A Message from Rev. Paula | |
Beloved Community
This year and last, Ramadan, Passover, and Easter have occurred at the same time, something that happens only once every 30 years or so because of the way the dates of these holy days are determined. This year, violence in Israel and Palestine has surged, as centuries old disagreements continue and are highlighted by the convergence of the holy days. And though not directly involved in the violence, our Christian siblings in the Holy Land are affected as they navigate life in times of armed conflict. As you know if you read or listen to the news in this country, anti-semitic, anti-Islamic, and racially-motivated attacks and gun violence continue unabated at an alarming rate. Though to varying degrees, all of us, whether Christian, Jew, or Muslim (not to mention those of other religious or faith identities) live in and with the reality that conflict and war in the name of God exists.
You may be wondering why such a downer kind of start to a message in the second week of Eastertide. It's because I have an undying hope that we will, with God's help, figure this out if we are willing to take the time and effort to act boldly, courageously, and persistently, even when our efforts seem to have no immediate effect or when they mean we live - or at least spend some meaningful time - outside our comfort zones. I am reminded that none of Jesus' earliest followers were living safe, secure, easy lives and, thanks to their witness, we know that we are living with the Risen Christ.
I took the photo at the top of this message from the rooftop of St. George's College in Jerusalem when I was there in the summer of 2014. It shows just a few of the many tables of religious leaders from the three Abrahamic faiths who had been meeting monthly for several years to share a meal while getting to know each other as beloved children of God and participating in deep and meaningful dialogue about how to live together in a very small place with huge significance and meaning to the three faith traditions. It is an image I return to when I hear about conflict and violence that is so deep-rooted and tenacious. It is an image of embodied hope for the kind of community Jesus wanted to build when he greeted Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of James as they left the tomb, with the greeting that is also blessing: Shalom, which means peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare, and tranquility.
Shalom is about God's dream for the world, a beloved community in which all know and recognize the image of God in each other and seek to live that truth, which transcends all the barriers we place between us. As Christians, we know that not even death can overcome God's desire to be with us and to transform our brokenness into new life.
Shalom,
Rev. Paula+
| |
Happening at St. Stephen's This Week... | |
|
|
|
Join us on Sunday, April 23rd at 8:00am & 10:00am for
The Third Sunday of Easter.
ALL are welcome.
At Communion, you may receive the wine by sipping from the cup, reverently touching the base of the chalice, or you may choose Communion in one kind only
(the bread).
| | | |
|
You are invited to Coffee Hour and Fellowship in the Parish Hall immediately following our
10:00am service.
Coffee Hour host for Sunday:
The Conway Family
| |
| | |
|
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 CHECK WEEKLY BECAUSE EVENTS MAY BE ADDED OR CHANGED. | |
|
APRIL
APR 19
7:30pm - Finance Committee Meeting
APR 20
7pm - Preschool Committee Meeting
APR 23
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
11:30am - Youth Group
1pm - AA Meeting
APR 24
7:30pm - MA Meeting
APR 30
Family Promise Hosting - groceries due
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
11:30am - Reading with the Rector
1pm - AA Meeting
| |  |
|
MAY
MAY 1
7:30pm - MA Meeting
MAY 7
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
1pm - AA Meeting
MAY 8
7:30pm - MA Meeting
May 13
8:30am-2:30pm
Gardening/Campus Cleanup Day
MAY 14
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Crossroads Sunday & Intergenerational Worship
11:30am - Reading with the Rector
11:30am - Youth Group
1pm - AA Meeting
MAY 15
7:30pm - MA Meeting
MAY 17
7:30pm - Finance Committee Meeting
MAY 18
7pm - Preschool Committee Meeting
MAY 21
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
11:30am - Vestry Meeting
1pm - AA Meeting
MAY 22
7:30pm - MA Meeting
MAY 28
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
11:30am - Youth Group
1pm - AA Meeting
MAY 29
7:30pm - MA Meeting
| | |
|
JUNE
JUN 4
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
11:30am - Reading with the Rector
1pm - AA Meeting
JUN 5
7:30pm - MA Meeting
JUN 11
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship Intergenerational Worship
11:30am - Youth Group
12pm - NJ Pride
1pm - AA Meeting
JUN 12
7:30pm - MA Meeting
JUN 15
7pm - Preschool Committee Meeting
JUN 17
Christine's Kitchen Hosting Day
JUN 18
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
11:30am - Vestry Meeting
1pm - AA Meeting
JUN 19
7:30pm - MA Meeting
JUN 21
7:30pm - Finance Committee Meeting
JUN 25
8am - Sunday Worship
10am - Sunday Worship
1pm - AA Meeting
JUN 26
7:30pm - MA Meeting
| | |
|
ST. STEPHEN'S GARDENING
& CAMPUS CLEANUP DAY
Saturday, May 13th
8:30am - 2:30pm
Our plans to double the size of our Good News Garden are underway.
Join us on May 13th and show your love for this lovely piece of God's creation.
Bring a pair of gardening gloves, a shovel, a rake, or just yourself, your family and friends! Come for the day, or just an hour or two. We'll be beautifying the campus, doing a little building, filling the beds with soil, and spreading mulch.
Cold drinks and lunch provided for all volunteers.
+++
Planting Day to be announced soon.
Don't forget to sign up and let us know which plants you will donate and how many. We're going with square foot and companion gardening again this year to get the most we can out of the space.
We'd like all of the plant donations
by Sunday, May 14th.
SignUp to donate plants today!
| |
| | |
|
|
|
READING WITH THE RECTOR
Sunday, April 30th
11:30am - 1:00pm
in the common room, or via Zoom
We will be discussing:
Animal Farm
by George Orwell
George Orwell's timeless and timely allegorical novel—a scathing satire on a downtrodden society’s blind march towards totalitarianism.
| | | |
 | |
FAMILY PROMISE HOSTING
April 30, 2023
We are continuing our hospitality ministry with Family Promise and will be hosting the week of April 30th.
We will be "hosting" 3 families. As you may recall from our February hosting, the families stay in long-term stay hotels. We provide one meal for each family along with some grocery items. We will deliver our meals and the grocery donations to the Family Promise office in Montclair on Tuesday morning May 2nd.
All grocery donations can be dropped off at either Church service on April 30th. If you are unable to deliver items to Church, please contact Linda Soughan to make other arrangements at lindasoughan@comcast.net. For meal donations, Linda will coordinate pick up. As always, Shop Rite gift cards are a welcome addition! Also, as you will note on the sign up, in addition to the grocery items, there is a request for one queen size set of sheets.
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 Sign Up Genius to record sign-ups.
The link is here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0B4DAAAD2CA1FC1-family1
If you have any questions, please email Linda.
Thanks so much 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.”
| | | |
Evelyn Underhill Region.. and beyond | |
|
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. Items of urgent need are:
- Enfamil 12.5 oz powdered baby formula and soy formula
- Diapers especially Large size diapers - 4, 5, 6 and Pull-ups of all sizes
- Baby wipes
- Jars of baby food all ages-fruit, veggie and 1st foods
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: How we need to support our Confirmands - 4/19/23
Bishop Hughes notes that this year's Confirmands are giving different reasons for seeking confirmation than in previous years. Instead of saying they're doing it because it's expected, most are now saying it's because "I want to know God more" or "I want to take my place in the church." For those of us who've already found our place in the church, Bishop Hughes has some suggestions about how we can support our Confirmands as they find theirs.
NEW: The Voice Online Link - 4/19/23
| |
DIOCESAN E-NEWSLETTERS
Sign up to receive important news, events and seasonal meditations from the Diocese of Newark. Find out more and subscribe here.
| | | |
|
|
|
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 website.
| | | |
Cross Roads Camp & Diocesan Youth Ministries | |
|
Exciting news! Cross Roads Camp and Retreat Center has been named one of America's Best Summer Camps for 2023 by Newsweek!
Experience the adventure, growth, and community that Cross Roads has to offer this summer.
Register now for an unforgettable summer! Talk to Rev. Paula if you have questions. She LOVES to talk about Cross Roads!
| | |
|
CROSS ROADS CAMP & RETREAT CENTER
Cross Roads Camp and Retreat Center is an inspiring and relaxing year-round retreat center offering comfortable facilities and professional programming for secular and spiritual groups of all ages. Located on 250 glorious acres atop the stunning mountain landscape of northwestern New Jersey, our cozy retreat centers and cabins house up to 300 people. Guests enjoy our beautiful hiking trails and an abundance of outdoor and indoor recreational areas including basketball, volleyball, soccer, football, and open space for field games.
To view Cross Roads' offerings,
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.
| | |
|
In this time of Crisis, there are many 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
AA meetings are presented in Big Book format.
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.
| | |
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
Jane Rossiter
Donna Stadler Hostetler
Emma Simonich
| |
|
Cathy Zimmerman
Juliet Tranberg
Lind Hostetler
Mary Ruth Stone
Nancy Landers
Anne Grenda
Eugene Foley
Evie Larson
Sandra Swan
| |
|
Ron Gadbois
The Roberson Family
Darla Shaw
Eve Anderson
Adam Moran
Gail Geyer Lewis
Paul
Irene Poirier
Gesine Ehlers
Melanie Cohn
| |
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.
| | | |
|
The Third Sunday of Easter
April 23, 2023
We are using the new lectionary,
Wilda Gafney's A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church, Year A.
- Acts 2:14a,36-41
- 1 Peter 1:17-23
- Luke 24:13-35
- Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17
Our bulletins are available here.
| |
| | |
|
|
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.
| | | |
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. | | | |
|
PARISH OFFICE HOURS
Tuesday - Friday
9:00am to 5:00pm
| |
|
Sunday Worship
Meeting ID: 864 1664 1640
Passcode: SSM119
To call in, dial by your location:
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
| |
|
Adult Formation
Meeting ID: 878 3014 4448
Passcode: SSM119
To call in, dial by your location:
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
| |
Links for Sunday Worship Live-Stream & Social Media | |
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
119 Main Street, Millburn, NJ 07041
| | |
|
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
| | | | |
