This Week @ All Saints’
January 5, 2012

Dear Friends in Christ,
Tomorrow brings the end of the Christmas season on the Feast of the Epiphany – the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. That means Sunday is our annual commemoration of the Baptism of our Lord.  We’ll renew our baptismal vows at both services, always a good thing to do at the start of a new year.  I hope and pray that you had a happy and peaceful Christmas and that the 2012 will be a time of blessing, and growth in faith, trust, fellowship, and an appreciation of the gift you are.
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Epiphany Service, January 6, 5:30 pm, tomorrow –  Three Kings, candlelight, Communion – supper and  piñata at 6 pm.  Hope to see you all there!

College Students are invited for a brunch/lunch outing on Sunday, January 8.  Reconnect with fellow All Saints’ folks before your new semester starts.  We’ll meet in the Parish Hall at 11:30 am and then go to a local diner.  RSVP to Mother Vicki at allstsmill@hotmail.com or text (973) 886-4119. 

Coffee Hour Hosts are needed for this Sunday; if you can host this week please respond to this e-mail. There are also many other available slots in 2012.  Coffee Hour (which is neither only coffee, nor an hour long!) is a major time of friendship, fellowship and community building at All Saints’. Please, lend a hand with this ministry; you can sign-up on the sheet in the Narthex. If you want to know more about it, speak to John McGrath.

Are you an artist?  Do you appreciate and enjoy the visual arts?  All Saints’ is gathering a group of people to explore the role of visual arts in our church and in our wider community.  If you’d like to be part of the conversation, please speak to Nancy Mink, Mother Vicki or contact the parish office – 908-647-0067, allstsmill@hotmail.com.

Come play BUNCO on Friday, January 20!This is a fun, and EASY dice game. $20 donation to play.Gather a table of four, eight, twelve…..or come solo! We are planning on 36 players, so the space is limited! Email Nancy Mink to reserve a place: mink88@verizon.net

The Bible Study group meets Wednesdays from 10:15-11:30 am in the Narthex.  What do we do in Bible study?  We read together, ask questions, laugh a lot, disagree, learn some new things, share our opinions and experiences, and remain open to what God wants to teach us and how we might grow in faith and life.  No prior Bible study experience or knowledge is needed! We are currently finishing up a study of the Gospel of Matthew and then the group will decide which book to tackle next.  We’d love to have you on board. Questions?  Speak to Joyce Kulzer or Mother Vicki.

Curious about the Episcopal Church – what it stands for, how it expresses Christian faith, its history and organization?  Interested in being confirmed or formally received into the Church from another Christian tradition?  Been a member of All Saints’ for a long time and want to refresh what you know about your faith?  You are invited to be part of the Inquirer’s Class for adults that will be starting in February.  Please speak to one of the clergy if you would like to know more.

All Saints’on Facebook – check out our Facebook page; we’ve posted the photos from Beth’s ordination there. Thanks, Roger Mederos for your wonderful pictures! Even if you don’t have a FB account you can get to our page from our parish website: www.allsaintsmillington.org. 

Community of St. John Baptist Epiphany Party – the Sisters of CSJB invite all of you to their annual Epiphany party at the Convent in Mendham on Sunday, January 8 at 7:30 pm.  Bring a dessert to share and your singing voice (and listening ears) for fun, fellowship and carol singing!

Children’s Offering Envelopes for 2012 are available to be picked up in the Narthex on Sunday.  There are also envelopes for adults still waiting to be picked up. If you requested envelopes and do not see them there, please call the office and we can supply you with them.

Annual Parish Meeting will be Sunday, January 22 after the 10 am service in the Parish House.  Plan to be a part of this important event in your parish. Babysitting will be available.

Food for Friends - As a Morris County church, All Saints’ sends food to Food for Friends, the emergency food pantry at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Dover.  Food for Friends serves those in need regardless of religious affiliation.  Our donations are the main source of food for this organization.  Please remember to bring a can or two to every service; it greatly helps to those in need.

And save the date – February 5 – for the “Souper Bowl”, sponsored by the Rite-13 class.  More info to come….

Remember to bring in your printer & copier toner and inkjet cartridges! In 2011, we earned $220 in credit at Staples. (Last year we earned $432!) Staples will pay up to $480/year. Your contributions help reduce our office supply budget. Please remember to bring them in and drop them off in the Narthex. Thanks, Susie Harris.
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We often say that stewardship has three parts: time, talent and treasure. But often all we focus on is treasure, and maybe time.  So what about talent?  Here are three questions to consider:
1) What are your talents and strengths?
2) What do you love to do?
3) If time and money were no object, what would you do for God?
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A New Year’s Prayer
May God make your year a happy one!
Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain,
But by strengthening you to bear it, as it comes;
Not by making your path easy,
But by making you sturdy to travel any path;
Not by taking hardships from you,
But by taking fear from your heart;
Not by granting you unbroken sunshine,
But by keeping your face bright, even in the shadows;
Not by making your life always pleasant,
But by showing you when people and their causes need you most,
     and by making you anxious to be there to help.
God’s love, peace, hope and joy to you for the year ahead.
                       ~ Anonymous
Blessings,
Vicki+

Dear Friends in Christ,

This weekend is the unofficial start of summer, with barbecues, parades, yard work and sports tournaments.  I hope that it will be the start of a season of relaxation and renewal for you and your family.  But it is also more than that.  Monday is Memorial Day, a time to remember with gratitude all those who have given their lives in service of our country; and to honor all that is best in our ideals of freedom, equality, fair play and the common good.

Sunday is the Sixth Sunday of Easter: Rogation Sunday, the time we particularly ask for God’s blessings on gardens and fields.  We’ll mark this day at the 10 am service with a Rogation Procession to the Memorial Garden with prayers, canticles and hymns (being the 5th Sunday of the month the service is Morning Prayer).  This tradition started in the early Middle Ages after a series of natural disasters that caused much suffering.  In an effort to start anew, the people and clergy went out into the farm fields to pray for God’s blessing on the spring planting in hopes of better times to come.  Remembering these roots seems particularly fitting in light of the tsumani, floods and tornados of the past months.  Another aspect of the Rogation processions was to walk the bounds of the parish and resolve any property boundary disputes that had arisen – all within the context of Christian community. We are then reminded how important it is to have good boundaries (emotional and physical) and to be in right relationship with others (our neighbors, co-workers, family members, fellow parishioners).  So an ancient tradition has much to teach us!

And thank you to everyone who has already made a contribution to our Parking Lot Challenge.  We’ve had good support from many of our neighbors and building users but we are not at our goal yet.  Every contribution helps and is valued.  The deadline for the matching grant is June 30, so if you are able to participate, please send you card in soon.  We’d love to have every parish household on board!

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Ascension Day is Thursday, June 2.  We will celebrate this day marking Christ’s ascension in two ways:  a 7:00 am Eucharist and a 7:00 pm Evensong.  The Eucharist will include an opportunity for healing prayer, and a light breakfast is available afterwards.  Evensong will be the traditional Prayer Book service, with lots of congregational singing.  Either way, come worship and reflect on this important day in our spiritual calendar.

Family Service, Sunday School Certificates and Communion Class Recognition – June 5. All kids and teachers who have been part of our Sunday School this year will receive certificates at the 10 am service.  The children who have been part of this year’s Communion Class will also be recognized as having completed an important step in their Christian education. They will then be honored with a cake at coffee hour.  Plus our choirs will model their new choir tee shirts!

Parish Picnic – June 12,12 noon at the home of Babrabar and Tim Erday, 1 William Penn Road, Warren.  We’ll provide hot dogs, hamburgers and rolls. You bring salads/side dish, drinks or dessert; also a bathing suit and towel. This is an event for all ages.  Sign up and plan to be part of the fun!

Beth’s Ordination as a Deacon – June 4!  Our seminarian Beth Sciaino will be ordained as a transitional deacon (last step before priesthood) on June 4 at 10 am in Trinity and St. Phillip’s Cathedral, Military Park on Broad Street in Newark – and we are all invited.  Plan to come and support Beth – and wear something red! The next day will be Beth’s first time to function as a deacon in our worship.  Be on hand to offer your congratulations.

Pentecost Pageant - June 12.  Calling all kids Pre-K through Grade 8!  Be part of our annual Pentecost Pageant. There will be two rehearsals: Thursday, June 9 @ 4:30 pm, and Sunday, June 12 @ 9 am.  If you can only come to the Sunday rehearsal, fear not- we will still be able to include you.  Sign up on the sheet in the Narthex, or respond to this e-mail.  This is a great way to celebrate this important day in the life of the Church.

Diocesan Lifetime Achievement Award – This year’s honoree from All Saints’ is Bill Smullen.  The award Evensong will be on June 12, 4 pm at St. Peter’s, Morristown (preceded by a reception at 3 pm).  Come and support Bill and offer your thanks for all he has done over the years for All Saints’.

Car Wash – June 18, 9 am -12 noon.  This fundraiser is part of our Parking Lot Challenge.  We’ll need lots of helpers on the day (especially high school/middle school kids).  Please sign up on the sheet in the Narthex.  We also need donations of old towels; they can be left in the basket in the Narthex.  Questions?  Speak with Jackie Sullivan or Roger Kosempel.

Christian Arts Camp – June 27-July 1, 9 am-12 noon, for children age 4-Grade 4.  Arts and crafts, music, drama/games, snacks, Bible stories.  Theme for the week is “Fruits of the Spirit.”  Cost is $40 per child; $35 for 2 or more children per family.  We’ll also need teen and adult volunteers.  Questions?  Speak to Dr. Jody or Mother Vicki.

Summer Saints Musical Theater – July 11-15, 9 am-2 pm, for kids Grades 5-9 (completed).  Singing, acting, props, making costumes and sets for a production of “Table for 5000.” The cost is $60 for the week and includes lunch.  There is a $10 discount for kids who volunteer to help with Christian Arts Camp.  Participation is limited to the first 25 sign-ups. Dr. Jody will direct the program and can answer any questions you have.
Registration forms for both programs are on-line at www.allsaintsmillington.org and paper copies are available in the Narthex.

Thanks to Nancy Mink, Wendy DiSarno, Stelle Kuehne and Jean Kimak for a great night of socializing and Bunco!  We raised about $1000 and brought in lots of folks from outside the parish.  Come and play with us next time!   

Women's Book Group, July 20that 7:30 in the Rath House.  The next book we’ll read is Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.  Come for an evening of good conversation and fellowship.

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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.  (Book of Common Prayer, page 488)

Blessings,
Vicki McGrath+