WEAR THE COLOR OF THE SPIRIT – RED!
A special welcome and note to those of you who join worship through the livestream and recording! Our Technology Minister, Kent Madsen, shared that there have been a few more of you out there recently, and I want to say how much that means to me and the congregation to know that you are there! God’s Spirit is felt and known through your participation and faithfulness. Keep up the good work of setting this time aside for your spirit.
“O God, on this day you open the hearts of your faithful people by sending into us your Holy Spirit. Direct us by the light of that Spirit, that we may have a right judgment in all things and rejoice at all times in your peace . Amen.”
We will gather for worship on the Day of Pentecost, May 28th at 10:00 am. You can also participate through the livestream and recording at www.ststephenslutheran.org.
There is usually a Children’s Church / Sunday School program planned during worship. Please contact Leslie Lapp 476-4700 for more info. The Family Room is always available adjacent to the sanctuary for little one’s activities if you need it. We love having children in church and all that brings as part of worship!
Coffee Fellowship: Please contact our Church Administrator Leslie if you are willing to host. We need you!
Upcoming Events:
- Family Holy Communion Celebration for our little ones – Sunday June 4th at 10am worship. Make a special effort to be in church to make sure our little ones feel as welcome as possible as their place at God’s Table is especially lifted up.
- Pastor Jim on vacation/continuing education from June 12 – July 7.
- Sunday June 18 – Rev. Carol Been presiding.
- Sundays June 25 & July 7 – Rev. Gary Stevenson presiding.
- Leslie on vacation June 17 – June 27.
Prayers:
- For the life and witness of our brother Marshall Bautz as he entered the Church Triumphant and joins his beloveds Thora and Sylvia and all the saints. Comfort and God’s loving embrace for his family and friends in their grieving.
- For Rena Brown undergoing treatment for leukemia.
- For Janeia Paustian to be healed from cancer.
- For Amy Wimmer to be healed from cancer as she faces upcoming surgery, and for her 15 yr old trans son Gray.
- For Joshua, Hailey and Jesse.
- For Barbara Rowe.
- For Carla Brown’s health and struggles at work.
- For Keith’s sobriety.
- For Joel Hurtgamm that his eyesight will be improved.
- For Beau Gray and his family in his recurrence of brain cancer.
- For Dorothy Ronning as she struggles with chronic pain.
- For Tina’s sister Lisa and friend Jacob’s health.
- For Jeannette Dawson’s brother Craig who was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
- For Connie and Paul Cunningham as Paul undergoes treatment for colon cancer.
- For Bob Charves daughter.
- For Beth Stiles and her father and mother as their health has declined recently.
- For Kyle Lapp as he heals and prepares for a new direction in a Sober Living Environment (SLE). Thanksgiving for employment.
- For thanksgiving and continued healing for Janet Slay’s grandson Tyler, as he makes his adjustments to living independently.
- For Miller, Shelby, Ashley, April, Marty, Will and other young adults we know, as they struggle mightily with the world and all its ways that harm them. Bring them to healing and wholeness and grace and new life.
Church office hours are now Mon-Fri. 12 noon – 5:00 pm.
Thank you for your continued faithfulness in your financial giving back to God through our church. Please remember to either give your offering through the mail, through our website donation option, signing up for monthly electronic giving, or bringing it by the church office during the week.
Flowers for Worship: Please sign up to provide flowers in honor of someone or a special occasion as another way to offer yourself in worship to God. The Flower Chart will be available at worship, or you can call the church office – 476-4700.
Other notes:
- Preschool “Inflation Donations” are being collected at church now. This is to help us not have to increase tuition on the families we serve through our Child Development Center ministry. There are lists on the basket in the back of the church and they will be inserted into the Sunday bulletins and the monthly newsletter. These are items that you can add to your Costco and grocery lists.
- Donations are being collected at church for Socks and Toiletries. These will go towards our work with serving those who take part in our Association of Faith Communities programs for the unhoused, and for the Walnut Avenue Women’s Center respectively.
- Habitat for Humanity Lunches. We will be providing Lunches (sandwiches, chips, fruit & cookies) for 10 volunteers. Reply to this email or call the office if you would like to help out. Our next date is Tuesday, June 27th.
- A few copies of “White Fragility” are available to borrow. Call the office to inquire. This is a congregation-wide perspective that we are trying to adopt as we seek better understanding about the roots of racism, its consequences, and how our lives can better reflect an anti-racism perspective.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Jim
You must be logged in to post a comment.