In This Edition
Upcoming Congregational Events
September 11th
Remembrance Service
Christ Church
Bordentown
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September 12th
Blessing of the Firetrucks
Christ Church
Bordentown
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September 13th
Blessing of the Backpacks
St. David's
Cranbury
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September 13th
Blessing of the Backpacks
Christ Church
Somers Point
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September 13th
Fun Fest
Holy Spirit
Lebanon
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September 13th
Global Christianity: The Church in Context
All Saints'
September 19th
Elements/Sacraments Exhibit Opening
St. Luke's
Metuchen
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September 16th
Remembering Victor Preller
All Saints'
September 17-18th
Fall Rummage Sale
Christ Church
Toms River
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September 15th
Health and Kids' Fair
St. Mary's
Pleasantville
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September 18th
Ballroom Dancing Social with Instructions
Christ Church
South Amboy
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September 19th
Peter Conte Organ Concert
Grace Church
Haddonfield
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September 19th
Bus Trip to Amazing Grace on Broadway
Trinity Cathedral
Trenton
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September 19th
POW/MIA Remembrance
St. James'
Edison
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September 19th
Fair and Flea Market
St. James' Memorial
Eatontown
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September 19th
Ministry Fair
Christ Church
Somers Point
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September 20th
150th Anniversary Celebration and Evensong
Christ Church
Toms River 
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September 25th
Basket Auction
Atonement
Laurel Springs
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September 25th
Line Dance Social
St. Francis'
Dunellen
September 26th
Community Health Expo
St. Luke's
Ewing
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September 27th
150th Anniversary Banquet
Christ Church
Toms River
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September 27th
Kitchen of Hope Awards Banquet
St. Thomas
Glassboro
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October 2nd
Jazz Concert Trio
St. Francis'
Dunellen
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October 3rd
Rummage Sale
Christ Church
New Brunswick
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October 3rd
Spaghetti Dinner
St. Francis'
Dunellen
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October 3rd
Lasagna Dinner
Holy Spirit
Lebanon
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October 4-11th
Spirituality Art & Show
St. Stephen's
Beverly
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October 4th
Blessing of the Animals
Grace-St. Paul's
Mercerville
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October 4th
Blessing of the Animals
St. Francis'
Dunellen
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October 10th
Calico Fair and Rummage Sale
Christ Church
Middletown 
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List Your Congregation's Events Here!
 
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Episcopal Links of the Week
Unknown Pleasures: Trenton's Tiffany

St. Michael's, Trenton is one of the oldest parishes in the diocese. Though formed in 1703, its current building dates to 1843. One of the standouts of this building are two lovely Tiffany stained-glass windows. Planet Trenton takes a look at the history of these two windows and their place in Trenton.
Eight Common Characteristics of Successful Church Revitalizations

Thom S. Rainer writes of successful ways to rejuvenate congregations. Some may seem obvious (confronting "sacred cows") and others counterintuative (the leadership but be willing to let go of members) but the congregation and leadership must come together for any congregation to grow. 
Why are clergy wasting their time on social media?

Social media is a modern reality. It is often maligned as a time waster but just as often lauded as a way for effective evangelism and a way to bring people together.  Madeline Davies blogs at Typewriters and Latch Keys about a three-person panel at Greenbelt who tackled this question.
Shared were stories of lost dogs reunited with owners, the importance of boundaries, and the need to be willing to make mistakes.

Spoiler: They aren't.

Yale Center for Faith & Culture Awarded $4.2M Grant to Study Theology of Joy and the Good Life

The John Templeton Foundation has awarded a $4.2 million grant to the Yale Center for Faith and Culture at Yale Divinity School to conduct a three-year research project to develop a theological account of joy and the good life, in order to recover joy as a central theological category and human experience.

"Contemporary Western culture is characterized by a troubling lack of reflection on what constitutes the good life, with foundational questions like 'What makes a life worth living?' and 'What are the grounds of human hope and joy?' relegated to the margins of teaching and scholarship. For a vision of joy and the good life to take root in the academy and the wider culture, we need to change the way that theology as a discipline understands itself and its role. That is one of the goals of this project."
Have a compelling story to share? Click here to e -mail Jonathan Elliott and let us know!
September 11, 2015
From the Bishop:
  Dear People of the Diocese of New Jersey:

But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and to your children's children...
Deuteronomy 4:9

By now, schools throughout the state are back in session. Summers will slow down on the shore and most of us will get back to business and into the daily routines of fall. Churches which slowed down for the summer (our shore churches and summer chapels being notable exceptions) are getting their programs and ministries up and running again. For many, a significant part of this is the beginning of a new Sunday School year.

The formation of children and youth presents a particular challenge to today's churches. Demands placed on families as well as their own sense of priorities are having an impact on the traditional Sunday School model and its effectiveness. Research indicates that thriving churches still need to have an active Sunday School program for children and youth (adults too!), but it is clear that reliance on traditional Sunday School is not sufficient to adequately form people in the Christian faith.

In mid-August, I was in Minneapolis to attend a board meeting of Vibrant Faith, an organization staffed by Christian education and formation experts and scholars committed to helping the Church at large face the serious challenges that confront us today.

The ecology of Christian formation required for today's Church is very different than it was just a couple of decades ago, when everything focused on the local congregation and particularly its Sunday School. Today's Christian formation ecology will have to reach out into the culture in a variety of places and ways, not the least of which is the home, no matter what that home configuration is or how family might be defined.

Through our Way of St. Paul process as well as the Bishop's Spring Conference and our partnership with Vibrant Faith, we seek ways to support our congregations as they adapt to today's challenges and transmit the faith in new and creative ways that extend beyond the Sunday School. We do this even as we support the dedicated volunteers who continue to do the important work of volunteering in our Sunday Schools.

I pray everyone gets off to a great start this fall. Remember to check out our Ministry Institute Catalogue which offers a number of opportunities for parishes to think outside the box. Of particular note is our upcoming Parish Leadership Day on October 3, to be held at Grace-St. Paul's Church in Mercerville. Our leader for the day will be Craig Van Gelder, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus at Luther Seminary. Van Gelder's life-long field of study and expertise is in domestic missiology, which examines trends in American society, the changing contexts in which congregations function, contributing factors to church health, and the dynamics of organizational change and development. 

His work is fascinating and essential to our ongoing ministries, and I encourage all of you to join us on October 3. Click here for a video from Craig Van Gelder about missional churches.

At this time of year, we all are called to remember those who lost their lives on 9/11. Please keep the memories of those who died on that tragic day and their families who continue to grieve in your prayers. Pray especially for those first responders and others who acted heroically on September 11, 2001, offering their lives for the sake of others.

Blessings and peace,

 
The Right Reverend William H. (Chip) Stokes, D.D.
XII Bishop of New Jersey

A Prayer for the Commemoration of 9/11
God the compassionate one, whose loving care extends to all the world, we remember this day your children of many nations and many faiths whose lives were cut short by the fierce flames of anger and hatred. Console those who continue to suffer and grieve, and give them comfort and hope as they look to the future. Out of what we have endured, give us the grace to examine our relationships with those who perceive us as the enemy, and show our leaders the way to use our power to serve the good of all for the healing of the nations. This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord who, in reconciling love, was lifted up from the earth that he might draw all things to himself. Amen.
 
-- Prepared by The Most Reverend Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop and Primate, The Episcopal Church, USA, for September 11 anniversary observances.
 
Good News Stories and More

September is Disaster Preparedness Month!

 The Disaster Relief Office has put together a new page with a number of resources for Disaster Preparedness Month. 

These include Consulting Services to find new ways to start ministries in your community, bulletin inserts, and a guide to registering your church's resources on the Episcopal Asset Map!

 
Fall Convocation Meetings have been announced

Click here for a full listing, including directions to these locations and a full list of churches by convocation in our Church Locator feature.

 

Walk, Ride, Run in the Battle Against Hunter

This year, Bishop Stokes will walk to raise awareness and  funds to be distributed across the participating Jubilee Centers and congregations of the Diocese of New Jersey involved in the Battle Against Hunger.

Now in its second year of partnership with Jubilee Ministries, the Battle Against Hunger Bike Tour and George & Kinny's Walk events address both our call to feed the hungry as well as our call to address the systemic causes of hunger.  The featured 200-mile bike tour begins in Gettysburg, PA on Friday, September 11th, and ends with the reception at Washington Crossing Park, PA at 5:00 PM on Sunday, September 13th. Now in its 13th year of raising awareness, it is also rapidly approaching the $1 million mark in funds raised.

Donate and learn more.




Syrian Refugees Seeking Safety in Europe
From Episcopal Relief and Development

Episcopal Relief & Development urges prayers for all those  displaced by the conflict in Syria, and particularly for those attempting the arduous journey to reach safety in Europe. The agency is currently exploring potential collaborations with organizations active in transit countries, such as Islamic Relief in Greece. ER & D has also reached out to the Anglican Alliance and ACT Alliance regarding possible ecumenical partnerships in the region.

According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR), more than 381,000 refugees and migrants have crossed the Mediterranean into Europe in 2015, half of this number from Syria.  Between April 2011 and July 2015, 348,540 Syrians applied for asylum in Europe. The large influx of Syrian refugees into Europe is challenging host countries, some of which are also sheltering people displaced by conflict and instability in Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea and other countries.
Ministry Institute

  
 
A full listing Fall 2015 Ministry Institute events is now available!

The September 2015 list of events is below!

September 12
Clergy Compensation and Benefits Workshop
Trinity Cathedral, Trenton

September 13
Sermon: Discovering Your God-Given Gifts for Service
Christ Church, New Brunswick

September 19
Workshop: Discovering Your God-Given Gifts for Service
Church of St. Mark & All Saints, Galloway

September 19
Building Skills: Organ Service Playing and Improvisation, Beginning Handbells, Music in the Spanish Community, Choral Anthem Reading Session for Small Choirs
Trinity Cathedral, Trenton

September 19
Sexual Misconduct Awareness Workshop
Church of the Advent, Cape May

September 26
Trinity Church, Princeton

September 26
Evensong: Honoring the Witness, Faithfulness, and
 Contributions of Older Adults in Our Diocese
Trinity Cathedral, Trenton


Here are some upcoming highlights:

October 3
Parish Leadership Day
Grace-St. Paul's, Mercerville  

October 3
Sexual Misconduct Awareness Workshop
Church of the Holy Spirit, Lebanon

October 3
Sexual Misconduct Awareness Workshop
St. John's, Somerville

October 4
Sermon: Discovering Your God-Given Gifts for Service
St. John's, Somerville

October 9-12 - Youth
Camp Crossroads, Port Murray

October 10
Christ Church, Toms River

October 10 & 17
Workshop: Discovering Your God-Given Gifts for Service
Christ Church, New Brunswick
 
October 15-17
Undoing Racism: Help Us Build the Beloved Community
St. Augustine's Atlantic City
 
November 2-4
Clergy Conference
Seaview Hotel and Golf Club, Galloway 
    
  
The Diocese of New Jersey
(609) 394-5281
808 West State St, Trenton, NJ 08618