To St. Stephen's Parishioners:
SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES
Sunday April 3 - 8 AM AND 10 AM Fourth Sunday in Lent. The Rev. Cooper Conway, Interim Rector is the celebrant. The Rev. Erik Soldwedel, Program Director of Newark Acts, is the preacher.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
Sunday, April 3 The Rev. Erik Soldwedel, Program Director of Newark Acts, preaches.
Sunday, April 10, 4:00 PM "Friends of Music" Organ Recital by William J. Stokes
Sunday, April 10, 11:00 AM Confirmation Class co-taught by Francina DeShong
Wednesday, April 13, 7:30 PM Finance Committee meeting
Sunday, April 17, 8 AM and 10 AM Palm Sunday
ANNOUNCEMENTS
EXTENDING A HAND TO JAPAN WITH MUSIC. Through the week our Music Director, Kim Williams, is a music teacher in a North Caldwell elementary school. Two mothers, who were originally from Japan and worried about family and friends living in the area of Japan affected by the recent earthquake and devastation, asked Kim whether the students could perform a song for Japan. They felt that if children could understand that people help each other in times of crisis, it would help lessen their fears. In just two weeks Kim taught 100 third graders "We Are the World" a well-known single written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and released in 1985 to raise humanitarian aid for Africa. When Kim arrived for the "sing-along" concert, she was surprised to learn that one of the mothers had also arranged for the concert to be covered by News 12 New Jersey and broadcast on its March 25 news report. The children, dressed in the red and white colors of the Japanese flag, spoke about their concern for those caught in the natural disaster. The musical event also appeared on Japanese television to document worldwide efforts to help those in need in Japan. To aid fund raising efforts, a CD of the third graders singing "We are the World" is available to those within the school making a donation to relief efforts. Others interested in donating to Japan relief can contact the Japan Society Earthquake Relief Fund (www.japansociety.org) or the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org). Listen to the children (and Kim) here (click on the small photo): http://www.news24.jp/articles/2011/03/26/10179498.html
EXTENDING A HAND TO JAPAN WITH MUSIC. Through the week our Music Director, Kim Williams, is a music teacher in a North Caldwell elementary school. Two mothers, who were originally from Japan and worried about family and friends living in the area of Japan affected by the recent earthquake and devastation, asked Kim whether the students could perform a song for Japan. They felt that if children could understand that people help each other in times of crisis, it would help lessen their fears. In just two weeks Kim taught 100 third graders "We Are the World" a well-known single written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and released in 1985 to raise humanitarian aid for Africa. When Kim arrived for the "sing-along" concert, she was surprised to learn that one of the mothers had also arranged for the concert to be covered by News 12 New Jersey and broadcast on its March 25 news report. The children, dressed in the red and white colors of the Japanese flag, spoke about their concern for those caught in the natural disaster. The musical event also appeared on Japanese television to document worldwide efforts to help those in need in Japan. To aid fund raising efforts, a CD of the third graders singing "We are the World" is available to those within the school making a donation to relief efforts. Others interested in donating to Japan relief can contact the Japan Society Earthquake Relief Fund (www.japansociety.org) or the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org). Listen to the children (and Kim) here (click on the small photo): http://www.news24.jp/articles/2011/03/26/10179498.html
FOOD BARREL. Lent is a time when we try to be more aware. We try to pay more attention to other people and their needs, situations that require our attention, the quality of our spiritual life and how our religious practice impacts our lives. In order to augment our awareness of these things during Lent, some of us give up something; others take on a discipline - a task or a practice that benefits others. Our Lent-a-Hand Lenten program suggests a number of directions for a personal Lenten discipline. Below Felder Dorn describes three Lent-A-Hand ideas related to our Hunger and Feeding programs for you to consider:
(1) Young parishioners could help expand our food barrel ministry by inviting neighbors to contribute to the barrel. There is a flyer on the Lent-A-Hand table with a simplified list that should help when you approach friendly neighbors with the invitations to hand over a few cans.
(2) When you have a meatless meal during Lent, contribute the cost of the meat that you did not eat to the food barrel, in the form of cans or boxes of nonperishable food items.
(3) On the Lent-A-Hand table there are bookmarks printed with a Lenten prayer. The prayer asks God’s blessing on efforts to alleviate hunger generally and specifically on our efforts to reduce hunger in Essex County. You might consider this prayer for home use.
The contributions that parishioners are making to the food barrel are deeply appreciated by those who come for help to the Apostles’ House food pantry, where our food barrel contributions are taken.
LENTEN FORUM. Episcopal Relief & Development is the international relief and development agency of The Episcopal Church, which uses the UN's Millennium Development Goals to frame its ministries. Its mandates comes from the words of Jesus, found in Matthew 25: 37-40, that call us to feed the hungry, care for the sick and welcome the stranger. The UN's Millennium Development Goals have also inspired St. Stephen's four Adult Forums during Lent.
During the Week 1 Forum, Deacon Karen Eberhardt led a discussion about education in New Jersey. There were suggestions about how the involvement of St. Stephen's members could make a difference, ranging from attendance at school board meetings to volunteering as math or reading tutors to mentoring a teenager. The Patch program, co-sponsored by the Diocese of Newark and the Offenders Aid and Restoration Society, helps children whose parents (mostly moms) are in local jails. Volunteers are needed to work with youth every Saturday at Church of the Epiphany in East Orange, helping with homework, mentoring, taking them on field trips or accompanying them on visits to see their parents in jail at appropriate times.
The Week 2 Forum explored how families are affected by poverty and homelessness. Noting that Jesus calls us to give ourselves in a personal relationship with others just as we do with God, Deacon Eberhardt urged the group to seek more personal ways to get involved with social justice issues. Claas Ehlers spoke about national homelessness and elaborated on the needs of the local IHN program. Tina Kelley talked about some of the programs and needs of Covenant House. She and several other parishioners are coordinating plans for a " Sleep Out for Homelessness for Teens" with St. Andrew and Holy Communion in South Orange. Older youth will sleep in cardboard boxes in front of the South Orange church on April 29 as part of this program spearheaded by Covenant House to raise awareness about teen homelessness. Participating youth will raise money for Covenant House programs by seeking sponsors. Adult volunteers are needed to chaperone and to offer support, encouragement and snacks.
The Week Three Forum will look at the work of two young interns with NEWARK ACTS, a service-learning program for young adults that emphasizes social justice, community service, spiritual formation and communal living. Alyssum Roe will describe her work with North Porch and Servant's House After School Project. Anna Mellace will share her experiences working as a teacher's assistant, librarian and after-school project leader at All Saint's Episcopal School in Hoboken. NEWARK ACTS is part of the Episcopal Service Corps (ESC), a network of young adult programs within the Episcopal Church that work for social change and personal transformation through service to others. Interns are also part of the AmeriCorps program which provides educational grants and student loan deferment for members who accumulate more than 1700 work hours for direct-care organizations. Said Deacon Eberhardt, "Hearing from a young person who is in the thick of poverty and need every day can help us to understand more about who God calls us to be."
WINTER REPORT FROM THE SEARCH COMMITTEE.
It’s finally Spring! And in the words of the children’s game of hot and cold – we’re getting warmer! The Search Committee has reviewed 98 candidates and 53 completed applications. The Committee has been very pleased with the number, variety and quality of the men and women who have shown interest in sharing our future. Since the beginning of the year the Search Committee has met every 10 days to review resumes, sermons and more detailed application materials and has conducted small-group phone calls to help us assess the energy and interest of the most interesting candidates. The Vestry has charged us to produce three candidates for their final consideration. Shoots and buds are visible at last. With the application period now closed, we have begun scheduling visits with the final candidates. 15 applicants remain under active consideration.
Please continue to hold the Search Committee and all candidates, both the final fifteen and all who have put their names forth, in your hearts and prayers in the weeks to come. The Committee will be conducting a brief forum next month to report on the process.
Please continue to hold the Search Committee and all candidates, both the final fifteen and all who have put their names forth, in your hearts and prayers in the weeks to come. The Committee will be conducting a brief forum next month to report on the process.
NEXT STEPS. As St. Stephen's winds down the search for a new rector, there are still a great many tasks to get us to the finish line. In the next few weeks you will hear more about two big pushes.
1) Transition Team. The Vestry will be appointing a transition team to help with some of the arrangements involved with saying goodbye to our Interim Rector and welcoming and acclimating a new Rector and his/her family. If you would be interested in getting involved please speak to, or email, Kathy Mullins <kecmullins@gmail.com>.
2) Rectifying the Rectory. The new windows are in place. The exterior will be painted the week of May 6. Scraping and plastering of walls and ceilings is nearly complete. Paint teams can now be scheduled. Besides interior painting, remaining tasks include: carrying out debris, scrubbing kitchen cabinets, scouring bathrooms, washing new windows, removing old carpet, cleaning up yard and gardens, and more. Willing to help? Speak to Libby Flowers <libby10017@yahoo.com> or Kathy Mullins <kecmullins@gmail.com>.
HELP IHN. Guests from the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN), the group that houses the homeless of Essex County, will arrive at St. Stephen's on Easter Sunday, April 24. Please look for the sign-up sheets during Coffee Hour on Sundays or at other times on the bulletin board in the Narthex. Sign up for donations of food or needed items that will enable us to feed our guests. There is a checklist included with the Sunday bulletin that suggest many ways that you can help with this ministry. Some examples are: entertain children on Sunday afternoon, April 24 from 3:00 - 5:00 PM; cook a meal; provide evening childcare (6:30 - 8:00 PM); take home laundry; donate fitted sheets (7 needed); assist with cleanup on Sunday, May 1. Questions? See Alex Cole.
FRIENDS OF MUSIC ORGAN RECITAL. William J. Stokes, Organist and Choir Director of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Forest Hills, New York, will play the third recital in the current 41st season of Beckerath organ recitals at St. Stephen’s Church, on Sunday, April 10, at 4 p.m. Admission to the recital is by donation at the door ($10 suggested). As usual, a reception for the artist follows the recital.
Mr. Stokes has designed his program to highlight the variety of beautiful sounds and colors in the 1970 tracker organ, designed and built by Rudolf von Beckerath for the 19th century Gothic revival interior of the historic church. The varied program features the great music of the German Baroque and Romantic eras as well as notable 20th century works from Finland and America. Opening the program will be the Praeludium in g minor and a Fantasia on “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern” by the great organist and composer Dietrich Buxtehude, whom the young J. S. Bach once walked 250 miles to hear. Following Liszt’s “Evocation a la Chapelle Sixtine” (recalling both Allegri and Mozart), the program moves into the 20th century with Sulo Salonen’s Variations on the Finnish melody “Nyland” and two pieces by Calvin Hampton, the famous organist of New York City’s Calvary Episcopal Church. Appropriately, the program concludes with the Praeludium and Fugue in c minor of the great master himself, Johann Sebastian Bach.
Mr. Stokes graduated as an organ major from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester under David Craighead, whose assistant he became at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Additionally, he holds a Master of Sacred Music degree from the School of Sacred Music at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, as well as Associate and Choirmaster certificates from the American Guild of Organists. He has also pursued organ studies with Stephen Rapp and with Paul Callaway, under whom he held the position of Fellow-in-Music at Washington National Cathedral. William Stokes also served as organist and choir director at churches in Connecticut and Virginia, as well as at the Episcopal Cathedral of All Souls in Asheville, North Carolina.
FREE CONCERT. The 100-voice Harmonium Choral Society, based in Morris County, is dedicated to inspiring and transforming the community through music. St. Stephen's Music Director, Kim Williams is one of members of Harmonium.
On Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. Harmonium Choral Society and the Morristown Neighborhood House Children's Chorus will present a FREE joint concert at the United Methodist Church on the Green, in Morristown. The concert, under the direction of Harmonium Artistic Director Dr. Anne Matlack, will include songs from around the world appealing to children and adults alike. A reception follows the concert. Bring the kids! More information about Harmonium and its 2010-2011 season are available at www.harmonium.org.
A NOTE FROM CAROLE FRANCIS.
What on earth am I doing in Trenton? Cooper and I visited Trenton recently for Greenfaith Environmental Advocacy Day. State government has always been the farthest thing from my mind, so I was a little surprised to find myself there. I was more surprised by the reports of activists and legislators. There are some critical issues in debate, such as how much clean air and water do we need and what are we willing to do for it.
When I was growing up, if you looked toward Newark at dusk, you would see the smokestacks spewing black smoke. Everyone argued for decades about whether it was actually harmful, and whether our businesses could afford emission controls. They made the changes eventually, but not before cancer clusters became a concern to all and everyday people became involved. The issues of clean air and water are ongoing and they need our support more than ever. We are all involved in worthy projects, but if we don’t have clean air, we have nothing.
I urge you to read our Lent –a- Hand environmental materials, and participate in some of the activities Cooper has planned for the next few months. Please write one letter, pass information to one friend, or attend one information session- just one.
EASTER DECORATIONS. Your generous donation will make it possible to beautify the church for Easter. Use the small envelopes found in the pews to make your contribution. If you wish to give in memory of someone, or in thanksgiving for someone or some event, please print that information legibly on the front of the envelope along with the other requested information. Names will be printed in the Easter service bulletin. The small envelopes may be dropped in the offering plate or left in the church office.
