Ware Episcopal Church

The Most Reverend Livingstone Mpalanyi Nkoyoyo, the sixth Archbishop of the Province of Uganda will preach at the 8:30 and 10:30 services on Easter Day at Ware Church. The Archbishop is spending March and April at the Virginia Theological Seminary for a sabbatical leave to continue his theological studies.

Beginning in 1960 the Bishop trained as a Lay Reader and attained a certificate in Theology at the Bishop Lutaaya Bible School. In 1967 he attended the Buwalasi Theological College and finished at the Bishop Tucker Theological College. Ordained in 1963, he served in Nsangi Parish with its twelve local congregations. In 1997 the congregation of Ware Church provided thirteen bicycles to that parish so the lay readers could travel between the parish congregations.

Bishop Nkoyoyo also served Kasubi Parish, and before becoming the first Bishop of the Diocese of Mukono he was the Archdeacon of the Namireembe Archdeaconry. On December 6, 1994 he was elected the Sixth Archbishop of Uganda and retired this past January 24th. The Church in Uganda has 27 Dioceses with 6,7000,000 members who are members of 9,832 congregations.

I am most excited that The Most Reverend Livingstone Mpalanyi Nkoyoyo, retired Archbishop of Uganda will be the guest preacher at Easter services in Ware Church. Over the years I've found that the African Bishops have a strong faith coupled with real gifts in preaching. They are extremely effective evangelists of the Gospel.

Bishop Nkoyoyo has focused his ministry in the growing crisis of HIV/AIDS in Uganda. This pandemic has killed more than a million Ugandans and left over a million orphans. Many of the twenty-nine Ugandan Bishops have taken in as many of these children as possible to provide a loving and stable home life.

Because the Archbishop arrives in Gloucester on Good Friday, he will be the preacher at joint Good Friday Services of Abingdon and Ware Parishes. Plans call for both congregations to spend Good Friday in Abingdon Parish Church. Its been a number of years since these two congregations have shared worship.

Please keep the church in Uganda in your prayers and join us for one or more of these services.

Potato Bar Luncheon with Salad and Chili

Entertainment and Parish Talent Show

Sunday, March 28th following the 10:30 service
Adults, $6.00
Children (5 and over), $4.00
Children (under 5), Free

Sign-up sheets for potato bar reservations and to perform in the Talent Show are in the Parish Hall. Call Judy Doyel-Fulk, 693-6135 or Kim Roj, 694-0373 for more information on the Talent Show. The Talent Show is open to all parishioners. Your participation is needed to make this event a success.

Profits will be given to Gloucester County Fire Department and Rescue Squad in memory of Mac Ingles. II.

The Vestry of Ware Church will meet Tuesday, March 9th at 7:30 p.m. All meetings are open to the congregation. The meeting minutes and monthly financial report are posted on the Parish Hall bulletin board. Should you have questions, please telephone or speak to one of the Vestry members.

The Ware Church Prayer Chain will gather for fellowship, prayer and the Holy Eucharist at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 10th in the Parish House Chapel. The group prays for friends and members of Ware. For prayer requests, please call Jane Van Leeuwen at 693-3500, Bruce Forsberg at 776-7734 or Anne Clark at 693-4026.

In addition to offering prayer for the joys and concerns of the church, the Prayer Chain begins with less formal celebrations of the Holy Eucharist with various members writing prayers more suitable for the group's worship. New members are always welcome to join this important work of the church.

The Junior Choir will be decorating a Lenten Prayer Tree with their special prayer requests. This tree is on display upstairs in the Parish House. The choir members make special crosses, decorating them as they wish. Some choose to write the initials of someone special whom they want to remember in their prayers during Lent. This activity has become a tradition with the Junior Choir and one that has special significance to them. It is an outward sign of the emphasis on prayer and reflection during the season of Lent.

The Junior Choir will continue working on two-part singing this month. It is the first step in singing harmony. It is very difficult to sing one melody while another group is singing something different at the same time! The Junior Choir has developed rapidly this past year and should be very proud of their achievements in two-part singing.

During each Junior Choir rehearsal the older members of the Junior Choir have the chance to learn about ringing hand chimes. This is preliminary to ringing handbells. They have been working since late Fall on note reading, rhythm and teamwork.

Every rehearsal is extremely important during the month of March as the Ware Ringers prepare for Palm Sunday and Easter. Handbell ringing is a unique expression in teamwork in that an absence of one ringer results in a "hole" in the music. Dedication is a must, but the results are always well worth the effort!

The Senior Choir will be preparing regular Lenten anthems during the month of March, as well as preparing for Palm Sunday and Easter. It is an especially busy time for anyone involved in music in the church. Additional singers are always welcome in the Senior Choir.

The cold weather has put extra demands on the Food Pantry at the Salvation Army. Folks are using their limited resources for high heating costs. Canned and boxed food items, paper products, etc. are needed. The gifts are received on the first Sunday of every month. Bring your gifts March 7th.

The Episcopal Church Women 2004 Year Book is available at ECW events and on the Church porch table.

The ECW's Fellowship Supper that was scheduled to meet on Tuesday, February 17h and cancelled due to inclement weather will meet Tuesday, March 2nd at 6:00 p.m. Dee Johnston and Molly Hoffman will provide a program of music. Guests are most welcome.

The ECW Book Circle will meet Thursday, March 11th at 12:30 p.m. at the home of Carol Bottoms, 9842 Anchorage Lane. The March book is The DaVinci Code by Stan Brown.

The Ware Episcopal Youth Committee, open to all members, 7th - 12th grades, meets the 2nd Sunday of each month. Join us March 14th at 9:30 a.m.

The Family Room continues to be a source of delight for children and parents alike. This co-operative free playgroup for preschool children meets in the Parish House Tuesday - Thursday, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. during the school year. Over sixty-five families participate in the Family Room playgroup, activities, field trips and fund-raisers. Family Room Director Sister Colleen Magill keeps the playgroup running smoothly.

To supplement The Family Room, parents have group fund-raisers. The yearly Yard Sale is Saturday, June 5th.

New families are always welcome to join us for singing, playing, learning, support, companionship and fun.

Grounds Clean-up Day is Saturday, March 20th, beginning at 8 a.m. Projects include cutting down dead trees, removing ivy from the church yard wall, yard work at the Ware Cottage, cleaning the light poles, and pruning the bayberry at the church and parish house. Bring a good pair of work gloves, your saw, loppers, clippers and a pick-up truck to help with the clippings.

Every Easter Ware Church is adorned with lilies that have been given in memory of the loved ones of the parish. Lilies are one of many Biblical flowers that grew in the Galilean hills. They have long been associated with Mary, the mother of Jesus at the time of the Annunciation and with the Resurrection.

To celebrate the joy of Easter, Ware Church will be filled with these beautiful plants on either side of the cross and the church windows. To give one or more plants in memory of your loved ones, please fill out a form and return it with your check by April 7th, or contact the church office. The cost is $8.00 per plant.