“Almighty God, in Jesus Christ you became human to free us all from sin and death. Breathe upon us the power of your Spirit, that we may be raised to new life in Christ and serve you in righteousness all our days, Through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.”
We will gather for worship on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, March 26th 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!
Lent Soup Suppers and Worship – Wednesday March 29. Soup Supper at 6:00 pm. Come later if you need to! Holden Evening Prayer at 7:15 pm.
Holy Week Worship
- April 2nd Palm Sunday – “The Cry of the Whole Congregation” by Walter Wangerin
- April 6th Maundy Thursday – Worship with Holy Communion at 11:00 am and 7:00 pm.
- April 7th Good Friday – Worship at 7:00 pm.
- April 9th Easter Sunday – Worship with “All That Jazz” brass and baptism of Aedan Csik-Hughes at 10:00 am.
Upcoming Events:
COPA 20th Anniversary Assembly Saturday May 20th 5:00 pm at the Golden State Theater in Monterey. Please save the date. We are trying to get as many people as possible from our church to attend. There will be carpools from church.
Prayers:
- For the Mt. Cross Board of Directors and the new staff: Exec. Dir. – Andrew Templeman, Prog. Dir. Sam Garcia, Retreat Co. Joshua Armstrong, Office Admin. & Reg. Christa Wyneken Garcia, as they embark on a new chapter for our beloved Outdoor Ministry.
- For the life and witness of Gwyn Larson, long-time member and leader here who had moved to Oceanside only a few years ago. Gwyn’s memory is strong with us and we thank God for her faith and dedication to our church. For her husband Dave and children Zack, Chelsea and Peter in their grief and loss and pain.
- 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 the family of Mark Cronquist, son of Barbara Rice’s longtime friends, as they grieve his death and as she goes to minister to them.
- For Connie and Paul Cunningham as Paul undergoes treatment for colon cancer.
- For Bob Charves daughter and healing for his husband.
- For Mary Smith (friend of Kathy Berens) as she completes treatment for cancer, that she will heal and beat cancer.
- For Judi and Robert Alvarado as Judi she recovers from reverse shoulder replacement surgery Feb. 2.
- 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, April 25th.
- 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
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