A weekly e-Newsletter from the LCMS New Jersey District
Does your congregation have a story of mission & ministry to share? Want to promote an event within the district? The deadline for submissions to The Grapevine is each Monday at 5pm. Submit stories and photos via email here.
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Summer Worship & Bible Study Schedules
A gentle reminder: Be sure to change your congregation's website to reflect any seasonal changes in your worship & Bible study schedule!
[ Editor's note: In fact, why don't you visit your congregation's website right now to see if it's up-to-date. I'll wait here. ;) ]
Give visitors every opportunity to meet you in worship this summer - update your website and any online calendars to reflect changes in your schedule!
Would you like to create an easy to manage, effective, and mobile-device-friendly website that doesn't require constant updating, yet still keeps members and visitors informed about happenings in your congregation?
Contact Caitlin Dinger to schedule a digital ministry audit - she will view your congregation's website and/or social media presence through a friendly-critical lens and provide you with constructive feedback & support, with the goal of helping you better communicate with your online audience. Schedule your consolation today!
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District Communications: Summer Schedule
District Newsletters will be emailed less frequently over the summer.
Publication dates for the Grapevine e-Newsletter will be: June 30, July 21, August 11, and September 1.
Please send in stories and pictures from your congregation's summer ministry activities - Vacation Bible School, mission projects, National Youth Gathering events, and others.
The deadline for submissions is the Monday before publication, 5pm.
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Follow the NJ District Youth at the National LCMS Youth Gathering
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Find All 50 States at the NYG
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Be sure to follow the hashtags #NJDtoNOLA and #NYG2016 on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, as youth from around the NJ District attend the National LCMS Youth Gathering in New Orleans, LA - July 16-20.
You can watch a livestream of each evening's Mass Event at the Gathering website. Be sure to tune in on Saturday night, July 16, as our NJ District youth will be seated somewhere on the floor in front of the stage. Who knows? You might catch a glimpse of the youth from your congregation on the big screen! NJ District Event at the NYG Registration is ongoing for the District Event at the NYG: dinner, live music and more at Ducote Designs, a Mardi Gras float den. The $45 registration fee includes a catered dinner, District T-shirt, and music for all those who attend. Participants from the LCMS Eastern District (encompassing parts of New York, Pennsylvania and the panhandle of Maryland) will be joining us at the event, as well. The NJ District t-shirt will resemble Bruce Springsteen's classic "Greetings from Asbury Park" album cover.
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Parish Nursing Updates & Information
From Colleen Bottcher RN, BSN
LCMS New Jersey District Parish Nurse Representative
Parish Nurse, Our Savior Lutheran Church, Fair Lawn
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The 2016 Parish Nurse District Representatives
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On May 24, 2016 Parish Nurse Representatives from LCMS Districts around the country had the opportunity to meet one another, worship together, and share news about their individual districts. The theme for this meeting was "Encourage and Nourish."
Each district representative shared answers to the following questions:
- How do you promote Congregational Health Ministries and Parish Nursing in your District?
- How do you provide consultation and/or resources to congregations considering a Health Ministry program?
- How do you provide on-going consultation to Parish nurses, health ministers, and Pastors on issues related to Congregational Health.
- How do you provide Parish nurses in your district with information regarding opportunities to serve on short term missions in national and international venues.
- How do you interface with district health, health advocacy, human care and ministerial health committees, and with the District President, to have a unified voice in Congregational Health Ministries.
Following the May 24 meeting, we joined LCMS Pastors, Parish Nurses and Congregational Health Ministry leaders at the 24th Annual Conference for Parish Nursing and Congregational Health Ministries, held May 25 & 26 at Concordia University Wisconsin. This years conference theme was "Hope and Health," based on Romans 15:13: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him."
We gathered in worship and seminar, to learn from various keynote speakers and at breakout sessions. Topics included Hope and Health-A Theological Framework, Ministry of Presence, A Military Family's Sacrifice, Parish Nursing after Trauma and Disaster, Hospice Nursing, Human Trafficking, Helping your Parishioners with Methods to improve Chronic Illness, and many more. In chapel the second day, we took part in a very beautiful Blessing of the Hands. We also received enough resources to fill a second suitcase to take home!
I would like to thank Patty Criscenzo for being our New Jersey District Parish Nurse Rep for the past 14 years! It is a blessing to serve our New Jersey District in this role, and I look forward to sharing resources, and the answers to all of the above questions with you over the next year!
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Pioneer Camp & Retreat Center's "New Creation" Satellite Camp: July 10-15
Pioneer Camp & Retreat Center's East Coast friends looking for a short ride will love this satellite Pioneer Camp at Central PA's Refreshing Mountain Camp.
Dates: July 10-15, 2016
Ages: 9-14
Location: Refreshing Mountain Retreat and Adventure Center
Have your best week of summer, picking from zipline, high ropes course, swimming pool, gagaball, basketball, volleyball, Ultimate, archery, talent show and Eagle's Nest, and more! All this, while growing your faith and making new Christian friends.
Scholarships are available for NJ District youth to help with the cost of camp.
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Barnyard Roundup VBS at Trinity, Morris Plains - July 18-21
FREE Vacation Bible School
July 18-21 -- 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
A light supper will be served.
Trinity Lutheran Church
131 Mountain Way
Morris Plains, NJ
To register, please contact the church office at 973-538-7606 or via email.
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Sixth Annual "Together With All Creatures" Event - July 23
Join Emmanuel Lutheran (Milford, PA) for their sixth annual "Together With All Creatures" community outreach & service event.
TIME: Check-in is between 8am to 9am at the Anne Street Park in Milford.
River and shore clean-up and trail maintenance will take place between 9am and 1pm, followed by a 1pm Barbeque at Milford Beach.
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LWML Convention - August 5-7
Registration is NOW OPEN for the 2016 LWML NJ District Convention on Aug. 5-7 at the Hyatt in Morristown, NJ.
We are honored to have Patti Ross, the National President of LWML, joining Rev. Dr. Tony Steinbronn, President of the LCMS New Jersey District, as a keynote speaker for our Saturday evening banquet which will honor the service of our pastors.
We also have a Mission Prayer Walk planned for Saturday afternoon on the historic Green in downtown Morristown. Early bird registration is due by May 14 and our final registration deadline is July 1.
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Date
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Calendar Event
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Friday, August 5 to Sunday, August 7
| LWML NJ District Convention at the Hyatt Morristown in Morristown, NJ - "Keep Calm and Soldier On" based on Eph. 6:11-18
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Sunday, Oct. 16 at 3pm
| Fall Rally at SHLC, Basking Ridge, NJ - Program TBA | |
Sat, Nov. 5, 9am to 3pm
| LWML District Fall Retreat at Crane's Mill, Caldwell, NJ - Program TBA |
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2016 LEA Convocation: Grow!
GROW: Just a single word that captures what educators in Lutheran agencies do, professionally and personally!
We grow in Christ, in the Word, in grace, in knowledge, in skills, and in other ways too. And, of course, we nurture our students to grow.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. ~2 Peter 3:18
The 2016 LEA Convocation will take place October 13-15 at DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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Dr. Tony Steinnbronn, our New Jersey District president, just announced that next year a group of New Jersey Lutherans and friends will tour the Holy Land of Israel February 13-23, 2017.
More comprehensive than most tours, this pilgrimage will include the Mediterranean coast; Nazareth and the region of Galilee; the Judean desert, the Dead Sea and Masada; and, of course, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. With excellent local guides it will highlight more than 4000 years of history, restored archeological sites, ancient cities and impressive terrain. It will be physically manageable for most able-bodied persons.
Dr. Steinbronn asked the Rev. Dan and Connie Schmalz, frequent travelers to this region, to design and coordinate the tour with Educational Opportunities, a large and experienced Christian tour company. The cost is $3188.00 which includes all travel from Newark except lunches, tips and shopping. Color brochures including the detailed itinerary will be available soon after Easter. You are invited to contact Pastor Dan and Connie via email.
UPDATE: Recently District President Emeritus Bill Klettke and his wife, Valla agreed to co-host the tour, as well. An additional tour account has been established to encourage young Pastors and Church Workers to visit the Holy Land early in their ministry, which would impact their preaching, teaching and leadership for many years. In the future rostered church workers would encounter a reduced cost for a Holy Land tour. Please contact the district office for more information about this option. Church Office Staff: Please include the above text in your congregation's weekly bulletins and/or monthly newsletters.
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LCMS Camps & Campgrounds - Plan your summer travel!
As your family travels this summer, remember there are lodgings available at Lutheran camps around the country.
Visit the NLOMA website to find a camp near your destination. Contact camps to see if there are cabins, campgrounds, or hotel rooms available!
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Items Available
Prince of Peace in Howell, NJ has 48 copies of "Joyful Sounds The New Children's Hymnal" to anyone who would like them.
These hymnals have been properly stored and are in good condition.
Each hymnal includes worship resources geared toward children ages 9-14, but will appeal to all ages. These hymnals contain:
- Orders of Worship, The Apostles' Creed and other prayers
- Hymns and Spiritual Songs (indexed by season)
If interested, please call Maria at 732-363-0732 to arrange a convenient time for pick up.
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Good Shepherd, Old Bridge has "Everest" VBS materials available.
In addition to the kit, there are posters, puzzles, and more.
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Prayer Focus
Circuit 2 (Passaic River) of the New Jersey District, including their Circuit Visitor, the Rev. David Rowold (St. John, Bloomfield), and the congregations and school ministries of: - St. John - Bloomfield
- St. John - Clifton
- Our Savior - Fair Lawn
- St. John - Harrison
- Tumaini Kristo - Jersey City
- Grace - Livingston
- St. Matthew - Lyndhurst
- Redeemer & Christ Assembly - Newark
- Grace & St. Matthew - Union
- Calvary - Verona
- Redeemer - Westfield
All Vacant & Calling Congregations of the New Jersey District, that God would direct their search for a pastor and provide for faithful ministry of Word & Sacrament during their time of waiting, especially:
- Somerset Hills, Basking Ridge - developing a call list
- Good Shepherd, Blairstown
- Trinity, Carney's Point
- St. John, Clifton - shared pastoral ministry relationship with Bloomfield
- Prince of Peace, Howell - being served by vacancy pastor, Rev. Ken Fosse
- Holy Cross, Mahwah - being served by SMP Vicar Matt Hass
- St. Thomas, Manalapan
- Bethlehem, Ridgewood - being served by intentional interim pastor, Rev. Phillip Tesch; developing a call list
- Our Savior, Stanhope - pastoral candidate, Daniel Merz, has been assigned to the congregation from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis and will be installed on June 18
- Luther Memorial, Tinton Falls - being served by intentional interim pastor; developing a call list
For perseverance under the cross and at last a blessed end, with thanksgiving for the prophets, apostles and preachers of the Word who have gone before us in the faith [especially for Elijah, Jeremiah, Cyril, Irenaeus, Peter and Paul]; and that we would never bow before the gods of this world, nor kiss the idols of man, but stand fast in the Gospel and remain zealous for the worship of Christ Jesus, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy.
From Let Us Pray: Prayer of the Church, Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, 26 June 2016
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Upcoming Events
Add the NJ District event calendar to your Google Calendar! Our public calendar ID is: google [at] njdistrict [dot] org
JULY 2016 LCMS Synodical Convention July 9-14 Milwaukie, WI National LCMS Youth Gathering July 16-20 New Orleans, LA Use the hashtags #NJDtoNOLA and #NYG2016 to follow our youth on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. AUGUST 2016
NJ District LWML Convention
August 5-7
Hyatt-Morristown at Headquarters Plaza - Morristown, NJ
2016 Prayer Jubilee Saturday, August 27 More information to come.
SEPTEMBER 2016
Pastors' Wives Retreat
Friday, September 30 to Saturday, October 1
More information to come.
OCTOBER 2016
NJ District Youth Ministry Sunday: SOLA
Sunday, October 23
Resources for worship & prayer coming soon!
Reformation Lectures
Saturday, October 22
Princeton University - Princeton, NJ
More information to come.
Fall Pastors Conference: The Pastor As Teacher
October 24-26
More information to come.
Reformation Concert: The Hymns of Martin Luther
Sunday, October 30
Princeton University Chapel - Princeton, NJ
More information to come.
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