WELCOME FROM OUR "ELECTRIFYING" EPISCOPAL LEADERS


May the joy of our Lord be completely yours during this Lenten Season!

Welcome to the Christian Education Connector (The CEC). The Connector will serve as the connecting and communication link between the Board of Christian Education at the Episcopal District level and with the leadership and membership at all levels. Through this unique and creative teaching instrument we will share the faith, equip the saints, empower the people and transform our world.

Let's all connect with the Connector!

Mrs. Young and I are proud of the work of the Board of Christian Education and we see the Connector as an exciting and dynamic new venture of faith and witness.

Bishop McKinley Young
Dr. Dorothy Jackson Young
Our Episcopal Leaders

SALUTATIONS from DARYL INGRAM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION


On behalf of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, I congratulate and salute Bishop McKinley Young, Dr. Dorothy J. Young, Rev. Joy Gallmon, Rev. Kennetta C. Carter, and the Christian Education Department of the Eleventh Episcopal District on the inaugural edition of your Christian Education newsletter, “The Christian Education Connector”. Your noble goals of developing an effective Christian Education department and encouraging believers to become strong disciples of Christ are foundational and fundamental to the witness and work of Christian life.

Matthew 28:16-20 comports three aspects of Christian life; evangelism, teaching, and service. Christian Education as effective teaching ministry, engenders vital faith formation and development that leads to lives of strong piety and sincere responsibility in believers. Christian Education transforms repentant converts into committed servants. Christian Education equips believers with deep, mature faith for vibrant service for the Kingdom’s ministry and mission.

This newsletter will be a spiritual blessing and strengthening encouragement for those who toil tirelessly in the field of Christian Education without any acclaim or recognition. These servants will be inspired to teach Church School, nurture youth, mentor young adults, and undergird other congregational ministries. Ultimately, this newsletter will glorify God through the salvation of souls and their responsive service to God and the Kingdom. May God bless this newsletter ministry with extraordinary effectiveness, success, and longevity.


Daryl B. Ingram
Executive Director
Department of Christian Education
African Methodist Episcopal Church

GREETINGS FROM REV. JOY L. GALLMON, THE ELEVENTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT DIRECTOR OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION


"Great Past - Greater Future, an Incredible Call to Serve:
Influencing the World for the Cause of Christ."


Greetings in the name the great teacher, Jesus the Christ.

The Eleventh Episcopal District Board of Christian Education is thrilled to embark on this initiative for Christ. It is the goal of the Christian Education Connector to assist, provide, expose, and empower lay and clergy, youth and adults, christian education directors and church school superintendents at all levels of the Eleventh with the tools to effectively influence the world for the cause of Christ.

Under the capable leadership of the editor, Rev. Kennetta Carter, supported by the Board of Christian Education, the Christian Education Connector will cover a multiplicity of topics including; Developing an Effective and Strong Christian Education Department, African American History,and Evangelism. Each issue of the Christian Education Connector will offer thought starters on creative ways to promote Christian development through innovative and relevant educational models, sermons, worship bulletins, mailings, liturgy, music to name a few. The Christian Education Connector will include liturgy and worship resources that may be downloaded for use in the local setting.

The Christian Education Connector will also make extensive use of the wealth of talented and diverse voices from across the District as we invite persons who honor our collective great past, who are committed to our collective greater future and who have a passion for service and influencing the world for the cause of Christ.

The Eleventh Episcopal District Board of Christian Education and I are excited and thankful for the opportunity to serve the Church Universal in this capacity.

Joy L. Gallmon
Director of Christian Education
Eleventh Episcopal District

WELCOME by the CURRICULUM COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRPERSONS

To the Esteemed Constituency of the “Electrifying” Eleventh Episcopal District:

We greet you in the Matchless Name of Jesus, and welcome you to this, the Inaugural Edition of our Eleventh Episcopal District Christian Education Newsletter! It is with much excitement and great anticipation that we launch this latest initiative and enterprise on behalf of you, our intrepid readers! In each edition, themes will be addressed throughout its entirety. Our goal is to provide you with relevant material, research, useful sources, and ready to implement material to both facilitate and support the efforts of kingdom building at every level.

While this first edition is framed and fashioned by the Eleventh Episcopal District Curriculum Committee, you, the Laity and the Clergy, are cordially invited and welcomed to submit articles for publication for all future editions of our Newsletter. Each Newsletter is designed to deal with a theme which is relevant and pertinent for the month or months ahead, this is to aid your sermonic, musical, and programmatic development. Thematically speaking, this, our March Newsletter, deals with Holy Week ~ Resurrection, May’s Theme is Church School ~ VBS, and the theme for July is Developing an Effective and Strong Christian Education Department.

Once again, we welcome you, we invite your questions, your concerns, and your comments which can be forwarded to Reverend Kennetta C. Carter at undergird@gmail.com. We believe time will demonstrate this to be an excellent service to our community of faith and look forward to serving you, in the Mighty name of Jesus! Amen!


Reverends Vincent and Grayce Lane
Co-Chairpersons
11th Episcopal District Curriculum Committee

LITURGICAL NOTES on the CHRISTIAN CALENDAR

Edited by Bishop McKinley Young

Advent Season is the beginning of the Christian year and includes the four Sundays preceding Christmas. The colors for Advent are Purple or Blue and the Sundays are noted as Sundays in Advent***.

Christmastide, usually two Sundays between December 25 and January 4th designated as Sundays after Christmas Day. The color is White.

The Season of Epiphany is four to nine Sundays between January 4, which is Epiphany Sunday and continuing to the beginning of Lent which depends upon the date of Easter. The designation is Sundays after Epiphany. On Epiphany Sunday the color is White or Gold. The color is Green for the remainder of the season.

The Lenten Season covers forty days and includes six Sundays before Easter designated as Sundays in Lent. The fifth Sunday may be called Passion Sunday and the sixth is called Palm Sunday. The color for Lent is Purple. The color for Passion and Palm Sunday is Purple or Red.

The color for Easter is White or Gold. Eastertide embraces Easter Day and six other Sundays designated as Sundays after Easter of which the last may be called Ascension Day. The color is White.

Pentecost (The birth of the Christian Church) begins with Pentecost Sunday and continues until the season of Advent. The color for Pentecost is Red. Trinity Sunday is June 7, 2009 and the color is White. All of the remaining twenty-four (24) Sundays are designated as Sundays after Pentecost and the color is Green.

The Communion Table, Altar Table should be furnished with an appropriate cross 24 or 30 inches in height. The cross should be in the center and is taller than the candles which are on both sides of the cross representing the Divinity and Humanity of Jesus Christ. The Flower Vases are on the outside of the candles. Only “Live Flowers” should be placed on the Communion Table and in the Chancel Area. [Candles on the table should be lit at the beginning of worship either by Acolytes or Stewards. They should be extinguished at the close of worship and prior to the Doxology, Benediction and the Recessional.]

*** [Some Congregations use an Advent Wreath which has Four Candles plus the Christmas Candle. Three of the four candles are Purple, one is Pink and the Christmas candle is White]

Sources: The Book of Worship AMEC & UMC

THE SEASON OF LENT

Submitted by Rev. Nevell Owens

As early as the fourth century, Lent has been observed by the Christian Church in the West; it spans 40 weekdays beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending on the Saturday before Easter. Originally, Lent marked the preparation of those who were to be baptized. These new converts underwent a period of intense study and prayer to prepare them for baptism at the Easter Vigil. However, because these new converts were to be received into a community of faith, the entire community joined in with them in prayer and study.

Today, churches and individual Christians continue to observe Lent through prayer and preparation in anticipation for the Easter celebration. Since Sundays celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the six Sundays that occur during the Lenten season are not counted as a part of the 40 days of preparation. While there are many biblical occurrences where the number 40 is used, the days of Lent are especially connected with the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing for his ministry. According to the gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus remained in the wilderness 40 days, fasting and being tempted by the devil.

Just as Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness fasting, Lent has traditionally been observed by the giving up of food, especially meat. Some churches and individual Christians rigidly adhere to a strict observance of not eating anything during the entire 40 day period while others are more lenient in how they observe Lent.

In whatever way one may observe Lent, as noted the Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday, the seventh Wednesday before Easter Sunday. Ash Wednesday gets it name from the ancient practice of ashes being placed on the foreheads of worshippers as a sign of humility and sorrowful recognition that sin brings death. Ash Wednesday is a somber day of reflection on what it means to be Christian. This somber day of reflection is preceded by Carnival and Mardi Gras. Carnival, which in Latin means the removal of meat, is the three day period before Lent, primarily a period of celebration that ends with Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, traditionally a day where a final, fat laden meal is eaten prior to the beginning of Lent.

The Lenten season culminates with Holy Week beginning with Palm (Passion) Sunday and ending with the Saturday before Easter. Included in this week are Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Palm Sunday marks the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as the crowds waved palm leaves proclaiming Jesus to be the messianic king of Israel. Maundy Thursday commemorates Jesus last meal with his apostles before his arrest wherein Jesus instituted several mandates for his followers to observe. Good Friday commemorates Jesus’ arrest, trial, suffering, crucifixion, death and burial. Saturday of Holy Week is viewed as the time that Jesus rested in the tomb prior to his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

As can be seen the Lenten season has a rich history in Christianity and should be a time when all Christians remember what it means to be a disciplined follower of Jesus, the Christ.

HOLY WEEK EVENTS

Submitted by Rev. Kennetta C. Carter

PALM SUNDAY/HOLY WEEK
The events of Holy Week would forever change the world. Jesus entered Jerusalem and the crowd welcomed him as a king. By the end of the week they were demanding his death. His followers abandoned him in fear. None of his close followers had really understood the events of Palm Sunday and Holy Week until after Jesus returned. They had all expected Jesus to be an earthly king, but God had given them something so much better - an open door into a kingdom that would never end.

Holy Week includes the follow events:
Palm Sunday – Jesus enters Jerusalem
Maundy Thursday – The Last Supper, Foot Washing, and Betrayal
Good Friday – The arrest trial, crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus
Easter Sunday – The day Jesus rose from the grave

PALM SUNDAY
Palm Sunday, in the Christian calendar is the Sunday before Easter, sixth and last Sunday in Lent, and the first day of Holy Week. Palm Sunday 2009 is celebrated on April 5. This Sunday is when Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem is commemorated. This is the fulfillment the prophecy in Isaiah 62:11 and Zechariah 9:9. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds greeted him with waving palm branches, and by covering his path with palm branches shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Palm Sunday is given to meditation on the events of Jesus’ last week before His crucifixion. It is also referred to as “Passion Sunday”.

Palm Sunday can be celebrated by providing palms or crosses for the congregation to wave during the service. Some churches have Palm Sunday Reenactment Parades in their communities.

Liturgical Color(s): Red or Purple
Type of Holiday: Sunday Feast
Time of Year: Sixth Sunday of Lent
Duration: One Day
Celebrates/Symbolizes: Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
Alternate Names: Passion Sunday, Fig Sunday
Scriptural References: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44;John 12:12-19;
Old Testament references: Psalm 118:25-26; Isaiah 62:11; Zechariah 9:9

MAUNDY THURSDAY
Thursday of Holy Week is called Maundy Thursday. “Maundy” probably comes from the latin word “mandatum,” which means “commandment.” This reference is of Jesus’ words to His disciples (that they wash one another’s feet – John 13:14). During the Last Supper, Jesus washed his disciples' feet. This act has sometimes been followed literally in history as a good way of reminding rulers that they are here to serve their subjects. Maundy Thursday is a commemoration of the Last Supper, the Passover meal Jesus celebrated with His disciples the night He was betrayed. It is usually celebrated with Holy Communion. This year Maundy Thursday falls on April 9, 2009.
Many Christians commemorate the Last Supper in a special Eucharist. In some churches, they may wash each other's feet. After the service the altar is stripped. Some Christians may hold an all night vigil in church, remembering Christ's time in the Garden of Gethsemane or have a Maundy Thursday Service consisting of the Passover meal and footwashing.

Liturgical Color(s): Purple
Type of Holiday: Part of Lenten Fast
Time of Year: Thursday of Holy Week
Duration: One Evening
Celebrates/Symbolizes: Institution of The Eucharist and Ordination
Alternate Names: Maundy Thursday, Shear Thursday
Scriptural References: Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22; John 13;
1 Corinthians 11:22-34

GOOD FRIDAY
Friday of Holy Week is called “Good Friday.” Good Friday is probably a variant of “God’s Friday,” the same way we say “good-bye” today instead of “God be with you." Good Friday is an observance of Jesus’ crucifixion and death. It is a somber day. Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ who offered himself on the cross as a living victim, holy and pleasing to God, and whose blood has become the instrument of atonement for the sins of all men. The customs and prayers associated with Good Friday typically focus on the theme of Christ's sacrificial death for our sins. The evening (at sunset) of Good Friday begins the second day of the Paschal Triduum. Good Friday worship services begin in the afternoon at 12:00 noon until 3:00 p.m. (the time Jesus likely died). Various traditions and customs are associated with the Western celebration of Good Friday. The singing (or preaching) of the Passion of St. John's gospel consists of reading or singing parts of John's gospel. The altar and lectern is stripped of its paraments or black paraments are used.

Liturgical Color(s): Black or Uncovered
Type of Holiday: Fast Day
Time of Year: Friday of Holy Week within the Paschal Triduum, and within the traditional 40 day Lenten Fast
Duration: One Day
Celebrates/Symbolizes: Jesus' Passion, Crucifixion, and Death
Alternate Names: Good Friday of the Lord's Passion, Great Friday
Scriptural References: Matthew 26-27; Mark 14-15; Luke 23; John 17-19

Holy Saturday
Saturday of Holy Week is sometimes called “Holy Saturday” and it is characterized by watchfulness and preparation. Holy Saturday (in Latin, Sabbatum Sanctum ), the 'day of the entombed Christ,' is the Lord's day of rest, the body of Jesus rested in the tomb in which it had been sealed. Jesus had said that after three days he would be resurrected. The Apostle's Creed which says "He descended unto the dead." It is a day of suspense between two worlds, that of darkness, sin and death, and that of the Resurrection and the restoration of the Light of the World. Consequently, according to Saint Matthew, the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, ordered the posting of guards at the tomb to prevent Jesus’ followers from removing the body and claiming that he had arisen from the dead. There is deep symbolism upon which we can reflect on Holy Saturday. On this day, the Church waits at the Lord's tomb, and meditates on His Passion and Death and His descent into Hell. With prayer and fasting we await His glorious Easter resurrection. Ideally, Holy Saturday should be the quietest day of the year. Many Christians have Easter Egg Hunts.

Liturgical Color(s): Purple
Type of Holiday: Part of Paschal Triduum
Time of Year: The Saturday of Holy Week
Duration: 1 day
Celebrates/Symbolizes: Waiting at the Tomb of Jesus, meditating on His Death Alternate Names: Sabbatum Sanctum, Black Saturday
Scriptural References: Matthew 27:57-45; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:44-56;John 19:38-42