December 14, 2022 Full Newsletter

December 14, 2022

Message from Rev. Paula

Beloved Community,

Maria is on vacation this week, so I am flying solo in the office. Suffice it to say that I miss her! I am a great believer in spiritual gifts, as you know, and she has so many and shares them so generously with us. Things really don't run the same without her.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our Drumming Camp gift card drive. Thanks to your generosity and that of our grant funders, were were able to purchase $3,055 worth of cards! As Kira has said, you have the gift of "dazzling generosity." Each of the families will receive $100 per camper (or former camper, so older siblings are included) for gifts and an additional $40 or so per camper/former camper for food or other household expenses. What a beautiful way to make such a difference in the lives of these families we have come to know and love.

Peace & Blessings,

Paula+

Financial Stewardship for 2023

Thank you to those who have pledged financial support of our ministries in 2023. This is a big help to the Finance Committee in building the budget.

A reminder to those who have not pledged yet: ALL of our ministries, both the visible and the behind the scenes ones, rely on your generosity in order to happen. We are at $66,596 in pledges, which is about $63,000 shy of what we need to do the things God is calling us to do. Please prayerfully consider making a pledge to support our ministries AND to express your gratitude to God for all the blessings of this life.

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

Please join us at 8:00am & 10:00am

on December 18th for the

Seventh Sunday Advent.

ALL are welcome.

Masks are optional.

At Communion, you may receive the wine by sipping from the cup,

or you may choose Communion in one kind only (the bread).

Coffee Hour to follow the

10:00am service.

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.

DONATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS FLOWERS

Due: December 20, 2022

Please help make St. Stephen's festive this Christmas!

Your donations will assist in the purchase of flowers for the Church and

all donors will receive acknowledgement in our Christmas bulletin.

Donations can made online, or delivered to the Parish Office at 119 Main Street, Millburn, NJ 07041 by Tuesday, December 20th.

If you have any questions, please email

church@stsstephensmillburn.org, or call 973-376-0688, Ext.32.

Looking Ahead

PLEASE CHECK WEEKLY BECAUSE EVENTS MAY BE ADDED OR CHANGED.

DECEMBER

DEC 15

7pm - Preschool Committee Meeting

DEC 18

Seventh Sunday of Advent

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Vestry Meeting

1pm - AA Meeting

DEC 19

7:30pm - MA Meeting

DEC 21

Longest Night

6pm - Coalition of Religious Leaders' Interfaith Service

7:30pm - Longest Night Service

DEC 24

Christmas Eve

5pm - Family Service

9pm - Candlelight Service

DEC 25

Christmas Day

10am - Sunday Worship

1pm - AA Meeting

DEC 26

7:30pm - MA Meeting

JANUARY

JAN 1

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

1pm - AA Meeting

JAN 2

7pm - Small Group Summit

7:30pm - MA Meeting

JAN 5

9am - Interfaith Bible Hour

JAN 8

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Second Sunday Intergenerational Worship

11:30am - Reading with the Rector

11:30am - Youth Group

1pm - AA Meeting

JAN 9

7:30pm - MA Meeting

JAN 10

7pm - Monthly Women's Lectionary Discussion

JAN 15

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Vestry Meeting

1pm - AA Meeting

JAN 16

7:30pm - MA Meeting

JAN 18

7:30pm - Finance Committee Meeting

JAN 19

7pm - Preschool Committee Meeting

JAN 22

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Youth Group

1pm - AA Meeting

JAN 23

7:30pm - MA Meeting

JAN 29

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

1pm - AA Meeting

JAN 30

7:30pm - MA Meeting

FEBRUARY

FEB 2

9am - Interfaith Bible Hour

FEB 5

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Second Sunday

1pm - AA Meeting

FEB 6

7:30pm - MA Meeting

FEB 12

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship Intergenerational Worship

11:30am - Reading with the Rector

11:30am - Youth Group

1pm - AA Meeting

FEB 13

7:30pm - MA Meeting

FEB 14

7pm - Monthly Women's Lectionary Discussion

FEB 15

7:30pm - Finance Committee Meeting

FEB 16

7pm - Preschool Committee Meeting

FEB 19

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Vestry Meeting

1pm - AA Meeting

FEB 20

7:30pm - MA Meeting

FEB 26

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Youth Group

1pm - AA Meeting

FEB 27

7:30pm - MA Meeting

PARISH OFFICE HOURS

Tuesday through Friday

9:00am to 5:00pm

THE PARISH OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED:

December 12 - 16 and 27

Other Happenings...

INTERFAITH BIBLE HOUR

NEW: Interfaith Bible Hour is moving to THURSDAYS starting in January!

Interfaith Bible Hour will continue gathering virtually on the first THURSDAY of the month at 9:00am with our friends from Christ Church in Short Hills and Congregation B'nai Jeshurun.

Please feel free to join us on Thursday, January 5th at 9:00am even if you haven't before. We will be reading 1 Samuel this year.

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 8:00am Friday morning for the pdf translation.

READING WITH THE RECTOR

Sunday, January 8th

11:30am - 1:00pm

We will be discussing:

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

The Bluest Eye is Toni Morrison's first novel, a book heralded for its richness of language and boldness of vision. Set in the author's girlhood hometown of Lorain Ohio, it tells the story of black, eleven-year-old Pecola Breedlove. Pecola prays for her eyes to turn blue so that she will be as beautiful as beloved as all the blond, blue-eyed children in America. In the autumn of 1941, the year the marigold in the Breedloves' garden do not bloom. Pecola's life does change—in painful, devastating ways. With its vivid evocation of the feat and loneliness at the heart of a child's yearning, and the tragedy of its fulfillment,

The Bluest Eye remains one of

Toni Morrison's most powerful, unforgettable novels—and a significant work of American fiction.

Events in the Evelyn Underhill Region

Advent through Epiphany

As we did last year, we will be joining our siblings in the Evelyn Underhill Region for Advent observations, with weekly videos and an Epiphany party at Calvary, Summit.

Each week, there will be a short video from the clergy in the Evelyn Underhill Regional Ministry Network introducing the themes for the week. Here is the week three video: https://youtu.be/B0wJnrxsdME

We will also be offering a video Advent calendar from December 1st thru Christmas morning. Several members of the parish will join Rev. Paula in reading from All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings by Gayle Boss. We will hear the ancient wisdom of Advent through Boss' reflections on how wild animals adapt to darkness and cold. A link to these videos will be sent out separately in December.

Calvary Church, Summit

Tuesdays at 5:00pm

Evening Prayer featuring meditations based on 'A Way to the Manger'

Christ Church, Short Hills

December 18, 10:00am

Children's Christmas Pageant

Grace Church, Madison

Wednesdays at 10:30am & 7:30pm

Bible Study: The Scriptures of Charles Wesley's Advent Hymns

December 18, 4:00pm

Advent Evensong and Reception

December 21, 7:00pm

Blue Christmas Candlelight Tazie Service

St. George's Church, Maplewood

December 21, 7:00pm

Blue Christmas Service

St. Stephen's Church, Millburn

December 1st thru Christmas Day

Video Advent Calendar from 'All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings'

December 21

Longest Night Observances

6:00pm Interfaith Service

7:30pm Traditional Contemplative Service

EPIPHANY PARTY

Friday, January 6th

6:30-8:30pm

Calvary Episcopal Church

31 Woodland Avenue

Summit, New Jersey

Everyone is Welcome.

Light Refreshments and Drinks will be provided.

Activities for the Whole Family.

Faithful Outreach

North Porch Women & Infants' Centers 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. Our collection bin is located outside the education building doors year-round. Donations can be dropped off at any time. If you would like to make a monetary donation to North Porch, please click here.

FAMILY PROMISE

Family Promise of Essex County helps homeless and at-risk families achieve self-sufficiency by providing shelter, social services, and housing assistance through a community-based approach.

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 throughout Essex County.

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

Collection bins are located outside the Narthex/Education building doors and donations can

be dropped off at any time.

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

From Bishop Hughes & The Episcopal Church

THE BISHOP'S VLOG

NEW: Cherishing the gift of relationships - 12/7/22

"Every Sunday when I go to church, one of the first things I say as I open the service is, what a joy it is to be together face to face," says Bishop Hughes, reflecting on the past two-plus years when COVID made gathering difficult or impossible. This Advent is especially joyful because our gatherings are starting be restored.

And so, she urges us to cherish the gift of relationships, and spend some time discerning how to take care of them going forward.

NEW: The Voice Online Link - 12/7/22

DIOCESAN E-NEWSLETTERS

Sign up to receive important news, events and seasonal meditations from the Diocese of Newark. Find out more and subscribe here.

Bishop’s Appeal: It’s Alleluia Fund Time!

As we approach Christmas and the end of the calendar year, we are reminded of God’s love and generosity. How can we share this generosity with others? A wonderful way is to join Episcopalians throughout the Diocese of Newark in making a financial gift to the Alleluia Fund for Outreach. The Alleluia Fund helps support vitally important ministries by providing financial resources to non-profit partners providing food, shelter, education and support for special ministries across the diocese and beyond.

To donate to this year’s Alleluia Fund, please send a check made payable to the Diocese of Newark and mail it to:

Diocese of Newark – Alleluia Fund

31 Mulberry Street

Newark, NJ 07102

You can also make a gift online here: https://dioceseofnewark.org/giving/alleluia

Thank you for your generous support of the Alleluia Fund!

TRINITY RETREAT CENTER

Trinity Retreat Center, located in the Northeast in West Cornwall, CT, offers a place of spirituality and gracious, authentic hospitality—where you can slow down, connect deeply with nature, experience the rhythm of a community, enjoy farm-to-table meals, discern direction for your life, and go home ready to make an even greater impact on the world.

Trinity Retreat Center is an Episcopal mission of Trinity Church Wall Street and is open to everyone, regardless of denomination or faith.

For more information, go to the Trinity Retreat Center's Facebook page or click here.

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.

Join Cross Roads for Wednesdays Away, a time of spiritual renewal throughout the year. Wednesdays Away includes prayer and conversation, led by a spiritual director and focusing on a different spiritual practice or theme each month. These retreats are open to all people interested in exploring new faith practices. Attend one or attend all—and be sure to invite friends to join you.

To view the in-person gatherings for the 2022-2023 season or to learn more, 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

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

Juliet Tranberg

Lind Hostetler

Mary Ruth Stone

Nancy Landers

Anne Grenda

Eugene Foley

Evie Larson

Sandra Swan

Cherie Donze

Ron Gadbois

Linda Clark

The Roberson Family

Darla Shaw

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

December 18, 2022

Seventh Sunday of Advent

We are using the new lectionary,

Wilda Gafney's A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church, Year A.

~~Isaiah 54:1-8~~

~~Psalm 113~~

~~Hebrews 11:8-13~~

~~Luke 15:5-17, 24-25~~

Our bulletins are available 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.