Transformed by the Journey

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Barnaby Terry
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1 July 2015 When I was growing up, we didn t take vaca7ons. My dad was self- employed he owned a restaurant that was open seven days a week. We were very fortunate, however, to live on the shores of Lake St. Clair in southern Ontario. We had a whole lake right on our back doorstep, complete with inner tubes, floatees, a dock, and a lifle motor boat. We were not deprived of summer fun even though we never went on vaca7on. When our children were small, summer 7me fun was had at Gramma and Grampa s house on the Rideau River, and at Granny Ethel s and Wally Pop s cofage on the shores of Lake Mississippi. When the kids were older, vaca7ons meant camping at nearby provincial parks, or cross- country camping trips. Once we got as far as eastern Bri7sh Columbia before running out of vaca7on 7me. Another 7me we camped to the ELCIC na7onal youth gathering in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In 1991 we camped our way across the midwest to Denver, Colorado, driving just ahead of the rising flood waters. LiFle did we know then that we would be coming back in a few years to live in Iowa. As empty nesters, John and I prefer to do our camping at B&B s or on cruise ships. It s just so much more comfort- able and relaxing when someone else does the driving, the cooking and the cleaning! This year we did a 12 night cruise of Scandinavia that included visits (albeit brief) to the ci7es of Copenhagen, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, and Skagen. We explored wonderful old churches, castles, and museums. We had funny encoun- ters in unlikely places with unlikely people. In Tallinn (Estonia) we ate lunch in an old guild hall with a transmission manufacturer from England whose clients include John Deere plants here in Iowa. He had flown into Cedar Rapids more than once! On a riverboat in St. Petersburg we enjoyed a drink with a couple from Topsail, Newfoundland, where we had picnicked with our grandchildren last summer. It is a small world indeed! A[er the cruise, we spent a week in England where I was a presenter at a biblical studies conference at the University of Gloucestershire in Cheltenham together with scholars from the USA, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Finland, Australia, and Britain. We shared our ongoing research, and spent 7me together exploring the ruins of an ancient Roman villa and the 1000 year old Gloucester Cathedral (one of the sets for the Harry PoFer movies). We dined at the Daffodil where the one of the scenes in the BBC series Sherlock Holmes was filmed. I am very grateful for the blessing of vaca7on 7me, for Vicar Aleese and Pastor Lyle who provided wor- ship and pastoral leadership while I was away, and for my spouse whose hard work makes these travels possible. My prayer is that all of you may experience some much needed 5me away from your normal responsibili5es this summer so that you can read novels, visit interes5ng places, revisit favorite haunts, hang out with old and new friends, and do whatever refreshes and restores your energy and crea5vity for your daily work. Blessings, Pastor Ritva

Transformed by the Journey As I reflect on my year, I con- 7nue to remember the mo- ments in which I have been privileged to walk with different people on their journey.

2 Transformed by the Journey As I reflect on my year, I con- 7nue to remember the mo- ments in which I have been privileged to walk with different people on their journey. I think of the many people I have met through my work at St. Luke s and the stories that they have shared with me. And I think about the con7nued story of the people of St. Stephen s that I have been invited into this year. These stories have changed me as a person and as a leader. At the beginning of the year, I set a goal for my- self to ar7culate my vision for ministry in the 21st century. But as I have journeyed throughout the year, I learned that it is not as much about being able to ar7culate what that vision might mean right now as it is about being able to con- 7nually walk the journey of where God is leading me as a part of the greater church. Rather than thinking about my call to ministry as something to figure out, it has become more of a con- 7nuous journey of following where the Spirit leads me. It has become a ritual for me to say a prayer as I leave for either St. Luke s or St. Stephen s each morning. While it varies day to day, it sounds something like this: O Lord God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, to paths as yet untrodden, and to perils unknown. Lay Internship Commi1ee Wants Your Feedback Our Lay Internship CommiGee Derek Buckaloo, Dan Husmann, Leslie Hyland, Makenzie Kuhn, Kevin Ost- mo, Mary Tank, and Carole Butz (Chair) meets each month to support Vicar Aleese through her Internship Lead us out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but trus<ng that your hand is lead- ing us and your love suppor<ng us. Through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, Amen. Throughout the year, this prayer has become a reminder of my daily journey with the people I meet. Most days, I m not sure what my day will really look like. While at 7mes that has seemed daun7ng, I have come to embrace the joy of a new journey each day and the hope of where God is con7nuing to lead me on my journey. I recently met with an individual at St. Luke s who shared with me her understanding of her spirituality as something that is fluid. It was a beau7ful witness to how the Spirit con7nues to flow through her life despite several medical and family issues. As I walked away from that room I began to wonder what would happen if we all allowed ourselves to journey not knowing where we go, but trus7ng that God s hand is leading us and love suppor7ng us wherever that journey might lead. I give thanks for the opportunity to walk with you on this journey, and for the ways that the Spirit has shaped me. While my 7me at St. Stephen s will soon come to an end, I pray that God s kingdom will con7nue to show up, leading each one of us to con7nue on the journey. Peace, Vicar Aleese Baldwin year at St. Stephen's. Please contact a commigee member or e- mail Carole mccsbutz@gmail.com with any feedback you might have as Vicar Aleese con<nues to progress through her year with us. Page 2

Cedar Rapids Vigil Recognizing Gun Violence Sunday, July 12, 8pm The community is invited to gather to recognize the loss and grief caused by gun violence and move toward change by walking together

If you are interested in leaving from our St. Stephen s Third Annual Bever Pool Party (6-8pm, $2/person) to go to Riverside, please con- tact Vicar Aleese. Rain loca7on is the Czech Museum.

3 Cedar Rapids Vigil Recognizing Gun Violence Sunday, July 12, 8pm The community is invited to gather to recognize the loss and grief caused by gun violence and move toward change by walking together to an inter- religious prayer vigil. Vigil will be held at Riverside Park (next to the Czech Museum) with two walk points from NewBo and Sokol Park 15 minutes prior to the vigil. If you are interested in leaving from our St. Stephen s Third Annual Bever Pool Party (6-8pm, $2/person) to go to Riverside, please con- tact Vicar Aleese. Rain loca7on is the Czech Museum. Page 3 ReconcilingWorks Assembly 2015 & Reconciling in Christ Conference July 31 Aug 2, Augsburg College, Minneapolis Un7l all are free, no one is free. When the Rev. Dr. Mar7n Luther King, Jr. preached these words, he echoed the 7meless value of do unto others as well as the renewed understanding of the freedom found in the Spirit of Christ. The theme of Un7l All Are Free will guide the work of this assembly as we give thanks for the founda7on we have laid and the work ahead. Come learn new ways of outreach, hear stories of joy and challenge, and explore ways to live the work of reconcilia7on in the Lutheran tradi7on. Throughout the assembly, par7cipants will explore jus7ce issues, focusing on the intersec7on of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) people and ra- cial jus7ce efforts, poli7cal jus7ce issues and strategy, and the work to ensure welcome is a lived experience in the Lutheran Church. ReconcilingWorks will hold business sessions where members and partners will play an integral part in guiding our organiza7on over the next three years. Time will be spent learning from each other about new organizing methods and strategies to take back to our communi7es, working to ensure welcome is a lived experience for all Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) people and their families and that nobody is free un7l all are free. The Gala din- ner is one you will not want to miss! For more informa5on and registra5on, go to: Assembly.ReconcilingWorks.org or contact Pastor Ritva/Vicar Aleese.

Youth Gathering Update: On the Road to Detroit We have finally reached our des7na- 7on! This month, nine youth and three lead- ers will depart for Detroit!

4 Youth Gathering Update: On the Road to Detroit We have finally reached our des7na- 7on! This month, nine youth and three lead- ers will depart for Detroit! We ask for your prayers as we travel, learn, and grow together! To kick us off, the group will be commissioned as a part of the 9:30am worship service on Sunday, July 12. Join us as we are sent in Jesus name to share in rela7onship with those in Detroit. Our group will leave early in the morning on Tuesday, July 14 and will return on Sunday, July 19. If you would like to stay connected to what is going on in Detroit, we encourage you to keep up with the Live Stream on the ELCA web- site (elca.org). Informa7on for the Live Stream will be posted in the Bulle7n, enews and our Facebook site. To share our experiences, the group will lead worship on Sunday, July 26 at the 9:30am serv- ice. The theme of worship will revolve around the themes of the Gathering week, and will take a deeper look at what the youth have been learning about what it means to Rise Up together! We thank you for your support of our youth as we travel to Detroit in just a few short weeks! Thanks to the generous support of St. Stephen s and the work of our youth, we will be able to give an offering of $1,200 (10% of our original budget) to Walk for Water at the Gathering. The remainder of the funds raised for the trip will be used for food expenses and seed money for next year s group of youth. Seed money will total about $1,500. Again, thank you for your con7nued help and support. We give thanks for those cheering us on from home. Stay tuned to the St. Stephen s Facebook page for updates from Detroit! Treasurer's Report: We have very good financial news to report: Year to date, through the end of June, we have a posi7ve net income of $7,491. We are off to a great start to the year, thanks to the generous giving by our congrega7onal members. Hope- fully, this trend will con7nue through the sum- mer months. Ken Nathan, Treasurer St. Stephen's is hiring a Youth Director this fall. Since this posi7on is con7ngent on funding, it is vital we maintain our strong financial posi7on Page 4 Stewardship: THANK YOU! through the summer and into fall. A bathroom renova7on at the house formerly known as Red is under way. These are just two of many rea- sons we need to sustain our healthy financial state. To ensure that your gi[ reaches the church consistently, you might consider serng up a monthly electronic funds transfer (EFT). For more informa7on contact Jackie Lee at or jalpanther@hotmail.com.

5 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 12:30pm Join us as we pray for each other and St. Stephen s. Wednesdays at 6:30pm Explore new and old spiritual prac7ces in the context of sacramental worship. (See the full Rejuvenate Worship and Fellowship Schedule on page 6.) STUDY Men s Group: Mondays 8am at Mr. Beans- Marion. Women s Bible Study Resumes Tuesday, September 1, at 10am. We will be studying the book of Ruth, the first in a series on women of the Bible. Facilitated by Pastor Ritva. Sunday Bible Brunch Resumes in September on the first and third Sundays at 12:45pm. Loca7on TBA. Exploring Our Strengths Small Group Study July 8, 22, 29, August 12, 26 at 7:30pm, Room 11. We ll explore our strengths and learn how to use them to build up our commifee/ministry teams here at church, and/or any group that you lead in daily life. INVITE & ENCOURAGE Women, Wine, Wisdom Fellowship Group meets the first Thursday of each month at a pre- determined loca7on. Please RSVP Amy at amykuhn2@aol.com or call/text Beer & the Bible Men s Group is on summer break, but resumes in September. St. Stephen s Third Annual Bever Pool Party, Sunday July 12, 6pm- 8pm, $2/Person Bring pool toys and your family and friends. We ask that you sign up who will be coming so we can have a semi- accurate head count. Hospitality will provide snacks and beverages. Sunday, July 26, Youth Gathering Par5cipants invite all stockholders to the 9:30am service and a dessert recep5on following to hear about their adventures in Detroit and to receive their dividends of group photos, DVDs, and conver- sa7ons. Sunday, August 2, join us at 9:30am worship as we bid farewell and Godspeed to Vicar Aleese Baldwin. Brunch to follow. SERVE A note from Lisa Peltier: Another great week of Family Promise under our belt. Lots of wonderful first- time volunteers and some great veteran vol- unteers. I am proud of our church at what we do for folks. The young kids asked if Ann and I were coming to the next church with them. Chris said St. Stephen's "felt like home," we did not act like we were better than them, and he enjoyed all the meals. Kim said as much as they liked us, they hope to meet us out in public and not through the Family Promise program on our next time to host. Our next Family Promise Week is August Page 5

6 As a social ministry organiza7on of the ELCA, Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI) is so thankful for your partnership in ministry! This month we also want to give special thanks for the many congre- ga7ons who have made LSI a focus of a God s work. Our hands. project. Past God s work. Our hands. projects have in- cluded dona7ons of tools and handmade totes for dads enrolled in our early childhood pro- grams, plus children s books, towel bundles, school supplies, and backpacks. LSI has also been blessed to receive noisy offerings, special of- ferings and proceeds from yard work or lunch- eons. Some Sunday School classes and youth groups have also encouraged youth at LSI s Be- loit and Bremwood Residen7al Treatment Cen- ters through quilts and lefers. We thank you for your witness of God s love and your service! If you are interested in ministering to those served by LSI and would like to know more about current needs, please contact Deb Whivord, LSI director of philanthropy and church rela7ons, at deborah.whivord@lsiowa.org. For informa7on on Lutheran Services in Iowa, visit Join us on Facebook at God s work. Our hands. Helping Makayla See Anything is Possible Things are looking up for 18- year- old Makayla. Now is the happiest I ve been, she said. Things are gecng beger. Makayla, 15 years old when she had her son Levi, hasn t seen her mom in ten years. More than a year ago her dad took his own life. Yet Makayla always has a smile on her face. And she has changed things with some help from LSI s early childhood services. A lot of families especially teen moms they don t have parents they can talk to. That s where we can go in and be very helpful, said Julie, an LSI family support worker. Julie shared child development and paren7ng informa7on with Makayla, but most importantly, she boosted Makayla s confidence. I tend to see a lot of teen mothers, and this is one I m super proud of, Julie said. She s always had it in her. Now she s in an environment where she can grow. LSI is proud to be an affiliated social ministry or- ganiza<on of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Learn more at and Makayla is now a high school graduate, has a job and plans to study early childhood educa7on. She is a woman of hope. I like my mindset now, she said. I feel like anything is possible. Please join us Wednesday evenings this summer for Rejuvenate Worship and Fellowship: Worship centered around a Prayer Walk in the neighborhood 6:30pm June 3, July 1, July 29 Worship centered around Interac5ve Sta5ons 6:30pm June 17, July 15, August 12 Page 6 Grill Out & Worship around the Table Grill Out at 6:00pm Worship at 6:30pm June 10 & 24, July 8 & 22, August 5 & 19 Campfire and S mores to follow at 7:15pm

7 Through the Week at St. Stephen s What s usually happening on a given day Sundays 8:00am Worship 9:05am Fellowship 9:30am Worship 9:30am Youth Gathering Commissioning (7/12) 9:30am Youth Gathering PresentaEon (7/26) 6:00pm 3rd Annual Pool Party at Bever (7/12) 9:00pm Youth Gathering Return to CR (7/19) Mondays Church office will be closed July 6 9 to 1:00 Church office open 8:00am Men s Fellowship at Mr. Beans 12:00pm enews deadline 12:30pm Prayer Team 6:30pm Stephen Ministry Supervision (7/6& 20) Tuesdays 6:00am Youth Gathering Departs for Detroit (7/14) 9 to 1:00 Church office open 5:00pm Worship & Music CommiXee (7/14) 6:30pm Ministry Teams MeeEngs Fall Planning (7/14) 6:30pm Mutual Ministry (7/28) Wednesdays 9 to 1:00 Church office open Rejuvenate Wednesday Worship & Fellowship: 6:00pm Grill- Out (7/8 & 22) 6:30pm Prayer Walks (7/29) 6:30pm Worship Around the Table (7/8&22) 6:30pm InteracEve Worship (7/15) 7:15pm Choir Rehearsal 7:30pm Small Group: Exploring Our Strengths (7/8, 22, 29) 7:45pm Cantor/Worship Ensemble Rehearsal Thursdays 9 to 1:00 Church office open 12:00pm Endowment CommiXee Mtg (7/9) 6:30pm Finance CommiXee Mtg (7/9) 6:30pm Church Council Mtg (7/30) Fridays Church office open by appointment Pastor s Sabbath We welcome: Elodee Evangeline Chambers, born June 16, to Molly and Jonathan Chambers. Elodee joins her brother Callahan at home. Our condolences to the family and friends of: Becky McCarty, who was hit and killed by lighten- ing June 20 near Palo. A friend of Nicole Brooks, Becky leaves behind three children, one younger and two older boys. Members Steve Thomas Mick Butz Lee Tramutolo Pete Hansen Ken Kaiser Joan Petersen Elaine Peters Marian Zierath Jada Flowers Toni Lee Judy Nye Bob Westercamp Suzanne Schmidt Melanie Monroe On the Prayer List Rela<ves Terry Swalve Gary Coates Trent Rosberg Don Covell Shirley Coates Dave Marner Sr. June Pfeiffer Carolyn Towell Richard Connolly Brenda Berg Friends Rachel Hollingshead 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 New Spaces for our Children and Youth at St. Stephen s! The youth room is complete and the chil- dren's Crea5on Sta5on has been updated to provide a "kid- friendly space" and also to help dampen the noise level. We give a huge shout- out to Becky Lahart for her vision and help! Page 8

So Far, An Eventful Summer at St. Stephen s!

.. The June get- together for Women, Wine,

concert. God's kingdom is growing among us!

9 So Far, An Eventful Summer at St. Stephen s! Our booth at CR PrideFest May 30 was hosted by Melanie Ostmo and Jonathan Chambers. Rejuvenate! Wednesdays... The June get- together for Women, Wine, and Wis- dom included a Marion by Moonlight concert. God's kingdom is growing among us! The "kingdom plants" that our kids and parents planted June 10 during Worship Around the Table sprouted quickly thanks to the rain! Grill Out & Worship Around the Table Wednesdays conclude with a campfire and s mores at 7:30pm. Page 9

St. Stephen s Lutheran Church, ELCA 610 31st St. S.E. Cedar Rapids, IA 52403-3021 ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED Non- Profit Org. US POSTAGE PAID Cedar Rapids, Iowa Permit No.

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 (summer hours) 8:00am Worship 9:05am Coffee & Fellowship 9:30am 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 congregaeon 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.

Happy Birthday St. Stephen s!

November 2014 Happy Birthday St. Stephen s! Downstairs in the basement are two collages of photos and newspaper ar;cles about the beginnings of St. Stephen s. I was looking at them thinking how to trans-