A weekly publication for telling and hearing the stories
of this extraordinary time

Wednesday, April 1, 2020
From Our Bishop
A different experience of Holy Week - but still holy
Holy Week this year is going to be a very different experience for us. Bishop Hughes talks about how we can still find holiness in it.

Click on the video at right to watch (time: 4:59), or click here to read the transcript.
From Our Canons
Encountering Christ in Word and Communion
During this time when we cannot gather together, Canon Wright, Canon to the Ordinary, describes alternative ways our tradition provides us to to share in Jesus' life and love. Read more.
Diocesan Holy Week & Easter Services
Each day throughout Holy Week we will highlight a service from a different church around our diocese, culminating with an Easter Day service celebrated by Bishop Hughes.

Most services will be pre-recorded to premiere on the appropriate day for on-demand viewing, while some will be streamed live. A full schedule will be available soon.

Each of the videos and live streams will be posted, in its turn, in the Featured Video section on the front page of the diocesan website, and all will be saved for later viewing at dioceseofnewark.org/worship-online.
Stories from Our Congregations
We want your stories and photos of this time. What is your congregation doing that's different or new, that might help or inspire other congregations? What is your congregation experiencing that will be important to remember? Was your church covered by local media? We want to share those stories! The submission deadline is 10 AM Friday for the following Wednesday's issue; see the Submission Guidelines .
Loving through actions: Crafters sew hundreds of face masks
On March 20, Tina Kelley (who attends both St. George's, Maplewood and St. Stephen's, Millburn) read an article about a hospital requesting donations of home-made face masks. She reached out online to her neighbors in South Orange and Maplewood, and before she knew it "SOMa Sewing Volunteers" had formed, located materials, and sewed and donated hundreds of masks to Overlook, Morristown Memorial and other area hospitals - all while practicing physical distancing. Read her first-person account.
As a body in Christ, we are [inter]connected
Renee Charney of Holy Spirit, Verona reflects on her experience participating in worship and coffee hour via Zoom meetings, writing, "There is real opportunity for us to consider new ways in how we gather and worship, in how we meet and serve each other 'where we are,' and how we can deepen our [inter] connectedness as a body in Christ." Read more.
Sign tells neighborhood: Doors may be closed, but church continues
All Saints, Hoboken cleverly uses an outdoor sign in their high-traffic location to let their neighborhood know that while their doors are closed during the "stay at home" order, the church as embodied by the people is still very much present. Read more.
Churches in the News
Christ Church, Bloomfield/Glen Ridge:
MAR 21, 2020 | Essex News Daily
Diocesan Announcements & Resources
Episcopal House is closed to routine operations at this time. Staff are continuing to work remotely from home, and can be reached via their usual work emails and phone numbers as listed in the Staff Directory.

All diocesan events scheduled in April have been postponed or canceled. A decision about May events will be made later in April.
to find opportunities for online worship - not just on Sundays, but every day!

Email online worship updates to Nina Nicholson at nnicholson@dioceseofnewark.org . Updates received after 4 PM Friday will be posted the following week.
Visit dioceseofnewark.org/covid-19 for news and resources related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including messages from Bishop Hughes.

New resource recently added:

Table Grace for Lent, shared by All Saints', Hoboken
Stewardship Reflections: Gratitude Matters
Announcing the first in a series of reflections written by members of the diocese that reflect on concepts of stewardship, gratitude, and generosity in a time of pandemic, anxiety, and fear. Click here to read the first reflection, written by Pat Yankus of St. Paul's, Paterson.
If you'd like to participate in this weekly series please send your reflection (250 word maximum) to Cynthia McChesney, cmcchesney@dioceseofnewark.org. In addition to these mini-essays, we hope you'll also participate on social media for more! We'll be posting with the hashtag #GratitudeMatters.
E-Giving: It's easy and essential!
As we figure out new ways to “be church” online, we also need to do everything possible to help our members to support our ministries through their giving. That means that we must make it as easy as possible for parishioners to pay their pledges (and make additional gifts) online. Read more.
Grant deadlines
The deadline to submit applications to the Ward J. Herbert Fund for late spring funding is 12 noon on Monday, April 15. Find out more.
Scholarship funds accepting applications for 2020-21 academic year
The Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) scholarship program is open to all high school seniors who are actively engaged in the life, work and ministry of an Episcopal Congregation in the Episcopal Diocese of Newark. Application deadline: FRI, APR 3, 2020.

The Gertrude Butts Fund, a non-profit corporation organized in 1929, and closely affiliated with the Diocese of Newark, seeks applicants for the 2020-2021 academic year. Application deadline: MON, MAY 4, 2020.

Applications are also being accepted for educational scholarships from The Episcopal Church. A scholarship applicant must be an Episcopalian and must have the endorsement of his/her bishop. Application deadline: WED, APR 8, 2020.
News from the Wider Church
"Habits of Grace" from Presiding Bishop Curry
As we learn how to adjust our lives given the reality of the coronavirus and the request to do our part to slow its spread by practicing social distancing, Presiding Bishop Curry invites you to join him each week to take a moment to cultivate a ‘habit of grace.’ A new meditation will be posted on Mondays through May. Click here to watch.
Free issue of Episcopal Journal April 2020 with COVID-19 coverage
This month, as a service to the community, Episcopal Journal is making its April issue available for free. The full issue is largely devoted to coverage of how the new coronavirus, COVID-19, is impacting The Episcopal Church. Click here to download the PDF.
The VOICE Online is currently being published weekly on Wednesdays
for as long as needed