Happy Birthday St. Stephen s!

Transcription

1 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- fer that informa;on to our new website s history page when a date caught my eye. October 9, The day this congrega;on dedicated its first church building. That was, like ah 65 years and a couple weeks ago. Sixty- five years ago the congrega- ;on of St. Stephen s Lutheran Church acquired a permanent home in the liple white block building pictured to the right. Sixty-five years ago St. Stephen s Lutheran Church acquired a physical place a geographic location. St. Stephen s Lutheran Church st Street SE just turned sixty five years old. Happy Birthday St. Stephen s! As the congrega;on has grown, its home has grown too. That liple white block building is s;ll standing, tucked inside wood siding, behind a lovely brick porch, hugged on one side by an office and fellowship wing, and by the new sanctuary on the other. What makes this building special, however, is what happens within its walls. Here genera;ons of the faithful have gathered to know, live, and share Christ. Members have gone out from this place to serve as pastors in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, to help start new congrega;ons in the area, to rebuild flooded homes in Cedar Rapids, to undertake mission trips to Appalachia, Hai;, and Africa, and so much more. This place has been a center for Christ s mission for 65 years. Thanks be to God! In this season of remembrance, thanksgiving, and stewardship, I want to say Thank You to all those faithful members, past and present, who have put so much ;me, energy, and money into making St. Stephen s Lutheran Church what it is today. My prayer in this season is twofold: 1) that all of us will step up in faith to be good stewards of what we have inherited from those who have gone before us yes, the building needs repairs sooner rather than later. 2) that all of us will step up in faith to commit our ;me, energy, and money to foster Christ s mission not only within these walls, but beyond these walls, so that we can grow our children s and youth minis- tries, our Stephen Ministry, Senior Support Network, our commitment to Family Promise and to train- ing pastors for the ELCA, our rela;onship with our companion parish in Tanzania, and our support to the wider work of the church. May this place continue to flourish as a center for Christ s mission for another 65 years +! Blessings, Pastor Ritva

2 St. Stephen s Activities Confirmation Class at Indian Creek Nature Preserve, Wednesday, September 24 God s Work Our Hands Saturday, September 27 Walk to end Alzheimer s. Yard work at Bill s. Yard work at St. Stephen s. Working at Habitat for Humanity Restore. Page 2

3 With Hands Outstretched From Pastoral Intern Aleese Baldwin The pumpkins have been at gro- cery stores for weeks, and the apples are nearly done for the season. The beans and the corn are being harvested, thanks to the hard work of farmers and laborers. It s nearly ;me to give thanks for all that has been har- vested and for all that we have received. The days to prepare the turkey, make the stuffing, buy the apple pie (from the St. Stephen youth!), and whip the potatoes is on its way. As we prepare to gather with our family and friends for Thanksgiving, we also gather together as a family of God here at St. Stephen s. Gath- ered around the altar, each week we receive the bread and the wine the body and blood of Christ given for all. With hands outstretched, we come as beggars. Not as ones filled by the turkey, the stuffing, the potatoes, and the pie; no, we come as those consistently hungry and thirsty for heaven s bread. And by God s abun- dance, we receive ;me and ;me again. Receiving not what we have earned, or har- vested, or cooked for the day but receiving a free gie. God s grace to us is a gie; it is a blessing. We aren t lucky, and we didn t do something to earn what we receive. Instead, we come with nothing but hands outstretched. In a world that tells us to earn our own way, we gather with seemingly nothing to offer but our open hands. Blessed by God, we receive the living God, and are claimed as God s daughters and sons. Blessed to be a blessing, we share what God has entrusted to us: ul;mately, God s love for the world. In this season of giving and stewardship, it is likely that we are thinking of how we are using what God has entrusted to us. Appropriately so. We have been blessed with many good things. But perhaps we need to add another ques;on to ponder: what is God invi;ng us to receive in our lives? Perhaps the greatest blessings are those s;ll awai;ng us. Peace, Vicar Aleese Baldwin Lay Internship Committee Wants Your Feedback This commipee consis;ng of Derek Buckaloo, Dan Husmann, Leslie Hyland, Makenzie Kuhn, Kevin Ostmo, Mary Tank, and Carole Butz as Chair, has been formed to support Vicar Aleese through her Internship year at St. Stephen's. Please talk with members of the commipee or e- mail Carole at mccsbutz@gmail.com with any feedback you might have as Vicar Aleese progresses through her year with us. Thank you! Carole Butz Page 3

4 Stepping Up in Faith Temple Talk: Tim Sagers I grew up in Bellevue, Iowa, right next door to St. John s Lutheran Church (ELCA). My mother Gloria was a regular at church. Al- though my father, Gary, at- tended weddings and funerals only, he was a close friend of Pastor EmmeP Bush. My liple sister and I used to spy on them drinking beer on the back porch. I apended Sunday school and confirma;on, and was a member of a fairly ac;ve, rowdy youth group with a deeply embedded criminal element en- gaged in stealing communion wine occasionally. Leaving home, going to work, going to school, and trying to earn a living all got in the way of prac;cing whatever faith I had. I fell in love with science. Hard core science. Organic chemistry, physics, physical chemistry, molecular biology the kind of stuff that causes college students to abuse alcohol and ask hard ques;ons about God, faith, and religion. I never stopped believing in God, but man, did I ques;on his ground game! the right thing to do. Growing up, we went to church because Mom made us. Now my wife made me go to church. Like many young couples, we fell away from church as things got hec;c. Work, my educa;on, school ac;vi;es for Ben, nearly every weekend at a baseball or basketball tournament. In the last couple years some very serious personal issues came up in my life. Almost ins;nc;vely, I turned to St. Stephen s. I was welcomed as if I had been here every Sunday forever. This family took me in. My good friend Ev Petersen knew something had happened in my life. He encouraged me but did not ask questions. Everyone here at St. Stephen s was so welcoming. I felt loved. There were no bouncers at the door checking my ID or how many church loyalty points I had accumulated the doors were open. I went to men s group on Monday mornings, apended worship, began the Beer and Bible Men s group, and I accepted the opportunity to serve as Council VP. Stabiliza;on came into my life in the form of my incredible wife, Laura, a gie from God, who has delivered me from evil a few hundred ;mes. The blessing of our son, Ben, now a college freshman, really started to change my apendance and par- ;cipa;on, but unfortunately not my perspec;ve on what my faith or St. Stephen s meant to me. Pastor Tim bap;zed Ben. For Ben s first few years we were regulars, but honestly I was not always tuning in. I came to church, not working on being a beper Chris;an, but because it was Page 4 We sing a song here once in a while en0tled, We are the Church. I agree with the song what happens here is about the people and what we do together. We love, support, and guide each other St. Stephen s is home. A home we have to support and take care of Because of the love and the sense of belonging I feel here at St. Stephen s, I do things differently now. I pray a lot. I think more about how I treat others. I use my words more wisely, trying to demonstrate my respect and love for others in word and deed. I don t ques;on God s grace or (Con-nues on page 5)

5 TEMPLE TALK: TIM SAGERS (Con-nued from page 4) love for me. I s;ll think he has not seen a big re- turn on his investment in me, BUT I am open to whatever he throws upon me. I give more my talents and my treasures. I give more because I am more acutely aware of what this place means and what it takes to keep this place healthy. We sing a song here once in a while en;tled, We are the Church. I agree with the song what happens here is about the people and what we do together. We love, support, and guide each other. And we need a PLACE to do that. We are blessed with this beau;ful space where we grow our faith. St. Stephen s is home. A home we have to support and take care of. A home where the siding needs to be replaced, the basement has a water problem from ;me to ;me, and the garage needs to be re- wired. Sort of like me when I came back to St. Stephen s. I needed some maintenance, some upgrades. You all helped to renovate me. God s peace, Tim Open House for New Children s Place Sunday, November 16 Our children invite everyone downstairs to visit their newly- renovated Children s Place. Thank you Becky Lahart and others for your talented work on this project! Advent Begins Sunday, November 30! Wednesday Evening Schedule for Advent (December 3, 10, and 17) 5:30pm Soup Supper 6:30pm Worship (Holden Evening Prayer) Page 5 Life-Long Learning for November Date Topic Leader(s) Nov. 2 Gree;ngs from Kisiwani Pr. Eric Carlson, SEIA Synod Nov. 9 Report on Family Promise Jonathan Chambers, Director of Family Promise, and the Social Concerns CommiPee Nov. 16 New Children s Place Open House Children of St. Stephen s Nov. 23 Nov. 30 ELCA Social Statement on Health & Health Care: Part 1 ELCA Social Statement on Health & Health Care: Part 2 Lyle Kleman Lyle Kleman

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 9:15 a.m. Sunday School Music second Sunday of each month Life- Long Learning: Sundays 9:15 a.m. Men s Group: Mondays 8 a.m. At Mr. Beans- Marion Women s Bible Study RevelaKon: Tuesdays 10 a.m. In the Fellowship Hall; facilitated by Pr. Ritva ConfirmaKon for Middle School Youth: Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m., Room 9 Immersed in the Word Bible Study, Sunday, November 9 and 23, 7:00 p.m. Join us as we explore the lec;onary readings for the following week. We meet twice a month at 7:00 p.m. at Pastor Ritva & John s house (3725 Pioneer Ave SE). For direc;ons call/text Pastor Ritva GIVE Stewardship Appeal We thank you for your generous acceptance of Chris;an stewardship and pray you find the level of giving right for you as you progress in your journey of faith and commitment. Your pledges and contribu;ons are a cri;cal part of how we can make a difference in our church, our com- munity, and our world. Please complete your commitment card and bring it to worship by Sunday, November 9. If you are unable to apend worship, you may bring it the following Sunday or mail it to the church. Waypoint Services is in immediate need for personal hygiene items (including but not lim- ited to): body wash, deodorant, shaving cream, razors, shampoo, condi;oner, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. You may bring your dona;ons to church; Jackie Lee is coordina;ng the collec;on ( ; jalpanther@hotmail.com). INVITE & ENCOURAGE Women, Wine, Wisdom Fellowship Group Meets Thursday, November 6, 6 p.m., at Leon- ardo s on 16th Ave. SW. Please RSVP Amy at amykuhn2@aol.com or call/text Coffee on Thursdays November 13, 3 p.m. Book study of The (Un)Common Good: How the Gospel Brings Hope to a World Divided by Jim Wallis. The study normally meets the second and fourth Thursdays each month at 3:00 at Mr. Bean's Coffee Shop- Marion. All are welcome. It s Annual Dutch Apple Pie Time ($13 each)! Order yours today (forms are in the Narthex or contact ashley.ak.hart@gmail.com). Pies can be picked up either Saturday, November 15 be- tween noon and 3 p.m. or Sunday, Novem- ber 16. All profits benefit our youth apending the July 2015 Youth Gathering in Detroit. Inter- ested in volunteering? Help us with set up Friday, November 14, 7 p.m., or make the pies Saturday, November 15, beginning at 8 a.m. Page 6

7 Through the Week at St. Stephen s What s usually happening on a given day Sundays November 9 Consecration Sunday Completed commitment cards due 8:00am Worship 9:05am Fellowship 9:15am Educa;on Hour 10:30am Worship 11:45am Choir Rehearsal Mondays 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 (11/3& 17) 7:00pm Boy Scouts (11/3, 10, 17) Tuesdays 9 to 1:00 Church office open 10:00am Women s Bible Study 6:30am Ministry Teams Mee;ngs (11/11) 6:30am Mutual Ministry (11/25) Wednesdays 9 to 1:00 Church office open 6:30pm Worship 6:30pm Thanksgiving Eve Worship (11/26) 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 (11/6) (at Leonardo s on 16th Ave SW) Fridays 7:00pm Pastor s Sabbath Church office open by appointment Setting up for Saturday s Apple Pies Saturdays 8:00am Apple Pie Making (11/15) 9:00am Tai Chi (1st, 2nd, & 3rd Saturdays) Please visit our website at ssluth.com for the most up- to- date schedule. We welcome We welcome Lee and Kimberly Paulsen, and their children, Isabelle and Claire, who recently transferred to St. Stephen s! Our condolences to the family and friends of: David Hahn (Mary Flecksing s brother), who passed October 5. Velma Easterly (Aus;n Towell s grand- mother), who passed October 9. Jean Adams (Debbie Ackerman s grand- mother), who passed October 10. Robert Merrell, who passed October 18. Ron Johnson (Lynda Stokke s father), who passed October 20. On the Prayer List Members Bev Reinertson Steve Thomas Mick Butz Suzanne Schmidt Lee Tramutolo Pete Hansen Ken Kaiser Joan Petersen Jada Flowers Bob Westercamp Elaine Peters Rela-ves Terry Swalve Andrew Merrell Gary Coates Diane Tank James Williams Jessica Hamalainen Trent Rosberg Friends Pr. Rob Dotzel (Gloria Dei, IC) Serving in the military and/or overseas Kate Munro (Malawi) Please contact the office or use a Prayer Re- quest 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 November is National Adoption Month November is Na;onal Adop;on Month, a ;me to celebrate the power of adop;on and to raise awareness about children wai;ng to be adopted into a forever family. Na;onally, there are more than 101,000 children wai;ng to be adopted from the U.S. foster care system. LSI is a partner agency in Iowa KidsNet, the statewide collabora;on of agencies that helps find safe homes for foster children. LSI fos- ter care and post- adop;on support staff are helping families every day to care for children in the foster care system, whether for a few days or for a life;me through adop;on. Thank you for being a partner in helping Iowa children feel safe, secure, and loved during diffi- cult ;mes! LSI is proud to be an affiliated social ministry or- ganiza-on of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Learn more at and Facebook at Our three special children With their oldest children grown, Shirley and her husband Ed decided the ;me was right to fill up their home again. They began taking foster par- ent classes in Mason City, never imagining they would later adopt three young children. First, Shirley and Ed worked to help those children reunify with their birth mother. When it became clear that children would need an adop;ve home, Shirley and Ed stepped up. When we got into foster care we never imag- ined we would adopt, Shirley said. The birth mother was very apprecia-ve that we would do that for the kids. We talked to our biological kids to see if they were on board with us, and we did a lot of praying. It s a story that shows how foster parents not only can help kids, but birth parents, too. The siblings birth mother con;nues to visit them weekly. This family was truly champions at birth family interac-on, said Josh, an LSI foster care staff. Adop-on was never their intent, but these chil- dren touched their lives, and they made great decisions. They did things the right way without ever losing sight of their role in ac-vely working towards permanency for these children. I think their mother said it perfectly, Shirley recalled. She said, This isn t the perfect solu- -on, but you will only have that many more peo- ple to love you. Shirley and Ed will take good care of you. And she is so right. If we can keep work- ing together, they will have a whole tribe of peo- ple to love and care for them. The ul-mate goal for my whole family is to make a difference in the life of a child, and in this case, the lives of our three special children. See more stories, past and present, at LSI s anni- versary website: Page 8

9 All Hallows Eve, Wednesday, October 29 With our confirmands and Vicar Aleese Baldwin leading All Hallows' Eve worship. 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 8:00 a.m. Worship 9:05 a.m. Coffee & Fellowship 9:15 a.m. Life- Long Learning 10:30 a.m. Worship Please join us Wednesdays: 6:30 p.m. 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.