The week of January 22

 Wednesday, January 24 - Feast of Presentation (observed)

6:00 p.m. – Holy Eucharist

Blessing of Candles

Fr. Jamie, celebrant / preacher

Deacon John, assisting

Incense will be offered at this mass

Supper afterward at a local restaurant

 

Friday, January 26

Fr. Jamie’s day off

*please refrain from sending Fr. Jamie emails, text messages, Facebook messages or phone calls on his day off unless it is a pastoral emergency.

 

Sunday, January 28

Annual Meeting Sunday

11:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist

Bishop Brian Thom - celebrant / preacher

Fr. Jamie, assisting

Deacon John, assisting

James Mackay, organist

Annual Meeting potluck following

We would love to see you in person but if you are unable to attend please join us for Mass livestreamed at: https://www.youtube.com/@st.stephensfargo

Upcoming Events:

January 28 – Bishop Brian Thom visit

January 28 – Annual Meeting

January 29 – February 12^th Fr. Jamie on vacation

February 13 - Shrove Tuesday/Burying the Alleluia/Burning of Palms

February 14 – Ash Wednesday

Bishop Thom visitation on January 28

 

We are very happy to welcome the newly elected Bishop Brian Thom at St. Stephen’s as he makes his first  annual visit to St. Stephen’s on Sunday, January 28. A potluck will follow the Mass.

 

An Episcopal Visitation is an opportunity for us to connect with the whole of the Church in the person of our Bishop. It is a chance for us to show our Bishop the vitality of our congregation and share with her news of our common life. An Episcopal Visitation is also an occasion for people to be Confirmed and Received into the Episcopal Church.

 

Confirmation

In Confirmation, we publicly reaffirm, in the presence of our local community and the Bishop (whose presence represents that of the whole Church), the promises we made—or which our parents made on our behalf—at baptism.

 

Reception

Those who have been previously Confirmed by the laying on of hands of a bishop in another communion of the Church, may be Received into the Episcopal Church.

 

We will also be welcoming any new members who would like to be recognized during the service that morning.

 

If anyone is interested in being Confirmed or officially Received into the Episcopal Church or simply recognized as a new member, please send an email to Fr. Jamie so you can fill out a Confirmation/Reception form.

 

 

New Member Sunday on January 28

We will also welcome all new members of St. Stephen’s on Sunday January 28 during our Sunday morning Eucharist with Bishop Thom. If you are interested in joining St. Stephen’s, please contact Fr. Jamie

 

 

Annual Meeting January 28

St. Stephen’s will hold its annual meeting on Sunday, January 28, following Holy Eucharist. Bishop Brian Thom will be joining us as well that day. There will be a potluck as well that day.

 

Please plan on joining us for this important day as we plan for another year of service and ministry.

 

 

 

Candlemas/Blessing of Candles

During our celebration of the Eucharist on Wednesday  January 24, we will once again bless candles as part of the centuries-old tradition of blessing candles. February 2 is the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, but is also known as Candlemas. The Feast of the Presentation is called Candlemas because of the traditional blessing and distribution of candles on that day.  It is customary to bring candles from home to be blessed so they can be lit after dusk on All Saints' Day (1 November), and during storms and other times of trouble. 

 

So please plan to bring to church any candles you wish to have blessed on January 24. Candles will also be provided and distributed after the service that day.

 

 

 

 

Fr. Jamie on Vacation

 

Fr. Jamie will be on vacation January 29-February 12.

 

While Fr. Jamie is on vacation, our presider and preachers during Fr. Jamie’s vacation will be:

 

February 4 – Pastor Jessica Miller of the Neighborhood Church will preside and preach

 

February 11 – Deacon John Anderson will preside and preach

 

There will be no Wednesday night Eucharists January 31 and February 7.

 

If there are any pastoral emergencies, please contact Deacon John or simply all the church and leave a message. The messages will be checked daily by Deacon John  while Fr. Jamie is gone.

 

Please refrain from contacting Fr. Jamie while he is on vacation. He will not be answering emails, Facebook messages or text messages

Words of Wisdom:

Don’t let anyone put out the fire that God has ignited in your soul.

From the Green Team:

-      There is no such thing as “disposable” plastic.

-      85% of litter left on beaches is plastic.

-        Microplastics are plastic pieces smaller than 5 mm. 70% of all plastic polluting the Great Lakes is 1 mm or less in diameter.