The Trinity Herald. Mother Angie s Musings. December 2017

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1 The Trinity Herald December 2017 Mother Angie.pg 1-2 Gratitude Calendar pg.3 Christmas Services...pg.4 Daughters of the King..pg.5 St. Anne s Unit.pg 5 Coffee Hour pg 6 Stewardship pg 6 Trinity Vestry pg.7 Sunday School pg 8 Upcoming Events: - Tree Lighting...pg 9 - Westfield Concert pg.10 - Annual Potluck pg.11 - Christmas Dinner pg12 - Joining Jesus pg 13 - Blood Drive pg.14 Assistance Programs: - Food Pantry pg 15 - Soup Kitchen pg 16 - Deacon s Table pg.17 The Wider Church: - Diocesan Youth pg Diocesan Events pg 20 Images of Trinity pg 21 Trinity Episcopal Church 650 Rahway Ave., Woodbridge, NJ Tel: (732) Mother Angie s Musings Advent is a time of reflection and preparation. Like Lent, it is a time when we are called to take stock and repent of our failings and our sinfulness. It is a time to ask ourselves, how are we doing in our Christian walk? Are we preparing our hearts and minds to celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation at Christmas or are we caught up in the hustle and bustle of shopping, decorating, and writing out cards? The pace of the holiday season can get so frenetic that it is easy to skip over the season of Advent all together, especially as stores decorate earlier and earlier in an effort to sell more merchandise. So with all of our crazy schedules during this season, how are we each going to set aside some time to do this important reflection? Although it takes dedication and commitment to follow through, there are several simple ways that we can make this Advent truly meaningful. One of the easy ways to be mindful of our preparation for Christmas is through Advent calendars. Last year I highlighted some of the them that were geared toward performing random acts of kindness each day. This year, I will be including in the Herald a donation calendar which begins on December 1 st and goes until Epiphany (Jan 6 th ). This simple calendar will help us put away pennies, nickels, dimes, etc. each day as we remember the many things that we have to be grateful for and that some people do not have. As we conclude the feast of Christmas on Jan 6 th, you

2 Mother Angie s Musings continued... will total all that you have gathered throughout this devotional period and donate it to the charity of your choice. The Trinity Parish Herald is published monthly except during July and August and is a publication of Trinity Episcopal Church 650 Rahway Avenue Woodbridge, NJ ParishOffice@Trinityw oodbridge.org Publisher: Rev. Angela Cipolla Wardens: Steve Kalista Ginny Kershaw Editor: Heather Gondek Photography: Phyllis Jones Carroll Thomas Michele Thomas Joe Vitale Contributors: Arlene Guellnitz Janet Temchus Allison Brennan Another way that we can make sure to celebrate this Advent season, is to make a commitment to celebrating each of the Sundays of Advent with our Trinity family in worship. The lessons of Advent are specifically designed to help us prepare ourselves for the feast of Christmas. On Sunday December 10 th we will also be celebrating the season with our annual Lessons and Carols at the 10am service. This is another great way to remember the stories and to ready our hearts. On Sunday December 17 th, I will be holding a special mini-retreat that will help us to take some time out of our busy holiday schedules to slow down and have some quiet time with God. These are just a few examples of the many paths and tools that we can use to help guide our Advent. Which of these we choose is not as important as the act of choosing to follow our Lord on this journey toward Bethlehem. Although we are preparing to celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation which happened several thousand years ago, we are also preparing to celebrate the coming of the Kingdom of God in all its fullness when Jesus returns at the end of time. As the Gospels reminds us, we do not know the day nor the hour that Jesus will return so we must always be ready. Are we? What can we be doing to be better prepared? How is God calling us to wait? What is our role in the coming of God s Kingdom? These are some of the critical questions that we ponder during Advent. May this season be for you a time of great joy, reflection, and anticipation as we prepare our hearts and minds for the inbreaking of God into the world at Christmas.

3 Gratitude Christmas Calendar This is a thoughtful way to make a family contribution to a charity. It emphasizes the basics: healthy food, clean water, and adequate housing things many of us take for granted. Each day reflect on the day s donation topic and collect the appropriate change in a jar. When we celebrate the Feast of Epiphany and the magi s gifts to the baby Jesus, give the total collected by your family to the charity of your choice. December 1. How many people are in your family? Put in 2 cents in for each person. 2. Put in 3 cents for each room in your house 3. How many bathrooms are in your house? Put in 10 cents for each 4. Put in 2 cents for each electrical plug in your home 5. Put in 5 cents for each bed in your house 6. Count the blankets on the beds in your house. Put in 2 cents for each one 7. How many chairs are there in your house? Put in 2 cents for each one 8. Put in 3 cents for every water faucet in your home 9. Put in 2 cents for each piece of fruit in your fridge 10. Put in 25 cents for each car your family owns/uses 11. Put in 5 cents for each glass of milk or juice you drank today 12. How many windows are in your house? Put in 2 cents for each one 13. How many eggs are there in your fridge? Put in 1 cent for each one 14. If you own 10 stuffed animals, put in 25 cents. If you own more than 10, put in 50 cents 15. Put in 3 cents for every year you have lived 16. Count the pairs of socks you own. Put in 2 cents for each pair 17. Put in 2 cents for each time you used water today for drinking or washing 18. Put in 10 cents for each television in your home 19. Put in 10 cents for each wastebasket or recycling bin in your home 20. How many stairs are there in your home? Put in 1 cent for each stair. 21. Put in 5 cents for each box of cereal or pasta in your cupboard 22. If you have any pets, put in 25 cents 23. If you have Christmas lights inside or outside of your home, put in 10 cents 24. How many people will you give Christmas presents to? Put in 2 cents for each person 25. Count the number of lights on your Christmas tree. Put in 2 cents for each one 26. How many Christmas cards did you get? Put in 1 cent for each one 27. Put in 25 cents if you are going to take any presents back to exchange them 28. If you own more than 10 books, put in 10 cents 29. Put in 5 cents for each pair of shoes you own 30. If you own a bicycle, put in 15 cents 31. Put in 3 cents for each movie you have been to in the past month January 1. Count the number of times you ate today. Put in 5 cents for each time 2. Put in 5 cents for each pair of pants you own 3. If you ate out in the past 2 weeks, put in 20 cents 4. Did you throw out any reusable cans or plastic bottles today? Put in 15 cents if you did 5. If you ate any food today that was packaged in plastic, put in 10 cents 6. Put in 10 cents for each telephone in your home

4 Celebrate the Advent and Christmas Seasons with Trinity Advent 1 Saturday, December 2nd - 5pm Sunday, December 3rd - 8am and 10am Advent 2 Saturday, December 9th - 5pm Sunday, December 10th - 8am Lessons and Carols - 10am Advent 3 Saturday, December 16th - 5pm Sunday, December 17th - 8am and 10am Advent 4 Saturday, December 23th - 5pm Choral Eucharist ***Please Note there are no services on Sunday morning*** Christmas Eve 5pm Children s Service 10:30pm Christmas Carols 11pm Midnight Mass Christmas Day 10am Christmas Day Eucharist

5 St Anne s Unit St Anne's Unit will be celebrating Christmas Meeting time: 6:30pm Dinner and Gift Exchange Join us for some praying... some friendship... some laughter... some smiles... some food... some desserts... some presents... some thanks Number 2 Announcement St Anne's Gets Down to Business Date: Jan 8, 2018 (yes... that is (a lucky day??) Time: 7PM Regular Meeting: This will be a business meeting All women of Trinity are invited to attend and encouraged to join St Anne's -Arlene Guellnitz- The Daughters of the King will meet on the second Sunday of this month. We will be discussing the ways we can best go out into the world and do God s work. With the possibility of starting an outreach at the Veteran s Home of Edison. This seems the ideal place to start God s work since one of our very own members Mary Baumann lives there. There are so many residents there that would love a visit. If anyone in the parish feels called to join, please speak to me at coffee hour. We cannot do all things, but we can do something. We will also be celebrating with St. Anne s members at the Christmas party, on the First Monday of Dec at 6:30. -Janet Temchus

6 Coffee Hour is an important part of our fellowship after 10AM Mass If you agree, won't you sign up for one Sunday? Just bring something yummy to eat and we will take care of the rest. Thank you for your anticipated help to keep this fellowship alive!

7 Is God calling you to get more involved at Trinity? We are looking for people who are willing and able to serve on the Vestry The basic responsibilities of the vestry are to help define and articulate the mission of the congregation; to support the church's mission by word and deed, to ensure effective organization and planning, and to manage resources and finances. The vestry meets once per month and each vestry member is usually the chair of one of the committees of the parish. Vestry terms are three years and a vestry member may serve two consecutive terms before rotating off for at least one year. Serving on the vestry is a great way to get active in the congregation, get to know people, and learn more about how the congregation operates. If you think that God may be calling you to this important ministry, please see one of the Wardens (Ginny Kershaw and Steve Kalista) or Mother Angie for more information and to add your name to the upcoming election.

8 TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURH Welcomes you to participate in Family Advent Events Sundays at 9:30a m December 3: Advent Wreaths December 10: Ornaments December 17: Celebration Children of any age are welcome, with their families, to join us as we prepare for the coming of Christ All crafts will be made in Parish Hall Snacks will be served prior to 10am Mass

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11 Calling All Chefs of the Parish! (and everyone who isn t quite a chef too) Join us for delicious food, fun games, and great fellowship as we celebrate the end of another great year together Saturday December 16 th Beginning at 6pm Look for a sign-up sheet in the Parish House Contact Michele Thomas at (732) for more information. See you there!

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15 We were able to help so many families have a truly giving of thanks Thanksgiving dinner. By providing so many in need with a much-needed holiday dinner we ran our stores of food a bit low. So we are asking for any donations of foods listed below that can be spared or given so we may continue to provide meals and comfort for those in need. Our Food Pantry continues to provide a vital service to the community. Our ability to help all who come to us in need is the direct result of the generous contributions we receive. When you are shopping, please buy one extra can or box of one of the items listed below and bring it with you to Mass on Sunday. Just one extra can or box can make a difference! We are always in need of: Boxed cereals, Canned/Dried soups, Canned Fruits, Dried/Canned Milk, Canned Vegetables, Canned Pork & Beans, Sugar, Pasta/Spaghetti, Canned Fish/Meat, Rice, Tomato Paste, Puddings/Jello, Dried Beans, Tomato Sauce, Cake Mixes, Tea/ Coffee, and Flour. If you or someone you know is in need you can, or have them, contact our office to request the form needed to join those who receive food assistance. You\They can either show up during office hours or call the office at and leave a message with the main office as we adjust to our new phone system. The new established extension to Food pantry will be released as soon as it is available.

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20 ..Advent Clergy Day Tuesday, December 5 Trinity Cathedral. Communications Meet and Greet Thursday December 7 Rossi s Bar and Grill, Hamilton. Communications Meet and Greet Thursday December 14 The Green Olive, Bridgeton. Rise Against Hunger Lock-in December Trinity Cathedral. Communications Meet and Greet Thursday December 20 JJ Biting s Brew Pub, Woodbridge.. Theo s Cafe Thursday, December 21 Bishop Stokes Home, Trenton. Communications Meet and Greet Thursday December 28 Fred & Ethel s Lantern Light, Galloway

21 Images of Trinity Members of Trinity enjoyed the Lay Empowerment Day with Jay Sidebotham Welcome Alexandra Elizabeth Vitale Soles for Harvest 5k/1 mile Team We bring our offerings to God on Consecration Sunday We all enjoyed the amazing brunch at Consecration Sunday