Newsletter, April 27

Reverend Sheelagh’s Thought for the Week: April 27, 2016

“The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly…”

The reading from Acts this weekend  recounts the journeys of Paul and the disciples as they travelled around the Mediterranean bringing the good news to various towns and cities.  What is interesting to me is that they were clearly feeling “called” by the Holy Spirit to some places, rather than others.  “Call” is something that it isn’t easy to explain, and I shall refer to it when I describe what my sabbatical time is going to look like after the service on Sunday.  This I do know.  I feel “called” from the depths of my heart to do this work.  There is no doubt in my mind that this is a “call” because I am filled with passion and joy when I think about it or talk about it.  My heart quite literally leaps whenever I hear or read anything about what this “going local” with millennials might be.  Come and experience some of that feeling, and discover the ways you can be part of this journey with me.  Oh, and also hear about the more mundane arrangements will be while I am gone.

Thank You
Thank you – to everyone who has contributed in the last three weeks to our ministries here at St Stephen’s.  It has truly  been a rich and deep month, with IHN, the street fair, the organ recital and the Broadway Show Choir benefit.

Thank you for welcoming, greeting, and ushering.

Thank you for preparing, cooking, baking and serving.

Thank you for putting up beds, tables, curtains and taking them all down again.

Thank you for sweeping, cleaning, laundering and emptying garbage.

Thank you for being present as the welcoming, loving faces and
hearts of Christ’s love in action.

Reminders

Serving at the Altar 5/1 & 5/8

Going Local Committee
Our going local committee, Heather Webster, Paul Boegershausen, Martin Hirschfeld and Eugene Foley met weekly to consider various possibilities of interfacing with the community.  After careful consideration of numerous opportunities, we decided to participate in the Millburn Street Fair, Sunday, April 17, 2016.

Blessed with absolutely beautiful weather, our display featured a diorama of lovely photos mostly from Ron Clarke’s calendar of St. Stephen’s images.  Also our table, fronted with our “Love Begets Love” banner, displayed numerous brochures, pamphlets and posters of our various ministries and cultural events.

Special thanks to Heather for designing and printing a new tri-fold pamphlet of St. Stephen’s wide reaching involvement.

Her dog Simon was the star of the show, getting passers-by to stop, pet, “ooh-ah”-and take a look at our display.  Over all we accomplished a presence at a local event and demonstrated our charitable commitment and involvement, including our own sense of doing the Lord’s work.

We’ve already contemplated changes we could make for future participation, such as tables and chairs to allow folks to sit and eat the treats offered at the fair.

Simon shared his water bowl with the many canine attendees, perhaps he’ll tend bar for the dogs next time.

– Eugene

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sunday May 1, 2016
The sabbatical – A presentation

Please join the Rector, Wardens and Vestry after church for a short presentation and Q & A after services on Sunday May 1st.

Grocery Card Sunday  –  Sunday May 1, 2016

(A Separate Newsletter Was Already Sent Today)
May orders for Shop Rite and Kings gift cards will be taken this Sunday to support our operating budget.  If you shop at either Shop Rite or Kings, please consider purchasing gift cards.  Order forms are available in church, on the website.

http://ststephensmillburn.org or can be emailed to you.

Christine’s Kitchen
June 4, 2016 from 10:30am-1pm

We serve neighbors in need at Christine’s Kitchen at Holy Trinity in West Orange. Holy Trinity is located at Washington and Main Streets in West Orange. Parking is on the street.  We can use entrees, fruit, and other foods, as well as volunteers.   If you feel like bringing something additional, do so!  Food will not go to waste.

If you want to volunteer or contribute call Claas at 908 451-0426, or email him at cehlers@familypromise.org.

Thought For The Week
Thinkers.  Writers.  Please consider writing a brief  “thought for the week” on anything at all for the weekly e-news during the sabbatical period.  Let Claire or Janet Hager know you are interested.

Celebration of New Ministry
The Reverend Cooper Conway sends us news that she will be installed as Priest-in-Charge at Trinity Episcopal Church, 7 South Highland Avenue, Ossining, New York on Saturday 14th May at 11:00am. Come, Holy Spirit, come.

NOTICES
Please send all articles and e-mails for the newsletter to Claire by NOON on Tuesday at church@ststephensmillburn.org.