Happy Easter! Alleluia. Christ is risen! Thank you to everyone who came out for worship during Holy Week and Easter. Besides exercising your faith and giving praise to God, you were also here to welcome and support all our visitors and guests – a true act of spiritual hospitality. And to those of you who were traveling during the weekend, I hope that your celebrations were blessed and that your travel was safe and refreshing…and we are glad you are home again!
Please take a look at the announcements below, as well as the link to the Voice On-line: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs057/1102692382496/archive/1109728649878.html
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Thank You to everyone who made our Holy Week and Easter services so wonderful: Dr. Jody and the choirs, Altar Guild, LEMs, Lectors, Acolytes, Ushers, worshippers, office staff and volunteers, the kids and adults who made our parking lot banners, and special thanks to Carol Berry for her lovely watercolor painting which appeared on the cover of our Easter Day bulletins and is currently on our website. It is also displayed in Church near the baptismal font. Come and see! And a reminder…sermons from Sunday services are posted on the website: go to “Who We Are”, then “Clergy and Staff” and the sermon tab will slide out.
Children’s Eucharist Instruction Class for kids in Grades 1 or 2 will meet on Mondays: April 16, 23 and 30 at 4 pm with Mother Vicki in the Rath House. Parents who want their kids to participate in learning more about our central act of worship and the sacrament of Communion should e-mail the parish office.
Women’s Book Group will meet on Wednesday, April 18th at 7:30 pm in the Rath House. The book for this month is The Dream by Harry Bernstein.
GreenFaith’s Residential Solar Energy Event will be in the held Parish Hall on Sunday, April 29 from 12:30-3:30 pm. It takes 15 minutes. For each home that qualifies and installs panels, All Saints’ will receive $200! The panels and installation are free to the homeowner.You reduces you energy costs, help the environment, and All Saints’ raises some funds! It is a win-win for all! You can sign-up on the sheet in the Narthex to reserve a time on April 29 to have your home assessed via Google Earth; we also take walk-ins. Please pass this along to your friends and neighbors. Questions? Speak with Mother Vicki or call the office (908) 647-0067.
Confirmation - The youth and adults to be confirmed by Bishop Beckwith on May 6 in Newark will be formally sent forth with our prayers and blessing at the 10 am service on April 29. They will then be honored in the 10 am service and at coffee hour on May 13, and given their Prayer Books. Please be on hand for these events which are so important in the life of our parish young people and adults. And please keep them in your prayers!
Argyle’s Fish ‘n Chips – Thursday, May 3, from 5:30–7:30 pm
Eat in or take out! $15 for adults, $8 for kids. Tell your friends and bring your neighbors for a good time with the greater Long Hill Township community. Order your tickets today! You can drop your orders in the offering plate. We’ll need help with selling tickets, setting up, baking desserts, and serving. Please sign up to help out as you can. Thank you! Suzanne Traub & Betsy Wallace
Mite Boxes and Easter Offerings – If you and your family were away on Easter Day and your child has been collecting coins for Episcopal Relief and Development in his or her Lenten Mite Box they can be returned this Sunday. These funds will go to buy medicine for babies and mothers in various needy parts of the world. Also, if you had intended to make a special Easter contribution and were away, those donations can still be put in the offering plate (marked “Easter”) or dropped off to the Parish Office. Thank you!
Lost Boy Scout Flags – Has anyone seen Boy Scout and American flags that were stored in soft material bags? They belong to Troop 56 and were left here after a troop meeting several weeks ago. If you know of their whereabouts, please contact Susie in the Parish Office. Thanks!
Remembering former Rector Al Salt – The Rev. Alfred L. Salt was Rector here at All Saints’ from 1972-1993. In retirement he has assisted in parishes in Michigan and Florida. On April 29th Al will celebrate the 60th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. St. Mary’s Church in Bonita Springs, FL is hosting an event for him on that day and has asked us for our prayers and greetings. Messages to be shared with Al can be sent to: St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, PO Box 1923, Bonita Springs, FL 34133. St. Mary’s is also creating an endowment fund in Al’s honor to support parish ministries. Contributions to this fund may be sent to the same address.
Diocesan Outreach Effort - Make a difference in honor of Father's Day at a Habitat build. Wouldn’t it be cool to spend the day before Father's Day working in honor of your father by making the world a better place for another family? Saturday, June 16, 2012 will be the first annual diocesan multi-county build day of outreach, providing helping hands to Habitat projects in several of the counties in our diocese. So far there are two projects in Essex County, two in Morris County and one each in Bergen and Sussex Counties. Each project has need of about ten people. Be part of this exhilarating day helping to make the dream of home ownership come true for a family in your area -- sign up to join using the online registration form: http://www.dioceseofnewark.org/form/habitat-build-day-2012 :
For more information about this event, please contact Joe Stewart at JStewartIV@aol.com
Stewardship – Abundance or Scarcity?
People with a scarcity mentality tend to see everything in terms of win-lose. There is only so much; and if someone else has it, that means there will be less for me. The more principle-centered we become, the more we develop an abundance mentality, the more we are genuinely happy for the successes, well-being, achievements, recognition, and good fortune of other people. We believe their success adds to rather than detracts from our lives.
~ Stephen R. Covey
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All People Lifted Up with Jesus
The death and resurrection of Jesus are God’s way to open for all people the door to eternal life. Jesus said, “When I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all people to myself” (John 12:32). Indeed, all people, from all times and places, are lifted up with Jesus on the cross and into the new life of the resurrection. Thus, Jesus’ death is a death for all humanity, and Jesus’ resurrection is a resurrection for all humanity.
Not one person from the past, present, or future is excluded from the great passage of Jesus from slavery to freedom, from the land of captivity to the promised land, from death to eternal life.
~ Henri J. M. Nouwen (1932-1996), Dutch Roman Catholic priest, writer, spiritual teacher, pastor to the L’Abri Community for developmentally disabled adults.
Blessings,
Vicki McGrath+