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The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen

from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Matthew 28: 5-7 NIV

The Agape – March / April 2018 The Newsletter of the Northern New Jersey Tres Dias Community

In this issue -

President’s letter ........................................................................................................................ 2

New pescadores from our fall weekends ........................................................... ………………. 4

Our women’s spring weekend .................................................................................................. 5

And our men’s spring weekend ................................................................................................. 7

It’s been 9 years – Lehigh Valley Tres Dias ............................................................................... 9

Upcoming secuelas ................................................................................................................ 10

Prayer and palanca ................................................................................................................. 13

Secretariat members / Upcoming weekend dates ................................................................... 15

The purpose of TRES DIAS of NNJ is to glorify God through Jesus Christ by developing Christian leaders who will influence their environments to be more Christ-like.

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President’s letter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The teams are formed and meeting to get ready for men’s weekend 121 and women’s weekend 118. As always, these will be the best weekends ever! Please keep Gemma Mathews and Joe Marcello in your prayers as they lead these teams on their journey. For more information, dates and applications for the weekends, please see our website, www.tresdiasnj.org.

A few members have approached me in different avenues to express a notion that all we do is the weekends and the weekends are our primary purpose. I can understand how someone may get this idea from our activities but, let’s be clear as to what the primary purpose of Tres Dias is. This is right from TD’s bylaws:

“The purpose of TRES DIAS is to foster and guide the growth of the Tres Dias movement, to assure continued adherence to its Essentials and to advocate its purpose of developing Christian leaders and to help to sustain their commitment to Christ as they pursue Christian Apostolic Action in their environments.”

In short, we are here to develop Christian leaders and help other believers as they go thru life. The weekends are just one of the tools at our disposal to help accomplish this goal. We have small groups, secquelas and reunions as well. However, I believe the most important “tool” we have is personal connection with others, especially new members.

The weekends are special times to catch up with friends to which we have become close. But that is not the purpose of the weekends. The weekends need to be focused on the new members. Every person on the weekend needs to leave Newton knowing the new members personally. After 3 days we should know them well enough to be able to pick up the phone and call them without them saying “who?” As one suggestion, invite them to sit with you and your long-time friends at meals. Let them connect with you. New members need to leave after 3 days, countless hours in the Rollo room, 9 meals and special chapels feeling connected to a community. Make them feel welcome! Help them feel connected! Help them become “… Christian leaders and to help to sustain their commitment to Christ as they pursue Christian Apostolic Action in their environments.”

I hope the teams can discuss in their small groups at the team meetings other ideas on how to help them feel more connected to the community. This will be a challenge for the Aux’s and Kitchen folks but it’s not impossible. All things are possible. If we focus on the primary purpose and get others to feel engaged we will have no trouble fulfilling the other part of our primary purpose, “…to foster and guide the growth of the Tres Dias movement”.

Team selections (especially for the men) are getting harder and harder. We are even looking at “reappointing” previous Rectors because the number of community engaged men has fallen off to the point we have few men who are “ready” for the role.

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So, as we prepare for Men’s 121 and Women’s 118 the challenge to all (not just the teams) is “how can I help the new members:

a) become better Christian leaders,

b) discover a greater understanding of Christ in their lives,

and c) feel more connected to the Tres Dias community.

We welcome your thoughts and ideas! Please feel free to call, email me. Or better yet, attend the Secretariat meetings and Secuelas!

Yours in Christ,

John Jay Crandall

President, Tres Dias of Northern NJ

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Tres Dias email prayer chain

Would you like to know what’s happening in Tres Dias of Northern NJ? If you are not one of the 410+ Pescadores who are already members of the Tres Dias of Northern NJ YahooGroups, join now! You can sign up by emailing:

George & MaryAnn McGehrin at georgemaryann@hotmail.com

To join, please include your full name, email address, your phone number, & what weekend you made (mm/yy & Number). Do this, and you’ll be enrolled directly in the Tres Dias of Northern NJ Yahoo Groups. The following guidelines apply to use of the Tres Dias of Northern NJ YahooGroups:

The Tres Dias Prayer chain will be used only for Specific prayer concerns and requests, distribution of information about upcoming Secuelas, distribution of information about upcoming weekends & other information that has been approved by the Secretariat.

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New pescadores from our fall weekends John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Men’s # 120: Nov 16 – 19, 2017 – Rector: Dennis Rotondi Please welcome these special men into our community. Lift them up in prayer that they might stoke the fires to love Jesus even more.

Pedro “Pete” Perez sponsor: Dwayne Markus Michael Campbell sponsor: Allan Hunte Matthew Mercuria sponsors: Brigitte and Meyer Pincelli Wallace Crowley sponsor: Anita Damiani Charles “Chuck” Dorn sponsors: Andrew Paton/George Gillmore Colin Lenahan sponsors: Andrew Paton/George Gillmore Ryan Michalski sponsors: Andrew Paton/George Gillmore

And from out women’s weekend: Proverbs 31:25 “She is clothed in strength and dignity, and she can laugh without fear of the future.” Women’s # 117: Nov 30 – Dec 3, 2017 – Rectrix: Jennifer Mahoney Again, welcome these wonderful women. Help them to feel truly connected to our community. Invite them to secuelas, help them to sponsor their friends and family on weekends.

Jackie Perez sponsor: Dwayne & Lisa Markus Daisy Lima sponsor: Dwayne & Lisa Markus Alison Beattie sponsor: Diane Wade Sarah Pellegrino sponsor: Dwayne & Lisa Markus Mary Hack sponsor: Gail Bartorillo Kathy Ronca sponsors: Kim Start & Diane Wade Diane Rich sponsors: Diane Wade & Kim Start Joni Jordan sponsor: Wayne Reese Maureen O’Dowd sponsor: Janice McCrostie Lillian Cardona sponsor: Dwayne & Lisa Markus Lisa Lybarger sponsor: Lauretta Market Donna Giordano sponsor: Matt Giordano

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Our women’s spring weekend:

Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Women’s # 118: May 3 – 6, 2018 – Rectrix: Gemma Mathews Dear Tres Dias Community,

My Heart is filled with rejoicing and thankfulness to be the rectrix of Women’s Weekend #118.

Our Weekend verse is Matthew 6:33 – But seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. The verse helps us in surrendering to Him all that occurs in our lives. As we surrender all (with His help), we are free to be the loving, forgiving persons He wants us to be; then, we can do the God works He has planned for us.

Let us trust and give thanks that God will provide. Please start to pray for the Team and the Candidates, who the Holy Spirit is leading to be on the Weekend. May we be a Christ-centered community in action. Each person on the Weekend and each member of the Tres Dias Community that is supporting us is a child of God and equally important to God. We are all needed on this Weekend.

I truly pray that our witness will reflect God’s love and grace & will bring Him honor and glory.

De Colores, Gemma Mathews

And also, a request:

The Kitchen Chief would like for the Community to supply food for the Thursday evening dinner on May 3 at Sacred Heart. Your contact person is Lisa Markus at 848-203-1644, so she can coordinate the menu selections. Thank you, and God bless!

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Women’s team list

Position Name

Rectrix Gemma Mathews

Assistant Rectrix Glenda Haase

Spiritual Director Laurie Market

Spiritual Director Steve Jacobson

Spiritual Director in Training Carolyn Jackson

Prayer Angel Gail Bartorillo

Prayer Angel at home Michelle McKeown

Prayer Angel at home Cathy Thompson

Chief Aux Anita Damiani

Exp. Aux Jarene Pagliarulo

Rollo Rm Aux Patty Kavaler

Aux Lisa Lybarger

Aux Gladys Cabrera

Aux Mary Hack

Aux Sarah Pellegrino

Aux Adrienne Lybarger

Chief Kitchen Lisa Markus

Exp. Kit. Aux Janet Beam

Kit Aux Teri Pellegrino

Kit Aux Jackie Perez

Kit Aux Sandra Bowers

Kit Aux tbd

Chief Music Sylvia Hollister

Music Aux Susan Wittig

Music Aux Gail Bartorillo

Ideals Joanne Hughes

Church Sue McCullough

Piety Vicki Ridley

Study Janet Beam

Action Linda Porter

Leaders Jarene Pagliarulo

Environments Ruth Altamura-Roll

CC in Action Mary Gallinot

Reunion Groups Andrea Gall

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And our men’s spring weekend:

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”

Men’s # 121: April 19 - 22, 2018 – Rector: Joe Marcello

Dear Faithful Community, Men's 121 team meetings have begun and we are already experiencing the Light of the Lord working in and through our team members. Our prayers are that you, the community, will respond to his calling to pray for candidates and the team. The team would love palanca of all kinds, including food offerings and singers for the Mananita (ladies - Sunday morning, rehearse at 7:15, sing to the men at 7:30.) If available come help out, or come to the closing (Sunday afternoon @ 3:30) and hear how God has inspired and equipped Pescadores to further his kingdom. Any questions please call: Chief Aux - Ed Grasley 908-995-2958 or Chief Kitchen – Jerry Market 908-500-6780.

Sincerely, Your Brother in Christ Joe Marcello, Men’s 99

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Team list:

Position Name

Rector Joe Marcello

Assistant Rector Jim Leeming

Spiritual Director Dave Gibson

Spiritual Director Gary Taylor

Prayer Warrior Meyer Pincelli

Chief Aux Ed Grasley

Exp. Aux Lee Haase

Aux Pete Perez

Aux Glenn Bott

Aux Dwayne Markus

Chief Kitchen Jerry Market

Exp. Kit. Aux Danny McCullough

Kit Aux Danny Dornacker

Chief Music Bob (Bobaloo) Basey

Music Aux Joe Quevedo

Music Aux / Ideals Richard Lake

Church Rich Cantwell

Piety Tom Sargent

Study Steve Bodensiek

Action Bubba John Crandall

Leaders Jim Thompson

Environments Dwayne Marcus

CC in Action Wally Crowley

Reunion Groups Bruce Kemmerer

Table leader Kevin Mahoney

Table leader Paul Mitchell

Alternate Paul Markowitz

Alternate Denny Wene

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It’s been 9 years – Lehigh Valley Tres Dias

A Brief Update...

Nine years ago, the first group of men and women from Northern New Jersey Tres Dias and Susquehanna Valley, PA answered a request from Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania to assist them in starting a Tres Dias community there. A number of our brothers and sisters from New Jersey had moved to the Lehigh Valley and met faithful friends. God seemed to be saying they should have their own community in the Lehigh Valley, but they needed some assistance to get up and running.

The first men’s rector for LVTD was a New Jersey brother. A number of us served on the initial men’s and women’s teams, and many have continued to serve. Other New Jersey pescadores have assisted communities in the Ukraine and Denmark – and probably other communities that I don’t know about – to get started. But this was the first time we could help and only drive an hour or two to get there. (Although I do remember one Friday night meeting in Berwick, PA that was a long ride away.)

Over the years Northern New Jersey leaders have continued to serve on LVTD weekends as team members, rectors or rectrixes and also on the LVTD secretariat. As this new community matures, God's blessings have been experienced in many ways. This spring we will see LVTD Men's #16 and LVTD Women's #18 take place... Praise God! Perhaps He is saying, "Well done good and faithful servants."

Tres Dias on Facebook

Facebook is another exciting way to interact with other members from Tres Dias. Nan Acevedo is our Tres Dias Facebook administrator. Our Facebook page is used to share your joys, announcements, your trials, concerns and prayers. If you are a current Facebook user and know someone who has made a Tres Dias Weekend and is on Facebook, have them friend Nan, and she will be happy to add them. If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail her at acevedonanette@yahoo.com, or private message her at the Tres Dias Facebook page.

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Upcoming secuelas

In our last issue we were looking for a few good people to take on open secretariat positions. Well, a few of those are now filled, praise God! So please give a warm welcome to Janet Beam for volunteering to take on the position of secuela chair. Janet had a good idea: instead of individual pescadores sponsoring a secuela, she’s asking share groups to take on the charge. Sort of doing Christian Community in Action in another way. Very neat! So, Janet has the spring secuelas filled out and is currently working on the fall. So without further ado, this spring’s secuelas will be:

Saturday, April 14th – hosted by the 7 Lazy Guys share group. Secuela will be held at Rockaway Reformed Church 115 Main Street Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889 www.rockawaychurch.org

Saturday, May 12th – hosted by the Seedlings. This secuela will be held at Boonton United Methodist Church 626 Lathrop Ave Boonton, NJ 07005 https://www.boontonumc.com/

Saturday, June 9th - hosted by the Bayside Fishermen. This secuela will be held at St Peter’s Episcopal Church 188 Rector St Perth Amboy, NJ 08861 https://www.stpetersepiscopal.com/

Remember, our secuelas tend to have a time for gathering with snacks and fellowship from 7:00 to 7:30. Then we move into a time of music (assuming God provides musicians, of course!) at 7:30. And after some songs, the meeting itself starts. We always end with communion no later than 10pm. So please, look over this schedule and see which of these you can attend! It’s always a good time with warm fellowship. You’ll be glad you did! Janet is also looking into the idea of having a summer picnic, since we don’t plan secuelas in July and

August. If you have any ideas to contribute, please contact Janet at janwa@optimum.net

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April’s hosting share group

The 7 lazy guys This is a share group that’s been meeting for over 20 years now. The full name is “the 7 lazy guys from Hunterdon County who made a weekend” but I guess we’re too lazy to say or write all of that most of the time. We meet on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month at 8:00pm, start with a cup of coffee, snacks and fellowship time. Then we move on to a time of study. It used to be that someone was assigned to do a meditation, but we either forgot or conveniently missed that gathering, so now we read and discuss the lectionary for the coming Sunday. After a lively discussion, we share joys or prayer concerns. Either George Gillmore or Bruce Kemmerer wrap the meeting up in prayer, always amazing us with how many of the details of an hour’s worth of sharing they can remember. Proof that God is at work among us. All of the guys currently in our group have made a weekend, but that’s not a requirement for us. We’re also not all from Hunterdon county (I’m not). But we all love the Lord, and we all share His love as best we can with those around us. For me personally, I remember when I was the upcoming rector and feeling very nervous about it. My share group brothers lifted me up in prayer, and also every one of them was on the team which was a real blessing. I had surgery last year and the guys prayed me through that. We’ve shared in good times and challenging ones. Through surgeries, deaths, births (multiple of the guys have the most beautiful grandchild ever, not sure how that works but I’m certain it does) and challenging job situations. We were also proud to have 3 consecutive presidents of Northern New Jersey Tres Dias come from our group, and another past president join us for a year. Guess we need to sign up Bubba John Crandall now so we can keep that streak going! Some of the guys have been in the group for 20 years or more. Some of us a bit less. But we all share in the love and fellowship of God and each other. That’s the most wonderful thing of all! De colores, Wayne Reese

May’s hosting share group

The Seedlings at Boonton United Methodist Church

The Seedlings share group meets at Boonton UMC on the first and third Thursdays of the month at 2PM. It is open to all Fourth Day pescadores. Currently, we have four members from Tres Dias and two members from Walk to Emmaus.

The Seedlings began over twenty years ago with twelve people from Tres Dias. Several members moved to new locations and joined other groups. Walt Beam passed on to be with the Lord.

In addition to music and prayer, a variety of ways have been used to grow in Christ on our faith walk. These include Bible studies and special studies. Now the Upper Room devotional is being read. There are questions provided to lead to personal sharing of responses.

The Seedlings have been nourished by God, the Master Gardener. We look forward to seeing you at the May secuela at BUMC.

Lee Vink

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June’s hosting share group

The Bayside Fishermen share group

What is a share group? Well the Reunion Groups Rollo tells us that it is to help us explore and grow in Piety, Study and Action (there’s the stool again), to share in one another’s joys and burdens and to encourage an exhort one another. That’s a lot and to get all that you have to put a whole lot of yourself out there, to be open and trusting with the other members and to be able to keep confidences.

I looked for a long time for a share group but there were none by me so for a while I was part of the Seven Lazy Guys From Hunterdon County Who Made a Weekend. I forgot to tell you the first thing is to have a cool name. It was a wonderful time of sharing that started with a meditation by one of the men and a discussion and then a sharing of joys and concerns. The problem was that it was really too far from me so after about a year I decided to move on. About this time, there were a number of new Pescadores in my area so after talking and praying with Bruce Sinclair we started a Bible Study that would meet every other Monday evening. There were five of us in the beginning, all from different denominational backgrounds and it made for a rich stew of a discussion. We usually studied one of the Gospels or Paul’s Epistles with the assistance of a good, provoking study guide.

After a few years, one member moved to Virginia, another to South Carolina and a third had trouble attending regularly because of his work in NYC. To say that Bruce and I were disappointed would be right on point but we continued to meet and pray and God answered our prayers. The member who worked in NYC was able to attend more regularly, we added one new pescadore and two other men from the Church I attend, one of whom has since made a weekend. The format remains the same: a time for check in, the next chapter in our study (we are currently doing one on Self-Esteem and the previous study was on Gifts of the Spirit) and final prayer concerns and thanksgivings. We have been together thru deaths in the family, new grandchildren, job changes, illnesses and we have come to grow in God’s love as we grow in love for one another. I look forward to meeting every week and know that I have to do my lesson well ahead of time so that I can really understand what God wants me to hear. Remember the 3 Ds? Desire, Discipline and Determination. They all are part of a successful Share Group.

If you are not in a Share Group, join one or start one. We on the Secretariat will gladly help you. Ours is a blessing for everyone and we have all grown from supporting and being supported by our brothers in Christ.

De Colores, Meyer Pincelli

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Prayer and palanca

I’m sure you all remember how exciting it was as a candidate – or even a team member – to go up to your room at the retreat center and find a pile of palanca sitting on your bed. Well, we actually have a member of the secretariat (governing board) to help support us with the palanca. This is currently Paul Markowitz, and Paul does an excellent job receiving general palanca from other Tres Dias communities around the world, and sending notes to their communities as well.

Paul recommends share groups send general palanca notes (which get read and then posted on the wall in the rollo room) to each weekend. Everyone who sponsors a candidate should send personal palanca to that candidate. And anyone else in the community can do that also. You can either ride up to Sacred Heart and deliver the palanca yourself – and help to welcome the new people on Thursday night – or mail it to Paul and he’ll make sure it gets there. His address is:

Paul Markowitz, 307 Ashley Ave, Hackettstown, NJ 07840

Paul has also registered our spring weekends on a web page so that they can be lifted up in prayer by pescadores from any and all communities around the globe. Sign up for a half hour time slot of your choosing to pray.

For our Men’s weekend, # 121, here’s the link:

http://www.3dayol.org/Vigil/GetVigil.phtml?pvid=14485&commid=278

And for our Women’s weekend # 118, here’s the direct link:

http://www.3dayol.org/Vigil/GetVigil.phtml?pvid=14486&commid=278

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Maybe you can help us

BettyAnn Crandall has the assignment to keep our membership list up to date. She’s been going through the list, trying to make sure that we have current contact information for everyone. She writes:

The following people are members for which I have no working phone number or email.....we thought perhaps if we listed them in the Agape, possibly someone in the community would know how to get in touch with them. People are welcome to contact me (BettyAnn) at basket324@aol.com or to call 973-543-5341

Mike Acevedo Frank Adamo Esther Lee Ahn Kathleen Ballard Neil Breeden Deborah Brice Tony Bryan Sandra Buchanon Kelly Burke Dave Burns Bruce Campbell Sam Christy Helaine Citro Emily Craig Jack Cuffari Matt Curtis Barbara Dua Elizabeth Eddy

Thanks, BettyAnn

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The 2017 – 2018 members of the secretariat are: John Crandall – President Mary Gallinot – Women’s Team Selection Tom Bauer – 1st VP Rich Cantwell – Men’s Team Selection Marcia Brands – 2nd VP Claire Gallagher - Women’s Spiritual Director Selection Carolyn Jackson - Secretary Denny Wene – Men’s Spiritual Director Selection Meyer Pincelli – Treasurer Betty Ann Crandall - Membership Janet Beam –Secuelas Lee Haase – Purchasing Open - Nominations Paul Markowitz – Palanca Glenda & Lee Haase – Education Kris Hoffman - Trailer Jim Leeming - Outreach Anne Tummey – Reunion Groups Wayne Reese - Communications Joe Marcello - Applications Jennifer Mahoney – Member at Large Open – Housekeeping Carol Goodrich – Member at Large Kevin Mahoney – Member at Large Open – Member at Large

You’ll notice we still have three open positions: nominations, housekeeping and one member at large. Here’s a brief description of each of these:

Nominations chair – works with the president to fill open positions on the secretariat. Also gathers a team to produce a slate of nominations for the secretariat elections. These are voted on by the community at our June secuela.

Housekeeping chair – helps to make sure the retreat center is put back the way it’s supposed to be at the end of our weekends. Again, this is the chairperson, who should be working with a team, not doing it all him or herself.

Member at large – a full voting member of the secretariat not assigned to a specific committee. Intended to be a contact person for any members of the community to come to with questions or issues. We should have 4 members at large.

Upcoming weekend dates Spring 2018 – at Sacred Heart, Newton

Men’s #121 April 19 – 22, 2018 Women’s # 118 May 3 - 6, 2018

– rector: Joe Marcello - rectrix: Gemma Mathews

Fall 2018 – at Sacred Heart, Newton

Men’s # 122 Nov 1 – 4, 2018 Women’s # 119 Nov 8 - 11, 2018

- rector: Alexandro Feliciano - rectrix: Patty Kavaler

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If your contact information changes:

Email Betty Ann Crandall at: basket324@aol.com call 973-543-5341, or mail information to:

7 Cromwell Drive Mendham NJ 07945

*Married couples: be sure to include home, work, email addresses for both husband and wife. *Newly married women: include your maiden name, as it will be a helpful reference.

***********************************************************************************************************

Check out our web page at: www.tresdiasnj.org – this is Northern NJ’s website. Check out www.tresdias.org for the International Tres Dias website.

*********************************************************************************************************** In His Service, Wayne Reese, Editor

A g a p e

Bi-Monthly Newsletter of Tres Dias of Northern New Jersey c/o Wayne Reese

205 Hillside Avenue Bedminster, NJ 07921-2518

Wayne.Reese1956@gmail.com