Pastor Ritva. September 2018

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September 2018 Sabba$cal Report I am deeply grateful for the gi8 of this summer s sabba;cal. Thank you to all of you for allowing me to take this ;me to rest, reflect and refocus.

1 September 2018 Sabba$cal Report I am deeply grateful for the gi8 of this summer s sabba;cal. Thank you to all of you for allowing me to take this ;me to rest, reflect and refocus. And huge bouquets to Vicar Mikayla, Mark, Sherry, Jeanne, Emma, Paul and everyone else who covered my du;es and/or picked up John s tasks of making coffee, photocopying music, and so much more. So how did I/we spend this sabba;cal ;me? I aoended the Southeastern Iowa Synod Leadership School at Prairiewoods (June 3-8), led by leadership coach Jim Merhaut. This is the beginning of a year long journey for the ten par;cipants in learning to be more adap;ve leaders. Each of us has a congrega;onal project to complete. Mine is work with our leadership team to revisit the deepening every member engagement strategic goal. I spent the early summer as a hermit in our home right here in Cedar Rapids, wri;ng, gardening, and tangling with poison ivy. John and I commioed ourselves to a program of walking two to three mile segments of the Sac and Fox Trail most days of the week. I was able to amass hundreds of pages of data for a book called The People of Jesus World. My daughter Anne and I will spend the winter turning it into something readable. We had to cancel our trip to Canada when John ran into some health issues that prevented him from traveling. Once those were resolved we embarked on a 12-night Mediterranean cruise visi;ng ports in Spain, France, Italy, Croa;a, and Montenegro. Back home at the end of July, I began working on a presenta;on about Making the Sign of the Cross for the Ritual in the Biblical World sec;on at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Mee;ng in November. We visited seven Reconciling in Christ congrega;ons across Iowa. We also worshiped with Pastor Aleese Baldwin in Musca;ne, par;cipated in the ordina;on of Pastor Kris; Grieder (July 23) and assisted at the bap;sm of her daughter, Nora (August 12). We will share our observa$ons and insights of these worship experiences during the educa$on hour on Sunday, September 16. Thank you again to everyone who made this relaxing and enjoyable summer possible! Pastor Ritva

September has arrived and that means we are gearing back up for our usual youth and young adult ac;vi;es.

Room High School Dinner & Faith Time - 2nd Wednesday every month at a youth s home - watch the website for loca$on or contact Mark High School Dinners with Mark - 4th Wednesday every month at a local

anyone else who would like to aoend, that we will be having Hotcakes and Houston on Sunday, September 16 at 9:15am in the Fellowship Hall.

We will even feed you some pancakes. As always, if you have any ques;ons or would like to know how you can support our youth, do not hesitate to contact me.

Blessings, Mark Howland Youth & Young Adult Minister Communication Notes: Are you remembering to check in on Facebook each ;me you are at St Stephen s?

2 September has arrived and that means we are gearing back up for our usual youth and young adult ac;vi;es. So I want to remind parents and youth of opportuni;es to be involved: Middle School Confirma$on Class - Wednesdays at 7:15pm in Room 9 High School Discussion Group - Sundays at 9:15am in the Youth Room High School Dinner & Faith Time - 2nd Wednesday every month at a youth s home - watch the website for loca$on or contact Mark High School Dinners with Mark - 4th Wednesday every month at a local restaurant - watch the website for loca$on or contact Mark Service projects & Fun ac$vi$es - Watch the website for dates, $mes and loca$ons I also want to remind the Youth Gathering Stockholders, and anyone else who would like to aoend, that we will be having Hotcakes and Houston on Sunday, September 16 at 9:15am in the Fellowship Hall. This is an opportunity for you to come and hear the youth who aoended this year s ELCA Youth Gathering give some more in-depth informa;on regarding their experience and answer your ques;ons. We will even feed you some pancakes. As always, if you have any ques;ons or would like to know how you can support our youth, do not hesitate to contact me. There is always a need that I am sure you can fill and you can make the difference in the lives of our young members. Blessings, Mark Howland Youth & Young Adult Minister Communication Notes: Are you remembering to check in on Facebook each ;me you are at St Stephen s? This is a easy way that you can spread the word about our church and ac;vi;es. If you need help figuring out how to do so, check with Mark (or any young person). If you take pictures of any events or ac;vi- ;es at St Stephen s, please share those with Mark so that they can be included in our communica;ons. Mark is not always to be at events or some;mes able to take pictures at them because he is involved in them. Communica;on contact informa;on: - sslcommcoord@gmail.com Facebook - CommCoord Mark Text and phone Pastor Kathryn Franzenberg is offering the Alpha course in their home on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30pm beginning September 5 and ending November 14. The schedule will be - 5:30pm Dinner; 6:00pm - video presenta;on and introduc;ons; 6:30pm - small group discussions. The Alpha course is an evangelis;c course which seeks to introduce the basics of the Chris;an faith through a series of talks and discussions. It is described by its organizers as "an opportunity to explore the meaning of life. So if you are new to Chris;anity or would like to learn more, feel free to contact Pastor Kathryn at Page 2

Join us Saturday, September 8 9am - Noon Safe Place 529 6th Avenue SE In 1989, Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I proclaimed September 1 as a day of prayer for crea;on within the Eastern Orthodox

Ten years later the European Chris;an Environmental Network (ECEN) urged churches to adopt an annual celebra;on of a Season of Crea;on that runs from September 1 to October 4 (Feast of St Francis).

Our 2018 celebra;on of the Season of Crea;on will center around the ques;on, What are we passing on to our children and grandchildren in rela;on to crea;on?

23) - Passing on the Gi8 of Service Week 5 (Sept 30) - Passing on the Gi8 of Discipleship Once again Mick and I are asking for your support in the Fight to End Alzheimer's!

3 Join us Saturday, September 8 9am - Noon Safe Place 529 6th Avenue SE In 1989, Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I proclaimed September 1 as a day of prayer for crea;on within the Eastern Orthodox Church. Ten years later the European Chris;an Environmental Network (ECEN) urged churches to adopt an annual celebra;on of a Season of Crea;on that runs from September 1 to October 4 (Feast of St Francis). Numerous church bodies now have resources for celebra;ng crea;on. Our 2018 celebra;on of the Season of Crea;on will center around the ques;on, What are we passing on to our children and grandchildren in rela;on to crea;on? Each week we will explore a diﬀerent theme: Week 1 (Sept 2) - Passing on the Gi8 of Integrity Week 2 (Sept 9) - Passing on the Gi8 of Hope Week 3 (Sept 16)- Passing on the Gi8 of Wisdom Week 4 (Sept 23) - Passing on the Gi8 of Service Week 5 (Sept 30) - Passing on the Gi8 of Discipleship Once again Mick and I are asking for your support in the Fight to End Alzheimer's! Mick is unable to walk this year, but he will be present in Spirit as I walk for him. Please join us by donating to this important eﬀort. Alzheimer's facts: Alzheimer's is the 6th leading cause of death in the US. * Alzheimer's is the only cause of death of the top 10 in America that cannot be prevented, cured, or slowed. Throughout the month we will make available crea;on-centered devo;ons, and weekly challenges for how we can do a beoer job caring for God s crea;on. Look for announcements in enews and FaceBook. * There are an es;mated 16 million caregivers of people living with demen;as providing an es;mated 18.4 billion hours of unpaid care. We will wrap up our celebra;on of God s crea;on on Wednesday October 3 (6:30pm) with a Blessing of Pets and Favorite Creatures. * In 2018, Alzheimer's disease will cost the U.S. $277 Billion!! * In the U.S. someone develops Alzheimer's every 65 seconds Thank you from Mick -- Thank you from me -- as we raise funds for this important research. Carole Butz Page 3

4 Page 4 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. WORSHIP Sunday Worship Schedule, 8:00 and 10:30am. Wednesday Worship is at 6:30pm. Join us each week for a casual and par;cipatory service. 1st Wednesday Taize-Style Worship 2nd Wednesday Interac;ve Worship 3rd Wednesday Healing Service 4th Wednesday Interac;ve Worship 5th Wednesday. Youth-led Worship Would you like to sing with us? Join us Wednesday nights following worship. Childcare is provided during rehearsals. STUDY Sunday Morning Children s Time at 9:15am in the Children s Place (Pre-K/K) and in Classroom 8 (1st-5th grades) in the lower level). We use Spark LecAonary Curriculum. Music with David Haas: The second Sunday of each month, a8er opening devo;ons in the Children s Place (lower level), the children come up to the sanctuary to learn a song they will offer as part of the worship during the second service. Sunday morning High School Youth Discussion: Will resume on September 16. Life Long Learning 9:15am (Fellowship Hall) Bring Your Bible to Brunch. Join us as we look at the upcoming lec;onary passages, we meet this month on the 1st and 3rd Sundays at the Chrome Horse, rd Street SE. Men s Coffee & Study Group (Mondays at 8am) at Mr. Beans in Marion. Current topic is end of life issues. We are using the book, Being Mortal, for our discussion. Women s Bible Study is resuming on Tuesday, September 11 at 10:00am. Pastor Ritva is leading a discussion using the book, Eve, by Wm Paul Young. Join us in the Fellowship Hall. Wednesday Evening Confirma$on Program for Middle School Youth (6 th -8 th grades) in Room 9. Contact Pastor Ritva or YYAM Mark Howland for more informa;on. INVITE WomenWineWisdom on Thursday, September 6pm, Loca$on: Tin Roost, 840 W Penn St, North Liberty. RSVP Amy at amykuhn2@aol.com or Childcare and rides can be arranged. Women 50+ Luncheon Tuesday, September 11:30am, Fellowship Hall. For informa;on, RSVP Ardell Begalske at reb4724@imonmail.com or SERVE Quil$ng Ministry: Contact Barbara Kusler (home). Opera$on BackPack - Will resume this fall a8er the program is organized. Watch the enews for updates on our start date. Hospitality Hosts - Sundays at 9:00am in the Narthex and Fellowship Hall. Each Sunday you have the opportunity to provide refreshments for guests and members. For more informa;on or to sign up go to 60b0c4aa9aa2ba3f94-hospitality, contact Amy Kuhn at amykuhn2@aol.com or or Nicole Brooks at nab21871@aol.com or , Hospitality Team. Family Promise Food Providers and Hosts - Our next week to host is October For more informa;on, contact Barb Coates ( ), Donna Gladish ( ), or Nancy Me;er- Mohni ( ).

5 GIVE Opportuni$es to Sign Up for Altar Flowers Sponsoring flowers for the altar is a nice way to honor a loved one s birthday, anniversary, or other special date. Sign up is easy! Go through Signup Genius or check the sign up on the What Would Jesus Sign Up For bulle;n board. The cost is $25. You can place a check in the offering with flowers on the memo line, pay at the kiosk in the narthex, or pay online through the website. Take your flowers home a8er the second service or leave them to be shared with a member who cannot attend services. Coffee Sponsor - Help provide coffee for fellowship between services and other church events. The cost is $10. You can place a check in the offering with coffee on the memo line, pay at the kiosk in the narthex, or pay online through the website. Sanctuary Lamp Oil - Keep the sanctuary lamp lit. The cost is $10. You can place a check in the offering with lamp oil on the memo line, pay at the kiosk in the narthex, or pay online through the website. Current Special Giving Opportuni$es Amazon Smile - Do you shop on Amazon? Donate to our church with each of your purchases. Instead of using the regular Amazon site to make your purchases, go to hops:// Choose St Stephen s as your charity. Quarters for ELCA World Hunger - All quarters in the offering plate go to fight hunger throughout the world. HACAP, Opera$on BackPack - Help the children fill the the quarter tube by the pulpit, so kids at Grant Woods & Erskine Elementary Schools can eat! To Know, Live and Share Christ L ORD Hear Our Prayers Members Steve Thomas Mick Butz Joan Petersen Toni Lee Judy Nye Harriet Hemphill Elfriede Hansen Ann Kleman Cris Nodru8 Mary Flecksing Sally Beltz Rela<ves Trent Rosberg Gertrude Lee Gene Johnson Serving in the military and/or overseas Alex Grax, Army Na;onal Guard Our Companions in Ministry The Rev. Elineema Mndeme and people of Kisiwani, Pare Diocese, Tanzania (our Companion Congrega;on) and Bp. Charles Rabson Mjema and staff, Pare Diocese, Tanzania Tekeste Gebrekidan, serving the refugee popula- ;on from Eritrea in Ethiopia 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 pastoral staff. If your loved one desires a pastoral visit, please contact Pastor Ritva by voice or text at or by at pastorritva@gmail.com. Did you know? Barna research says slightly more than four out of five adults in the U.S. (84%) claim they had prayed in the past week. That has been the case since Barna began tracking the frequency of prayer in Page 5

6 Direct Support Professionals Week Do you know someone who is a caregiver to a loved one? It is a role that is both demanding and meaningful. During September s Na;onal Direct Support Professionals Week, we celebrate all the ways in which these professional caregivers help children and adults achieve their goals and build meaningful lives. One way LSI empowers Iowans is through our Services for People with Disabili;es. From 24- hour support to occasional respite care, the LSI team li8s up Iowans with disabili;es as they find the confidence and independence they need to thrive in their communi;es. We thank you for your faithful support of LSI you create so many new life-changing possibili- ;es for children, adults, and families! If you would like to learn more about how you can support crucial programming like LSI s Services for People with Disabili;es, please contact Deb Whizord, LSI director of philanthropy and church rela;ons, at or Deborah.Whitford@LSIowa.org. Our Mission: Lutheran Services in Iowa responds to the love of Jesus Christ through compassionate service. LSI is an affiliated social ministry partner of the Iowa congregaaons of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and a member of LSA (Lutheran Services in America). We proudly serve people of all ages, abiliaes, religions, sexes, gender idenaaes, naaonal origins, ethniciaes, races, and sexual orientaaons. Learn more at and Finding His Independence Logan and his mother, Michaela, didn t know where to turn. Since Logan was 5 years old, he had moved in and out of hospitals and residen;al treatment centers across Iowa. For 13 years, Michaela tried to find the right approach to address his behavioral needs. But nothing was working. That s when the family learned about LSI s Services for People with Disabili;es. Now 18, Logan is living independently in an apartment supervised 24/7 by his compassionate LSI team. Logan is now ac;ve in his community and developing healthy rela;onships with his friends. He graduated early from his high school and has become ac;ve at the gym and in a local bowling league where his high score for a game is 210. Every step of the way, Michaela knows Logan s LSI team will keep her informed about her son s care and growth. At LSI, they treat him like an individual and they know each person needs different care, Michaela says. It s good knowing that I have constant communica;on with his team, and I know somebody is saying, we hear you. Page 6

7 Pool Party 2018 Summer Fun Page 7

8 Youth At Holiday Lake VBS 2018 Page 8

St. Stephen s Lutheran Church, ELCA 610 31st St. SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52403-3021 ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED Staff Directory Pastor Rev. Dr. Ritva Williams pastorritva@gmail.

10 St. Stephen s Lutheran Church, ELCA st St. SE Cedar Rapids, IA ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED Staff Directory Pastor Rev. Dr. Ritva Williams pastorritva@gmail.com Youth & Young Adult Minister Mark Howland mhowland1983@gmail.com Office Administrator Sherry Mercil office@ssluth.com Music Director David Haas music@ssluth.com Piano Accompanist Leslie Hyland lesliehyland@gmail.com Premises Keeper Debbie Polk (319) Council President Jeanne Towell thetowells@msn.com Communica;on Coordinator Mark Howland sslcommcoord@gmail.com Sunday Morning Schedule 8:00am First Worship Service 9:00am Coffee & Fellowship 9:15am Learning Hour 10:30am Second Worship Service Wednesday Evening Schedule 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 diversity, which enriches, nurtures, and challenges our life and ministry. Come and join us as we know, live, and share Christ together in love.

March May you all have a thoughdul Lenten season, Pastor Ritva

March May you all have a thoughdul Lenten season, Pastor Ritva March 2018 Lent 2018 began with Mark s story of Jesus bap