|
UPCOMING EVENTS & PARISH NOTICES
|
|||
|
|
Upcoming Events |
|
Parish Notices/News |
|
|
SUNDAY MORNINGS, 9:00 AM Adult Forum Series The Adult Forum Series continues Sunday mornings during Epiphany, 9:00 - 9:50 AM, in the Guild Room. We will be following a program from Leader Resources called 'Sealed and Sent Forth.' This is open to all adults including anyone who is seeking Confirmation for membership in our parish. TUESDAY EVENINGS IN LENT, 6:30 PM Servant Leadership Course What if we lived our lives with more awareness, present to ourselves and loved ones in the moment? What if we gave ourselves fully to those things that we are most passionate about? Join us as we explore these questions as we seek to become servant leaders: serving the very best in ourselves and those we interact with daily as we follow the one who teaches us to love God, neighbor and self to our fullest capacity, Jesus Christ. Offered from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at St. Stephen's on February 23, and March 2, 9, 16, 23. Dinner: 5:15 PM Our Lenten theme for Wednesday nights will focus on small groups made up of children, teens and adults to invite intergenerational learning and sharing. After having a simple dinner together, we will hear a Bible story and then meet in our groups for a creative response. Please sign up and join in the fun as we grow in faith through the witness of our friends, young and old. Topics for the Wednesday gatherings include: February 24: Baptism March 3: Where in the World is God? March 10: Looking for the Clues of Faith March 17: Remembering Our Losses and the Cross March 24: Celebration Holy Communion Preparation: Wednesday evenings, February 24, March 3, 10, 17 and 24. Children in 2nd grade are invited to participate in Communion Preparation class led by The Rev. Jennifer Gregg. This program is designed to instruct children in the history and significance of the Holy Eucharist. Older children who have not yet participated in this class are also welcome. Also on Wednesday evenings in Lent: fun in the Nursery for infants, toddlers, and children through 1st grade. For more information on Lent & Easter offerings, click here Stations of the Cross (in the Sanctuary) "The Stations of the Cross (also called the Way of the Cross) is a traditional liturgical devotion commemorating the last day of Jesus' life. The devotion originated with pilgrims in Jerusalem retracing the traditional steps Jesus is believed to have followed on Good Friday. Since not all Christians could make pilgrimages to Jerusalem, however, the custom arose of replicating the devotion in congregational and individual settings, often with images or carvings on the walls of a church to commemorate each of the traditional 14 stations (or stops) on the Way of the Cross." - Episcopal Public Policy Network WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 7:00 PM Literacy Volunteers of the Berkshires Needs Tutors Literacy Volunteers of Berkshire County provides tutoring to adults in basic reading and writing or conversational English. Beginning later this month, there will be training for those who want to help adults from other countries learn to speak English. The training will teach you the techniques you need and you don’t need to know a foreign language. An orientation to Literacy Volunteers with information about the training and tutoring will be held Wednesday, March 10, at 7:00 pm, at the Pittsfield public library. For information please contact Literacy Volunteers at 499-9487 or lvbc@bcn.net, or see Karen Wallace. SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 11:00 AM Ordination of Johanna Mills Marcure By the Grace of God, and the Church consenting, Johanna Mills Marcure Candidate for Holy Orders will be ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests In the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church by The Right Reverend Gordon P. Scruton on Saturday, March 13, 2010 at eleven o'clock in the morning, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. Your prayers and presence are requested. SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 1:00 PM 'A Serving of Love' Service We will celebrate our third worship experience for special needs children/teens and their families on Sunday, March 21 at 1:00 pm in our Auditorium. If you would like to attend to see what we are doing, please do. This is also a service for families outside of our parish, so if you know of anyone who might benefit, please send them our way. For further information, please contact The Rev. Jennifer Gregg SUNDAY, MARCH 21, 7:00 PM Meditation on the Passion On Sunday, March 21, at 7:00 pm, the Parish Choir will WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 6:30 PM Men's Bible Study Group The Men's Bible Study Group will meet on Wednesday, April 7, 6:30 - 7:45 pm in the Guild Room to reflect on Joseph's blessings of his twelve sons as found in Genesis 49:1-28. A day retreat is also being planned for Saturday, May 1, so please mark the date. All men 16 and over are welcome to join in. See Jim Brennan or Bob Anderson for more details. FRIDAY, April 9, 6:00 PM Eclectic Book Group Join the group for fellowship, intelligent conversation, and a delicious pot luck meal. April's book is The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien. The book for May's meeting (Friday, May 7) is Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger. All are welcome! SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 5:00 - 7:00 PM Haiti Relief Project Community Ingathering Please join with our community and our friends in the Jewish community as we combine efforts to gather relief items to send to Haiti. A complete list of items will be posted on the bulletin board, but here are a few: chewable vitamins, flip flops, coloring supplies, diapers, ace bandages, antibiotic cream, medical tape, $5 donations, and many more. On April 18th, from 5-7 pm, we will all gather together for a community meal, ingathering of aid items, and card and letter writing session. If you have questions, or would like to get involved, please contact Sarah Flynn or Maureen Russo. APRIL - EARLY JULY 2010 Rector Sabbatical/Sabbath Find more information here.
|
|
ST. STEPHEN’S TABLE serves free dinners to people in need every Thursday and Friday evenings. For cooking and volunteer opportunities please contact Dan Moon. Donations can be made to the “Table” in honor of a loved one or a special event, or simply note St. Stephen’s Table on your donation. There is a sign-up sheet outside the office in the Parish Foyer, or you may contact the Parish Office.
THE ST. FRANCIS FUND is a fund administered by the clergy that helps people in need. Donations to the Fund can be sent to the Parish Office. ADOPTING OUR SERVICEMEN David W. Turner (do not use a rank) Eric Fosty, SSG MISSION: GLASSES FOR GHANA - Please contribute your old prescription eye glasses so that they may be distributed by Episcopal Churches in Ghana to benefit people who would otherwise have no glasses at all. Donation boxes will be at both the front entrance and the Allen Street entrance of St. Stephen's. MISSION ARTS - The Mission Arts Cart will make a spring appearance on Palm Sunday. Please contribute your handmade articles, most especially those related to Easter and Spring, to Cathy Carchedi or Joan Evans. Let's continue to support mission through our creation and appreciation of the arts. ST. STEPHEN'S IS MINING FOR SILVER (AND GOLD) - Winter is upon us, adding even more hardship to the lives of so many who are already struggling. If you shop at Big Y, you probably have some, or even several, of their Silver coins and perhaps a Gold one too, lying about in your car or pocketbook or in a drawer at home. The Wardens and Vestry of St. Stephen's are asking that you consider donating your Big Y coins to Hannah to be included as part of the Rector's Discretionary Fund so that she can give them out to individuals and families in need. Thank you for any and all coins you may be able to give. BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING - The first Sunday of each month, our Parish Nurses are available between in the front office between the 9:00 and 10:00 am services and after the 10:00 am service. PARKING – Some of our older parishioners and those who have difficulty walking distances are having trouble finding parking spaces on Sunday mornings. Please avoid parking on Allen Street and in the Bank parking lot and save those spaces for those who require a close parking space. Thank you for your cooperation. THIS WEEK AT ST. STEPHEN’S is a weekly email that is sent out to remind you of what’s happening this week and beyond at St. Stephen’s. If you would like to receive this weekly email please call or email Kathy at the Parish Office and she will make sure you are added to the list. (Please note, if you signed up for the weekly email, but aren't receiving it, be sure to check your SPAM folder in case the message has been incorrectly flagged.)
ST. STEPHEN’S RECYCLES! - We are now recycling bottles, cans, and office paper. In the Dining Room, there is a large blue toter for our bottles and cans. Every other week after Sunday services, a parishioner will carry this out to Allen Street for a Monday morning pick-up. FLOWERS ON THE ALTAR – If you would like to place flowers on the Sunday Altar in memory of a loved one, to celebrate a special anniversary, or in honor of a special event (birth, marriage, accomplishment, etc.), please call Jeanette Roosevelt, 413-637-7247 to arrange a date. There is a schedule posted on the bulletin board outside the Parish Office which notes blank spaces. The cost for a bouquet is $45, cash or check payable to St. Stephen’s with Altar Flowers in the memo. ALEX CARNEY CHILDREN’S LIBRARY AND ADULT LIBRARY Videos, music cds, and books are on display in the children’s library (located on the second floor) and in the Guild Room. Materials have a loan period of one month. Instructions are located on top of the card catalog in both locations. HEALING PRAYERS – On the second Sunday of the month prayer for healing is offered at the communion rail after the 8:00 am Eucharist. At 10:00 am service all who wish to receive prayer for healing are invited to go to the communion rail in the chapel after receiving communion. There is no protocol, you may stand or kneel and you may ask for prayers for yourself or for others. AUDIO TAPES are available of the 10 a.m. service each week. Call the Parish Office. ELECTRONIC GIVING - You can arrange for a debit from your checking account, debit from your savings account or charge your credit card. An authorization form can be found here. Instructions are on the form. Most of our giving opportunities are listed. Please fill out separate forms if you desire to give gifts with different frequencies. Please return the completed form to Kathy Sulock, our Parish Administrator. She will process the authorization and keep it secured until you direct a change. You may also give online directly through the link below:
ST. STEPHEN'S ONLINE PHOTO AND ADDRESS DIRECTORY - The online photo and address directory is now up and running. The web address/URL for the directory is: http://om246521.onlineolanmills.com/home To access the site, you must enter a password which is published each week in the Sunday Bulletin. You may also contact the Parish Office for the password. Please note: ·
We
can add photos, names and contact information very easily. This is one
advantage of an online directory - it's much easier to keep up to date.
Please forward your photos and contact information to the online directory
administrator as per the contact information on the first page of the online
directory. We want everyone's photo and contact information! ·
We
can also change and delete information as necessary. Again, please use the
contact information on the first page of the online directory to request revisions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
