The Morning Blessing
In the morning, as soon as you get out of bed, you are to make the sign of the holy cross and say:
God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit watch over me.

Amen.

Then, kneeling or standing, say:
The Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.


I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Amen.

And
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.

Amen.

If you wish, you may recite this little prayer as well:
I give thanks to you, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have protected me through the night 
from all harm and danger. I ask that you would also protect me today from sin and all evil, so that my life and actions may please you. Into Your hands I commend myself; my body, my soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel be with me, so that the wicked foe may have no power over me.

Amen.

After singing a hymn, or whatever else may serve your devotion, you are to go to work joyfully.

Although no particular age for First Communion is prescribed by The Use of the Means of Grace, one guideline is offered. Because admission to the Sacrament is by invitation of the Lord to the baptized, "baptized children begin to commune on a regular basis at a time determined through mutual conversation that includes the pastor/vicar, the child, and the parents or sponsors involved, within the accepted practices of the congregation.” Each congregation is encouraged to ask the question of readiness for first communion, establish their own policies regarding age and practice, and accompany that practice with catechesis appropriate to the age of the communicant. If you have questions, or want to provide support, please see Vince.

The Sunday School Program is working on educating the upcoming generation to be able to pick up the
cross after us. The program consists of education through scripture, crafts, games, videos, & various other
activities. The young folks help out with Operation Christmas Child and the Hat, Mitten, & Scarf Tree.


Sunday School is currently on Summer Break. The Program is currently going through a bit of a restructuring process. Most of the young folks that have been attending over the years have now made it to the age in which they will be preparing for Confirmation. As a result, Vicar Vince spoke with a few Pastors and reviewed various curriculum and programs for this.

“Here We Stand” is a program that will allow our young folks to go through roughly a 2-year process while focusing on the Bible and Luther’s Small Catechism. We will continue the program on Sundays from 9-10AM. Of course, there still will be snacks, games, arts & crafts, and other fun things. We will also be asking the parents & families to step in the classroom for a few sessions this year as well. We will get underway with our 2023-2024 Sunday School Year on Sunday, October 20th, at 9AM!

See Heather, Bonnie, & Vicar Vince for more information and if you are interested in volunteer opportunities.

Did you ever look forward to sitting around a fire in the church yard hanging out with some church friends and other folks, enjoying S’mores, and studying Scriptures? We look forward to starting this new monthly fellowship and study time on Saturday, October 19th, at 7PM. Please ask Heather or Vicar Vince for more information.

The Evening Blessing
In the evening, when you go to bed, you are to make the sign of the holy cross and say:
God the Father, Son, and of the Holy Spirit watch over me. Amen.

Then, kneeling or standing, say:
The Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Amen.

And
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.

Amen.

If you wish, you may recite this little prayer as well:
I give thanks to you, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have graciously protected me today. I ask you to forgive me all my sins, where I have done wrong, and graciously to protect me tonight.
Into your hands I commend myself; my body, my soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel be with me, so that the wicked foe may have no power over me.

Amen.

Then you are to go to sleep quickly and cheerfully.

We are a church whose unity is in Jesus Christ, who gathers us around word and water, wine and bread. Baptism is a significant part of our faith journey as we come from the baptismal waters to live a new life as children of God.

Our baptism sets us out on a lifelong journey that is characterized by our relationship to God, our relationship to our faith community, our relationships in our community and the wider world. Living our baptismal covenant means living a life of growth in the faith practices of discipleship. If anyone has questions, please see Vicar Vince.

 ​​​​​​​​​​​​​HOLY SPIRIT LUTHERAN CHURCH​​
1220 Bayshore Road​, Villas, NJ 08251​
​609-886-2414
holyspiritlutheran@comcast.net
Facebook.com/holyspiritvillas/
Church Office-Thursdays-6PM to 8PM
​Bible Study & Faith Discussions-Tuesdays at 6PM
Food Pantry-Every Thursday & Last Saturday of the Month-10AM to 1PM
Sunday School-Resumes October 20th-9AM to 10AM
Worship Service-In-Person & Conference Call-Sundays at 10:30A​M​​​​​​​​​​​

(Source)
Here We Stand: Lutheran Study Bible
New Revised Standard Version
Augsburg Fortress: Minneapolis

​​Bible Study & Faith Discussions was started in order to focus on various readings, books, verses, people of faith, and other general topics. Group Members offer various points of view while reviewing the Bible and various aspects of faith while being respectful and supportive of each other. We will be closing out our studies on Lutheranism 101 and transitioning to a few new things on our way to by heart. Come check things out for the first time or come back and rejoin us on Tuesdays at 6PM.

Interested in becoming a New Member? Have you been attending our church for a while? Have you just recently returned

to church after being away for a bit? Maybe you transitioned from another church, or just started to recently attend our

church. We are glad to have you, and would love to have you as a member of our Congregation. Our recent class of new members will be joining the congregation on Sunday, November 10th, during our Sunday Morning Worship Service at 10:30AM.  Please see Vicar Vince any questions, and for more info about becoming a member.