St. Stephen's Weekly Touchstone 
The First Sunday in Lent   
February 14, 2016 

 

TODAY IS ASH WEDNESDAY if you've opened your Touchstone promptly.  St. Stephen's is holding an Ash Wednesday service tonight, a sung Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes at 7:30 pm. If you can't make it to the service, you may stop by the office any time between 9:30 am and 1:30 pm today, where Nils will be available for Imposition of Ashes


 
This Sunday we will hold our final services in the sanctuary before we close it for an exciting and thorough renovation.
We will have a 10 am Eucharist. (There will be no 8 am service this week.) Then at 4 pm on February 14, we will hold a Choral Evensong, interspersed with organ music from our wonderful 1969 Casavant pipe organ, before it is dismantled and safely packed away three days later.  Please join us for the peace and beauty of this lovely service and its music.

Services will continue as always, but will be held in the Parish Hall.  
 


Weekly Images:
  

At the Annual Meeting, outgoing Vestry members Trina Fontaine and Laura Desmarais were presented with gifts, in thanks for their years of devoted service.  


In addition, Financial Administrator Mari-Anne Baumann was thanked. I'm no guru with numbers -- that's Mari-Anne's job -- but it seems to me that by now her hours spent keeping our finances accurate and organized must total in the thousands.

 
 
  The Youth Group enjoyed tacos and a movie last weekend.


 
  
 
 
Announcements at St. Stephen's Church 

 

ASH WEDNESDAY: This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday.  St. Stephen's is holding an Ash Wednesday service, a sung Eucharist and Imposition of Ashes at 7:30 pm. If you can't make it to the service, you may stop by the office any time between 9:30 am and 1:30 pm, where Nils will be available for Imposition of Ashes.




COLLEGE CARE PACKAGES THIS SUNDAY: We are short of donations to our college care packages. It's been a brief collection period, as the boxes will be packed up this Sunday.
Please help by bringing contributions to our college students this week. These packages are a wonderful reminder to our students that their home church of St. Stephen's remembers them and prays for them. 
 
Suggestions for the boxes are: 
  •  Non-perishables such as pens, Chapstick, chewing gum, mints, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. can be placed in the bin in the sanctuary starting January 31. If you are donating, please consider donating enough so that 15 kids can each have one.
  • Perishables such as baked goods can be brought to church on February 14, no later than noon.  Please provide items individually wrapped with an ingredient list. 
  • You can donate money either for the purchase of $5 gift cards or to offset shipping costs.  Contact Laura Desmarais for more information.
  • You can help pack.  We will be meeting to put the Care Packages together after services on February 14 in the parish hall.
 


LAST CALL:  Sign up by emailing Kathie Ramsey now! Every year someone who wants to be a Lenten Prayer Partner waits until it's too late.

Each participant will be assigned another to pray for during Lent. While keeping their identity a secret, each partner mails a card anonymously to their recipient each week, reminding their partner that they are praying for them. At Palm Sunday the prayer partners reveal themselves, and give a small gift to their partner, such as a book, a plant, a cross. Email Kathie Ramsey at balzac47@aol.com with your name, phone number and mailing address, or fill out the sign up form at church. Kathie will  email participants their assigned partner before Ash Wednesday, which is February 10.

 

WOMEN'S GROUP: A St. Stephen's women's group is in the making, but what should we do? Suggestions for activities include knitting, quilting, book discussions or just casual get togethers. Sue Brown is hosting an initial meeting where those who are interested can gather to brainstorm what our women's group might be, along with enjoying the customary women's group occupations of eating and drinking. We will meet on Friday, February 12 at 7 pm. Please email Sue with questions and your RSVP: suebrown2682@gmail.com.



HOME BAKED BREAD FOR LENT:  Would your family like to supply home baked bread for the Eucharist one Sunday during Lent? We have a simple recipe which has been successfully used by many St. Stephen's families in the past. The dates of February 21 and March 6 are still available. Please email the office if you'd like to give it a try: office@ststephensarmonk.org.
Weekly Readings

First Reading:   Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Second Reading:  Romans 10:8b-13
Gospel: Luke 4:1-13
 
 

Sunday Servers
 
Ushers:  Doug Campbell and Charity Lunder
Acolyte:  Bella Fasano
Lay Eucharistic Minister:  Laura Desmarais
First Reader:  Doug Campbell
Second Reader:   Rich Fontaine  
Altar Guild:  Nan Bircham
Flower Guild:  Sarah Hoyt   
Coffee Hour:   Lunder 
 

Our Sunday services are at 8 am and 10 am.
More information can be found at our website:

 

For any questions or needs, you can contact the church office

at 914-273-3812 or office@ststephensarmonk.org.

Office hours: Tuesday & Thursday 9:30 to 2:30.