July & August 2010

Ann-Marie Aymer, Editor

Welcome to the Grace Online Newsletter!  We hope you enjoy it.

Table of Contents

A Message from our Rector

Lectionary Readings and Service Schedule

July Birthdays & Anniversaries

August Birthdays & Anniversaries

Spanish Language Mass Offered at Grace Every Saturday

Revive Justice Celebration

Carillon Concert & Peach Festival

Plainfield Community Outreach Forms Collaboration for Youth Summer Arts Conservatory

Local News You Can Use

Grace Church Yard Sale and Health Fair

Grace Newsletter - September 2010

A Message from our Rector

Rev. Carolyn Ecklund

Visit the Pastor's Page for Mother Carolyn's message.

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Lectionary Readings and Service Schedule

Click on the date to open a new window with the lectionary readings.

July Birthdays & Anniversaries

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August Birthdays & Anniversaries

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Spanish Language Mass Offered at Grace Every Saturday

Rev. Carolyn H. Eklund

In the fall of 2006 and winter of 2007 a handful of Grace Church members gathered weekly around the table in the library of the rectory with Gorqui Chica, a teacher from our after school program. A friend, a top-notch teacher and a bi-lingual speaker, Gorqui set out to teach us basic Spanish. The course included conversation with his family members when they visited from Ecuador. And it included movies in Spanish which Carrie Hayes dubbed, “Club Pelicula.”
 

The summer of 2007 I departed from Plainfield for my sabbatical. Supported by generous contributions of Grace Church members, I immersed myself in a Spanish language course and Mexican culture for two months in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Until our classes with Gorqui, I didn’t know any Spanish beyond the word, “Gracias.”
 

Long before Gorqui’s course and my sabbatical, it was clear that Grace Church wasn’t going to pull out of a long decline anytime soon. The Vestry of Grace set goals for growth, but for decades we knew we had not been changing to reflect the surrounding neighborhood. We made small changes in worship, but we knew we needed much more than that to turn around our decline.
As we looked around our neighborhood we realized we needed to somehow be a parish that welcomes Spanish-speakers since almost half of Plainfield is Latino.

Last summer, my colleague, Rev. Matt Engleby came to me asking if we could collaborate and offered to celebrate the Eucharist in Spanish on Saturdays. How grateful we are that Father Matt offered his priestly services to help us found this new congregation! We launched our fist Mass in Spanish on Halloween of 2009.
 

Our seminarian at the time, Edwin Chinery was part of the founding committee and, after he was ordained deacon, served at the altar. Grace Church has been Ed’s field placement parish and Ed has become a familiar, pastoral presence to the people attending the Spanish Mass. While currently Father Matt Engleby has full-time duties at another parish, we are hopeful that he will be able to serve at Grace from time to time.
 

Your leadership, the Vestry, at the June Vestry meeting voted to support this ministry with a part-time, paid staff person. After months of review of the financials and the blessed addition of a new congregation leasing our church space, City on the Hill Church of God, the Vestry is taking a step of faith to give our Spanish-speaking congregation the chance to grow.
 

I am calling Rev. Edwin Chinery to serve as our quarter-time clergy person to celebrate the Mass in Spanish weekly and to help build up this congregation. I have been working with Rev. Canon Lee Powers, Canon to the Ordinary at the diocesan level to offer this position to Ed.
 

Ed grew up in Plainfield and has two brothers, Peter and Paul, the latter sometimes attending Grace. He also has four sisters, all sharing the name Mary (first or middle name), two of whom live in Metuchen NJ and two in the state of Georgia. They grew up in the Roman Catholic Church and went to St. Mary’s here in town. Ed worked as a Benefits Administrator for Middlesex County in New Brunswick for almost 30 years until he retired to go to seminary.
 

After spending a year in seminary field placement at St-Luke-in-the-Field (Greenwich Village NYC), Ed chose to return to the Diocese of New Jersey in order to better discern its characteristics and needs; feeling called, ultimately to his hometown for a second year of seminary field placement here at Grace.

His work with us has included helping to build up the Spanish language congregation, serving at Family Friendly Communion and supporting Christian Education. He assisted Kristen Claire Foley in teaching the Inquirer’s Class. Ed is a very good preacher and was chosen by his school, The General Theological Seminary to participate in the Episcopal Preaching Conference after he graduated this spring from seminary. Ed will start his work with us on July 1.
 

Grace Church is growing. We desire to reflect the demographics of our neighborhood and be more and more relevant to those who don’t know the love of Jesus. We have committed a small investment in expanding our ministries more broadly. We are definitely meeting a deep, spiritual need of some neighbors.
 

For example, just Saturday, as I was setting up the altar for the Spanish Mass in the Chapel, I heard someone say in Spanish, “I was waiting all week to come.” La iglesia Grace está aqui por todos. (Grace Church is here for everyone.)
 

Please welcome Father Edwin Chinery to our staff and our neighbors to Grace Church!

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Revive Justice Celebration

Kristen Claire Foley

Over the course of three days, Christians from across New Jersey gathered at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Trenton for powerful speeches, moving worship, and informative workshops. The "Revive Justice" celebration included Christians from a variety of denominations seeking to address concerns around immigration and incarceration. There were workshops on community organizing as well as on ways to address the injustices of the prison system.

Initially, I had planned to attend for the opportunity to hear the brilliant American scholar Cornel West address the gathering. His plans changed at the last minute and he was unable to come, but I am still glad that I chose to spend two days in Trenton. The workshops presented useful and interesting information.

Almost as importantly, though, the worship and music were inspiring. Powerful sermons were delivered during a variety of worship services. I was especially excited to hear Shane Claiborne, a founder of a local Christian community called "The Simple Way," committed to simplicity of living and adherence to their conviction about the Gospel.

It was great to see connections being created between Christians united in concerns for justice. Lines of denomination and politics became secondary to concerns of compassion for God's people. I believe the organizers of the Revive Justice celebration met their goal of bearing "fruit befitting members of the Beloved Community - by inspiring and equipping folks to seek and to do justice everywhere."

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Carillon Concert & Peach Festival

Sunday, August 29, 2010 - 12:00 PM

Come and enjoy delicious peach desserts and a carillon concert by carillonneur Wesley Arai.
 

The event is free so invite all your friends and neighbors.
 

Weather permitting we will block off Cleveland Avenue and set up on the street.

Please bring a blanket or a lawn chair, and a peach dessert to share.

Wesley Arai began studying carillon with Jeff Davis in 2004 at the University of California, Berkeley, where he received B.A. degrees in Mathematics and Statistics with a minor in Music. Originally from Los Angeles, Wesley returned to his hometown to pursue graduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, earning an M.A. degree in Mathematics. During his time in Southern California, he played the carillon at the University of California, Santa Barbara regularly.
 

Wesley passed the advancement examination of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America in 2008. In addition to the carillon, he has studied piano, trombone, and voice, and has performed in a number of different concert bands, marching bands, jazz bands, orchestras, and choral groups. He enjoys arranging music, and occasionally performs some of his own arrangements on the carillon. Wesley currently works as an actuary for an insurance company in the San Francisco Bay Area and serves as Associate Carillonist at the University of California, Berkeley.

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Plainfield Community Outreach Forms Collaboration for Youth Summer Arts Conservatory

Antu Yacob

Plainfield Community Outreach, in collaboration with Shaggae's Song Performing Arts Collective is presending the first ever Plainfield Summer Performing Arts Conservatory from July 6 through August 13, 2010, weekdays From 9 AM to 5 PM.

Open to grades 4-12, this six-week intensive camp will include training in acting, dance, singing, speech, music production, scene writing and poetry. Classes in costume, set design and stage make-up will also be offered to give students a complete understanding of what it takes to truly produce and present a performing arts piece. All classes will be taught by working theatre professionals.

Additionally, students will be introduced to other professional artists through workshops in Hip-Hop Poetics with New Jersey's own New Street Poets, Stage Combat and Fight Choreography with Brazilian training group Capoieras Guerreros. Also students will have the opportunity to watch a live theatrical performance of The Lion King on Broadway.

This Conservatory will serve as a springboard for its participants to revive the strong performing arts presence that once existed in the Historic City of Plainfield. The skills attained by the students are interchangeable with those necessary for speech, communications, and literary studies leaving the youth better equipped to face academic, environmental and personal challenges with a fuller understanding of themselves and their connection to others. The five days a week, eight hours a day rigorous training they receive will instill self-discipline, accountability and commitment, all qualities that make not only remarkable individuals, but superb leaders.

For more information about The Plainfield Summer Arts Conservatory, please contact (908) 756-7897 ext. 17, or shaggaesong@gmail.com.

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Local News You Can Use

Mary Testori

The deadline to file PTR (property tax reimbursement) forms has been extended to August 2, 2010. Public inqueries should call 1-800-882-6599 or email the division at nj.taxation@treas.state.nj.us

Property taxes are due 8/1/10. Check with your local tax collector's office and verify last day to pay August tax payment and not be charged interest.

Continue to read your local newspaper for updates. Enjoy your Summer!!

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Grace Church Yard Sale and Health Fair

July 24, 2010  - 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

The third annual Grace Church Yard Sale will be held this year on Saturday, July 24 from 10 AM until 3 PM. It will be held along Cleveland Avenue.
 

To be successful, we need you to please donate your unwanted treasures to be sold at the Yard Sale. Please bring them between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., clean and tagged with the suggested sale price. We only have very limited space to store items brought in before Saturday morning.
 

So, in the next couple of weeks, please go through your closets, cabinets and drawers and set aside all your old junque to donate to Grace. That item that you don’t really want anymore but you hate to throw away just may be exactly the thing that someone else has been looking for – so please donate it to be sold at the Yard Sale.
 

We will accept new items or gently used attic treasures, DVDs, CDs, kitchenware, electronics in working condition, toys, jewelry, small furniture items, and the like. We will not accept shoes or clothing – with the exception of gently used children clothes that are clean and delivered on hangers.
In addition, the Grace Church Health Ministry will hold a Community Health Fair on July 24 at the same time and place as the Yard Sale. And Blackberry’s Restaurant will be on location with a delicious and nutritious lunch. So don’t miss this great opportunity to buy a treasure at a bargain, get valuable information to safeguard your health, and enjoy mouth-watering food – all at the same time.
 

For more information, please contact Deacon Ted Moore or Karen Moore at (908)322-1754; or call the Church Office at (908)756-1520.

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Grace Newsletter - September 2010

Ann-Marie Aymer

Last summer, a group of people met with Mother Carolyn to decide how to better publicize upcoming parish events. That discussion evolved into the creation of of the monthly newsletter in print and online.

We always welcome information from our parish family and friends. For more information, or to submit an article, please contact Ann-Marie Aymer at amaymer@gmail.com.

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