The Ambassador December 2018 St. Stephen s Episcopal Church Monthly Newsletter A vital, eclectic Episcopal congregation committed to the ministry of all the baptized. From Fr. Jamie Dear members and friends of St. Stephen s, St. Stephen s is a unique place. Of course, I don t need to tell you that. You already knew how unique we are. That is why you re here. That s why you are a member of this congregation that is not quite like any other congregation. When parishioners move away they often tell me: why can t I find a place like St. Stephen s in our new city? The reason is: we are not your typical Episcopal congregation. In fact, we re not even your typical Christian congregation. That uniqueness is what makes us who we are. And we should rejoice in that uniqueness. We should celebrate it fully! For some, this uniqueness scares people off. Not for us the ones who stay. We are quite proudly an anomaly in the Episcopal Church and the Church as a whole. We are a liberal, fairly High Church, liturgical, fully welcoming, fully inclusive, though fairly orthodox congregation that actually grows and attracts new members. When you think about it, everything about that statement puts us against the odds. After all, we are in a far off corner of the city, far from the main traveled roads. To find us, one actually has to search us out. And yet, they do find us! And they stay! In this past year of 2018, we have continued our growth spurt with 18 new members included among us! I love that one of the most common complaints I get from parishioners is: I haven t been in church for a couple of weeks, and then when I finally get back here, there are all these new faces! These are all things for which we are grateful to God. These are clear signs that God s Holy Spirit is not only present in us, but also at work in us, and the ministries we do here. But for us to be who we are, to be this unique place in which all people are welcome and included, we need your pledges of financial help, and physical presence. I cannot stress how it important it is to pledge. As you know, we budget from what the congregation pledges. Your pledge determines how we are to budget for the upcoming year. For us to continue to do the work we do in this community and in the world, we need pledges. But Stewardship is more than just about money. It is also about presence. One of the ways in which we can most easily and visibly contribute to Stewardship at St. Stephen s is by our very presence on a regular basis at the Sunday morning celebration of the Holy Eucharist or on Wednesday evenings. Attendance is not only about what each of us needs, it also what the larger congregation needs. We essentially need each other. We need the presence and proximity of each other. My intent in sharing this is not to make anyone feel guilty. As you have heard me say many times, I do not take attendance at the door. I also understand that many people cannot attend due to illness or many other circumstances in their lives. My intent is simply to remind us that when we pledge to St. Stephen s we pledge of our money, we pledge of our talent, we pledge of the gifts we have received and are willing to share with -continued on the next page-
others, we pledge of our expertise in certain areas of our lives, and we pledge of our very presence. So, please do give. Please pledge. Give of your time and your presence. Give from the abundance that God has granted to you and share of yourself in what ministries God has called you to here at St. Stephen s. I invite all of you to take time to reflect and to pray about your own stewardship. What talents can we offer to make St. Stephen s a church that can reach out in love, compassion, and radical acceptance to others? What material resources can we give to help maintain the ministries we do here? As we continue our journey together, we look forward in hope and joy at the many incredible potentials that await us at St. Stephen s. Finally, please know of my gratitude in serving all of you as your priest. I feel blessed more and more each day for being here. Know that I pray for each of you by name in the course of a week in my daily prayers. I ask your continued prayers for me as well. - peace, Fr. Jamie A. Parsley Priest-in-Charge Update on the Rectory As many know already, Fr. Jamie will be moving next month out of the rectory into a home of his own. This presents two challenges for our congregation. (1) The provisioning of the rectory has been a part of Fr. Jamie s compensation package. Consequently, in order to keep the value of his compensation package at the current 70% FTE, we would need approximately $14,500 of additional pledge income (about 15% of our current budget). We also have a medium-term goal of paying Fr. Jamie a full-time salary; that objective would require an additional $42,000 in pledge income [about 44% of our current budget]. (2) We now have an empty rectory to contend with; the vestry is exploring a number of options and would welcome ideas. We are seeking an option that could generate revenue without excessive risks, costs, or effort. Annual Meeting The Annual Meeting for St. Stephen s will be Sunday, January 27, following our morning service of Holy Eucharist. Please join us for this important meeting. Gaudete Sunday Join us on Sunday, December 17, as we celebrate Rose Sunday or Gaudete Sunday. Adult Education Session James Mackay, our organist, will lead the next adult education session on Sunday, December 9. Christmas carols reflect the place and me in which the author of the text and composer of the music lived. A good number of them have a social justice component. For example, 'It Came Upon the Midnight Clear,' written as the Mexican-American War was ending, has these words: "And man, at war with man, hears not the love-song which they bring; O hush the noise, ye men of strife, And hear the angels sing." We'll take a look at a handful of Advent and Christmas carols. No preparation is needed. We'll meet in the downstairs office at 12.45 p.m. Wednesdays in Advent Offerings An Advent tradition at St. Stephen s is to designate the offerings from the Wednesdays of Advent to a ministry or service beyond St. Stephen s. On November 25, the vestry selected the East African Scholarship Fund of the Episcopal Diocese of North Dakota for the Wednesday offerings. The fund contributes to the expenses for high school and college students in Rwanda, Sudan, Uganda, and Kenya.
Wednesday Night Eucharists during Advent Once again this year we will have a rotation of special preachers at our Wednesday night Eucharists during Advent. James Mackay will be playing at these services as well. The Mass begins at 6:00 p.m. and supper at a local restaurant will follow. Wednesday, December 5 Annette Morrow will preach Wednesday, December 12 John Anderson will preach Wednesday, December 19 Don Rice will preach Monday, December 24 - Christmas Eve 7:00 pm Holy Eucharist Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher James Mackay, music Christmas tableau for the children during the reading of the Gospel Tuesday, December 25 Nativity of Our Lord 10:00 am Holy Eucharist Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher James Mackay, music Wednesday, December 26 The Feast of St. Stephen 6:00 pm Holy Eucharist Fr. Jamie Parsley, celebrant/preacher
Giving Tree of Hope During Advent, St. Stephen s will again participate in the Giving Tree, sponsored by First Link. This project provides Christmas gifts to children and special needs adults who would otherwise not receive them. Starting December 2, a tree will be in the gathering space decorated with tags indicating the age and gender of someone who needs a gift. Sheets with suggestions and instructions will be placed near the tree. Gifts are due back at church by December 16, and will be distributed by First Link on December 19. Funeral Pre-Planning Class Fr. Jamie will be leading a Funeral Pre-Planning class on Thursday, December 20, at 7:00 p.m. We will go over the funeral liturgy, discuss disposition, funeral home options, and other pertinent topics. Fr. Jamie will also provide people with a funeral planning guide. Even if you cannot make the class but would like a funeral planning guide, please talk to Fr. Jamie. Rectory Christmas Party Please join Fr. Jamie in the midcentury wonder that is the St. Stephen s Rectory (117 20th Ave. N, right behind the church) anytime after 7:00 pm on Friday, December 14, as he hosts the congregation. He will have his authentic 1955 aluminum Christmas tree set up. Pledge In-Gathering on December 2 The in-gathering for pledge cards and time-and-talent sheets is December 2, the first Sunday of Advent. The cards/sheets are collected during the service as a part of our offering of gifts to the altar. If you are not able to return the pledge card and time-andtalent sheet on December 2, please send them in as soon as possible. The pledge information serves as an essential piece of our 2019 budget. Around St. Stephen s Baptism Delayne LaFountain, son of Kasheena Gunville and Duane LaFountain, was baptized at St. Stephens s on November 10. Wedding Michele Hannie and Paul Gulsvig were married at St. Stephen s on Saturday, December 1. Fr. Jamie officiated. Deaths Jada Kim Weeks, daughter of Dinah Stephens, died July 5. A memorial Requiem Mass for local family was held at St. Stephen s on November 6. Marian Anderson, mother of Tifanie Gelinske, died November 3. A memorial service was held at Armstrong Funeral Home in Enderlin on November 21. Max Gelinske, brother of Leon Gelinske and uncle of Michelle Gelinske-Patnode and Bryan Gelinske, died November 11. Funeral services was held at St. Arnold s Catholic Church in Milnor, ND, on November 15. Frances Olson, aunt of Cathy McMullen, died November 8 A memorial service for local family was held at St. Stephen s on November 15.
Little Libraries Project As a way to reach out to the neighborhood around us, Steve Bolduc has proposed that St. Stephen s put up a Little Library box, and the Vestry has approved it. Now all we need is a member to build it. So if you are a carpenter who wants a little winter project, please let Jr. Warden Donna Clark know. She will give you all the details and arrange for purchase of materials. The rest of us can be thinking about books to put in it that are or have been important in our spiritual lives or the life of the church. Children s books will be an essential contribution to the box. Then around Easter, we can dedicate St. Stephen s Little Library. Donna Clark, clarkdonnae@gmail.com (218) 303-6118 2018 Pledge Update Thank you to all those who have faithfully fulfilled their 2018 pledges. We are close to being on track to receive the full amount of income.as pledged for 2018. If you are unsure about the status of your 2018 pledge, please contact Laura Nylander who can provide that information (701-866-7584 or laura.nylander56@gmail.com). New Visitor Ministry When The Spirit moves one of us, sometimes it seems to move several of us at once. That seems like a significant holy urging. Laura Nylander, John Anderson, and Donna Clark reported in different ways their recent movings to minister to our brothers and sisters in nursing homes who are starving for companionship. During Vestry discussion, Father Jamie reminded us of our own members who are confined to their homes, unable to join us on Sunday mornings, and yearning for the same kind of simple visit with a friend. Several people have expressed interest in being part of such a ministry. So Laura, John, and I will be forming up this Visitor Ministry and collecting contact and availability information of members of the congregation who want to participate. You may send information to me at : clarkdonnae@gmail.com or complete a sign up sheet found in the undercroft each Sunday during Advent. Be looking for announcement of an organizational meeting soon. Donna Clark St. Stephen's Episcopal Church All that we do, with all that we have, all of the time. 120 21st Ave N, Fargo, ND 701-232-2076 Church 701-793-1953 Fr. Jamie s cell St. Stephen s web site: ststephensfargo.org St. Stephen s blog spot: www.ststephensfargo.blogspot.com St. Stephen s Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/52039214842/ St. Stephen s Twitter: twitter.com/ststephensfargo St. Stephen s Instagram: www.instagram.com/ststephensfargo/
Schedule of Ministries at St. Stephen s for December 18 January 19 # Schedule December 2 December 9 December 16 December 23 December 30 Acolyte Katie Sando Kristofer Sando Anderson Holbrook Altar Guild Sando Sando Holbrook Sando Worship Ldr/EM Baird Clark Holbrook Meister Lector Wilking J. Anderson Baird Bolduc Usher McMullen Nylander McMullen Wilking McMullen P. Sando McMullen Baird Euch. Visitor Holbrook Baird Clark Holbrook Coffee Templeton Sandos Templeton Andersons and partners Cleaning Clark Clark Holbrook Holbrook Children s Chapel Leader: Clark Assistant: Weightman Leader: Bolduc Assistant: Holbrook No Chapel No Chapel Tentative Schedule January 6 January 13 January 20 January 27 Acolyte Meister Rudnick Katie Sando Kristofer Sando Altar Guild Bolduc Bolduc Hauan Hauan Worship Ldr/EM Sando Wilking Anderson Baird Lector Clark DuFault Hauan Holbrook Usher Clark Marubbio McMullen Philips Nylander Marubbio McMullen Rice Euch. Visitor Anderson Baird Clark Holbrook Coffee Tackling Baird Marubbio Nylander Holbrook McMullen Cleaning Marubbio Marubbio Bolduc Bolduc Children s Chapel Leader: Morrissey Assistant: McMullen Leader: Clark Assistant: Wilking Leader: Bolduc Assistant: Templeton Leader: Gelinske Assistant: Gelinske *Communion is available for those who are unable to attend Sunday worship. Please call the church to request communion after the Sunday service. **If you are unavailable to serve on a date when you are assigned, please find a substitute and let James (evensong2@gmail.com) now who the substitute will be as early as possible so he can include the correct names in the bulletins. # Note: the January schedule of ministries is based on the 2018 time/talent pledges.