November 16, 2022 Full Newsletter

November 16, 2022

Message from Rev. Paula

Beloved Community,

We are in the middle of our second week of Advent and, as usual, finding the balance between being and doing so that I can wait and fast and anticipate the "birth of wonder" is a tad challenging. It seems an eternal paradox that planning to wait requires so much activity, especially here where we live our faith so vibrantly and intentionally. The rest of this message is a few highlights of about our Advent observation this year.

On November 27th*, the Fourth Sunday of Advent for us (the First Sunday for the traditional season), we begin using the new lectionary, Wilda Gafney's A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church, Year A. While I am excited about this and am glad Bishop Hughes is encouraging us to do this, I also know that not everyone will respond to this in the same way. Continuing the conversation about it that we began at the beginning of last Advent is important so every month, on the second Tuesday from 7:00-8:00pm we will have the opportunity to talk about it. The Zoom link (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84131953178?

pwd=RkNMUWEyaXJQTjFoY0ZRbUxLd0hmUT09) is on the calendar on our website.

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 on Friday, January 6th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

We also will be offering a video Advent calendar from December 1st thru Christmas morning. Several members of the parish will join me 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. As we did last year, we will send the link to the video to a separate email group. The best way for us to do that is to send the link to everyone on our parish list and ask you to opt out if you do not want to receive it. Apologies in advance for any annoyance this may cause.

Bishop Hughes will be with us for the Sixth Sunday of Advent, December 11th*. She'll be the preacher and presider of the Eucharist and will spend some time in Coffee Hour before meeting with the Vestry and me. We'll be having "Cookie Sunday" that day. Details will follow in the next full newsletter on November 30th.

On Wednesday, December 21st we will observe the longest night in two ways. At 6:00 pm we will host the Coalition of Religious Leaders' interfaith service, an outdoor gathering around the fire pits, with prayer and music. At 7:30, we will have our now customary service in the church.

There will be more information shared in the weeks to come about how we are living our faith this season, so be sure to open your newsletters and check the announcements in the Sunday bulletins. An important note:

* There will be only one service at 10:00am on November 27th and December 11th.

Peace & Blessings,

Paula+

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

WELCOME TO ADVENT!

St. Stephen’s is one of a growing number of churches who celebrate an extended Advent of seven weeks, rather than four. This is a return to the Advent observance of the Church from its beginnings until just a few hundred years ago. Extending Advent in this way moves it from the “season of preparation” for Christmas to an observance of the full promise and realization of the God’s dream, helping us to engage more fully in Christ’s mission of peace, justice, and the integrity of creation. We take a few additional weeks to be mindful of God’s work in creation through all time as we look ahead with hopeful anticipation to a more peaceful and just world and the fulfillment of God’s promise to all people. Thank you to The Advent Project and William H. Peterson for the extended Advent resources.

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

on November 20th for the

Third Sunday Advent.

ALL are welcome!

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.

The Community Risk Level for Essex County was changed to

yellow/medium on 11/18/2022.

Masks are now optional at both services (unless the level changes).

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

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

We will revisit our masking requirements when the risk level changes.

Financial Stewardship for 2023

Your invitation to participate in the financial pledge campaign to support the mission and ministries of the parish will be mailed this week. Copies of the letter will be available on greeters' table at the services on Sunday. You may pledge online using the "Give" tab or using the pledge card that will accompany the letter. We are asking each family/household to prayerfully consider their pledge and to let us know what it is by December 15th.

Looking Ahead

PLEASE CHECK WEEKLY BECAUSE EVENTS MAY BE ADDED OR CHANGED.

NOVEMBER

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 27

Fourth Sunday of Advent

10am - Sunday Liturgy of the Word Worship

11:30am - Youth Group

1pm - AA Meeting

NOV 28

7:30pm - MA Meeting

DECEMBER

DEC 2

9am - Interfaith Bible Hour

DEC 4

Fifth Sunday of Advent

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

1pm - AA Meeting

DEC 5

7pm - Small Group Summit

7:30pm - MA Meeting

DEC 11

Sixth Sunday of Advent

Bishop Hughes visitation

10am - Second Sunday Intergenerational Worship

11:30am - Reading with the Rector

12pm - Youth Group

1pm - AA Meeting

DEC 12

7:30pm - MA Meeting

DEC 13

7pm - Monthly Women's Lectionary Discussion

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

7pm - Finance Committee Meeting

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 6

9am - Interfaith Bible Hour

JAN 8

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Second Sunday Intergenerational Worship

11:30am - Reading with the Rector

12pm - 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

12pm - 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

PASTORAL CARE

Rev. Paula will be away November 21 - 29.

Please contact Deacon Karen at (973) 997-2722 in case of pastoral emergency.

Barbara Riedel will officiate on Sunday, November 27 at 10:00am.

This will be a Liturgy of the Word service.

PARISH OFFICE HOURS

Tuesday through Friday

9:00am to 5:00pm

THE PARISH OFFICE IS CLOSED:

November 24, 25 & 29

Other Happenings...

ANNUAL TURKEY BOX COLLECTION DRIVE

for our Drumming Camp families

Due: Sunday, November 20, 2022

Please email Maryalice Chech at maryalice_chech@yahoo.com if you are able to donate and bring a turkey box to the church on Sunday, November 20th. Or, if you’d rather bring in just a few of the listed items to add to a Turkey box, that helps too! Many thanks!!

Box Dinner Menu

The following items are recommended for each donated dinner:

(1) sturdy box

(1) 10 - 15 lb. FROZEN TURKEY

(1) disposable aluminum foil roasting pan

(2) boxes of stuffing

(1) 5 lb. bag of potatoes OR two cans sweet potatoes

(2) cans of vegetables (corn, green beans, peas,)

(2) cans of turkey gravy

(2) cans cranberry sauce

(1) package rolls or corn muffins

½ gallon of apple or cranberry juice

Dessert-cookies, brownies, pies (no frozen pies)

GIFT CARD COLLECTION DRIVE

for our Drumming Camp families

Due: Sunday, December 11, 2022

As part of our Christmas celebration, we are delighted to be supporting our Drumming Camp children!

We are kindly requesting donations of VISA or TARGET gift cards (in denominations of $10, $20 or $25) this year for approximately 10-13 children.

Please forward your gift card donations to the St. Stephen's Church office

(119 Main Street, Millburn, NJ 07041) by Sunday, December 11th.

Please email Maryalice at maryalice_chech@yahoo.com if you have questions.

Many thanks! Your generosity is greatly appreciated and will help bring joy to these children during the Christmas season.

RUMMAGE SALE

Donate and/or shop the Boutique and Rummage Sale at Community Church on November 19th.

Proceeds will help the Millburn Cares charity

to support local victims of Hurricane Ida.

Donations accepted until Nov. 17.

The sale is on Saturday, Nov. 19 (9am - 1pm).

For more info, click here.

Faithful Outreach

Thank you to everyone who donated to our baby shower collection for North Porch Women & Infants' Centers! Special thanks to Barbara Reidel for coordinating and Rev. Paula for blessing all of our baby shower donations.

Such a wonderful start to our Thanksgiving celebrations!

______________________________________________________________

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

What does God want me to do??? - 11/9/2022

Discernment, says Bishop Hughes, is not just for people considering ordination or churches calling their next priest. It is the responsibility of all faithful people to ask themselves, and their community, “How is God trying to lead me into the thing that God has prepared me for in this life?"

The Voice Online Link - 11/9/22

DIOCESAN E-NEWSLETTERS

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

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

Drew Johnson

Eugene Foley

Evie Larson

Sandra Swan

Cherie Donze

Ron Gadbois

Linda Clark

The Roberson Family

Shirley Dutton

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

November 20, 2022

Third Sunday of Advent

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Psalm 46

Colossians 1:11-20

Luke 23:33-43

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.