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October 2014
Every fall we do this thing called “the annual stewardship appeal.” We ask members to fill out com-‐mitment cards (a.k.a. pledge cards) indica>ng how much money they intend to donate to the church in the next calendar year. We do this for two reasons:• It helps us plan accurately for the coming year, since our ministry budget is based on the dollar amounts our members plan to give.
• It is an opportunity for each of us to prac>ce and grow in discipleship, par>cularly in the areas of giving and generosity.
This year we are invi>ng everyone to par>cipate in a four week reflec>on called Treasure as a first step in this year’s stewardship program:• Pick up the book of daily readings.• Sit in on the four classes offered Sunday mornings beginning September 28 at 9:15 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.
Treasure is built around Jesus saying, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (MaUhew 6:21). With these words, Jesus challenges us to look differently at the rela>onship between our treasure and our heart. We usually think that our “heart” — those things we value and hold dear — will deter-‐mine where we put our “treasure.” But that’s not what Jesus says here. Christ’s point is exactly the op-‐posite: where your treasure is, your heart will follow. Where we spend our >me, our energy, our tal-‐ents, and our money shape what is in our hearts, like it or not. How we use our treasure can give our hearts great joy or great sorrow. Where we invest our ;me, energy, talents, and money can draw our hearts closer to, or farther away from God. How we use our treasure impacts our spiritual well-‐being both as individuals and as a community of faith.
The fall stewardship informa;on sheet inside this edi>on of The Messenger (1) highlights new and ex-‐panded ministries where together we are already inves>ng our >me, energy, talent, and money, and (2) li?s up ministry areas where we would like to grow.
The step chart on the back of that informa>on sheet shows us how our member households are cur-‐rently inves>ng our money in God’s mission here at St. Stephen’s. Each step represents a different level of weekly giving, specified in dollar amounts. Above each step is a number indica>ng how many households are currently giving at that level. It asks each of us to grow our giving by at least one step for 2015.
Inside the stewardship informa>on sheet you will find a commitment card. It has space on the front for you to indicate what your financial gi^ for 2015 will be. On the back you can specify which ministry or ministries you intend to give your >me, energy, and talent. Filling out and returning this commitment card is an important step up in faith — pu>ng your treasure where your heart will follow.
Blessings for your stewardship journey, Pastor Ritva
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St. Stephen’s Rally Day Activities – Sunday, September 7
“Henry is preAy excited about his shepherd!! Thank you to everyone who worked so hard on this project!!”
– Debbie Fontenoy Ackerman
Shepherd Aus;n Hebrink and Sheep Henry Ackerman.
Luke and Hannah Schneider.
John Williams and his class. Students gather around the table.
Sidewalk ar;sts Jackie Lee and Dathan Towell.
Shepherds and Sheep…
Sunday School Begins…
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From Pastoral Intern Aleese BaldwinWhile a music major at Luther College, I was constantly on the search for accompanists to play for end-‐of-‐semester and degree recitals. Before college, I was
spoiled. During junior high and high school, when preparing violin solos for Solo-‐Ensemble events or college audi>ons, my mom would play the accompaniment part on piano. In turn, I had an accompanist who was more available than most to not only get to know the music, but also get to know the musician. But a^er spending a semester in college, I realized that this rela>on-‐ship with an accompanist wasn’t always the case, and resulted in a less developed rela>onship with my pianist and a less musical performance.
Just as my rela>onship with my mom helped me develop musically, rela>onships within my home congrega>on as a youth and young adult helped me develop spiritually and voca>onally. Here at St. Stephen’s, we have witnessed the growth of accompanying rela>onships in our Sheep and Shepherds program for our kids ages 0-‐5th grade, and what a difference that has already made in the lives of those children! Now, our
high school youth are embarking on their own journey of faith as they prepare for the Na>onal ELCA Youth Gathering in Detroit. Scheduled for July 2015, high school youth and parents are prayerfully considering what it might mean to commit to a journey of life-‐changing service, fel-‐lowship, worship, and leadership.
So what does that mean for me? I ask you to ac-‐company our high school youth as they commit themselves to this experience. Just as an accom-‐panied musical solo is enhanced by a solid rela-‐>onship with one’s accompanist, our lives of faith are enhanced by those who con>nually ac-‐company us. And youth? Prayerfully consider what God is calling you to this summer. Walking hand in hand, our rela>onships of accompani-‐ment have the poten>al to take us to places we’ve not even imagined.
Peace,Vicar Aleese Baldwin
Youth GatheringIt’s >me to rise up together and get ready for the Na>onal ELCA Youth Gathering in Detroit! The gathering will take place from July 15-‐19, 2015. Youth in grades 8-‐12 are encouraged to aUend! Informa>on and commitment forms can be found on the bulle>n board near the visitor’s center. Because slots fill quickly, we are asking for a down payment and commitment form by October 15. We will be celebra>ng the beginning of our journey together on Sunday, October 19 in worship with a brief commissioning. Following 10:30 worship we will have another mee>ng to begin planning pre-‐gathering mee>ngs and fundraisers. Please contact DeeAnn Hebrink or Vicar Aleese if you would like more informa>on or if you have any ques>ons!
Accompaniment – More than Just a Musical Term
Life-Long Learning for OctoberLife-Long Learning for OctoberLife-Long Learning for October
Date Topic Leader(s)
Oct. 5
Treasure Week 2: "The Prob-‐lem with two Masters"
Lyle Kleman (facilitator)
Oct. 12
Treasure Week 3: "Giving Your Treasure Back to God"
Lyle Kleman (facilitator)
Oct. 19
Treasure Week 4: "Don't Worry 'Bout a Thing"
Lyle Kleman (facilitator)
Oct. 26
ConfirmaEon PresentaEons
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St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church is officially enrolled in the Stephen Series, a program of equipping and empowering con-‐gregaQons to provide ChrisQan care to their members. Since March 4, 2014, we have trained four “Stephen Ministers” who were commissioned on September 28, 2014.
A “Stephen Minister” is a lay person who has received 50 hours of training from cer>fied Stephen Lead-‐ers to provide confiden>al, one-‐to-‐one Christ-‐centered care to persons experiencing a difficult >me in life, due to one or more of the following types of situa>ons:
• Grief• Divorce• Cancer• Hospitaliza>on
• Physical rehabilita>on• Long-‐term care• Chronic illness• Terminal illness
• Job loss• Loss of a home• Military deployment • Onset of a disability
• Loneliness• Spiritual crisis• Other life struggles
A Stephen Minister begins a caring rela>onship when s/he is matched to a person who is strug-‐gling with one or more of these issues. Stephen Ministers are always matched with persons of the same gender. Pastor is responsible for referring a person in need to a Stephen Minister. The names of persons receiving care are kept strictly confidential be-‐tween Pastor and the assigned Stephen Minister. The Stephen Minister will then contact the per-‐son and arrange to meet with them for one hour each week to listen, care, encourage, and pro-‐vide emo>onal and spiritual support. The caring rela>onship lasts as long as the person is in need of care.
Throughout the caring rela>onship, the Stephen Minister will receive supervision and con>nuing educa>on from the Stephen Leader(s). The Stephen Minister will never share confiden>al informa>on with anyone other than Pastor.
The Stephen Ministry Team at St. Stephen’s consists of:
Pastor Ritva Williams (referrals)Gail Husmann (Stephen Leader)Vicky Johnson (Stephen Minister)Marilyn Loan (Stephen Minister)Kathy Nathan (Stephen Minister)Laura Sagers (Stephen Minister)Carole Butz (Support & Spiritual Direc>on)
®
LSI is blessed to have many congrega>ons and friends who share in our social ministry by s>tch-‐ing quilts. Your quilts travel all over the state to be delivered to babies and young children, youth at our Bremwood and Beloit Residen>al Treat-‐ment Centers, and homes where the warm com-‐fort of a quilt is needed.Thank you for sharing God’s love and care through these special gi^s! If you or someone you know would like to par>cipate in this minis-‐try, please contact Deb Whipord for more in-‐forma>on at [email protected].
LSI is proud to be an affiliated social ministry or-‐ganiza@on of the ELCA. Learn more at LSIowa.org and facebook.com/LSI.iowa.
We asked LSI staff to share what these quilts have meant to children and families:
“A young woman, leaving Bremwood, was excited to go home. But she was also sad to leave her friends and staff. She said her blanket would help her remember these important people in her life.”
What a difference you make! Thank you for help-‐ing so many people feel safe, warm, and loved.
Sharing God’s Love and Care Through a Quilt
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PRAYER
Mondays at 12:30 p.m. – Join us as we pray for each other and St. Stephen’s.Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. – Worship with prayer around the cross.
STUDY
Children: Sundays 9:15 a.m.Sunday SchoolMusic second Sunday of each month
Life-‐Long Learning: Sundays 9:15 a.m. Men’s Group: Mondays 8 a.m.
At Mr. Beans-‐MarionWomen’s Bible Study – Amos: Tuesdays 10 a.m.
In the Fellowship Hall; facilitated by Pr. RitvaConfirma;on for Middle School Youth:
Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m., Room 9
GIVE
Ebola Outbreak ResponseLutheran Disaster Response is commiUed to walking with our brothers and sisters affected by the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Want to help? Give through St. Stephen’s or send your check directly to: Lutheran Disaster Response, 39330 Treasury Center, Chicago, IL 60694-‐9300write “Ebola Outbreak Response” or “Where Needed Most” on your check’s memo line.
INVITE & ENCOURAGE
Women, Wine, Wisdom Fellowship Group –Meets Thursday, October 2, 6 p.m., at St. Stephen’s! Amy and Nicole will be cooking for us. Bring your own beverage. Childcare and kids’ meals will be provided. Please RSVP Amy Kuhn at [email protected] or call/text 319-‐270-‐6365.
Second Annual Bonfire at Terri and Ev Petersen’s, Friday, October 3, 6:00 p.m. Come with lawn blankets, chairs, hot dogs to roast, your beverage, and something to share (chips, snacks). You can even bring your own dinner if you don't want to grill hot dogs. Camp-‐ing out is available. We will provide stuff for s'mores, s>cks for roas>ng, paper plates and will have hot dogs on hand as well. Contact Amy with ques>ons 270-‐6365 [email protected].
Coffee on Thursdays resumes on Thursday, October 9, with the book The (Un)Common Good: How the Gospel Brings Hope to a World Divided by Jim Wallis. The study meets the sec-‐ond and fourth Thursdays of each month at 3:00 at Mr. Bean's Coffee Shop in Marion. Everyone is welcome.
Beer and the Bible Men’s Fellowship Group – Thursday, October 16, 6:30 p.m. Tim and Laura Sagers’, 1612 Colony Ct. SE. Join us for Oktober-‐fest themed beers and a discussion of the abun-‐dance of autumn and how we respond with our gi^s. RSVP to Tim by text: (319) 929-‐1830 or email: [email protected].
Hallowe’en Party, Wednesday, October 29Save the date! Specifics are coming.
SERVE
Senior Support Network (SSN)A new ministry opportunity to address the needs of our seniors. (The en>re ar>cle on SSN appears on page 4.) Please contact SSN Team Leader Karen Johns at [email protected] or 329-‐4557.
Practice Discipleship in Daily LifeJoin us as we explore the seven faith practices that are the foundation for
following Jesus in daily life: Worship, Prayer, Encourage, Study, Give, Invite, Serve.
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Through the Week at St. Stephen’sWhat’s usually happening on a given dayFall Stewardship Appeal Begins 10/5
Sundays8:00 a.m. Worship9:05 a.m. Fellowship9:15 a.m. Educa>on Hour10:30 a.m. Worship11:45 a.m. Choir Rehearsal11:45 a.m. Youth Gathering Mtg (10/16 youth & parents)
Mondays9 to 1:00 Church office open eNews deadline8:00 a.m. Men’s Fellowship at Mr. Beans12:30 p.m. Prayer Team7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts (10/6, 20, 27)
Tuesdays9 to 1:00 Church office open10:00 a.m. Women’s Bible Study6:30 p.m. Ministry Teams Mee>ngs (10/14)6:00 p.m. Council Mee>ng (10/21)6:30 p.m. Mutual Ministry (10/28)
Wednesdays9 to 1:00 Church office open6:30 p.m. Worship7:15 p.m. Cantors’ Rehearsal7:15 p.m. Confirma>on Class Hallowe’en Party (10/29) tba
Thursdays9 to 1:00 Church office open3:00 p.m. Women’s Coffee on Thursdays at Mr. Beans (2nd & 4th weeks)6:00 p.m. Women, Wine, Wisdom (10/6) (at St. Stephen’s)6:30 p.m. Beer & the Bible at Sagers’ (10/16)
Fridays Pastor’s Sabbath Church office open by appointment6:00 p.m. Bonfire at the Petersen’s (10/3)
Saturdays9:00 a.m. Tai Chi (1st, 2nd, & 3rd Saturdays)
Please visit our homepage at ssluth.com for the most up-‐to-‐date schedule.
On the Prayer List
Please contact the office or use a Prayer Request card (in your pew rack) to place your loved one’s name on this list for two weeks. You may also request prayer of the Monday Prayer Team on the Prayer Request card.
If your loved one desires a pastoral visit, please contact Pastor: [email protected] or 693-‐2087
or through the church office (364-‐2637).
MembersBev ReinertsonSteve ThomasMick ButzSuzanne SchmidtLee TramutoloPete HansenKen KaiserJoan PetersenJada FlowersBob WestercampKen Nathan
Rela@vesTerry SwalveRobert MerrellAndrew MerrellGary CoatesDiane TankVelma EasterlyRon Johnson
Serving in the military and/or overseasKate Munro (Malawi)
We welcomeHenry James Cornell, grandson of Karen and Jim Johns, born September 27. His parents are Jessica and Chris>an Cornell and reside in Colorado.
Our condolences to:The family and friends of Darrel Killham (Bob & Carol Streeper’s neighbor), who passed away September 15.
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Hunter Smith and Dylan Elbert. The inflatable obstacle course was a big hit!
Fun and fellowship.
Rally Day Picnic and Activities…
Ollie Tank.
St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church, ELCA610 31st St. S.E.Cedar Rapids, IA 52403-‐3021
ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED
Non-‐Profit Org.US POSTAGE
PAIDCedar Rapids, IowaPermit No. 140
Staff DirectoryPastor Rev. Dr. Ritva Williams [email protected] Intern Aleese Baldwin [email protected] Manager Susan Hallock [email protected] Director David Haas [email protected] Accompanist Leslie Hyland [email protected] Keeper Debbie Polk (319) 329-‐7655Council President Diane Daubenmier [email protected] Editor Marilyn Loan [email protected]
Sunday Morning Schedule8:00 a.m. Worship9:05 a.m. Coffee & Fellowship9:15 a.m. Life-‐Long Learning10:30 a.m. Worship
Please join us Wednesdays: 6:30 p.m. Worship
St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church (ELCA) is a Reconciling in Christ congregaEon that welcomes diver-‐sity, which enriches, nurtures, and challenges our life and ministry.
Come and join us as we know, live, and share Christ together in love.
St. Stephen’sLutheran Church, ELCA
To Know, Live, and Share Christ. ssluth.com • 319-364-2637
