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Coloring books available for kids.
May, 2008
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Sun |
Mon |
Tue |
Wed |
Th |
Fri |
Sat |
| 1
10:00 Communion 7:30 Choir |
2 9:00 Morning Prayer |
3
9:00am |
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| 4: Easter
7 8:00 Holy Communion 9:00 Sunday School Nursery Care Adult Education 10:15 Holy communion 11:30 Youth Class 1:20 CROP Walk 2:00 EFM |
5 9:00 Morning Prayer 7:30 Parish Council |
6 9:00 Morning Prayer 1:00 Over-the-hill Gang 1:00 Dust Busters |
7 9:00 Morning Prayer 7:30 Bible Study: Matthew
SICM Meeting |
8
10:00 Communion 7:30 Choir |
9 9:00 Morning Prayer |
10 |
| 11:
Pentecost Mother's Day (Brunch!) 8:00 Holy Communion 9:00 Sunday School Nursery Care Adult Education 10:15 Holy communion 11:30 Youth Class 2:00 EFM |
12 9:00 Morning Prayer 7:30 Vestry
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13 9:00 Morning Prayer |
14 9:00 Morning Prayer |
15
10:00 Communion
7:30 Choir |
16 9:00 Morning Prayer |
17
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| 18:
Trinity 8:00 Holy Communion 9:00 Sunday School Nursery Care Adult Education 10:15 Holy communion 11:30 Youth Class 2:00
EFM |
19
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20
1:00 Over-the-hill Gang 1:00 Dust Busters |
21
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22
10:00 Holy Communion 7:30 Choir |
23 9:00 Morning Prayer |
24 |
| 25: Jazz
Sunday 8:00 Holy Communion 9:00 Sunday School Nursery Care Adult Education 10:15 Holy communion 11:30 Youth Class 2:00
EFM |
26 9:00 Morning Prayer
7:30 Worship Committee |
27 9:00 Morning Prayer 1:00 Over-the-hill Gang |
28 9:00 Morning Prayer |
29 | 30 | 31 |
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Questions? |
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Lenten study group
Gospel Bible Study
Have you thought about taking a Bible study course in the New Year? "The Gospel of Matthew" will begin on January 9th and continue for 14 sessions. In 2008 we will hear readings from Matthew's gospel on many Sundays, so this would be a good opportunity to learn more about this book. Classes will meet on Wednesday evenings, from 7:30-9:00, in the Parish Hall. No previous experience is necessary, and newcomers are most welcome. Students' Resource Books will be available at the first class.
Note: Kerygma Bible Study will meet at 6:30 (PM) on April 2 & 9; NO class on April 23.
Deacon Pat
The next meeting will be Friday April 11th at 6PM.
We plan to have a speaker from Schenectady County Office for the Aging on the subject of Long Term Care Insurance.
Where? The Parish Room
Who? Anyone and Everyone!
(Sorry - no child care, but children are, as always, very welcome)
Please Bring
- Pot luck dish
- Own Plate
- Own Utensils
Questions? Call Pauline Holmes
YOU* Are Invited
to an
“ALL PARISH CONVERSATION”
Sunday, April 13, 2008
11:45 am
following the
10:15 service
in the Parish Hall.
Refreshments will be provided.
Child Care will be provided as well.
*YOU ~
~ are the person who is curious about what it really means to be a “MEMBER” of St. Stephen’s
~ are curious about life at St. Stephen’s beyond what happens on Sunday morning
~ are one of our newer members
~ are a long-standing member who wants to be more in the know
~ are someone who feels your voice does not always get hear
YOU are St. Stephen’s. Each of YOU!
Join your Church Family to continue in the dialogue about how we as a congregation live out the first part of our parish mission statement: “…to glorify God by reaching out to others, universally, with hands that serve, hearts and minds that welcome, and voices that carry the good news of God’s redeeming love to all”?
This will be a conversation ~ not speeches. There will be questions, thought provoking discussion, differences of opinion, all shared over a common meal, in the presence of our loving God and in a spirit of family connection.
Among other things we will talk about our bylaws and how they direct us to disburse our money. Your voice in this is critical to our common life.
These are important questions that we, as a congregation, need to examine and discuss. So join your fellow parishioners on Sunday, April 13th at 11:45am, as we continue our conversation.
We look forward to spending time together.
In hopes of getting out the newsletter, The Messenger, out on time, we hope to have all submissions in hand on about the 15th of the month. Your help is appreciated!
CROP Walk
Sunday, May 4
Register from 12:30
Walk at 1:30, St.
Helen’s School
Study circles intend to improve education
Daily Gazette, Schenectady Match 6, 2008
BY MICHAEL GOOT
Gazette Reporter
Changing the culture to improve the schools. That is the topic of a
four-week "study circles" small-group discussion sponsored by Schenectady
County Embraces Diversity.
"It is an opportunity for parents of students, administrators, teachers and
staff to come together in small groups to have a discussion on the topic of
helping every student succeed," said Kay Acker-
man, administrator of the diversity program.
People will spend two hours a week for four weeks in April in small groups
talking about four topics, The first week's topic will be defining what a
good education is, the second week is exploring the problems, the third week
is setting goals, and the fourth week is developing a plan of action.
In the last few years, Schenectady County Embraces Diversity has done study
circles on racism, terrorism and police-community relations.
Ackerman said Superintendent Eric Ely was aware of these programs and
contacted the organiza- tion to see if it would be willing to set up study
circles. "We're hoping at the conclusion of this, we will not only begin to
identify strategies, we will also have a pool of people that will carry this
concept to the larger community so in the fall, we will able to conduct a
broader range of study circles throughout the city," she said.
Ely said he wants to change the culture and raise expectations for children.
Students are often in difficult situations when they go home. There
are issues with crime and drugs in the city.
"We only have [children] for seven hours a day," he said. "The other 17
hours a day they're in the community. This has to be a community effort to
raise the awareness of education and importance of education," he
said.
Different sessions are being offered so people can select one that fits in
with their schedule. Ackerman said there would be discussion groups on
Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m. and other sessions from
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Schenectady High School. Another session will be
held Saturdays from 9 to 11 a.m at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church on the
Plaza.
About 30 people have signed up for the study circles, so far. She hopes to
get a total of 60. For more information, contact Ackerman at 393-5000.
Reach Gazette reporter
Michael Goot at 395-3105 or
mgoo t@dailygazette.net
Sicm Assembly Meeting-Wed. May 7th at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1850 Union St.,Niskayuna. 6:45 p.m.
Postal Drive for canned goods-Sat.May 10th.
SICM FOOD PANTRY: Monetary gifts are critical as we can purchase items for 16 cents a pound at the Regional Food Bank. Make check out to SICM Food Program and mail it to SICM. Small jars of jams and jellies and Enfamil w/iron are needed this month.
SICM FOOD Pantry
839 Albany St.
Schenectady, N.Y.12307
Att: Gail Van Valkenburgh, Director
Inquirers’ Classes
This course is an introduction to the Episcopal Church in the United States. These four classes give an overview of how Episcopalians fit into the complex of protestant and catholic churches. The National Episcopal Church, the Diocese of Albany, the congregation of St. Stephen’s and the relationship among all three will be explored. Frank discussions include both the wonderful things about our Church, and also some not-so-wonderful things. This course is required for all adults who wish to be confirmed or received into the church, but is open to all members of the Parish Family. We will meet on Sunday afternoons from Feb. 3rd – 24th from noon to 1pm in the rector’s office.
Nursery Needs
Are your children all grown up? Do you have baby things just hanging around? If you do please read on…
The Nursery would like two items:
A “newer” baby swing
A changing table
If you are interested in making a donation, please contact Laura Davis.
Nursery News
Please welcome Pam Guthrie. She will be serving in the Nursery every Sunday with the littlest members of our church. Pam will be working from 10:00-11:30 every Sunday. We are thrilled to have her.
The Nursery will still need a volunteer each Sunday to help Pam. There is a sign up sheet in the Nursery. If you have any questions about the Nursery, please ask Laura Davis.
Thursday Mornings:
For many, the Season of Lent is a period of healing ‑ ‑ spiritually, emotionally, relationally and physically. The Sacrament of Healing is offered as a part of the Eucharist at 10:00 am. It involves the Laying on of Hands and anointing with Holy Oil of Unction. After the service we gather in the rector’s study for a Bible Study based on video travels to the holy lands.
Worship Committee
Recently the Worship Committee received a question from a parishioner regarding posture during worship. Perhaps others have similar questions. We appreciate such questions, and would be glad to try to answer them. Here is the response, printed with the recipient's permission.
Dear Parishioner:
Thank you for your note of inquiry to the Worship Committee, regarding why some people do not kneel during the Confession. We discussed it carefully, and looked up any directions we could find in reference books in the Parish Library. There were none regarding posture.
Some of the words of invitation to the Confession of Sin do use the words "devoutly kneeling," but not all do. When we pray the
Confession together at the Eucharist we are engaged in a corporate confession, not a personal one: this is the prayer of the church, and it is appropriate for us to stand together. (We stand also for the Prayers of the People, for the same reason.) But postures during worship have not ever been prescribed, but are left to the individual to decide. (Some knees and hips contribute to the decision for some of us, too.) As you have noticed, there are those at St. Stephen's who kneel, and those who stand.
There is an old Anglican saying regarding the making of a private confession, which might be appropriate here also: "Some do; all may; none must." What matters most is that each of us, regardless of our posture, "bend the knee of my heart, and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness." (Prayer of Manasseh) And that goes for each of us individually as well as all of us in our corporate worship.
I hope that this answers your question. Please feel free to ask any others that arise.
Deacon Jones
For the Worship Committee
Education for Ministry
Every baptized person is called to ministry. The Education for Ministry (EFM) program provides people with the education to carry out that ministry. It is that vocation for which we pray at the end of the Eucharist: "And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord."
EFM is the theological education extension program of the School of Theology of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. The seminar group is the nucleus of EFM. A group consists of eight to ten students and a trained mentor meeting weekly for two to three hours over the course of a nine-month year. A one-year commitment is required. Completion of the program takes four years, during which participants study the Old and New Testaments, church history, and twentieth century theology. The purpose is to provide lay members of the church with a comprehensive foundation for understanding and experiencing Christian faith.
Students are given weekly lesson assignments to study with the help of resource guides. Students are responsible for setting their own learning goals. They spend between two and four hours in study and preparation each week.
What can you expect from EFM? Those enrolled in the program report that EFM has helped them to think theologically, increase their understanding of the Christian heritage, deepen their faith and provide them with a new confidence in their ministry.
Through study, prayer, and reflection, EFM groups move toward a new understanding of the fullness of God’s Kingdom. This process can be illustrated by a two-rail fence. One rail is the Christian tradition. The other is the collective experience of the group’s members. The rails are linked by fence posts which represent the seminar sessions where life and study meet. The fence is grounded in the soil of regular worship which is vital to the life of the group.
An EFM group has formed at St. Stephen’s, but it is not too late to join us. We meet on Sunday afternoons from 2 - 4:30 p.m. in the Community Room. More information and application forms are available from the rector. Tuition is $340 annually.
Who are the Daughters of the King?
We are members of an order for women in the Episcopal Church, begun in 1885. Our mission is the extension of Christ’s kingdom through prayer, service and evangelism.
“Prayer is so simple.
It is like quietly opening a door
and slipping into the very presence of God.
There in the stillness
we can listen to His voice or even petition.
What we have to say matters not…
Just to be there…
in His presence…
is Prayer.”
National Handbook of the Order of the Daughters of the King
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