Villadom Times Weekly Newpaper Online-September 30, 2009 Issue

ALLENDALE Festival Day 2009 (left page) September 30, 2009 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 13 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3RD (right page) The parishioners of the Church of the Epiphany in Allendale and the Church of the Good Shepherd in Midland Park voted unanimously on Sunday, Sept. 20 to become uniﬁed into one Episcopal parish and be known as Trinity Episcopal Church. The ﬁnal joining together will be completed in January 2010. Since Sept. 13 both congregations have been worshiping together in the Allendale parish, which will be the future home of the new church. It is located at 55 George Street �� Epiphany and Good Shepherd Episcopal churches merge ALLENDALE Festival Day 2009 behind Borough Hall and the Lee Memorial Municipal Library. The uniﬁed Episcopal parish intends to have a broader outreach and mission impact and more robust offerings in youth ministry, Christian education, and spiritual growth programs, according to Rev. Michael Allen, who will be the pastor of the new parish. “There is an increased vitality and excitement. Everyone is very excited. There is a new synergy. As a theologian, I would say that this is a venue for the Holy Spirit to breathe a new breath of life in our lives,” commented Father Allen. He said talks between the two parishes originally centered around doing a mutual ministry and escalated from there. “We started doing fellowship and found we truly liked each other. We realized that together we could make a greater impact on the community,” Father Allen said. He said he expects average attendance to increase to 150, from about 40 each in recent months. “It’s a huge increase,” he noted. The combined congregations have a broad spectrum of offerings. Nancy Y/Banners began on Sunday school, which & Covers Sept. 20 with four classes, starts at 10 a.m. each Sunday with a meaningful Opening Gathering. After the classes, the children join the rest of the congregation for Holy Communion, with the younger children joining Fr. Michael at the altar so they can learn close-up more about the Eucharist. The next community celebration will be The Feast of St. Francis on Oct 4. Everyone is invited to bring their pets to church (yes, they sit with parishioners in the pews! for a blessing and asperges as part of the festive Eucharist. Coffee hour follows both the 8 and 10 a.m. Sunday Eucharists. The church also has a said Eucharist with contemporary music every Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m. Other activities include a Senior Youth Group, Junior Bell Choir, Youth Instrumental Ensemble, Women’s Book Club, Stitch & Chatter group for knitters and crocheters, varied adult education programs and several Bible Study groups. Father Allen said the Midland Park building will be kept for at least two years to be used for outreach programs and special worship services. The newly constituted vestry of Trinity Episcopal Church will ultimately decide the long range fate of the Godwin Avenue building, constructed in 1963. The modern structure replaced the original chapel which had served as the clubhouse of the Wortendyke Field & Stream Club and was donated to the church in 1908. (left page) 2col x 3/4” 9-30-09----AllendaleFestBanner---VillHouse Ads/Allendale Karen...from Rev: Janine Once a year The Church of the Epiphany, located on 55 George Street, in Allendale, literally goes to the dogs (and other household pets) during the Annual Blessing of the Animals celebrating the Feast of St. Francis. This event will take place this year on Sunday, Oct. 4, when animals of all sorts are invited into the church proper with their owners to receive a personal blessing and asperges from Father Michael. This annual custom is conducted in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi’s love for all creatures. St. Francis, whose feast day is Oct. 4, loved the larks ﬂying about his hilltop town. He and his early Franciscan brothers, staying in a small hovel, also allowed themselves to be displaced by a donkey. The special service will begin at 10 a.m. Everyone is invited to join in a heavenly cacophony of barks, meows, tweets, and other animal sounds together with pet and animal lovers from everywhere singing praises to God, Brother Sun and Sister Moon. Parishioners & pets welcome Wishing everyone a happy Festival Day! �� Career development group offered The Allendale Clergy Association has formed a career development group called Opening Doors. The group provides a venue for peer support, networking, and practical job search resources for those who are in transition or seeking to rejoin the workforce. Opening Doors will provide resources for those who seek a communal face-to-face setting, and for those who would prefer to access them from home. Weekly meetings are held on Wednesday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Highlands Presbyterian Church, at 270 Franklin Turnpike. All are welcome. The ﬁrst Wednesday of each month begins with a speciﬁc career development topic such as self/career assessment, resume/cover letter writing, interviewing skills, and tutorials on networking sites. On-site WiFi will be available, and representatives from the business community and the clergy will be at each meeting. Contact Highlands Presbyterian at (201) 3274466 or ofﬁce@highlandschurch.net. Mention this ad and receive a free cup of coffee �� See you on Allendale Day! Visit our table and help celebrate our 2nd Anniversary in your beautiful community! Goodies for Kids and Pets. �� James McElroy, Broker/Owner