A Note from your Parish Admin |
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Rev. Paula is at Diocesan Lenten clergy retreat this week, but she will be here on "Camp Sunday" as we welcome representatives from Cross Roads Camp and Retreat Center. Anthony Briggs, Executive Director, along with Helen and Dylan Payanzo, the new Program Directors, will share their own experiences at camp, how camp impacts peoples' lives, and all the exciting program offerings this year.
You may email Rev. Paula with non-urgent matters and she will reply when able.
If you are having a pastoral emergency, please first call or text Rev. Deacon Karen Eberhardt at 973-997-2722. If unavailable, Rev. Paula can be reached via cell phone but please know she will only answer and/or reply when able.
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We have many options to observe a holy Lent, including additional worship services here and with our sister parishes in the Evelyn Underhill Region; in-person, Zoomed, and online discussion group Adult Formation; a fun at-home activity for children, youth, and families; and more. A special edition of our newsletter has all of the details.
You will find the newsletter here.
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Covid Protocols for Common Worship - NEW
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New guidelines have been issued by Bishop Hughes and The Episcopal Diocese of Newark and reviewed by your Vestry. See the updated Journey Forward Guidelines below.
- Congregation singing is approved with reasonable precautions.
- Beginning Palm Sunday, April 10, 2022, we will bring back the Common Cup. Nobody is obligated to take from the cup. You can receive just the bread, or a blessing.
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Beginning on Easter Sunday, we will bring back an 8:00am service. This service will be a masks optional, spoken service. For those familiar with the pre-pandemic 8:00am service, it will look a little different in that we can not gather in the chancel, but will be in the pews. I will be masked during the Eucharistic Prayer and administration of Communion.
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The 10:00am service, which is our principal service will remain masks required for the time being. We will sing, which continues to be a high-risk activity indoors and unmasked. I will be masked except when preaching. The Vestry will review this decision at its meeting on April 27th.
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For small groups, masks will be optional if everyone at the table agrees.
- We will no longer take temperatures, but we will continue to ask for contact tracing information.
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Happening at St. Stephen's This Week... |
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Welcome!
It's wonderful to be with each other in church and celebrate the Holy Eucharist with congregational singing.
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.
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Please join us for our
Fifth Sunday in Lent & Camp Sunday
Worship Service on
Sunday, April 3rd at 10:00am.
ALL are welcome!
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Rev. Paula will read from Lent for Everyone: A Daily Devotional by The Rt. Rev. N.T. Wright.
"Popular biblical scholar and author N. T. Wright provides his own Scripture translation, brief reflection, and a prayer for each of the days of the season, helping readers ponder how the text is relevant to their own lives today. By the end of the book readers will have been through the entirety of Luke, along with Psalm readings for each Sunday... Wright's Lenten devotional will help you make Luke's gospel your own, thoughtfully and prayerfully, and your journey through Lent a period of rich discovery and growth."
These readings will be posted to our YouTube channel and Facebook before 6:00am each morning through the First Week of Easter.
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WEEKLY WOMEN'S LECTIONARY STUDY
Please join us for a weekly study of a new lectionary available to the Episcopal Church and approved by Bishop Hughes. Our next session is on Tuesday, April 5.
We will meet on 4/5, 4/12, 4/19, 4/26 via Zoom from 5:00 to 6:00pm to study A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church, Year W by Wilda Gafney.
This thought-provoking lectionary invites and challenges us to explore differently the familiar stories of Scripture and how they shape and inform our faith today, while also expanding our understanding of what it means to be made in the image of God through the use of non-gendered language for God.
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INTERFAITH BIBLE HOUR
On Friday, April 1st 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.
The password is SSM119.
The meeting ID is 865 4375 6895.
Please feel free to join us even if you haven't before.
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READING WITH THE RECTOR
Sunday, April 3
11:30am - 1:00pm
This month we are discussing a short article about the fruits of the Spirit.
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PLEASE CHECK WEEKLY BECAUSE EVENTS MAY BE ADDED OR CHANGED. |
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APRIL
APR 1
9am - Interfaith Bible Hour
APR 2
7:30pm - AA Meeting
APR 3
5th Sun in Lent
10am - "Camp Sunday" Worship
11:30am - Reading with the Rector
1pm - AA Meeting
APR 4
7:30pm - MA Meeting
APR 5
5pm - Women's Lectionary Study
APR 7
10:30am - Lenten Series
APR 10
Palm Sunday
10am - Sunday Worship
1pm - AA Meeting
Apr 11
7:30pm - MA Meeting
7:30pm - Evening Prayer Livestreamed
APR 12
5pm - Women's Lectionary Study
7:30pm - Evening Prayer Livestreamed
APR 13
7:30pm - Tenebrae
APR 14
Maundy Thursday
10:30am - Lenten Series
7:30pm - Eucharist with Foot Washing
APR 15
Good Friday
12pm - Noonday Service
7:30pm - Solemn Collects with the Veneration of the Cross
APR 16
Holy Saturday
10am - Liturgy Livestreamed
7:30pm - AA Meeting
APR 17
Easter Day
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
1pm - AA Meeting
APR 18
7:30pm - MA Meeting
APR 19
5pm - Women's Lectionary Study
APR 20
7:30pm - Finance Committee Meeting
APR 21
7pm - Preschool Committee Meeting
APR 24
2nd Sunday of Easter
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
11:30am - Vestry Meeting
1pm - AA Meeting
APR 25
7:30pm - MA Meeting
APR 26
5pm - Women's Lectionary Study
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MAY
MAY 1
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
1pm - AA Meeting
MAY 2
7:30pm - MA Meeting
MAY 3
5pm - Women's Lectionary Study
MAY 4
8pm - AA Meeting
MAY 6
9am - Interfaith Bible Hour
MAY 7
Christine's Kitchen Lunch Bags
7:30pm - AA Meeting
MAY 8
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
11:30am - Reading with the Rector
1pm - AA Meeting
MAY 9
7:30pm - MA Meeting
MAY 10
5pm - Women's Lectionary Study
7pm - Worship Committee Mtg
MAY 11
8pm - AA Meeting
MAY 14
7:30pm - AA Meeting
MAY 15
Communion for All
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
11:30am - Vestry Meeting
1pm - AA Meeting
MAY 16
7:30pm - MA Meeting
MAY 17
5pm - Women's Lectionary Study
MAY 18
7:30pm - Finance Committee Meeting
8pm - AA Meeting
MAY 19
7pm - Preschool Committee Meeting
MAY 21
7:30pm - AA Meeting
MAY 22
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
1pm - AA Meeting
MAY 23
7:30pm - MA Meeting
MAY 24
5pm - Women's Lectionary Study
MAY 25
8pm - AA Meeting
MAY 28
7:30pm - AA Meeting
MAY 29
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
1pm - AA Meeting
MAY 30
7:30pm - MA Meeting
MAY 31
5pm - Women's Lectionary Study
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JUNE
JUN 1
8pm - AA Meeting
JUN 3
9am - Interfaith Bible Hour
JUN 4
7:30pm - AA Meeting
JUN 5
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
1pm - AA Meeting
JUN 6
7:30pm - MA Meeting
JUN 7
5pm - Women's Lectionary Study
JUN 8
8pm - AA Meeting
JUN 11
7:30pm - AA Meeting
JUN 12
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
11pm - North Jersey PRIDE Festival
1pm - AA Meeting
JUN 13
7:30pm - MA Meeting
JUN 14
5pm - Women's Lectionary Study
JUN 15
7:30pm - Finance Committee Meeting
8pm - AA Meeting
JUN 16
7pm - Preschool Committee Meeting
JUN 18
7:30pm - AA Meeting
JUN 19
Communion for All
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
11:30am - Vestry Meeting
1pm - AA Meeting
JUN 20
7:30pm - MA Meeting
JUN 21
5pm - Women's Lectionary Study
JUN 22
8pm - AA Meeting
JUN 25
7:30pm - AA Meeting
JUN 26
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
1pm - AA Meeting
JUN 27
7:30pm - MA Meeting
JUN 28
5pm - Women's Lectionary Study
JUN 29
8pm - AA Meeting
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DONATIONS FOR EASTER FLOWERS
Due: April 13, 2022
Please help make St. Stephen's especially joyous this Easter!
All donations will assist in the purchase of flowers for our Church and all donors will receive acknowledgement in our Easter bulletin.
Please send all donations to the office
at 119 Main Street, Millburn, NJ 07041,
or email Maria to expect your donation
by Wednesday, April 13th.
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CALLING ALL ANIMAL LOVERS
PLANNING COMMITTEE NEEDED FOR OUR
BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS & PET FAIR IN OCTOBER
We're exploring the possibility of increasing the fun of the annual pet blessing with a pet-themed fair. Modeled after a hugely successful pet fair at Holy Spirit Verona, we would invite vendors, crafters, and other providers of pet-focused products and services to join us. We'd have animal-themed activities and music for the humans. If you are interested or think you might be interested in helping to plan and coordinate this fun, community-focused event, please let Maria know. Her email is church@ststephensmillburn.org. If you've got questions, ask Rev. Paula.
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AA/MA MEETINGS
Weekly AA meetings:
Sunday at 1:00pm
Contact: Rob H. (516) 860-9062
Wednesday at 8:00pm (TEMP CANCELLED)
Contact: Steve B. (201) 452-8375
Contact: Dave (908) 451-8919
Saturday at 7:30pm (TEMP CANCELLED)
Contact: Steve B. (201) 452-8375
Contact: Dave (908) 451-8919
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.
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FAMILY PROMISE HOSTING WEEK
APRIL 10 - 17
Celebrate Holy Week 2022 with the opportunity to resume our hospitality ministry to homeless families. We will be "hosting" 7 families the week of April 10th. The families are staying at two long-term stay hotels. We have been asked to provide a meal for each family along with some grocery items and would also like to offer Shop Rite gift cards. We will deliver our meals and other donations to the Family Promise office in Montclair on Tuesday April 12th.
We need a volunteer driver to deliver all the items to Montclair on April 12th between 12:00 and 1:00pm.
All donations can be dropped off at our Church service on Sunday, April 10th. If you are unable to deliver items to Church, please contact Linda Soughan to make other arrangements at lindasoughan@comcast.net.
For those volunteering to provide meals, Family Promise has asked that the meals be stored in square plastic containers marked with the Family number (indicated on the sign up sheet).
We are using Google Sheets to record sign-ups. Needed items are listed on the left of the sheet and you can sign up by putting your name and email in the column to the right of the item. If you have any questions on sign up sheet, please reach out to Blair Majtyka at blairmajtyka@me.com or Linda Soughan.
The link to the Google Sheet is:
Thanks for volunteering!!
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
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From Bishop Hughes & The Episcopal Church |
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“As you head towards the end of Lent and into Holy Week and towards Easter,” says Bishop Hughes, “I think it's important for all of us to be preparing to share this thing that we love so much: that we know that God is here for us, that God cares for us, and God is here for every single person.”
DIOCESAN E-NEWSLETTERS
Sign up to get e-newsletters and important announcements directly from diocesan headquarters. Find out more and subscribe here.
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OPENING DAY AT CROSS ROADS
Saturday, May 21
9:00am - 3:00pm
This fun work-day event is open to youth, families, and congregations. Come and volunteer for the day to help get camp ready for the summer season! The day will include begin at 9 am with a light breakfast followed by projects for all skill levels, a lunch, and a closing outdoor worship. It is a great opportunity for high-school students looking for volunteer hours, families looking to give back while spending quality time together, or congregations to help support Cross Roads.
Rev. Paula and Ron Toland will be there.
Pease come out to support of Cross Roads and represent St. Stephen's!
More information can be found here.
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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.
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For employment opportunities at Cross Roads, click here.
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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
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Please keep the following St. Stephen's family
members and friends in your prayers...
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Peggy Thompson
Felder Dorn
Donna Riggi
The Blanchard Family
The McManus Family
Bernard & Nathan
Lucille B.
Jack Moreno
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Mary Jo Zarance
Joseph G.
Jane Rossiter
Ningyu Liu & Family
KT Thalin
Mike Losito
Evan D. & Family
Donna Stadler Hostetler
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Liliane Khouri
Drew
Shirley
Theresa Scharff
Virginia Whatley
Lance Hochmuth
Nicole Salvetti
Marianne Jacobs & Family
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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.
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April 3, 2022
Fifth Sunday in Lent
Isaiah 43:16-21
Psalm 126
John 12:1-8
If you'd like to read the full lectionary for the week, you may do so here.
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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.
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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. |
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Zoom passcode: SSM119
To call in, dial by your location:
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 864 1664 1640
Passcode: SSM119
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Links for Sunday Worship Live-Stream & Social Media |
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St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
119 Main Street, Millburn, NJ 07041
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Church
Parish Administrator, Maria T. Card
973.376.0688, Ext. 32
church@ststephensmillburn.org
Rector, The Rev. Paula J. Toland
973.376.0688, Ext. 21
rector@ststephensmillburn.org
Fax: 973.376.4002
Website: ststephensmillburn.org
Preschool
Director: Nancy Siracusa
Phone: 973.376.3534, Ext. 20
Email: sspsmillburn@gmail.com
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