November 27, 2016
Congregational News
Quick Dates
Campus Ministry Services every Sunday at 6pm
Sunday, December 4: 5pm Advent Spaghetti Dinner
Monday, December 5: 10am-4pm Red Cross Blood Drive
Wednesday, December 14: 6:30pm Book Club at the home of Kaitlin Raver
AWAKE/AWARE
Sunday, November 27, there will be NO AWAKE/ AWARE. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
Sunday, December 4- Rachael Smith will lead AWAKE/ AWARE in SERVE, where we fix and prepare food for people in need.
December 11- Carolyn Baginski brings MAKE, as we celebrate Advent and art.
Saturday, December 17-AWAKE Christmas Pageant rehearsal, from 10:00 am-12 noon. Breakfast will be served at 10 am.
The AWAKE Christmas Pageant will be held in the 10:30 am service.
First Ever Advent Spaghetti Dinner!
Sunday, December 4, 2016: 5:00 – 6:30 pm
**Update: We have sent an EVITE, please RSVP by Monday, Nov 28. If you did not receive the EVITE, please contact the Parish Office
Come join the fun and bring your friends, kids, and neighbors.
Enjoy a traditional spaghetti dinner: sauces, noodles of various sorts, meat balls, salad, bread, and a surprise dessert! Refresh your memory on those Christmas carols (anticipated “sing-off” of the Twelve Days of Christmas), and shop at the world bazar of craft items made by international artists to benefit emerging economic communities. At the end there will be a lightning tear down and sweep up and we’ll leave with only the memories. Wear something red and bring your jingle bells! Donations accepted but free for all! We’ll send an “Evite” closer to the date so we’ll be well prepared for the fun. To volunteer to help, contact Becky Michelfelder
Thank you for Bill Miller
The choir is taking up a collection of thanks for Bill Miller. If you would like to contribute to the purse, you may write a check to St. Stephen’s with “Bill gift” in the memo line and place it in the offering plate this Sunday.
All Saints Shrine
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the All Saints Shrine. We are ready for your materials to be picked up. Please find them on the small table by the mosaic where the shrine was located this Sunday, or the next time you are at the church!
Book Club News
The December Book Club meeting will be on Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at 6:30 PM at Kaitlin Raver’s home. Kindly let Kaitlin know in advance if you plan to attend. We’ll share a potluck super followed by the book discussion. Please bring something to share (main dish, side dish, dessert, beverage). And, instead of a book, we’ll all bring a poem to share (a favorite, one that moves you, something new you’ve discovered — you decide). Everyone is welcome. In January we’ll be sharing books that we would like to read in 2017, so please start thinking about what you’d like to suggest.
Service Opportunities
Volunteers Needed for Driving
We are seeking a few volunteers to pick Bill Platt up at Wesley Glen for church around 10:00am on Sundays. Please contact the Parish Office at if you can help.
NSI Donations for November/December
Now NSI is getting ready for Christmas. We’ve been asked to donate 450 boxes of potatoes, any kind. As of today we have 68 boxes of potatoes. They should be at church by Sunday, December 18.
You may also adopted a child or children for Christmas gifts. The Jesse Tree under the pulpit has paper ornaments on it that tell you the name of the parent with phone number and child, gift preferences and directions. Please sign your name on the sign-up sheet next to the parent/ child that you chose. Plan to spend approximately $50 per child in purchasing gifts. The gifts need to be at church by Sunday, December 11. If you’d rather not shop, you can make a money donation. Write your check to St. Stephen’s with NSI Christmas gift on the memo line. The monetary donations need to be at church by Wednesday, Dec. 7. Shopping for those gifts will be done the next day. If you have any questions, contact Carolyn Vander Stouw.
Parishioner in Need: Used Car
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Liz and TJ Hecker are in need of a good, used car. They are working with a budget of $3,500. If you have a lead on a vehicle please call them. They would really appreciate it.
BREAD News
At the BREAD Annual Assembly last week, we heard updates on several outstanding issues. Last year, the issue was “Hire and Better Pay! Don’t Throw Away” — Those returning from prison often find that they are not welcome in society, despite having served the sentence for their crimes. They are bypassed for jobs and it is a significant challenge to try to start over. At the Annual Assembly, our own Norm Wernet introduced the problem, and city council member Elizabeth Brown addressed the crowd. She agreed to prepare legislation to introduce to city council by March 1, and she committed to attend the Nehemiah Action in May to report on progress. The goal is to encourage employers to hire individuals with criminal records.
Save these dates:
Monday December 12 — Research Kick-off. 7:00 pm at First Congregational Church, 444 E. Broad St.
Monday April 3 — Rally
Monday May 1 — Nehemiah Action (This is the BIG ONE at the State Fairgrounds!)
St. John’s Town St. His Place Dinners
As many of you know, I have coordinated our dinners at St. John’s for the last 15 years or so. I find that it is time for me to step down from this and I need to ask anyone willing to consider taking this over to let me know. It is a very rewarding ministry that requires not a lot of time as we only serve two dinners a year. Next year we are on the calendar for the last Wed. in May and Sept. 2017. The main work is recruiting volunteers (which is never hard as many of us have done this for a long time), planning a menu, buying and preparing the food, and coordinating the night of the dinner.
I am more than happy to help anyone who takes on this role and I will be more than willing to share how I’ve done it, when I do what, etc. Please email or call me if you are interested or just want to talk more about it. Thanks for your help – it is greatly appreciated.
Linda Richter
Around Town and Beyond
Refresh Your Soul Conference
Exciting news! ERS Parish Health Ministry (PHM) and Xavier University (XU) are partnering to present two days devoted to dementia care.
Refresh Your Soul 2017 – Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Overcoming the Struggles & Living Inspired: Monday, March 13, 2017 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. &
XU Dementia Care Summit: Tuesday, March 14, 2017 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location for both events: The Cintas Center at Xavier University
For more information or to download a printable flyer to share, please visit parishhealthministry.com/rys
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
