NJ Women of the ELCA Circular 4th Quarter 2018

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* SAVE THE DATE – Saturday, MARCH 9, 2019 *

Please join us for the Annual Synod-wide Thankoffering Services

Two synod-wide Thankoffering services are being planned for Saturday, March 9,

2019: One at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Jersey City and the other service at Good

Shepherd Lutheran Church, Somerville. Monetary offerings will go towards the

Women of the ELCA, Churchwide to support its on-going ministries. In-kind gifts will

support local ministries.

Synod-wide Thankoffering Services Saturday, March 9, 2019

Redeemer Lutheran Church 37 Warner Ave

Jersey City NJ 07305

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

300 Union Avenue Somerville, NJ 08876

To RSVP send an email to njwelca@yahoo.com or call Joanne Lucey at 201-388-0181

Meet our newest board member, Valerie Slack!

Valerie was elected to the board at the 2018 annual convention. Valerie’s congregation

is Trinity, Jersey City and she is currently the President of the Trinity Lutheran-Grace

Lutheran WELCA unit. Valerie is also a member of the church choir and Treasurer of

the Capital Fund committee. She has previously served on the church council as

President, Secretary and Treasurer! She has also served as the Sunday School Director

and as a Sunday School Teacher. Valerie is an Administrative Assistant at the Dr. Lena

Edwards Academic Charter School. When asked her age range she describes herself as

“seasoned”. Her heritage is African American.

We welcome this multi-talented, energetic, committed woman of faith to the board!

Interested in Serving on the board? Please consider serving on the board so that the

cares & concerns of NJ Women throughout the Synod are represented!

NJ Women of the ELCA Circular 4th Quarter 2018

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Convention Highlights

The New Jersey Women of the ELCA 31st Annual Convention was held on Saturday,

September 29, 2018 at King of Kings Lutheran Church, 250 Harmony Road, Middletown,

NJ 07748.

Convention theme: “Learn to do right. See that justice is done.” Isaiah 1:17a.

Keynote speaker: The Rev. Frances Snelling-Teabout, M.A., MDiv., Open Door Worship

Center, Jersey City.

Churchwide Representative: The Rev. Dr. Dinah Dutta, Women of the Evangelical

Lutheran Church in America Executive Board Member, 2014–2020.

Convention Music Director & Site Coordinator: Nancy Scharff

Conventions Stats:

Total Attendance = 52:

Voting Members: 8 Board Members & Officers: 7

Visitors: 22 Guests: 4

Workshop Leaders: 8 Display Hosts: 3

As of 9/29/2018:

Convention Offering: $488.00 Designated Offering: $471.00

Personal Offering: $404.00 Free Will offering: $70.00

Board Photo - Outgoing & Incoming

Board members - Left to Right: Linda

Benitz (Treasurer), Valerie Slack, Jean

Wilkerson-Heard (President), Charlene

Rollins (outgoing Secr.), Viola

Richardson (outgoing VP), Rev. Dinah

Dutta, Churchwide Rep., Joanne Lucey (Vice President), Julia Sabella (Secretary).

NJ Women of the ELCA Circular 4th Quarter 2018

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In-kind Gifts: Baby and toddler items for

Saint Mark's Center for Community Renewal

(CCR) in Keansburg. Keansburg, with a

>20% poverty rate, is situated on the

Bayshore in one of the wealthiest counties of

New Jersey. Saint Mark's Center for

Community Renewal (CCR) in Keansburg seeks to serve Christ in all persons, respecting

the dignity of everyone with whom they interact.

Board member/newly

elected Secretary,

Julia Sabella dropping

off additional

donations to Deacon

Rose Broderick at St.

Mark CCR. These

additional donations

were made possible through the Thrivent Action Plan.

NJ Women of the ELCA Circular 4th Quarter 2018

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Convention Highlights / Designated Offering Recipients

WomenRising located at 270 Fairmount Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07306.

www.womenrising.org

WomenRising meets these needs by providing supportive counseling, crisis intervention,

workforce development and job placement, shelter for victims of domestic violence,

outreach, advocacy, and referrals.

WomenRising is the foremost community-based organization for women in Hudson

County. WomenRising assists women and their families to achieve self-sufficiency and

live safe, productive and fulfilling lives, through social services, economic development,

and advocacy services.

180 Turning Lives Around - Domestic violence Women’s shelter in Keansburg, NJ.

https://180nj.org

180 Turning Lives Around empowers survivors and families affected by domestic violence

and sexual assault to find the courage and strength to turn their lives around.

180 supports this mission through: 24/7 hotlines – including the 2NDFloor Youth Helpline,

counseling, legal advocacy, emergency shelter and transitional housing and art, play and

music therapy for children.

NJ Women of the ELCA Circular 4th Quarter 2018

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Convention Highlights / Resolutions

The board submitted resolutions in honor and gratitude to three people for their years of

service to the New Jersey Women of the ELCA: Nancy Scharff, Convention Music

Director, Jennifer Zinone, former board member and former Circular Editor and Linda

Holscher, outgoing Treasurer.

RESOLUTION 2018 - 3: Recognition of Service – Nancy Scharff

WHEREAS the New Jersey Synodical Women’s Organization has

benefitted greatly from the participation and support of Nancy Scharff

who has shared her musical gifts, time and talents at the organization’s

annual convention and

WHEREAS Nancy Scharff has been most generous and has never charged the New

Jersey Synodical Women’s Organization for her professional musical services for any of

the past four annual conventions that she has served as musical director,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we show our thanks and appreciation to Nancy

Scharff with a resounding round of applause and a loud “Alleluia”!

RESOLUTION 2018 - 4: Recognition of Service – Jennifer Zinone

WHEREAS the New Jersey Synodical Women’s Organization has

grown from the participation and support of Jennifer Zinone who has

enthusiastically shared her many gifts, time, talents, eagerness and

curiosity with the organization and

WHEREAS the New Jersey Synodical Women’s Organization has benefitted greatly from

the service and dedication of Jennifer Zinone who has served as a board member and as

editor of the Circular, the organization’s quarterly publication,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we show our thanks and appreciation to Jennifer

Zinone with a resounding round of applause and a loud “Alleluia”!

NJ Women of the ELCA Circular 4th Quarter 2018

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RESOLUTION 2018 - 5: Recognition of Service – Linda Holscher

WHEREAS the New Jersey Synodical Women’s Organization has

grown from the participation and support of our Sister-Friend, Linda

Holscher who has unselfishly shared her many gifts, time, talents,

experience and wisdom with the organization and

WHEREAS the New Jersey Synodical Women’s Organization has benefitted greatly from

the service and dedication of our Sister-Friend, Linda Holscher who has served on the

board in various roles such as board member, President, Treasurer, adviser,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we thank our Sister-Friend for her faithful and

loving commitment to the Women of the ELCA and New Jersey Women of the ELCA

organizations, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we show our thanks and appreciation to Linda

Holscher with a resounding round of applause and a loud “Alleluia”!

NJ Women of the ELCA Circular 4th Quarter 2018

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Holy Trinity Unit, Rockaway Twp. - 70 Years Strong!

On Sunday November 11, 2018 the WELCA Unit of Holy Trinity, 508 Green Pond Rd,

Rockaway Twp. celebrated its 70th anniversary at the 11:00 service. Bishop Tracie

Bartholomew presided. The service was followed by a luncheon hosted by the

congregation.

Congratulations and Thank You to the Holy Trinity Unit for 70 years of "...inviting

women to experience the reconciling and transforming love of God through Jesus Christ,

encouraging women to act on their baptismal covenant."

(left to right) Marga Conn, President, Holy Trinity

WELCA Unit, Bishop Tracie Bartholomew, Jean

M. Wilkinson-Heard, NJ WELCA President, The

Rev. Jack DiMatteo, Holy Trinity, Rockaway

Vice President Joanne Lucey, Bishop Tracie

Bartholomew, Marga Conn, President, Holy Trinity

WELCA Unit, Jean M. Wilkinson-Heard, NJ

WELCA President.

Bishop Tracie Bartholomew, Marga Conn,

President, Holy Trinity WELCA Unit, and Jean M.

Wilkinson-Heard, NJ WELCA President.

NJ Women of the ELCA Circular 4th Quarter 2018

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HI, I am Joanne Lucey of Grace Lutheran in Bayonne. I am so excited to have been

entrusted with the position of Vice President. So, let’s get started….

A) The biggest conversation starter in any group or organization is “we want youth involvement and growth”, a fair and adequate statement. Help me understand how this can be achieved, I am childless myself and even though I do understand this statement, I just do not live it from a parent point of view;. Here are my questions;

a. How many congregations have youth in them that would participate at a WELCA convention or function?

b. Great, now I would need to know 2 “Topics” for the youth or activities the youth would want to do at the convention or function.

B) What would your Women’s Group want to see as topics or activities at the convention or functions?

C) As your WELCA representatives, how do we assist in growing our Women’s Group? a. What do you see as the “Blockage or Blockages”? b. What can the WELCA group do to start working on the Blockage(s)?

D) Is your group willing to invite a Board member to attend one of your meetings?

Please email me at jlucey3070@gmail.com with replies/suggestions. I can be reached

at 201-388-0181 for those who wish to talk over the phone, I’m available after 4 pm.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

I need your feedback to full fill my promise I made to you

and our Organization as your WELCA Vice President, please

assist me.

NJ Women of the ELCA Circular 4th Quarter 2018

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The Bishop's Challenge is meant

to move all NJ Synod

congregations to grow in

awareness, generosity, service,

and advocacy in response to

hunger.

The New Jersey Women of the ELCA supports Bishop Tracie

Bartholomew’s challenge and would like to raise money for a cow as

well. If we raise $500 or more for ELCA World Hunger, the Hunger Task

Team will provide a cow to decorate which we will then bring to the 2019

Synod Assembly!

To contribute towards a NJ WELCA sponsored cow for the Bishop’s Challenge: Please make checks Payable to: NJ WELCA

In the Check Memo line: Bishop’s Hunger Challenge

Please send checks to:

Jean M. Wilkinson-Heard

1707 Clinton St.

Linden, NJ 07036

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Purpose Statement

of the

Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

As a community of women created in the image of God,

called to discipleship in Jesus Christ, and empowered by

the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to grow in faith, affirm

our gifts, support one another in our callings, engage in

ministry and action, and promote healing and wholeness in

the church, the society, and the world.

Mission Statement

To mobilize women to act boldly in their faith in Jesus Christ.

WHAT DOES THE LOGO MEAN?

The logo—with the cross, water and a white lily—identifies women of the Evangelical

Lutheran Church in America as children of God; baptized, forgiven, adopted into God's

family, full of grace and hope in eternal life. It is a reminder of the growth, beauty, and

vitality that rises out of that life-giving baptismal water. It is also a reminder of the mission

of the church to "Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of

the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).

Huge Thanks to Kristen Urquilla for her help in editing the Circular!

For more information about the New Jersey Women of the ELCA, please visit our website:

www.njwelca.org. For news to share or questions, please send an email to njwelca@yahoo.com or

contact Charlene Rollins (908) 698-1454.