September 21, 2022 Full Newsletter

September 21, 2022

Message from Rev. Paula

Love God.

Love God's People. Love God's Creation.

Love God.

Beloved Community,

Loving God and God's people and God's Creation is so exciting! When we commit to a way of life that is grounded in God's love for us and the incredible blessing of getting to share that love with other people, opportunities abound! I want to mention just a few of those opportunities in this message.

Children & Youth Ministries:

Getting to know children and youth in church is one of my very favorite things about being Church. As of last Sunday, Children's Chapel is open in its new bright and sunny space adjacent to the parish hall. So parents, bring your kids ages kindergarten through grade 4.

Perhaps even more exciting because it is the first time since we met almost four years ago, we have a Youth Group for young people in middle and high school and it starts this coming Sunday! And they have dedicated Youth Group space in an upstairs classroom!

The youngest among us are invited to spend time with Miss Linda in the new nursery area in the parish hall, with faith-themed toys and books.

Families with children and youth will be receiving more detailed information about these ministries, including an invitation to volunteer to help Miss Grace and Miss Linda.

Outreach:

If you've driven by at night during the week, you may have wondered why all the lights are on. Maybe, like me, you smile to yourself because our beautiful building is full of life. We have 12-step groups, the local Buddhist community, and a youth orchestra regularly using our building. This does a little for our bottom line financially but more importantly we are a part of the community in ways that are needed.

October 1st is the Rally for Cross Roads, one of our ministry partners. We have a team, the St. Stephen's Strollers, with members who are participating in person and at least one who is rallying virtually.

For information about the Rally for Cross Roads, including how to register (Don't forget to join our team!):

https://www.crossroadsretreat.com/rally-for-cross-roads/

To donate to support the team:

https://rallyforcrossroads.itsyourrace.com/donate/team/StStephensStrollers

Creation Care:

We have joined the diocesan solar energy program and will be installing solar panels on the mausoleum roof. Our participation is in the very early stages (Who knew there was so much involved to get a project like this off the ground?), so we'll be sharing lots more information about this once we confirm more of the details. What I can tell you know is that this is a meaningful expression of loving God's creation and doing our part in environmental stewardship.

Sharing this news in a newsletter is practical because it ensures that everyone gets the same information at the same time (assuming of course you open the email). And that is good. However, seeing you in person at worship services, coffee hour, outreach events, adult formation, and in Children & Youth Ministries is even better by far.

Peace & Blessings,

Paula+

Happening at St. Stephen's This Week...

Welcome!

It's wonderful to be with each other in church and celebrate the Holy Eucharist with congregational singing. Masks are now optional at both services. The Community Risk Level for Essex County is green/low. We'll revisit this if the risk level changes.

Live-streamed to YouTube, Facebook, and via Zoom. Bulletins are available on the St. Stephen's website. All links can be found at the bottom of the newsletter. Zoom passcode is SSM119.

The Sunday service will also be broadcast on HTTV (Comcast TV 36 and Verizon TV 33) on Tuesday at 6am and 3pm.

Please join us for Sunday Worship at 8:00am and 10:00am

on September 25th for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost.

ALL are welcome!

Coffee Hour to follow the 10:00am service.

Looking Ahead

PLEASE CHECK WEEKLY BECAUSE EVENTS MAY BE ADDED OR CHANGED.

SEPTEMBER

SEPT 21

7:30pm - Finance Committee Meeting

SEPT 25

Youth Group begins

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Youth Group

1pm - AA Meeting

SEPT 26

7:30pm - MA Meeting

SEPT 27

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

7:30pm - Holy Land Pilgrimage Info Meeting

OCTOBER

OCT 1

Rally for Cross Roads

OCT 2

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Holy Land Pilgrimage Info Meeting

1pm - AA Meeting

4pm - Community Pet Blessing

OCT 3

7pm - Small Group Summit

7:30pm - MA Meeting

OCT 4

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

OCT 7

9am - Interfaith Bible Hour

OCT 9

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Second Sunday Intergenerational Worship/Finnerty baptism

11:30am - Youth Group

11:30am - Reading with the Rector

1pm - AA Meeting

OCT 10

7:30pm - MA Meeting

OCT 11

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

OCT 16

8am - Sunday Worship

9am - Family Promise Walk for Change

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Vestry Meeting

1pm - AA Meeting

OCT 17

7:30pm - MA Meeting

OCT 18

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

OCT 19

7:30pm - Joint Vestry & Finance Committee Meeting

OCT 20

7pm - Preschool Committee Meeting

OCT 23

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Youth Group

1pm - AA Meeting

OCT 24

7:30pm - MA Meeting

OCT 25

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

OCT 30

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

1pm - AA Meeting

OCT 31

7:30pm - MA Meeting

NOVEMBER

NOV 1

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

NOV 4

9am - Interfaith Bible Hour

NOV 6

First Sunday of Advent

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

1pm - AA Meeting

NOV 7

7pm - Small Group Summit

7:30pm - MA Meeting

NOV 8

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

NOV 13

Second Sunday of Advent

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Second Sunday Intergenerational Worship

11:30am - Reading with the Rector

12pm - Youth Group

1pm - AA Meeting

NOV 14

7:30pm - MA Meeting

NOV 15

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

NOV 16

7:30pm - Finance Committee Meeting

NOV 17

7pm - Preschool Committee Meeting

NOV 20

Third Sunday of Advent

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Vestry Meeting

1pm - AA Meeting

NOV 21

7:30pm - MA Meeting

NOV 22

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

NOV 27

Fourth Sunday of Advent

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Youth Group

1pm - AA Meeting

NOV 28

7:30pm - MA Meeting

NOV 29

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

PARISH OFFICE HOURS

Tuesday through Friday

9:00am to 5:00pm

THE PARISH OFFICE IS CLOSED:

October 11

October 25 - 28

November 24 & 25 - Thanksgiving

November 29

December 13 - 16

December 27

Other Happenings...

RALLY FOR CROSS ROADS

Saturday, October 1st

You are invited to come Rally for Cross Roads to race in the 5K or 2K on-site here at camp, followed by an afternoon of volleyball and other fun activities.

Schedule of events

8:00 – 9:00am: registration

9:15am: opening prayer

9:30am: 2k/5k begins

12:00pm: lunch

1:00pm: worship service

1:30 – 3:30pm: volleyball & other activities

3:30pm: award ceremony

People of all ages are invited to attend. (Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.)

For more info, click here.

BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS

COMMUNITY EVENT

Sunday, October 2nd

on the Lawn at St. Stephen's

4:00 - 5:00pm

St. Stephen's will celebrate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and the environment, by blessing your pets.

ALL in the community

are invited and all pets and their families are WELCOME.

To ensure the safety of your pet and the pets of others, please use carriers and/or leashes as needed.

INTERFAITH BIBLE HOUR

On Friday, October 7th at 9:00am, we will meet with our friends from Christ Church in Short Hills and Temple B'nai Jeshurun to talk about the Book of Genesis.

Join us via Zoom here.

The password is SSM119.

The meeting ID is 865 4375 6895.

Please email Rev. Paula at rector@ststephensmillburn.org before 8am Friday morning if you need the pdf translation.

READING WITH THE RECTOR

Sunday, October 9th

11:30am - 1:00pm

We will be discussing:

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

A Wrinkle in Time tells the story of Meg Murry, a girl who travels through time and space to save her father from evil forces. L’Engle, an Episcopalian, imbued her novel with religious elements and ideas.

We will meet in the Common Room, or you may join via Zoom.

FAMILY PROMISE

WALK FOR CHANGE 2022

Sunday, October 16th

in Verona Park, New Jersey

Family Promise of Essex County’s

WALK FOR CHANGE (WFC) is an annual fundraising event where volunteers from all over come together for a day of fun, good cheer and exercise, all in support of raising money for families experiencing or at-risk for homelessness.

This year the main event for the walk will take place at 9am on Sunday, October 16th, at Verona Park in Verona, New Jersey.

For details, click here.

Faithful Outreach

FAMILY PROMISE

Low-income families in this country are facing unprecedented social and economic challenges from the pandemic. Job losses, health care expenses, and child-care have all combined to raise the number of evictions. A donation can help Family Promise of Essex County to remain responsive to families’ emerging needs and its impact in our communities.

To read the Family Promise Newsletter, please click here.

APOSTLES' HOUSE

Apostles' House is devoted to providing comprehensive social services to homeless women with children and families at risk of homelessness in Newark and

Essex County.

Apostles' House is in need of canned goods and non-perishable food items.

A collection bin is located outside

the Narthex doors in the parking lot. Donations can be dropped off at any time.

If you would like to make a monetary donation to Apostles' House, please click here.

NORTH PORCH

North Porch provides emergency aid, in the form of baby supplies, to mothers and infants in northern New Jersey, to help them stabilize and improve the quality of their lives.

North Porch URGENTLY needs:

Enfamil Infant Formula 12.5 oz containers (yellow label)
Baby wipes
Diapers size 4, 5, and 6
Jars of baby food – all ages – fruit, veggie and 1st foods

A collection bin is located outside

the Narthex doors in the parking lot. Donations can be dropped off at any time.

If you would like to make a monetary donation to North Porch, please click here.

From Bishop Hughes & The Episcopal Church

THE BISHOP'S VLOG

Beginning anew - 9/14/22

We are socialized that when September comes, we feel we should start thinking about beginning anew, says Bishop Hughes. And this year in particular the whole world is trying to figure out how to begin anew, due to the changes brought by the pandemic. Given all that, she encourages us to talk to one another about this time that we're in, and how we want it to reflect the priorities that, individually and collectively, we have come to know and value.

The Voice Online Link - 9/14/22

DIOCESAN E-NEWSLETTERS

Sign up to get e-newsletters and important announcements directly from diocesan headquarters. Find out more and subscribe here.

COMMISSION FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE SURVEY

"As part of our mission to support the diocese with resources and direction on social justice issues, the Commission for Justice and Peace needs to hear from you. Whether you are a parish leader or congregant, we want to learn what issues are important to you and what resources would help you or your parish become involved. Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey by clicking on this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6V3VPKX

Your input will help us to learn of the important work already underway and prioritize our activities for the future. Feel free to share the link with your congregation.

Survey will be open until Sept. 30th.

With thanks for your consideration."

The Rev. Deacon Diane Riley, Co-Leader

Jody Caldwell, Co-Leader

Commission for Justice and Peace

Cross Roads Camp & Diocesan Youth Ministries

CROSS ROADS CAMP & RETREAT CENTER

Cross Roads Camp and Retreat Center is a welcoming and inclusive community providing life changing and sacred adventures for renewal, growth, and joy.

Check out all the fun and interesting year-round programs for children, adults and families here.

For employment opportunities at Cross Roads, click here.

POP UP YOUTH MINISTRY

Pop Up is a welcoming ministry of the Diocese of Newark bringing together youth for fun activities, community, and faith formation. All youth grades 6-12 are encouraged

to join the monthly events.

Follow popupym on Instagram and Facebook.

Resources

Journey Forward Guidelines

There are many, many resources available to parishes and individuals to help sustain our faith practices during this unprecedented time.

In this time of Crisis, there are resources that can help if you or someone you know needs assistance. Please contact NJ Mental Health Cares for free helpline telephone counseling or assistance. Call 866-202-4357.

TTY: 1-877-294-4356.

E-mail: help@njmentalhealthcares.org

Other resources are:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text Line, 741741

NJ Hope Line (suicide prevention)

855-654-6735

A/MA MEETINGS

Weekly AA meetings:

Sunday at 1:00pm

Contact: Rob H. (516) 860-9062

For more information about Alcohol Anonymous, click here.

Weekly MA meeting:

Monday at 7:30pm

Contact: Max T. (212) 203-2542

Contact: Deana L. (908) 499-8997

MA meetings are presented in a rotating format:

Step - Speaker - Story from Life with Hope - Topic

For more information about Marijuana Anonymous, click here.

Prayer List

Please keep the following St. Stephen's family

members and friends in your prayers...

Peggy Thompson

Donna Riggi

The Blanchard Family

The McManus Family

Bernard & Nathan

Lucille B.

Jack Moreno

Joseph G.

Jane Rossiter

Mike Losito

Evan D. & Family

Donna Stadler Hostetler

Ed Roman

Emma Simonich

Inge Bass Mills

Jessica Rana

Cathy Zimmerman

Catherine Phan

Juliet Tranberg

Lind Hostetler

Mary Ruth Stone

Nancy Landers

Sandy Prince

Anne Grenda

Drew Johnson

Imani Nia

Eugene Foley

Roger Riedel

If you would like to add someone to our prayer list, please email us at church@ststephensmillburn.org, or call (973) 376-0688 Ext. 32.

Anyone for whom we are praying will be on our prayer list for six weeks. If prayers are still needed beyond that time period, please let us know. Thank you.

Sunday Lectionary

September 25, 2022

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

If you'd like to read the full lectionary for the week, you may do so here.

Giving with Tithe.ly

TITHE.LY

Giving with Tithe.ly is easy with options for recurring donations or one-time use for when you are away or not able to be in church (like all of us now due to COVID restrictions).

You can access Tithe.ly via their website or their app on your smart phone. Be sure to search for the correct account - "St. Stephen's Church Millburn." Once you have accessed the account page with our address, you will be instructed to follow the prompts.

Office Notes

Due to COVID restrictions, only teachers and staff are allowed to be in the building during school hours. If you need to visit the parish office/building for any reason, please contact us for an appointment. Thank you.