Dear Friends in Christ,
This week’s announcements are below. Please look particularly at:
Summer Choir – Worship & Music
Food Pantry – Helping Hands
Confirmation Classes, for teens & adults – Christian Formation
Small Saints Choir (new) & Junior Choir – Worship & Music: Music for Kids
Rummage Sale – Fun & Fundraising
+ + + + + + + + +
This coming week (from Sunday afternoon 7/19 through Sunday evening 7/26) the Rector is at the Royal School of Church Music Summer Course in Wilkes Barre, PA (aka choir camp) serving as Chaplain. She is available by cell phone if needed and by e-mail which will be checked once a day. Pastoral emergencies will be covered by the Rev. Shawn Carty from St. Mark’s, Mendham. On July 26 we’ll have a guest preacher and celebrant, the Rev. Derek Darves-Bornoz. Originally from Montreal, Canada, Father Derek is the Manager for Church Research at the Church Pension Group New York. He is an avid cyclist and runner. Please welcome him!
Mother Vicki will be back in the office on July 27 &28 before starting her summer vacation.
+ + + + + + + +
WORSHIP and MUSIC
Summer Choir – This Sunday, July 19 & August 30. Show up at 9:15 am to rehearse the anthem and then sing for the 10 am service. This will be a great time to “try on” choir – either for the day or as an intro to next fall. Adult Choir is open to the community. We rehearse Thursdays at 7:30 pm and sing Sundays at 10 am and would love to have you sing with us.
Interested? Please speak to Alison Siener Brown.
Music for Kids – as you look to September, please keep these opportunities in mind for your children:
Junior Choir, Grade 2 and older, Thursdays 5:15 – 6:30 pm
Small Saints Choir, K/Grade 1, Thursdays 5:15 -5:45 pm ***NEW***
Both groups learn the basics of music and singing through games, activities, instruments and songs. They become part of a supportive community, make friends, and have fun.
Junior Choir sings at the 10 am Sunday service weekly.
Small Saints Choir sings at 10 am once a month.
The choir program starts on September 10 and meets in the Choir Room (lower level of the Church). Small Saints singers can be supervised until 6:30 pm if they have older siblings in Junior Choir.
Musikgarten classes for children from birth through age 8 are also available at All Saints’ under the auspices of Music in the Somerset Hills. They are taught by Alison Siener Brown. For classes, registration, and fees, please go to http://musicsh.org/musikgarten/
Sunday Child Care - Children are always welcome in worship, but if they (or you) need a break, child care is available in the Nursery in the Church Undercroft (downstairs) during the 10 am service. The summer Nursery staff schedule is posted on the door. There are toys, books, games, etc. in a warm and caring environment.
Acolytes Needed to assist with Sunday worship. High School and Middle School students who are interested in serving in this ministry should speak to Janice Lettieri.
FUN & FUNDRAISING
The Rummage Sale is coming! Collection starts on Sunday, August 2, 11:30-2 pm in the Parish Hall. Please bring your good, clean, useable items: toys, kitchen wares, boutique items, lawn & garden, tools, furniture, small electronics, lamps, linens & bedding, etc. What don’t we take? Tube TVs, cribs, tires, books for grown-ups, clothes/shoes, anything that is broken and belongs in the trash! and we need help in the following areas:
HELPING HANDS
Food for Friends Pantry at St. John’s, Dover continues to serve hungry people all summer long – especially when kids are out of school and not receiving school breakfast and lunch. Thanks for your help in feeding hungry people!
We are expanding our food pantry ministry, becoming a partner agency with the Community Food Bank of New Jersey (CFBNJ). This will take two forms: assembling single meal take-out bags for the homeless, as well as increasing our pantry staples donations for people who have housing in Dover – a very under-served area.
The contents of the take-out bags (for example: can of stew with a pop-top, granola bar, bottle of water, napkin, spoon/fork, pop-top can of fruit, etc.) will be stored in the closet in the Parish House Coat Room and then assembled at All Saints’ by parishioners, then transported to St. John’s for distribution. Thank you to Roger Mederos and Steve Liesch for clearing out this closet, and to Jane Hayden for taking out the old particle board cubbies and getting it ready for steel shelving.
Soon we will also be able to take cash donations to buy staples in bulk from CFBNJ for $.09-$.13 a pound – some for the take-out bags, and some for the residential pantry at St. John’s. Currently 90 individuals and families are being served each month (through the pantry directly and through referrals from North Porch at St. John’s). That is the current limit of hat the pantry can do because the supplies are limited each month. A greater volume of food will reach more people. Look for more information soon about when this will start and how it will work.
In the meantime, we thank you for your continuing donations of non-perishable food each week.
Family Promise Homeless Shelter – is the Morris County program for homeless families and individuals that is hosted and served by houses of worship in many different communities. Family Promise works to keep children in their original schools, keep families together, and give adults job training and support, as well as help with finding a place to live and funds for a rental deposit. Three times a year the shelter is hosted at Trinity House/Shrine of St. Joseph, and All Saints’ is one of the support congregations. Many of our parishioners find this to be a rewarding and effective ministry. Our next opportunity to serve will be in November. Watch for e-mails and bulletin announcements to volunteer. Interested? Speak to Kathy Pfeil.
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Sunday School for age 3 through 8th grade starts again on September 13. You can pick up a Sunday School registration form and preliminary schedule on the table in the Narthex. We always need volunteer teachers and helpers. For more info e-mail the parish office: allstsmill@hotmail.com.
Confirmation Class for youth in Grades 9 & 10 will begin in October and meet two Sundays a month after coffee hour (most likely on the 2nd and 4th Sundays). The class will be taught by Mother Vicki. The service of Confirmation will then take place in April at the Cathedral in Newark. Older teens who have not yet been Confirmed may also be included in this class. More information will be coming at the end of August.
Adults wishing to be Confirmed or formally Received into the Episcopal Church by Bishop Beckwith next April should let Mother Vicki know of their interest and a group will be formed to meet several times in preparation for the rite.
Bible Study is taking a summer break. We’ll be back August 26 at 10:15 am in the Rath House. The book we are using a book to guide our study is: Bible Women, All Their Words and Why They Matter, by Lindsay Hardin Freeman. We’ll be discussing Chapters 5 & 6 next time. And we are always happy to have new people join us at any time.
Women's Book Group is on break for August. We’ll meet again September 16. The book for discussion will be All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr.
EVENTS
Save the Date! Sunday, September 13, for the Welcome Sunday Hot Dog Picnic. There’s a sign-up sheet in the Narthex to let us know you are coming and what you can bring.
Sunday School Ice Cream Social, Fri. Sept. 11@7 pm. This is a fun event to get together with friends, classmates and teachers before Sunday School begins. There’s a sign-up sheet in the Narthex. Friends are welcome, too!
Thanks to everyone who came out for the Parish Baseball Outing last week and to Greg Story for organizing it. We had a great time!
BUILDINGS & GROUNDS
Coat Room – for his Eagle project Sam Litra will turn the old Nursery School office/storage room into a coat room with storage. Thank you to Steve Liesch and Roger Mederos for emptying the room so it is ready for Sam and his crew to start.
Lighting and Fans – over the summer we’ve been making some repairs and upgrades to our lighting, both indoors and out. Broken and deteriorating fixtures have been replaced; LED bulbs have been swapped out for incandescent bulbs, especially in the Church, along with new LED dimmer switches (coming next week); motion sensor lights have been put into some of the bathrooms. The LED lights will cut down on the cost of our electricity.
There have been some challenges with our wiring – the original part of the Church is 110 years old; the Parish House is getting close to 60 years old, and while it is safe, not all of the wiring follows a rational plan, but we’ve done pretty well. We’ve also installed some new ceiling fans in the Church that replace the noisy, worn out ones. A great deal of the labor has been done by a community volunteer, and some of it by a paid electrician. The Vestry is also considering upgrading the lighting in the Parish Hall – both to make it more energy efficient, and to make the room more attractive. While none of these are big changes, they are all improvements that will benefit everyone who uses our buildings.
Rath House – the living room in the Rath House has new ceiling fixtures to replace the broken overhead lights, and a ceiling fan (for the first time) that has been keeping our staff and office volunteers, as well as Bible study, Vestry, etc., cool and comfortable while cutting down on the need to run the air conditioning. Thanks to Bill Smullen for this installation.
+ + + + + + + + +
PARISH CALENDAR
Summer Schedule The Rector’s vacation runs from July 29-August 25; she’ll be back in the office on August 26.
During that time, pastoral emergencies will be covered by the Rev. Paul Olsson from St. Paul’s, Morris Plains. If you have other concerns please call the Wardens Jackie Sullivan or Greg Story.
The Sunday worship schedule for August is as follows:
8/2 Holy Eucharist, 8 am & 10 am
8/9 Morning Prayer, 8 am & 10 am Choral Quartet
8/16 Holy Eucharist, 8 am & 10 am
8/23 Morning Prayer, 8 am & 10 am Choral Quartet
8/30 Holy Eucharist, 8 am & 10 am Mother Vicki back; Summer Choir
The Rev. Stephen Galleher will be our guest celebrant and preacher on August 2 & 16. Fr. Galleher has been at All Saints’ in the summer for quite a number of years. Please welcome him!
Staff Summer Office Hours are as follows:
Molly Faerber (Book Keeper)
Thursdays 7/23, 7/30, 8/6, 8/13, 8/20; 10 am-12 noon
Susie Harris (Parish Administrator)
Mondays 7/20, 7/27, 8/17, 8/24, 8/31; 9:30-3:30
Thursdays 7/23, 8/20, 8/27; 9:30-3:30
~ on vacation 7/30-8/15
Alison Siener Brown (Director of Music)
No set office hours, available by phone, e-mail.
~ on vacation 7/28-8/9
FOR ALL THE SAINTS
July 22, Saint Mary Magdalene
“Mary of Magdala near Capernaum was one of several women who followed Jesus and ministered to him in Galilee. The Gospel according to Luke records that Jesus “went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out ...” (Luke 8:1–2). The Gospels tell us that Mary was healed by Jesus, followed him, and was one of those who stood near his cross at Calvary.
It is clear that Mary Magdalene’s life was radically changed by Jesus’ healing. Her ministry of service and steadfast companionship, even as a witness to the crucifixion, has, through the centuries, been an example of the faithful ministry of women to Christ. All four Gospels name Mary as one of the women who went to the tomb to mourn and to care for Jesus’ body. Her weeping for the loss of her Lord strikes a common chord with the grief of all others over the death of loved ones. Jesus’ tender response to her grief—meeting her in the garden, revealing himself to her by calling her name—makes her the first witness to the risen Lord. She is given the command, “Go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (John 20:17). As the first messenger of the resurrection, she tells the disciples, “I have seen the Lord” (John 20:18).
In the tradition of the Eastern Church, Mary is regarded as the equal of an apostle; and she is held in veneration as the patron saint of the great cluster of monasteries on Mount Athos” ~ Holy Women, Holy Men
Question for reflection: How has your life been changed or healed by Christ? How has that affected the way your respond to other people?
+ + + + + + + + +
A Prayer of an Unknown Confederate Soldier
I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy;
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life;
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for,
but everything that I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered;
I am among all men, most richly blessed.
Blessings,
Vicki+
This week’s announcements are below. Please look particularly at:
Summer Choir – Worship & Music
Food Pantry – Helping Hands
Confirmation Classes, for teens & adults – Christian Formation
Small Saints Choir (new) & Junior Choir – Worship & Music: Music for Kids
Rummage Sale – Fun & Fundraising
+ + + + + + + + +
This coming week (from Sunday afternoon 7/19 through Sunday evening 7/26) the Rector is at the Royal School of Church Music Summer Course in Wilkes Barre, PA (aka choir camp) serving as Chaplain. She is available by cell phone if needed and by e-mail which will be checked once a day. Pastoral emergencies will be covered by the Rev. Shawn Carty from St. Mark’s, Mendham. On July 26 we’ll have a guest preacher and celebrant, the Rev. Derek Darves-Bornoz. Originally from Montreal, Canada, Father Derek is the Manager for Church Research at the Church Pension Group New York. He is an avid cyclist and runner. Please welcome him!
Mother Vicki will be back in the office on July 27 &28 before starting her summer vacation.
+ + + + + + + +
WORSHIP and MUSIC
Summer Choir – This Sunday, July 19 & August 30. Show up at 9:15 am to rehearse the anthem and then sing for the 10 am service. This will be a great time to “try on” choir – either for the day or as an intro to next fall. Adult Choir is open to the community. We rehearse Thursdays at 7:30 pm and sing Sundays at 10 am and would love to have you sing with us.
Interested? Please speak to Alison Siener Brown.
Music for Kids – as you look to September, please keep these opportunities in mind for your children:
Junior Choir, Grade 2 and older, Thursdays 5:15 – 6:30 pm
Small Saints Choir, K/Grade 1, Thursdays 5:15 -5:45 pm ***NEW***
Both groups learn the basics of music and singing through games, activities, instruments and songs. They become part of a supportive community, make friends, and have fun.
Junior Choir sings at the 10 am Sunday service weekly.
Small Saints Choir sings at 10 am once a month.
The choir program starts on September 10 and meets in the Choir Room (lower level of the Church). Small Saints singers can be supervised until 6:30 pm if they have older siblings in Junior Choir.
Musikgarten classes for children from birth through age 8 are also available at All Saints’ under the auspices of Music in the Somerset Hills. They are taught by Alison Siener Brown. For classes, registration, and fees, please go to http://musicsh.org/musikgarten/
Sunday Child Care - Children are always welcome in worship, but if they (or you) need a break, child care is available in the Nursery in the Church Undercroft (downstairs) during the 10 am service. The summer Nursery staff schedule is posted on the door. There are toys, books, games, etc. in a warm and caring environment.
Acolytes Needed to assist with Sunday worship. High School and Middle School students who are interested in serving in this ministry should speak to Janice Lettieri.
FUN & FUNDRAISING
The Rummage Sale is coming! Collection starts on Sunday, August 2, 11:30-2 pm in the Parish Hall. Please bring your good, clean, useable items: toys, kitchen wares, boutique items, lawn & garden, tools, furniture, small electronics, lamps, linens & bedding, etc. What don’t we take? Tube TVs, cribs, tires, books for grown-ups, clothes/shoes, anything that is broken and belongs in the trash! and we need help in the following areas:
- sorting and pricing, especially the Boutique items
- put up the tents, Geof Kimak will teach/help you
- baking for the Bake Sale table
- making chili for the food table
- bringing rummage!
HELPING HANDS
Food for Friends Pantry at St. John’s, Dover continues to serve hungry people all summer long – especially when kids are out of school and not receiving school breakfast and lunch. Thanks for your help in feeding hungry people!
We are expanding our food pantry ministry, becoming a partner agency with the Community Food Bank of New Jersey (CFBNJ). This will take two forms: assembling single meal take-out bags for the homeless, as well as increasing our pantry staples donations for people who have housing in Dover – a very under-served area.
The contents of the take-out bags (for example: can of stew with a pop-top, granola bar, bottle of water, napkin, spoon/fork, pop-top can of fruit, etc.) will be stored in the closet in the Parish House Coat Room and then assembled at All Saints’ by parishioners, then transported to St. John’s for distribution. Thank you to Roger Mederos and Steve Liesch for clearing out this closet, and to Jane Hayden for taking out the old particle board cubbies and getting it ready for steel shelving.
Soon we will also be able to take cash donations to buy staples in bulk from CFBNJ for $.09-$.13 a pound – some for the take-out bags, and some for the residential pantry at St. John’s. Currently 90 individuals and families are being served each month (through the pantry directly and through referrals from North Porch at St. John’s). That is the current limit of hat the pantry can do because the supplies are limited each month. A greater volume of food will reach more people. Look for more information soon about when this will start and how it will work.
In the meantime, we thank you for your continuing donations of non-perishable food each week.
Family Promise Homeless Shelter – is the Morris County program for homeless families and individuals that is hosted and served by houses of worship in many different communities. Family Promise works to keep children in their original schools, keep families together, and give adults job training and support, as well as help with finding a place to live and funds for a rental deposit. Three times a year the shelter is hosted at Trinity House/Shrine of St. Joseph, and All Saints’ is one of the support congregations. Many of our parishioners find this to be a rewarding and effective ministry. Our next opportunity to serve will be in November. Watch for e-mails and bulletin announcements to volunteer. Interested? Speak to Kathy Pfeil.
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
Sunday School for age 3 through 8th grade starts again on September 13. You can pick up a Sunday School registration form and preliminary schedule on the table in the Narthex. We always need volunteer teachers and helpers. For more info e-mail the parish office: allstsmill@hotmail.com.
Confirmation Class for youth in Grades 9 & 10 will begin in October and meet two Sundays a month after coffee hour (most likely on the 2nd and 4th Sundays). The class will be taught by Mother Vicki. The service of Confirmation will then take place in April at the Cathedral in Newark. Older teens who have not yet been Confirmed may also be included in this class. More information will be coming at the end of August.
Adults wishing to be Confirmed or formally Received into the Episcopal Church by Bishop Beckwith next April should let Mother Vicki know of their interest and a group will be formed to meet several times in preparation for the rite.
Bible Study is taking a summer break. We’ll be back August 26 at 10:15 am in the Rath House. The book we are using a book to guide our study is: Bible Women, All Their Words and Why They Matter, by Lindsay Hardin Freeman. We’ll be discussing Chapters 5 & 6 next time. And we are always happy to have new people join us at any time.
Women's Book Group is on break for August. We’ll meet again September 16. The book for discussion will be All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr.
EVENTS
Save the Date! Sunday, September 13, for the Welcome Sunday Hot Dog Picnic. There’s a sign-up sheet in the Narthex to let us know you are coming and what you can bring.
Sunday School Ice Cream Social, Fri. Sept. 11@7 pm. This is a fun event to get together with friends, classmates and teachers before Sunday School begins. There’s a sign-up sheet in the Narthex. Friends are welcome, too!
Thanks to everyone who came out for the Parish Baseball Outing last week and to Greg Story for organizing it. We had a great time!
BUILDINGS & GROUNDS
Coat Room – for his Eagle project Sam Litra will turn the old Nursery School office/storage room into a coat room with storage. Thank you to Steve Liesch and Roger Mederos for emptying the room so it is ready for Sam and his crew to start.
Lighting and Fans – over the summer we’ve been making some repairs and upgrades to our lighting, both indoors and out. Broken and deteriorating fixtures have been replaced; LED bulbs have been swapped out for incandescent bulbs, especially in the Church, along with new LED dimmer switches (coming next week); motion sensor lights have been put into some of the bathrooms. The LED lights will cut down on the cost of our electricity.
There have been some challenges with our wiring – the original part of the Church is 110 years old; the Parish House is getting close to 60 years old, and while it is safe, not all of the wiring follows a rational plan, but we’ve done pretty well. We’ve also installed some new ceiling fans in the Church that replace the noisy, worn out ones. A great deal of the labor has been done by a community volunteer, and some of it by a paid electrician. The Vestry is also considering upgrading the lighting in the Parish Hall – both to make it more energy efficient, and to make the room more attractive. While none of these are big changes, they are all improvements that will benefit everyone who uses our buildings.
Rath House – the living room in the Rath House has new ceiling fixtures to replace the broken overhead lights, and a ceiling fan (for the first time) that has been keeping our staff and office volunteers, as well as Bible study, Vestry, etc., cool and comfortable while cutting down on the need to run the air conditioning. Thanks to Bill Smullen for this installation.
+ + + + + + + + +
PARISH CALENDAR
Summer Schedule The Rector’s vacation runs from July 29-August 25; she’ll be back in the office on August 26.
During that time, pastoral emergencies will be covered by the Rev. Paul Olsson from St. Paul’s, Morris Plains. If you have other concerns please call the Wardens Jackie Sullivan or Greg Story.
The Sunday worship schedule for August is as follows:
8/2 Holy Eucharist, 8 am & 10 am
8/9 Morning Prayer, 8 am & 10 am Choral Quartet
8/16 Holy Eucharist, 8 am & 10 am
8/23 Morning Prayer, 8 am & 10 am Choral Quartet
8/30 Holy Eucharist, 8 am & 10 am Mother Vicki back; Summer Choir
The Rev. Stephen Galleher will be our guest celebrant and preacher on August 2 & 16. Fr. Galleher has been at All Saints’ in the summer for quite a number of years. Please welcome him!
Staff Summer Office Hours are as follows:
Molly Faerber (Book Keeper)
Thursdays 7/23, 7/30, 8/6, 8/13, 8/20; 10 am-12 noon
Susie Harris (Parish Administrator)
Mondays 7/20, 7/27, 8/17, 8/24, 8/31; 9:30-3:30
Thursdays 7/23, 8/20, 8/27; 9:30-3:30
~ on vacation 7/30-8/15
Alison Siener Brown (Director of Music)
No set office hours, available by phone, e-mail.
~ on vacation 7/28-8/9
FOR ALL THE SAINTS
July 22, Saint Mary Magdalene
“Mary of Magdala near Capernaum was one of several women who followed Jesus and ministered to him in Galilee. The Gospel according to Luke records that Jesus “went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out ...” (Luke 8:1–2). The Gospels tell us that Mary was healed by Jesus, followed him, and was one of those who stood near his cross at Calvary.
It is clear that Mary Magdalene’s life was radically changed by Jesus’ healing. Her ministry of service and steadfast companionship, even as a witness to the crucifixion, has, through the centuries, been an example of the faithful ministry of women to Christ. All four Gospels name Mary as one of the women who went to the tomb to mourn and to care for Jesus’ body. Her weeping for the loss of her Lord strikes a common chord with the grief of all others over the death of loved ones. Jesus’ tender response to her grief—meeting her in the garden, revealing himself to her by calling her name—makes her the first witness to the risen Lord. She is given the command, “Go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (John 20:17). As the first messenger of the resurrection, she tells the disciples, “I have seen the Lord” (John 20:18).
In the tradition of the Eastern Church, Mary is regarded as the equal of an apostle; and she is held in veneration as the patron saint of the great cluster of monasteries on Mount Athos” ~ Holy Women, Holy Men
Question for reflection: How has your life been changed or healed by Christ? How has that affected the way your respond to other people?
+ + + + + + + + +
A Prayer of an Unknown Confederate Soldier
I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy;
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life;
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for,
but everything that I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered;
I am among all men, most richly blessed.
Blessings,
Vicki+
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