Dear St. Stephen’s Family,

This Sunday, September 12^th at 10am, we will gather for worship back in our sanctuary for the first time since March of 2020…almost a year and half. It is a joyous occasion for sure! But the risks of the pandemic are lingering as we head into the Fall and Winter, so we are taking precautions described below. Also, please see the Prayer Requests below.

You can also worship at home through the livestream found at our website. After 5pm.   a recording of our worship service can be also found on our website at www.ststephenslutheran.org.

The bulletin and Celebrate scripture readings and prayers are attached, so that you can participate in worship even if you are not able to attend church in-person. Holy Communion will be celebrated, so please have some bread and fruit of the vine ready.

Dear St. Stephen’s Family,

This Sunday, September 5^th, we will gather in spirit through our recorded worship service found here on our website. This is the last time we will worship in this way only, for the time being.

The bulletin and Celebrate scripture reading and prayers are attached so you can participate in worship in some way if you are not able to attend church in-person this Sunday. Holy Communion will be celebrated, so please have some bread and fruit of the vine ready.

We will re-gather in-person for the first time on Sept. 12 at 10am!!!

The health-safe, new ways that we will worship in-person indoors were shared in detail in  our September newsletter. Everyone will need to wear a mask. It will also include practices that maintain physical distance (6ft. distance for families in the pews – sharing the Peace with gestures , continuing to receive Holy Communion with the pre-sealed cups, giving our offering at tables near us, as well as improved air exchange with fans and open doors.

Dear St. Stephen’s Family,

This Sunday, August 29^th, we will gather in spirit through our recorded worship service found here. This is the 2^nd to last time we will worship in this way only.

The bulletin and Celebrate scripture reading and prayers are attached so you can participate in worship in some way if you are not able to attend church in-person this Sunday. Holy Communion will be celebrated, so please have some bread and fruit of the vine ready.

Our gathering for worship each Sunday at church, in our homes, or wherever we are able, is very essential to strengthen us to meet the world’s challenges. These days, especially, we cling to the messages of our faith that call us to new beginnings and living a new life. Previous Sunday worship services can be found at our website. “www.ststephenslutheran.org”

We will re-gather in-person for the first time on Sept. 12 at 10am!!!

Dear Church – The Body of Christ in the World,

This Sunday August 22^nd, we will worship together outdoors in the church parking lot at 10 am. You can join in the livestream by going to our website www.ststephenslutheran.org. The service will be available as a recording after 5pm on Sunday. 

The bulletin and Celebrate scripture reading and prayers are attached so you can participate in worship in some way if you are not able to attend church in-person this Sunday. Holy Communion will be celebrated, so please have some bread and fruit of the vine ready if you are elsewhere.

Our gathering for worship each Sunday at church, in our homes, or wherever we are able, is very essential to strengthen us to meet the world’s challenges. These days, especially, we cling to the messages of our faith that call us to new beginnings and living a new life. Previous Sunday worship services can be found here at our website.

Dear Church – The Body of Christ in the World,

This Sunday August 15th we will worship together in Spirit through a recorded worship service.

On Sunday we will need to be creative and patient once more as we hear Jesus use the images of gathering to eat and drink, in order to convey how we need to tend to our spiritual lives by taking in who Christ is and by taking on what God is offering to us through Christ. 

Holy Communion takes on a many-faceted character as we deepen our understanding of what these little bits of bread and fruit of the vine signify about what kind of people we are as a Christian church. We will receive the bread and cup either by ourselves or with a loved one, but we will miss seeing each other and the immediate sense of the deeper community we have formed together through our church. So we will be relying a great deal upon God’s Spirit this Sunday (and for a few more) until we can gather on Sept. 12 at 10am in-person as we resume our familiar practice of worshiping together.

The bulletin and Celebrate are linked here so you can participate in worship in some way if you are not able to attend church in-person this Sunday. Holy Communion will be celebrated, so please have some bread and fruit of the vine ready.