Congregational News & Events – Week of July 22, 2018
Sunday, July 22, 2018 – Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Service Times:
8:30am and 10:30am
Choir Rehearsal – 8:30 am in the Chapel – On break for summer
Adult Bible Discussion Class – 9:15am in Hobson Hall
10:30 am – Children, Youth, & Families Ministry – Hobson Hall – On break for summer
(Facilitated by Rachael Smith and Daniel Buey)
Midday Prayer (and Lunch) Wednesdays, 12:30pm in the Sanctuary/Hobson Hall
Campus Ministry – Wednesdays, 6:30pm in the Chapel
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Summer Worship Schedule
Due to popular demand worship times in the summer will remain the same as the rest of the year. The Bible Discussion Group at 9:15am will continue through the summer but The Choir and Thrive! will take a break.
Sunday, September 9, 2018
will be our Episcopal Visitation by Bishop Kenneth Price and the Feast of St. Stephen’s transferred. Mark it on your calendars now!
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April 2018 Vestry Meeting Minutes are available for review by clicking on the below link:
April 2018 Vestry Meeting Minutes
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ARPS Garage Closure Sunday, July 29th
On Tuesday, July 24, CampusParc will begin power washing Arps Garage, which will incur daily rolling deck closures through Friday, July 27. To complete the work, the entire garage will close on Friday, July 27. Entrances will close at 4 p.m., and all vehicles must exit the garage by 7:00p.m. During the work, expected to be complete by 5:00a.m. Monday, July 30, alternate parking is available in the South French Field House Lot.
ALSO parking on the street will be expanded that Sunday.
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The 79th General Convention of The Episcopal Church concluded on July 13th. If you are interested in summaries of the daily proceedings, videos, reflections from the bishop and deputies and more, you will be able to find all of this information at http://diosohio.org/. You can also easily follow along all social media posts from the General Convention on the social media wall on the dedicated General Convention page.
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June Vestry Meeting highlights:
- Received $212,000 yearly settlement payment from OSU
- Allocated $25,000 to the St. Stephen’s Endowment Fund
- Allocated $41,000 to repair the second story Hobson windows
- Update: it turns out that we can replace ALL the windows on the second floor of Hobson facing the parking lot (except for the restroom which is sorely in need of renovation first) for $41,000!
O Happy Day!!!
Approved the Rector’s recommendation to hire James Marquart as Sexton
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2018 2nd Quarter Giving Statements Ready for Pick-up
Giving Statements for the 2nd Quarter of 2018 are ready and will be available for pick up at the front of the Sanctuary prior to and following the 10:30 service this Sunday. The statements will report giving from January 1, 2018 through June 30, 2018. Liz Hecker, Parish Administrator, will be at a table to distribute the statements, which are enclosed in sealed envelopes. If you prefer to have your statement mailed to you, please let Liz know by email at parishoffice@ststephens-columbus.org or by phone at (614) 294-3749 and she will be happy to mail it to you. Any statements that are not retrieved in person by July 23rd will be mailed.
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What is “The F Word?” . . . Forgiveness
coming to St. Stephen’s October 16 – 30
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House Manager Position opening
From time to time, St. Stephen’s hosts student recitals in the sanctuary. In order to accommodate their needs, a St. Stephen’s House Manager is required to open the building, set up microphones, stands, lights, etc. and then pick up and lock up after the event.
Three hour call – $50.00 per event.
Please see Becky Michelfelder to apply.
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NSI Collection for July: School Supplies
For July we’ll be collecting backpacks and school supplies for NSI: paper, pencils (#2 and colored), pens, erasers, rulers, calculators (esp. scientific), crayons, dictionaries, tissues, notebooks, paper, folders, etc. The supplies need to be at church by Sunday, July 29 or taken directly to NSI by Wednesday, August 1. Volunteers are needed at NSI (1950 N. 4th St.) on Wednesday, August 1, 5:00 – 7:00 pm to pack school supplies into the backpacks.
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For more info on how you can continue to help NSI, please click on the link below to access the July 2018 NSI Newsletter: NSI July 2018 Newsletter
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Save the Date!
Episcopal Night at the Symphony
Friday, November 9, 2018 – Ohio Theatre
Handel’s Messiah
Fr. Paul Williams of St. Andrew’s, Pickerington and Fr. Bruce Smith of St. James, Columbus serve as the Supreme Coordinating Committee of Episcopal Night at the Symphony and are pleased to announce that our next evening together will be for a performance of G.F. Handel’s beloved oratorio, “Messiah” at the Ohio Theater on Friday evening, November 9th, 2018. Ticket prices will be $50 per person and will include food and beverages at a 6:00pm reception in the Galbreath Pavilion, hopefully a visit by Symphony conductor Rossen Milanov and Chorus Director Ronald Jenkins, a pre-concert talk in the theater by Christopher Purdy and orchestra seating for the concert. (Such a deal… almost as good a deal as CAPA’s Summer Movie Series!) If you already have tickets for the concert, not to worry! You can still join us for the reception for $20 per person. We will begin taking ticket reservations around Labor Day, so please watch this space for more information. See you there. Hallelujah!
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BREAD Update
BREAD… rises!
Where can you invest $1 and get a return of $42?? (Legally…) – when you invest in BREAD.
BREAD leverages $42 from our local and county governments in programs to benefit our citizens for every dollar it takes to run the organization. You will not get a better return on investment anywhere else in town!
Here’s what an investment in BREAD buys for the community:
Jobs: At the Nehemiah Action, we celebrated passage of an ordinance championed by Columbus City Council member Elizabeth Brown to increase job opportunities for people with criminal backgrounds. BREAD also witnessed Ohio State University’s continued commitment to increase employment opportunities in the Linden area.
Gang Violence: BREAD celebrated the convening of the Safe Neighborhoods Initiative to reduce gang and gun violence. 15 gang members participated and none have been charged with criminal activity since November 2017.
You may write a check payable to BREAD and drop it in the St. Stephen’s offering, and it will get to the right place.
From your B.R.E.A.D. team:
Rae Fellows, Kaethe Sandman, Norm Wernet and Mignonne Whitlow
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Book Club for August
All are welcome to Club! Book Club usually meets on the second Wednesday of each month, if you wish to put in on your calendar for future months. BookClub’s August meeting will be on Wednesday, August 8 starting at 6:30 PM with a potluck meal. Please bring food and/or beverage to share. We’re meeting at Jamie Massa & Stuart Hobbs’ home (jamiesusanmassa@gmail.com, 614-440-3587). Kindly let Jamie & Stuart know ahead of time if you plan to attend so they may plan for the right number of people. After dinner, we’ll be discussing A Gentleman in Moscowby Amor Towles. If you wish to read ahead, the September book is The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ years old, published anonymously, translated from the Dutch by Hester Velmans.
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Calling St. Stephen’s Soul Sisters!
You are invited to participate in fellowship with the women of St. Stephen’s in the Spirit of Friendship, Encouragement, Support, Gratitude, Hope, and Love as we share a moment in life’s journey together. It is a time out from daily doings to just BE in Friendship over a cup of tea with conversations to feed the soul.
We meet twice monthly: the first Thursday morning of the month will offer a “Coffee Klatch” from 9:30-11:30am for those available to meet during the day (kiddos welcome)the third Thursday evening offers a “Girls Night Out or In” from 7:00-9:00pm.
July’s meet up dates and places:
THURSDAY, July 5th meet @ La Chatelaine French Bakery, 1550 W. Lane Ave., Upper Arlington from 9:30-11:30am
THURSDAY, July 19th meet @ Schokko Art Cafe @ Columbus Museum of Art, 480 E. Broad St. from 7:00-9:00pm
Always looking for monthly hosts and/or open to ideas for places to meet or excursion sites conducive to conversation & new experiences. Contact Kaitlin Raver, Coordinator, with any questions at kaitlinraver@gmail.com or (614) 956-8550 with any questions. Looking forward to spending some time with St. Stephen’s wonderful “Soul Sisters”!
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Those who have been to El Hogar will know that over the years, the area between the volunteer house and the dining room has been many things. It was a tendedero (clothes lines) and most recently, a soccer field. Now, it’s been transformed (hopefully permanently!) into a garden plot with raised garden beds. The area will fit twenty 4′ x 8′ beds to plant vegetables, fruits, and herbs. A Service Team from Burlington, Ontario, Canada worked alongside the students and maintenance staff at El Hogar to erect a fence around the perimeter of the garden, and now 10 raised beds have been built – we’re halfway there!
In early April, a mother/daughter team from California worked with the fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade classes to plant the first crops. Not everything they planted initially germinated, but the green beans, radishes, beets, cucumber, and cilantro thrived.
At the beginning of May, the sixth-grade class helped with the first harvest. They were able to harvest about three pounds of radishes and a large bunch of cilantro. With that, Doña Tona, the cook, made chismol (a salad similar to pico de gallo) with radishes. Since then, they have had three more harvests of radishes, three harvests of green beans and cucumbers, a harvest of beets, and an ongoing supply of cilantro.
Profe Karen, the science teacher, uses the garden as a live laboratory for her classes. Whenever the gate is open, children come in and inspect the plants, and always ask to help water in the morning and evening. She’s promoting a sense of ownership among the students, and even held a competition between each grade to come up with a name for the garden. After a schoolwide vote, the fourth-grade class won, giving the garden the name Huerto Sembrando Esperanza (Planting Hope Orchard). A sign is in the works and will be hung at the entrance.
One afternoon, Ingeniero Yony, the Director of the Agricultural School, came to talk to the children about planting and caring for the gardens. Afterwards, they headed out to the gardens with a Service Team from Cincinnati, and with what they learned, planted more green beans and cilantro, as well as some tomato and green pepper seedlings.
When children participate in growing edible plants, they develop a respect for nature and the environment. They can be more motivated to taste, eat, and enjoy fruits and vegetables. Snacking is always promoted when they are harvesting!
With the ongoing support of the staff and students at El Hogar, the garden project is thriving, and will continue to grow as more gardens get built to make room to plant cabbage, lettuce, carrots, onions, and much more!
– Erika Skafel, Coordinator of North American Relations
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Support children’s rights with El Hogar!
Over the years at El Hogar, we’ve been asking: What are the fundamental needs of children? Today, we’re asking: What are the fundamental rights of children? And, how can we best protect the rights of the most vulnerable children in Honduras? Why do we care about the rights of children? It’s the morally right thing to do. It leads to a more literate, healthy, equitable, and prosperous society.
Poverty strips children of their rights. Although global prosperity overall has risen in recent years, it remains true that nearly half of the children in Honduras live in extreme poverty – in households earning less than $2 per day. Extreme poverty among children leads to hunger, illness, permanent cognitive injury, lack of education, child labor and trafficking, and death. And it persists over generations.
Poverty is a complex issue with many contributing factors. People need access to jobs, education, medical care, and safe living conditions. The cycle of poverty continues when generations of children have little or no access to these basic components of life. At El Hogar, we strive to provide these for our students, and to equip them with the tools to change the trajectory of their lives and those of future generations.
The reduction of poverty must begin with protecting the rights of children. Investing in children is a sound ethical and economic investment, with high rates of return. Through your involvement with El Hogar, you are working to defend the rights of our children and young people.
Make an investment in El Hogar’s children and young people today. Let’s give them all we can to become the best they can be. Let’s equip them to believe in themselves and face their challenges with the confidence of knowing they have rights, not just needs.
A group of generous donors has put forward a match of $5,000; every dollar you give by July 15th will be doubled!
Today, please invest in honoring, defending, and celebrating the rights of children. Investing in children offers the best assurance for achieving equitable and sustainable human development. You make all of this possible. Please give today!
Donation information can be found by clicking on the below link:
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El Hogar Newsletter for Spring/Summer 2018
Click on the link below to read the El Hogar Spring/Summer 2018 Newsletter:
http://www.elhogar.org/main/springsummer-2018-newsletter/
You can always find our blog at elhogarministries.wordpress.com!
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Mount Carmel Church Partnerships Newsletters
Copies of the July 2018 Mt. Carmel Church Partnerships Newsletter and October 2017 Community Resources Listing can be found on the Community News table in Hobson Hall. The Weekly Scoop for July 18-28, 2018 newsletter is posted on the bulletin boards in the Outer Office and in Hobson Hall.
July 2018 Mt. Carmel Church Parnerships Newsletter
Mt. Carmel Church Partnerships Weekly Scoop July 18-28, 2018
Community Resources October 2017
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