1. Art and Diseño

Parish Newsletter
Grace Church in Haddonfield
EPIPHANY-LENT
FEBRUARY 2015
SHROVE TUESDAY PANCAKE SUPPER
FEBRUARY 17
Tickets available now
$10 for adults
$5 for children 3-7
Children 2 & under free
FEBRUARY 18
SERVICE TIMES
7:00 a.m.
Noon
7:30 p.m.
Liturgy of Ash Wednesday with Holy Eucharist
Liturgy of Ash Wednesday with Holy Eucharist
Liturgy of Ash Wednesday with Holy Eucharist
Table of Contents
FROM THE RECTOR
3
OMG DEACON CARMEN
4
MUSIC MINISTRY
5
WORSHIP
6
Parish House Eucharist
6
Acolyte Guild
6
Lenten Preaching Series & soup Lunch
6
Grace Church Lenten Observances
6
The Meaning of Lent
6
Religious Observances of February
7
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
8
Church School
8
Education Committee
8
Mardi Gras Festival
8
God Talk
8
Adult Bible Study
8
The Bible Challenge
8
Confirmation Class
9
God-n-Family
9
God-n-Me
9
Communion Class
9
PARISH LIFE
10
Annual Meeting
10
Newcomers’ Brunch
10
Dinner for 8
10
Vestry Retreat
10
Diocesan Convention
10
LOOKING AHEAD
11
OUTREACH
11
KAC Lunches
11
IHOC Men’s Shelter
11
CALENDAR
Click Here
ANNIVERSARIES & BIRTHDAYS
Click Here
PICTURE PAGE
Click Here
PARISH NEWSLETTER
Grace Church in Haddonfield
19 Kings Highway East
Haddonfield, NJ 08033
856-429-0007 Fax: 856-429-3291
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web Page: www.gracehaddon.org
STAFF
Rector
The Rev. Dr. Patrick Close
Deacons
The Ven. Carmen Viola, Archdeacon
The Rev. Carl Dunn, Deacon
Organist and Music Director
Maximillian Esmus
Director of Religious Education
Betsy Murphy
Parish Administrator
Susan Getz
Secretary
Kathleen Myers
Treasurer
Bill Sweeney
VESTRY
Senior Warden
Nevan Soumilas
Junior Warden
Bob Weil
Susan Briant
Amy Christopher
Dana Cotter
Jay Kauffman
Jean Lisiecki
Rose McAuley
Jim Moore
Shannon Morris
Sara Sweeney
Ann Waller
Tom Westerfield
Carl Willers
Nancy Young
2
Dear Friends in Christ:
One of the things Christians have often turned to during
Lent are additional worship services. Some people look
for a noon day service near where they work; or an early
morning service at their Church. Others try to create a
time of prayer somewhere in the day. For me, morning
has always been the easiest for prayers. For my wife,
Diane, she's a night person and evening is a better time.
What matters not is the time nor the place, but simply the
practice of worship in whatever form you might choose.
It promises to help draw us nearer to Christ.
February is one of the shortest months but is often one
of the busiest in the Church. It usually is marked by
Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. During the
harsh cold and winter snows, we begin an inward
journey in our spiritual lives. Lent challenges us to
look at our lives and reflect on what changes we might
make to draw closer to Jesus Christ. The biblical
readings in Church will focus on sin, death, temptations
and all the difficult forces that work against the vision
and will of God.
The most common practice during Lent is sharing our
time and money with those in need. Lent is an opportune
time to live out Jesus' challenge to care for the poor, the
sick, the lonely, the hungry, and the stranger. It may be
as simple as helping for an hour at a soup kitchen, or
providing a meal for a shelter program. It can be as
simple as each week when we shop for groceries to pick
up canned goods or box food for a food ministry. Some
people look for ways to work with disadvantaged
children or elderly people who are shut-ins. It may be an
hour, or a day; it may be once a week or some other time.
It is simply showing care and compassion for others in
whatever way we choose.
It has been of the practice of Christians during Lent to
change the ways of their lives as part of their selfexamination. Lent becomes the time to let go of some
things to allow us to hear or experience God's love and
presence. It's the calling of every Christian to search
out the ways to resist the evil of the world and turn
towards the grace of God.
The word Lent comes from a word for lengthening ...
the days are literally growing longer. We are invited
during Lent to lengthen our faith lives by the things we
do. For some people, fasting is a way. Fasting is the
practice of denying ourselves some food or other thing.
The concept is that when we can empty ourselves
through fasting, God will provide something else to
"fill us up." Fasting is more than just giving up candy
or snacks in the hope of losing weight. It is a practice
to open us up to receive more from God.
Lent is what I call "other time." It's also God time ... time
to become another person and spend more time with God.
It's meant to help shape us into better, deeper disciples.
It's a time to put into practice what Jesus has taught us
and in our own ways to bring the Kingdom of God closer
to us and others. It's focus is on us, but for the other ...
the other we call God.
Other people "give up" something in order to listen for
what God might have to say to us. We live in a world
that is filled with noise. There is so much noise that we
often can't discern what God is saying. We might try
giving up television, Facebook, cell phones, computer
games, Twitter, or some other "noise" that dominates
our lives. We might try using this time for a more
spiritual practice: reading the Bible; reading a religious
book; practicing contemplative prayer; trying
meditation; or even simply creating a space and time
for silence during the day.
Please give serious thought to finding some way to live
into Lent in a new and different way. Look for the
opportunities to move closer to God and to walk with
Jesus Christ. It promises to change us and the world in
ways we could never imagine. May you have a blessed
Lenten journey this year.
With warmest regards, I remain, faithfully yours in
Christ,
3
February – The Bleak Midwinter
"Keep your faith in beautiful things; in the sun when it is hidden, in the Spring when it is gone."-Roy R. Gibson
"Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle ... a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to
the light, a bud straining to unfurl." - Barbara Winkler
“The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed.”- Jesus
Our faith is a lot like the month of February – a state of anticipation towards spring and the potential that lies
hidden to our eyes. Like faith it speaks to things unseen yet hoped for.
As Christians we know that the beauty of Christmas is fulfilled in the potential that blossoms forth in Easter. Last
month we celebrated a new year and with it a new hope that our lives could always be better. During this month
we tend to get anxious. It is cold and dreary and everything seems really really dead! We can’t wait for the spring!
February helps set the stage for Spring…if it was always Spring we wouldn’t feel the sense of new life bursting forth
so deeply in our souls!
Ironically during the coldest month of the year is the month that we celebrate love!
When stuck inside from the cold we tend to look more inwardly. It is truly a good time to reflect and take inventory
of our relationships. Our God is a God of relationships. All of us want to be loved, but many of us find that fostering
and maintaining good healthy loving relationships to be hard work and challenging. Valentine’s Day gives us a
chance to refocus on those things that are most important to us but tend to get lost in the shuffle of our day to day
routines – our relationships with our loved ones.
Part of being in a loving relationship is feeling worthy of love oneself! There are many reasons why some of us feel
unworthy of love…but simply remind yourself of this – the creator of the entire cosmos believes you are worthy of
love, enough to be called a “child of God”. If God loves us beyond our imagination then we are certainly worthy of
love…from ourself and from others. And because God loves us, then we can share that love with others in kind.
And like the Sower in Jesus’ parables of the seeds, you too can sow love into the world. The paradox and true
potential of love is that it only grows when we freely give it away! Valentines’ day is a day which focuses on that
universal principle where we figuratively give our hearts away to those we love!
The kingdom of God, like a seed, like our love, is unseen, grows slowly and has a huge potential for change and
transformation in our lives and in the lives of those we touch. For by sowing seeds of love, we in a sense become
the living word of God. God lived out through you and me. In this way, as Saint Paul said, we become the body of
Christ - we become the Church!
So as we strive to be more open to God and to live a more loving life in relationship with our self and those around
us, let us remember that small seed that is living in each one of us - just waiting to burst forth in beauty into the
world. Happy February!
Your faithful servant, Carmen
4
4
WORSHIP
THE PARISH HOUSE HOLY COMMUNION
GRACE CHURCH LENTEN OBSERVANCES
Children and families are
encouraged to join us for
the Parish House Holy
Communion
in
the
Performance Hall on
Sunday, February 1st at
9:30 am. This service is especially designed to help
young children become more familiar with Church.
Cake and ice cream are served following the service
to celebrate February birthdays!
Guests are
especially welcomed!
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday (February 18th) and
follows for the next 40 days. We host a number of
activities that people may attend during that time.
Here are our services and activities for Lent:
 February 18th: Ash Wednesday Services at 7 am;
12 noon & 7:30 pm
 Mondays at 7 pm: God Talk
 Tuesdays at 12 noon, beginning February 24th:
Council of Churches Preaching Series-“The Practice
of Forgiveness” followed by soup lunch
 Wednesdays at 7 pm, & Sundays at 10:45 am:
continuation of Bible Challenge discussions
 Thursdays, beginning February 19th at 10:30 am:
“The Book of Forgiving”
THE MEANING OF LENT
Early Christians observed "a
season of penitence and
fasting" in preparation for the
Paschal feast, or Pascha (BCP,
pp. 264-265). The season now
known as Lent (from an Old
English
word
meaning
"spring,"
the
time
of
lengthening days) has a long
history. Originally, in places
where Pascha was celebrated
on a Sunday, the Paschal
feast followed a fast of up to two days. In the third
century this fast was lengthened to six days.
Eventually this fast became attached to, or
overlapped, another fast of forty days, in imitation of
Christ's fasting in the wilderness. The forty-day fast
was especially important for converts to the faith
who were preparing for baptism, and for those guilty
of notorious sins who were being restored to the
Christian assembly. In the western church the forty
days of Lent extend from Ash Wednesday through
Holy Saturday, omitting Sundays. The last three days
of Lent are the sacred Triduum of Maundy Thursday,
Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Today Lent has
reacquired its significance as the final preparation of
adult candidates for baptism. Joining with them, all
Christians are invited "to the observance of a holy
Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer,
fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and
meditating on God's holy Word" (BCP, p. 265).
ACOLYTE GUILD
February 1st at 12:30 p.m. is the next meeting of the
Acolyte Guild. We will be preparing for Lent and
Easter. We will also be discussing the Diocesan
Acolyte Festival on February 14 from 9:30 am to
3:30 pm. If you are interested in helping with the
acolytes please contact George Freeze, Nora
Bollinger, or Betsy Murphy.
Currently acolyte families should check Ministry
Scheduler Pro to update the availability and fill in
substitute requests.
LENTEN PREACHING & SOUP SERIES
The
Haddonfield
Council
of
Churches will be holding the
Tuesday, Lenten Preaching and
Soup Lunch series commencing
February 24th at 12 noon. The
clergy of the town will be preaching
at Grace Church on “The Practice of
Forgiveness.” A soup lunch follows
in the Parish Hall hosted by the
preacher’s home Church. Come join
us for this wonderful series.
6
WORSHIP
RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES OF FEBRUARY
and sickness. Imbolc is the Celtic feast in Ireland
half way between the fall and spring equinox. It
looks forward to the coming of spring during the
bleakness of winter and the lengthening of the days.
Christians in Ireland shifted from Imbolc
observances to Candlemas and the Feast of St.
Brigit. We in this country have something called
Ground Hog Day in February as a secular
observance.
February is often lamented as the hardest winter
month to bear. Fortunately, it is the shortest, but is
also full of religious observances. Ash Wednesday
and Lent start us on our journey to Holy Week and
Easter. But there are other notable dates. February
2nd is the Feast of St. Brigit, Candlemas and Imbolc.
Brigit is Ireland's second most beloved saint. She
celebrates the opening of spring and womanhood.
Brigit (or Brigid) is the Keeper of the Sacred Flame &
Waters, The Church in Kildare is the site of her
religious community that welcomed men and
women. Kildare is remembered as a healing place
and site of many pilgrimages. People celebrate her
day by making Brigit's crosses out of reeds. They
were hung in the homes to ward off illness.
Candlemas is the Feast of the Purification, or the
Feast of the Presentation. The story in Luke 2:22-40
tells the story of Mary and Joseph taking the infant
Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem to keep the
tradition of presenting the first born son and
dedicating him to God. It falls 40 days after
Christmas, following the Jewish practice of
purification for women who have been in childbirth.
The Feast became known as Candlemas due to
Simeon's words that Jesus was the light for
revelation to the Gentiles. It is a custom to bless
candles which are taken home to ward off storms
Shrove Tuesday falls the day before Ash Wednesday.
Know as Mardi Gras, it means "fat Tuesday" and was
a time to eat up certain foods before the fasting of
Lent began. Many Churches host a Pancake Supper
on this day. To "shrive" means to "to absolve sins".
Shrove Tuesday is the last feast before the fasting of
Lent. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent and is
often observe with receiving a cross of ashes on
one's forehead. The ashes are made from the burnt
palms of the previous Palm Sunday. Ashes are a
sign of penitence. Lent recalls Jesus' 40 days in the
wilderness resisting temptations. Christians around
the world abstain from different things during Lent
as a spiritual discipline to draw closer to God and
Jesus. It is especially a time for self-examination and
considering what changes a person might make to
become a better disciple. Lent reminds us of sin and
death and our need for God and the saving help of
Jesus Christ.
7
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
CHURCH SCHOOL
The theme for Church School in February is seeds of
faith.
February 1: Nicodemus & God-N-Me
February 8: “Jesus Heals the Sick”
LIFE-LONG CHRISTIAN
FORMATION PROGRAMS
February 15: Mardi Gras Community Day
February 22: ”People see the Signs,”
GOD TALK
Communion Class & God-N-Family
Join Deacon Carmen
Monday nights at 7 p.m.
in the Parish Hall to
discuss the human
experience, who we really
are, and discover how to
re-connect to God and one another.
February 2: “The Way of the Essenes”
Please check www.gracechurchhaddonfield.org or
Church School News for more information and at
home activities. If you have any questions about
Church School or would like to volunteer, please
c o n t a c t
B e t s y
M u r p h y ,
[email protected].
February 9: “Into the Desert to be Tested”
February 16: “The Last Passover”
February 23: “The Fifth Cup: Our Way of Hope.”
March 2 will be a wrap-up for the year with a dinner
and summary.
EDUCATION COMMITTEE
ADULT BIBLE STUDY
The next meeting of the Education Committee will be
Thursday, March 19, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.
Thursday mornings at 9:30 a.m. Father Pat meets in
the library for Bible Study. Currently, they are
analyzing “Enoch.” In Lent, they begin Desmond
Tutu’s book on forgiveness. Text and study materials
will be available.
THE BIBLE CHALLENGE
The Bible Challenge is going strong. Father Pat is
leading two discussion groups one on Sunday
mornings after the 9:30 a.m. service in the parlor
and one on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. in the Parish
Hall. Check the weekly bulletin, Facebook, Twitter or
email [email protected] for the
readings.
MARDI GRAS FESTIVAL
Sunday, February 15, 10:30 a.m. Join us for a more
traditional Mardi Gras celebration, including a mask
decorating contest and King Cake. If you would like
to help with this event, please contact Betsy Murphy.
8
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
COMMUNION CLASS
Communion Class will begin on Sunday, February
22nd during Church School. Classes are for children
who are in the second grade or older and have not
previously received Communion instruction. During
class we will be learning about the parts of the
church service, why we celebrate the Eucharist and
church symbols.
CONFIRMATION CLASS
In February the Confirmation class will meet at
4 p.m. on the 19th. The topic of the class is “Prayer
and Spiritual Practices.” There is no memory verse
for the February class. We will have dinner with the
IHOC men at 6 p.m. Thank you to the Deitelbaum
family for providing snack and the Lieber family for
providing dinner.
A celebration of class completion will take place on
Maundy Thursday with a re-enactment of the Seder
dinner and the 7:30 p.m. church service. Contact
Betsy Murph, [email protected]
for more information.
GOD-N-FAMILY
On Sunday, February 22nd the 4th and 5th grade class
will begin P.R.A.Y.’s God-N-Family program led by
Beth Ann and Ed Strom.
Children will read about different families in
the Bible, which can teach them about God’s
plan for strengthening families. To remember
these lessons, children will compare families
and “pizza.” The six steps for making pizza
will give students a concrete, “hands-on”
model on which to build their understanding
of God’s love for their families. They will
make a pizza as they study how families can
grow together in God’s love, and they will
choose “family projects” to be done with
their family at home. (http://
www.praypub.org/god_country/family/
god_fam_description.htm)
Students who complete the God-N-Family program
earn the religious merit badge in many organizations
including Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Camp
Fire and American Heritage. The program will run
until March 22, 2015.
GOD-N-ME
Congratulations to the 2nd and 3rd grade
class who will complete the God-N-Me
program on February 8th. They have been
designing game boxes that will help them
develop a closer relationship to God and
Jesus.
9
PARISH LIFE
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE
ANNUAL MEETING
VESTRY RETREAT
Prayers are asked of the Parish for the new Vestry as
they begin their work together this year. We will be
meeting for our planning retreat on Saturday,
February 14th to outline our hopes for life, mission &
ministry at Grace Church this year. Here’s a
complete list of your current vestry members: Senior
Warden-Nevan Soumilas, Junior Warden-Bob Weil,
Susan Briant, Amy Christopher, Dana Cotter, Jay
Kauffman, Jean Lisiecki, Rose McAuley, Jim Moore,
Shannon Morris, Sara Sweeney, Ann Waller, Tom
Westerfield, Carl Willers and Nancy Young.
The Annual Meeting was
held Sunday, January 25th
at Grace Church. Copies of
the 2014 Annual Meeting
Report are available in the
Parish Office. We ended
2014 with a small surplus thanks to the stewardship
of the Vestry. Deacon Carl Dunn joined us last year,
and Sue Getz’s retirement in May of 2015 was
announced. The following people were elected to
various offices: Vestry - Susan Briant, Dana Cotter,
Jean Lisiecki, Jim Moore, Tom Westerfield and Carl
Willers. Convention Delegates - Al Schmidt, Nevan
Soumilas and Bethann Strom; Convocation
Representatives - Sara Sweeney and Nancy Young.
There was also a report that we will be conducting a
capital campaign this year in preparation for the
175th anniversary of Grace Church in 2017.
DIOCESAN CONVENTION
The Diocese of New Jersey will be holding its Annual
Convention at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Princeton;
Friday, February 27th through Saturday, February
28th. This year’s theme is “ReImagining Mission &
Discipleship.” The keynote speaker will be the Rev.
Thomas Brackett. Delegates from around the
Diocese will gather to discuss the polity, mission and
ministry of the Church as disciples of Jesus Christ.
There will be worship, business sessions and
workshops to focus on this year’s theme. The clergy
will be joined by our delegates this year: Beth Ann
Strom; Nevan Soumilas and Al Schmidt. For more
information, visit the Diocese of New Jersey’s
website at www.dioceseofnj.org.
NEWCOMERS’ BRUNCH
Are you new to Grace Church?
Come join us for brunch
following the February 8th
services at 11:45 a.m. in the
Rectory.
Members of the
Vestry will be contacting our
newest members. Come join
us for food and fellowship and
help us to get to know you better! For more
information, please contact the Parish Office.
DINNER FOR 8
Would you like to get to know members of the parish
better? Consider signing up for the Dinner for 8
program! We will take names over the first two
weeks of February, and then assign 8 people to a
group. The group will meet once a month for dinner
in a host’s home through May. Singles and couples
are encouraged to sign up! See the bulletin board in
the Parish Hall or e-mail the Parish Office to sign up!
Join us for this great fellowship event!
10
LOOKING AHEAD
OUTREACH
Please make note of events taking place at Grace
Church during the month of March
KIDS ALLEY CAFÉ LUNCHES
Volunteers are welcomed to
help prepare 100 lunches for
Kids Alley. Join us in the
Parish Hall on Saturday,
February 7th at 9 a.m. For
more information, please
contact Nevan Soumalis at
856-857-9357.
Please mark your calendar for the following
events coming up in March at Grace Church:
 Tuesdays, March 3,10,17,24 & 31: Council
of Churches Preaching & Soup Lunch Series
 Saturday, March 7: Men’s Breakfast, 7:30
am; Kids Alley Café Lunch Preparation, 9 am
 Sunday,
March
15:
Celtic
Liturgy,
Haddonfield Choir Festival, 4 pm
 Saturday, March 28th, 7 pm, Rowan College
Choir Performance
 Sunday, March 29th, Palm Sunday Brunch
(following both services)
IHOC MEN’S SHELTER COMING
The men participating in the IHOC
shelter program will arrive at Grace
Church on Sunday February 15th and
remain until Sunday, March 8th. We
will provide the men with a hot
supper, a warm place to sleep, food
for breakfast and lunch, showers,
money for laundry and fellowship.
The
IHOC
program
screens
candidates and seeks to provide
them with jobs, counseling and other
services to help them regain their place in society.
Volunteers are need to: provide a hot dinner; serve
as night and weekend hosts, and (men only) sleep
overnight at the Church. We will be using the Parish
Hall and the 3rd Floor of the Parish House during
these three weeks. Please contact Nevan Soumilas
to help. A sign up list is available in the Parish
House.
PASSAGES
We commend to God’s care and keeping those who
have died this past month:
Jeffrey Tracy-January 10
Jean Howard-January 15
Florence Magnano-January 16
John Sherman-January 22
George Luther-January 27
We welcome those baptized in the Church this past
month:
Anna Grace Batezel-January 4
Cecilia Atkinson Bozarth-Saporito-January 25
11
SUNDAY SERVICES
The Holy Eucharist……………………………………………….…………...8:00 a.m.
Family Eucharist……………………………………………………………....9:30 a.m.
Christian Education……………………………………………………......10:30 a.m.
(Young Children and Nursery Care available)
WEEKDAY SERVICES
The Holy Eucharist
Wednesday …………………………………………………………….…….7:00 a.m.
Thursday …………………………………….…….…………………..……....9:30 a.m.
(Healing Eucharist each Thursday morning)
Saturday Evening……………………………………………….………..…..5:30 p.m.
Holy Days/Additional Services……As Announced
REGULAR MEETING DATES
Property Committee…………………………………………..7:30 pm, 1st Monday
Finance Committee………………………………………..…7:00 pm, 2nd Monday
Vestry………………………………………………………….…7:00 pm, 3rd Monday
KnitWits………………………………………………………..10:00 am, 3rd Saturday
St. Paul’s Shopping/Packing………………………………………...Every Tuesday
Food Basket at St. Paul’s….……………………………………………..Every Friday
Daughters of the King…………………………………...Last Saturday, 10:00 a.m.
St. Anne’s Guild…………..…………………………….3rd Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.
Grace Choir (Adults)…………………..…Every Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Sept-June
Teen Choir (6th-12th grade).……………..Every Sunday 11:30 am, Sept.-June
St. Michael’s Choir (K-5th grade)………..Every Sunday, 11:30 am. Sept-June
Stewardship Committee…………………………………… 1st Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Bible Study………………...……………………………………..Sundays, 10:45 a.m.
Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.
Website: gracehaddon.org
Email: [email protected]
Grace Church in Haddonfield
12