In the interest of preparing for the transition from having two deacons serve at CHS to having no deacons serve at CHS Mo Kim is convening a worship team.  Leaders from the acolytes, altar guild, music, readers, lay Eucharistic ministers, and staff will meet to discuss how this transition will impact worship and how we can work together to make this an opportunity for all to love and serve at the altar of God almighty.  If you are interested in serving at the altar, behind the scenes or have ideas about ways in which to make worship accessible and joyous for all please be in touch with Mother Kim to join the conversation.  

Undue Medical Debt-  The Watchung Convocation, which consists of the 16 Episcopal Parishes in Alexandria, Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Bound Brook, Bridgewater, Dunellen, Flemington, Gladstone, Lebanon, New Providence, Plainfield, Scotch Plains, Somerville and Plainfield, has begun collecting funds to reduce medical debt. 

The non-profit, Undue Medical Debt (https://unduemedicaldebt.org/campaigns/), established in 2014, this 501c3 organization pays off medical bills that have been sent to collections agencies throughout the United States.  In New Jersey this work has been taken up by the state government and over 1.1 Billion dollars of medical collections have been forgiven in the last year, so the clergy of these parishes in our meeting this week decided to direct our collection to individuals in the state of West Virginia, where nearly one quarter of the state’s population is living under the specter of medical debt.  For every dollar raised we will be able to relieve $100 of debt. 

If you are interested in learning more about this project you can click the link above.  To contribute to the fund, we will have an online giving option soon, but for now we are asking for folks to write a check directly to St. Luke's Episcopal Church, PO Box 605, Gladstone, NJ 07934. The check should be written to St. Luke's Church Watchung Convocation with "medical debt" on the memo line. The first part of this campaign will end the week before Diocesan Convention in November of 2025.