Join us for Holy Week.  See schedule here.
Lent/Holy Week/Easter
Lent is wrapping up on the first week of April as we focused on our preparation and readiness traveling to Holy Week together to the "Queen of Feasts," EASTER (April 16th.)  Holy Week schedule is posted in the Banner.  Travel with me this week every day or most of the week.  It makes a difference!

Between the tragic and the triumphant is the dynamo of our Christian Year with Spring popping outside.  Jesus' Resurrection is not a reward for his suffering.  That is short-changing the Event.  That perspective is too human.  His rising from a real death to new life (Resurrection) is the fulfillment of the restored relationship between God and the human race.  In the Risen Jesus, we, fallen humanity, are restored to our rightful dignity as God's children, destined to eternal life with God. 

WOW,
Fr. Gary 

Sunday School and Youth Group News

APRIL COMES IN LIKE A LAMB FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL

Friday Night April 7th- 
The  Sunday School kids are welcome to come and help bake Hot Cross Buns and cookies in the parish hall from  5-6:30 PM.  
Adult and Youth help are needed!!
There will be pizza for dinner. 
PLEASE RSVP to Rhonda.

Sunday April 9th- 
PALM  SUNDAY-  ALL the children will start in the Parish Hall with their parents at  9:45 AM, UNLESS you are in the Passion, please come at  9:30 for costumes
There WILL be  Sunday School after the presentation of The Passion.
We will be dying and decorating Easter Eggs and doing other fun activities and games.   LOTS OF FUN!!!!

Sunday April 16th- Easter!
cartoon_pink_bunny.jpg
EUCHARIST 9AM
EASTER EGG HUNT 10 AM 
A VISIT FROM THE EASTER BUNNY AFTER EGG HUNT
11 AM EUCHARIST 
NO SUNDAY SCHOOL


Sunday April 23rd
-
10 AM  Sunday School
Helen's Walk - Walk starts at  9:30.  If interested in joining our team, "St Stephen's Steppers"  please contact Rhonda for registration information. We had a great time last year.
Although we'll be missing church or  Sunday School this day, it's for a great cause :).

Sunday April 30th-
10 AM  Sunday School- We will celebrate Earth Day.

For the months of April and May, The Sunday School will be collecting                      "Toiletries For The Troops"
Let's help make sure we keep our troops feeling clean and healthy :)
Please place your toiletries in the baskets located at both entrances of the church. 
See   here for a list of items.



Thanks for your support

 HAPPY SPRING!

Rhonda Fay
Children and Youth Minister 

Wondering about Tenebrae?
Join us on Wednesday, April 12th at 7:30 for Tenebrae.  This service is a relatively new addition to the St. Stephen's Holy Week services. 

The name Tenebrae (the Latin word for "darkness" or "shadows") has for centuries been applied to the ancient monastic night and early morning services (Matins and Lauds) of the last three days of Holy Week, which in medieval times came to be celebrated on the preceding evening. 

Apart from the chant of the Lamentations, the most conspicuous feature of the service is the gradual extinguishing of candles and other lights in the church until only a single candle, considered a symbol of our Lord, remains. Toward the end of the service this candle is hidden, typifying the apparent victory of the forces of evil. At the very end, a loud noise is made, symbolizing the earthquake at the time of the resurrection (Matthew 28:2), the hidden candle is restored to its place, and by its light all depart in silence. Join us and experience this inspirational and holy service.

Announcements

Volunteers for Food Drive, Port Washington Stop & Shop, Saturday, April 8th :   Island Harvest, a fantastic local food bank that serves low-income families in Nassau and Suffolk, is having a food drive at Stop & Shops around LI, including in Port.  When: Saturday, April 8th, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (broken into two 4-hour shifts).  Needs: Shift Captain to be at the drive and check in with Island Harvest a few times during the shift to convey amount of food collected. 2-3 volunteers to staff the tables - volunteers can include kids age 7+!  For more info: contact Jordan Buffa, Food Drive Coordinator at 631.873.4775 x 243 or Jordan@islandharvest.org.

For Whom the (Carillon) Bells Toll!:  St. Stephen's has a brand new carillon, which is being installed by Neill Carillon Service.  The bells will resound once again this month--hopefully by Palm Sunday or if not, Easter Sunday.  It will be dedicated on April 30th at the 10 AM service.  Many thanks to Elisa Delaney and Alan Dinn for their efforts on this project, and to Justin Newby,  for his work in securing a $15,000 grant from the Anglican Foundation to make this possible.

St. Stephen's Church Has a New Episcopal Flag:  Thanks to the generosity of Guy Dioguardi, D.D., St. Stephen's has a new Episcopal flag, which Father Gary blessed on March 19th during the 10am service.  It was donated to the church in memory of Nina and John Dioguardi.  If you'd like to read how it was created, and what the symbols mean, see here.


Maundy Thursday Volunteers Needed! :  Helpers are needed to setup the Maundy Thursday Soup & Bread Supper, set to take place in the Parish Hall on April 13th at 6pm.  If you are available, please see Larry Shields at this Sunday's Coffee Hour or email Ellen at ellen.shields26@gmail.com.  Please also let Larry or Ellen know if you will be bringing soup for dinner.  Others are welcome to bring bread or rolls.

Good Friday Offering:   
On Good Friday, offerings are invited from across The Episcopal Church to support the four dioceses in the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. Funds are used to promote peace and mutual understanding through pastoral care, health care and educational programs throughout the region. For more information, see the Good Friday Offering FAQ.

Memorial Celebration for Howard Blankman: Saturday April 29th, 2pm-4pm The family of Howard Blankman invites you to join them for a memorial celebration of his life, to take place in the Parish Hall.

2017 Offering Envelopes:   If you haven't yet done so, please pick up your 2017 offering envelopes, which are located on a table at the entrance to the back of the church.  Boxes are arranged in alphabetical order.

Read Sunday, April 9th, readings here.
Serving April 9th at 10 am:
Eucharistic Ministers: 
Alan Dinn & Rachel Golder

Lectors:
Barry Meade & Elsie Wikstrom
Acolytes: Carter Shields, Lela Pines & Lian Pines
Altar Guild: Gail Grossman, Lori Murphy, Carol Wright & Karen Lee
Coffee Hour: Lori Murphy & Kathy Forman
Counters Schedule: Tish Davis, Paul Seidel & Bob O'Brien 
Parish Calendar

Throughout April & May:  The Sunday School/Youth Group will be collecting toiletries for the Troops.  Please leave donations of these items in the baskets at both church entrances. SEE LIST HERE.

Sunday, April 9th:   Wardens Meeting after Coffee Hour.

Holy Monday, April 10th 12 noon Eucharist.

Holy Wednesday, April 12th:  12 noon Eucharist & 7:30pm Tenebrae.

Maundy Thursday, April 13th:  6pm Soup & Bread Supper in Parish Hall & 7:30pm Eucharist.

Good Friday, April 14th:  12 noon & 7:30pm Services.

Holy Saturday, April 15th:  7:30pm Great Vigil.

Easter Sunday, April 16th:
9am Eucharist
10am Easter Egg Hunt (with a visit from the Easter Bunny)
11am Festival Eucharist.

Sunday, April 16th (after services) - Friday, April 21st:  Father Gary on vacation.

Monday, April 17th:   Parish Office is closed.

Wednesday, April 19th:   No Noon Healing Service

Sunday, April 23rd:   Sunday School/Youth participating in Helen's Run/Walk, a 5K Run/Walk through beautiful Sands Point, Long Island, that raises funds for programs and services that benefit people who have a combined vision and hearing loss.  Sands Point Preserve, 127 Middle Neck Road, Sands Point, NY.  To register, please speak to Rhonda Fay, or email Rhonda.

Tuesday, April 25th, 8pm:   Vestry Meeting in St. Cecilia Room.

Wednesday, April 26th:   Noon Healing Service.

Saturday, April 29th, 2pm-4pm:   Howard Blankman Memorial Celebration in Parish Hall.

Sunday, April 30th, 10am Service:   Dedication of the New Carillon
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, Charles, June, William, Carolyn, Elizabeth, Erica, Ann Alletta, Don, Sally & Ed, John P., Officer Mike, Jamie & Jennifer, Kaci, Jane, Bob, and Olivia.

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  
Priest in Charge     frgary@ststephenspw.org
O: 516-767-0363         C: 917-817-4056
Warden John Longmire 516-695-3520 Wardens@ststephenspw.org
Warden Roopali Gupta 917-969-7962 Wardens@ststephenspw.org
Music Director Mark van Schenkhof 516-353-0738 mvansche@optonline.net
Youth & Children Rhonda Fay 516-944-5635 rhonda@ststephenspw.org
Consignment
Shop Supervisor
Caren Salkin 516-944-8829 shop@ststephenspw.org
Parish Administrator
Bernadette Reyes 516-767-0363 office@ststephenspw.org
Comments or submissions:  banner@ststephenspw.org

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