Week of September 5, 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.
Hurricane Ida
We hope that everyone was able to make it through Hurricane Ida safely.

Prayers for all who were affected by this terrible storm.
Outreach
Operation YELLOW RIBBON

With all the devastation surrounding us, we will be postponing this to a later date.

For now, here is one organization collecting items:
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.
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. Are you a boy or girl scout who needs to do service hours? This is a great way to help out.
Atlantic Visiting Nurse Association's Fall Rummage Sale
Upcoming Events
Place them on your calendar NOW!

September 11th - Memorial Service for Martha and Carl Apgar. All parishioners are welcome to this service.

September 12th - Kick-off Sunday (read more about this below).

October 16th - Fall Family Fun Fest (see sign up on this page)
Kick-off Sunday
Please join us for St. Martin’s Kick-Off Sunday, September 12th. Kickoff Sunday offers us all a chance to reconnect and get involved in the formational offerings at St. Martin’s. We invite your whole family to join us to experience our loving approach to spiritual education.
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.  Please join us kick-off Sunday where our youth groups can enjoy some fun team building activities outside!
 
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