We the people of Saint Stephen's in-the Field

Seek to know Christ, to share Christ, and to serve Christ,

recognizing his presence in all people, and reaching out in love 

to each other and to the world around us.

Worship This Sunday:

Sunday, August 4th

10:00am - Morning Prayer

BULLETIN

 St. Stephen’s has an in-person worship service every Sunday at 10am. We alternate between Morning Prayer and Holy Eucharist. We are not live-streaming Morning Prayer services at this time. All Holy Eucharist services are live streamed. Links to the bulletin and YouTube video are provided for all Holy Eucharist services.

From the Rector

Dear friends,

There’s so much going on right now – the Olympics, the ramp-up to the Presidential election, transition in our churches. The Olympics will be over soon, the election will get here faster than we think, and before we know it, Advent will be here! We’re almost halfway through Ordinary Time which has been anything but ordinary. Our questions outweigh our answers but it won’t always be so. For right now, I hope that we can live in the now and enjoy the time we have left together!

I read recently that when we find ourselves answering a question with ‘I don’t know,” (which is just fine in my book), it’s an opportunity to name what we do know. We can get stuck in the ‘I don’t knows’ and unstuck with ‘I do knows’.

I find myself answering “I don’t know.” to many questions these days like, Who’s going to        (fill in the blank)? When will we know (fill in the blank)?   What happens if (fill in the blank)?



There are so many unknowns but what I do know is that we are here for a reason (and it has something to do with God), God provides, we can trust God, we’re not alone, Jesus shows up on Sunday (even when we make mistakes), we can do hard things, good things happen in the worst of times, we are a loving community that cares for one another. 

What unknown are you stuck on right now? Pick one thing and then grab a pen and start writing down what you DO know about it. You might be surprised at how long your list is.  

peace,

 Karen+

p.s. A brief update: The vestries of both St. Stephen’s and St John’s met with The Rev. Canon Martha Korienek, Canon to the Ordinary last evening. She will be working with both congregations through the transition time to find the answers to all those questions floating around. Look for occasional announcements in the future and be patient!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Saturday, October 19th:

Harvest Festival at St. Stephens

More information to come...

COFFEE HOUR SIGN-UP SHEET

Diocesan Newsletter



Read about what’s going on in the diocese! Click below to subscribe to the diocesan newsletter that is emailed every two weeks.

As we all know, communication is vital to healthy relationships and I have been communicating regularly with our Sr. Wardens and Vestry about preparing for the transition ahead. There’s extra work that will need to be done and it’s critical that everyone get involved in helping do it. One small way to be of great help, is to support one another with compassion, encouragement, and hope. The future of St. Stephen’s is in the hands of the people of St. Stephen’s – as it should be. That said, you are not alone. Our Canon to the Ordinary, Martha Korienek will be walking with both St. Stephen’s and St. John’s vestries in the transition time. She will help guide them through next steps.

I’ve heard several people say that St. Stephen’s is too small to survive.  Be reassured that no plans have been made to close the doors. There are many possibilities for the future that need to be explored. Don’t – I repeat – don’t lose hope. We are not the only small congregation in our diocese and in the wider Episcopal Church. You might not be able to imagine it, but there are some who can. Trust the work of the Holy Spirit to move St. Stephen’s in the right direction and hold one another up in love and faith! And lend a hand – your Wardens and vestry will need it!



With deep love,

Karen+

Help with Wildfires in Northern California

The Park Fire near Chico is threatening many parishioners in our sister diocese of Northern California. It has grown to 393,012 acres and is only 18% contained. It is the fifth-largest wildfire in California history.

Many feel called to help those who are displaced by disaster. The primary need of people who are evacuated is money, allowing them to eat, travel to safety, settle down where it is safe and comfortable, and contact loved ones. Please prayerfully consider donating to the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California Disaster Resilience Fund if you are able. 100% of your donations go to help those in need. Click HERE to donate.

Presiding Bishop Elect prioritizes

Creation Care from the start . . .

The title of the recent Episcopal News Service (ENS) article reads:

"Presiding bishop-elect to forego installation at National Cathedral; scaled-back event to be held at church’s New York headquarters."

Read the full article HERE.

A Prayer in Times of Transition . . .

Assist us, Lord, in living hopefully into the future. In the face of change, help us to set unnecessary fears aside and to recognize our potential for creative response. Help us to develop a reasonable optimism when confronted by “the new” and to guard against our own defensiveness. Be with us as we remember and celebrate former times, and keep us from unreasonable yearning for them, which takes us from the work you have set before us in our time. All this we ask in the name of your Child, our Savior, Jesus Christ.



Amen.

A prayer for peace in the Middle East

God of mercy and compassion, of grace and reconciliation, pour your power upon all your children in the Middle East: Jews, Muslims and Christians, Palestinians and Israelis. Let hatred be turned into love, fear to trust, despair to hope, oppression to freedom, occupation to liberation, that violent encounters may be replaced by loving embraces, and peace and justice could be experienced by all. Amen.

(by The Reverend Said Ailabouni Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Chicago, IL.) 

You can help . . .

If you are interested in making donations to help with the relief efforts in Israel/Palestine, here are the links that were included in Bishop Lucinda's letter:

https://j-diocese.org/wordpress/

https://realepiscopal.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=99ebbaf4cee8d012c9edafe60&id=d91c439a3d&e=bcc1702497

Pray for the people of Maui and the destruction and loss caused by the fires.

Donations for relief efforts in Maui and the Diocese of Hawaii can be made to:

https://www.episcopalrelief.org/what-you-can-do/give/donate-now/individual-donation/

https://www.episcopalhawaii.org/

https://www.episcopalhawaii.org/a-cup-of-cold-water.html

Join Education For Ministry - EfM

Please consider joining EfM! Education for Ministry (EfM) is a life-changing and unique college-level program in theological education based on small-group study and practice. Weekly seminars are designed to prepare lay persons to live out by word and deed the promises made at baptism: to love God, serve Christ, and proclaim the Gospel. EfM seminars take place online during the pandemic. 

More about EfM:https://theology.sewanee.edu/education-for-ministry/

If you are interested in joining EfM, please contact the ECR Diocesan Coordinator, Katy Dickinson: katy.dickinson@gmail.com

Wednesday Book Group

Weekly Wednesday Bible Study

 11:00am, at St. John’s 

Learn about the Book of Revelation!

The last book of the Bible is more than a foretelling of doom. Come and explore what it's all about! Books are $20 ea. See Rev. Karen if you're interested.

Updates and opportunities!

We have space available to rent. If you know of any non-profit agencies or schools that need a space, let them know that St. Stephen’s has space. 



While it’s nice to have the flexibility to use the space ourselves, we need the income and so hope to find a new renter. 

Our church, parish hall, and our beautiful grounds, including the labyrinth are all great venues like for a variety of special events like receptions, birthday parties, quinceaneras, etc. Please encourage friends to consider St. Stephen’s as a venue for their special event!  

To reserve a space or ask question, contact the office, office@ssitf.org or click on the link on our website https://www.ssitf.org/facility-rentals. 

Spread the word and pray for St. Stephen’s!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

All Services begin at 10:00am, unless otherwise noted.

• Sunday, August 11th, Holy Eucharist
• Sunday, August 18th, Morning Prayer
• Sunday, August 25th, Holy Eucharist
• Sunday, September 1st, Morning Prayer
• Sunday, September 8th, Stay tuned...

Kudos:

• Susan for scheduling music through July.
• Andy for trimming the foliage over the sidewalk.
• Jessica for trimming the silk tree over the parking spaces in the lot. 

Contact Information for Rev. Karen.

Please use this new number to contact Rev. Karen for calls or texts:

408-781-1826

NEEDING PRAYER SUPPORT?

Prayer is one of those things we often think about, might feel inadequate about, believe in but might be unsure how to proceed. How we pray is sometimes unique to each of us. The Church provides help in many ways. If you find yourself in need, of any kind (emotional, physical, spiritual, guidance, etc) consider how St. Stephen's can support you:

*   there is a prayer chain of committed pray-ers (who maintain confidentiality). 

*   tell people about your answers to prayer! and the miracles you witness, or how prayer changes YOU.

 Please submit prayer requests to Rev. Karen.

Editor's Note  

Have an announcement?

Please send any announcements or articles you want to have included, to: kristenvdm@yahoo.com, by Thursday, 10am each week. 

Kristen van der Molen