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Week of July 3, 2022, 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
THANK YOU FOR A SUCCESSFUL PRIDE EVENT

On Sunday, June 26, St. Martin's celebrated its first Pride Mass and Pride Community Picnic. Thanks to Randy and Alison for planning and organizing the event, and many thanks to so many parishioners who baked desserts, helped set up and clean up, and volunteered with games and crafts- and most importantly, thanks to those who sat and chatted with our visitors and listened to their stories. What a ministry of hospitality and welcome!

We had 9 visitors (all teens and young adults). Unfortunately, many of them came as we were packing up. But the good people of St. Martin's lingered and talked with them, gave a tour of the church, and offered our love and support to them. If the only fruit from this event is that those 9 young adults know that God and St. Martin's love and celebrate them, then that is already a wonderful thing.

Thank you for being a safe space of compassion, acceptance, and respect.

SUMMER WORSHIP SCHEDULE
We begin our summer schedule this week, with one weekend Mass on Sundays at 10 am.
It will be Low Mass with no choir or chanting, and no incense or bells. The Rector's Forum will not meet this Sunday.

The midweek Wednesday Mass will continue on most Wednesdays during the summer in the Lady Chapel at 6 pm. But there will NOT BE A WEDNESDAY MASS on JULY 6. 

During July, Father Rob will offer a preaching series on the symbolic meaning of the church architecture and space and the reasons for the various ceremonies and gestures of the Eucharist. This Sunday we will discuss the theology and spirituality of the interior architecture of the Nave. Why do we worship facing the East? Why is the font in the back of the nave? Why does the ceiling look the way it does? What is going on up at the altar? What's missing from the Nave that could be added to enrich our worship? Curious? Join us on Sunday at 10 am.

GRACE for ALL
Coming in Fall 2022 (beginning on Tuesday, September 20)

Grace for All is a prayer and support small group for LGBTQ+ Christians. People from any Christian tradition and people from no religious tradition at all are welcome to join us for a time of mutual sharing and support. This is a safe space for people struggling to reconcile their faith with their sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression. It is a space to be nurtured and affirmed by the Church and to celebrate God's loving grace for us all. We will meet on Tuesdays from 7-8 pm in the Lady Chapel.

Please share this information with LGBTQ+ people in your life who may benefit from this kind of supportive small group.

If you would like more information, or if you would like to register to join, please email the parish priest- Fr. Rob at rectorstmartinsnj@gmail.com.
Prayer Requests
  • Nick Persson, on the celebration of his birthday.
  • Richard Ottenstroer, Larry's father, passed away.
  • Susan Cacciatore, Len's former wife, has entered hospice.
  • Raymond Okonsky, Denise's father.
  • Olivia, prayer request from Fr. Rob
  • Dwight, a childhood friend of Fr. Rob's
  • Audrey, Bill Valiant's wife
  • Bill Valiant is also experiencing some health issues
  • Fr. Rob's mother, Evelyn.
  • Kathy Picazio asks for prayers for Doug Newton, his wife, Zhenya, and her adult daughter.
  • Bonnie Whalen requested prayers for her 28 yr old grandson.
  • Linda Virtue
  • Chris Semanchik
  • Jane Linn's, granddaughter-in-law, Rachael.
  • Mary Irwin
  • Philip and Nancy
Please send your prayer intentions to Philip at philip.muniz@gmail.com.
Save the Date: Confirmation and Reception- November 13, 2022
Bishop Stokes will be visiting us on Sunday, November 13 (St. Martin's Sunday). On this Sunday youth and adults will be Confirmed by the laying on of hands by the Bishop, and newcomers who were confirmed in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or Lutheran Churches may be received by the laying on of the hands by the Bishop, thereby becoming a full member of the Episcopal Church. 

If you wish to be confirmed (youth and adults), or if you are already confirmed and wish to be received as a full member of St. Martin's, or if you are confirmed and wish to reaffirm your faith in a public way, please contact Father Rob. Confirmation classes for youth and adults, (and for those wishing to be confirmed or received) will be conducted in September and October (with an overnight retreat on September 23-24). More information will be forthcoming.
Summer Church Camp- Grades 8-12
If you are looking for a church camp experience during the summer, check out this camp hosted by Crossroads. Crossroads is a retreat center in Port Murray, NJ, operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Newark and the NJ Synod of the ELCA.  This camp is for youth who have completed grades 8-12, July 24-28. and is recommended by our diocese. The cost is $450. Follow the link for more information.
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