Dear Saint Stephen’s, 

Please join me in congratulating Adam Campbell, Melody Eagan, Brandi McCormack, Mike Monroe, and Verna Orr who were elected to the Vestry for the class of 2026, and Susan McDowell, Paul Morris, and Jeanne Shearer who were elected to represent Saint Stephen’s at Diocesan Convention for the next three years.  

I am especially grateful for our departing Vestry members Michael McGovern, Jill Smith, Chris Williams, and Senior Warden Katherine Owens. Our Vestry has done a remarkable job, and as the Rt. Rev. Glenda Curry shared in her sermon last month, they have led us through a challenging season with growth, renewal, and hope. I am very grateful for their leadership. 

This coming Sunday features one of the most beautiful offerings of the year. Our choir has been hard at work for the past few months, learning the music for the annual service of Lessons and Carols. Rooted in tradition from King’s College Cambridge, this service is a musical gift that tells the story of salvation with Holy Scripture and music. Our choir will offer this service at 9:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. on Sunday, with Holy Eucharist.   

Please join me in lifting up the hard work of our adult choir, music director Whitney Page and pianist Natalie Talley, and our guest musicians who inspire and lead us in deepening our relationship with Jesus. 

Faithfully, 

John+

Included in this e-news if you keep scrolling:

• Upcoming Parish Life events for all ages
• Christmas Music & Flower donations are due by December 17.
• Have you signed up for the Children's Christmas Eve Nativity?
• Save the Dates for upcoming events.
• Christmas Service Times.

• MIDDLERS: December 9 - Brunch at North Italia, 11:00 a.m.

• SSEC LGBTQ+ Fellowship: December 10 - Christmas Party at the home of Mark Taylor and Michael Wooley, 5:00 p.m.

• BOOMERS: December 15 - Luncheon in the Parish Hall, 11:30 a.m.

• YOUNG ADULTS: December 17 - Brunch at North Italia, 11:15 a.m.

If you would like someone remembered in the prayers, please have your request sent by noon on Wednesday.

prayer@ssechurch.org

SUNDAY - December 10, 2023

7:45 a.m. - Holy Eucharist Rite II (spoken)

9:00 a.m. - Holy Eucharist Rite II (with choir). Nursery is provided.

10:15 to 11:00 a.m. - Christian Formation for children and adults.

11:15 a.m. - Holy Eucharist Rite II (with choir). Nursery is provided.

5:00 p.m. - Celtic worship service (Holy Eucharist) in the Nave. 

Nursery is provided.

*You are welcome to come as you are from the busyness of life.

6:00 p.m. - Simple Community Supper in the Parish Hall.

WEEKDAYS

8:30 a.m. - Daily Prayer - Monday - Friday online.

Please leave your name and phone number as you take one with you.



All gifts are due back at the church by Dec. 11th.



Please remember that all profits from Meals for Missions go to fund our Outreach projects here at Saint Stephen's. A win for your family and a win for families in our community.

Thursday, December 14th will be the last Meals for Missions pick up for the year. Meals make great gifts and are wonderful to have on hand for your holiday family gatherings. Make plans to stock up in your weekly order.

2023 End of Year Giving to Saint Stephen’s

As we enter the final months of 2023, we are very thankful for all the contributions we have received so far! Since December 31 this year is on a Sunday, please note these reminders as we approach year-end:

1. We welcome all gifts and would love to have all pledges paid on or before the end of the year so that we can finish the year strong. Please contact me at ann@ssechurch.org or login to Realm to check your giving history if you have any questions about your pledge balance or contributions.
2. Contributions made during the worship services on Sunday, December 31 will be counted towards 2023 unless you tell Ann otherwise! Checks dated 12/31/23 will count towards your 2023 giving year and can be applied to your 2023 OR 2024 pledge as long as you indicate your preference in the memo line.  If you want your contribution to be counted towards your 2024 giving record, please date your check for January 2, 2024.
3. If you are planning to donate stock to Saint Stephen’s, please note the stock transfer must be received in one of our brokerage accounts no later than Friday, December 29. As always, PLEASE let Ann know if you are making a stock transfer – we have no way to know who sent us the stock unless you tell us! You will find details below.

• Charles Schwab, phone number 800-435-4000
• Transfer to Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Account No. 3169-4330
• At Charles Schwab, DTC # 0164

• Stifel, Nicolaus, phone number 205-414-3368  John Rucker
• Transfer to Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Account No. 8975-3232
• At Stifel, DTC #793

For your gifts to be counted as contributions in 2023:

1. Gifts received by mail must be postmarked on or before December 30
2. Gifts made online must be initiated no later than 11:59pm on December 31
3. Gifts can be dropped off at the church in Sunday’s collection, the secure dropbox outside the church office, or hand-delivered to the church office no later than Sunday, December 31.

Thank you so much for your continued support! We appreciate you and all your generous contributions to Saint Stephen’s.

Questions? Please contact Ann Day Hunt, Financial Manager, at ann@ssechurch.org or call the church office at 205-967-8786 x103.

Sunday - Faith & Life for Parents of Young Children

Sunday mornings: 10:15-11:00 a.m. in Room 228

Sunday Evening EYC in Carpenter Hall

Grades 7, 8, 9 - 5 to 7 p.m.

Grades 10, 11, 12 - 6 to 8 p.m.

Tuesday Morning Men’s Bible Study

7:00-8:00 am, Room 228 and Zoom (year-round)

Tuesday Morning Bead Ministry

9:30 a.m. in Room 229

Tuesday Morning Women’s Contemplating Christ Circle

11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., in the Terrace Room.

First meeting is September 12; last meeting for fall is December 5.

(We will not meet on October 10 or November 21.)

Tuesday Lunch with the Rector Reading Group

Meets Tuesdays, 12:10-1:00 p.m. on Zoom. Year-round.

The class will be an essay reading class led by the Rev. John Burruss.

Wednesday Morning Yin Yoga

8:30 a.m. at St. John's (across the street from Saint Stephen's).

Contact the instructor, Amy Wall, with questions.

Wednesday Morning Women’s Bible Study

Begins September 13. Meets Wednesdays, 9:30-10:30 a.m.,

Room 228 and on Zoom. Facilitated by Virginia Hillhouse.



Wednesday Morning Centering Prayer

10:00-11:15 a.m. (Chapel) - not first Wednesday

Wednesday Knitting Group

2:00-4:00 p.m. in the Church office conference room.

Thursday Simply Prayer

Thursday mornings, 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the Nave

Thursday Afternoon Bible Study: Luke's Gospel

1:00-2:15 p.m. on Zoom. Facilitated by the Rev. Katherine Harper.

Click here for the Zoom Link.



Friday Morning Bible Study: Paul's Letters

10 to 11 a.m. on Zoom. Facilitated by Verna Orr.

Please email administrator@ssechurch.org if you need the Zoom link.

Friday Morning Chair & Standing Yoga

10:30 a.m.- the Chapel. Contact the instructor, Angela Barnhart, with questions.

• Avondale Breakfast Ministry: Help assemble lunch sacks and/or serve breakfast & lunch sacks on Monday morning from 8:00-9:00 (alongside Lisa Schroeder) Call or text Lisa if you are interested or would like more information 334-546-4205. 

• Food Pantry at Grace Episcopal Church Woodlawn: Distribute food at 9 a.m. on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Tuesdays of the month. 

• Community Kitchens at Grace Episcopal Church Woodlawn: Serve weekday lunch at 12 p.m.; Contact Dorothy Cochran.

• Christ Episcopal Church Fairfield Food Pantry: Help hand out food on Wednesday and Friday mornings at 9am. Contact Connie Hancock.

• Ministry to Asylum Seekers: Collaborating with other local churches, we are collecting the following items as part of our ministry to asylum seekers here in the Birmingham area. For more information, contact the Rev. Deacon CJ Van Slyke.

• zippered tote bags
• reusable grocery sacks
• quart-size plastic zip-close bags
• shoelaces
• You may also purchase items (such as winter jackets, hats, and toiletries) directly from this Amazon Wish List.
• If items are purchased from Amazon they could be shipped directly there. However, it is NOT mandatory that they be purchased from Amazon. We will take them however we can get them. Thanks!

Mary Liz Ingram (Migrant Project)

Trinity Outreach Hub

914 Oak Grove Road,

Homewood, Alabama 35209

The Light Shines in the Darkness: Choosing Hope after a Mass Shooting, an anthology of personal essays by our parishioners and staff (edited by Melinda Rainey Thompson), is now available for purchase as a paperback or Kindle edition on Amazon. Our proceeds go to the Memorial Labyrinth Garden project. We hope you will be inspired to read our book and to share it with others who want to reflect on the experiences collected in this volume.

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