December 15, 2021 Full Newsletter

December 15, 2021

Message from Rev. Paula

Making the house ready for the Lord

Mary Oliver

Dear Lord, I have swept and I have washed but

still nothing is as shining as it should be

for you. Under the sink, for example, is an

uproar of mice—it is the season of their

many children. What shall I do? And under the eaves

and through the walls the squirrels

have gnawed their ragged entrances—but it is the season

when they need shelter, so what shall I do? And

the raccoon limps into the kitchen and opens the cupboard

while the dog snores, the cat hugs the pillow;

what shall I do? Beautiful is the new snow falling

in the yard and the fox who is staring boldly

up the path, to the door. And I still believe you will

come, Lord: you will, when I speak to the fox,

the sparrow, the lost dog, the shivering sea-goose, know

that really I am speaking to you whenever I say,

as I do all morning and afternoon: Come in, Come in.

Beloved Community

As much as I have tried, as much as we have tried, our Advent preparations to meet the Incarnate God again as if for the first time have felt a bit like the poet Mary Oliver's words. We've been intentional in holding space to go a bit deeper into Advent, with daily devotions, an Advent series, a new weekly Bible study, Advent wreath making, and our beautiful seasonal liturgy. And yet it sometimes feels as if nothing is quite as "shiny" as we would have it be, as we continue to live into the very present and challenging realities of flood recovery and new, more infectious strains of Covid. Still, as Oliver writes, we still believe in the promise of the Incarnation. And, when we are at our best, we can invite and welcome Jesus with joyful anticipation. On days when perhaps we don't feel at our best, we can still utter the words, "Come in, Come in," even if in a tone that is more of a plea. The truly Good News is that the in-breaking of Love into the world does not depend upon us. It is true because God is who God is, and that is what we are preparing to celebrate.

Our celebrations this year will not be as limited or restrictive as they were last year, though they won't necessarily be all that we hoped they would be, or, perhaps better stated, they won't be all that we remember from those seemingly long-ago pre-pandemic days. In keeping with our commitment to express our love for one another by gathering in the safest ways we can, while also recognizing the various needs of this community and of those who might find their way here this Christmastide, we have made a few changes to our Christmas Eve services, especially the early service. I encourage you to do two things:

be sure to read the "Looking Ahead" section of this newsletter for details about the services on December 21st, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day, including links to register. While registration is not required, it will help us with our planning.
watch this video message from me for more information about our schedule and why we made the decisions we did.

Peace & Blessings,

Paula+

Financial Stewardship Pledge Campaign

By now, you should have received this year's pledge campaign letter. If you have not, please let us know and we'll be sure to get a copy to you.

The long and the short of it? We cannot be the faithful, vibrant community we are without all of us doing our part, including financially. Pledging so that we have an idea of how to build our budget for next year, is essential. The easiest way if you have a computer and access to the internet is to pledge online here. You can also give online, using Tithe.ly. If you'd rather submit a pledge by mail or in the offering plate, let us know. We'll be sure you have a pledge card.

As of today, we have 19 pledges totaling $78,700. Thank you to all who have made this commitment to give in faith. This is a good start, though we have a long way to go to meet our 2021 pledge of $120,705 and even further to meet our 2020 pledge of $132,000. This year, in addition to regular pledges, we have about $10,000 in gifts to help offset flood recovery costs. The generosity of this parish is beautiful and faithful and is a major reason we are able to live our faith in the ways that we do.

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

Please join us for our Seventh Sunday of Advent worship on December 19th at 10:00am.

ALL are welcome!

WELCOME!

Join us as we continue our observation of 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. We enter the new year 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.

REMINDERS: We continue to follow safety precautions and lovingly require that you wear a mask over your nose and mouth at all times while in the building and maintain physical distance. Enter at the Narthex door (Christian Education building). Someone will welcome you and take your temperature. An usher will assist you with seating in the church.

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 6 AM and 3 PM.

ADVENT TO EPIPHANY DEVOTIONS

St. Stephen’s is a member of the Evelyn Underhill region- a small group of congregations in a geographic area gathered together by a bishop to support and care for one another in their ministry. This year, the congregations of our region are collaborating together in a shared Advent Devotional: Advent with Evelyn Underhill, edited by Christopher L. Webber. Daily during Advent and Christmas (November 7th – January 5th), a recorded devotional will be emailed out to everyone in our parishes via a special email group, so that we may pray and reflect together, wherever we may be. These will be about five minutes long. If you don’t want the daily devotions, let us know. For those who wish to purchase the devotional to follow along, you may do so through Church Publishing at www.churchpublishing.org or from Amazon.

EVELYN UNDERHILL ADVENT DISCUSSION

In addition to our daily devotion recordings, our region’s clergy will host a weekly

Zoom group to discuss and reflect on the week’s reflections. These Zoom gatherings will occur on the last four Thursdays of Advent -- Dec. 2nd, Dec. 9th, Dec. 16th, and Dec. 23rd from 7pm-8pm.

To access the Zoom meeting, enter:

Meeting ID: 899 6538 6150

Passcode: 034756

THANK YOU!!

Thanks to the generous donations from our parishioners, friends and a small amount from St. Stephen’s of Kansas' Drumming Camp grant,

we will be gifting $1950.00

in Target/Visa gift cards to our Drumming Camp children and their families this week.

Thank you for continuing to support this ministry and for bringing joy to our Drumming Camp families

this Christmas.

DONATIONS FOR

CHRISTMAS FLOWERS

(EXTENDED)

We have received a couple of donations at the end of November and in the beginning of December.

December 22nd is the last day to make a donation and have an acknowledgement printed in

our Christmas Bulletin.

If you have any questions or want to advise of a donation, please call the office at 973-376-0688, Ext.32, or email us at church@stsstephensmillburn.org.

COMMUNION FOR ALL

Communion for All is available on the third Sunday of each month.

If you would like Communion to be delivered to you or to be provided to you after church service on Sunday, December 19, please call or email the Church Office by 11:00am on Friday 12/17.

Rev. Paula or another member of the congregation will deliver Communion and a prayer to you on Sunday afternoon.

WEEKLY WOMEN'S LECTIONARY

STUDY

Please join us for a weekly study of a new lectionary available to the Episcopal Church and approved by Bishop Hughes. Our next session is on Tuesday, December 21st. We will meet via Zoom from 5:00 to 6:00 pm to study A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church, Year W by Wilda Gafney.

The Gafney lectionary YEAR W is available at BN.com, Amazon, and ChurchPublishing.org. If you want to participate in this discussion and find the cost of the book prohibitive, please talk to Rev. Paula. No one should sit this out because of the cost of purchasing the book.

BLUE CHRISTMAS - LONGEST NIGHT WORSHIP SERVICE

Join us on Tuesday, December 21st at 7:30pm for a contemplative service of

prayer and reflection as we acknowledge our “blue” feelings at this time of year.

Please come if you feel a need, or desire to honor the part of you that does not feel

quite like celebrating this season. Together we will pray for hope and comfort

as we face our losses.

Looking Ahead

PLEASE CHECK WEEKLY BECAUSE EVENTS MAY BE ADDED OR CHANGED.

DECEMBER

DEC 15

7:30pm - Finance Committee Meeting

8pm - AA Meeting

DEC 16

7pm - Preschool Committee Meeting

7pm - Evelyn Underhill Advent Discussion

DEC 18

7:30pm - AA Meeting

DEC 19

7th Sunday of Advent

Communion for All

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Vestry Meeting

1pm - AA Meeting

DEC 20

7:30pm - AA Meeting

DEC 21

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

7:30pm - Blue Christmas

DEC 22

8pm - AA Meeting

DEC 23

7pm - Evelyn Underhill Advent Discussion

DEC 24

Christmas Eve Services

5pm & 9pm

DEC 25

10am - Christmas Day Service

7:30pm - AA Meeting

DEC 26

10am - Sunday Worship

& Baptism

1pm - AA Meeting

DEC 27

7:30pm - AA Meeting

DEC 28

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

DEC 29

8pm - AA Meeting

JANUARY

JAN 1

7:30pm - AA Meeting

JAN 2

10am - Sunday Worship

1pm - AA Meeting

JAN 3

7:30pm - AA Meeting

JAN 4

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

JAN 5

8pm - AA Meeting

JAN 7

9am - Interfaith Bible Hour

JAN 8

7:30pm - AA Meeting

JAN 9

10am - Sunday Worship

11am - Epiphany Open House at the Rectory

1pm - AA Meeting

JAN 10

7:30pm - AA Meeting

JAN 11

7pm - Worship Committee Meeting

JAN 12

8pm - AA Meeting

JAN 15

7:30pm - AA Meeting

JAN 16

Communion for All

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Vestry Meeting

1pm - AA Meeting

JAN 17

7:30pm - AA Meeting

JAN 18

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

JAN 19

7:30pm - Finance Committee Meeting

8pm - AA Meeting

JAN 20

7pm - Preschool Committee Meeting

JAN 22

7:30pm - AA Meeting

JAN 23

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Reading with the Rector

1pm - AA Meeting

JAN 24

7:30pm - AA Meeting

JAN 25

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

JAN 26

8pm - AA Meeting

JAN 29

7:30pm - AA Meeting

JAN 30

10am - Sunday Worship

1pm - AA Meeting

JAN 31

7:30pm - AA Meeting

FEBRUARY

FEB 1

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

FEB 2

8pm - AA Meeting

FEB 4

9am - Interfaith Bible Hour

FEB 5

7:30pm - AA Meeting

FEB 9

10am - Sunday Worship

1pm - AA Meeting

FEB 13

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Reading with the Rector

1pm - AA Meeting

FEB 14

7:30pm - AA Meeting

FEB 15

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

FEB 16

7:30pm - Finance Committee Meeting

FEB 17

7pm - Preschool Committee Meeting

FEB 19

7:30pm - AA Meeting

FEB 20

Communion for All

10am - Sunday Worship

11:30am - Vestry Meeting

1pm - AA Meeting

FEB 21

7:30pm - AA Meeting

FEB 22

5pm - Women's Lectionary Study

FEB 23

8pm - AA Meeting

FEB 26

7:30pm - AA Meeting

FEB 27

10am - Sunday Worship

1pm - AA Meeting

FEB 28

7:30pm - AA Meeting

CHRISTMAS EVE & CHRISTMAS DAY WORSHIP SERVICES

Ever mindful of the rates of Covid infection statewide, we are planning to proceed with our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Worship Services. We will continue to follow all necessary precautions to mitigate risk -- keeping masks on over our nose and mouth at all times while in the building, maintaining physical distance, taking temps and keeping a log of all who attend service each week.

We highly recommend everyone dress in layers because we'll need to have the vent and parish hall windows open during service.

Christmas Eve - 5pm Worship Service

This service is intended for people who can't be vaccinated, at higher risk, or for anyone who wants to be a bit more cautious than might be possible with our later service. This is the service families with children too young to be vaccinated will likely attend.

We will limit indoor singing.
The liturgy will be shortened a bit.
At the end of the service, we will bundle up and move outside, where we will enjoy some hot chocolate and Christmas cookies around our firepit in the driveway.
And, we will sing a few Christmas carols together.

Christmas Eve - 9pm Worship Service

This service will be a Festival Eucharist with Choir, Organ, Guitar and Trumpet.

We strongly encourage everyone to register to attend our Christmas Eve Services:

Click here to register for our 5pm Christmas Eve Worship Service.

Click here to register for our 9pm Christmas Eve Worship Service.

Christmas Day - 10am Worship Service

This will be a slightly abbreviated Spoken Eucharist Service.

Other Happenings...

AA MEETINGS

Weekly AA meetings times are:

Sunday at 1:00pm

Monday at 7:30pm (NEW)

Wednesday at 8:00pm

Saturday at 7:30pm

Faithful Outreach

FAMILY PROMISE

Low-income families in this country are facing unprecedented social and economic challenges from the pandemic. Job losses, health care expenses, and child-care have all combined to raise the number of evictions. 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

Essex County.

Apostles' House is in need of canned goods and non-perishable food items.

A collection bin is located outside

the Narthex doors in the parking lot. Donations can be dropped off at any time.

If you would like to make a monetary donation to Apostles' House, please click here.

NORTH PORCH

North Porch 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.

North Porch URGENTLY needs:

Enfamil Infant Formula 12.5 oz containers (yellow label)
Baby wipes
Diapers size 4, 5, and 6
Jars of baby food – all ages – fruit, veggie and 1st foods

A collection bin is located outside

the Narthex doors in the parking lot. Donations can be dropped off at any time.

If you would like to make a monetary donation to North Porch, please click here.

From Bishop Hughes & The Episcopal Church

THE BISHOP'S VLOG - Week of 12/15/21

NEW: This Christmas, how about spending some time being the gift?

What if we lowered our sense of importance and expectation about all the things that need to be done before Christmas, and instead of expecting things to go perfectly or to get the perfect thing or give the perfect thing, what if instead our focus was on the way we could be the gift this Christmas?

NEW: The VOICE Online Link -12/15/21

Upcoming Diocesan Events Link

DIOCESAN E-NEWSLETTERS

Sign up to get e-newsletters and important announcements directly from diocesan headquarters. Find out more and subscribe here.

The Bishop’s Church Emergency Fund (BCEF)

The BCEF provides financial support for church buildings in the diocese needing repairs and renovation, usually with a special focus on emergency and unforeseen needs. Through the BCEF, you can support the critical needs identified by the Bishop.

The fourth BCEF call of 2021 is for Hurricane Ida recovery at St. Stephens, Millburn. Read more here.

Cross Roads Camp & Diocesan Youth Ministries

CROSS ROADS

CAMP & RETREAT CENTER

Check out all the fun and interesting year-round programs for children, adults and families.

Click here for more information.

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 YM on Instagram and Facebook at @popupym.

Resources During Covid

Journey Forward Guidelines

There are many, many resources available to parishes and individuals to help sustain our faith practices during this unprecedented time. See resources here. This is by no means a complete list, though it does cover many areas of need.

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

Prayer List

Please keep the following St. Stephen's family

members and friends in your prayers...

Peggy Thompson

Felder Dorn

Donna Riggi

The Blanchard Family

The McManus Family

Bernard & Nathan

The Fitzgerald Family

Lucille B.

Jack Moreno

Jim Freeman

Mary Jo Zarance

Joseph G.

Kelly Olson

Linda Moran

Nicole & Emma

Ningyu Liu

Jamie Stack

KT Thalin

Mike Losito

Cara Lynn Cavin

Evan D. & Family

Alexandra Shuss

Donna Stadler Hostetler

Brian Roland

Renee Kleppinger

We give thanks for the lives of James Harvey, grandson of Kathy Conway, and Ruth Pitts, twin sister of Alexandra Cole, who have entered into greater glory.

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

ADVENT 7

EMMANUEL SUNDAY

December 19, 2021

Micah 5:2-5a

Psalm 80:1-7

Luke 1:39-55

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.