Along the King's Highway
El Camino Real Newsletter
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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 8am to 1pm.
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 Please see the "Angels of St. Stephen's" article for our Thank You's this week.
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GoodLifeUSA 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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This Sunday, September 8, 2017, is the 14th Sunday after Pentecost. The Rev. Ernie Boyer, our Interim Pastor, will preside over the 8:00 am and the 10:00 am services. The Joyful Noise Band will provide the music for this Sunday with a New Zealand Contemporary Liturgy. We will have our annual Family Fun Day BBQ this Sunday after the 10:00 am service. There will be a donation basket available at the BBQ. Please let Tom Good know if you can help with set up, clean up, or grilling.
The next monthly vestry meeting will be next week on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017 at 7:00 pm. Non-vestry members are welcome to come and observe the meeting.
We are now in need of a Vestry Clerk
. The Vestry Clerk takes the minutes of all of the vestry meetings. He/she then types up the meetings and sends a draft of the minutes out to the vestry members for feedback. The minutes are then reviewed and approved at the next monthly vestry meeting. The Vestry Clerk is a non-voting member of the vestry and is essential for vestry record keeping. The skills that you will need are: good note taking skills at meetings and ability to type up the notes into a template and then send out to the vestry members by email. You will need to be able to discern what should go into the minutes and ask questions if not sure. You will need to be able to attend most of the vestry meetings, which are the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm at St. Stephen's Church. Please let me know if you are interested.
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.
Save the Date:
Bishop Mary is leading a Transition Retreat for us on Sept. 15 (Friday evening) and Sept. 16, 2017 at St. Stephen's church. The schedule for the retreat has been revised.
September 15, 2017 (Friday evening) will be for the vestry and the Rector Search Committee to meet with Bishop Mary.
Saturday, September 16, 2017, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm will also be for the vestry and Rector Search Committee only.
The whole congregation is invited to attend for lunch on Saturday, Sept. 16th, at 12:00 pm, followed by the retreat until 3:00 pm. Bishop Mary will lead us through reflective discernment as we search for a new priest. Please mark your calendar because it is very important that you attend and participate in the retreat.
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 Angels Board to see if there are any tasks that need to be added or tasks that you want to volunteer to do.
Also, remember Andy Lief is putting together a list of tasks that need to be done for the Beautification of St. Stephen's Project. Please let him know if you have tasks to add.
Genie Lee
Senior Warden
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A Message from our Interim Pastor, The Reverend Ernie Boyer
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Dear St. Stephen's Family,
I just wanted to say what a joy and honor it is to be called to serve you as an Interim! I have now had a chance to worship with you for four Sundays and have been deeply moved by your warmth and sincerity. You have made me feel very welcome. Thank you.
My goal is to offer a sense of continuity, hope, compassion, and trust during this time of transition. Already a lot of good work has been done. There is still much more to do, though, and I plan to support that work to the best of my ability by presenting the comfort and nourishment of our tradition's wonderful liturgies, the reassurance and challenge of the Gospel, and the best and most compassionate pastoral and personal support I can provide. I know that God is guiding us, and with God's help there is nothing we need to fear.
I have already had a chance to get to know some of you. My hope is to get to know each and every one of you. I expect to do this at church, of course, but in other ways too. Many of you have already heard this, but for those who have not, I want you to know that I'd like to have a chance to spend some time with each of you who is willing to do so in some setting apart from the church: I'd love to visit you in your home, for example. No need to "entertain" me. This is just a chance to talk. If meeting in your home is inconvenient, I'd also be delighted to meet you for lunch somewhere, or at Starbucks, or even at the church office. The main thing is just that we each have a chance to get to know each other - I get to know you, and you get to know me.
All this means that I welcome invitations. Just grab me after church or give me a call at the church office, and we'll set up a time. I'll be at the office every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8 AM to 1 PM.
In the meantime, please know that you are each in my daily prayers, as is the Search Committee, and the parish as a whole. God bless you all.
Peace and grace,
Fr. Ernie
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Sunday, September 10, 2017
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THIS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2017
Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost
8 am Morning Prayer (without music)
10 am Morning Prayer (Joyful Noise Praise Band)
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 ST. STEPHEN'S
FAMILY FUN DAY
Mark your calendars for FAMILY FUN DAY --
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2017
following the 10 am Worship Service
BBQ --- Games --- Music --- Fellowship
Under the shade of our old oak tree
We will need lots of help to:
set up, cook, clean up,
and coordinate games.
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UPCOMING BIBLE STUDY
The next Bible Study series is a Kerygma course on
The Parables --
Stories for Life in God's World.
Edy Unthank will lead the seven-week class on
Tuesday mornings at 9:30 am beginning September 12 through October 24.
Cost of the class is $20/person to cover cost of materials. Scholarships are available upon request.
If there is enough interest for an evening session of this course, we will determine the best evening based on interest and recruit a leader.
Please let Edy know if you are interested in attending the morning course or an evening course, so she knows how many copies to purchase.
You may send an email to
[email protected]. Or call the church office at 408-629-1836.
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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 HARVEY
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Please continue to pray for communities affected by Hurricane Harvey, and donate to the Hurricane Harvey Response Fund to help Episcopal Relief & Development assist local partners in responding to critical needs.
Or mail a donation using the form provided in this link.
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ANGELS OF ST. STEPHEN'S
by Julie Zintsmaster
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.
- Rake the bark mulch in the play yard to cover some of the bare spots
- Clear away the grass from under the rose bushes by the Bell Tower (Talk to Wanda Bryan who has been working weekly on this seemingly endless task. The rose garden is looking better than it has for a while. Thank you, Wanda!)
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
Bring your orders to church this Sunday, September 10. Or contact me if you have questions.
See you on Sunday.
Janet
Gift Card Order Form
For information, contact Janet Thorsrud:
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