Spring 2013 Courses and Events

By audience
By date
Descriptions

Spring 2013 Youth Ministry

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

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Contact Sarah Paige toll free at 609 394-5281, ext. 10 or by email at spaige@newjersey.anglican.org

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General contact information for the Ministry Institute

Spring 2013
Courses and Events by AUDIENCE

For All

Absalom Jones Service of Witness to Black Ministries
13th Annual Acolyte Festival
Analyzing and Understanding Systemic Racism: Introductory and Training (2.5 day workshop)
Annual Diocesan Recovery Sunday Celebration
Discovering Your God-Given Gifts for Service
Church Development; Ways of Using Your Church Resources to Enhance Ministry
The Experience of God in Spirituality
One Book: People of the Way – Renewing Episcopal Identity
Parish Leadership Day (for Clergy, Wardens, Vestry and Finance Officers)
Passion & Purpose Sunday
Planned Giving Presentation for Parishes and Mission Churches
Preaching to the Uninterested, Unconvinced and Unimpressed
Sexual Misconduct Awareness Workshops
Spirituality for the Second Half of Life: Christian Educators’ Day
Study Trip to El Salvador
Youth Ministry Adult Workshop: Ask Us What We Think
Youth Ministry Adult Workshop: Topic to be Determined

For Laity

Discerning a Call to the Priesthood
Discovering Your God-Given Gifts for Service
Parish Leadership Day (for Clergy, Wardens, Vestry and Finance Officers)
Pentecost and Life in the Spirit
Training Workshop for Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers and Eucharistic Visitors

For the Clergy

Blessing of the Oils and Renewal of Ordination Vows
Clergy Lenten Retreat: Remixing Leadership: We Become the New Wineskins
Deacons Day with Bishop Councell
Deacons Retreat

For Youth and Youth Ministers

54rd Bishop’s Ball – Farewell to Bishop Councell
Spring Youth Event
Senior Baccalaureate Service
Youth Happening 22
Youth Ministry Adult Workshops

Spring 2013
Courses and Events by DATE

Spring 2013
Courses and Events in chronological order, with descriptions

The Committee on Life Long Christian Formation, in partnership with the Episcopal Election Committee, invites everyone – clergy, adult, and youth – to read, study, and discuss One Book this Winter/Spring 2013 as we prepare for a new Bishop: Dwight J. Zscheile’s new book People of the Way – Renewing Episcopal Identity. Read it as a parish, vestry, a book club, a ministry group, an Adult Education study, or a small group study.

 The Episcopal Church is in an ‘identity crisis’ – who are we in this new cultural context we find ourselves in? What does it mean to be an Episcopalian? This new mission focused book explores The Episcopal Church’s gifts and challenges, reminding us that at our core, we are “The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society” – the legal name of The Episcopal Church since 1935. It takes an honest look at how we have been perceived by others (and ourselves) in the past, and what that may mean for our future, inviting us to ‘live Eucharistically’ as committed disciples in this new apostolic age.

The book includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter and is available in print as well as electronically (Kindle and Nook).

The author is an Episcopal priest and Professor of Congregational Mission and Leadership at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota. He is co-author, with Craig Van Gelder, of The Missional Church in Perspective, editor of Cultivating Sent Communities: Missional Spiritual Formation and associate priest at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in St. Paul.

Contact The Reverend Debbie Cook, 732 367-0569 or cookdeb@optonline.net

“Churches everywhere are reassessing their mission and future in light of diminishing attendance and the reality that they no longer reflect their neighborhood. They need this book.”
June Sawyers, Booklist, American Library Association

“Is there any hope for this once privileged and powerful church encountering the new realities of the twenty-first century? There indeed is! People of the Way presents a vision by which The Episcopal Church can find a way forward. It is a vision of hope, possibility, and new life…This is the book I have been waiting for.”
The Right Reverend Ian Douglas, Bishop of the Diocese of Conneticut

Leaders: Canon Constance L. White, Co-Director, Ministry Institute, Diocese of New Jersey

The workshop Discovering Your God-Given Gifts for Service is an ideal opportunity to bring more parishioners into serving your church by identifying their talents and passions for lay ministry. It can be presented to a vestry, committee, or to the church at large in a format that takes a full day or be spread over several days or weeks, during the day or evening or on weekends. It helps answer the questions: “What are my talents for ministry? How can I put my God-given gifts to good use in my parish and in the world?” Participants discover what the Bible has to say about spiritual gifts, determine their innate talents and proclivities through a series of questions, and then use what has been learned to reveal their interests and passions. Finally, they will see how to apply the identified strengths and interests to action in the parish.

Planned Giving Presentation for Parishes and Mission Churches
Anytime (for all)

Leaders: The Reverend Margaret Hodgkins; Chuck Watson, Branch Manager and Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

Planned Giving offers every church in our diocese the opportunity to form a legacy for the future of the church. The purpose of the Planned Giving Committee is to offer support to vestries and congregations desiring to organize planned giving programs. The Committee would love to be invited to your parish or mission to talk about Planned Giving by walking through the sequential steps of setting up a program.

To set up an event, please contact the Reverend Peggy Hodgkins, Co-Chair. A church must decide that it wants to establish a permanent fund that generates income to support the ongoing mission, outreach, programs, and facilities of the church outside of the annual operating budget. The fund is organized and protected by vestry resolutions and the parish planned giving committee. The endowment is designed to be a lasting legacy for its donors and the parish. It gives every donor the comfort of knowing that their generosity benefits our churches for many years into the future.

The Reverend Peggy Hodgkins is an Episcopal priest serving at St. Elizabeth’s Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She also serves on the Committee on the Priesthood and the Episcopal Election Committee.

Chuck Watson is a Branch Manager and Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. He is the co-Warden at Christ Church, Middletown, New Jersey, where he has been a member for 25 years.

Leaders: The Reverend Frank Boyd Crumbaugh, III

The annual retreat for Deacons in the Diocese of New Jersey provides an opportunity for ordained deacons to spend time with one another in social, professional, and spiritual activities in a retreat setting at Stella Maris. The agenda includes several sessions with the retreat leader where we will explore how we may grow in holiness and spirituality to better serve our Savior and our congregations. Opportunities for informal conversation and recreational activities are available.
Sponsored by the Deacon’s Council.

The Reverend Frank Crumbaugh states, “A call to ordained ministry first surfaced at age fifteen. My initial reaction was to run from it, diverting my energy in other directions. I took a degree in history at Centre College, served as a police officer on the streets of Memphis, and eventually landed in New Orleans teaching school. While attending Christ Church Cathedral in New Orleans, I realized how much of my energy was being spent resisting a call to the priesthood. I relented, and undertook my theological studies at General Theological Seminary in New York. Since ordination, I’ve had the enormous privilege of serving parishes in the dioceses of Newark, Missouri, and New Jersey. Ministry brings new challenges and new rewards every day. I’m blessed to be an Episcopalian and you’ll never find me anywhere else! Always family and always church - that’s pretty much my story. I am so grateful.”

Reverend Mr. Crumbaugh serves on the Committee on the Priesthood, Committee on Deceased Members, and Millennium Development Task Force. He has been the Co-Chair of the Clergy Day Committee and served on the Restructure Task Force.

Presenter: The Reverend Thomas Brackett, Missioner, Church Planning, Ministry Redevelopment & Fresh Expressions, Episcopal Church Center, New York, New York (by audio-visual conference)

This forum will bring together expert presenters, along with diocesan clergy and lay persons, to discuss ways of using the resources within our churches to enhance and sustain the ministry and mission. We will also discuss new and existing ideas for additional sources of income beyond pledges and how to develop/redevelop ministries and support them financially. We will conclude with Holy Eucharist praying for the continued health and growth of our congregations.
Sponsored by the Urban Ministry Committee.

The Reverend Tom Brackett, Missioner, Church Planting, Ministry Redevelopment & Fresh Expressions, has been hosting innovative conversations and approaches in networks throughout The Episcopal Church, for leadership on all levels.

Reverend Brackett has been passionate about lively communities of faith for twenty-seven years of ordained life. Originally ordained as a Baptist, Tom worked with cell group ministries in the 80’s. Later, he explored liturgical renewal and culturally sensitive evangelism on other continents, especially in Korea and Japan. His undergraduate studies focused on new leadership models for the 21st century, as well as the power of storytelling and the use of metaphor to make sense of cultural shifts and organizational changes. He has led two church plants, twenty years apart and is quick to point out that he has learned from his failures (as well as his successes) in church planting and congregational renewal. He has recently completed international certification as an Executive Coach and offers his gifts as a Strategist and Communicator via a coaching delivery style.

Since his ordination in The Episcopal Church, Tom has studied the impact of postmodernity on worship and the arts, as well as on organizational development. He has revitalized a campus ministry, served as a Rector in three very different parishes, led a turn-around process in a rural Maine ambulance service and served as the Vicar of a Diocesan homeless ministry in Asheville. He has consulted with Diocesan leaders across The Episcopal Church in the areas of Congregational Re-Development and New Ministry Development, as well as Fresh Expressions of ministry. Tom is certified as an Executive Coach, as well. In his spare time Tom is learning to cook Italian cuisine and play the Native American Spirit flute. His passion is hosting small group conversations and making the safe space needed for people to share their soul stories of recent encounters with the Spirit. His wife Cheri Leonard Brackett is a psychotherapist and spiritual director in private practice.

Presenter: Diocesan Youth Council

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. The theme of this year's Festival is the Holy Spirit working in our lives! Pentecost will be the focus of this year’s event. A special celebration of the Holy Eucharist complete with balloons and bubbles will end the day. Be sure to bring your vestments, processional crosses, torches, banners, thuribles, kites, or whatever else you use in a service. (Don't forget to bring stands if you have them.) Parents and other guests are invited to join us for the service, which will begin at 2 p.m. Sponsored by the Acolyte Festival Committee.

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

In this workshop, both sexual abuse of children and sexual exploitation and harassment of all persons are covered. This training is required every five years and is required for all clergy, wardens, employees, and anyone regularly working with or around children or youth. It is recommended for church personnel who occasionally work with or around children or youth. Please refer to Respecting the Dignity of Every Human Being which you can download here.

The first training must be in person at one of the sites offered by the Diocese, to provide a more thorough understanding of the material through the six-hour presentations, also allowing for all questions by participants to be thoroughly addressed. All subsequent trainings at each five-year renewal period can be taken in-person or online through the Church Pension Group’s “Safeguarding Online.” Please note that for online training only, one must call the Diocesan Office to obtain a username and password.

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:

Preacher: The Reverend Carol Gilbert, Deacon; Celebrants: The Right Reverend George E. Councell, D.D, Bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey, The Very Reverend René John, Dean, Trinity Cathedral, Trenton, New Jersey

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. In addition, it will honor Bishop Councell, Ruth Councell, and Canon Deborah Ford, as well as the 100th anniversary of the Church of the Annunciation, Lawnside. The music will be uplifting and celebratory. It is guaranteed to be a joyous service. 

Sponsored by the Black Clergy Caucus and the Earl B. Scott Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE).

The Reverend Carol Gilbert was ordained Deacon in 2005 and serves at Trinity Cathedral. Her ministries have included working with Rainbow of Hope, supporting the Crisis Ministry, and training the Acolytes and Eucharistic Visitors at Trinity Cathedral. She has degrees in psychology, education, and English language arts and works as a Content Specialist at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishers.

Leaders: Canon Constance L. White, Co-Director, Ministry Institute, Diocese of New Jersey

Have you ever wondered: “What are my talents for ministry? How can I put my God-given gifts to good use in my parish and in the world?” Then this workshop is for you! First, discover what the Bible has to say about spiritual gifts and then, through a series of questions, gauge your innate talents and proclivities. Afterwards you’ll use tools to reveal your strengths and interests. Finally, you’ll see how to apply those strengths and interests to action in your parish and in the world. You may find some surprising results! If you’ve done such an analysis in the past, don't be hesitant to try this again. Our talents and interests change with time and with our situation in life. 

The Reverend Tom Brackett, Missioner, Church Planting, Ministry Redevelopment & Fresh Expressions, has been hosting innovative conversations and approaches in networks throughout The Episcopal Church, for leadership on all levels.

The Reverend Mr Brackett has been passionate about lively communities of faith for twenty-seven years of ordained life. Originally ordained as a Baptist, Tom worked with cell group ministries in the 80’s. Later, he explored liturgical renewal and culturally sensitive evangelism on other continents, especially in Korea and Japan. His undergraduate studies focused on new leadership models for the 21st century, as well as the power of storytelling and the use of metaphor to make sense of cultural shifts and organizational changes. He has led two church plants, twenty years apart and is quick to point out that he has learned from his failures (as well as his successes) in church planting and congregational renewal. He has recently completed international certification as an Executive Coach and offers his gifts as a Strategist and Communicator via a coaching delivery style.

Since his ordination in The Episcopal Church, Tom has studied the impact of postmodernity on worship and the arts, as well as on organizational development. He has revitalized a campus ministry, served as a Rector in three very different parishes, led a turn-around process in a rural Maine ambulance service and served as the Vicar of a Diocesan homeless ministry in Asheville. He has consulted with Diocesan leaders across The Episcopal Church in the areas of Congregational Re-Development and New Ministry Development, as well as Fresh Expressions of ministry. Tom is certified as an Executive Coach, as well. In his spare time Tom is learning to cook Italian cuisine and play the Native American Spirit flute. His passion is hosting small group conversations and making the safe space needed for people to share their soul stories of recent encounters with the Spirit. His wife Cheri Leonard Brackett is a psychotherapist and spiritual director in private practice.

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, NY 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, NJ 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.

Leaders: The Reverend Jane Brady, Grace Church, Pemberton, New Jersey; The Reverend Steven Carroll, St. John’s Church, Salem, New Jersey; Melissa Semmes-Thorne, Holy Trinity, Wenonah

 The revised Manual for the Licensing of Lay Ministries in the Diocese of New Jersey requires that training opportunities be made available throughout the diocese for those persons called to the lay ministries of the church. The new manual reflects the changes in the Canons of The Episcopal Church. Training will be offered for Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers and Eucharistic Visitors.

The morning session of the Licensed Ministries Seminar will be devoted to a workshop entitled Reading Aloud Effectively. It is designed to give Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers tools and techniques to help them read scripture aloud more effectively, assisting in the congregation’s understanding of the text. A coaching session will be included. The afternoon session will enable Eucharistic Ministers and Visitors to practice administering chalice and paten and to reflect on their ministry from pastoral and theological perspectives.

Sponsored by the Committee on the Priesthood.

The Reverend Jane T. Brady has been rector of Grace Church, Pemberton, since 2007, following five years as assistant at the Church of St. John on the Mountain, Bernardsville. She is a member of the Committee on Priesthood and Planned Giving and Sudan committees for the diocese. She is active in interfaith efforts, committed to ministry with/for older adults, and serves on the board of the U.S. Friends of Gladstone’s Library, Inc. (Wales). She has also been employed in fund-raising, membership development, and grants management. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (B.A.) and Princeton Theological Seminary (M.Div. and Th.M.). The Reverend 

Steven Carroll has been at St. John’s Church, Salem, since March 2009. He attended Wayne State University in Detroit where he earned a BA in History, and Trinity College, University of Toronto/Toronto School of Theology where he was awarded a M.Div. in 1979. He was ordained transitional deacon in 1979 and ordained priest in 1980 in the Diocese of Michigan. He has served a number of congregations in Michigan, Arizona, Idaho and Ohio before coming to St. John’s. He is currently a member of the Salem Rotary Club, the Salem Area Ministerial Association, and serves as Dean of the Woodbury Convocation. He is also a member of the Diocesan Committee on Nominations and the Committee on Priesthood. 

Melissa Semmes-Thorne is an instructor and long-time lector coach. She studied at Northwestern University and the University of Minnesota, and has been coaching Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Deacons and Clergy in reading aloud effectively for many years. Ms. Semmes-Thorne also helps those in business improve their communication skills using similar techniques.  

Celebrant: The Reverend Mark Van Sant, Rector, St. John’s Church, Little Silver, New Jersey

Our Recovery Sunday worship is designed to bring new life and new hope to recovering alcoholics, addicts, family members, friends and advocates. 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.

Sponsored by the Recovery Ministries Committee.

Preaching Conference: Preaching to the Uninterested, Unconvinced and Unimpressed
April 17-18 (for all)

Leaders: Diana Butler Bass, author; The Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr., Senior Minister Emeritus, The Riverside Church, New York, New York; Lauren Winner, Assistant Professor of Christian Spirituality, Duke Divinity School, Durham, North Carolina

The conference will be a mix of plenary discussions and small group workshops. This is a joint conference with the Dioceses of New Jersey and Newark, and presented by the Episcopal Preaching Foundation.

Leader: The Right Reverend George E. Councell, D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey

This is a time for deacons to come together with Bishop Councell and with one another.

The day includes Holy Eucharist, updates from the Bishop on the diocese, the Episcopal Church, and the Anglican Communion as well as presentations by fellow deacons.

The Archdeacons will give a brief report related to their respective areas of oversight.

Sponsored by the Deacons’ Council.

Study Trip to El Salvador
June 26-July 3 (for all)

Leader: Trip Coordinator in El Salvador - Cristosal; Coordinator: Diane Paulsell, Trinity Church, Princeton, New Jersey

The purpose of this event is to learn how the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) serve to guide the development plans and processes in one country. During the five full days in El Salvador we will visit both urban and rural communities that are empowering themselves through the political process to create just and fair communities. Two days will be spent in different urban communities and two in rural communities. One day will be spent visiting some of the historical sites that led to the creation of this fragile democracy.

We will also visit communities where Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD) has funded projects. Please be aware that the lodgings for this trip are modest and that the temperature will be hot. Travel may occasionally occur in an open truck. The maximum number of people on this trip is 15.

Sponsored by the Diocesan Millennium Development Goals Task Force.

Diane Paulsell is a parishioner at Trinity Church, Princeton. She has participated in three trips to El Salvador in the past two years.

Cristosal is a faith-based organization with Anglican and Episcopal roots dedicated to human rights and community development work in El Salvador. Noah Bullock is the Executive Director of Cristosal. He started as an intern in its human rights office at Cristosal in 2005 and later became a program director in one of their Community Development communities before being named Executive Director in 2010. His goal is to develop and implement a practical model for a rights-based approach to community development.

Please see the website for the Youth Ministry Office of the Diocese of New Jersey at www.newjerseyyouth.org for detailed information on registration, attendance, adult sponsors, medical release forms, and scholarships. You may also call the Director of Youth Ministry Office, The Reverend Canon Debi Clarke, Deacon, 609 394-5281, extension 36.

54th Annual Bishop’s Ball – Farewell to Bishop Councell
January 25

All congregations are invited to join us for this diocesan-wide tradition of gathering for music, dancing, food, and fellowship. Come dance, eat, and hang out with friends from all over the diocese! We will honor Bishop George Councell. All proceeds from the Ball will go to Nets for Life.

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.

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. The offering collection will go to the Van Duzer Scholarship Fund.

http://newjersey.anglican.org
Last updated: 23 January 2013
©The Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey