A Letter from Fr. Jamie+

September 1, 2010
Bl David Pendleton Oakerkater

Dear Friends,

On September 9, 1956, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church celebrated its first Eucharist. On Sunday, September 12, 2010 we will celebrate the 54th Anniversary of that first Eucharist with our annual Dedication Sunday. On that day we will utilize the Dedication of a Church propers found in the Book of Common Prayer, have a potluck lunch and, most importantly of all, we will celebrate all that St. Stephen’s has done in its 54 years, what it is doing at this time and what it will continue to do in the future. Dedication Sunday will also kick off a flurry of activity this fall at St. Stephen’s. A few activities are highlighted below:

Children’s Chapel
On Dedication Sunday, September 12 we will resume our second year of Children’s Chapel. On September 12, we will have a special ceremony for the children in the nave before we dismiss them to chapel. With the help of Junior Warden Gin Templeton, we now have a regular round of scheduled leaders and helpers to lead our Children’s Chapel throughout the year. It is exciting to see this wonderful ministry flower and flourish!

“Episcopal 101” class
Beginning Tuesday, October 5, I will be leading a month-long “Episcopal 101” class. This is geared specifically toward any new members and anyone who is wishing to join our church (but is open to anyone, of course). We will begin with Evening Prayer in the Nave at 6:00 PM followed by class afterward.

New members
In Narthex at church, you will find a new brochure entitled “How Do I Become a Member of St. Stephen’s?” for anyone interested in officially joining St. Stephen’s or who would like re-commit themselves as members. On March 6, 2011 Bishop Michael Smith, the Bishop of North Dakota, will be making his annual visit and, on that day, it would great to present to him people from St. Stephen’s who would like to be confirmed, received or who simply want to renew their Christian faith. Please read through the brochure and contact me if you are interested in joining us at St. Stephen’s.

Wednesday night Mass/”Nosh”
Also this Fall, we will continue our Wednesday night Eucharists. I believe everyone has to agree that these liturgies have been a rousing success! Each week we have an average of 8-15 people (some weeks more, some week a few less). Some of the people who attend on Wednesday Masses are people you might not see at Eucharist on Sundays mornings. Some belong to other churches (or who have no church) who come to find spiritual fulfillment and fellowship at these mid-week Eucharists.

This Fall, I will continue to utilize the Enriching Our Worship liturgies which use inclusive (i.e. non gender-specific) language in reference to God. We will also continue to celebrate the plethora of saints and special feast days offered in the Episcopal Church, using especially the new liturgical resource of Holy Women, Holy Men and also Stars in a Dark World by Fr. John-Julian of the Episcopal religious order, the Order of Julian of Norwich. We will also continue to use incense and other liturgical enhancements.

And on special “High” feast days, our organist extraordinaire, James Mackay, joins us with music.

The supper afterward (which is affectionately called “Nosh”), always at a different local restaurant, has been a wonderful opportunity for us to get together, to share and to bond. More than one person has said to me, “Without those suppers, I would eat alone on Wednesday nights. I really appreciate the fellowship time we have.”

Canon Carrie Boren, who visited St. Stephen’s and preached at our Wednesday night Eucharist in May, said that we, at St. Stephen’s, are truly doing the right thing by offering the Wednesday night Eucharist with supper afterward at a restaurant. It truly is, as she calls it, a “fresh expression.”

Music
Organist James Mackay has several wonderful ideas for music this year (which I will leave to him to explain—I simple won’t be able to do it justice). Suffice to say, the quality music at St. Stephen’s we have all come to enjoy will continue. And there may even be a musical surprise or two during Sunday morning Mass from your priest…

Service and outreach
St. Stephens’s will also continue to reach out to the community, the wider Church and the world through its many active ministries beyond the walls of the church building, including Salvation Army, Churches United for the Homeless, YWCA, ERD, UTO, Integrity, the Episcopal Peace Fellowship and many other opportunities for service.

Other events
Other events in the planning stages for St. Stephen’s includes a special opportunity to remember our deceased loved one at All Saints Day in November, Advent Lessons and Carol service in December, a St. Nicholas Day celebration for the children on Dec. 5, an earlier Christmas Eve Mass (this year at 8:00 pm instead of 11:00), with a special Christmas program for children during the service, several interactive artistic opportunities, just to name a very few.

I am so honored and blessed to be working alongside all of you. I find myself on occasion thanking God for this wonderful opportunity to be serving a congregation that truly does practice what it preaches. We truly are a congregation that is “called by Christ through the Holy Spirit
+ to live a life of common worship centered around grateful thanksgiving to God in the weekly celebration of the Holy Eucharist
+ to be faithful stewards of the gifts and resources entrusted to us
+ to be bearers of God's healing and reconciling love.”

I ask for your continued prayers for St. Stephen’s and its many ministries as we strive truly be a “vital, inclusive congregation committed to the ministry of all the baptized.” Please know that I pray for each of you in my daily prayers and at every Mass.

My blessings and deep affection to all of you, now and always.

Peace,
Jamie+