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Sunday’s News
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Serving this Sunday
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Weekly Calendar & Special
Announcements
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Special Happenings
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Sunday’s Lessons
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Service Opportunities
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What’s happening in the New
Jersey Synod and The
Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA)
Men’s Breakfast
Saturday, January 9th at
New start time of 8:00 am
First Sunday after the Epiphany
THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD
CELEBRATED
Sunday, January 10, 2016
10:00 am Worship at Grace
Sunday Church School
11:00 am Adult Forum
Council Meeting - downstairs
6:00 pm Harmonium in Sanctuary
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NO MATTER WHO YOUR ARE OR WHERE YOU ARE ON YOUR LIFE’S JOURNEY YOU ARE WELCOME HERE
Ministers
The People
of Grace
Pastor Carol Petersen
SERVING THIS SUNDAY
Organist Paul
Wolfmeyer
Choir Director/Worship
Team Leader
Margaret Erath
Sexton Andy Gau
Administrative Assistant
Kris Swanson
Diaconal Minister
Trink Prinz
Caregivers
Support Group
We are interested in forming a
group to support folks who
Readers
Ushers
Ralph Boe, John Pellegrino,
Joe Schmadel, & Dan Swift
Altar Guild
Diane Hettinger & Vivian Morrison
are caring for others
If you have an interest please
contact Kris Swanson
[email protected]
Assisting Minister
Kris Swanson
or 973.229.7832.
Coffee Hour
Claire & Fred Ertel
Counters
Dan & Kathy Swift
Acolyte
Jakob Ringberg
Philippians 4:6-7
6Do
not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which
surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
John & Ilse McDonald
Erika & Tim McFadden & their children Matthew & Ella
Michelle &Steve Moorhouse & their children Ashley, Zachery
This month’s read is
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
We will be meeting at Grace on Wednesday, January 27th
at 1:30 pm
Cathy Malmstrom is our host
Happy Reading!
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WEEKLY CALENDAR
Tuesday Bible Study
Monday, January 11th
The Tuesday Bible Study Group invites you to join us
for a four week study on Ephesians. We meet from
12:15 – 1:45 pm in the Quilting Room and bring a
bagged lunch. Come and join the conversation!
Please see Margaret Erath for details.
Tuesday, January 12th
10 am Quilting
12:15 pm Bible Study downstairs
Wednesday, January 13th
5:00 pm Music Room in Use
6:30 - Bells in Sanctuary
7:30 - 9:00pm Choir in Sanctuary
Thursday, January 14th
4:00 pm WMMHS Hockey
Team in Parish Hall
6:45 - 8:15 pm Confirmation Class
Meets downstairs (Wade’s dinner)
2016 Altar Flowers
We invite you to donate a gift of altar flowers in memory of, in
thanksgiving for, or in celebration of a person or event. Your
generous donation of $35 will glorify God and enhance the
beauty of our worship services.
Please sign up on the 2016 Altar Flower Chart posted on the
narthex bulletin board, and a reminder will be placed in your
church mailbox prior to the week you have selected. Thank you!
Friday, January 15th
Saturday, January 16th
Sunday, January 17th
2nd Sunday after the Epiphany
Worship
10:00 am
Coffee Hour before and
after worship
Sunday Church School
11:00 am
Worship Team in Sanctuary
Adult Forum in Parish Hall
Council Meeting downstairs
6:00 pm Harmonium in Sanctuary
6:00 pm Boy Scouts in Parish Hall
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Grace Movie Night
The Women of Grace invite you to join us for the
movie: “God’s Not Dead”. The movie is rated PG.
We’ll be viewing it on Saturday, 1/23, at 4:30 pm.
Following the movie, we’ll order some pizza and
discuss it in the Fellowship Hall. (A sequel to the
movie is coming out in April). A sign up sheet is
posted on the narthex bulletin board. Invite your
friends and see you there!
ADULT FORUM
January 10, 2016
TOPIC:
FROM CONFLICT TO
COMMUNION
Next week we will return to our
series of sessions on the
Lutheran-Catholic report
regarding a common celebration
of the Reformation “From Conflict
to Communion,” and discuss
“New Perspectives on Martin
Luther and the Reformation.” In
the future we’ll be covering
“Basic Themes of Martin Luther’s
Theology in Light of the
Lutheran-Roman Catholic
Dialogues,” and the report’s
conclusion – “Called to Common
Communion.” Please join us.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
MY SINCERE THANKS FOR THE MOST GENEROUS
CHRISTMAS GIFT.
I AM BLESSED IN SO MANY WAYS TO BE PART OF
GRACE’S COMMUNITY OF FAITH.
I AM HUMBLED AND GRATEFUL
TO SERVE AMONG YOU
AND WITH YOU.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
THANK YOU!
HYMN OF THE WEEK
ELW 453, Baptized and Set Free, was written in 1996
for Holden Village, a year-round Lutheran retreat center
in the state of Washington.
The composer, Cathy Skogen-Soldner, wrote both the
words and the music.
She says, “even though we may only use a few handfuls
of water when we baptize, I included larger bodies of
water to invite the singing congregation to celebrate the
January 24, 2016
Annual Congregational
Budget Meeting
Following Worship
Please put this date on
your calendar.
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generous heart of God.
In the waters of Baptism, our gracious God gifts us with
mercy, love, healing wholeness, and more than we can
ask for or even imagine.”
READINGS FOR THIS SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 2016
THE BAPTISM OF OUR LORD
The Baptism of Our Lord cannot help but recall our own and all
baptismal blessings. We recall and celebrate our adoption as
daughters and sons, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the promised
company of almighty God when we “pass through the waters . . .
the rivers . . . fire.” On this day the heavens open again, for this
assembly, and we receive the gift of the beloved Son of God in
bread and wine.
Isaiah 43:1-7
Near the end of Israel’s
exile in Babylon, God
promises to bring them
home. They need no longer be
afraid, because the one who
formed, created, and called them
by name now redeems them from
all their enemies. God declares
them precious and honored, and
God loves them. 1But now thus
says the Lord, he who created you,
O Jacob, he who formed you,
O Israel: Do not fear, for I have
redeemed you; I have called you by
name, you are mine. 2When you
pass through the waters, I will be
with you and through the rivers,
they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you
shall not be burned, and the flame
shall not consume you. 3For I am
the Lord your God, the Holy One of
Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as
your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in
exchange for you. 4Because you
are precious in my sight, and
honored, and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5Do not fear, for I am with you; I
will bring your offspring from the
east, and from the west I will gather
you;
6I will say to the north, “Give them
up,” and to the south, “Do not
withhold; bring my sons from far
away and my daughters from the
end of the earth— 7everyone who
is called by my name, whom I
created for my glory, whom I
formed and made.”
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Acts 8:14-17
Peter and John are sent to support
the new Christians in Samaria, a
group that was recently baptized
after hearing the good news of
Christ through the preaching of
Philip. Here the Samaritans receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit in the
laying on of hands.
14Now when the apostles at
Jerusalem heard that Samaria had
accepted the word of God, they
sent Peter and John to them.
15The two went down and prayed
for them that they might receive the
Holy Spirit 16(for as yet the Spirit
had not come upon any of them;
they had only been baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus). 17Then
Peter and John laid their hands on
them, and they received the Holy
Spirit.
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
The reading opens with
questions about the identity of
the Messiah. John the Baptist
insists that he is not the
Messiah; instead he points
ahead to one who is coming.
And whether the voice of God
was heard by all or only by
Jesus, God settles the matter:
Jesus is God’s beloved Son.
15As the people were filled with
expectation, and all were
questioning in their hearts
concerning John, whether he
might be the Messiah, 16John
answered all of them by saying,
“I baptize you with water; but
one who is more powerful than I
is coming; I am not worthy to
untie the thong of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing
fork is in his hand, to clear his
threshing floor and to gather the
wheat into his granary; but the
chaff he will burn with
unquenchable fire.”
21Now when all the people
were baptized, and when Jesus
also had been baptized and was
praying, the heaven was
opened, 22and the Holy Spirit
descended upon him in bodily
form like a dove. And a voice
came from heaven, “You are my
Son, the Beloved; with you I am
well pleased.”
SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one
another with whatever gift each of you has received.
0
1 Peter 4:10
Many Hands Make Lighter Work For
Everyone!
INTERFAITH
FOOD PANTRY
FOOD ITEM OF THE
MONTH
Canned Fruit & Canned Vegetables
How to Donate Altar Flowers
We invite you to make a gift towards altar flowers
in memory of, in thanksgiving for, or in celebration
of a person or event. Your generous donation of
$35 will glorify God and enhance the beauty of our
worship services on Sunday mornings.
Your gift of flowers not only provides the
adornment of our altar and proclaims the
resurrection, but it also serves as a pastoral
blessing to those who receive the flowers
delivered to them. You are welcome to bring the
flowers home with you after worship, or you may
contact Vivian Morrison to arrange to have them
delivered to a shut-in.
Simply sign up on the 2015 Altar Flower Chart
posted on the narthex bulletin board. A reminder
that you have donated the flowers will be placed
in your church mailbox prior to the week you have
donated them.
Please pay for the flowers in advance by placing a
check made payable to Grace in the offering or
Colleen Peterson's mailbox. The donor's name
and appropriate dedication will be printed in the
Sunday bulletin and on the media screen.
Thank you for your consideration.
Truly this is a multi-faceted gift!
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An ongoing service - preparing and serving
dinner at Homeless Solutions. Heartfelt thanks go out
to the Gau family for their willingness to serve on
Christmas Day and to Nancy Torrente, Margaret Erath
and Colleen Petersen for stepping forward to serve
dinner in January. Their time and efforts are certainly
appreciated; both by the hungry of Morris County and
the people at Grace. A new Homeless Solutions
volunteer list has been posted for 2016. Openings
begin in February. Please take the time to
consider how Homeless Solutions can figure into
your 2016 plans. Remember, interested adults or a
family are welcome.
Think of the possibilities of MANY generous
hearts !! Sign up in the narthex or contact Pam Gau
([email protected]) if you are interested or need
more information.
Thanks so much to the many willing
contributors to Faith Kitchen in December. There is a
new sign-up sheet in the narthex for CHILI MAKINGS
for January. Susan Pilshaw and Helen Wolfmeyer will
be, once again, cooking chili for the hungry in Dover.
But, you need to bring in the “Fixins’”. Please have all
contributions into the parish hall kitchen by Sunday,
January 17th for delivery to Trinity, Dover, on Tuesday,
January 19th.
It’s EASY! If you are contributing ground beef,
just place it in the parish hall freezer – any time.
Canned tomatoes and beans can be left on the
parish hall counter; cheese can be placed in the
refrigerator.
Think of the possibilities of MANY generous
hearts !
Our lives get particularly hectic. However, the needs
of the hungry men and women of Dover continue.
ELCA NEWS
ELCA presiding bishop visits Chicago Immigration Court
12/30/2015 3:00:00 PM
CHICAGO (ELCA) – After a December visit to the Chicago Immigration Court of the Executive
Office for Immigration Review, the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), reaffirmed the ELCA's commitment to work as "church together"
to bear witness and respond to the significant number of children and families fleeing Central America
and Mexico.
While the number of children and families crossing the U.S. southern border is down from the
surge in 2014, the numbers have been rising again and reflect a 106 percent increase from this same
period last year.
Eaton attended court to observe the ELCA's Guardian Angels program, a court-watch program
that was started by the ELCA Southwest California Synod and has been replicated and implemented
at the ELCA churchwide office in Chicago. As part of the program, English-speaking and Spanishspeaking volunteers attend immigration hearings to document proceedings and to meet with families
outside of the courtroom to pray together, answer questions and provide information on legal
assistance.
"In the short time we were in the courtroom, the judge heard 20 cases," Eaton said. "In her
conversation with us during a break she told us that the myth of Central American countries exporting
gang members and drug dealers needs to be dispelled. The judge hears hundreds of cases each
week, and in her experience, she has not seen violent criminals. Rather it is children and families who
are trying to find a new life free of the chaos and fear in their countries of origin."
Judge Jennie Giambastiani, who presided over the hearings Eaton attended, said "the need is
great" for legal representation for the number of people arriving in the United States.
"The Guardian Angels program brings some measure of hope and comfort to children and
families as they go through our legal system," said Eaton. "Through prayer and presence in the
waiting area and the courtroom, these people know that God is with them – Emmanuel.”
--About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with more than 3.7
million members in more than 9,300 congregations across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region.
Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God
through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in
the writings of the German church reformer, Martin Luther.
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*Megan Brandsrud serves as an associate editor in ELCA Mission Advancement.