Saint John the Baptist in the Wilderness | Caravaggio
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We don’t live our lives always in crisis, in the wilderness, the way our own George Brown did, but when we do everything is charged with significance. Think of what this world was like on 9/11. Many responded to 9/11 by going to church. And so long as people felt they were living in crisis, they kept hauling their sweet flesh to an Altar. In a month’s time, most went back to the humdrum, and God was a diversion pushed to the margins of their lives.
Such were the conditions in which John the Baptist appeared. He preaches his message at a time when people are living under the boot of the Roman Empire. They’ve gotten used to managing with that crisis, figured out how to live with it. And John ups the ante. He goes into the wilderness and says there’s a bigger crisis than Roman hegemony, it’s the appearance among us of the living God. That’s Advent, a ‘coming to’ if there ever was one. Welcome to St Stephen's.
See you in church!
Phil Ellsworth
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THIS WEEK
CHILDREN
&
YOUTH NEWS
Sunday School classes
9th, 16th December
PK — 1st Grade
&
2nd — 5th Grade Combined | Victoria Ellsworth
Advent | Gospel of Matthew
&
Luke
Jesus is worthy of worship
The lesson focus: Jesus is both God and human
Matthew 1. 18 – 25; Luke 1. 26 – 38;
&
John 1. 1
6th — 12th Grade | Sam Gerner
Topic to be announced | Lots of Scripture
Sunday School is not in session 23rd December (Christmas Pageant day), and 30th December. Childcare is provided on the 23rd at the 10 o’clock for children under 3. The above Advent Calendars are available from the classrooms to take home and color.
HOLIDAY GIVING:
Gift Barrel Christmas gift collection for Ritter House. This will be in lieu of the Family-to-Family Gifts. The "Giving Tree" is available in the Parish Hall entry, decorated with name tags and ages. You may take as many tags as desired, but please purchase a quality gift appropriate for the age on the tag. The
wrapped gift complete with securely fastened tab must be returned by
13th December
and deposited in a barrel that will be picked up early the next day. Gifts after that date must be taken directly to Ritter House in San Rafael.
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St Stephen’s To Engage RenewalWorks
A ministry of Forward Movement, RenewalWorks encourages churches to chart a course marked by deeper spiritual growth, experienced through a growing love of God and neighbor. When Jesus was asked what must be done to inherit eternal life, his answer was simple, even if it wasn’t always easy. He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” [Luke 10. 27] Since he gave that answer, the key to vitality in the spiritual life has not changed. It holds the key to changing our own lives, our churches, and our world.
It’s an exciting time to be the church. For sure congregations face challenges, with shifts in affiliation and observance in our congregations. But we are provided an opportunity to get clearer about the mission of the church, to reinvigorate the church (and our own spiritual lives) with a renewed focus on discipleship.
We’re given the chance to ask, and begin to answer, these questions:
• How can we move forward in changing times?
• What are we called to do, and be?
RenewalWorks offers a way for congregations to address these questions by remembering Jesus’ basic teaching, reconnecting with a call to discipleship, focusing on growing hearts, and transforming the church, one person at a time.
Look for more in this space about
St Stephen’s involvement with RenewalWorks. Ask the Rector and any member of the Vestry about it. And anticipate taking an online survey in late January / early February designed to help you love the Lord our God with all your heart.
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ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CHOIR CONCERT WITH STRING ORCHESTRA
9th DECEMBER,
4p
Christmas Concert with Strings | This Sunday, 9th December at 4p. See you at the concert. If you have ordered tickets that you may no longer need, please advise us at
concert
@ststephenschurch.org
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It is with great sadness that we have to say goodbye to David, Anna, June
& Adeline Hirsch, all of whom we have come to love and cherish, and we will miss them dearly. They are moving back to Chattanooga this month and we are putting together a purse for the Hirsch family as a farewell gift.
If you would like to give any amount,
all donations are greatly appreciated.
Ways to give:
1. If you would like to make a direct donation from your family to their family you may leave it in the office placed in a sealed envelope with
Hirsch Family clearly marked on the envelope.
3. Make a check, payable to St Stephen’s Church and write ‘
Purse for David Hirsch’ in the memo line, and mail or hand it in to the office, or place it in the Sunday offering plate.
We will be collecting gifts until
Friday, December 14th. Please plan to make your gift before that date.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Alexandra Norris with any questions at
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ANASAZI LUNCHEON
18th DECEMBER, 11:00a
Y
ou are running out of time to RSVP for a very special Music Recital featuring original arrangements by Linda Rice, Carol Sing-A-Long to follow. And don't forget about Lois' divine cooking.
Linda Rice grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma where she began piano lessons at age 9, harp at age 15 and received a Bachelors Degree in Music Education. Linda has been married to Willis for 51 years. After his retirement from the US Air Force, the two traveled for 22 years visiting a thousand prisons in the United States, bringing beautiful music on the harp
and sharing their story of faith.
Currently Linda teaches piano, composition, and music theory at San Quentin Prison. Willis teaches Bible classes to men at San Quentin several days each week.
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CHRISTMAS PAGEANT FOR ALL
SUNDAY, 23rd DECEMBER, 10:00a
The Christmas Pageant is for everyone, adults, children, entire families, empty nesters, and singles of all ages. No memorization is necessary. We will have wild animals in the Pageant and a petting zoo before and after the Pageant in the
courtyard.
We will have one rehearsal, Saturday December 22 at 9a for speaking
roles, from 10:30a – 11:30a for everyone else. Costumes will be provided on December 22 at rehearsal, or Sunday December 23 at 8:30 – 9a. If you cannot make the rehearsal you can still be in the
Pageant in a non-speaking role. Please send an email or call Joe Jennings
josephwjennings@
sbcglobal.net, 415-279-3637 if you and your family would like to be in the cast or crew of this year’s pageant.
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CALENDAR
The Daily Office:
Evening Praye
r is said at
5:00p Tuesday and Thursday
SAVE THESE DATES
18th December Anasazi Luncheon, 11a
Parish Retreat
26th - 28th April 2019
DECEMBER
9 Christmas Choir Concert, 4p
11 Memorial Service for John Dracott, 11a
13 Gift Barrel gifts deadline
14 Final Day for Hirsch Collection
14 Anasazi Christmas Carols, 11a
16 Adult Education, Paul's Letter, 11:15a
17 Last chance to donate Christmas flowers
22 Pageant Rehearsal,
speaking roles 9a-11:30a, non-speaking roles 10:30 - 11:30a
23 Christmas Pageant, 10a
(pick up costumes 8:45a)
24 Christmas Eve Services, 4p
& 9:30p
25 Christmas Day Service, 10a
30 Services at 8a
& 10a
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CELEBRATING RUTH GRANT'S
97TH BIRTHDAY!
photo by Victoria Ellsworth
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SUNDAY SERVICES
8:00a
Contemplative Eucharist
10:00a
Holy Eucharist
St Stephen's Choir
Sunday School
10:00a
PreK – 5th Grades
PreK –
1st
2nd – 5th
Drop off begins at 9:45a
Youth Group
10:00a
Middle
&
High School
Childcare Provided
9:45a – 11:30a
infants through age 3
Confessions are heard by appointment
with the Rector
COFFEE CONNECTIONS
This Sunday
The Second Sunday of Advent
9th December
Team 11
Next Sunday
The Third Sunday of Advent
16th December
Team 6
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CHRISTMAS FLORAL DONATIONS
Envelopes are now available in the Narthex for contributions to the Christmas Florals. Please send your name and/or dedication to the office no later than
Monday 17th December. These will be printed in the Christmas bulletins. These donations are separate from the Altar Flower sign-ups.
ALTAR FLOWERS 2019
The 2019 Flower Chart is now in the Narthex. Please sign up for your special Sunday. The donation for flowers is $150. You will
be contacted the week prior to your Sunday week for your floral dedication.
You may send your check with Altar Flowers in the memo line and dedication to the office in advance or place it in the plate. If you have any questions, please email Barbara Garcia-Romero at
[email protected] or Ginny Preston at
[email protected].
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HEALING PRAYERS
Every Sunday
Intercessors at the Mary Corner will await those who desire anointing. After receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion, if you desire healing prayers for yourself or for a loved one, make your request know to a healing minister in the Mary Corner (near the entrance to the church.) Your request is kept confidential unless you indicate that it needn't be.
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COMING UP, OLDER
&
ONGOING ANNOUNCEMENTS
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CELEBRATE 50+ ANNIVERSARIES AT GRACE
Please let the office know asap if you have been
married 50 or more years at
office@s
tstephenschurch.org, so that we may let the Bishop know to send you an invite for his special 50+ Anniversary Evensong celebration.
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ADULT EDUCATION
16th December, 11:15a
The discussion of Paul's letter to the Romans will continue a week Sunday in the Becker Conference Room at 11:15a.
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RAIN PONCHOS
&
WOOL SOCKS
FOR THE HOMELESS DRIVE
THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS
This year was quite a successful drive for the collection for the ponchos and wool socks that will be distributed by Ritter Center in San Rafael.
Update: Because of you, in the last four weeks we have raised $2,443, from 42 donors, and purchased and delivered 175 pairs of wool socks and 120 rain ponchos to Ritter Center.
Thank you for your generosity.
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ST STEPHEN'S
NEEDS YOUR HELP
PLEDGE APPEAL 2019
St Stephen's thanks all those who have sent in their 2019 pledges.
The Vestry must draft a budget for 2019 this month. To date we have reached 83% of our needed pledges for 2019. Several families have yet to submit a pledge for the coming year. If you have not yet made a pledge for 2019, please do so generously. We’d like to reach 100 percent participation in the campaign.
You can obtain a pledge card in the entrance to the church, or
downloaded by clicking this link
,
or contact the office.You can fill out, scan and email to
[email protected]
or send by mail to St Stephen's Church at PO Box 97, Belvedere, CA 94920
, or just send a confirming email to the office at the email above.
We need your help to plan St Stephen’s future by submitting your pledge card as soon as possible.
Please know that whatever amount you pledge is sincerely appreciated. By simply making a pledge of any amount, you cast your heart and thoughtful support for St Stephen’s and the church community you want it to be.
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ST STEPHEN'S ONLINE DIRECTORY
The St Stephen's Directory is now ONLINE!
To protect parishioner information, access to the private information needed to logon is granted by calling or emailing the office.
This Directory is for the use of parishioners only and is not to be shared with the general public.
PRIVACY POLICY
If you wish to opt out, please send an email with
DIRECTORY SS OPT OUT
in your subject line. Let us know in the email if you want to opt out of the entire directory, just pictures, and/or snail mailings.
[email protected]
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OTHER SOURCES FOR GIVING
Ritter House
Hams/Turkeys/Gift Cards directly self-delivered
&
Barrel Gift Collection
25th November through
13th December
age/name specific quality gifts
Food Bank Barrel
Classroom level and Hall
Tiburon Thrift Shop
Volunteers Needed - 2 hour shifts
Thursdays and Saturdays
10a – 1p and 1p – 4p
June Campbell 415.797.6142
Jennifer Henerlau
415.608.3239
Knitting Group
Knit or crochet hats and scarves for the needy. Second and Fourth Mondays at 10:30a.
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RECYCLING MESSAGE | NEW RECYCLING RULES
Please separate
bottles
and only clean
paper to meet the new recycling rules
.
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YEAR'S MIND
Please assist Father Ellsworth to compile the names and dates of the death of family members whom you would like to be remembered in prayers at the altar on, or close to, the anniversary of their death.
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