November 23, 2022 Highlights Newsletter

November 23, 2022

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 for the

Fourth Sunday Advent on

November 27 at 10:00am.

This will be a Liturgy of the Word service.

ALL are welcome and

masks are optional.

Coffee Hour to follow

the 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.

PASTORAL CARE

Rev. Paula will be away November 21 - 29.

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

Financial Stewardship for 2023

Your invitation to participate in the financial pledge campaign to support the mission and ministries of the parish have been mailed. 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 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

PARISH OFFICE

HOURS:

Tuesday - Friday

9:00am to 5:00pm

OFFICE CLOSED:

Nov. 24, 25 & 29

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 - 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

Longest Night

6pm - Coalition of Religious Leaders' Interfaith Service

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

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

Other Happenings...

INTERFAITH BIBLE HOUR

Interfaith Bible Hour will continue gathering virtually on the first Friday 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 Friday, December 2nd 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.

2022 Shepherd’s Gathering!

Who: All leaders, clergy and lay, who work with children, youth, and young adults.

What: Come to rest, share ideas, eat great food, and participate in Mental Health First Aid Training.

When: December 1-4 or just for the day training on December 3

Where: Cross Roads Camp & Retreat Center

Registration closes Nov. 28
Click here for more information.

EPISCOPAL VISITATION

by Bishop Carlye Hughes

Sunday, December 11th

Join us as we welcome the Rt. Rev. Carlye J. Hughes, XI Bishop of the Diocese of Newark, to our 10:00am Sixth Sunday of Advent service.

There will only be one worship service on Dec. 11.

Bishop Hughes will be the preacher and presider of the Eucharist and will spend some time with us in Coffee Hour.

Due: Sunday, December 11, 2022

The congregation is invited to bring a plate of cookies for Coffee Hour.

Please set aside/wrap (2) cookies for Bishop Hughes.

Cello bags and ties will be available if you would like to wrap them here.

Cookies can be homemade, or store bought.

Drop off your cookies in Fellowship Hall on your way into church.

We’ll have a cookie exchange with the leftovers. Ziploc bags will be provided.

It’s a wonderful way to share a Christmas tradition

with your St. Stephen’s Family.

For more information contact Barbara Winson Riedel, or email the parish office at church@ststepehnsmillburn.org.

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.

THE NEW LECTIONARY

We will begin using the new lectionary, A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church by renowned Hebrew scholar and womanist theologian, Dr. Wilda Gafney this Sunday.

Building upon the conversations that we started at the beginning of last Advent, we will meet every month, on the second Tuesday from 7:00-8:00pm, to have a Monthly Women's Lectionary Discussion.

We'll be meeting in-person and via Zoom on Tuesday, December 13 at 7pm:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84131953178?pwd=RkNMUWEyaXJQTjFoY0ZRbUxLd0hmUT09

Meeting ID: 841 3195 3178

Passcode: SSM119

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 one video: https://youtu.be/h5gDIDCk75s

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'

December 11, 5:00pm

Community Christmas Party

Christ Church, Short Hills

November 27, 5:00pm

Advent Wreath Making ($10 per person or $20 per family includes one advent wreath per family)

Grace Church, Madison

Wednesdays at 10:30am & 7:30pm

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

December 4, 4:00pm

Advent Spectacular with a visit from Saint Nicholas

December 18, 4:00pm

Advent Evensong and Reception

December 21, 7:00pm

Blue Christmas Candlelight Tazie Service

St. George's Church, Maplewood

December 4, 4:00pm

New Jersey Gay Men's Chorus Concert (Tickets $20 in advance, $15 student/senior, All tickets $25 at the door)

December 6, 6:30pm

Soul Songs for the Season - A festive potluck and singing event.

December 11, 5:00pm

Service of Lessons and Carols

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.

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?"

NEW: The Voice Online Link - 11/23/22

DIOCESAN E-NEWSLETTERS

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

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 27, 2022

Fourth Sunday of Advent

We are using the new lectionary,

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

Genesis 1:1-5

Psalm 8

Romans 8:18-25

Matthew 24:32-44

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.