Newsletter, December 20
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
Prayer for Guidance in finding a new Rector (BCP)
Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a new Rector for this parish, that we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Events
Date | Time | Event |
| Dec 21, Thursday | 7pm | Blue Christmas Service |
Dec 24, Sunday Christmas Eve Schedule of Services | 10am 5pm 10pm | Eucharist Service Family Service Candlelight Service (Pre-service music, Organ & Harp starts at 9:40pm) |
Dec 25, Monday Christmas Day | 10am | Eucharist Service |
| Dec 31, Sunday | 10am | Lessons & Carols |
| Jan 6, Saturday | 10:30am-1pm | Christine’s Kitchen |
| Jan 14, Sunday | 10am | Church School |
Serving at the Altar 12/24, 25 & 31
Dec 24, 2017 No 8am Service | Dec 25, 2017 No 8am Service | Dec 31, 2017 No 8am Service |
Readers: 10am K. Hanson & B. Riedel 5pm L. & O. Owolabi 10pm B. Riedel & F. Taber | 10am Reader: C. Francis | 10am Readers: (Lessons & Carols) 1. F. Dorn 2. K. Hanson 3. S. Landers 4. J. James 5. S. Moran 6. K. Conway 7. P. Wick 8. TBD |
| Chalicists: 10am R. Riedel 5pm E. Maurer 10pm S. Clarke & R. Riedel | ||
Ushers: 10am B. Riedel & K. Hanson 5pm J. & L. Soughan 10pm P. Boegershausen & B. Riedel | Ushers: T. & K. Conway | |
Altar Guild: 10am A. Cole 5pm A. Cole 10pm J. Dorn | Altar Guild: A. Cole | Altar Guild: A. Walker & T. & J. Scharff |
Coffee Hour: The Soughan Family | ||
Altar Flowers: The Christmas Flowers Are Given by St. Stephen’s congregation In Memoriam |
NOTICES
Food Barrel
The food items collected in the barrel at St. Stephen’s are distributed by the food pantry at Apostles’ House in Newark, which provides grocery support to people referred to the pantry by social agencies. Those given support are unable to afford adequate food for themselves and their families. We can help by FILLING OUR BARREL! The Advent season is a great time to start!
Our food barrel is located in the Narthex by the rear door to the Church, ready to be packed with nonperishable items such as: CANNED MEAT, CANNED BEEF STEW, CANNED TUNA, PEANUT BUTTER, JELLY, CANNED FRUIT, PLAIN RICE, DRIED BEANS, 100% FRUIT JUICE, CANNED VEGETABLES, POWDERED MILK or PARMALAT, COLD and HOT CEREALS, CANNED SOUPS, MACARONI and CHEESE, CANNED OR INSTANT POTATOES, COFFEE and TEA.
Our food barrel is located in the Narthex by the rear door to the Church, ready to be packed with nonperishable items such as: CANNED MEAT, CANNED BEEF STEW, CANNED TUNA, PEANUT BUTTER, JELLY, CANNED FRUIT, PLAIN RICE, DRIED BEANS, 100% FRUIT JUICE, CANNED VEGETABLES, POWDERED MILK or PARMALAT, COLD and HOT CEREALS, CANNED SOUPS, MACARONI and CHEESE, CANNED OR INSTANT POTATOES, COFFEE and TEA.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Join us to celebrate Christmas!
Service Schedule
Thursday 12/21 – Blue Christmas Service at 7pm
Sunday 12/24 – Eucharist Service at 10am (no 8am service)
Sunday 12/24 – Family Candlelight Service at 5pm
Sunday 12/24 – Festival Eucharist Service at 10pm
(Pre-service music, Organ & Harp starts at 9:40pm)
Monday 12/25 – Christmas Day Service at 10am
Sunday 12/31 – Lessons and Carols at 10am (no 8am service)
Blue Christmas December 21, 7pm
For the third year, St. Stephen’s will offer a Blue Christmas Service of prayer and reflection on December 21 – the winter solstice. This date, the longest night of the year, reminds us of the darkness of loss that sometimes feels overwhelming during the season when we celebrate light, joy, and hope. The Blue Christmas Service offers participants the opportunity to acknowledge feelings of loss, reflect on these, pray with others, and to give and receive comfort. You are invited to join St. Stephen’s choir and parishioners at 7pm on Thursday, December 21. Please consider extending this invitation to friends, family, and neighbors who may also find the service helpful at this time of year. This is an opportunity to extend our ministry to the community. Comfort snacks will be served following the service.
Christine’s Kitchen January 6, 2018
St. Stephens is hosting the next Christine’s Kitchen on Saturday, January 6th once again. We need volunteers for serving and providing food. If you know college or high school kids looking for volunteer hours, you can let them know. 12 – 15 volunteers
Food: Protein dishes are a premium if possible, if you are unable to attend you can still send the food, should be delivered between 10:30 and 11:30 AM or earlier if dish needs to be heated.
We will make arrangement to pick up the food if you can’t drop it off.
Frozen food should be defrosted. If you can’t decide on the food to bring, you can pick from the list below
1. Mac and Cheese
2. Veggies
3. Chicken – baked or barbecued or your own recipe.
4. Pork dish – ham or pork chops etc.
5. Pasta and meatballs
6. Pizza
7. Dessert
You could use your imagination as whenever St Stephens hosts, their guests look forward to the wide variety of dishes.
Christine’s kitchen January 6th 2017 Update
K. Kleber mac n cheese 1 vol
C. Francis Protein dish 1 vol
J. Rossiter pasta and meatballs 1 vol – will need ride
M. Greenfield Ham
Rugbeer Hamburgers 2 vol
- We also need, 1 Volunteer for picking up bread/cakes donation from Essex Green ShopRite by 7:20 am on January 6th.
- 2-3 people to come by 9:45am to help with setup and the rest can trickle in between 11am and 11:30ish. Lunch is served from 12pm thru 1pm.
Supplies needed:
- Drinks – could be a few gallons of juice/ice tea etc.
- Disposable coffee cups/plates/knife & fork
- Milk for coffee
- Sugar, 1 lb pack
- Tea bags
- Splenda
Please let me know if you can volunteer to serve or not so I can plan accordingly. If you can provide food only please list the dish if possible or just say entrée or dessert etc.
The soup kitchen is located at Holy Trinity Church, but it is the product of a group of over a dozen churches, youth groups and synagogues which take turns hosting. Holy Trinity Episcopal Church is located at 315 Main Street at the intersection of Main and Franklin streets in West Orange, opposite the Washington Elementary School.
Contact Deryck Rugbeer at 201-452-9068 or Deryck.Rugbeer@UBS.Com
or turkeyen@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer to help or just donate a meal(feeds 6 to 8 people.)
Church School
Sunday, January 14th
Church School will be starting Sunday, January 14th during 10am service in the classroom off the Parish Hall. The curriculum will be lectionary-based including special projects. Also, learning to appreciate the presence of God around us
and learning why we do the things we do when we gather in God’s name. Any questions please email Carol Francis: bearhousecf@aol.com.
Please Note:
The Parish Office will be closed
Dec 25, 2017 – Jan 2, 2018