Canticles for Life AIDS Benefit Concert – October 2, 2022 4-6pm

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This is the 3rd year St. Martin’s will host this musical event to raise awareness and funds to benefit the following charities which are concerned with the quality of life for persons with AIDS: the AIDS Resource Foundation for Children, in Newark; the NAMES Project of Northern NJ, which supports the AIDS Memorial Quilt; and EDGE New Jersey, which provides supportive services, housing opportunities, prevention strategies and community education in New Jersey.

Admission is free with a free will offering. AIDS memorial panels will be on display. Reception in the undercroft following the concert.

If you can provide an appetizer or dessert for the reception, please let Alison know. If you have any questions about the concert, see Diane Lester.

Kick-Off Sunday & Parish Picnic

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Please join us for St. Martin’s Kick-Off Sunday, September 18th.  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.

Parish Picnic

There will be a Parish Picnic (burgers, hot dogs provided; potluck for everything else) right after the 10:30 am mass. Sign Up here to bring something to share.

Blessing of Students and Teachers

Students and teachers are invited to bring their school backpacks and/or briefcases for a special blessing at the conclusion of the mass.

Youth Ministry (7th Grade – 12th Grade)

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 after the 10:30 am mass!

The Joint St. Martin’s/St. John’s Youth Group will have its first meeting at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Somerville on Sept 18 at 5 PM.

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. Please join at 10:15 us in the large conference room upstairs on the 18th.

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.

Outreach September 2022

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During September we will collect items for the military for Project Yellow Ribbon. These items will be used to make Christmas stockings for the military stationed overseas during the holidays. 

Some suggested items would be: Puzzle/Suduko books; chewy or hard candy; trail mix; feminine hygiene products; body wash; medicated foot powder; sunscreen lotion; or protein bars. A more comprehensive list will be posted on the bulletin board in the back of the Church. Items will be collected until Sunday, September 25th. A good source of these items is dollar stores.

Future Outreach projects will be pet products in October, coats and used adult clothing in November and Christmas presents in December. So if you see a great sale or are cleaning closets, keep St. Martins in mind!

Women’s Group – September 2022

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The Women’s Group of St. Martin’s will hold its first meeting of the year on September 25th after the 10:30 mass. The hope is to hold an event every month, or every other month so that we can get together in fellowship. Some thoughts for our meetings:

September – our first meeting

October – luncheon with speaker

November – painting (Board and Brush? in Somerville)

December – Cookie exchange

January – Movie?

February – Mardi Gras

Contact Alison if you have any questions.

Grace for All

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Beginning on Tuesday, September 20.

Grace for All is a prayer and support small group for LGBTQ+ Christians. People from any Christian tradition and people from no religious tradition at all are welcome to join us for a time of mutual sharing and support. This is a safe space for people struggling to reconcile their faith with their sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression. It is a space to be nurtured and affirmed by the Church and to celebrate God’s loving grace for us all. We will meet on Tuesdays from 7-8 pm in the Lady Chapel beginning on September 20.

Please share this information with LGBTQ+ people in your life who may benefit from this kind of supportive small group.

If you would like more information, or if you would like to register to join, please email our parish priest- Fr. Rob – at rectorstmartinsnj@gmail.com.