Upcoming Congregational Activities
Sunday, May 22: after 8:30 and 10:30 services: Work Day! Building and Grounds
Sunday, May 29: after the 10:30am service –AWAKE/AWARE end of year picnic
Wednesday, June 8: 6:30pm Book Club at the home of Deb Raita
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. Pam’s contact information is: 614-736-1204 or pamelwell@gmail.com .
Transition News
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been enjoying the irises in bloom over the last couple of weeks. They’re tall and colorful and they smell like candy – what’s not to love? Since I’m not an iris fanatic, however, I tend to forget about them until they bloom. They spend the winter months as little brown bulbs, hidden beneath the dirt, biding their time until spring. When the soil starts to warm, they send out little green shoots that push their way up to the surface, busily working, unnoticed, while we are admiring the crocuses and snowdrops. For a few more weeks, they look like leggy green weeds, and they’re lucky I’m not a more zealous gardener, because I would probably pull a few of them up by mistake. Eventually, though, all their hard work pays off when they open up their glorious blossoms and celebrate with some cross-pollination. (If any of this isn’t quite accurate, I apologize. I’m a librarian, not a botanist.)
If our rector search were an iris, it would be in the leggy weed phase. The long winter is over and we are working our little hearts out to grow some flowers, but there just isn’t much to look at yet. We recently finished the away visits to our semi-finalists, and then last week we gathered as a committee to discern our next steps. At this point, we have spent quite a bit of time getting to know our candidates. They are an amazing bunch of people, and letting go of any of them is extremely difficult. However, after much intense discussion and prayer, we have identified a set of finalists and are working to schedule their visits. Each visit will last two days, and will include a meeting with the Bishop, a formal interview with the search committee, and a meet-and-greet with the Vestry. We are hoping to schedule the visits for June, but the timing is entirely dependent on the calendars of the people involved, so we don’t know yet exactly when we will wrap up this next phase. Just know that we are pushing towards the sun, a little more every day, and keep us in your prayers.
Melanie Schlosser
Sunday, May 22
This Sunday, May 22 (Trinity Sunday), The Rev. Karl Stevens will be Celebrant and Preacher.
Building and Grounds Work Party: This Sunday!
Joe Rutter and James Marquart picked up 60 bags of mulch last week. We’ve got the bags distributed around the court yard and need everyone’s help to edge the beds in the courtyard, pull a few weeds and mulch the beds. We’ll start after the 8:30 service and continue after the 10:30. So bring your garden gloves and help spruce up the courtyard.
Thanks!
Bernie Castell
AWAKE, AWARE, ALIVE
- AWAKE, our children’s program for ages 4-12, meets with Rachael Smith. She has a great craft that each child can make, so be sure to come.
- AWARE, the group for teens / youth, meets on the fourth of the ‘Five Sundays in May.’ We will finish our talk of all people being loved by God. Arianna Hobson has brought some great ideas, so come and share.
- ALIVE will meet, continuing our discussion on the Gospel of Mark. We are also discussing the question, ‘what do you do when things fall apart? ‘.
NSI Donations for May
The item for NSI for May is toilet paper.
Volunteer at NSI!
NSI has been very busy this year and we are looking for additional volunteer help on Monday and Thursday mornings from 9:00 am to 11:30 am. In addition, we are looking for volunteer(s) to be an occasional direct retail pick up transport person for our weekly trips to Aldi’s, Giant Eagle, and Pepperidge Farm.
In the first four months of 2016 NSI has had 2,359 family visits which has resulted in the feeding and/or clothing of 7,282 people. Total meals provided were 137,930. 41% of the neighbors served were children, 9% are seniors.
Interested people should contact Matt Austin maustin@neighborhoodservicesinc.org , or Martin Butler mbutler@neighborhoodservicesinc.org .
Respectfully,
Martin Butler -Executive Director
Book Club News
In June Book Club will be discussing the nonfiction work Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor. You can take a look at Barbara Brown Taylor’s website here: http://www.barbarabrowntaylor.com/ and learn more about the book. We’ll meet on Wednesday, June 8 starting at 6:30 PM at Deb Raita and John Cosenza’s home. Please let Deb and John know 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). Everyone is welcome! If you wish to read ahead for July, the book for the July 13 discussion is the fictional Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
—Cynthia
PS: This book was one I suggested. I’m eagerly looking forward to discussing it with all of you. Brown is an Episcopal priest who also wrote Leaving Church, which we read a number of years ago in the book club.
Last Chance for the Jerusalem movie!
The Jerusalem movie at COSI is ending on June 5th. It airs Fridays at 11 AM and Saturdays at 4 PM in 3D and Saturdays at 10am in 2D. All tickets, regardless of showing are only $8.
Filmed for the first time in 3D and for the giant screen, JERUSALEM immerses audiences into one of the world’s most beloved cities. Discover why this tiny piece of land is sacred to three major religions through the stories of Jewish, Christian and Muslim families who call Jerusalem home. Join renowned archaeologist, Dr. Jodi Magness, as she travels underground to solve some of this city’s greatest mysteries. Find out why, after thousands of years, Jerusalem and the Holy Land continue to stir the imagination of billions of people. Unprecedented access to the city’s holiest sites, as well as rare and breathtaking aerial footage of the Old City and the Holy Land, combine to make JERUSALEM a unique and stunning cinematic experience.
For tickets, visit https://reservations.cosi.org/Info.aspx?EventID=21
Questions? Ask Peter Sheppard!
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
