Congregational News & Events – Week of June 24, 2018
Sunday, June 24, 2018 – Fifth 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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A message from the bishop on forced separation of families at the border
June 19, 2018
This message from the Rt. Rev. Thomas E. Breidenthal, to the people of the Diocese of Southern Ohio, was released June 14, 2018.
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
I don’t speak out on social issues often. There are many voices, and my voice is unlikely to add much to the mix. But once in a while an event or a policy strikes me as demanding a response from all of us, because it raises a new red flag. The separation of children from their immigrant parents at our southern border raises such a flag for me.
I acknowledge the wide spectrum of opinion in America regarding unchecked entry from Latin America. But the forced separation of families as a deterrent to border-crossing is essentially immoral. For Christians and most people of religious faith, the sanctity of the family is a bedrock. Why? Because it is in the faithfulness of spouses to one another and to the children in their care that the fundamental virtues of life in community are developed and practiced. Families in all their various configurations – and there are many- are the building-blocks of society and need to be supported and protected in every way.
There is no question that the forced separation of families at our borders can be a powerful disincentive to entry. But this strategy damages our own commitment as a nation to the value of family life. Worse yet, it takes advantage of a value that transcends national interest. The bond that unites parent to child is universal. To honor that bond is to rebuild the unity of the human race from the ground up.
Some in our government have argued that immigrants entering our country without prior permission are criminals, and that criminals are routinely separated from their children. I do not intend to take up the legal niceties here, except to say that the forced separation of families is an unnecessary and unnatural response to barred entry. Families entering as a unit should be treated as such. This is a basic human right, undergirded by Christian faith.
I intend to forward this letter to our president and urge you to join me in expressing dismay about the present policy of separation of children from their parents as a form of border control.
To join me in letting your voice be heard, please contact senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown. You can find your representative by zip code by clicking here.
Blessings,
+Tom Breidenthal
For more information about the crisis at the border, click on the below link:
http://www.dsoconnections.org/2018/06/19/public-policy-news-alert-take-action-on-border-crisis/
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Church Clean-Up – Sunday, June 24th – Following 10:30am Service
Let’s clean our church after the 10:30am service this Sunday, June 24, 2018. (Bring old clothes to change into after the service, if you want.) We can form two (2) crews: one crew to clean the Sanctuary, and one crew to clean the Kitchen. Also, rumor has it there will be pizza and iced tea! “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” . . . well, let’s hope so, anyway!
RSVP at parishoffice@ststephens-columbus.org or just show up.
Thanks – James Marquart
(We are also planning a “horticultural intervention” day in July, and another church cleaning day on August 11th before the OSU students return for Autumn Semester. More info to come . . .)
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Education for Ministry (EFM)
St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, 7121 Muirfield Drive, Dublin, Oh 43017
St. Patrick’s in Dublin is opening up registration for EFM to the Columbus deanery. They want to register the first week in July, and have two openings for the Thursday night class.
Learn about scripture, theology, and church history while reflecting on your own ministry in a safe community. EfM is a program offered by the School of Theology at the University of the South. It is a premier international lay ministry education program. This is a 4-year program, but you commit just one year at a time. Cost per year is $350. Limited scholarships are available. Scholarships are also available from St. Stephen’s. Please contact the rector for more information.
Click here for an application form: EFM Enrollment Form
To read more, go to https://pats-dublin.org/education-for-ministry/.
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NSI Collection for June/July:
Canned Vegetables and Fruits – All kinds except green beans, corn and pineapple (NSI has plenty of those!)
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For more info on how you can continue to help NSI, please click on the link below to access the June 2018 NSI Newsletter:
June 2018 NSI Newsletter
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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 July
Consider attending Book Club! All are welcome, and it is a great way to get to know people. BookClub’s July meeting will be on Wednesday, July 11 starting at 6:30 PM with a potluck meal. Please bring food and/or beverage to share. We’re meeting at Kaethe Sandman’s home (anderson.sandman@gmail.com, 614-294-5647). Kindly let Kaethe know ahead of time if you plan to attend so she may plan for the right number of people. After dinner, we’ll be discussing Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. Looking ahead for August, the book is A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.
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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.
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 June 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 June 20-30, 2018 newsletter is posted on the bulletin boards in the Outer Office and in Hobson Hall.
June 2018 Mt. Carmel Church Partnerships Newsletter
Community Resources October 2017
Mt. Carmel Church Partnerships Weekly Scoop June 20-30, 2018
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