Starting on Sunday, 6 May, our Bible Study group which meets at 8 am will begin the study of the Gospel of St. John.  Please join us for this study if you find John's Gospel fascinating, or just difficult to understand.

 

On the same morning, our Adult Education Group will begin studying the Celtic Church of the early British Isles.  We will look at some of the history as well as the way these early Christians looked at the faith which had come to them.  There are many differences between the Celtic Christian Faith and that which came down to the Western Church through the teachings of the Roman Church.  Please join us for a look at some alternative ways of looking at the faith.  

We'll use this book for our study: 

Listening for the Heartbeat of God: A Celtic Spirituality by John Philip Newell

These books are for background and additional information:

The Celts by Peter Barresford Ellis

Wisdom of the Celtic Saints by Edward C. Sellner. 

We're critically short on food bank shoppers. We'll take any help we can get. 

 

Shoppers leave St. Stephen's about 7:30 am each Monday, go to St. Mary's warehouse picking out bread, produce, meat, & eggs, & dairy, checking out, loading up, & returning to St. Stephen's between 9:00 & 9:30 to unload & put away the food. We prefer to send two shoppers each week, because it's a significant job. Our shoppers often pick, load, unload, & put away 600 pounds of food. St. Mary's recommends that shoppers be able to lift & shift 40 pounds. Most food boxes are not more than 20 pounds, & you load them, so you control the weight to some extent. Flat carts are used at St. Mary's, & little utility carts can be used at St. Stephen's. Coolers can be heavier, but they can be lifted by two people. Food handler cards can be acquired online, but only one of the shoppers needs to have one. Shoppers wear food handling gloves (which St. Stephen's provides) & close-toed shoes in the warehouse & usually bring a jacket & gloves for the cooler or freezer. 

 

While a large vehicle is necessary, since shoppers work in teams, this is usually not a problem. Even a small SUV can work. 

 

We could even use help just to unload & put away the food at St. Stephen's. We do have people who make solo shopping trips, & this would really be a blessing. 

 

Please contact Leah Batty if you can help out. (480-423-0991, or  ltmbatty@gmail.com, or for texts, 602-697-2095)  

Thank you all for filling your house banks during this year's Lenten season.  We are extending our in-gathering through the end of April.  We will have a special container (The orange toolbox house) at the altar for your house banks on these dates.  If you wish to bring a check instead of your house bank, please make it out to "Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona", with "St. Stephen's Episcopal Church" on the subject line.  We prefer checks for the in-gathering, as they will save our counters a lot of time.  They will also allow you to take your federal deduction and your state tax credit.  We will, of course, welcome cash in the house banks if that is how you wish to contribute.

 

Thank you for supporting our Habitat Ministry.