September 14, 2022 Highlights Newsletter

September 14, 2022

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 and has been since August 22nd, with the exception of one day (August 29th). 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 18th for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost.

ALL are welcome!

Coffee Hour to follow the 10:00am service.

GUEST PREACHER

SEPTEMBER 18

August Laperche will be guest preacher at our 10am worship service on Sunday, September 18.

August Laperche (they/them/theirs) grew up in the Christian faith tradition - they would describe their upbringing as “denominationally ambiguous.” When they were in middle school their parents accepted a pastoral call from a Cumberland Presbyterian church, and it was through their engagement with that congregation that they discerned my call to ministry at a young age. They hold a bachelor’s degree in Social Work, and through those studies they were introduced to progressive values which led them to an affirming seminary community.

August is a graduate of Phillips Theological Seminary, and holds a Master of Arts in Theological Studies. After having volunteered with QCF Community Groups and attending the QCF Conference for the first time in January 2020, August joined the QCF team in April 2020. They are excited to continue following their call to embody the inclusive love of God revealed in Jesus Christ; particularly through working to cultivate radical belonging for LGBTQIA+ Christians and allies.

Q Christian Fellowship is cultivating radical belonging for LGBTQ+ Christians and allies. We are a diverse community with varied backgrounds, cultures, theologies and denominations, drawn together through our love of Christ and our belief that every person is a beloved child of God. Q Christian Fellowship cultivates radical belonging among LGBTQ+ people and allies through a commitment to growth, community, and relational justice.

August Laperche

Program Director

Q Christian Fellowship

They/Them/Theirs

Schedule a Meeting

PO Box 409357

Chicago, IL 60640

(888) 203-7798 | qchristian.org

Looking Ahead

PLEASE CHECK WEEKLY BECAUSE EVENTS MAY BE ADDED OR CHANGED.

SEPTEMBER

SEPT 15

7pm - Preschool Committee Meeting

SEPT 18

Guest Preacher

Children's Chapel resumes

8am - Sunday Worship

10am - Sunday Worship

1pm - AA Meeting

SEPT 19

7:30pm - MA Meeting

SEPT 20

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

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

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

_____

The Parish Office will be closed for

Thanksgiving on

November 24 & 25.

____

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

Other Happenings...

Please join Rev. Paula and our partners in ministry for:

A Night of Worship, Fellowship & Prayer

Grace Episcopal Church in Madison, NJ

September 18 at 6pm

Please register here.

An Invitation from The Rev. Canon Margo Peckham Clark

You are invited to attend our first gathering of the program year of small

and mid-size churches on Monday, September 19 at 7pm.

This meeting is designed primarily for lay people in churches with an attendance of 100 or below on Sundays. Clergy are welcome to attend, although it often works best for multiple people from your congregation to attend - and it does not have to be Wardens or Treasurer (although it is great if at least one Warden or Treasurer is in the group from each church).

For this first gathering, Canon Andrew Wright will join us to talk about a variety of issues about planning the liturgical year, licensed ministries, supply clergy and an overview of the program year. Questions always welcome!

Join the Zoom Meeting on Monday, September 19 at 7pm.

Zoom Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88222789949?pwd=djFsMU9JMXpaOXh2RlBhdThxSG9sdz09

Meeting ID: 882 2278 9949

Passcode: 531700

Join by telephone: 1 646 558 8656 US (New York)

Please save the dates of our next (Monday at 7pm) meetings on your calendar!

November 14, 2022

January 9, 2023

March 13, 2023

May 8, 2023

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 2

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.

Please ensure the safety of your pet and the pets of others by using 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.

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.

READING WITH THE RECTOR

Sunday, October 9

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.

From Bishop Hughes & The Episcopal Church

THE BISHOP'S VLOG

NEW: 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.

NEW: 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.

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

Theresa Scharff

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 18, 2022

Fifteenth 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.