday Zoom worship. She chooses, rehearses, and records music with members of our choirs. Setting up and editing virtual choir anthems takes time. On Sundays Alison sets up the computers for both the pre-recorded and live music, records the whole service, and then edits that video and posts it to You Tube, and she is actively investigating more ways to make music part of our worship in the present moment when live singing is so difficult.

During the regular program year Alison has continued to meet weekly over Zoom with the Adult Choir and the Junior Choir for both learning and fellowship. This fall the Junior Choir will be working on practicing (socially-distanced) handbell music, as well as choir anthems that can be recorded and played on Sunday mornings.

Alison has been a strong support for the nightly services of Compline on Facebook Live, taking her turn in both leading Compline and “live-texting” the service in the chat so people can follow along on the screen. She’s part of our newly created “Live Streaming Team” to help get our in-person worship to be streamed simultaneously.  Last spring Alison continued to convene the Narnia Book Group on Zoom, and we hope we can do another installment later in the fall.

Parish Administrator Susie Harris has continued in her regular roles in communications and overseeing our buildings – but now with lots of twists! The Sunday bulletins are produced electronically and e-mailed to the parish, as well as being posted on the website. The website is updated and refreshed on a regular basis. And there have been a number of parish-wide mailings to send out. While our regular Thursday morning “Office Angels” who volunteer folding bulletins and do other office projects have not been able to meet in person, Susie has been hosting a weekly Zoom call for fellowship and support to this group.

During the time that we have not had meetings or worship in our buildings, they still have needed to be cleaned, repairs have been made, and other maintenance attended to. Susie has coordinated all that. She has also supported some of our Sunday services on Zoom as an additional tech person. Over the summer Susie worked with the Rummage Team to move our Sale indoors and turn it into a Shoppe! That effort continues. She also fields calls to the Twelve Baskets Food Ministry and often connects with people in need.

Beginning in March Susie added to her responsibilities by preparing and depositing the bank deposit each week, coordinating with Cindy Retotar, who is entering all of our financial information into accounting system.

Father Shawn Carty, our volunteer Priest Associate, has taken a share of preaching and leading worship, especially during Holy Week and when Mother Vicki was on vacation this summer. As a member of the Finance Committee Shawn has been processing our bills and printing checks off the accounting system since March. He serves as the Chaplain at the House of the Good Shepherd long-term care facility in Hackettstown. That position had been part-time, but has now been expanded to full-time, making work-week travel to Millington difficult, so we will be looking for a volunteer to take on that ministry.

Alison, Susie, and Shawn have all worked very hard to keep our parish community together, functioning as well as possible under the circumstances, and doing it all in a prayerful, faithful way. Thank you!

Christian Practices: For Our Country
Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
~ Book of Common Prayer, p. 820

Blessings, Vicki+

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

• Sunday 10 am Zoom Worship Link & Bulletin Attachment
• Sunday 5 pm In-person Evening Prayer Reservation Link & Bulletin Attachment
• Shrine of St. Joseph 9-11 Service Cancelled
• Building Ventilation
• Lay Conversation with Bishop Hughes

Worship: Sunday 10 am Morning Prayer - please join us for worship and fellowship on Zoom. Prayers, Bible readings, sermon, and music. The service leaflet is on the homepage. To receive the Zoom credentials for log-in, please email allstsmill@hotmail.com. If you know someone in the parish or even a neighbor or friend who does not have a computer, smart phone, or tablet to get on-line, but would appreciate having an audio phone-link for the Sunday service, please share the number above with them.

Worship: Outdoor In-Person Service - Sunday 9/13 at 5 pm (weather permitting), reservations required here:  https://reopen.church/r/bloP83YN.  We gather on the side lawn (between the Church and the parking lot). Bring a lawn chair, the copy of the service leaflet (on the website www.allsaintsmillington.org) or your own Book of Common Prayer, your mask, and maybe some bug spray.
If you are interested in attending, please read the guidelines on our website (http://www.allsaintsmillington.org/uploads/1/2/5/1/1251925/outdoor_worship_at_all_saints_gudelines.pdf) before making a reservation. Our outdoor worship will continue to adapt and evolve as we evaluate the experience. 

Buildings & Grounds: Ventilation – since June scientists and public health doctors have learned a great deal more about the corona virus and the way it behaves and spreads. What we have learned is that good ventilation and fresh air in indoor spaces (along with wearing masks, physical distancing, limiting time spent indoors with others, avoiding crowded spaces, and good hand hygiene) is crucial to reducing the risk of the virus’ airborne/aerosolized transmission. We will be talking with HVAC professionals and our diocesan Property Manger about how to best ventilate our Church and Parish House so that the level of viral risk will be as low as possible. As we head into colder weather, this will be particularly important. Please pray for God’s wisdom and guidance for All Saints’ in this.

All Saints Rummage: Pop-up Thrift Store – Thank you to everyone who has been working so hard to make this come together. To donate, make an appointment with Kimberly Celeste celestewk@msn.com or Bonnie Stocker bstocker44@me.com. Please let your friends and neighbors know. We’ll be ready to go live in person (by appointment) and on-line soon! Thank you to our Rummage Team for their creativity and resourcefulness!

Sunday School/Family Faith Formation – since kids can’t yet come to Sunday School, Sunday School materials are coming to you! Activity sheets connected to each Sunday’s Bible readings have been mailed home for each child in the family. This is a great opportunity for parents and kids to talk together about Scripture readings and the way they intersect with our faith and our daily lives.

Bible Study meets Wednesdays at 10:15 am. We are studying parts of the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament – a central part of our worship and prayer life. If you haven’t been part of Bible study before, we’re always happy to have new people join us. We meet via Zoom. If you would like to participate or want more information, please e-mail Mother Vicki at allsaints_rector@hotmail.com. 

Food Ministry – our Twelve Baskets food pantry has been in full swing this summer. We have been serving families and individuals in the Long Hill Township area in several different ways: with donated food from the wider community, items we have been able to purchase in large quantity from the Community FoodBank of New Jersey (with financial support from ShopRite, the Elks, and individuals), and direct donations of produce and bakery from ShopRite. In particular, we have some volunteers who have been making meal kits each week for the Vets in the Valley Brook apartments in Lyons, as well supplying them with basic items. Some of our FoodBank deliveries have been shared with the Pop-Up Food Pantry at St. Bernard’s in Bernardsville. Our reach has even extended to the Community of St. John Baptist. The Sisters’ income has been severely curtailed because they have not been able to open their Retreat House for guests and programs. Thank you to everyone who is a part of this much-needed ministry!

Diocese of Newark: Lay Conversation with Bishop Hughes - On Thursday, September 17 at 6 PM our diocese will hold the monthly Lay Conversation with Bishop Hughes. Scheduled for 90 minutes, this Zoom conversation is open to all members of the diocese. Bishop Hughes is eager to once again spend time in conversation with lay folk, to reflect and consider what we, our churches, and our communities have learned and experienced as we have adjusted to the changes this time has demanded of us.
An email invitation will be sent Monday, September 14 to recipients of The VOICE Online with sign-in instructions for this Zoom meeting. To subscribe to The Voice Online, click here. The link will also be sent out from our Parish Office.

Wider Community: Tonight - The Shrine of St. Joseph on Long Hill Road in Stirling has cancelled their annual September 11 Memorial Service for this year. However, the public is invited to pay their respects individually on this nineteenth anniversary of the terror attacks. There will be a small interfaith ceremony without audience/congregation. Mother Vicki will participate as the Christian representative in this event. The Tower of Remembrance is a place where everyone can reflect on the sacredness of lives remembered. The 35-foot Tower Memorial is dedicated to the memory of all those who lost their lives on 9/11. This Tower, emerging from the rubble of violence, reminds us that in God there is hope; that as we remember, we heal.

Christian Practices: A Prayer on September 11th
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen. ~  A Prayer for the Human Family, BCP, p. 815

Blessings, Vicki+

Dear Friends in Christ,
A Happy Labor Day weekend to you all! This Sunday is the first Sunday of the month, and we will be adding birthday and anniversary prayers back into our worship – at both 10 am and 5 pm. If you have a birthday or some other special anniversary in September, please join us for a special prayer. Also, at this week’s 5 pm service we’ll have a Blessing of the Backpacks for students and teachers. Whether you will be going to school in-person, virtually, or in some hybrid plan, come and have your school bag and yourself blessed!
Here are this week’s announcements, especially:

• Sunday Worship Link & Bulletin Attachment
• Sunday In-person Evening Prayer & Registration Link
• Rummage/Thrift Pop-up Shop
• Food Ministry
• Family Faith Formation

Worship: Sunday 10 am Morning Prayer. You are invited to join us on Zoom. Please send an e-mail to allstsmill@hotmail.com and we will be happy to send you the log-in. If you know someone in the parish or even a neighbor or friend who does not have a computer, smart phone, or tablet to get on-line, but would appreciate having an audio phone-link for the Sunday service, please share the number above with them.

Worship: Outdoor In-Person Service - Sunday 9/6 at 5 pm (weather permitting), reservations required. We gather on the side lawn (between the Church and the parking lot). Bring a lawn chair, the copy of the service leaflet (on the website www.allsaintsmillington.org) or your own Book of Common Prayer, your mask, and maybe some bug spray.

If you are interested in attending, please read the guidelines on our website (http://www.allsaintsmillington.org/uploads/1/2/5/1/1251925/outdoor_worship_at_all_saints_gudelines.pdf) before making a reservation here: https://reopen.church/r/bloP83YN. Our outdoor worship will continue to adapt and evolve as we evaluate the experience.  And of course, we look forward to the time in the future when we can all gather for worship as a parish in person and safely!

Worship: Compline & Livestreaming – some of you join us for our daily time of prayer on Facebook Live each evening at 9:30 pm. It has developed into a wonderful community of prayer and support, both for parishioners and for those far from our community. We know that part of our next steps as a parish is to be able to reliably livestream worship from the Church building for those who must remain at home, even once we are ready to have a congregation in the building (current state guidelines are for 25% capacity). To move in that direction, we have a new livestreaming camera, and we gave it a test run this past week by streaming Compline in the Church, rather than at home. The video is posted to our website and the parish YouTube Channel; take a look! https://youtu.be/Hx9xkp0D6cc

All Saints Rummage: Pop-up Thrift Store – our thrift shop is in full swing with receiving items, sorting, and pricing in the Parish Hall. Thank you to everyone who has been working so hard to make this come together. To donate, make an appointment with Kimberly Celeste celestewk@msn.com or Bonnie Stocker bstocker44@me.com. Please let your friends and neighbors know. We’ll be ready to go live in person (by appointment) and on-line soon! Thank you to our Rummage Team for their creativity and resourcefulness!

Sunday School/Family Faith Formation – since kids can’t yet come to Sunday School, Sunday School materials are coming to you! Activity sheets connected to each Sunday’s Bible readings have been mailed home for each child in the family. This is a great opportunity for parents and kids to talk together about Scripture readings and the way they intersect with our faith and our daily lives.

Bible Study meets Wednesdays at 10:15 am. We are studying parts of the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament – a central part of our worship and prayer life. If you haven’t been part of Bible study before, we’re always happy to have new people join us. We meet via Zoom. If you would like to participate or want more information, please e-mail Mother Vicki at allsaints_rector@hotmail.com.  

Food Ministry – our Twelve Baskets food pantry has been in full swing this summer. We have been serving families and individuals in the Long Hill Township area in several different ways: with donated food from the wider community, items we have been able to purchase in large quantity from the Community FoodBank of New Jersey (with financial support from ShopRite, the Elks, and individuals), and direct donations of produce and bakery from ShopRite. In particular, we have some volunteers who have been making meal kits each week for the Vets in the Valley Brook apartments in Lyons, as well supplying them with basic items. Some of our FoodBank deliveries have been shared with the Pop-Up Food Pantry at St. Bernard’s in Bernardsville. Our reach has even extended to the Community of St. John Baptist. The Sisters’ income has been severely curtailed because they have not been able to open their Retreat House for guests and programs. Thank you to everyone who is a part of this much-needed ministry!

Christian Practices: A Prayer for Labor Day
Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ in his earthly life
shared our toil and hallowed our labor: Be present with your
people where they work; make those who carry on the industries
and commerce of this land responsive to your will; and give
to us all a pride in what we do, and a just return for our labor;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
~ A Collect for Commerce and Industry, BCP, p. 259

Blessings, Vicki+