Ed: An earlier draft of Good News in the Garden State was mistakenly distributed. This is the corrected version 
In This Edition
Ministry Institute


A full, detailed listing of Ministry Institute events available.
Here's what's on in the coming months. 

October 29
Safe Church Training Workshop
St. Luke's, Gladstone
  
November 5 
St. Matthew's, Pennington
November 9 
St. Peter's, Medford
November 10 
Holy Spirit, Lebanon
November 12
Safe Church Training  St. Mark and All Saints', Galloway
November 18-19
Latino Vestry Workshop
Pope John Paul II Retreat Center, Vineland

November 19
Diocesan-Wide Confirmation Service
Trinity Cathedral, Trenton

November 26
CANCELLED Mass Incarceration: The Impact of Criminalizing Mental Illness 
Trinity Cathedral, Trenton


December 6
Advent Clergy Day
Trinity Cathedral, Trenton

December 16-17 Youth
The Cathedral Lock-In: Stop Hunger Now
Trinity Cathedral, Trenton
Upcoming Congregational Events
November 5th
November 5th
Grace 
Merchantville
November 5th
November 5th
Trinity  
Princeton
November 5th
St James 
Edison 
November 6th
St David 
Cranbury 
November 6th
St. John 
Salem 
November 6th
St. Matthew  
Pennington 
November 6th
Holy Trinity
South River
November 12th
St. Paul  
Bound Brook
November 12th
All Saints' 
Bay Head 
November 13th
St. Mary  
Haddon Heights
November 13th
St. Mary  
Burlington
November 13th
St. Mary  
Haddon Heights
November 17th
Holy Trinity
South River
November 19th
Atonement  
Laural Springs 
November 20th
St. Mary
Haddon Heights
November 22nd
All Saints
Bay Head
List Your Congregation's Events Here!
 
Adding your events to our calendar is quick and simple; events go live within three business days.

Click here to add an event!
Have a compelling story to share? Click here to e -mail us and let us know! 
October 28, 2016
From the Bishop

Dear People of the Diocese of New Jersey,

Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring.   2 Thessalonians 1:4

Contrasts.... This past Monday through Wednesday 100 clergy of the diocese gathered at The Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club for our annual Clergy Conference. The Reverend Canon Charles LaFond, Canon Steward at St. John's Cathedral and author of Fearless Church Fundraising: The Practical and Spiritual Approach to Stewardship was the key presenter. He offered us all outstanding material on how to be more effective in people and fund development for Christ's mission and ministry in our congregations and in the diocese. Canon LaFond emphasized the importance of churches engaging in holistic financial development, which should include strong annual campaigns, cultivating major gifts within our parishes, and encouragement of planned giving and will inclusion by all members of our congregations. I completely support all of these and found engaging in these kinds of holistic approaches in my previous parish to be effective. It made a real difference in how we were able to resource the ministries to which we believe God had called us. 

This past Thursday, Egyptian Courts ruled that the Anglican Church in Egypt will now be subsumed under the Evangelical Church Association - which is not at all affiliated with The Anglican Communion. The Archbishop of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East, The Most Reverend Dr. Mouneer Asis, who is also the Bishop of Egypt,  has called on Anglicans to pray and advocate  with their local Egyptian consulates and embassies in the wake of this ruling.

Troubles for Christians in Egypt are not new. For some time, Christians have been harassed in Egypt. Susan and I visited Egypt in 2010, just a few months before The Arab Spring turned everything upside down. During our visit, we participated in a Eucharist held outdoors at a resort. We had to be very surreptitious about it. Christian worship in public is against the law. Our guide, a Coptic Christian, described the many ways Christians are harassed and discriminated against in Egypt.

Whenever I hear these stories, I am challenged by the complacency of so many Episcopalians who live in the United States. We can exercise our faith with great freedom. The Coptic Christians persevere in the face oppression and discrimination. Even as we try to resource our churches and stir them to vibrant faith, there is complacency with erratic participation and support. On the other hand, committed Christians in other parts of the world, like Egypt, live their faith boldly and vibrantly - are generous in their commitment of time, talent and treasure - in the face of the most difficult, even dangerous circumstances.

Stewardship, complacency, persecution and vibrant faith. That's a lot to think and pray about. 

Blessings and peace,



The Rt. Rev. William Stokes
XII Bishop of New Jersey

Good News stories and more!

The Office of Congregational Development Presents:
 
 
LEADING CHANGE EFFECTIVELY: THE POWER OF 
(note: this is the same program, offered twice)
Spanish translation offered at the November 9 program
 
More than ever before, church leadership is about helping congregants choose a new direction - motivating people to want to change. In this one-day workshop, pastor and motivational expert Peter Coutts will teach you about leadership as a motivational practice. It will strengthen your ability to help your congregation say "yes!" to change.
 

To Be Rescheduled
Social Media for Your Church:
A Workshop on Where to Start and What to do Next 

originally Saturday October 29th
at Grace, Pemberton 

Be on the look out for the 
rescheduled date and time!
 
 


(Read the bible in 72 hours)

MIQRA (meek * rah) is a weekend retreat that focuses on the Bible and allows teens to discover its content, why we should care, and how to read it.  

 November 11-13, 2016
 Camp Lebanon, Lebanon, NJ

For 6th grade through Young Adults and their Chaperones

 
 

Come enrich your faith to practice your beliefs in combating racism.  


Led by Heidi J. Kim 
Missioner for Racial Reconciliation for
The Episcopal Church 
November 12, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm

at St. David's, Cranbury
 

Come celebrate a new chapter in the life of Christ's disciples.  


November 19, 10:00am
Trinity Cathedral, Trenton

 

March 3-4, 2017
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Princeton, NJ 

with Keynote
Becca Stevens of
Thistle Farms

 

Funds Available for International Projects

The Global Goals* Matching Grant Program grant deadline is approaching!
Due November 15, 2016, these $750 grants allow pa rticipants to work with a partner organization to help
"strive for justice and peace among all people," by promoting  awareness of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals.
* formerly Millennium Development Goals 
 
The Diocese of New Jersey
(609) 394-5281
808 West State St, Trenton, NJ 08618