January May you all have a Merry Christmas, a blessed Epiphany, and a Happy New Year! Pastor Ritva

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1 January 2015 Christmas is not over yet, though it probably will be by the ;me you get this edi;on of The Messenger. In the church, holy days are cele- brated over a period of ;me for a season rather than just a single day. So, as I write, it is simultaneously the 7th day of Christmas (when the seven swans a- swimming arrive) and New Year s Eve. All around me people are focused on the beginning of a new year, I m s;ll wai;ng for the arrival of the three wise men following the star from the east. That won t happen un;l the Feast of Epiphany (a.k.a. Three Kings Day) on Tuesday, January 6. Epiphany is one of those words we have borrowed from the Greeks. It means to show, to make known, to reveal. A bright star shows the wise men where to find the Christ- child. By paying homage to the babe of Bethlehem they reveal Jesus to the world as Lord and Savior. In a dream the wise men are instructed to return to their own country by another road (MaWhew 2:1-12). That s the last we hear of them. We journey on into the Time azer Epiphany or what some call Ordinary Time. Our Scripture read- ings in this season move us from the mystery of the Word made flesh to what happens in real life when God in the person of Jesus Christ takes up residence in the world, and in our neighborhood. We will spend several weeks reading the first chapter of Mark s gospel side by side with excerpts from Paul s first lewer to the Corinthians. We will walk with Jesus from his bap;sm in the River Jordan through his calling of the disciples to the inaugura;on and expansion of his healing ministry. We will explore how Jesus earliest followers struggle to figure out what it means to be a disciple of this Jesus even as we seek to discern what it means for us individually and as a congrega;on to be en- gaged in Jesus con;nuing mission in the world. Like the wise men may we be prepared to follow wherever our Lord leads us, trus;ng that even if we find ourselves traveling on a different road than we an;cipated, yet he will bring us home. May you all have a Merry Christmas, a blessed Epiphany, and a Happy New Year! Pastor Ritva

2 You re Invited Sunday, January 25, 2015, at 11:45am Non-Retirement Party for St. Stephen s Lutheran Church st Street SE, Cedar Rapids IA At 65 years old, many of us are thinking about re;rement St. Stephen's turned 65 this year but has no interest in re;ring. In fact, we're going strong in our mission and ministry here, and plan to con- ;nue for at least the next 65 years! To celebrate this milestone, we are throwing a gala Non- Re;rement Party on January 25th, immedi- ately following second service. This is the Sunday of our Annual Mee;ng, which will be held between services, and we thought it an especially appropriate day to celebrate our anniversary. There will be more details about the party later, but we are looking for any members who may have old photos of our building, former pastors, members, or any other pictures that celebrate our history. We'd like to create a video montage of "St. Stephen's Now and Then." Start searching your photo albums now! Please get pictures to one of the party coordinators no later than Sunday, January 11. Thank you, Event coordinators Laura Sagers & Karen Johns Page 2 Calling all confirmed + communing + contributing members for St. Stephen s Lutheran Church Annual Meeting Sunday, January 25, 2015 at 9:15am in the Sanctuary Child-care provided Agenda A Review of 2014 Elec5ons Adop5on of Ministry Plan and Budget for 2015 Booklet of Reports will be available on Sunday, January 11, 2015

3 Table and Font: Who is Welcome? In August 2014, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton invited all congrega;ons to consider the ques;on Who is wel- come and invited to receive Holy Com- munion in ELCA congrega;ons? There is apparently a wide variety of prac;ce in con- grega;ons that has evoked conversa;ons about how to be faithful and grounded, yet hospitable and mission- minded in administering the sacra- ments. Congrega;ons are being asked to review The Use of the Means of Grace (1997), and provide comments to the church- wide office by May We have scheduled two Life- Long Learning sessions (Sundays at 9:15 Fellowship Hall) for this purpose, led by Pastor Ritva. Jan. 11 Review The Use of the Means of Grace Jan. 18 Review St. Stephen s Sacramental Prac;ces The goal of our conversa;ons will be to express our understanding of the sacraments and share them with the wider church, as the ELCA council considers if, and how, to update The Use of the Means of Grace. Quakers: The Grand Experiment in Knowing God Beginning Wednesday, January 7 at 7:30pm Daniel Willems is offering a class on what he has learned from the Quakers about what it means to know Christ; how religious structures help or hinder the experience of God; and what it means to know God experimentally. Yes, we s;ll have a church library! It is currently housed in Room 12 in the basement. We have re- cently received a generous dona;on of a number of books including: Daryl Aaron, The 40 Most Influen5al Chris5ans (Bethany House Publishers, 2013) John MacArthur, Twelve Unlikely Heroes (Thomas Nelson, 2012) Warren W. Wiersbe, Jesus in the Present Tense (David C Cook, 2011) Megan McKenna, Luke The Book of Blessings and Woes (New City Press, 2009) M.L. del Mastro, All the Women of the Bible (Castle Books, 2006).and more. These books are available to be read by any member, so check them out! Page 3 Special Learning Opportunities The focus will be the teachings of George Fox who believed that God provided all people an innate ability to know God and to learn from Him. The gospel for Fox was the good news that God, in Jesus Christ, came into the world to teach us himself and con;nues to teach us by the Spirit. The Chris;an life was an increasing know- ing of Christ and transforma;on into Christ s likeness through worship and service. Fox saw the social, religious, and physical struc- tures found in ins;tu;onal churches as promot- ing religious ac;vity which distracted people from the purpose of Chris;anity to know and experience Christ. Those who joined Fox in the Religious Society of Friends (called Quakers by their detractors) sought to design a community with listening to and hearing Christ at the center of worship and community life. Quakers saw their direct inner experience of Christ as a re- connec;on with the power and vitality of the early Chris;an church. Discipleship 101 Sundays, February 1, 8, 15, 22 at 9:15am. An in- troduc;on to discipleship at St. Stephen s. Learn who we are and explore what it might mean for you to walk with us as we know, live, and share Christ together. This class is intended for persons considering becoming members at St. Stephen s, affirming their bap;smal faith as adults, or pre- paring for bap;sm into the Chris;an faith.

4 Stepping Up in Faith: Temple Talk by Becky Lahart I grew up going to a small ELCA farm church in rural Musca;ne. My parents were (and s;ll are) so involved I ozen thought (and think) the en;re church would go down without them. They are on commiwees, do building maintenance, run fundrais- ers, sing in the choir, teach Sunday School, make treats and communion bread, assist anyone with anything, organize papers/finances/everything, and are either readers, greeters, or ushers at literally every sin- gle service. Growing up I admired their dedica- ;on to the church and formed great friendships with the children of other involved families. Those friends are s;ll a big part of my life. I was introduced to St. Stephen s when I moved to Cedar Rapids in I was young, single, and new to the area, living about two blocks from the church. The Towells were friends with (then boyfriend) Joe, but I did not know them well. AZer my first visit to the church, Bob and Don came to the door of my apartment with a mug and a giz bag. I was surprised and humbled that I was worth that visit. When Maya and Alanna were born, I was awend- ing services but hardly knew anyone and wasn't very involved. St. Stephen s members blew me away once again with the wonderful meals they provided when we came home from the hospi- tal. People were so generous and loving to us. Since having children, I have felt a strong con- nec;on to this church. Some of my best friends in the world are my fellow members. I have be- come more involved (not because I have more ;me!), met more people, developed friendships, and found ways to use my gizs in a way that (I hope) helps the whole. This transi;on hasn t happened overnight but because there were others holding us up along the way. I ozen visualize stories or ideas. I picture a ;re swing as a metaphor for church and opportuni- ;es to give. The ;re is the church all of us together with hundreds of ropes holding it up off of the ground awached to the tree. Each one of the ropes is a way we are 'giving' to St. Stephen s. Some;mes a rope is a financial commitment (some;mes it is a thick cable and some;mes a wiry thread), some;mes it is a way we are serving others, some;mes is it a prayer, some;mes it is using a par;cular giz we have, etc. When I first came to St. Stephen s I had a ;ny liwle rope barely hanging on to help hold that ;re up. My point is, we are all working to hold each other up in faith and love. Some;mes you can support others, and some;mes you need the support. It's a circle of trust that we provide each other, and I'm humbled to be part of this circle. I encourage you to look inside of yourself to see how many and how thick your ropes can be and give freely. Becky Lahart Children s Ministry Team Page 4 Thank you for your support! Our Stewardship Campaign was Successful! We received 76 pledges totaling $210,642 toward our 2015 budget an increase of 21% over As we get ready for the New Year: Please pick up your box of 2015 giving envelopes in the Narthex. If you would like a box of enve- lopes, please let me know. EFT donors who increased their 2015 pledge need to sign a new authoriza;on form. I will have forms forms available the next few Sundays. Our bank s deadline to receive these is January 9. Please contact me with ques;ons or concerns. Jackie Lee, Financial Secretary; ; jalpanther@hotmail.com.

5 Throughout Advent, we journeyed in an- ;cipa;on, preparing for the coming of Christ among us. Ligh;ng each Advent candle, we ve marked ;me, and walked the path to the stable of Christ s birth. Having knelt at the manger, it seems as though for just a minute, ;me stood s;ll. The light had finally come; God once again came into our lives and into our world. Though the world con;nues to spin around us, we gaze in wonder at the manger, lezng ;me slip away. While our journey to the manger comes to a close for one more year, our journeys as people of the light do not end. Having celebrated the coming of God, we con;nue our celebra;on of the manifesta;on the epiphany of God. As disciples of the light, we travel closer and closer to the light, just as the wise men searched for the king who had been born. Grow- Page 5 Journey to the Light ing in rela;onship with God, we are transformed and sent forth to be light to those around us. So now, in this season of Epiphany, how might we con- tinue to journey toward the light? And how might our faith in Christ the Light be shared with friends and fam- ily, with our neighbors, with the poor and needy in our land, and with those who live in other nations? Where does the light of Christ take us? Our journeys are not over. While our journeys may each be different, we all walk as children of the light. So what does your journey to the light look like? Where is the light guiding you in your life, in your home, in your family, in your community? Wherever it may lead you, join us as we journey together to- ward the light, bearing witness to God s story in our lives. Peace, Vicar Aleese Baldwin Youth Gathering Update: On the Road to Detroit As we wrap up 2014, the youth and leaders are look- ing in an;cipa;on to 2015! We are looking forward to many things this January and into the late winter. But first, on behalf of the youth, leaders, and parents, we wish to thank you for your con;nued support. To date, we have raised $7, With a goal of $12,000 ($1,000/person), we have crossed the half- way point! It is a blessing to be supported so gener- ously. We have also been able to coordinate with three other area churches to travel with to the gath- ering. We have reserved a 47- passenger bus through Windstar Lines and will be traveling with First Lutheran (Cedar Rapids), Ascension Lutheran (Marion), and St. John s Lutheran (Ely). This greatly reduces cost and relieves stress on our leaders to be responsible for driving. While we are well on our way to funding this trip, we will con;nue having fundraisers. During January, the youth will be selling Hy- Vee coupon books for $10. The coupon books are valid for one full calendar year, and their value exceeds their price. If you are inter- ested in buying a coupon book, please talk to one of our youth. Looking ahead, our par;cipants will begin their monthly prepara5on mee5ngs on January 11. We will meet each second Sunday (except in June) fol- lowing worship downstairs in the couch room. Youth and leaders will engage together in devo;ons, cultural prepara;on for Detroit, and con;nued con- versa;ons and organiza;ons surrounding fundraising. Later this month, Vicar Aleese will also be travelling to Detroit to take part in a training event prior to the ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza. As a way to upliz and train youth leaders, the Youth Gathering staff and youth ministry leaders in the ELCA will pro- vide workshops for how to get the best out of a youth gathering, the best ways to get around the city, and what to expect at a gathering. This will not only pro- vide a chance to learn more about our prepara;on, but it will also provide a ;me to get to know the lay of the land in Detroit. Knowing where key landmarks are and scoping out poten;al ea;ng/fellowship venues will be very helpful come July. Much is going on for our youth and leaders! If you have any ques;ons, contact Vicar Aleese ( kenitzeraleese@gmail.com; cell: ) or DeeAnn Hebrink ( dhebrink@yahoo.com; cell: ).

6 Practice Discipleship in Daily Life Join us as we explore the seven faith practices that are the foundation for following Jesus in daily life: Worship, Prayer, Encourage, Study, Give, Invite, Serve. PRAYER Mondays at 12:30 p.m. Join us as we pray for each other and St. Stephen s. Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. Worship with prayer around the cross, healing sta;on, and more. STUDY Children: Sundays 9:15am Sunday School Music second Sunday of each month Life- Long Learning: Sundays 9:15am Men s Group: Mondays 8am At Mr. Beans- Marion Women s Bible Study A six week explora5on of Paul's lefer to the Gala5ans: Tuesdays 10am In the Fellowship Hall; facilitated by Pr. Ritva Confirma5on for Middle School Youth: Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m., Room 9 Sunday Bible Brunch, first and third Sundays each month, 12:45pm Come explore the upcoming Scripture read- ings with Pastor Ritva and Vicar Aleese over a delicious brunch (loca;on TBA, Dutch treat). INVITE & ENCOURAGE Women, Wine, Wisdom Fellowship Group Meets Thursday, January 8, at the Market Cafe in the Mt. Vernon Rd. Hy- Vee. Please RSVP Amy at amykuhn2@aol.com or call/text The Southeastern Iowa Synod will be hos5ng ConFest Saturday, February 7 an opportunity for confirma;on students to gather together in fellowship, games, learning, worship, and food held at Bethany Lutheran Church in West Branch, Iowa, 9:45am to 3pm. We will meet at St. Stephen s at 9:15; Vicar Aleese and/or adult volunteers will provide transporta;on to the event and stay with the youth throughout the day. Cost is $10/person. Registra5on deadline is January 30. Please talk to Vicar Aleese if you or your child is interested in awending or if you have any ques;ons. SERVE Church Library Looking for a person with a love of books and organizing to tend the church li- brary. This is a long- term volunteer commitment, minimally one year. Looking for a person or persons to scan, save, and organize photos and documents about the history of St. Stephen s. Project comple;on deadline is January 20, 2015, as we would like to prepare a slide show for the 65th Anniversary of the building. Looking for a person or persons to update the We are St. Stephen s bulle5n board in the Fellowship Hall. This is the one with all the pic- tures of our members. The deadline for the comple;on of this project is January 25, Coffee on Thursdays Meets the second and fourth Thursdays each month at 3pm at Mr. Bean's Coffee Shop- Marion. All are welcome. Page 6

7 Through the Week at St. Stephen s What s usually happening on a given day Sundays 8:00am 9:05am 9:15am 9:15am 10:30am 11:30am 11:45am Worship Fellowship Educa;on Hour Annual Mee;ng Worship Youth Gathering Prep Mee;ng (1/11) St. Stephen s Non- Retirement Party (1/25) Choir Rehearsal 11:45am 12:45pm Bible Brunch (1/4, 1/18) Mondays 9 to 1:00 Church office open 8:00am 12:00pm 12:30pm 6:30pm Men s Fellowship at Mr. Beans enews deadline Prayer Team Stephen Ministry Supervision (1/5& 1/19) 7:00pm Boy Scouts (1/5, 11, 25) Tuesdays 9 to 1:00 Church office open 10:00am Women s Bible Study (begins 1/13) 6:30pm Ministry Teams Mee;ngs (1/13) 6:30pm Mutual Ministry (1/27) Wednesdays 9 to 1:00 Church office open 6:30pm Worship 7:15pm Cantors Rehearsal 7:15pm Confirma;on Class Thursdays 9 to 1:00 Church office open 3:00pm Women s Coffee on Thursdays at Mr. Beans (2nd & 4th weeks) 6:00pm Women, Wine, Wisdom (1/8) Fridays Pastor s Sabbath Church office open by appointment ConFest Registrations Due (1/30) Saturdays 9:00am Tai Chi (1st, 2nd, & 3rd Saturdays) Please visit our website at ssluth.com for the most up- to- date schedule. We welcome Amelia Marie Weber, daughter of MaW and Jenny Weber, bap;zed December 7. Jaxson Wallace Rampulla Fishell, son of Michaela and Joseph Fishell, bap;zed January 4. We congratulate Paul Johnson, our pastoral intern. Paul was approved for ordina;on by the East- Central Synod of Wisconsin in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Our condolences to the family and friends of: Patricia Howell (sister of Rose Carlo), who died in a car accident December 4. Merv Smith (Barb Coates father), who passed December 14. On the Prayer List Members Bev Reinertson Steve Thomas Mick Butz Suzanne Schmidt Lee Tramutolo Pete Hansen Ken Kaiser Joan Petersen Elaine Peters Diane Daubenmier Carole Butz Leah Howard David Hebrink Marty Johnson Karen Barnotes Rela5ves Terry Swalve Gary Coates Diane Tank James Williams Trent Rosberg Don Covell Greg Minehart Friends (Gloria Dei, IA City) Jill Shadle Pastor Stephanie Wherry (Seeds of Faith) Jim Lagneaux Lorice Amlin Serving in the military and/or overseas Kate Munro (Malawi) Please contact the office or use a Prayer Request card (in your pew rack) to place your loved one s name on this list for two weeks and/or request prayer of the Monday Prayer Team. If your loved one desires a pastoral visit, please contact Pastor Ritva. Page 7

8 For informa;on on Lutheran Services in Iowa, visit Join us on Facebook at National Mentoring Month January is Na;onal Mentoring Month, a ;me to celebrate mentors and the posi;ve effect they can have on young lives. LSI is blessed to have great volunteer mentors from the community who are inves;ng their ;me in the children and youth at our Beloit and Bremwood campuses. Thank you to these dedicated individuals! If you are interested in becoming a mentor, visit or find a mentoring program in your local area. All it takes is your ;me, friendship, and sharing yourself and your interests to make a difference as a youth mentor! LSI is proud to be an affiliated social ministry or- ganiza5on of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Learn more at and Now I feel like I ll get a lot out of my life. Chelsea was 15 years old the first ;me she ran away from home. I had some troubles where I was living, and I didn t think it was good for me to live there, she said. She slept on a rela;ve s friend s couch for two months, ran away again, and wound up in court. They took me to a psychiatric ward because I told them I wanted to commit suicide, she said quietly. Then I went to shelter for two months, and then I came to Bremwood. LSI s Bremwood Residen;al Treatment Center in Waverly serves youth ages Many, though not all, of the youth there have experienced trauma from past abuse or neglect. During her ;me at Bremwood, Chelsea learned new skills to cope with challenges and bewer ways to iden;fy and communicate her emo;ons. One of Chelsea s most meaningful Bremwood experi- ences was her friendship with her mentor. She came once a week, and we got ice cream or would go for walks, she said. We went hiking, and we would cook together. I just needed 5me with someone who wasn t so involved in my treatment so I could talk to her and see what she thought. Chelsea also started to work on coping with fam- ily challenges. LSI s family- focused approach to care encourages families to be involved as much as possible and works with teens who do not have consistent family involvement to find other solu;ons for permanency and stability in their lives. I first thought this was a waste of my 5me, Chelsea said. I didn t want to be here or do what they wanted me to do. When my family came into my treatment and started being in- volved, I felt beber. Chelsea recently graduated from Bremwood and is living with family members. Her dream is to graduate high school, awend college, and then enter the medical field and eventually become a sonogram technician. When I first got here, I didn t see myself gradu- a5ng or even turning 18, she said. I never thought I d get anywhere in life, but now I feel like I ll get a lot out of my life. I want to go to college and know that I have a stable home. Page 8

9 Children and Youth Advent/Christmas Service Sunday, December 14 Caroling Sunday, December 21 Page 9

10 St. Stephen s Lutheran Church, ELCA st St. S.E. Cedar Rapids, IA ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED Non- Profit Org. US POSTAGE PAID Cedar Rapids, Iowa Permit No. 140 Staff Directory Pastor Rev. Dr. Ritva Williams pastorritva@gmail.com Pastoral Intern Aleese Baldwin kenitzeraleese@gmail.com Office Manager Susan Hallock office@ssluth.com Music Director David Haas music@ssluth.com Piano Accompanist Leslie Hyland lesliehyland@gmail.com Premises Keeper Debbie Polk (319) Council President Diane Daubenmier diane.daubenmier@gmail.com enews Editor Marilyn Loan marilyn.loan@me.com Sunday Morning Schedule 8:00am Worship 9:05am Coffee & Fellowship 9:15am Life- Long Learning 10:30am Worship Please join us Wednesdays: 6:30pm Worship St. Stephen s Lutheran Church, ELCA To Know, Live, and Share Christ. ssluth.com St. Stephen s Lutheran Church (ELCA) is a Reconciling in Christ congrega;on that welcomes diver- sity, which enriches, nurtures, and challenges our life and ministry. Come and join us as we know, live, and share Christ together in love.