Upcoming Congregational Activities
Sunday, July 24 – Aug 14: MAKE for children during the 10:30am service
Wednesday, August 10: 6:30pm Book Club at the home of Jerrie Cribb
Pastoral Care Coverage
Deacon Pam Elwell has graciously agreed to be the coordinator for pastoral care calls. Several clergy will be available for pastoral care: The Rev. Bruce Smith, the Rev Deacon Sherm Everett, the Rev. Karl Stevens, and the Rev. Deacon Pam Elwell. Please call Pam first—she will know who is on call at any particular time.
Sunday, July 24
This Sunday, July 24, we welcome The Rev. Michael Jupin to preach and celebrate at both services.
Transition News
We received some good news this week. The state of Ohio Department of Administrative services has approved the electrical easement for St. Stephen’s! The paperwork (it’s an eleven page document) has been signed, notarized, and hand delivered to the Director of Real Estate and Development at OSU. However, the easement won’t be complete until OSU signs and the state of Ohio reviews and signs. This process will probably take 2-3 weeks. The contractors have been notified but we don’t have a timeline right now. We’re making progress!
One other item, when we gave OSU access through our parking lot for construction, they agreed to reseal and make any needed repairs to our parking lot. OSU has replaced a section of asphalt near the entrance as well as resealed and striped the lot last week.
-Bernie Castell, Jr. Warden
Traffic Closures Sunday July 24
The Ross TriFit Challenge will be on campus this Sunday. Arps garage will still be accessible via 18th and High St, and Woodruff will be open at High. Parking and access the St. Stephen’s will NOT be impacted beyond the following:
Lane is closed East of Olentangy St. and the curb lane of High St. southbound (north of Lane) is closed.
NSI Donations for July
The items for July will be canned vegetables.
BACK TO SCHOOL AT NSI
NSI distributes school supplies for children in kindergarten through grade 12. You can help by donating backpacks and school supplies: crayons, glue sticks, #2 pencils, pens, boxes of tissues, rulers, pocket folders (both with and without prongs), pink erasers, wide-ruled and college-ruled notebook paper, scissors (blunt and pointed), colored pencils, regular and scientific calculators, 3-ring binders, spiral notebooks and dictionaries.
If you don’t want to shop, you can provide a cash donation that will be used to buy school supplies. Help is need at NSI on Friday, August 5, to fill backpacks and Monday – Thursday, August 8 – 11. to distribute them. All the information can be found in the brochures on the table as you enter the sanctuary. Have the backpacks and school supplies to church by Sunday July 31.
MAKE Begins this Sunday!
We will have PIZZA for all children and parents after church! We will meet in Hobson Hall.
BREAD News
In the BREAD annual cycle, July is the month for the investment drive, when the investment of the individuals in the BREAD congregations allows this organization to be owned by the members, and not beholden to corporate sponsors.
My family has been participating in the BREAD process and events for about ten years, and it gives us all hope for a better future when we see how people of different faith traditions join to solve problems in our community. I’ve been a member of the Restorative Justice Circle for the Weinland Park neighborhood, where we help juvenile offenders make amends for their actions and accept a second chance without the burden of a juvenile record. Several of us gathered at City hall two years ago, attending city council meetings week after week, to get someone to discuss identification cards. As frustrating as the experience was, it was comforting to see so many others from the community standing up for those who could not.
My family is investing $400 in BREAD this year, to support the work for justice in our community. Please consider your own investment in BREAD. Checks payable to BREAD can be dropped in the St. Stephen’s offering plate, or mailed directly to BREAD at 404 S. 3rd St., Columbus 43215.
BREAD Rises!
-Kaethe Sandman
Arps Passes
The current set of parking passes for the Arps garage expire after Sunday, July 31. Beginning August 1st new passes will be available. If you have been stashing passes about your person and vehicle, don’t forget to dispose of them after July 31 and trade them for new ones!
Book Club News
Book Club News: Everyone is welcome at book club meetings. In August the book being discussed is The Little Paris Book Shop by Nina George. We will meet on Wednesday, August 10 starting at 6:30 PM at Jerrie Cribb’s home. Please let Jerrie know as far in advance as possible 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). Join us; it’s fun! For those who you wish to read, the book for the September discussion is Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
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