Along the King's Highway
El Camino Real Newsletter
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The Reverend Karen Cuffie will preside and preach at St. Stephen's on
October 22 and
29 while Father Ernie is on an out-of-town trip that was planned way before he knew he would be coming to St. Stephen's.
We look forward to welcoming Reverend Karen back to St. Stephen's, and wish Father Ernie safe travel and a relaxing time off.
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Church Office & Preschool Hours
The church office is CLOSED on Mondays, and OPEN from
8am to 1pm,
Tuesday - Friday.
Preschool is in session Tuesdays & Thursdays from 8:30 to 11:30 am.
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Support St. Stephen's with mini-fundraisers
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PAMPERED CHEF FUND RAISER -- A HUGE SUCCESS
The Pampered Chef fundraiser evening hosted by Susie Good on September 22 was a huge success, making $410.89 for St. Stephen's. Thank you, Susie, and all who attended and purchased products either at the party or online after the party.
MINI-FUND RAISERS HELP
ST. STEPHEN'S OPERATING BUDGET
For 2017, we raised $422.17 with our mini-fund raisers.
In 2016, we raised $367.50 with two mini-fund raisers.
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MATCHING DONATIONS
Do you know if your company does donation matching? Many companies will match what you give to St. Stephen's up to a certain amount. If you don't know if your work place will do this just go and ask the HR department what their policy is for matching to a non-profit organization.
You can pick up a form in the office on Sunday from Julie Zintsmaster, or send her an
email and she will send a form to you.
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PURCHASE MELALEUCA PRODUCTS
Contact Susie Good for information about Melaleuca Products--high quality, concentrated, eco-friendly products that contain no toxic ingredients or harsh chemicals.
Susie's contact info:
Phone: 408-375-0680
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GOODLIFE USA VIP HOTEL SAVINGS CARD
This is a new fundraising opportunity to support St. Stephen's. Donate whatever and whenever you want and receive a card worth $200 in discounts. Save money on hotels and resort stays through GoodLifeUSA.
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 Please see the "Angels of St. Stephen's" article for our Thank You's this week.
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The Next Day-Trip
The next day-trip organized by Janet Thorsrud is scheduled for THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017.
...details to follow.
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A Message from The Reverend Ernest Boyer, Interim Pastor
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A week ago Thursday the Vestry got some sobering news. We learned from our treasurer that, according to the projected 2018 budget, we will not have the income to call a full-time priest. As a matter of fact, it would take a level of pledging that the parish has not seen since 2015 to even be able to afford a three-quarters time priest.
Although a shock, this news does not come as a complete surprise. The causes have been apparent for some time. We have only to look around the church on Sunday to see that the congregation is smaller than it once was, a trend that began a couple of years ago. From 2015 to 2016 the number of pledges dropped from 51 to 41, for example. It remains at that level, although the actual dollar amount of those pledges further declined in 2017. What is more, enrollment in the preschool has gone down dramatically this year - no doubt as a result of the public school now offering preschool services of its own- depriving the church of a significant source of income. At this point, the preschool does not even cover its own costs.
All this presents a serious problem. I want to emphasize that basically St. Stephen's is very strong. It is a spiritually dynamic and committed place with every hope of a solid future ahead. And yet, these financial issues threaten to seriously complicate the search for a new rector.
The vestry spent much of its meeting looking for a way out of this problem. No obvious solution presented itself. At last we decided that what we needed to do was turn to the congregation as a whole. We realized that we had to get everyone together and, calling on the help of the Holy Spirit, try to pool our collective wisdom. As a result, we will be calling a parish-wide meeting - most likely after church on a Sunday in November - hoping to get your input. Look for more information on that soon. I hope that it works out to be a time when you can attend. We really want to hear from you, to hear from everyone, in fact.
In the meantime, please keep the church in your prayers.
Peace and grace,
Ernie+
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A Message from Senior Warden Genie Lee
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Dear St. Stephen's Family,
This Sunday, October 22, 2017, is the 20th Sunday after Pentecost. The Rev. Ernie Boyer, our Interim Pastor, is on vacation and The Rev. Karen Cuffie will supply for us and preside over the 8:00 am and 10:00 am services. Most of you know Karen. We are very happy to have her preside this Sunday. Suzanne Zhu will provide music for the 10:00 am service.
Gregg Hall has agreed to take minutes for our vestry meetings and Edy Unthank has agreed to be the vestry clerk. Thank you Gregg and Edy for volunteering.
The Worship Committee is planning the liturgy for the next few months, which includes Christmas. As you probably know, Christmas Eve is on a Sunday this year. There will not be an 8:00 am service that day. We will have a 10:00 am service, which is the Children's Christmas Pageant. Thank you Dottie Chin and Rowena Dizon-Burger for volunteering to direct the Pageant this year. If you would like to participate in the planning, please contact Dottie or Rowena. We will have our late Christmas Eve service at 4:30 pm.
This year we will have a Posada. Janet Thorsrud has volunteered to direct/ organize it. It is scheduled for December 9, 2017. Please contact Janet if you want to participate in the planning.
Please keep the vestry, the Rector Search Committee, and Rev. Ernie Boyer in your prayers. The vestry is working hard to keep St. Stephen's operating smoothly and the Rector Search Committee is working hard to create our church profile. Ernie will be leading us through the rest of our transition, preparing us to call our next Rector. Please pray that God will guide us all and that we will have open hearts and minds as we make decisions for the church during this transition.
Our Stewardship Drive is fast approaching. You will hear more about it this Sunday at the 10:00 am service. Please prayerfully consider increasing your pledge this year and if you have not pledged in the past, please consider pledging this year. No matter how large or how small, each pledge matters. Our budget for the year is greatly influenced by your pledges. St. Stephen's cannot continue to prosper without your commitment.
Transition Update:
The Rector Search Committee has finished the OTM and Church Profile and the vestry has approved both. The vestry will meet this Tuesday for a special vestry meeting and will then approve the resolution for both. Then the Search Committee will send both to the Diocese, to Bishop Mary and Cannon Brian Nordwick to review. Bishop Mary has let us know that there will be a delay in approval until we make progress in our work on our "To Do" list, which we created at the Retreat by Bishop Mary last month. Once they approve it, then they will send the OTM and Profile out to the community to advertise our opening. The Diocese will screen and do background checks for all prospective candidates. They will send the search committee the candidates that qualify.
SAVE THE DATE:
TRUNK OR TREAT WILL BE SATURDAY OCTOBER 28, 2017 AT 6:00 PM.
Andy Lief has agreed to organize Trunk or Treat. Andy will get a g
roup of kids together to create a haunted house and Monica Moniz will provide crafts for a crafts table. Thank you Andy and Monica for volunteering to make this event happen. It is a fun and safe time for kids to enjoy pizza, crafts, haunted house, and trick-or-treat in their costumes. We need adults to come and decorate their trunks/cars and to give out candy. Please plan to join us.
Reminders:
Please bring in dry food for the Food Basket for St. Julie's and pocket change for the Food for the Poor Jar.
Please look at the Angel Board to see if there are any tasks that need to be added or tasks that you want to volunteer to do.
Genie Lee
Senior Warden
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THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2017
Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost
8 am Holy Eucharist, Prayer A (without music)
10 am Holy Eucharist, Prayer A (with music)
The Reverend Karen Cuffie will preside and preach
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A PERSONAL LETTER FROM TOM GOOD
Dear St. Stephen's Family,
As we move through our lives, we are at times faced with decisions, crossroads and choices. Susie and I have come to a time in our lives when we need to make a decision in our lives, about our future. The time has come for me to retire and the fact is that we cannot stay in California.
This has not been an easy decision, but one that is based on financial and physical concerns. I have realized that I am no longer going to be able to work the hours needed to cover the cost of living in this area. We have thought long and hard about this decision to retire from Instruction at Cinnabar Hills on January 31st, and to move on to a new adventure that will begin February 1, 2018. The past 34 years in San Jose have been filled with many challenges and blessings which have filled us with fond memories.
We will complete our obligations at St. Stephen's before beginning our new adventure. I will help lead the Stewardship Campaign for 2018 and will also help to ensure things are in place so that the Golf Tournament will have a chance to continue being what it has become in the last 14 years.
We will start our new adventure with a trip across the country ending in Florida, where we will stay for about 6 months. Our final destination will be the Dominican Republic, where we plan to stay and explore that lifestyle for a while.
Leaving our St. Stephen's family will be hard for us. We have been committed to St. Stephen's since 1996, so leaving at this time of transition is extremely difficult. We feel having a quality of life that allows us to possibly enjoy a less stressful time together is very important. St. Stephen's will always remain our spiritual home and the faith family we have grown to know and love will remain with us forever!
God Bless!
Tom Good
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UPDATE ON RELIEF EFFORTS FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FIRES
by Deacon Robin Poppoff
Bishop Barry, Canon Andrea, Margaret Dunning, and other clergy and staff of the Diocese of Northern California continue to work closely with Episcopal Relief & Development. The organization has approved a grant for the diocese's fire relief effort and disbursement of that money will begin this week. Donations can be made to the bishop's discretionary fund. Click here for online donation options and mailing address for checks.
Please support Episcopal Relief & Development's response to the wildfires in California by donating to the U.S. Disaster Fund and pray for all those impacted. We add our prayers for those impacted by the Bear Fire, in addition to firefighters and personnel battling the fire
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FORWARD DAY BY DAYS ARE HERE
The NEW Forward Day By Days for November
-December-January are here! You can pick up your copy at the back of the church to the left of the door as you exit. We have both the regular print and large print versions.
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SUNDAY SCHOOL -- JOIN US
OCTOBER 22
Our new Sunday School curriculum,
SparkHouse!, is aligned with the current lectionary. Students will have songs and activities that correspond with what their parents and grandparents are hearing in church each Sunday.
Please join in - our dedicated teachers are excited to share this new curriculum with students. Bring a friend!!
Teacher this week: Rowena Dizon-Burger
Three of our Sunday School students wearing the crowns they made last Sunday with their teacher Barbara Kelly. (l-r Colin Lief, Katherine Kelly, Matthew Kelly)
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TUESDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY
The current Bible Study series is a Kerygma course on
The Parables --
Stories for Life in God's World.
Edy Unthank is leading the seven-week class on
Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am through October 24.
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THE NEXT FORUM PLANNED AT ST. STEPHEN'S IN-THE-FIELD
by Deacon Robin Poppoff
SAVE THE DATE!!!
Sunday, November 5 (following the 10 am worship service) - Advanced Medical Directives using the "Five Wishes" form (forms will be provided). Advanced Medical Directives apply to everyone over the age of 18, not just the older folks like your deacon.
Please note, the date of this Forum has been changed from its original date of October 15.
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CPR/FIRST AID CLASS AT
ST. STEPHEN'S IN-THE-FIELD
Monday, November 6, 2017, at 8:00 am
St. Stephen's Preschool is hosting an 8-hour CPR/First Aid Training class for teachers and office staff. Extra spots are available in the class for $60 each. If you are interested, please call the St. Stephen's office at 408-629-1836, or send an email to office@ssitf.org.
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ST. STEPHEN'S PRESCHOOL
7269 Santa Teresa Blvd
San Jose, CA 95139
WHERE LEARNING IS FUN......
TELL YOUR FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS -- WE STILL HAVE OPENINGS IN THE TUESDAY/THURSDAY CLASS
Class Times
8:30 am - 11:30 am
Extended Day 8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Tuesday & Thursday (open now)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday (wait list)
We provide a nurturing environment that prepares children for Kindergarten academically, socially, and emotionally based on Christian values.
Visit our website
or call 408-629-1843
for more information.
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EPISCOPAL RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT HELPING THOSE AFFECTED BY RECENT HURRICANES
Episcopal Relief & Development works closely with church partners after disasters, equipping them to meet needs of those most vulnerable in their communities. Currently, our staff is responding to areas devastated by multiple Hurricanes, and watching developing tropical storms. Because of our strong diocesan partnerships, Episcopal Relief & Development is ready to assist in the recovery of the impacted areas for as long as necessary. You can help provide critical relief to affected communities by donating to our Hurricane Relief Fund.
To donate and read the latest updates, visit www.episcopalrelief.org.
Episcopal Relief and Development:
Healing a Hurting World
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ANGELS OF ST. STEPHEN'S
THANK YOU to everyone who pays attention to what might need to be done at St. Stephen's and takes the initiative to offer help. It takes many hands to keep St. Stephen's at its best.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU THIS WEEK TO:
- TWO ANONYMOUS DONORS for the beautiful new window blinds in the Parish Hall. They look good from the inside and outside.
NEW TO THE LIST:
- Clean windows on the outside (priority order: parish hall, offices, worship hall)
If you see a need, please call the church office at 408-629-1836
so we can add it to the list.
CALLING ALL ANGELS !
LET'S KEEP ST. STEPHEN'S SHINING
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PRAY FOR THE RECTOR SEARCH
 COMMITTEE
Dear Lord, Heavenly Father, we, the people of St. Stephen's ask for your blessings on the members of the Search Committee. Bless them in their meetings, in their deliberations and in their discernment. Keep their hearts and minds open to the Holy Spirit and to wherever You will lead them in this process.
Guide them in their deliberations while they prepare the St. Stephen's Profile which will be posted to the National Office of Transitional Ministry (OTM). Please allow this process to be completed with ease and joy.
We trust you and we know that you will bring us the best possible Rector for St. Stephen's as you have done for us before. Thank you, Heavenly Father for all your blessings on the Search Committee and this congregation.
AMEN
Please pray daily for our Search Committee......
Search Committee Members:
Ann Little, Co-Chair
Janet Thorsrud, Co-Chair
Marie Rose Bianco
Susie Good
Anthony Francis
Chris Hall
Eric Samson
Bjorn Samson
Ruth Lief
Julie Zintsmaster
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GIFT CARD PROGRAM...
by Janet Thorsrud
Hello my friends.
You added $160 to St Stephen's budget. Not shabby for one month. Just by shopping for the everyday items you use. Keep up the good work.
Our next order will be November 12th. Be thinking about your Christmas shopping and what gift cards you can order to help with St. Stephen's budget.
For information, contact Janet Thorsrud:
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