Welcoming All into God's Peace Together
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The Sixth Sunday of Easter
Rogation Sunday
NO Worship Service at Grace this Sunday, May 9th
Worship Opportunities below
Grace ZOOM coffee hour at 11:15 a.m.
Sign-on below
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Grace Episcopal Church
5958 Main Street, Trumbull CT 06611
Office Phone
203-268-2809
email:
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The Rev. Louise Kalemkerian,
Priest-in-Charge at Grace
Contact Rev. Louise via the Grace Office
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The Grace Church Prayerline
Grace Church is happy to pray for you. You can submit your prayer request on line by clicking the button below or mail it to our church office at
Grace Church, 5958 Main Street, Trumbull CT 06611
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Greetings!
John 15:9-17
Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”
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Sixth Sunday of Easter
The Collect: O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
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A Poem by John O'Donahue
Shared with us by The Rev. Louise Kalemkerian
A Friendship Blessing – Apr. 30, 2021
May you be blessed with good friends.
May you learn to be a good friend to yourself.
May you be able to journey to that place in your soul where
there is great love, warmth, feeling, and forgiveness.
May this change you.
May it transfigure that which is negative, distant, or cold in you.
May you be brought in to the real passion, kinship, and affinity of belonging.
May you treasure your friends.
May you be good to them and may you be there for them;
may they bring you all the blessing, challenges, truth,
and light that you need for your journey.
May you never be isolated.
May you always be in the gentle nest of belonging with your anam ċara.
-John O’Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom
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Sermons and Reflections
The first sermon below was preached live at Grace last Sunday, May 2nd, the Fifth Sunday of Easter, by The Rev. Louise Kalemkerian, Priest-in-Charge in Grace. We at Grace are very grateful to have Mother Louise with us again and hear and read her wonderful sermons once again, an unexpected and appreciated blessing for Grace.
As there isn't a worship service at Grace this Sunday, May 9th, a sermon for this Sunday, the Sixth Sunday of Easter, is included following Mother Louise's sermon.
Acts 8:26-40, Psalm 22:24-30, I John 4:7-21, John 15:1-8
5 Easter, 5/2/21
Grace Episcopal Church
The Rev. Louise Kalemkerian
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Throughout the season of Eastertide we read from the Acts of the Apostles, which is a continuation of Luke’s Gospel. We read to learn how the early church grew after Pentecost and spread outward from Jerusalem. A major theme for both Luke’s Gospel and Acts is the universality of the Gospel, that is the Gospel of Jesus, God’s love, is for everyone, female and male, Jew and Gentile, poor and rich, slave or free. Thus, as the gospel moves into the world, it gathers under the wings of God’s mercy more and more of those who have been lost, pushed away, and forgotten. That understanding is borne out in today’s lesson.
On this fifth Sunday of Easter, the lectionary gives us the story of Philip, one of the first seven deacons named in Acts 6, and the Ethiopian eunuch. It is one of my favorite lessons, a story filled with God’s expansive and inclusive love. It is a missional story. Why? Because Philip is sent out. He goes where God tells him to go. Missional means to go outside the church, to go outside the boundaries of comfort zones, to go.
So, Philip goes out, heading into the wilderness outside of the Jerusalem. As he comes along the road, he meets an Ethiopian eunuch, a man who was a government official in the Queen’s court. He also was an educated Jew who was reading the Scriptures, hungry for a deeper knowledge and experience of God. Philip immediately asks the man if he understands the passage from Isaiah (53:7–8) that the man is reading aloud. The passage is from one of the Suffering Servant Songs of Isaiah. Perhaps this story calls to him precisely because it describes something of the complexities of his own life, his own religious, sexual, and racial difference, his own vulnerability.
This man had been mutilated by the court in which he was employed. As a castrated man, he probably had been excluded from Temple worship in Jerusalem, based on a verse from Deuteronomy. In contrast, the book of Isaiah has been a book of hope and promise for eunuchs, captives, the poor, the sick, the lame, and the outcast.[1] Remember that when Jesus preaches his first sermon in Nazareth, he proclaims Isaiah’s words about bringing good news to the poor and oppressed and release to captives.
Bishop Andy Doyle writes that Philip helps the man understand that the love of Jesus, expressed by his extended arms on the cross, is for all people everywhere, of every race and nationality and physical ability. And so the man asks to be baptized, and is.
Philip did not go out and get the eunuch and bring him back to Jerusalem and put him in a classroom and instruct him. They are going together in the same direction when they meet. Often we think that missional is about going out and getting others to come in here and walk with us. We’re reminded that missional is about going out and walking with others in their lives, upon their roads, heading in the same direction as they are.[2]
The eunuch was sexually different, and Philip was okay with difference. It’s hard to read this story without seeing its connections in our own time, when anti-trans legislation is being passed in many states in our country, when the Methodist Church is breaking up over the ordination of gay persons, when the Pope has decreed that gay persons cannot get married. If the first century church tolerated sexual difference, why can’t we in the 21st century?
And the person was also a man of color. Philip was brown too, as a Middle Eastern man. So, race/ethnicity wasn’t an issue for Philip, either. Yet when this story is told, and in several of the commentaries I read, his race, his Africannness, his color, his otherness stands out. Which says to me that those of us in the West are perhaps expecting all the characters to be white folk. They’re not. We need to remember that the Biblical record was not written by white Europeans but by Middle Eastern peoples, Jews and Gentiles, who were mostly people of color, for and about people of color.
In the Gospel, we have Jesus call himself the vine and us the branches. The vine was a common image used in the Hebrew Bible to speak of Israel as God’s people and conveyed the ideas of divine love and divine judgment. The judgment that the text suggests, the removal of branches that don’t bear fruit, the being “thrown away,” and burned, require some clarification.
There’s a piece here that we don’t always remember. God’s mercy is always wider than God’s judgment. Whatever Jesus said, and John has interpreted for us, is meant to show his love for us, and for all of God’s children. Jesus does not exclude. Jesus always includes. All. Everyone. In other places in John’s Gospel Jesus makes this clear, saying that “anyone who comes to me I will never drive away” (6:39) and “I did not lose a single one of those you gave me.” (18:9) Remember that the bottom line of the Bible is that God always loves us.
Jesus is telling his friends, and all disciples of every generation, that we are to be connected to him and to one another. It is a very counter-cultural notion; we live in a society that puts an inordinate emphasis on individualism and distrusts the communal. We often represent the Christian life as a one-on-one transaction between a single believer and her God: “I accepted Jesus as my Savior.” Evangelical Christianity, especially, stresses the salvation of the individual.
And Jesus is saying, no, life is in community, life is in connection with others, life is not flying solo. That we’re called to live with and for one another. New Testament Christianity knows nothing of individuality. We exist as Christians only to the degree we exist as a community. We cannot be a Christian in isolation. Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz Weber says it best: Christianity is a lousy religion for the “I’ll do it myself” set. We are meant to be tangled up together. My colleague Debie Thomas reminds us we are meant to live lives of profound interdependence, growing into, around, and out of each other. In this metaphor, dependence is not a matter of personal morality or preference; it’s a matter of life and death — branches that refuse to cling to the vine die.[3]
If we have learned one thing from this pandemic and the past year, it is that we cannot do this work alone. We need one another more than ever. We have felt the isolation and loneliness of quarantine and I think we all, even the introverts among us, are craving community again.
The word Jesus speaks over and over in this passage is abide. He says it eight times. If God is the vinegrower, Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches, what should we do? We have only one task: to abide. To tarry, to stay, to cling, to remain, to rely, to endure. To hang in there for the long haul. To make ourselves at home. But it is also to grow, to change, and to multiply. It’s a vulnerable-making verb: if we abide, we’ll get pruned, like I pinch my petunias. It’s a risky verb: if we abide, we’ll bear fruit that others will see and taste. [4]
And the fruit that we’re to produce? Paul calls them fruits of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control.[5] Easy to say. Hard to live into on a daily basis. In all our relationships, in all our interactions, at home, at work, in the supermarket, wherever. And Jesus says that if we abide in him, rely on him, cling to him, we’ll be able to live into these simple actions of Christian life. And note that the first one is Love. These are counter-cultural acts.
When we abide in him, stay in community, care for and support one another, maybe it’ll become easier. Imagine how different I’d be if I lived into them. No one would recognize me!
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control. The fruit we’re called to yield. I trust Jesus to help us.
[1] Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 2: Lent through Eastertide (Feasting on the Word: Year B volume) (Kindle Locations 15955-16000). Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Kindle Edition.
[2] Andy Doyle, Hitchhiking the Word, Easter 5, April 19, 2021.
[3] Debie Thomas, Journey With Jesus, April 23, 2018.
And the sermon for this Sunday, May 9th follows. It is a wonderful continuation of "Abide" highlighted in The Rev. Louise's sermon above.
This is a sermon on "Abide in Love, Easter 6 (B) ." It is written by The Rev. Lucy Strandlund and is published in "Sermons that Work," on the website of the Episcopal Church in the United States. The Gospel reading for this Sunday is above and the other readings for the week may be found by clicking on the "Readings" blue button above.
Abide in Love, Easter 6 (B) – May 9, 2021
Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”
“Abide” is not a word we use much these days. We do not often ask people, “Where do you abide?” You will likely come across the word more times while reading the Gospel of John than you ever will in real-life conversation. In fact, if you read through just the first eleven verses of John 15 (NRSV), you will find the word eleven times.
This sheer repetition reminds us of its importance as a theme in John’s Gospel. It revisits an idea that emerges in the Prologue to the Gospel of John; John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and lived among us,” though, as Cynthia Briggs Kittredge points out in Conversations with Scripture: The Gospel of John, the Greek is more literally that the Word dwelt among us as in a tent. The Word pitched a tent or “camped out” among us and showed us the embodiment of God’s love. In Jesus’ life, God’s love walked and talked among the people of first-century Galilee and Judea. And in the passage we read today, Jesus is teaching his disciples how to walk in those shoes, too, especially once he is no longer walking around with them. He is preparing them to continue to dwell in that same love.
Today’s passage is part of the long dialogue Jesus shares with the disciples after he has washed their feet and before he is handed over to the authorities to be crucified. He is trying to prepare them for his absence and instruct them in how to continue to live into his ministry, even when they can no longer see him. “Abide in my love,” he says. “Make my love the house, the tent, the shelter in which you dwell and move around in,” he seems to say.
The word translated as “abide” can also be translated as “remain,” or “stay,” and after the year we have had, we are very familiar with those words. After a year of lockdown, quarantine, and physical distancing, we know what it means to remain. To shelter in place. To stay. We have become intimately familiar with the inside of our own homes and maybe with the interior of our own minds in ways we likely haven’t before. And we’ve had time to think about what kind of place we want to shelter in. Priorities shifted or became clearer, which prompted changes both small and large. Many people moved in the past year; some left bustling, crowded cities in search of a quieter, slower pace of life and a little more space. Some moved closer to family or closer to wherever feels like “home,” when the need for connection and a support network became impossible to ignore.
And we have had more than a little time to think about what kind of home we want and need to abide in. Maybe you’ve added onto your patio to allow for a socially distanced visit with a neighbor. Perhaps you’ve converted some corner of your home into an office or virtual school space. Or maybe you have simply been faced with how unsuitable your space is for all the demands placed upon it this year.
No matter our circumstances, this year has trained us to have a sense of the depth of the word “abide” in the Gospel of John. We have become uniquely aware of the importance of home, of where we dwell, and of how we live within it. This year, home has made all the difference, for better or for worse.
To listen to Jesus’ words in this passage with 2021 ears is to be reminded that our homes reflect our priorities, and our home base affects how we live our lives. Jesus’ invitation to abide in his love becomes all the more striking. We can imagine Jesus elaborating, “Let my love be the foundation under your feet, let my love permeate the walls that shelter you, and let my love form the roof arching over your head.” Jesus’ encouragement is not only to rest and nest in God’s love but also to live our lives in such a way that reflects that love built the house we live in—to live in such a way that when others see our interactions, it’s clear that love drew the blueprint.
And yet just as building or making a home takes time, so does learning to let love be our home base. The disciples hid away in a locked room for a while before they ventured out to share the good news and carry on Jesus’ ministry—before they realized abiding in Jesus’ love wasn’t so much about the physical space they inhabited or his physical presence with him as it was about the way they lived among others.
For us too, this passage can serve to remind us that whether home has been a refuge and comfort in the past year or a place we couldn’t wait to leave, we also have a home in the love of God. It’s a home we carry with us, like a tent, and it shows up when we remember God’s love for us and when we treat others as God’s beloved.
It shows up when we create a loving space to really listen to someone else, to be present with them in their need or struggle. That space is a home built by love.
It shows up when we contribute toward building a shelter for those without homes. That effort creates a space for love to dwell.
It shows up when we alter our habits to show more care for creation. That shift adds room for love to abide.
It shows up in small kindnesses between strangers and friends alike. It shows up when we respond graciously to someone who disagrees with us. It shows up in all the ways, large and small, that we allow the love of God to guide us.
This home is recognizable because, though it may involve sacrifice, it is also permeated with joy. As Jesus says to the disciples, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” Jesus knows that there is fullness of life to be found in abiding in love and that though his disciples’ lives may be marked by hardship, all who abide in God’s love experience the deep joy of dwelling there.
So just as we have learned to stay and to remain this year, may we also learn to abide: to abide in God’s ever-present love, a gracious and hospitable dwelling, permeated with joy. Amen.
The Rev. Lucy Strandlund currently serves as curate at St. John’s Episcopal Church in New Braunfels, Texas. She holds a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation from the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. When not working, she loves to be outside, hiking, or growing vegetables and flowers.
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Transition and Worship Update
Worship Info for this Sunday in RED Below
The Grace Vestry had virtual meetings with Bishop Laura Ahrens, for the purpose of discussing the future of Grace Church. Bishop Ahrens advised the Vestry that due to the our financial situation, Grace is not considered able to search for a new priest. We need to consider other options. This decision was made by our Diocese in part because the larger percentage of our operating income comes from users of our facilities and not from parishioner contributions. It must be stressed that Grace parishioners are very generous and consistent in their pledging and contributions; there are just not enough of us to provide a larger percentage of operating income. Although our finances have been in the black for several months, this is in large part due to the fact that we were not paying a priest for many months.
The options presented to the Vestry were:
Explore joining with another parish in the area, most likely selling the Grace property, and transferring proceeds from assets (amount available for transfer to be determined by our Diocese) to the other parish and merge into the other parish. This option is not limited to Trumbull churches; parishes in surrounding towns are also an option. Of course, this is entirely dependent upon another church's willingness to work with Grace to accomplish this. The hope with this option is that the joining of two churches will bring new opportunities for worship and new resources for community service. It is expected that the assets of Grace are highly valued and Grace will be able to provide significant financial assets to a partner church. This option requires a commitment by most of our parishioners to agree to go to the partner church as a group. If this option is selected, Grace is responsible for arranging the sale of the Grace property and assets and handling the closing of the facilities.
The other option is that Grace close and our parishioners then choose to go to whatever church they wish to attend. Some of us could very well go the to same church but there is no requirement for that. In this case, our Diocese arranges the sale and closing of Grace and all Grace assets from the sale are transferred to our Diocese.
Our senior warden, Fiona asks that we all give this some thought and explore area churches. Churches that have Zoom services or virtual services linked on Facebook welcome participation by guests. Some area churches are also without priests and are also in transition. Keep in mind that you may also view past services at various neighboring parishes on-line, usually on the parish's Facebook page. Fiona asked that we virtually visit with St. Peter's Monroe, Trinity Nichols, Christ Church Trumbull in Tashua, St. Timothy's, Fairfield and Christ Church, Easton and we have done so.
During the most recent virtual meeting with Bishop Ahrens, the Grace Vestry was advised that the next steps in the process are survey and appraisal of all the Grace property. If you are able to assist with the survey and recording of items in the many rooms and areas of the Grace property, please speak with Fiona.
In the meantime, we continue to investigate and consider our options; the most likely and preferred (by Grace parishioners) option is merging with another parish in the area. During conversations with the various parishes, the idea of merger was enthusiastically entertained by the neighboring parishes. Grace has options to consider and, if merger is chosen and agreed to, the time frame will most likely be in 2022. This will be further discussed at the Grace Annual Meeting this spring, date to be advised.
Grace will have services in the church 2 times per month with The Rev. Louise presiding. Grace Service time is 11:00 a.m. On other Sundays, Grace will join neighboring churches via Facebook or ZOOM or have morning prayer via ZOOM, to be advised in advance.
From Fiona:
Sunday, May 9th, the Grace Parish will be visiting Christ Church Easton and will not have service at Grace. Christ Church's Morning Prayer service will be virtual at 9:30 on Zoom and can be accessed via the website (christchurcheaston.com). Just click on the word "Zoom" in the service information and it will bring you to the service. (The technology glitch from the previous time has been fixed.) If they have a social hour after the service, we are welcome to join them, just stay on Zoom.
Grace Church will have a coffee hour chat at 11:15 on Sunday after we have visited Christ Church. The link for the Grace Coffee Hour is below.
Our next in-person service at Grace Church with The Reverend Louise Kalemkerian will be on May 16th at 11:00 a.m.
Peace.
Topic: Grace Episcopal Church Coffee Hour
Time: May 9, 2021 11:15 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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Peace be with you all,
Fiona Varker
Senior Warden
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To Parishioners and Friends of Grace
Stewardship in 2021
Please mail your pledges and contributions to Grace Church, 5958 Main Street, Trumbull, CT 06611. Non-pledge contributions are gratefully accepted and you may also request envelopes if you want to send a periodic contribution but not pledge.
If you prefer to pay via PayPal, the link is on the Grace Website. Additional donations to Grace may also be made via the Grace Website or by check.
Your pledges and contributions are being processed, recorded and deposited and are much appreciated. The bills still roll in and Grace needs to stay current with our salaries and services!
Thank you.
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Grace is the Cereal Church
Cereal and other food items are needed for the Bridgeport Food Pantries. If you want to bring milk for donation, please look for the no refrigeration required, shelf stable milk in the supermarket juice/beverage aisle or the coffee aisle. Either shelf stable almond milk or dairy milk is appreciated.
During the current period of some in-person worship and "Church in Deployment" (Sundays with no worship services at Grace), please continue to drop off your contributions and they will be delivered to the Food Pantries. Thank you!
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The Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., is the seat of the presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church. Photo: Episcopal News Service
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Episcopal Church statement on new refugee cap
Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations
Posted May 4, 2021
Today President Biden followed through on his promise to raise the Fiscal Year 2021 refugee cap from 15,000 to 62,500. The Episcopal Church commends President Biden for recognizing the United States’ obligation to protecting some of the most vulnerable individuals in our world. The Episcopal Church has called on the United States and other wealthy nations to “contribute to resettlement, establish and maintain safe and orderly humanitarian protection for refugees, internally displaced persons, and other migrants seeking long-term solutions and safety.” Given that the Episcopal Church has put these words into practice through its refugee resettlement work with Episcopal Migration Ministries and the welcoming work of its parishes, we appreciate the White House has done the same with its campaign promises to expand refugee resettlement and strengthen the refugee program.
To read the rest of this article, click on the blue button below.
The beloved church coffee hour may soon return as COVID-19 fades in US
By Bob Smietana
Posted May 4, 2021
[Religion News Service] The first time coffee showed up in church, things did not go well.
First developed in the Muslim world in the mid-800s, coffee was initially greeted by the Vatican, according to traditional stories, as a “hellish” brew meant to tempt Christians.
“For Christians to drink it, was to risk falling into a trap set by Satan for their soul,” wrote William Harrison Ukers in his 1922 book, “All About Coffee.”
Thankfully, said the Rev. Tim Schenck, Pope Clement VII, who ruled in the 16th century, had a better idea.
To read the rest of this article, click the blue button below.
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Local News
From the Trumbull Patch
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CT Prepped, Ready For FDA To Green Light Vaccination for Children
Could the Feds authorize the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine for use on children aged 12-15 in time for the start of the school year?
Posted Mon, May 3, 2021 at 8:07 pm ET
CONNECTICUT — As the availability of a coronavirus vaccine for residents under the age of 16 came closer to reality, Gov. Ned Lamont speculated the state could establish clinics at schools to expedite adolescent vaccination.
Lamont said that such clinics, and an accompanying end-of-summer jab campaign, would be "very helpful in building confidence to get kids back into school in the fall."
The governor was hopeful, but expressed some doubt such a rollout was realistic: "I'm not sure we're going to have them in time for this school year," Lamont said during a news conference Monday.
But if it were possible, and the state can get a "good chunk" of the 177,000 newly-eligible children between the ages of 12-15 vaccinated, state Chief Operating Officer Josh Geballe said it would move the state's overall vaccination percentage up "a couple of percentage points."
To read the rest of the article, click the blue button below.
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FOR INFORMATION ON COVID-19 VACCINES, CLICK THE BLUE BUTTONS BELOW
COVID-19 Vaccine in Connecticut:
Get the latest information on availability, eligibility, and access to the COVID-19 vaccine.
Vaccine access is only for those who live or work in Connecticut
NOW SCHEDULING
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To help expedite the process of scheduling an appointment, eligible Connecticut residents can do so online or through the state's telephone hotline. Once the first appointment is made, a follow-up appointment will be made at the vaccination site to receive the second shot to complete the process.
Those who are eligible can sign up for an appointment using the state’s Vaccine AdministrationManagement System (VAMS) or through Connecticut’s hotline at 877-918-2224 or by calling 211.
One can make an appointment online by visiting:
For a list of additional pharmacies offering the vaccine, both chain and local independent pharmacies, click the blue button below.
People with questions about the vaccination process can call the Trumbull Senior Center at 203-452-5199.
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Local News From the Trumbull/Monroe/Easton/Redding Daily Voice
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COVID-19: CT Reaches Vaccination Milestone; Here's The Latest Breakdown Of Cases By County
05/03/2021 6:30 p.m.
The Nutmeg State reached a momentous milestone over the weekend as it continues to roll out its COVID-19 vaccination program at among the fastest rates in the country.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced on Monday, May 3 that the state became the first in the nation to fully vaccinate more than half of its adults over the age of 18, with approximately 69 percent of adults receiving at least a first dose of the vaccine.
A total of 1,912,581 first doses have been administered in Connecticut, with nearly 1.4 million completing the vaccination series. Lamont said that 3,192,560 total doses have been administered since the program began earlier this year.
To read the rest of the Daily Voice Article, click the blue button below.
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COVID-19: CT Sets Date To End Most Capacity Restrictions
05/03/2021 1:00 p.m.
Most COVID-19 capacity restrictions are set to be lifted in Connecticut as part of a regionally-minded approach that is being taken by top lawmakers in the tri-state area.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced early on Monday, May 3 that he had been working with Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on a plan that will see pandemic-related capacity restrictions largely lifted in all three states as of Wednesday, May 19.
Beginning that day, restrictions will be lifted for:
- Restaurants;
- Museums;
- Theaters;
- Broadway;
- Retail;
- Shops;
- Gyms and fitness centers;
- Amusement and family entertainment parks;
- Hair salons;
- Barbershops;
- Offices.
Outdoor large stadium capacity will increase to 33 percent on May 19 as the three states continue to work on a joint protocol for stadiums moving forward.
"Our region has led by example since the beginning of the pandemic, taking the virus seriously and working collaboratively across state lines to the benefit of all of our residents," Lamont said. "We were able to announce the elimination of business restrictions due to a nation-leading vaccine distribution program which benefits all Connecticut residents, and our neighbors in New York and New Jersey."
To read the rest of the article, click the blue button below.
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AA Meetings at Grace
Updated Information for Spring 2021, click blue button below
AA groups have resumed meetings at Grace. Instead of meeting in the Lewis Hall Meeting Room for now, groups are meeting in the larger Undercroft Parish Hall. For now this space allows for socially distanced meetings. The space was cleaned and AA will provide cleaning going forward. One restroom will be used by AA and the other will be closed during meetings. For details on available meetings, and restarting meeting, please go to grace-eye-opener.org
or click the button.
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We've joined the Confidant Health platform to expand access to critical services
Hi there,
We held a special session announcing that C.A.R.E.S. has aligned with a new, innovative company called Confidant Health.
The Confidant Health founders recognized the need for a shift in the way substance use and mental health care is delivered. Their unique approach combines clinical best practices that are shown to support individuals entering recovery and those that help families heal. Confidant’s proprietary app-based care delivery system is accessible where and when people need it.
Aligning C.A.R.E.S. with Confidant Health has allowed us to enhance and expand our services to best meet the needs of all of our participants and their families. We will now offer the Confidant Cares Family & Friend Support Group virtually on Monday nights at C.A.R.E.S. usual time, while also making Confidant’s array of service options immediately available to our members that need information, education, coaching, clinical treatment, and continued recovery support for mental health and substance use disorders.
If you have any questions about this process, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.
Thank you for your ongoing support of C.A.R.E.S. and I hope you join us in our new, improved format as we continue to grow and provide education, resources and hope for the individuals, families, and communities we serve.
With warmest regards,
Donna
C.A.R.E.S.
VIRTUAL HOPE & SUPPORT GROUP
MONDAYS
7:00 - 9:00 PM
* All meetings are free of charge
Please contact us using the info below for assistance of any kind.
855-406-0246
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Caroline House Spring Outdoor Brunch
Caroline House Mission:
To enable women and children to reach the fullness of their potential
through education in English language and life skills
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To make a contribution to the CCGB Virtual Food Drive, click the blue button below.
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Register for our Spring Fling Virtual Event "Be Our Guest"!
This virtual event will be held on TUESDAY, MAY 25th at 7:00 PM!!!
Until COVID is well behind us, we continue to put safety first, and our Spring Fling will be via zoom, with a virtual auction, where people will bid on ways to support our work. (You can also donate at any time on our DONATE page and select VIRTUAL SPRING FLING!)
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St. Pauly's Clothing shed at
GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
is open!
The clothing donation shed at Grace Episcopal Church, 5958 Main Street, Trumbull, CT, is open to the public.
If you are not familiar with the clothing donation shed, it’s designed to give community members a uniquely clean, convenient, and well-cared-for option to donate their used clothing to. St. Pauly Textile Inc., the company that has provided the shed, partners with businesses and various organizations to distribute donated items both here in the U.S. and worldwide, where they are ultimately re-worn by people who need them. Grace Church funding for donated clothing, and additionally has the option to use donations to serve community needs.
With over 1,300 clothing drop-off sheds in place, St. Pauly Textile Inc. collects over 90,000 pounds of clothing every day and estimates that this clothing ends up in 44 different countries (including the U.S.) yearly. In 2019, the company was able to help keep over 20 million articles of clothing out of landfills, which clothed an estimated 2.5 million people worldwide. The company was founded in 1996 and is an A+ rated member of the Better Business Bureau.
Accepted items: clothing, shoes, belts, purses, blankets, sheets, curtains, pillowcases, and stuffed animals. NO FURNITURE OF ANY SIZE. NO TOYS. NO CARRIAGES. NO CAR SEATS. NO CRIBS. NO APPLIANCES. NO GLASS ITEMS. DONATION MUST FIT INTO THE SLOT IN THE FRONT OF THE SHED. DO NOT LEAVE ANY ITEMS OUTSIDE THE SHED.
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A word from the brothers of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist
The good news is that we don’t need to be perfect. We only need to be found. We give thanks that the Good Shepherd continues to search for us, so that one day we will be found, and gathered into his arms, and brought home.
-Br. James Koester, Society of Saint John the Evangelist
For more information on the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, please visit their web site at: http://ssje.org/ or click the button below.
SSJE is a monastic community of The Episcopal Church & The Anglican Church of Canada
Brother, Give Us A Word is a daily devotion
The Society of Saint John the Evangelist is an independent, 501(c) (3) non-profit tax exempt U.S. corporation.
© 2015 The Society of Saint John the Evangelist, All Rights Reserved
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The Episcopal Church in Connecticut
Participating in God's Mission
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Announcement of composition of Bishop Transition Committee
April 27, 2021
To the Bishops, Clergy, and People of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut:
The names of the nominees selected by vote of the Mission Council to compose the Bishop Transition Committee are as follows:
Joy Anderson
Suzy Burke
Harlon Dalton
Luk De Volder
Bob Giolitto
Edrick Hall
Zachary Kohl
Bonnie Matthews
Harold (Harry) Schmitz
Linda Spiers
Kate Wesch
Sarah Woodford
Additionally, the following members of the Bishop Transition Committee have been selected by the Regions:
Marsha McCurdy Adell
Joseph Carroll
Scott Colvin
Laura Daly
Kevin Fenner
Jack Gilpin
Jane Hale
Rebekah Bokros Hatch
Karen Hatcher-Sneed
Kim Litsey
Helena Martin
Marissa Stuart Rohrbach
These members have been selected in accordance with the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. The official letter can be found here.
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Fifth Sundays Across ECCT:
May 30, 2021 at 10 a.m.
Join us on ECCT's YouTube Channel and Facebook Page
Link to ECCT website and Facebook page with blue buttons below.
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Companions in Mission Ministry Network Webinar Series, Bringing Hope: To The Local
Tuesday, May 11 from 7-8:30 p.m.
Join the Companions in Mission Ministry Network on Tuesday, May 11 from 7-8:30 p.m. for the first in a series of three webinars, Bringing Hope: To the Local. Come hear about the hope being brought through local mission during these challenging times. Carrie Amos, President, Jericho Partnership will share the hope that strengthens the organization's plans for the future. Jericho Partnership is an affiliation of laypeople and church groups which follow Jesus in word and deed to serve the at-risk community in Danbury, Connecticut. Learn more and register online.
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Camp Washington - Life changing events for adults and children
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Fri, May 21, 2021 4:00 PM EST
“An Embodied Spring” Women’s Retreat Weekend
Camp Washington Camp and Retreat Center, Lakeside/Morris
Welcome to a joyful sister weekend filled with nourishment and rest for your “COVID-tired” body, mind and spirit. Three inspiring sessions, five beautiful, nutrient rich meals with vegetarian options, including Sunday Brunch. All rooms are single with shared baths, following state COVID safety guidelines. Learn more and register online.
Click the blue button below to register
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Spring 2021
Dear Friends of Camp Washington,
It goes without saying, 2020 will undoubtedly be remembered as a year unlike any other in our lifetime. As 2020 began, Camp Washington was buzzing with excitement and energy as new programs and adventures were being planned for the continued exploration of discipleship on our beautiful campus. In early March we knew something was wrong, and by mid-March we had closed the doors for what we thought might be a few weeks of quarantine at home. As the reality of the pandemic began to set-in we were faced with the challenges of canceling all retreat and conference business, the outdoor education program that typically fills our campus was canceled, and eventually the governor decided to cancel all residential summer camps.
During this time of uncertainty, our staff cared for our lonely campus, designed and offered a virtual camp experience for our campers and families, we checked on neighbors with a phone call, we sent notes and offered food and clothing to those in our neighborhood who needed a little help to get through the week. For over 100 years, Camp Washington has been a place of hope and hospitality- a place where people connect with God in unexpected ways and places. So, we simply did what we do best- and with your generosity, were able to do the work God was calling us to do. Thanks Be to God!
As we settle into the rhythm of this new year, we remain hopeful for the future. We have begun welcoming smaller groups back to campus for program and retreat. We are moving forward to offer our campers and families a compact summer program. We are pursuing new partnerships for outdoor education for the fall of 2021. We have completed extensive maintenance projects around our 300-acre campus, and we are breaking ground on new structures and projects to enhance our programs. All of this is possible thanks to your belief in this ministry and your continued generous, faithful support. Thank you!
Hope to see you on campus soon.
Faithfully,
Bart Geissinger- Executive Director
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Welcome back home to Camp Washington!
Summer Camp 2021 will be a “different” kind of summer for us all- and- we are getting pretty good at being flexible.
As we continue to live with COVID-19, we also learn more as we try-on new things and listen to the science and guidance of experts.
The safety and well-being of our campers and staff is the #1 priority as we design plans and programs for this summer. We have shortened the number of sessions available, and have reduced our registration capacity, allowing us to create more space in the cabins and common areas. Campers will travel in cabin pods with established protocols for each pod.
We are following the guidance of the American Camp Association (ACA), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Episcopal Camps & Conference Centers (ECCC), and the State of CT to determine the layers of protection Camp Washington will need to implement this to insure the safest summer possible. Some activities will look and feel different, some will be new, and some may simply not be possible this summer. However, we believe that creating a summer camp experience for our families is perhaps more important this summer than ever before.
In the coming months, we will share our new guidelines with you once you have registered, and will ask you to take an active role with your camper in understanding your responsibilities in making this summer successful. Many rules, policies and protocols will be different- one thing will not change: the opportunity for your camper to come home to Camp Washington to have fun, reconnect with friends, staff, and our creator in the beauty of this amazing campus.
We are here to answer your questions, and look forward to welcoming you back home this summer to Camp Washington!
Summer Camp 2021 Schedule
MINI Camp, ages 5-10 : July 7-9, 2021 : $295
MINI Day Camp, ages 5-10 : July 7-9, 2021 : $150
Children's Camp 1, ages 7-12 : July 11-16, 2021 : $595
Children's Camp 2 (2 week), ages 7-12 : July 25 - August 6, 2021 : $1,350
Teen Camp 1, ages 12-16 : July 18-23, 2021 : $595
Teen Camp 2 (2 week), ages 12-16 : July 25 - August 6, 2021 : $1,350
Summer Camp 2021 Employment Opportunities at Camp Washington
As we re-gather as a community this summer at Camp Washington, we are looking to build a team of energetic, fun, creative, spirit-filled people who are excited to welcome our campers back home to Camp! Join us for the best summer job you will ever have: long days, warm nights, memories to last a lifetime.
We are looking for: Program Directors in Arts & Crafts, Sports, Performing Arts, Wilderness and Waterfront, as well as Cabin Staff and more. Check out all the opportunities online.
People of all races, colors, beliefs, genders, national origins, experiences, and abilities are encouraged to apply.
For Information on Camp Washington, See ECCT website for details or www.campwashington.org.
Camp Washington
(860) 567- 9623
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