Upcoming Congregational Activities
Sunday, January 3: AWAKE, AWARE, and ALIVE will NOT meet
Wednesday, January 6: 6:30pm Epiphany Service
Wednesday, January 13: Book Club at the home of Kaethe Sandman
Sunday, January 17: 10:30am -African American Voices Gospel choir will provide music
Sunday, January 24: 10:30am -Illuminati (CGMC) will provide music
January 21-22: Trinity Institute: Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice –St. Philip’s Columbus
Saturday, January 30th Speaker Series will feature the Rt. Rev. Thomas Breidenthal, Bishop of the Diocese of Southern Ohio, speaking on “ Manna for Exodus: Reflections on Baptism and Eucharist” . The presentation will include discussion of the Open Table. We will begin at 12 noon with a light lunch, followed at 1 pm by lecture and discussion. The event will conclude at 2:30 pm. The Speaker Series is open to both congregation and the larger community.
Interim Rector Away
The Interim Rector will be on vacation from Dec. 25-31. If an emergency occurs, please call The Rev. Deacon Pam Elwell. Pam will then get in touch with the priest on call that day. Sharing the on-call rota will be the Rev. Michael Jupin, the Rev. Bruce Smith, and the Rev. Karl Stevens.
Holiday Office Hours
The Parish Office will be closed on Thursday, December 24. The Office will also be closed December 29 through January 1. Meghan will check email and voicemail periodically during this time. In an emergency, during regular office hours (Monday-Thursday 9am-2pm) Meghan can be reached by calling the church number 614-294-3749 and pressing option 2, which will forward to her personal phone. If your (non-pastoral) emergency occurs outside of those hours, the Jr. Warden, Mike Harbin will be on call.
NSI in January
The Neighborhood Services Inc. collection for January is SOUP
AWAKE, AWARE, ALIVE
1.AWAKE and AWARE resumes on Sunday, January 10th. Please check out the AWAKE Photo Gallery, presented by Chris Donaldson, on the west wall of the sanctuary. Also, art by Dale Smith is 8n Hobson Hall.
- ALIVE will start back on Sunday, January 17, which meets at its regular time 9f fifteen minutes after the end of the 10:30 am service. All are welcome for a time of discussion, fellowship, and support.
Wednesday Midday Prayer
Midday Prayer will resume on January 6 at 12:30pm, all are welcome!
Vestry and Convention Delegate Nominations
Vestry and Convention Delegate nominations are open throughout the month of January. There are a four 3 year terms to fill on Vestry as well as 4 diocesan convention delegate spots to fill. Nomination forms will be in the pews on all January Sundays. Or, you may nominate a fellow parish member or yourself by sending the name to the parish office or to someone on the nominating committee. Ballots will be finalized in early February. Voting will take place on Sundays of February 14, 21, and 28, with the annual meeting taking place on February 28. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend the meeting. If you have questions, ask your nominating committee: Thomas Clark, Michael Harbin, Cynthia Whitacre, and Mignonne Whitlow.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW !
St. Stephen’s is partnering with St. Philip’s Episcopal Church to sponsor the Trinity Institute Jan. 21-23. The topic for 2016 is Listening For a Change: Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice. Information about times of the several different presentations are attached, as well as registration information. The deadline for registration is Jan. 18. Speakers for this years conference include: Nicholas Kristof ( NY Times columnist), Anna Deavere Smith ( playwrite, professor, actor), Emilie Townes ( dean of Vanderbuilt Divinity School), the Most Rev. Michael Curry ( Presiding Bishop), Michele Norris, the Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas, and Victor Rios. See the flier below.
ABSALOM JONES CELEBRATION- The Most Rev. Michael Curry
Our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, will be part of the Absalom Jones celebration on Sat., Feb. 6th, at St. Philip’s Church in Columbus. The Rev. Absalom Jones was the first African- American to be priested in the U.S. in 1804.Although the event is free, they are asking for registrations so they know how many for lunch. Please go to the St. Philip’s website to register (scroll down to the bottom and click on More under the Absalom Jones event.
Diversity Training
In support of St. Stephen’s commitment to diversity, the Diocese has agreed to sponsor an Anti-Racism workshop at St. Stephen’s on Sat., Feb. 13th, from 9am-4 pm. The workshop will be facilitated by Debby Stokes (St. Philip’s) and Faith Perrizo. Registration for the event can be found at : http://diosohio.org/events/event/anti-racism-training-6/.
Book Club News: 2016 Plans
The first Book Club meeting of 2016 will be on Wednesday, January 13 starting at 6:30 PM at Kaethe Sandman/Pete Anderson’s home. As in 2015, Book Club will meet on the second Wednesday of each month in 2016, so mark your calendar for the year and plan to join in the fun! At the January meeting we will be planning books for the year. Each person attending is asked to suggest one or two book titles for book club discussion. The only 2 rules are 1) you must already have read the book you are recommending, so that you know it will provide a good basis for discussion, and 2) the book must either be available for purchase in paperback or available in large quantity of readily obtainable copies at the local library. All types of books, fiction and non-fiction, are welcome. Do plan to attend to help select the reading list for the year. Even if your book is not selected for book club discussion, it will go on a list of recommendations for the entire group.
For the January meeting, please kindly contact Kaethe in advance to let her know if you plan to attend. We will share a potluck dinner. You are invited to bring a main dish, side dish, bread, dessert or beverage to share. Everyone is welcome!
Reminder: If you’re mailing something to the church, especially time-sensitive materials, we recommend using the PO Box! St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, PO Box 82263, Columbus, OH 43202
