05 Apr

Newsletter, April 5

Rev. Sheelagh’s Thought For The Week

Palm Sunday and Holy Week.

This Sunday brings us to the holiest time of our church year.  Here at St. Stephen’s we begin with the Procession of Palms and the dramatic reading of the Passion Gospel this Sunday. “Why do we do the Passion Gospel on Palm Sunday?” you may ask.  So, a little teaching seems appropriate.  In the 1979 revision of the prayer book, it was recognised that the convention of having Good Friday off was no longer a part of the culture. This mean’t that many would not experience the importance of the crucifixion in our faith.  So an accommodation was made to the Palm Sunday service.  The spirit of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem is carried through the Holy Communion, and following that point, we turn our thoughts to the last days of Christ’s life and his death in the Passion Gospel.
All through Holy Week, the scriptures enter real time and we follow the daily events in the Daily office readings of the journey to the cross.  You can follow along at The Mission of St. Claire or sign up for Lenten meditations at www.dioceseofnewark.org, where online meditations are following the Daily Office readings for Holy Week.
We will travel this journey in real time through Holy Week, with these services:
Wednesday April 12, at 7pm – The Stations of the Cross
Thursday April 13, at 6:30pm – The Maundy Thursday service of  Eucharist and foot-washing; followed by the stripping of the altar, with a one hour silent prayer vigil
Friday April 14, at 10:00am – A children’s Good Friday service
Friday April 14, at 12:00 noon – 3pm – A three hour Good Friday service with meditations and piano on the seven last words from the Cross
Friday April 14, at 8pm – 8:45pm – The Good Friday service from the Book of Common Prayer
These services are at the core of understanding our faith, and serve to engage us and deepen our spirituality.  So, even if you can only manage one of the services in Holy week, as you visit friends and family at Spring break, or offer hospitality to our IHN guests, take a moment to recognize the gift and blessing of God in this Holy season.  Join us as we immerse ourselves in our faith in a way that tells the story and prepares us for the Easter message of hope and joy+

 
Events
Date
Time
Event
April 8 – 14
IHN Week
Interfaith Hospitality Network
Contacts:
April 9, Sunday8am & 10am
Palm Sunday Services
April 13, Thursday6.30pm-9:30pm
Maundy Thursday Service
April 14, Friday
10am
Noon
8pm
Good Friday Services
April 16, Sunday8am & 10amEaster Sunday Services
April 16, Sunday11:30amEaster Egg Hunt
April 23, Sunday11:30am-1pmVestry Meeting
April 23, Sunday7pm
Paper Mill Playhouse Broadway Show Choir
April 30, Sunday4pmBeckerath Organ Recital
        
Serving at the Altar  4/9, 4/13, 4/14 & 4/16
Apr 9, 2017
8am Reader:
M. Ellingham
Apr 13, 2017
Maundy Thursday
Apr 14, 2017
Good Friday
Apr 16 , 2017
8am Reader:
A. Walker
10am Readers:
1. L. Owolabi
2. K. Hanson
3. B. Riedel
4. M. Barakat
5. B. Churchill
6. K. Wade
7. F. Dorn
8. J. James
6:30pm Readers:
1. P. Wick
2. T. Scharff		12pm               Readers:
1. S. Clarke
2. D. Cole8pm Readers:
1. J. Scharff
2. J. Soughan		10am Readers:
1. M. Barakat
2. J. James
3. B. Churchill
Chalicist: S. ClarkeChalicist: R. Riedel
Ushers: H. Rooney & R. Riedel
Ushers:
S. & S. Polanco
Altar Guild: M. Nazareth & T. & J. Scharff
Altar Guild:
A. Walker & A. Cole
Coffee Hour: N. Sieffert & J. Rossiter
Coffee Hour:
H. Rooney, S. Dinan & Jean James
Altar Flowers: No Flowers During Lent
Altar Flowers:
Easter Flowers
REMINDERS
PLEASE DONATE CANDY for the Easter Egg Hunt!
We need to fill over 1,000 Easter eggs with the following candy:
Hershey’s chocolate kisses (No nuts)
Peppermint patties
Jolly Ranchers
Tootsie Rolls
Starbursts
Please bring to church this Sunday (4/9/17) and give to Maryalice Chech during coffee hour.  Thanks very much!
NOTICES
 
 
Please note the Parish Office hours are as follows, effective immediately: 
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 9am-4:30pm
Wednesday: Closed
Thursday: 9am-4:30pm
Friday: 9am-1pm
You may leave a message by phone or e-mail when the office is closed, we will respond to your message when we return.
Thank You.
UPCOMING EVENTS
 
 
HOSPITALITY IS WHO WE ARE
Join us in our 29th year of offering hospitality to homeless families supported by the Interfaith Hospitality Network for the Homeless.
In 1987 St. Stephens became one of a few dozen congregations involved with a new ministry to homeless families – IHN – the Interfaith Hospitality Network for the Homeless.  Since then, another 6,000 congregations have done the same, involving more than 160,000 volunteers and collectively serving more than 600,000 children and adults.  Volunteer congregations host families for a week offering food and shelter while the case management team helps them move toward permanent housing and self-sufficiency.
We host next from April 8 to 14.  This year we will vary our normal hosting schedule.  With Passover and Holy Week only days apart and in partnership with Temple B’nai Jeshurun,  we will host from Saturday morning April 8 to Friday morning, April 14 – Good Friday.
Volunteers are needed to stay overnight, to cook and serve meals, to entertain children, to run errands and for the set up and take down work to convert classrooms to bedrooms.  To learn more, talk to Margo Greenfield or Blair Majtyka.
Sunday, April 9, is the day to bring items donated for our IHN guests.  Put them on the table by the kitchen in the Parish Hall and label IHN.  Thank you for your contributions to this ministry.

Sara Ruth Dorn

The Papermill Broadway Show Choir
Sunday, April 23, 7pm
Save the date for a wonderful evening of song and dance!  The Papermill Broadway Show Choir will perform a benefit concert at St. Stephen’s Church on Sunday April, 23 at 7pm.  Tickets will go on sale April 2, and will be sold after church during coffee hour, and also available at the door.  The congregation provides snacks (savory and sweet) during the intermission.  If you would like to contribute food or drink please let Susan know. sdinan@pace.edu.
To reserve tickets in advance call St. Stephen’s Church at 973-376-0688. Or e-mail church@ststephensmillburn.org
 
Wednesday April 26, 7:30 PM at
St. George’s, 550 Ridgewood Rd, Maplewood NJ
Dear Colleagues,
The Standing Committee has issued its guidelines on how they want to form the committees to elect our next Bishop and for her or his transition to the Episcopate of Newark.  The point that impacts us immediately is for the Districts to meet and put together the list of the lay and clergy members of who want to be considered for the Search and Transition Committees.
They’ve asked us to hold this meeting prior to May 2. Given the small item of Holy Week and the mass Exodus of Easter Week I’m going to call this meeting on:
Wednesday April 26 at 7:30 PM at St. George’s (550 Ridgewood Rd, Maplewood)
Each church is asked to have one clergy person and one lay person attend.
Anyone, lay or clergy, that would like to be considered for the Search or Transition Committee is asked to submit and application prior to our meeting (application form).  Our task that evening is to choose one layperson and one clergy person from District 4 to be our nominee.
Inevitably, this date will be difficult or impossible for some.  Apologies for that in advance!  Hopefully you all can make it or have a representative from your church attend in your place.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
In Christ,
The Rev. Bernie Poppe
District 4 Convener
 
Save The Date, June 25, 2017 At 7:30pm
Once again, as warm weather approaches, let’s do something fun  – a picnic on the banks of the Hudson River in Garrison, NY, followed by an outdoor performance of one of Shakespeare’s plays under the great tent.  This year the offering is “Twelfth Night” (Sunday, June 25 at 7:30pm.)  Ticket discounts are available for those 65 and older and while all seats are good, the sooner we order, the better.  Garrison is a little over an hour away and across the river from West Point.  Shows go on, rain or shine, and arrangements can be made for those who have difficulty walking.  Let me know how many tickets you would like or if you have any questions.  There is a 15% discount on adult tickets if we purchase before April 15. Theresa Scharff: 908 686 5489.
Dates & Deadlines
If you have any dates or events that need adding to the St. Stephen’s Calendar please send them to Claire, and all articles and e-mails for the newsletter by NOON on Tuesday to church@ststephensmillburn.org.
Thank You.