January 1, 2018 Weekly Announcements

Congregational News & Events – Week of January 1, 2017

This Sunday at St. Stephen’s

Epiphany 1

Sunday Morning, January 7th Services

8:30am and 10:30 am – The Sanctuary

DSO Exodus Big Read Class    9:15am in Hobson Hall

Choir Rehearsal     8:30am in the Chapel.

Campus Ministry Resumes January 10, 2018 at 6:30 pm

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Christmas Altar Decorations – Thank you.

Thanks to our decorators Joe Rutter, Terrie Clark, and James Marquart for the beautiful altar decorations this season, and members of the Altar Guild including Bill and Pam Elwell, Janet McNaughton, Denise Williams,  and Roger and Lorraine Deal.

Also a big thanks once again to Norm Wernet for bringing in lots of beautiful holly from his yard.

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 DSO Big Read – Week 20

There are 3 opportunities to engage with the Exodus journey. Each begins with a very interesting video clip produced here in the diocese by people you may know as they show us what Exodus means to them where they are. Where will the road take you? Read below for dates and times:

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NSI Collection for January – Soup

Thank you to all St. Stephen’s parishioners who have contributed to NSI by donating food, toys or money to our collection efforts for this holiday season. Your generosity is deeply appreciated.

(For more info on how you can help NSI this season, please click on the following to access the December 2017 NSI Newsletter:  December 2017 NSI Newsletter)

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Invite – Welcome – Connect 

Update: Using Facebook for outreach

St. Stephens has a Facebook page. Maybe you didn’t even know that. If you are a Facebook member, you can find it at https://www.facebook.com/St.StephensColumbus/?ref=br_rs.

Facebook could become an important way of helping potential new members find a way to worship with us, but we are not using it well. The last post to our page was in October. The number of visitors to our site in November was three.

Our “Invite Welcome Connect” work group would like to make our Facebook page more attractive to both members and newcomers. But we need writers, members who are willing to submit poems, meditations, stories and essays on a regular basis so that we can post them to the site and keep it fresh and lively, week after week. If you would be willing to write something for the site, either weekly or occasionally, please contact Elliott Bush at ejb4367@gmail.com. Submissions need to be no more than 800 words in order to meet Facebook guidelines. Contributions can be anonymous. You do not have to use Facebook to be a contributor. Our Facebook administrators will post your writing for you. Please let us know you want to share your talent with our members and potential members.

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BREAD Update 

BREAD… rises!

BREAD news will return after the holidays.

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Campus Ministry Worship

Campus Ministry Resumes January 10, 2018 at 6:30 pm

Campus Ministry Wednesday evenings resumes on January 10 at 6:30 pm in the Chapel with dinner, discussion, and prayers. Deacon Jarred will be gone on continuing education so Becky will lead a discussion using Phyllis Tickle’s work about “The Church’s Next Rummage Sale,” which is the notion that every 500 years the church takes everything out of the attic and decides what to keep for the next round and what is no longer needed. And we are in just one such time! How do you decide?

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Book Club for January

 Book Club News:Book Club will be meeting on Wednesday, January 10 at 6:30 PM at Kaitlyn Raver’s home (kaitlinraver@gmail.com or (614) 956-8550). The January meeting will be devoted to suggesting books for 2018. Each person may suggest 1-2 books that you’d like the group to consider reading. Voting will take place following the meeting to determine the reading list for March through the end of the year. If you cannot attend but have books to suggest, please send the title and information on why you’d like the group to read it to Cynthia Whitacre at least 2 days in advance of the meeting. Those will all be shared with the group for consideration. We’ll begin with a potluck meal (please bring food and/or beverage to share) followed by the book suggestions. All are welcome. Kindly let Kaitlyn know if you plan to attend, so she can plan for the correct amount of people. We already have the February selection, so if you wish to get started on that, it is The Dogs of Littlefield by Suzanne Berne.

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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

January’s meetings will be:

THURSDAY, January 4 meet @  Terri Clark’s House, 6056 Carmell Dr., Columbus, Ohio  from 9:30 to 11:30am  RSVP To Terri Clark at terrieclark91@yahoo.com or (614) 256-1732 for planning purposes.

THURSDAY, January 18  meet @   TBA  from 7:00-9:00pm

Had a wonderful time at last meeting, chatting, eating, and SINGING!  So fun!  We also collected 19 feminine items (plus another $60 donation!) to help our fellow Soul Sisters

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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Mount Carmel Church Partnerships Newsletters

Copies of the December 2017 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 December 15-31 newsletter is posted on the bulletin boards in the Outer Office and in the front of the Sanctuary. To read online, click on the links below:

 December 2017 Mt. Carmel Church Partnership News

 Community Resources October 2017

Mt. Carmel Weekly Scoop for December 15-31 2017

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