Spring 2012 Courses and Events

By audience
By date
Descriptions
Prefer to download a complete catalogue as a PDF? Click here.

Register online
Most courses offer online registration. You'll find a link in each description below.

Register by mail
General registration (PDF)
Supplemental registration (PDF) for Sexual Misconduct Awareness Workshops and Anti-Racism Training
Registration for Deacons Retreat (PDF)

Need help with registration?
Contact Sarah Paige toll free at 877 394-5281 ext. 10 or by email at spaige@newjersey.anglican.org

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Here are all your options, including a personal trip-planning link

Need help?
General contact information for the Ministry Institute

Spring 2012
COURSES and EVENTS by AUDIENCE

For All

228th Convention of the Diocese (not a Ministry Institute event)

Acolyte Festival

Adults who Work with Youth Workshop: Confirmation Formation

Adults who Work with Youth Workshop: Burning Questions for Those Who Live or Work with Youth

Make a Difference in the World: Adults Empowering Children and Youth
Christian Educators’ Day with Bishop Councell

Analyzing and Understanding Systemic Racism: Introductory Training (2.5 day workshop)

Annual Diocesan Recovery Sunday Celebration

Lenten African Spirituality Retreat

One Book: God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time

Passion and Purpose Sunday

Sexual Misconduct Awareness Workshops

Deacons Retreat

For Parish Leaders

Parish Leadership Day (formerly Clergy, Wardens, Vestry and Finance Officers Day)

For Young Adults

The First Year of Seminary: A Window onto the World of Theological Study and Ministry

For Youth and Youth Ministers

53rd Bishop’s Ball

Spring Youth Event

Senior Baccalaureate Service

Adults who Work with Youth Workshop: Confirmation Formation

Adults who Work with Youth Workshop: Burning Questions for Those who Live or Work with Youth

The First Year of Seminary: A Window onto the World of Theological Study and Ministry

Spring 2012
COURSES and EVENTS by DATE

God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time by Desmond Tutu

The Committee on LifeLong Christian Formation invites everyone — clergy, adult, and youth — to read, study, and discuss One Book this Winter-Spring 2012: Desmond Tutu’s concise and powerful book God Has a Dream. Read it as a parish, vestry, a book club, a ministry group, an Adult Education study, or a small group study.

Grounded in who we are as God’s children and focused on God’s justice, this accessible 2005 book explores not only God’s dream for all of creation but our part in that dream. Mission is not something we just do, but springs from who we are. Archbishop Tutu speaks personally and compassionately how pain and suffering can be transformed into hope and new life, a life that reflects the fullness of God’s goodness.

Study/reflection questions are included in the book, and is available in print, electronically, and as an audio version read by the author. There is even a related children’s version called God’s Dream.

Look for the One Book blog at newjersey.anglican.org/onebook beginning in January 2012.

“Admired throughout the world for grace, generosity of spirit, honesty, and humility, Archbishop Tutu has witnessed much evil, particularly in his native South Africa, and has been threatened with death. He has also seen much good, and here he emphasizes that. Many find his dream that the world's people will realize they are all members of one family — God's family — rather utopian, but he heartily disagrees . . . Goodness will prevail, he believes, and his small, inspiring, empowering book will make others believe that, too.” June Sawyers, Booklist, American Library Association

“Reading this book is like having a long, and somewhat homiletical, afternoon tea with former Archbishop of Cape Town and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Tutu . . . That this book aims for more than an afternoon tea becomes clear at its close: we are God's partners, Tutu exhorts. We are humanized or dehumanized in and through our actions toward others. Tutu grounds this appeal most concretely, ending with a list of websites from organizations that need more partners for their outreach.” Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, contact the Reverend Debbie Cook, 732 367-0569 or cookdeb@optonline.net

The First Year of Seminary: A Window onto the World of Theological Study and Ministry

Keynote Speaker: Katlin McCallister, Seminarian, Virginia Theological Seminary. She is a postulant for the priesthood and a first-year student at Virginia Theological Seminary.

A graduate of the University of Arizona (Class of 2011), she is a member of Holy Trinity Church in South River.

Make a Difference in the World: Adults Empowering Children and Youth: Christian Educator’s Day with Bishop Councell
January 21 (for all)

Keynote Speaker: Elisabeth (Lisa) Kimball, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Ministry of Teaching and Professor of Christian Formation and Congregational Leadership at Virginia Theological Seminary.

Community service projects abound in our schools and communities—what makes their work different from outreach and mission in the church? Join us as we welcome Lisa Kimball of Virginia Theological Seminary to help us explore why we do what we do and why mission is so essential for formation and disciple making. Draw on the experience of area mission and outreach leaders in discovering new ways to educate and empower our children and youth for local and global mission. Learn how ‘making a difference’ makes a real difference in living out our faith.

Sponsored by the Committee on Lifelong Christian Formation, partnering with the Millennium Development Goals Task Force, Jubilee Ministry, and Diocesan Youth Ministry.

Prior to her appointment at Virginia Seminary, Dr Kimball served in a teaching capacity at the College of Education at the University of Minnesota where she coordinated the Master’s Program in Youth Development Leadership. Ms. Kimball also held a position as Research Scientist at Search Institute in Minneapolis, where she focused on adolescent spiritual development and program evaluation.

While working full-time in the academy, she maintained a regular schedule of national consulting, conference presentations, and teaching in youth ministry, evangelism, congregational and leadership development, including serving as adjunct faculty at Luther Seminary, Church Divinity School of the Pacific, and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary.

Before assuming an academic career, She spent twenty years serving on the staff of five congregations and two dioceses in California and Minnesota.

Her published writing includes book chapters, journal articles, book reviews and regular articles for professional publications such as Vestry Papers and Giving. She also contributed to the children’s curriculum for Episcopal Relief and Development, called The Abundant Life Garden Project, and the youth curriculum Act Out: Empowering Youth to Heal a Hurting World

Presenter: Cecilia Alvarez, Canon for Transition Ministry and Clergy Development, Diocese of New Jersey

Great news! The CDO Profile, with its strange codes and frustrating format, has gone away. You'll now be asked to complete a Ministry Portfolio which will be easier for you to create and update. Your Ministry Portfolio is an online document which presents an extensive picture of your ministry and skills. All priests, deacons and retirees are invited to complete Ministry Portfolios. For some, the new portfolio may be challenging to navigate at first. Therefore the Diocese is offering time and space to help you become familiar with the format of your Ministry Portfolio. This training is designed to help prepare you during your time of discernment, whether you are currently serving in a congregation or looking to explore different opportunities in your ministry.

Please bring a personal laptop or portable computer. A limited number of laptops will available to those who are not able to bring their own.

Sponsored by the Diocese of New Jersey.

Sponsored by the Deacons' Council, this is the annual retreat weekend for deacons in the diocese. This is a time together for prayer and peace, self-care, sharing, rest and renewal.

Youth Ministry Adult Workshop: Confirmation Formation
February 8 (for adults who work with youth)

Presenters: Denise Szczerba, Christian Education Director, Christ Church, Toms River, and The Reverend Joan Anders, Christ Church, Toms River

Where are the youth of the parish? Are you struggling with what program to use that will reflect the vision of your parish and the needs of families? Please join us for a workshop will help you prepare the young adolescents in your parish to be adult Christians through the rite of Confirmation.

Twelfth Annual Acolyte Festival
February 11 (for all)

Leaders: The Acolyte Festival Committee

The Diocesan Acolyte Festival offers the acolytes of your parish an opportunity for fellowship and learning in a daylong celebration of their ministry. Workshops and a special celebration of the Eucharist will make this a day to remember. The celebration of the Holy Eucharist, in the cathedral, will close the day.

All groups are requested to bring vestments, banners, processional crosses, torches, kites, and thuribles or whatever you use in procession (Don't forget to bring stands if you have them.). Parents of acolytes and guests are welcome to join the closing service which will begin at 2 pm.

An opportunity to serve in the liturgy will be offered to twelve young people attending the festival. Seven other young people will be given the chance to serve as ushers or readers. The training/preparation session for the service will take place during the afternoon workshop session.

Sponsored by the Acolyte Festival Committee.

Absalom Jones Service of Witness to Black Ministries
February 12 (for all)

Preacher: The Reverend Jayne Oasin, Associate, St. Stephen’s Church, Beverly.
Celebrant: The Reverend Dr. Anne Marie Jeffery, Rector, St. Peter’s Church, Perth Amboy

This annual service commemorates the life and work of the first Black person to be ordained in The Episcopal Church. It is meant to shed light on and celebrate all the ministries of people of color in our diocese. The music will be uplifting and celebratory. It is guaranteed to be a joyous service.

This event is sponsored by the Black Clergy Caucus and the Earl B. Scott Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE).

The Reverend Jayne Oasin was the Program Officer for Anti-Racism and Gender Equality at the Episcopal Church Center in New York City. In this position, she was responsible for the implementation of the Church’s commitment to anti-racism, and the equality of opportunity for women in society and the church. Reverend Oasin has received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Speech Pathology, a Certificate in Non-Profit Management, and a Master of Divinity from the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Prior to being at the Church Center she held a number of positions in the not-for-profit and public sectors including the YWCA, Planned Parenthood, New York City Department of Juvenile Justice and headed her own management consulting firm. She was also adjunct professor of Non-Profit Management at Eastern College, St. David’s, PA, and The Executive MPA Program at Baruch College, New York City.

She has been an Associate Priest at St. Peter’s Church in Medford, at St. Augustine’s Church in Camden, and St. Stephen’s Church in Beverly. In addition, she has preached in pulpits around the country.

The Reverend Dr. Anne-Marie Jeffery is the new rector at St. Peter’s in Perth Amboy. She was ordained in the Diocese of Washington (DC) to the diaconate in June 2004 and to the priesthood in January 2005.

In 2004, she served as the Urban Missioner-Assistant Priest at Epiphany in Washington, DC, which gave her experience working with the homeless and familiarity with the challenges a city church brings. In 2007, she served as priest-in-charge at St. James Church in Bowie, Maryland and as chaplain to Bowie State University.

Since August 2010, she has served as interim rector of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in downtown Washington DC. There she helped manage a clerical and lay staff of six employees, make important connections with the surrounding residential and business communities, and provide meaningful worship and pastoral support during their time of transition, as they looked at who they were as a parish, prepared for a new rector, and anticipated the next chapter of their lives.

She grew up in Antigua in the West Indies. In her previous career, she was a Ph.D. physicist.

Lenten African Spirituality Retreat
March 10 (for all)

Leaders: The Reverend Canon Martin Oguike, Vicar, St. John’s Church, Woodbridge, New Jersey; The Reverend C. John Thompson-Quartey, Rector, St. Mary’s-by-the-Sea, Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey; The Reverend Dr. Augustine Unuigbe, Rector, St. Augustine’s Church, Atlantic City, New Jersey

Come for a day centered in the Daily Office and for a Holy Eucharist with African music. There will be four sessions focused on worship, meditation, community life, and healing. The retreat will provide witness, advocacy, and prayer for justice for the people of Sudan and Darfur in this continued time of crisis and war. You will learn from teachers of African spirituality and prayer.

This retreat supports the new campaign by The Episcopal Church, “A Season of Prayer for Sudan”, which is committed to the welfare of Sudan, its Episcopal Church, and the country's future.

The Reverend Canon Martin Oguike is the vicar of St. John's Church, Woodbridge. Canon Oguike was born and raised in Nigeria, West Africa. He completed his undergraduate work in Birmingham University, UK. He holds a Master of Philosophy degree in Theology from the University of Birmingham, UK, and a Ph.D. in Church History from the University of Port-Harcourt, Nigeria.

Canon Oguike lived through a genocidal civil war in Nigeria similar to the situation in Sudan/Darfur from 1967-1970 on which his dissertation on "The Role of the Church in the Nigerian Civil War" is based.

The Reverend C. John Thompson-Quartey is a native of Ghana, West Africa. He received his Bachelor of Science from Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey in 1993, and earned his Master of Divinity from the General Theological Seminary, New York City in 1997. He was ordained to the diaconate in May 1997 and to the Sacred Order of Priests in December of 1997.

He served as Associate Rector for Youth and Family Ministries at Christ Episcopal Church in Ridgewood, New Jersey from 1997 until 1999. Then as Chaplain for Pastoral Care and Director of Community Outreach Program at St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire from 1999 until July 2005.

He is presently the Rector of St. Mary’s-by-the-Sea in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, where he has served since 2005.

The Reverend Dr. Augustine Unuigbe is the Priest-in-Charge at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Atlantic City. He is both a priest and a medical doctor, and has passed his medical boards in the United States.

Analyzing and Understanding Systemic Racism: Introductory and Advanced Training (2.5 days)
March 15-17 (for all)

Leaders: Crossroads Anti-Racism professional instructors. Crossroads Anti-Racism Organizing was founded in 1986 to develop new directions in understanding and combating the root causes of racism in the United States. Crossroads trains teams within institutions, helping them to analyze racism and to develop and implement strategies to dismantle racism within their structures.

An intensive 2.5-day workshop that builds a common definition and analysis of racism, explores the historic development of institutional racism, identifies some ongoing realities of racism, and investigates the identity-shaping power systemic racism has on both People of Color and Whites. There is exploration of individual, institutional and cultural manifestations of racism, as well as linking racism to other forms of oppression in our society. Finally, a strategic methodology to dismantle institutional racism is introduced, focusing specifically on applying principles of organizing and social/cultural change.

Sponsored by the Anti-Racism Commission and Anti-Racism Team.

Sexual Misconduct Awareness Workshops
Various dates from March through May (for all)

Leaders: The Reverend Dr. Henrietta L. Lavengood; The Reverend Charles Lochner; The Reverend Dr. Paul S. Rimassa, Trinity Church, Rocky Hill; or the Reverend Peter Stimpson, Associate, St. Matthew’s Church, Pennington, and Priest-in-Charge, Holy Trinity Chapel, Spring Lake

Sexual abuse of children and sexual exploitation and harassment of all persons are covered. Required every five years for clergy, wardens, employees, and anyone regularly working with or around children or youth, it’s recommended for personnel occasionally working with or around children or youth. See Respecting the Dignity of Every Human Being (PDF).

Sponsored by the Pastoral Response Team of the Diocese of New Jersey.

One-day workshops from 9 am to 3 pm are offered at the following places and dates:

Adults who Work with Youth Workshops: Burning Questions for Those Who Live or Work with Youth
April 19 (for adults who work with you)

Presenter: Kathy Megroz-Foley, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW

Are you new or a veteran working with the youth of your parish? Either way there is a never-ending stream of questions that arise in your mind as to how to approach a variety of concerns. Join us for an evening where you can ask questions about your concerns about your ministries with teens.

Annual Diocesan Recovery Sunday Service
April 22 (for all)

Celebrant: The Reverend Dr. Stuart Hoke, Staff Chaplain, retired, Trinity Church, Wall Street, New York City. He served as missioner to St. Paul’s Chapel in Ground Zero, ministering to the first responders and emergency workers. He currently teaches as an adjunct professor in Church and Society at the General Theological Seminary in NYC. He is particularly known for his development of “Addiction: The Church’s Role in Recovery.” This flagship course in The Episcopal Church is offered to the church’s ordained leadership and all who seek crucial information about the disease of addiction as well as the hope found by millions through a program of recovery.

We hope you will find reflected in our Recovery Sunday worship the help and friendship, hope and courage that all in recovery are privileged to enjoy. As a service of the Diocese of New Jersey our liturgy reflects Christian tradition as expressed in The Episcopal Church. At the same time, please know that all who seek a deeper relationship with the God of their understanding are honored here as we express a collective attitude of gratitude to the higher power of all.

This celebration is offered in thanksgiving for the many 12-step groups who gather within the walls of our congregations from week to week and for the precious gift of recovery we share with millions around the world.

The hospitality of the Lord’s Table extends to all without exception. All who are baptized are welcome to receive Holy Communion. If you would prefer a blessing, please indicate that by crossing your arms over your chest. In solidarity with all in recovery, non-alcoholic wine is being used.

Sponsored by the Recovery Ministries Committee.

Passion & Purpose Sunday
April 22 (for all)

An intentional day for preaching, teaching, testimony, and theological reflection about vocation: claiming and expressing a passion and purpose for our lives as friends and followers of Jesus Christ.

Ultimately, Passion & Purpose Sunday is about renewing a sense of vocation for all Christians and for encouraging all people to discern their vocations in the light of Jesus Christ.

Sponsored by the Committee on the Priesthood.

Hosted by The Reverend Frank Crumbaugh, Rector, Holy Innocents’ Church, Beach Haven, New Jersey; The Reverend Gretchen Zimmerman, Rector, Church of St. Raphael the Archangel, Brick, New Jersey

This is a play day at the beach for all clergy and the Annual Fresh Start Party. Its stated agenda is NO agenda, other than to relax and enjoy one another’s company . . . the exercises of the day include volley ball, hammock snoozing, feasting, laughing and scratching, reading the first “beach-trash” of the season, surf and bay dabbling, boat riding, fishing—you get the idea.

Sponsored by the Clergy Day Planning Committee.

Spring 2012
DIOCESAN YOUTH MINISTRY

See newjerseyyouth.org for detailed information on registration, attendance, adult sponsors, medical release forms, and scholarships. You may also call the Director of Youth Ministry, the Reverend Canon Debi Clarke, Deacon, at 609 394-5281, extension 36.

Fifth-Third Annual Bishop’s Ball
All congregations are invited to join us for the 53rd anniversary of New Jersey’s diocesan-wide tradition of gathering for music, dancing, food, and fun! Come dance, eat, and hang out with friends from all over the diocese!

When Friday, January 27, 2012
For 9th through 12th graders (and their adult sponsors)
Dress Semi-formal (optional)
Where Trinity Cathedral, Trenton, New Jersey
Deadline Buy tickets online at newjerseyyouth.org through January 23

Spring Youth Event: Bullying
When Friday, May 11, 7 pm to Sunday, May 13, noon
For 6th through 12th graders (and their adult sponsors)
Cost $75, meals and lodging included (beds in heated cabins)
Where Camp Lebanon, Lebanon, New Jersey
Deadline By Monday, May 7

God, these bullies have reared their heads! A gang of thugs is after me — and they don’t care a thing about you. But you, O God, are both tender and kind, not easily angered, immense in love, and you never, never, quit. Psalm 86:14-17

Bullying is wide spread among our young people and it has serious consequences for both the victims and the bullies. We will gather for a weekend to explore who God calls us to be and what we can do as Christians in our daily lives as we stand up against bullying . Join us for a weekend full of great music, worship and fun. Make new friends and reconnect with old friends in the scenic hills of Camp Lebanon.

Senior Baccalaureate Service
When Sunday, June 10 at 5 to 8 pm
For Graduating seniors and their family, friends, and church members
Cost No fee, reception following
Where Trinity Cathedral, Trenton, New Jersey
Deadline By Monday, June 4

The Baccalaureate Service is a celebration which honors a graduating senior class from a high school. The service is held within a few days of the graduation and/or commencement ceremony. Join Bishop Councell and the entire Diocese in recognizing our graduating seniors. There will be a reception after the service for all in Synod Hall.