The week of December 26

 Monday, December 26 – Feast of St. Stephen

Ambassador deadline

 

6:00 p.m. – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant / preacher  

Deacon John, assisting 

 

 

Wednesday, December 28

6:00 p.m. – Mass of the Dawn of the New Year

Fr. Jamie, celebrant / preacher  

Deacon John, assisting 

Incense will be offered at this mass

Supper afterward at a local restaurant

 

Friday, December 30

Fr. Jamie’s day off

 

Sunday, January 1 – I Christmas

11:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant / preacher

James Mackay, organist

Children’s Chapel

Coffee Hour Following  

 

Upcoming Events:

January 29 – Annual Meeting

January 30 – February 20^th Fr. Jamie on vacation

 

Words of Wisdom:

What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year. ~Vern McLellan

 

FR. JAMIE'S CHRISTMAS LETTER

 

Christmas, 2022

My Friends at St. Stephen’s,

A sign of how hectic this time of the year can be is that your Rector forgot to get his Christmas cards done. I had every good intention of getting them done and mailed early. Sadly, it did not happen. So, an electronic letter without a card will have to suffice for this Christmas season.

 

As we near our yearly commemoration of the birth of Jesus, God’s special gift to us,  and prepare to celebrate all that that birth means to us,  we also find ourselves looking forward toward a new year of 2023. 

 

The future is certainly looking bright for us at St. Stephen’s.  We continue to grow and to experience a great swell of new faces, new names and new opportunities. And in 2023, we look forward to some changes to our church building, namely the renovation of our sacristy which is scheduled to begin in early February. Of course, we continue to be a place in which we welcome and include everyone, no matter who they are. We continue to be a place that radically accepts and loves everyone who comes to us and we ourselves seek out. As the organized Church continues to drive people away, as the Church continues to be divided and chose to serve at the golden altar of false prophets, golden idols and teachings of exclusion and hate, St. Stephen’s continues to be a place of refuge and love for those who feel they have no other place to go. To a large extent, this joy and excitement we feel is what Advent is all about. Those of us who waited in holy expectation and worked hard for the kind of growth we are now experiencing are truly rejoicing.

 

Serving as St. Stephen’s continues to be one of the most fulfilling experiences of my priestly life. Our life together of worship, ministry, music and outreach has been a source of great personal joy for me and has helped me to see how gracious God is in showering blessings upon faithful, committed people who truly do seek after God and to live out Jesus’ commandment to love God and love others.

 

As we move forward together into this future full of hope and potential growth, I ask for your continued prayers for St. Stephen’s and your continued presence on Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights and whenever else we gather together to worship and to do ministry.

 

Please know that I pray, as always, for each of you individually by name over the course of each week in my daily observance of the Daily Office (Morning and Evening Prayer). Also know that I  remember all of you at the altar during our celebration of the Mass. Above all, know that I give God thanks every day for the opportunity to serve such a wonderful, caring, radical and loving congregation of people who are committed to growth and radical hospitality.

 

My sincerest blessings to you and to all those you love during this season of joy, hope and love.

 

      PEACE always,

Fr. Jamie+ 

 

                                                         

Christmas, 2022

at St. Stephen’s

 

Saturday December 24  - Christmas Eve

7:00 pm – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher

Deacon John Anderson, assisting

James Mackay, music

 

Sunday December 25 –   Nativity of Our Lord

11:00 am Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher

Deacon John Anderson, assisting

James Mackay, music

 

Monday December 26 –St. Stephen

6:00 pm – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher

Deacon John Anderson, assisting

James Mackay, music

 

Monday December 28 –Feast of the Holy Innocents

6:00 pm – Mass of the Dawn of a New Year

Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher

Deacon John Anderson, assisting

James Mackay, music

 

Sunday January 1 –Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus

11:00 am – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie Parsley, celebrant/preacher

James Mackay, music

 

Christmas at St. Stephen's

 

A Note About Livestreaming

 Just a word about Livestreaming:

St. Stephen’s has NOT ended its Livestreaming. Facebook recently updated their groups page, and as a result we have had many difficulties Livestreaming through Facebook. We are in the process of using the Livestreaming offered through our YouTube channel. We should have that up and running soon (I am hoping by the Christmas Eve Mass).

If you have not subscribed to our YouTube channel, please do so.

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church - YouTube

Or simply go to Youtube and search for “St. Stephen’s Fargo”

We will be keep everyone posted when we will back to offering our Masses online again.

 

CONSIDER A YEAR-END, ONE-TIME PLEDGE TO ST. STEPHEN’S

St. Stephen’s, the parish I serve as Rector, is, as most of you have already discovered, a unique and amazing place. There aren’t a whole lot of congregations quite like it. We are eclectic. We are brave. We strive to be what the Church should be. We are not just a place a where people gather politely and sing hymns and pray (thought we do those things). We are not just a place that does liturgy just a bit differently than most other places (we do that too). We also stand up loudly for the underdog. We speak out boldly for those who cannot speak for themselves. We confront the powers that be and shake our fists at them at times. And we welcome and fully include those are just don’t quite fit in in any other church. Without question. Without judgement. We even bury those who have no other place to rest. For us, this is what it means to follow Jesus. For us, this is the radical message of the Gospel.  

As we head into the last days of the year, we are wrapping up our annual Pledge Drive. If you are considering a year-end offering someplace, please consider giving a one-time pledge to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. A one-time pledge can be as little as $10 or $25 or $50 or as much as you can give. All of it helps us be the unique place that we are.

If you would like to give, just take send a one time pledge (marked : One Time Pledge) through our Paypal account at Ststephensfargo.org or send a check (also marked “pledge”) to 120 20 Avenue North Fargo, or send an email to our recording secretary Laura Nylander at laura.nylander56@gmail.com and tell her that you would like to make a one time pledge.  All pledges are strictly confidential. Only Laura knows who gives what. But a year-end offering to St. Stephen’s will help us continue to be the eclectic, unique place we are.

 

The week of December 19/CHRISTMAS

 Wednesday, December 21

6:00 p.m. – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant  

Dan Rice,  preacher

 Supper afterward at a local restaurant

 

Friday, December 23

Fr. Jamie’s day off

 

Saturday, December 24 – Christmas Eve

7:00 p.m. – Christmas Eve Mass

Fr. Jamie, celebrant / preacher

Deacon John, assisting

James Mackay, organist

 

Sunday, December 25 – Christmas

11:00 a.m. – Christmas Day Mass

Fr. Jamie, celebrant / preacher

Deacon John, assisting

James Mackay, organist

 

Monday, December 26 – Feast of St. Stephen

6:00 p.m. – Feast of St. Stephen Mass

Fr. Jamie, celebrant/preacher  

Deacon John, assisting 

 

Upcoming Events:

January 15 – Visit from Bishop Tom

January 29 – Annual Meeting

January 30 – February 20^th Fr. Jamie on vacation

 

Words of Wisdom:

When you choose joy, you feel good & when you feel good, you do good & when you do good it reminds other of what joy feels like & it just might inspire them to do the same.

 

 It was cold outside this morning but inside it was a warm, beautiful and busy morning at St. Stephen's. Pastor Jessica Miller of the Neighborhood Church preached a wonderful sermon. Our new choir sounded great! After Mass and Coffee hour, we Hung the Greens and got the church all ready for Christmas this week. It was a beautiful morning!

The week of December 12

 Wednesday, December 14

6:00 p.m. – Holy Eucharist – Gaudete Wednesday

Fr. Jamie, celebrant  

Sandy Holbrook, preacher

Deacon John, assisting 

Incense will be offered at this mass

Supper afterward at a local restaurant

 

Friday, December 16

Fr. Jamie’s day off

 

Sunday, December 18 – 4 Advent

11:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant

Pastor Jessica Miller, preacher

Deacon John, assisting

James Mackay, organist

 Children’s Chapel

Coffee Hour

 

Upcoming Events:

January 29 – Annual Meeting

January 30 – February 14^th Fr. Jamie on vacation

 

Words of Wisdom:

Let’s give ourselves and each other permission to spend less, to do less, and stress less throughout the holidays so we can enjoy the real gifts of the season.

 

A LETTER FROM FR. JAMIE

 

December 6, 2022

The Feast of St. Nicholas

 

Dear St. Stephen’s family,

 

It doesn’t make sense. Logically, it shouldn’t be this way. St. Stephen’s is a small church building in the out-of-the-way, far-reaches of northeast Fargo. If you drove by and weren’t looking for us, you could pass us by without even noticing we’re there. But, still, this little church set back from the street is a spiritual powerhouse. It draws people from all over Fargo-Moorhead, and from far-flung places beyond the F-M area. Every week, without fail, we have new people visiting us. If you haven’t attended Sunday Mass in a while and then come back you will see people you’ve never met sitting next to you, or singing as cantor, or reading lessons, or greeting you at the door.

So, what is it about St. Stephen’s that draws people? It is the simple fact that there is no place around quite like St. Stephen’s. We are not a cathedral or a massive auditorium. We don’t have a choir of paid musicians, nor do we have fancy architecture. We don’t have screens, we don’t have a live band, we don’t have soaring ceilings or a wing of empty classrooms.

What we do have is our beautiful Anglo-Catholic liturgy. We do have bells and music and, at our Wednesday evening Mass, incense. We do have passion and commitment. We are rebellious and defiant and passionately trying to live out the message of the Gospel, and the revolutionary  commandment of God to love God and love others as fully and completely as we can. We have Christ in our Eucharist, in the hearing and proclaiming of the Word and in our presence with one another.

And we not only radically welcome people, we include them fully and completely. No one is ostracized here. No one here is turned away. No one here is snubbed or shunned or looked at strangely.

We are gay and straight, trans and cis, asexual or non-sexual, straight-edged or “out there.” We are normal and weird, staid and radical, old and young. And everything in-between. We are imperfect but striving to be better than we are and in doing so to make the world a better place as well—the make the Reign of God real and present in this world.

Everyone knows we are welcoming. It is not secret that we are fully-accepting. But we are definitely not push-overs. We are also very strong and committed. And when we stand up for something, we STAND UP. And we speak out loudly!

We were inclusive before inclusivity was expected of the Church. We welcomed and included people other churches discarded or turned away. And we continue to do that. And we do so unapologetically.

That is what St. Stephen’s is.  

As I write this, we have just had our annual Pledge in-Gathering. This is the one time of the year in which we ask for your help to help being the unique, eclectic parish we are. We cannot do it without your pledges. We cannot do it without your time and your talent.

If you have already pledged, thank you!! Thank you for contributing to the unique ministry we do here.

For those of you who have not pledged or have simply forgotten, please do so.   Please consider filling out a pledge card and returning it so we can continue to do what we do. Or simply fill out our name and the amount you can pledge and send it by email to Laura Nylander at laura.nylander56@gmail.com

Your pledge is not about paying my salary. Your pledge is not only about paying the bills of St. Stephen’s. Your pledge is about contributing to a parish that makes a difference in this community, in the world and in our individual lives. It helps us be the place we are. It helps us as we continue to grow, continue to welcome new people each week in our doors, continue to be a place where God’s Spirit is alive and is shared with ALL people, no matter who they are.  But more importantly, we actually do what we say we do: when dire situations happen within the lives of our parishioners, we are there to help, to lend support, to be a supporting presence. That is what your pledge supports here.

More than anything, however, please know how grateful and humbled I am to be serving as your Rector and priest. I am truly blessed by God to be serving a parish that is excited about what it is doing, that is renewed by its energy and committed to its very radical following of Jesus. Thank you for all you have given to me.

 

-peace,

Fr. Jamie+

The week of December 5

 

Wednesday, December 7

6:00 p.m. – Holy Eucharist

Fr. Jamie, celebrant / Annette Morrow, preacher

Deacon John, assisting 

Supper following at India Palace for Fr. Jamie's birthday

 

Friday, December 9 - 13

Fr. Jamie’s vacation/out of town

 

Sunday, December 11 – 3 Advent/Gaudete Sunday

11:00 a.m. – Morning Prayer/Holy Communion from the Reserved Sacrament

Deacon John, officiant / preacher

James Mackay, organist

 

Upcoming Events:

December 8 - 7:00 p.m., Fr. Jamie’s students poetry reading at Frida Nilsen lounge / Concordia College

December 18 – Pastor Jessica Miller of the Neighborhood Church joining to preach and assist

January 29 – Annual Meeting

January 30 – February 14^th Fr. Jamie on vacation

 

Good to Know:

According to the American Psychological Association, 38% of people surveyed said their stress increased during the holiday season, which can lead to physical illness, depression, anxiety, and substance misuse. The reasons given: lack of time, financial pressure, gift-giving, and family gatherings.

This time of year is hard on some people, and showing gentleness and compassion can go a long way.

Don't let the holidays become something you dread. Instead, take steps to prevent the stress and depression that can descend during the holidays. Learn to recognize your holiday triggers, such as financial pressures or personal demands, so you can combat them before they lead to a meltdown. With a little planning, praying and some positive thinking, you can find peace and joy during the holidays.

 

 

Pledge Sunday Ingathering