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Good News in the Garden State: December 1, 2017

01 Dec 2017
Allie Graham

 

From the Bishop
Bishop’s Schedule
Meet Kara Slade
Faith Leaders Speak Out Against Federal Tax Proposal
Seeking New Voices for New Boards and Task Forces
Congregational Events (Add events here)
Notices and Classifieds


FROM THE BISHOP:

Dear People of the Diocese of New Jersey,

If there was ever a time of year for parents and grandparents to take the lead in the spiritual development of their children and grandchildren, Advent is it. All around us, the culture has erupted with garland and tinsel and ubiquitous Santas ho, ho, ho-ing on city streets, department stores and shopping malls. I will confess that I love all of this.

When I was a young boy, my mother worked in Bloomingdales in New York City. I would often meet my mother at work, hanging around the store until her work day was done. I had the run of the place. I’d go to Santa’s workshop, get an ice cream clown in the restaurant, hang around the toy section just taking it all in and seeing what I would ask for from Santa. Popular Christmas music was playing in the background.

Even then, however, I knew that all of this had little to do with Jesus or with Advent. Advent is a rich liturgical season filled with profound meaning and an ethos of holy anticipation. I sang in the choir at St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue in those days. We sang the hymns of Advent, lit the candles of the Advent wreath, prepared for the coming anew of Jesus into our world and into our lives.

There are wonderful rituals and traditions that families can engage in observing a holy Advent.

  • Have an Advent wreath with candles in your home. Each Sunday, as part of grace before dinner, light a candle and say the prayer for that Sunday in Advent from the Book of Common Prayer. These can be found online if you don’t have a Prayer Book at home (although the Book of Common Prayer is a great spiritual resource for the home!).
  • During your Advent candle lighting, read portions of Luke’s Gospel, chapters one and two, telling the story of John the Baptist’s birth, of the Annunciation and of Christ’s birth.
  • Make a Jesse Tree. Jesus’ roots are in the family of King David. David’s father was Jesse. A Jesse tree is made up of symbols that represent the genealogy of Jesus from Jesse’s line. Again, this is a resource that can be found on-line.
  • Use an Advent calendar to mark the days leading up to Christmas.
  • Build a crèche. Have a family crèche and add figures each week leading up to Christmas. Start by adding animals, then the shepherds. Lastly add the Holy Family and Jesus on Christmas Eve. Place the Wise Men some distance from the crèche and beginning with Christmas, move them closer to the crèche. Put them in the crèche on the feast of Epiphany (January 6).

During Advent, the voice of prophets ring out, reminding us of God’s judgment and calling us to repent. It’s an appropriate time to have caring conversations as a family about injustice and about our vocation as Christians to respond to the world’s suffering and need.

Advent clashes with the consumerism of our secular society. As people of faith, we serve our children and grandchildren well when we make them aware of this clash and lead them to deeper truths.

May you and yours have a blessed and Christ-filled Advent.

Grace and peace,

Blessings and peace,

 

 

 

 

The Rt. Rev. William H. Stokes, D.D.
XII Bishop of New Jersey

 

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Bishop’s Schedule Highlights

Sunday, December 3, 2017:
10:00 a.m.               Visitation:  St. Mary’s Church, Haddon Heights
  3:00 p.m.               Meeting at Procter House, Princeton
  5:00 p.m.               Trinity Church, Princeton, Ordination to the Priesthood:  Chris McNabb
                                Preacher:  The Rev. Paul Jeanes, III
 .
Monday, December 4, 2017:
Bishop’s Sabbath
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Tuesday, December 5, 2017:
10:00 a.m.               Advent Clergy Day – Trinity Cathedral
  7:00 p.m.               Camden Churches – meeting with clergy and leadership
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Wednesday, December 6, 2017:
  4:00 p.m.               GTS Trustees conference call
  7:00 p.m.               Northern Convocation regional conversation with clergy and leadership
 .
Thursday, December 7, 2017:
10:00 a.m.               Interims meeting
  7:00 p.m.               Trinity Church, Matawan – town hall meeting
 .
Saturday, December 9, 2017:
11:00 a.m.               Delaware State University, Dover, DE – Ordination and Consecration of
                                the Bishop of Delaware: The Reverend Kevin S. Brown
Evening                 ECP Fundraiser – Washington, DC

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When your Priest Really is a Rocket Scientist

NASA engineer-turned-priest comes to Princeton; begins ministry at Princeton chaplaincy and Trinity Episcopal Church this December  
 
The Rev. Dr. Kara Slade named Theologian in Residence at Princeton
 
Trinity Episcopal Church Princeton and The Episcopal Chaplaincy at Princeton (ECP) have partnered to appoint The Rev. Dr. Kara N. Slade as a Theologian in Residence and associate priest/chaplain at Trinity and ECP. The Rev. Dr. Slade’s appointment comes in celebratory renewal of 150 years of collaborative ministry between Trinity and ECP.
Read more!

 

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 Might you be called?

Following our Special Convention of October 7th, we request your assistance in filling positions on the newly created boards and task forces.

Board of Consultation
Mission, Structure and Budget Alignment Task Force
Resource & Revenue Task Force
Committee on Lifelong Christian Formation
Task Force on Development of Canons for Distressed Congregations
Click here to learn about these opportunities and to apply!

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Upcoming Diocesan Events

Diocesan Calendar for the through December 2017

Advent Clergy Day
December 5, Trinity Cathedral
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Communications Meet and Greet
December 7, Rossi’s Bar and Grill, Hamilton
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Communications Meet and Greet
December 14, The Green Olive, Bridgeton
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Rise Against Hunger Lock-in
December 15-16, Trinity Cathedral
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Theo’s Cafe
December 21, Bishop Stokes’ Home, Trenton
Communications Meet and Greet
Thursday December 28
Fred & Ethel’s Lantern Light, Galloway

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More Diocesan Events here!

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Notices and Classifieds

From the Department of Youth and Young Adults:

Rise Against Hunger Lock-In  
at  Trinity Cathedral, Trenton, NJ
From  8:00 PM (12/15/17)  7:00 AM (12/16/17)
for 6th -12th graders and their adult chaperones
($36 per person)
 
Rise Against Hunger is driven by the vision of a world without hunger. Our mission is to end hunger in our lifetime by providing food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable and creating a global commitment to mobilize the necessary resources Meal-packaging events are the heart of our work. We work with volunteers from corporations, faith congregations, schools, colleges and universities, and civic groups. Learn more and register!
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MLK Jr Day of Service
January 15, 2018 from 10 am – 3 pm at Trinity Cathedral, Trenton, NJ 10 AM End: 3:00 PM
For All Adults, Young Adults, Youth and Children
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?'”
 .
We will begin our day together with the Eucharist.  Following the Eucharist we will gather in Synod Hall to prepare service projects for several organizations in New Jersey and throughout  the country.  Click here to register and learn more!

……

Diocesan Convention – Save the Date!

The 234th Convention of the Diocese of New Jersey will take place on March 2-3, 2018 at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill.

Registration information will be available in the coming weeks.

Nominations material are available here and are due January 1, 2018.
Call for Resolutions – Due January 15, 2018

Preconvention Hearings:

January 30, 7 pm  – Christ Church, Toms River
January 31, 1:30 pm – St. Barnabas, Monmouth Junction
January 31, 7 pm -Trinity Church, Princeton
February 1, 7 pm – Grace Church, Plainfield
Feburary 6, 7 pm – St. Luke’s, Gladstone
February 8, 7 pm – St. Augustine’s, Asbury Park
February 15, 1:30 pm – St. Stephen’s, Whiting
February 15, 7 pm – St. Thomas, Glassboro
February 20 7 pm – Christ Church, Somers Point

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HIRING A DAY SCHOOL DIRECTOR
St Paul’s, Westfield is seeking a directory for a preschool school with students aged 2 through kindergarten with a current student roll of 235.
Contact the head of school for more information.
SEEKING LEVAS II

St. Thomas’, Glassboro is looking to buy used copies of LEVAS II.
Let us know if you can help!
. .

 

Proclaiming Christ in the Garden State
609.394.5281
info@dioceseofnj.org

We are the Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement in the Southern 2/3 of New Jersey.

 

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The Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey serves the lower two-thirds of the Garden State, with 144 congregations from Cape May to Elizabeth. Thank you for visiting our home on the web.

Our Purpose

We seek to carry out lives of compassion and charity, and to spread the good news of the Gospel to a world that is hungry for God.

 

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Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
808 West State Street
Trenton, NJ 08618

609.394.5281
info@dioceseofnj.org