On the Calendar

Open the Scripture. Join the Conversation.
Every Monday night at 7:30 p.m. and every Thursday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. as we gather to open the scripture and join in conversation with God and each other.

What is God doing in the the world? What is God doing in our lives? What is God saying to us as individuals, a community of faith, the world? What is the good news of God's kingdom? How is God sending us into the world? These are just some of the questions we ask as God engages us through God's word and the witness of the Holy Scripture.

Motherhood: A Holy Calling
Sunday, May 8, is Mother's Day.
God has called us to various walks of life and to live out the Gospel through a variety of roles we play in relationship with others. To be "mother" is not only a biological event, it is a divine calling. What better way to honor Mom and all the other mother-figures that God has brought into our life than in our worship at 10 a.m. We will include a special blessing for all mothers that Sunday.

Blankets+ Sunday, May 8th.
What is the CWS Blankets+ Program?
Blankets+ is a special mission opportunity for all ages. Some 8,000 congregations and groups across the U.S. hold CWS Blankets+ events, providing funds to help people in need around the world, including the U.S.


For over 60 years, Church World Service has worked in partnership with local communities to identify their needs and access the resources they need to build the foundation for a more viable future, including:

•Blankets, tents, food and other emergency supplies in the wake of a disaster
•Tools and seeds for refugees returning home to replant their fields
•Wells for families living in drought prone areas to provide clean, safe water to drink and to irrigate crops and gardens
•Literacy training and microcredit for women struggling to realize their potential.

Any dollar amount can help: $5 can wrap a refugee child in a warm blanket, $15 can provide a hoe, shovel, and a rake for a rural family, $25 can provide five warm blankets for a family left homeless by an earthquake or other disaster.

Please come to church on Sunday, May 8th to make your donation, or you can make donations yourself either online at www.churchworldservice.org or by mailing your check payable to "Church World Service Blankets+" to:
CWS Blankets+, PO Box 968 Elkhart, IN 46515
www.churchworldservice.org / 1.800.297.1516

“Your Grandmother’s Cupboard”
On Saturday, May 21st from 10am – 2pm, please join us as we gather to collect items for this cause. Through contributions, the volunteers who assist with “Your Grandmother’s Cupboard” are able to provide food, clothing, and the other necessities of life for the homeless, hungry and the other “invisible” children and adults in our midst.

Items needed are: Men’s clothing (a great need), women’s clothing, shoes, toiletry items, household items, sheets, comforters, quilts, blankets, baby items (clothing, diapers (a great need), blankets, powder shampoo.) Cash donations are needed as well for gasoline for the trucks and vans transporting these items. If you have any questions, please call Janet Strachan at 973.661.3556.

Pentecost, Sunday, June 12th. Pentecost Sunday, the day we remember how God poured out the Holy Spirit on Jesus’ disciples and empowered the church for God’s mission. On the first Pentecost, the Bible tells us that all the disciples were gathered in one place when the Holy Spirit blew through. Mark your calendar and invite your friends to join you for this festive worship. Let’s see what happens this year. We will once again be ordering red geraniums for this day – please see ordering instructions at the end of this newsletter. Remember to wear red!

Food Donations

During these difficult times, organizations that provide food often run short of needed supplies. We will continue to collect food as part of our offering during worship. Bring your non-perishable food items to worship with you, and leave them in the designated area in the Narthex. Thank you!

From the President

Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia!! What a joyful Easter celebration we had! It was wonderful to see old friends, extended families, and new faces. We welcomed in the Easter season with great fanfare. May the message of the crucified and resurrected Christ bring hope and peace to your lives.

No festival service happens without a lot of behind-the-scenes effort. Special thanks go to Scott Jones and the choir for their beautiful music. We are grateful to them for their talent, and their dedication. The church does not magically transform between Good Friday and Easter morning. Thanks go to Chris, Chad and Jean Esparolini, Greg Sekula, Ruth Hsu, Nancy Guenther, Paige and Diane Petschel, and Emily, Debbie, and Scott Jones. Many hands make quick work of the transformation of the chancel.

My personal thanks go to the members of the Church Council as we pulled together the Palm Sunday Breakfast on quick notice. I also thank the Council for their insight and wisdom as we work on the opportunities for ministry which are in front of us. The first thing people see when they approach the church is our building. I’m pleased to say that at the last meeting, we approved the painting of the front of the church. I look forward to the refreshed and welcoming face we will present to our guests, members and neighbors.

The Call Committee recently interviewed a candidate to be our next pastor. The Committee felt this candidate could be a good fit. The next step is to attend a worship service which the candidate leads and to hear how the candidate shares God’s Word in the sermon. We are hoping this will happen in early May.

Please continue to keep the Church Council and the Call Committee in your prayers. We draw strength from you as we work to hear God’s direction for our congregation.

Sincerely,

Elaine Miller
Church Council President

Graduating in May or June?

Please let us know the date and from where you are graduating and we will share that good news. Feel free to share your future plans, as well.

Special Group Ticket Offer

Theater League of Clifton, in cooperation with ATC Studios is pleased to present NARNIA, a musical based on C.S Lewis’ much loved allegory, THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. NARNIA is a story that promises fun for everyone, young and old. Over forty actors, singers and dancers will bring this enchanting tale to life.

Performance dates: May 20, 21, 22 and May 27, 28, 29 at Public School 3, 365 Washington Ave, Clifton. Show times are Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. For groups of 20 or more, tickets are $14.00 each. Group tickets must be for the same performance and prepaid. Purchase before May 5th and receive one complimentary ticket.
Call 973-928-7668 for more information or to reserve space for your group.

Other ticket pricing: General Admission: $20.00, Students/Seniors: $15.00 and $10.00 for children under 12.

Please contact Theater League of Clifton as soon as possible to reserve your tickets. 973-928-7668, email: theaterleagueofclifton@gmail.com
Additional information is on their website: www.theaterleagueofclifton.com

In Our Community

Members in May Concerts
The Bloomfield Mandolin Orchestra presents “Mandolin Music Through the Centuries.” Sunday, May 1 at 3:00 PM, Bloomfield Middle School, 60 Huck Rd. Elfrieda Fenton performs in this group. Violin soloist.


On Saturday, May 7 the Bloomfield Civic Band will also perform at Bloomfield Middle School at 7:30 PM. This concert celebrating “Women in the Arts” will feature two soprano soloists, and Emily Jones plays flute in the band. Music by Mendelssohn, Bach, Gounod, Puccini and Verdi.

Finally, on May 21 at 7:30 PM the Bloomfield Chorale under the direction of Ruth Hsu will present its spring concert at Park Methodist Church, 12 Park St., Bloomfield. The concert theme is “All’s Fair in Love…” Scott and Debbie Jones sing with the Chorale.

*All Bloomfield Federation of Music concerts are $15, or $10 with a discount coupon found at the website: www.bloomfieldfm.org

SAVE THE DATE!
26th. ANNUAL AIDS WALK NEW YORK Sunday, May 15, 2011
Aids Walk New York (AWNY) is the world’s largest AIDS fundraising event. In 2010, more than 45,000 people participated and raised a record breaking sum of over $5.7 million. Funds raised from the walkathon go to numerous programs and educational services to support people living with HIV/AIDS, and to over 60 other tri-state area AIDS organizations. The 10 kilometer (6.2 mile) walkathon begins and ends in Central Park.

Nancy and Tony Maguire are again raising funds and on Sunday, May 15, 2011 they will participate in AIDS Walk New York. If you would like to walk with them, or sponsor them by donating money, please let them know. Checks should be payable to AWNY and can be given to Nancy or Tony anytime. You can also mail your check to their address at 26 Parsons Ct., Mahwah, NJ 07430.

If you would like to raise money at your school or place of business they can provide you with sponsor forms. If you would like more information please call them at (201) 934-9366.

You can also visit www.aidswalk.net.


Emily Jones will again be participating in Mt. Olive’s Relay for Life this year on June 11th and 12th. Relay For Life is the signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society at which teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Relays are an overnight event based on the idea that cancer never sleeps.

Relay For Life encourages people to:

• Celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer.
• Remember loved ones lost to the disease.
• Fight back to put an end to the disease.

If you are interested in donating to this cause, you can make a donation online: (http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY11EA?px=6457997&pg=personal&fr_id=29457) or you can see Emily in person for a donation form."

Vice Pastor and Supply Pastors

Vice Pastor
Please be assured that during our time without a permanent pastor, we at Holy Trinity have a Vice Pastor for our pastoral care. Will Moser of the First Lutheran Church in Montclair will serve as our Vice Pastor.

Pastor Will Moser of First Lutheran Church, Montclair
153 Park Street
Montclair, N.J. 07042-3901
(973) 744-6043
will1234@aol.com
Cathy Oswald, Manager, Tuesday – Friday, 2 – 7pm

Per Pastor Moser, please follow the criteria below for when his services are needed (they are numbered in order of his preference):

1)Please call the church at (973) 744-6043 (you may call him directly or have Scott or Tina contact him).

2)Please call Pastor Moser at home, (973) 778-1497 (you may call him directly or have Scott or Tina contact him).

Vice Pastor care includes: visiting shut-ins, visiting the sick and those in the hospital, death, council meetings and confirmation.

Supply Pastors
Supply pastors for our Sunday Service will be given to Holy Trinity via the Synod Office.

Office
Please note that Scott and Tina will be checking voice mails from home, even during non-office hours, 7 days a week. Please make sure to LEAVE A VOICE MAIL MESSAGE at the office so we can be sure to keep updated.

May Birthday, Anniversaries & Disciples

May Birthdays

2: Al Weber
3: Audrey Stevens
4: Erika Murphy
11: Don Walch
12: Jean Esparolini
14: Ethan Munoz
15: Gail Ceravolo
19: Dorothy Greengrove, Debbie Jones, Terry D’Agnolo
21: Jan Strachan, Brianna Riccio
26: Gerald Mayr

May Anniversaries

29: Joseph & Liz Cicci

May Disciples (please pray for these people on the date listed)

2:Maura Cicci
3:Elise Cooper
4:Ed Cordes
5:Evelyn Cordes
6:Louis D'Agnolo
7:Terry D'Agnolo
9:Meredith D'Agnolo
10:Rory D'Agnolo
11:Aubrey D'Agnolo
12:Carolyn Davey
13:Amanda Davey
14:Briana Davey
16:Jeffrey DeBellis
17:Susan DeBellis
18:Christopher DeBellis
19:Renee DeBellis
20:John Denkinger
21:Evelyn Denkinger
23:Chris Duhm
24:Nancy Duhm
25:Nicole Duhm
26:Matthew Duhm
27:Ken Duke
29:Dorothy Duke
30:Richard Ebeling
31:Barbara Ebeling

Red Gernaniums for Pentecost

On Pentecost (June 12, 2011), we celebrate the birthday of one holy and apostolic church. We remember how God poured out His Holy Spirit on his disciples and emboldened and empowered us for God’s mission in the world.

It is a Holy Trinity tradition to decorate the church with Red Geraniums and for all of us to wear red on this festive day. To order red geraniums, please call the office for an order form or mail in your check and reference "red geraniums", no later than Sunday, May 22, 2011. The cost is $3.00 per plant (4 ½” foil wrapped pot). Any plants left will be planted outside the Church.

Thank You!