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Week of September 12, 2021, With St. Martin's
Facebook Live Link: http://www.facebook.com/SaintMartinsEpiscopalChurchBridgewaterNJ

The Leaflet for this week's service can be found by going to HTTP://www.stmartinsnj.org.
Fall Family Fun Fest
This is our one big FUNDRAISER for the year and is for the entire community. We are looking for parishioners to step up to volunteer at the different booths for the fun fest. We are also in need of outdoor children's games, bakers, chili makers, and crafters. If we do not get more volunteers, this event will not be able to happen. Even if you can't be there for the entire time, we encourage you to sign up to help.
OUTREACH
OUTREACH will be collecting personal care products for residents of Somerset County that have been displaced due to Ida.  There is a bin in the narthex of the church for a collection of products that will be used to make personal care kits. Please bring your donations this weekend, Sept. 18th-19th. Items needed are toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, feminine care, hand lotion, soap, disposable masks, small antibacterial gel, shaving cream, and razors. Also, if you have any new or slightly used toiletry bags, we can use these to make the kits. We are being very ambitious and hoping to make 50 kits. If you will not be in church this weekend but wish to donate, I will gladly come and pick up your items. Call Marlene at 908-507-7406. Thank you.

Also, at this time SHIP will not be running their Wednesday food truck until further notice. They are looking for monetary donations to help remediate the flood damage.
Thursdays This Fall
St. Martin's and St. John's Somerville are cosponsoring a new course designed by the Episcopal Church to address the problem of racism in our society. This course will involve reading selected works and watching short video clips from a diverse segment of people all talking about their experience of racism. We will also be engaged in honest, prayerful, and respectful discussions. All are welcome, but you are asked to pre-register by sending Father Rob an email indicating you would like to join the class. Blessings to you all.
Snapshots of Kick-Off Sunday
Upcoming Events
Place them on your calendar NOW!

September 18th-19th - Outreach Colllection for victims of Hurricane Ida

September 26th - Special Parish Meeting (see below)

October 16th - Fall Family Fun Fest (see sign up on this page)
Special Parish Meeting

The Bishop has announced his resignation. We are required by Canon Law to call a special meeting on Sunday, September 26, immediately following the 10:30 am Mass.

At this meeting, we will elect six (6) delegates who will attend a special Convocation Meeting on Zoom on October 24, at which one priest and one layperson will be elected to serve on the new Bishop's Search Committee.

A slate of names for our six delegates will be forthcoming. If you are interested in serving in this capacity and would like to stand for election, please contact Father Rob+. You do need to be a Confirmed member of the Episcopal Church in order to serve as a delegate.
Midweek Mass
Father Rob will be resuming a midweek Mass on Wednesdays, starting in October. If you would be interested in attending, please send Father Rob an email and let him know if you prefer the Mass to be held at Noon or 6 pm.
Sunday School
Youth Groups
Adult Forum
Rite 13 - Rite 13 will meet next Sunday after the 10:30 Mass in the Lady Chapel. Our time together will be about 30 minutes long. Looking forward to starting the new year together.

Adult Forum
The Adult Forum meets in the Lady Chapel at 9:30 am (between the 8:15 and 10:30 services) most Sundays. Along with our usual Advent and Lenten studies, this year we will include two new discussion series: “The Voices of St Martins” and “Spiritual Practices”. All are welcome.
 
Youth Ministry (7th Grade - 12th Grade)
Youth group is back in person!! Saint Martin's follows the Journey to Adulthood program with a progression through 3 stages: Rite 13, Journey to Adulthood (J2A) and Young Adults in Church (YAC). The Journey to Adulthood is a complete youth ministry program of spiritual formation for 6th-12th grades. Our goal is to provide our youth with a positive Christian Education experience that will help them build their own church community. 
 
Rite 13 and J2A will plan to meet twice per month, alternating between our 10:30am Sunday service and our new 5:30pm Saturday service. The plan will be the following (dates may be adjusted as needed)
  • First Sunday of every month after the 10:30am Mass
  • Third Saturday of every month after the 5:30pm Mass
YAC plans to meet once per month.
 
Sunday School (Preschool - 6th Grade)
In-person Sunday School returns to Saint Martin's!  Sunday School occurs during Saint Martin's Sunday 10:30am service.  
 
As a reminder, Saint Martin's uses Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) for our children's education and has 3 levels.  CGS is an approach to religious education that is rooted in the Bible, the liturgy of the Church and the education principles of Maria Montessori. It really focuses on the joy in the relationship with God and the young child.
·     Children ages 3 through kindergarten and toilet trained will meet in the large conference room upstairs for our Level 1 atrium
·     Children in 1st through 3rd grades, our "Level 2" atrium, will meet in the large conference room upstairs
·     Children in 4th through 6th grades, our "Level 3" atrium, will meet in the small conference room upstairs
 
Unlike prior years, the children will not be joining the main service for communion. Instead, children will have the option to receive communion during Sunday School and the children will be brought to their parent’s pew following the service.
 
Per Diocesan guidelines, masks will be required and we will maintain a 3ft distance. As we all know, the situation with the pandemic is always changing and Diocesan guidance could be updated. 
 
Please note that this year Saint Martin's will also be having a "Come As You Are" Eucharist on Saturdays at 5:30 pm. For the times when you cannot make the 10:30am Sunday service, we invite you to worship in community with your family at the Saturday service.
St. Martin’s Episcopal Church
1350 Washington Valley Road,
Bridgewater, NJ 08807
www.stmartinsnj.org
Call Us: 908-526-1350
Contact information for Fr. Rob
rectorstmartinsnj@gmail.com or fatherroblaws@yahoo.com