Students and Parents, If you or your child is graduating from high school or college this May/June, please let us know so that we can recognize this achievement at a 10 AM service in June (Date to be determined). Send an email to admin@churchholyspirit.org with name of the school or college. If you are attending college next year, tell us what college you w attend and your planned major. For college grads, what was your major and what is your next destination? Art submission wanted: (download the flyer)
Hello my wonderful students, I am so excited to tell you that we will have an art show this year at the Free Public Library in Flemington the entire month of May. We can have an opening and bring food! I hope you are all as excited as I am. I like to invite you to submit one of your beautiful art pieces. If you are interested, which I hope you all are, please read the guidelines below. We have a wonderful new space for hanging our work this year. All renovated with white walls and gallery hanging wire. So exciting. Opening reception date and time will be announced later. Guidelines, One piece of art per person, it has to be framed and wired in the back. As a reminder, Watercolors, Pastels should be behind glass, Oils and Acrylics just need a frame. Art can be for sale, there is no commission. Art submitted does not have to be created in my classes. Drop off art between April 17th and April 29th. You can bring it to class or bring it to my home, just call me first. Lena’s cell 908-217-7526 Address: 69 Redwood Terrace, Flemington, NJ 08822 Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Cut this label out and tape it on the back of your painting with your information. Name of Artist: Title of Work: Medium: Sale: Yes ($ ) or NFS (not for sale) Your Address, phone number or email: Every week in our country, 22 adolescents and young adults aged 14-18 die of drug overdoses – that’s like losing one classroom of students every week.
The easiest place for adolescents and young adults to access drugs is often in the family medicine cabinets. Seventy percent of adolescents who misuse prescription drugs start with home medicine cabinets. It is essential to safely dispose of any leftover prescription medications – especially opioids, narcotics, or addictive drugs – safely. That’s why the DEA has established National Take Back Day. National Day Back Day is Saturday, April 27. One Voice of Hunterdon urges everyone in our county to take advantage of the many drop-off locations available on that day for the safe disposal of unused prescription drugs. Scan the code for a list of drop-off points. Please continue to pray for the safety of everyone in our county as we take action together to prevent drug misuse. CHS was founded in 1966; that’s a lot of history and how things have changed! We’ve gone from the old sanctuary to the beautiful space in which we worship today and many events. Sandy Burton compiled an history for our first 25 years as a parish but it has not been updated. So, calling all you amateur archeologists, we need help reading through 33 years of Trumpeters, vestry minutes, bulletins to bring this document up to date. Interested in helping? Contact Marge.keller@comcast.net If you have expertise with administering Windows OS, Microsoft 365, Google workspace, HP platforms, backups, anti-virus protection, and installing layered software, we could really use your help! We are looking to augment our current, “seasoned" team – which supports the computers in the church office and sanctuary – with our "next generation" of volunteer parishioners. If you have questions or might be interested, please contact Eva at eva@churchholyspirit.net Embark on a journey of cultural and spiritual exploration as we delve into the rich tapestry of diverse faith traditions. Guided visits to six different faiths offer a unique opportunity to foster interfaith understanding and appreciation while learning about various religious practices, beliefs, and communities.
Equip yourself with the knowledge and skills needed to engage thoughtfully and respectfully with people of diverse faith backgrounds through visits that foster empathy, and mutual understanding across religious divides. The Journey includes visits to a Synagogue, Buddhist Centre, Greek Orthodox Church, Hindu Temple, Mosque, and Sikh Temple, and will be led by knowledgeable guides who will offer:
If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please contact Deacon Michelleslie at MichellesliesMinistries@gmail.com. Visits usually occur on Fridays and Saturdays from June to through August. Dates will be available soon. Space is limited. Open Cupboard Food Pantry has partnered with Hunterdon Health and they are re-opening on April 15th in the Clinton area. They will be temporarily setting up shop in the Clinton Health & Wellness Center, located on Route 31 North, Clinton. As of May 1, they expect to start serving clients. Our parish can resume donating food, and Katie and I will be happy to bring donations to the Pantry. ANY NON-PERISHABLE ITEMS ARE WELCOME!!!! Thank you! Suzanne All of us are upset by what is happening in Ukraine, especially when we see some of the heart wrenching photos of children and families fleeing their homeland which is being overtaken by another country. In Our Community: Ukraine FundraiserHello CHS Members, A friend of mine, Tracy Fink, has put together a list of much needed items for people in the Ukraine. She has partnered with Pandemic of Love and Global Empowerment Mission and created a wishlist on Amazon based on their recommendations. How it works: You buy from her wishlist link below and the items go to a Florida warehouse for processing and then onto Poland/Ukraine. Make sure you use the GEM/Doral FL (warehouse) shipping address. Please don't buy anything not specified on the list. https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1BISBTTEEWKUQ?ref_=wl_share Janet Matts In our Community: Hunterdon Health CareAttached is a copy of a letter June Filipski received from Phil Beekman, Sr VP of Hunterdon Healthcare Foundation, outlining how they are joining with other hospitals to send supplies. They have committed $20K, but will use additional donations to purchase more supplies. If you would like to join the Health System in supporting these efforts, you can make a tax-deductible donation through Hunterdon Healthcare Foundation. 100% of your donation will be used for the purchase of additional medical supplies for Ukrainian hospitals. Please visit the Hunterdon Healthcare Foundation website (hltps://foundation.hunterdonhealthcare.org) and click on the yellow "DONATE" button located at the top of the screen. Once redirected, enter in your desired donation amount in the space provided, and under "Gift Designation" click on the option "Direct my gift to" and then select "Ukraine Humanitarian Relief' from the drop-down list. Follow these steps: 1. click to their web https://foundation.hunterdonhealthcare.org/, 2. click donate, 3. scroll to inputting dollar amount and then 4. select “Direct my gift to” 5. and then scroll down to the end to “Ukraine Humanitarian relief. “ In our church - Episcopal Relief and DevelopmentAs always, Episcopal Relief and Development is reaching out with support in a crisis.
As we pray for an end to violence and for those fleeing Ukraine, please also pray for Episcopal Relief & Development and other ecumenical agencies working to respond to the current crisis. Specific needs will change as the crisis evolves. As of right now, there is a need for cash, blankets and hygiene supplies. Please consider partnering with Episcopal Relief & Development in this response. Visit episcopalrelief.org for more information. Attached is a flyer. Go to the website (https://www.episcopalrelief.org/what-you-can-do/give/donate-now/individual-donation/) and choose Ukraine Crisis Response Fund. Sunday Services
In Person and Online - Holy Communion at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. During this time of the Covid-19 epidemic, we will follow the diocesan guidelines. Find the most recent update here > CHS Worship is also on FaceBook Live (available without Facebook) 8:00 a.m. - Holy Communion Church of the Holy Spirit is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/96238557143?pwd=SUlqdVpqUHdTdVdOWUY5U1BpU0NBUT09 Meeting ID: 962 3855 7143 Passcode: 087656 FaceBook Live site link http://tinyurl.com/CHSWorship or http://online.churchholyspirit.net 10:00 a.m. - Holy Communion Church of the Holy Spirit is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/91376817129?pwd=WGg5SGZyRnN5RmtyNWp3UVQwbFFzUT09 Meeting ID: 913 7681 7129 Passcode: 254800 FaceBook Live site link http://tinyurl.com/CHSWorship or http://online.churchholyspirit.net Follow and pray along using the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) We are modifying some of the CHS Lay Ministries to enable more parishioners to serve again in our current Hybrid (worship in-person & virtual) environment:
Please note that the following lay ministries will continue to remain temporarily paused: Acolytes, Lay Eucharistic Visitors (LEV), and Counters. The next scheduling period will be from February 7th through April 25th. Please update your availability in Ministry Schedule Pro (MSP) by Wednesday, January 28th. We will generate the new schedule Thusday morning, January 29th. Calling All Knitters and Crocheters Since the onset of the pandemic, the Shawl Ministry at the NJ Women's Prison has been shut down. No shawls are currently being made by the inmates of the prison. Consequently, our stock of shawls for distribution by CHS to persons in need has been almost totally depleted. If you are a knitter or crocheter, think about picking up your needles and hooks to help replenish our supply. Yarn is available in the hallway bins adjacent to the church office. If you need patterns or advice (or encouragement), ask any member of the Prayer Shawl Prison Ministry: John Andrews, Susan Kane, Vicki Brooks, Diane Bendahmane, Karen Murray, Roberta Maas, Judy Linger, Carol Crawford Jones, Anne Simpson, Dot Hospador, and Father Philip. Unleash your creativity and help the Shawl Ministry through this tough period. You will be glad you did.
Dear Friends,
The only way through is through. I am asking for assistance to develop our worship life in a hybrid environment. With great technical help, and generous donations, we are becoming more adept at broadcasting our worship over the internet and integrated those at home with those capable of coming to in-person worship at Haytown Road. We are slowly creeping up the learning curve and all of you have been most patient. Every week, we have an unanticipated technical breakdown and its different and adds to the helplessness of the moment. However, with constancy and devotion, we lumber on. That said, we are looking to bouncing forward, not merely bouncing back. Even when the pandemic is over, hybrid worship is here for good. The reality is, there will never be another "snow day." (Sorry kids- school ain't never gonna be canceled again!) There will be Sunday worship even on bad weather days cause there will always be internet broadcasts, even if from my "basement chapel." So who's up for helping? We will begin with a creative conversation on Zoom, of course. A date will be announced to those who respond directly to me. In the short run, we are also looking for vocalists to join our merry band - we are healthfully separated using mics in different spaces safely for all concerned. It’s is our good fortune to have a modern worship space that allows for safe public worship. AND - remember, as always, no one should feel in any way pressured about coming here live. Please stay home as only you can know best. With folks only singing along softly in their masks, it's nice to have a PA system sharing the lyrics with a few voices, and if we had some harmony there, it would be great. In the future, post-pandemic world, we're still going to want to broadcast hymn singing for those at home, so we are not just filling in temporarily. This is a long term adaptation. And it will grow the mission of this church. Pardon for the bluntness here, but I know the world sucks right now and for a bunch of reasons and all at once. Some days I just want to pull the covers up and hide for four months. But even so, we must rally, as we are able. I have no idea what a "choir" looks like in the future. One will have to be rebuilt here. Among other things. Our worship will need to emphasize the power and resilience of what a common life in Christ can build in the midst of chaos and calamity. Resolve. Mindfulness. Courage. Tenacity. How are these exhibited in our gatherings, our common prayers and ritual actions? The unity of being one body in Christ is threatened. The integrity of the witness of Jesus in the Gospels is put to the test and some are understandably confused by disparate messengers. The Church has been here before. We stand in the long train of the faithful, living through Nero, Caligula, and Diocletian, any number of plagues, the Dark Ages, and more. We are reminded of their faithfulness and steadfast hope. So for those who want a stake in the shape of this worshiping life, give me a shout. As goes worship, so too outreach, and stewardship, and formation, and all of it. All of it (us) will be bouncing forward. We might not know what reshaping our ministries will look like except that they will all look more like Christ. The only way through is through. Philip+ Dear friends, We recently received a letter from the Open Cupboard Food Pantry, thanking us for donating nearly 700 pounds of food in 2020. This was a great achievement, because COVID made everything so very difficult!! To continue our generosity, please consider donating canned soup, pasta, or vegetables for the next two months. Also, if you are fortunate to receive a free ham or frozen lasagna from a grocery store, the Food Pantry will gladly accept the donation (they have freezers and fridges). Personal toiletries, diapers, and even gift cards are most welcome. Katie and I will be glad to deliver your donations. We gave them 130 pounds of food recently, and they were so delighted, because donations continue to be fewer than usual. Thank you so very much for your kind support. Suzanne and Katie Higgins You can bring groceries to CHS or to the Open Cupboard in Clinton. [If it’s more convenient, send a check or ShopRite gift card to the Open Cupboard Food Pantry, 37 Old Highway 22, PO Box 5071, Clinton 08809.] Generally, the pandemic has everyone short of nerve, and easily annoyed. The stress factor is obviously carried from the personal to group behavior. As pastor, I am asking for additional effort be expended to ensure we establish and maintain a gracious gathering across the many small groups that take place. On top of the COVID factor, there is the challenge of an internet environment under which we exist in small groups which subject us to further risk of disharmony and disaffection. General ethos: 1. Our small groups do not gather to group think. It is not our goal to agree. The natural tendency in these conflictual times is to long for agreement and to be annoyed should that not occur. Be reminded that our goal is simply to share and listen. Then we move along, without anxiety, should the conservation reach a dead end. “OK then. What’s next?” is a helpful mantra. 2. If we are not agreed with, there is no reason to take it personally. That would be unhelpful. Humans can disagree without being disagreeable. A lighthearted, taking -ourselves-less-seriously approach is the only approach. On this, you should all agree (kidding)! Tech Considerations:
Generally: It takes intentionality to be gracious, forbearing other’s verbal and technical trespassing, and being present to a group through the flawed medium of internet communications. Intentional graciousness, happily enough, is a charism well known and practiced among us already. We just need to dial it up. Philip+ |
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