Thanks be to God who has blessed us to be a blessing to others! June Pastor Ritva

Transcription

1 June 2017 One of the great things about being part of a community of faith is that together we can do so much more to make a difference in our neighborhood. When gathered together, our gias of Bme, talent, and treasure are amplified and make a bigger impact. Thank you for your generous gias that have made a difference for so many in the first five months of An elderly woman who lost nine fingers to frostbite was discharged from a rehabilitabon center aaer a year s stay with lihle more than the clothes on her back. To secure affordable housing, she needed a deposit and first month s rent. We were able to provide that from our LOAF fund. You donated furniture, dishes, household supplies, and enough food to last unbl her disability check arrived. She sent us a thank you card along with a note from her case worker that read: Thank you so much for the love, compassion and support you showed P The generosity that St. Stephen s showed P was astounding. Her life was changed simply because you cared. Our annual Mardi Bras event once again produced bags and bags of feminine hygiene products along with $520 we used to purchase more feminine hygiene products. Waypoint distributes these to women and girls in need. Government assistance programs such as SNAP (the replacement for food stamps) cannot be used to buy these basic necessibes. A woman going through divorce was able to purchase used furniture for her house with a gia from our LOAF fund. A woman seeking work as she moves from homelessness to sustainable independent living was able to purchase some dresses with a gia from the LOAF fund. Thank you for the donabons of clothing for her grandkids. N.B. She really could use a window air condi6oner. As partners in OperaBon BackPack we package and deliver 118 bags of supplementary food to Grant Wood Elementary School to be distributed to children who receive free or reduced lunches. These food packets help ensure they have food for the weekends when they are not at school. MC Bacon (a.k.a. Muddy Cookie Bacon), our pig with a purpose, delivered $603 to the Southeastern Iowa Synod Assembly where she met about 40 more pigs. Altogether the Pigs with a Purpose program raised $48,000 for ELCA World Hunger and for anb-hunger programs here in southeastern Iowa. Thanks be to God who has blessed us to be a blessing to others! Pastor Ritva

2 Sundays at 8 & 10am 9:15am Coffee & Conversa1on Wednesdays at 6:30pm Summer Worship Worship on the Lawn June 7 & 21 July 5 & 19 August 2 & 16 Bring lawn chairs and/or blankets Taize Worship in the Sanctuary June 14 July 12 August 9 Healing Service in the Sanctuary June 28 July 26 August 23 Wednesdays at 5:45pm June 4 & 21 July 5 & 19 August 2, 9, 16 Volunteer sign-up informa6on on page 5! Do you know how intimidating it can be to be with your pastor, a vicar, and a youth minister for two days, plus being around over 400 other ministers and church members, PLUS the Southeastern Synod Bishop and officers? Well, it wasn't at all. They are just like you and me. I had the honor to be asked by St. Stephen s to be a voting member representing our church. Music was played by Dakota Road who has written many of the songs and liturgy we use at St. Stephen s. We were able to see the different "pigs" from all over the SEIA Synod like our MC Bacon, which raised over $48,000 Synod-wide. You could attend a forum on Friday and Saturday from the 12 forums offered. I went to "Learning from the Uninterested: The Great Potential of Engaging Millennials." Millennials are people born from In a nutshell, they want Jesus, not the church. They want to be more active in helping people than putting money in a church building. As a baby boomer, I think you need both. Or maybe that's just me being the compromiser or peace keeper. Anyway, it was very interesting. So next January if you get a call asking if you would like to go to the SEIA Synod Assembly, say yes. The nominating committee prays for the Holy Spirit to bring names to their minds of whom they should send. If you are asked, you are really being nudged by the Holy Spirit to go. How can you say no to the Holy Spirit? It is an honor. Pegg Clinton Page 2

3 A Stewardship and Finance Update from Pastor Ritva God of abundance, you have poured out a large measure of earthly blessings: Our table is richly furnished, our cup overflows, and we live in safety and security. Grant us the wisdom to use your blessings to your glory and to the service of our neighbors in Jesus name. Amen. Let me begin by saying how proud I am of this congregabon and its elected leaders. Last November when I asked our council members to all step up and respond to the stewardship challenge by joining John and me in increasing our pledges by at least $33 per month, every member of our council did so. Many of you responded the same way. Thank you! I am grateful to our Stewardship CommiHee, led by Lee Paulsen, for their leadership and for affirming your growing generosity during the temple talk on Sunday, May 7. The result is that giving to the general fund has grown. In the first four months of 2017, all together we have contributed $73,028 to the general fund compared to $67,632 for the same Bme period in That represents a 7.9% growth in giving! THANK YOU for stepping up and growing in generosity. Yet, in spite of that growth in giving, we are facing an unexpected challenge. We started the year with a weak January in terms of giving to the general fund ($14,697) compared to February ($20,242), March ($20,161) and April ($18,415). What that means is that expenses exceeded income in January by Page 3 about $5,000. In March we had to make emergency repairs to the ligh1ng system in the sanctuary that cost roughly $2,000. The end result is that as of April 30, 2017, our expenses exceeded our income by $9,648 (last year at this Nme our deficit was $2,661). It is not unusual for our expenses to be greater than our income in the first three quarters of the year, but this is a significantly larger deficit than normal. Not surprisingly, our Finance CommiHee is nervous, especially as we are entering the summer months when giving tends to decrease. To reduce this deficit, I am asking each family (as they are able) to make an addi1onal gi[ above and beyond their regular giving. An addi1onal gi[ of $100 from each household would wipe out this deficit. To ensure that a deficit like this does not happen again, I am asking you to consider giving differently, e.g. se\ng up an EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) for your monthly gi[ ensures that St. Stephen s always receives your gia, even if you are unable to ahend church. Our ministries are growing. We are making a difference in our community. Let s keep up the good work that God is calling us to do in his name.

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 Summer worship 1mes began May 28. Sunday morning services at 8:00 and 10:00am Wednesday worship is at 6:30pm according to the following schedule: 1st Wednesday... Worship on the Lawn 2nd Wednesday... Taize-style Worship 3rd Wednesday... Worship on the Lawn 4th Wednesday... Healing Service 5th Wednesday... Youth-Led Worship Would you like to sing with us? Join us Wednesday nights following worship at 7:15-8:15pm. Childcare is provided during rehearsals. Following rehearsal, there is a cra[ beer exchange! STUDY Bring Your Bible to Brunch is on hiatus in June and July. Men s Study Group (Mondays at 8am) at Mr. Beans in Marion. INVITE WomenWineWisdom Thursday, June 1, 6pm at Axel's Sports Grill, 951 Blairs Ferry Road NE. RSVP Amy at amykuhn2@aol.com or Childcare and rides can be arranged by contacting Amy. Wednesday Night Summer Grill-Outs, 5:45pm, June 7 & 21, July 5 & 19, August 2, 9, & 16. See page 2 for details. Vaca1on Bible School & Day Camp, August 7-11, 8:30am-5:00pm. See insert for details. Page 4 Upcoming Youth Dates: Monday, June 5, 7pm ROOTED Trip Detail Mee6ng (parents & youth) Wednesday, June 7, 7:15pm MS & HS Game Night (outdoors unless rain) Sunday, June 11, 8am Commissioning of ROOTED Trip Par6cipants Sunday, June 11, 11am ROOTED Trip begins Saturday, June 17, 8:43pm ROOTED Trip ends Sunday, June 25, 8 & 10am ROOTED Trip par6cipants share experiences Sunday, June 25, 9am ROOTED Trip Recep6on Come and meet Vicar-to-be Mikayla Kopp. She will be joining us for our cookout and worship on Wednesday, June 21. Mikayla was born and raised in central Wisconsin. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a BA in religion and psychology. As a youth member of her home church Mikayla helped with Sunday School and VBS. She has worked as a counselor and worship coordinator at Luther Park Bible Camp, was involved in Campus Ministry at UW-Eau Claire, and cochairs the Youth CommiHee at the seminary. While doing her Clinic Pastoral EducaBon, Mikayla has discovered a love for working with the elderly and with hospice/palliabve pabents. Mikayla and her cat will be moving into the vicarage at the end of August. Her official service of beginning will be Sunday, August 6.

5 SERVE Wednesday Night Summer Grill-Out Volunteer Opportuni1es Please consider helping with grilling or bringing a side, salad, or dessert. You can sign up at hhp:// 5080c45abaa2da57-wednesday1 or contact Amy Kuhn ( ). Quil1ng Ministry: Contact Barbara Kusler (home). GIVE Opportuni1es to Sign Up for Altar Flowers We sbll have some spots open to sponsor flowers for the altar. This is a really nice way to honor a loved one s birthday, anniversary, or other special date. Sign up is easy! Go through Signup Genius hhp:// flowers. The cost is $25. You can place a check in the offering with flowers on the memo line or pay online. Your flowers may be taken home aaer the second service. Flowers lea behind will be shared with a member who cannot ahend services. From the St. Stephen s Endowment Committee Did you know that your Required Minimum DistribuBon (RMD) from tax-deferred income depositories at age 70 ½ is one way to help fund the St. Stephen s Endowment Fund? It might be possible to transfer your RMD directly to St. Stephen s Endowment and not pay taxes on that income; check with your tax preparer and the company that holds your funds to find out if that is possible for you. Don t forget about the St. Stephen s Endowment as you plan for your rebrement and beyond. And, of course, any contribubon at any Bme is welcomed. L ORD Hear Our Prayers Members Steve Thomas Mick Butz Pete Hansen Joan Petersen Toni Lee Judy Nye Harriet Hemphill Elfriede Hansen Ann Kleman RelaNves Trent Rosberg Shirley Coates Dave Goepfert Berdella Pitz Mary Rose Barnotes Gertrude Lee John Rosentreter Friends Pat Schnitzel Glenna Houtz Michelle Stafford Jerime Mitchell Alice Adams Phyllis Stark We pray for the family and friends of: Pastor John Rosenberg. who died Tuesday, May 16. Cathy Priebe (wife of Prof. Duane Priebe, Wartburg Seminary), who died Wednesday, April 26. Serving in the military and/or overseas Nick Wheeler, Army NaBonal Guard (grandson of Gail & Dan Husmann) Alex Grar, Army NaBonal Guard 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. We welcome Cassandra Beck who became a member through the Rite of AffirmaBon of BapBsm Sunday, May 21. Confirmands Will Bickel, Casey Christensen, Lincoln Kuhn, Isaac Tominsky, and Jacob Vander Sanden, who made public affirmabon of their bapbsms Sunday, May 21. Page 5

6 Last month, on two occasions, I had the opportunity to share my presentabon and film for the ELCA Book of Faith Challenge with the congregabon. My presentabon highlights some key insights for teaching the Bible that I had a privilege to share with the larger ELCA, including a panel of ReformaBon scholars, a bishop, and a pastor at Luther Seminary in late April. First, art is a way to open up conversabons about Scripture and invite conversabon in community either online or in person. It requires cribcal thinking as well as evokes emobons and engages the whole person. I am grateful to have discovered an excibng method for teaching people to become beher interpreters of Scripture this year that I will conbnue to share with other congrega- Bons in the future. Second, I explored how creabvity is a way to engage one s faith and tap into one s idenbty as a beloved child of God. It s playful, fun, and ublizes many different senses to respond to and interpret Scripture. One notable example included making collages to tell our faith stories during the adult learning hour in Lent. It was enjoyable to see adults become free like children and use their collages as a way to share their faith story with others. In fact, Pastor Ritva decided to use this method to engage our eighth grade young men for their ConfirmaBon project this year, and they shared their own faith collages with the congregabon recently on ConfirmaBon Sunday. Finally, online learning is a way to make Bible study more accessible, create a more diverse, inter-generabonal community for learning, and allow for a deep dwelling in the Word, especially in the Lenten season. I want to thank the many people who parbcipated in the project throughout the year, including the fall women s Bible study on the Gospel of John as well as the Lenten Labyrinth curriculum with the online component in the spring. I have experienced the people of St. Stephen s to be very open, acbve, and eager to welcome new insights and styles of learning. It has been a joy to teach and learn from you. Vicar Kristi Grieder Summer has arrived!!!! With the arrival of summer, the rou- Bnes and focus of my work changes. Instead of ahending school acbvibes, planning Sunday morning discussion Bmes, and having regular gatherings on Wednesday nights, I am now preparing for a mission trip and creabng opportunibes for fun on summer days and nights. This also means a transibon for some of our youth. Summer means change which is always excibng. During the summer, our middle and high school youth spend more Bme together. Some of the plans for the summer include the Synod Partnership ROOTED trip in June, church cookout nights Page 6 with games, a possible trip to a cabin on a lake, a service project at Bever Park, and a night at Veterans Memorial Stadium. I love all the fun we are able to have during the summer when schedules are a lihle more relaxed. Summer also means that it is Bme to plan for our acbvibes in the fall. I will be seeking new confirmabon mentors, planning service projects, iden- Bfying fun acbvibes, and working on discussion topics. I will also start planning for our trip to Houston for the ELCA Youth Gathering in June of I always welcome suggesbons and volunteers, so if you have ideas and/or would like to engage with some awesome young people, please do not hesitate to contact me. Mark Howland, Youth & Young Adult Minister

7 Confirmation Sunday, May 21 Confirmands making their presenta1ons during the Adult Learning Hour. Quil1ng Minister Barbara Kugler brought these quilts in for us to see. This year she has made 19 quilts to be given to Lutheran Services in Iowa for use in their programs with children and families in need. Thank you Barbara for your 6reless work and to all who contributed fabric and other supplies to this ministry. Page 7

8 St. Stephen s Lutheran Church, ELCA st St. SE 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 Youth & Young Adult Minister Mark Howland mhowland1983@gmail.com Pastoral Intern KrisB Grieder kvh.grieder@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 Jeanne Towell thetowells@msn.com enews Editor Marilyn Loan marilyn.loan@me.com Sunday Morning Schedule 8:00am First Worship Service 9:00am Coffee & Fellowship 9:15am EducaBon Hour Through August 20: 10:00am Second Worship Service Beginning August 27: 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 congregabon 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.