Week of April 4, 2021

Welcome to 

The Church of St. Paul and Incarnation!

An Anglican / Episcopal Parish 
in the Heart of Jersey City


Prayers and Thanksgivings:

We pray for:

All those on our parish prayer list, especially Gina, Jean A., Anaiayah, Linda M., Vicki B, Julio, Marisol, Marisa, Eddie, Vicki N, and Joe.

We offer special prayers for Sonia and her family

Doctors, nurses, and all healthcare workers

Students and teachers, as they try to learn and teach under very difficult circumstances

All members of the armed services, especially Chris Armbruster

All those in positions of leadership, especially Joe, our President; Kamala, our Vice President; Phil, our Governor; and Steve, our Mayor

Please also remember in your prayers those who have died, and those who grieve their loss, remembering especially:

Kaheem Taylor, 16, who was shot and killed at Bergen Avenue and Dwight Street

Ed Reuter, a friend of Bill Armbruster

Sister Jane Mankaa

Mike

All of those who have died as a result of Covid -19

We give thanks for:

The birthdays of Kyra Lawrence. Debbie Pinney, Brenda James, Tony Stokes, Laura Sariego, and Gary Wells.


Calendar Highlights:

Sat, April 3: Holy Saturday Liturgy, 9:00AM (Facebook)

Sun., April 4 Easter Day, 10:00AM (Facebook)

Wed., April 7 (Lenten) Book Study Final Session, 7:00PM

Sat., April 11 Quiet Morning with Lorna Woodham, 10:00AM-Noon (Zoom)

Sat., May 8 Ordination of Lorna Woodham to the Diaconate

Supporting Our Church:

We are aware that, unfortunately, some parishioners have been laid off or furloughed and others are in danger of losing their jobs. Please know that you are in our prayers and we are here to help any way we can. In these extremely challenging economic times, we are especially grateful to those of you who have been able to keep up with your pledges. You can still mail checks to the church or you can use online giving. Visit stpaulsjc.org and click on "Online Giving." We also have a Venmo account. Call the office or email me for more information.

You may complete and return the online pledge form here:

https://cutt.ly/Pledge_CSPI

 

Worship Schedule:

Monday through Friday: "Church By Phone"

Morning Prayer, 7:30

Noonday Prayer, 12:00

Evening Prayer, 5:30

Call 201-433-4922 for more information.

 

Sunday at 10:00am

Join us at 10:00 AM for a live-streamed Service of Holy Communion on our church’s Facebook page: Facebook.com/StPaulsJC


From the Diocese:

 Read The Voice Online for all the latest news, including a note from Bishop Hughes asking, how are we to bring God’s love into this Holy Week?

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/The-VOICE-Online--Bishop-Hughes-on-bringing-God-s-love-into-this-Holy-Week.html?soid=1102692382496&aid=HAr3aULsjog


Upcoming Events:

Diocesan Easter Service with Bishop Hughes, 4/4, 10AM (Diocesan YouTube channel)

Pop In with Pop Up Youth – Zoom Meeting, 4/11, 3PM. Find out more here:

https://dioceseofnewark.org/event/pop-pop-youth-zoom-meeting-2

Worship Leader Training, 4/12, 4/19, 4/26. Find out more and register here:

https://dioceseofnewark.org/event/worship-leader-training

Regional Conversation with Bishop Hughes, 4/15, 6:30PM-8:30PM (via Zoom)

Anti-Racism Dialogues via Zoom, 4/17, 4/24, 5/1. Register here: https://dioceseofnewark.org/event/namaste-anti-racism-dialogue-zoom-0


Quiet Time of Reflection: God’s Strange Work

Our ministry intern Lorna Woodham will lead a quiet time of reflection on God’s love. All are welcome on Saturday, April 10, from 10:00AM to Noon on Zoom. See the attached flyer for more information and to register.


Sacred People, Sacred Earth

Along with many other congregations, our church has declared that we are united by a fundamental belief that all people, all living things, and the Earth are sacred.

Thank you to Susan Den Herder, Lorna Woodham, Shari Gill, and all the participants, for putting together this powerful video, which can be found on our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/StPaulsJC/videos/436582177625640


Book Study:

Join us on Wednesday evenings at 7:00, when we discuss (on Zoom) The Good Book: Reading the Bible with Mind and Heart, by Peter Gomes. For our final session (on April 7), please read Part Three: The True and Lively Word, pgs. 266-353.


Small Faith Groups:

A message from Carol Harrison-Arnold:

Greetings All,

 Many of you attended the Parish Assembly and learned of the great ministries going on with the church despite the pandemic.  You also heard about the beginning of another ministry, Small Faith Groups, in response to the isolation and absence of in-person worship that many are missing. 

As a church, we are challenged with helping members to engage in activity where God Shows Up as an extension of our congregational life. We think we have found a way to address this challenge and invite all to become a part of a small group.

We pray many of you will decide to participate in a small group to enrich the faith experience for all of us.  A link for the sign-up form is below.  Please let family and friends know of this faith opportunity because we all need God to Show Up!!! 

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/RBYUpHFnufoFXn6C9


Lifting Our Voices: Uncovering the Story of the Episcopal Churches in Jersey City

The Episcopal Churches of Jersey City are beginning an effort to learn our history. We are eager to learn and document what life was like for Jersey City Episcopalians in the past, with a particular interest in how our churches were shaped by structural racism. Today, the Episcopal churches of Jersey City are almost as racially and ethnically diverse as the city we serve, but, unfortunately, this was not always the case. 

For decades, the Episcopal churches in our city did not welcome people of color. This sinful lack of hospitality led to the founding in 1910 of the Church of the Incarnation as a spiritual home for Black Episcopalians. Later, by the end of the 20th Century, “white flight” emptied out most of our churches, diminishing our presence in the city. As recent events in our country have painfully reminded us, structural racism doesn’t disappear.  It has to be faced, spoken about, confessed and acted upon.  If there was ever a time to learn from the past and get to work dismantling racism in our churches, it is now!

That is why members of St. Paul & Incarnation and Grace Church Van Vorst will begin researching the histories of our churches to trace how they were shaped by white supremacy.  At the same time, we will also interview some of our church elders to learn from people who have lived our story and know it best, preserving their memories for future generations. 

Combating white supremacy is the work of a lifetime, but on the Day of Pentecost (May 23) we will share what we have learned from our research and interviews. From this presentation, our churches will begin to have conversations about what it means to learn the truth about the racism in our church and how knowing the truth can help us change our future.


DJ’s Free Market:

Subscribe to the DJ’s Newsletter to stay informed about this exciting new ministry led by Deacon Jill:

https://mailchi.mp/bba528aa62bb/subscribe-to-djs-newsletter


The Arts at St. Paul & Incarnation:

“Light in the Never-Ending Shade”

Our beautiful new art show can be viewed on our website: aspi-jc.org

ASPI Mugs and Tote Bags

It's here! Bring the work of local artists into your home this season with a curated mug or tote bag from ASPI!

https://aspi.threadless.com/

The Arts at St. Paul and Incarnation (ASPI) is delighted to introduce a line of mugs and tote bags featuring the works of some of our favorite local artists. Unlike many other fundraisers that call for donated work, all profit is split evenly between the artist and ASPI. Proceeds to ASPI will go towards supporting our programming and future improvements to Carr Hall. We hope you enjoy these works as much as we do.

Visit our brand new store on Threadless to order these beautiful items (which make great gifts!)

Visit the Arts at St. Paul & Incarnation website for more information:

http://www.aspi-jc.org


New Jersey Together:

SPRING LEADERSHIP & ORGANIZING TRAINING: April 13-15, 12:30PM-2:00PM, or April 23 (7:30PM-9:00PM & April 24 (10:00AM-11:30AM, 2:00Pm-3:30PM)

If you’re new to Jersey City Together – or want to get more involved, please consider joining us for training planned later in the spring. This will be critical as we prepare for next steps. Learn more and register here:

http://www.njtogether.org/training

Learn more about New Jersey Together here: www.njtogether.org


Help for Renters and Homeowners:

There is help available for renters and homeowners suffering because of the pandemic. One is the website for the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency: www.njhousing.gov. You can also call 1-800-NJ-HOUSE (1-800-654-6873).


Helpful Resources:

Jersey City is vaccinating senior citizens, first responders, and those with certain pre-existing conditions!

Call 201-547-5688 or 201-373-2316 between 9:00AM and 5:00PM, seven days a week, to schedule an appointment.


State of New Jersey Covid-19 Information Hub:

https://covid19.nj.gov


State of New Jersey Covid Vaccine Registration:

https://covidvaccine.nj.gov/


Hudson County Covid Vaccine Registration:

Hudson County residents who are eligible can register here https://www.hudsonregional.org


The Diocese of Newark posts Covid-19 resources here:

https://dioceseofnewark.org/covid-19

 

You can subscribe to diocesan newsletters here:

https://dioceseofnewark.org/subscribe

 

The Episcopal Church has collected Covid-19 resources here:

https://episcopalchurch.org/concerning-covid19

 

"Habits of Grace," weekly reflections from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry:

https://episcopalchurch.org/habits-of-grace

 

The Church of England has some wonderful prayers and other materials here:

https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covid-19-liturgy-and-prayer-resources

 

Fr. Tom’s sermons can be found here:

http://tommurphe.blogspot.com