This newsletter contains the highlights of our full twice monthly newsletter.  If you need event details, please refer to the full newsletter from the previous week.  Newsletters are also posted on our website, here.  St. Stephen's event information can also be found on the St. Stephen's website calendar, here.
In-Person Worship & Communion for All
To register for this Sunday's In-Person Worship Service, November 8, 2020 at 10 AM, please register at the SignUpGenius link here

Please register by Friday, 11/6 at 12 PM.

PLEASE NOTE:
- Celebration of the Eucharist will return this Sunday; please read the safety protocols here.

- Communion for All on November 8: The Bishop has asked for all who want to receive Communion this Sunday to do so, even if they cannot attend in-person worship.  If you would like Communion delivered to you "contact free", please call or email the church office by 11 AM on Friday. Rev. Paula or another member of the congregation will deliver Communion and a prayer to you on Sunday afternoon.  Additional Communion for All dates will be announced soon. Read the Bishop's announcement here.

- The Diocese of Newark will be celebrating a 7-week Advent beginning this Sunday, November 8.
- Our 10 AM service will be live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube, and will be broadcast on HTTV on Tuesdays at 6 AM and 3 PM.

Office Note / Preschool
St. Stephen's Pre-School reopened on Tuesday, September 1st.  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!

PLEASE NOTE:  We have some openings at the preschool.  
If you know of a family that may be interested, please have them contact our Director, Nancy Siracusa at sspsmillburn@gmail.com or call 973-376-3534 Ext. 20.  The preschool has learning programs for Infants, Toddlers, Pre-K and Kindergarten.
Upcoming
11/3 - 7 PM - Diocese of Newark Election Day Vigil & Prayer; Zoom link can be found here.

11/3 - 7:45 PM - Daily Prayer on Facebook

11/4 - 8:30 AM - Daily Prayer on Facebook

11/4 - 10 AM - Cross Roads Wednesday's Away

11/4 - 7 PM - Diocese of Newark Day After Election Day Vigil & Prayer; Zoom link can be found here.

11/5 - 6:30 PM - Wardens' & Treasurers' Zoom Meeting with the Bishop; Register here.

11/5 - 7:45 PM - Daily Prayer on Facebook

11/6 - 8:30 AM - Daily Prayer on Facebook

11/6 - 9 AM - Interfaith Bible Hour; Zoom link.

Dial by your location: 
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 883 6207 1069;  Passcode: 647900

11/6 - 12 PM - Deadline to register for Sunday In-Person Worship via SignUpGenius here.

11/7 - 7:45 PM - Daily Prayer on Facebook

11/8 - 10 AM - In-Person Sunday Worship; Live-streamed via Facebook and YouTube; Will be broadcast on HTTV on Tuesday at 6 AM and 3 PM; Bulletin can be found here.

11/8 - 12 PM - Virtual Coffee Hour; Zoom link.

11/8 - 1 PM - Reading with the Rector; Zoom link. 
Dial by your location:
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York) 
Meeting ID: 858 8331 1463;  Passcode: 998901

11/9  - 8:30 AM - Daily Prayer on Facebook

11/9 - 6:30 PM - Speaker Series on Race: The Rev. Charles Wynder, Jr., Diocese of New Hampshire; Click here for the Zoom link.

11/10 - 7:45 PM - Daily Prayer on Facebook

11/11 - 8:30 AM - Daily Prayer on Facebook

11/12 - 7:45 PM - Daily Prayer on Facebook

11/13 - 8:30 AM - Daily Prayer on Facebook

11/14 - 7 PM - JUST ADDED! Family Promise Film Screening & Virtual Discussion: Academy Award Winning Film, INOCENTE!  For details and to register, you can access the flyer here.  Detailed info will also be included in next week's full newsletter.

11/14 - 7:45 PM - Daily Prayer on Facebook

UPDATED: Connection and Common Worship
SUNDAY WORSHIP
- In-person worship at 10 AM
- Protocols can be found here.
- Live-streamed via Facebook and YouTube at 10 AM 
- Broadcast on HTTV (Comcast TV 36 and Verizon TV 33) on
Tuesdays at 6 AM and 3 PM; Please note new day and time.
- Bulletins can be found here.

COFFEE HOUR
- 12 PM Sunday Morning via Zoom
- To call in, dial by your location        
        +1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
        Meeting ID: 895 5857 6382

DAILY PRAYER 
- Live-streamed on Facebook
- M-W-F at 8:30 AM
- T-TH-SAT at 7:45 PM

Most days, Rev. Paula will lead prayer live, though occasionally it will be a "Prayerful Interlude" or a recorded reflection. Videos of all the posts can easily be accessed from the Facebook video library here.

All of the information you need to remain actively connected to St. Stephen's can be found on the website under the "Living Our Faith in a Time of Pandemic" here.

Please be sure to spread the word to your friends and family who do not use the internet.

From Bishop Hughes

BISHOP HUGHES' VLOGS can be viewed here.  
The Voice Online may be found here.  
Communion for All video message can be found here.

RACE SPEAKER SERIES
The Diocese of Newark is hosting a Speaker Series on Race co-hosted by Bishop Hughes and the Namaste Anti-Racism Commission. On three consecutive Mondays, three leaders from within The Episcopal Church will reflect on the question "How are we talking about race in The Episcopal Church?" Each speaker will provide a unique understanding and an opportunity for reflections on race.
Registration is not required, and there is no fee to attend. Zoom link.
  • Monday, November 2, 6:30-8 PM - Dr. Catherine Meeks, Diocese of Atlanta
  • Monday, November 9, 6:30-8 PM - The Rev. Charles Wynder, Jr., Diocese of New Hampshire
  • Monday, November 16, 6:30-8 PM - The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, Diocese of New York
SHARE YOUR PRAYERS
Bishop Hughes invites all of us to write down our prayers during this pandemic and share them with the diocese, as a way to help each other. The prayers will be shared on the diocesan website in The VOICE and on social media. Prayers can be sent to Canon Wright at awright@dioceseofnewark.org for posting. Please include the name and town of your church. 

DIOCESAN MEMORIAL WALL
A holy place in virtual space for mourning and memory. This is a place to gather, grieve, reflect and honor the lives of those who have died during the time of the pandemic, whether or not it was due to the virus. To visit the wall and/or submit a name, click here.

 UPDATED: Faithful Outreach

APOSTLES' HOUSE & NORTH PORCH
still need your help!  We had very few food donations during the month of October.  Please consider making a donation, especially with Thanksgiving coming in just 3 weeks.  Many, many families are still struggling with food insecurity during this pandemic and need help.  THANK YOU!!!

Please remember to check the expiration dates before dropping off your items.  Donation bins are located outside of the St. Stephen's Narthex parking lot entry doors. 

Apostles' House - Items needed - Canned goods and non-perishable food items. 
North Porch Women & Infants' Centers is in URGENT need of Enfamil Infant Formula 12.5 oz containers (yellow label), baby wipes, and diapers size 4, 5, and 6.

Online Donations - If you are unable to drop off items at the church, and would like to contribute, you can make purchases and/or donations directly to these organizations. 
North Porch Donation link & information.  North Porch Amazon Smile direct link.
The Apostles' House Food Pantry link.

TURKEY BOXES
Thanksgiving Dinners for our Drumming Camp Families
 
This summer - due to COVID precautions - we had just 4 families whose children were engaged in Drumming Camp. Once again St. Stephens will provide Turkey Box Thanksgiving dinners for those families. 

As of 11/3, we need volunteers to provide for just 3 of the 4 families. Please email Maryalice Chech or Fran Taber if you're interested, and they'll provide a shopping list. 

Deadline: Turkey Boxes are due at Church on Sunday, 11/22. They'll be picked up by Delouise Monroe after church on that day at 11:00 AM. Thanks as always for your support of Drumming Camp!

Resources from the Diocese and Beyond
There are many, many resources available to parishes and individuals to help sustain our faith practices during this unprecedented time.  We have moved the list to our website, here. This is by no means a complete list, though it does cover many areas of need.

The Teen & Youth Groups can be found here:
Diocese of Newark PopUp Youth Ministry - Facebook & Instagram - Next POP UP event is 11/15 at 3 PM!
Cross Roads Camp & Retreat Center - Facebook & Instagram

St. Stephen's Prayer List


Please keep the following St. Stephen's family members and friends in your prayers...
Jeff Loggins
Jimmy Hasenkamp
Ian Janeczko
The McManus Family
The Blanchard Family
Donna Riggi
Eleanor Robinson

Bernard & Nathan
The Fitzgerald Family
Jack Moreno
Stephanie Gubin
Sue Macbeth
Francis
Chris Anderson
Hailey Rose Fout
Christine Conti
Xander
Evan
Felder Dorn
James Tranberg
Debbie and Geoff Robarge
Peggy Thompson
Alex Cole

Lectionary
Welcome to Advent! 
This year, St. Stephen's joins 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 God's dream, helping us to engage more fully in Christ's mission of peace, justice, and the integrity of creation. It seems especially meaningful that, in this year of pandemic and civic conflict, we begin the new liturgical year a few weeks early, 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. 

NOVEMBER 8, 2020
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
Psalm 78:1-7
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-27
Matthew 25: 1-13
Links to the Wider Church

The Episcopal Diocese of Newark







The Episcopal Church









The Presiding Bishop








Giving with Tithe.ly
Giving with Tithe.ly is easy, with options for one-time or recurring donations.  We encourage you to consider it at all times, but especially when you are away for any reason, like all of us now with the restrictions due to coronavirus.

There are two ways to do it:  thru tithe.ly.com or the tithe.ly app on your smart phone.  You'll want to search for St. Stephen's Church Millburn.  Be sure to have the correct punctuation. You'll know you're there when you see: St. Stephen's Church Millburn and the address. Once you're at the church's page, follow the prompts.  
Office Hours and Contact Information

Office hours:
Until we are through this public health emergency, there are NO office hours.  Please call Rev. Paula to arrange for pastoral care or if you have any reason to come to the office. She'll work with you to figure out a safe way to manage this.

Phone: 973.376.0668  
Fax: 973.376.4002
Website: ststephensmillburn.org
Main email: church@ststephensmillburn.org
Follow us on: FacebookInstagram and Pinterest

Doreen Schindler, Parish Administrator can be reached at ext. 32 or
church@ststephensmillburn.org.

The Rev. Paula J. Toland, Rector can be reached at ext. 21 or 
rector@ststephensmillburn.org.
She is an occasional blogger at fromthestillness.