Celebrating LOVE this week. Check out all the news and upcoming events. Shrove Tuesday pancake dinner on 2/28. Lent begins on Wednesday, March 1st with two services at noon and 7:30pm
Let Your Hearts Go
One day Abraham invited a beggar to his tent for a meal.
 
When grace was being said, the man began to curse God, declaring he could not bear to hear his name.
 
Seized with indignation, Abraham drove the blasphemer away.
 
When he was at his prayers that night, God said to him,
   "This man has cursed and reviled me for fifty years, and
   yet I have given him food to eat every day.  Could you not
   put up with him for a single meal?"
 
On St. Valentine's Day this week I want to tell you simply this - love each other.
 
Love each other - not with the love that depends on chemistry,
mood, and feelings - nor even with the love that depends on the behavior of others, but love each other with the kind of love Christ refers to in today's reading from the Sermon on the Mount.
 
You know the kind of love I mean -- it is the love that goes beyond what seems right according to the letter of the law, and enters into the Spirit of what God wants for us, the love that enters into feeding others, into healing others, into showing grace to others, into giving peace to others, the love that values others, regardless of who they are or what they have or have not done.
 
Someone once caught WC Fields reading the Bible.
"What are you doing?" asked the person. 
"Looking for loopholes," growled Fields.
 
With love - my friends - there is no loophole, no escape hatch, and no clauses that say the deal can be revoked if this or that condition is not met.
 
Love is total - it is unconditional - or it is not love at all.
 
There are no loopholes to be found in Jesus' words--
No compromises,
No deals,
No escape hatches.
 
What Jesus does is crystallize the issues involved in loving God and our neighbors so we can know - without doubt - just where we stand, and exactly what we need to aim for.
 
Think about where you stand for a minute - Think about how you love others and ask yourself - is my love up to the standards set by Christ?

Sunday School and Youth Group News

There IS Sunday School this Sunday February 19th at 10AM
Canon Myra Garnes from the Episcopal Diocese will be joining us for a Teacher's Workshop meeting during coffee hour from  11:30-12:30 in room 104. 
 ALL ARE WELCOME!
 
You're Invited! Save the Date!

The Youth Group is hosting an 
 "ALL YOU CAN EAT" SHROVE PANCAKE DINNER!

Why pancakes, you ask??

Well...."Pancakes are associated with the day preceding Lent because they were a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before the fasting season of the 40 days of Lent. The liturgical fasting emphasized eating plainer food and refraining from food that would give pleasure. In many cultures, this means no meat, dairy products, or eggs." (source: Wikipedia)

So come and indulge! Show our Youth Group that you love what they do for us! Join us Tuesday, February 28th from 6:00 to 7:30pm in the Parish Hall.
Looking forward to seeing everyone for this yummy way to kick off Lent :)
Announcements

Thank you from the Parish Office !:  A big heartfelt thanks to all the parishioners who volunteered to clear boxes and electronics from the office to prepare the space for the new floor installation.  Many thanks to Roopali Gupta for coordinating the floor installation and volunteers.  Stop in and see how beautifully it all turned out! Love them!



Consignment Shop: 
The Shop is looking for a bright, energetic, part-time sales associate to work afternoons from 1 to 4pm. Email Caren at shop@ststephenspw.org if you are interested or know someone. Thank you.

Please come help us "flip the shop" inventory from Winter to Spring on Monday February 27th at 9am. Refreshments and untold words of gratitude will abound!

For Whom the (Carillon) Bells Toll!:  St. Stephen's has a brand new carillon, which will be installed by Neill Carillon Service.  The bells will resound once again on Palm Sunday.  Many thanks to Elisa Delaney and Alan Dinn for their efforts on this project, and to Justin Newby, whose generous $15,000 donation has made this possible.

Cursillo Town Hall Meeting - Saturday Feb 25th, 10am-12pm, Grace Episcopal Church, 23 Cedar Shore Dr, Massapequa, NY 11758 :  Calling all Cursillistas!  Secretariat would like your ideas on service projects that we can support with our collective time, talent and treasure, and any other ideas that you have for making Cursillo more visible in our communities.  This is not an Ultreya, just an open forum discussion where all ideas are welcome!  Come join us for fellowship and lunch!  (No need to RSVP, head count for lunch will be taken in the morning).  Lunch will be served - no cost.

Babysitter or Housekeeper Available:   If you or someone you know is looking for a babysitter or housekeeper, please contact Patricia Firmino (516) 306-2263 or firmpatricia@gmail.com.

Thank you to St. Stephen's Parish from Sister Kathy Sommerville & the Lima Lemus Family Sister Kathy Sommerville of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Port Washington extended her thanks as well as the gratitude of the Lima Lemus Family to the parishioners of St. Stephen's who kindly donated items and money to the 2016 Adopt-A-Family program.  Their letters can be seen in the February 9th issue of The Banner newsletter which is on our Facebook page and website.

2017 Offering Envelopes:   Please show your love to our counters and pick up your offering envelopes located on tables at the church entrances. Thank you!



Serving February 19th at 10am:
Eucharistic Ministers: 
Alan Dinn & Elizabeth Engelman
Lectors: Abby Chromy & Elsie Wikstrom
Acolytes: Colin Schroeder & Milan John
Altar Guild: Nancy Dean, Sue Dinn & Christina Fink
Coffee Hour: Nora Silbersack & Elisa Delaney 
Counters Schedule: Gail Grossman & Bob O'Brien
Parish Calendar

February/March:   The Youth will be collecting items these months to send to the troops.

Sunday, February 19th, 11:30pm-12:30pm:   Sunday School Teachers' Workshop with special guest, Canon Myra Garnes, in Room 104.

Monday, February 20th:   Parish Office Closed in observance of President's Day

Wednesday, February 22nd:   Noon Healing Service.

Sunday, February 26th, 10am Eucharist ONLY:  Bishop Lawrence Provenzano's Visit to St. Stephen's (there is NO 8am Service).

Tuesday, February 28th, 6pm-7:30pm:   "All You Can Eat" Shrove Pancake Dinner in Parish Hall, hosted by the Youth.

Tuesday, February 28th, 8pm:   Vestry Meeting in St. Cecilia Room.

Wednesday, March 1st, Noon Eucharist:   Dispensation of Ashes.

Wednesday, March 1st, 7:30pm Eucharist:   Dispensation of Ashes.

Saturday, March 4th, 9:30am-3:30pm:   Vestry Retreat in St. Cecilia Room.

Ministry Schedule

Find out if you're on the schedule here.

Coffee Hour

Thanks to our Coffee Hour volunteers!
See the schedule here.

For Our Prayers

For the sick:  
Dick & Jean, Virginia, Peter, Bob, Ann, Gerry, Carol, Jo, Tom, Gerry, Darlene, Jeanne, Steve & Debbie, Valerie, Nancy, Frank, Sue, Nina, Karen, Ian, Richard, Donna V., Lisa F., Kitty, Justin, Tony, Mary M., Ross, Sue, Hank, Gladys Van Colten, Howard, Libby, Charles, June, William, Carolyn, Elizabeth, Erica, Ann Alletta, Don, Sally & Ed, and Dorothea.  
 
To have someone entered onto our Prayer List please send an e-mail with the person's name & the requester's name to: office@ststephenspw.org.  Your prayer request will be included for 4 weeks - please submit another request if you wish to have prayers continue after this time.


Rev. Gary Parker     frgary@ststephenspw.org
O: 516-767-0363         C: 917-817-4056

Comments or submissions:  banner@ststephenspw.org
Parish Administrator: Bernadette Reyes:  Office@ststephenspw.org

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