Weekly update week of October 15, 2018
Tuesday October 16
7 - 8:30pm Welcome Class (Godly Play).
Thursday October 18
7:30am Morning Prayer.
7:30pm Rehearsal for the 10:30am service choir.
Sunday October 21
8am Holy Eucharist Rite I, the Rev. Susan Walker preaches and the Rev. Rondesia Jarret-Schell presides.
9:15-10:15am Forum “Put all things in subjection under your Christ”, by Joe Casazza.
9:15-10:15am Manna and Mercy Bible study/series (Choir room).
10:10am Sharing the Gospel with Loaves and Fishes.
10:30am Holy Eucharist Rite II, the Rev. Susan Walker preaches and the Rev. Rondesia Jarret-Schell presides.
Noon Pastoral Care team meeting (Mission conference room).
4pm Confirmation class.
5:30pm Misa Alegría (Spanish language liturgy). The Rev. Frank Dunn preaches and presides.
Stewardship Campaign 2019
Thank you for the many gifts of time and treasure you offer to St. Stephen and the Incarnation. In 2018, we've grown in the faith and as a community, through beautiful music, quiet morning prayers, small groups, and in many other blessings large and small. As we plan for next year’s budget, we hope that you will continue your support of St. Stephen’s by making a 2019 pledge. Since we don’t have an endowment or receive regular funding from the wider church, parishioner contributions make it possible to fund our continued life together.
We expect to receive approximately $312,000 in donations from parishioners this year. In 2019, we need to increase our donations by about $22,000 just to continue our current parish operations and make up for the decrease in the diocesan grant which currently supports a portion of our senior priest’s salary. If we receive donations beyond that amount, we will be able to pursue other parish goals (for example, increasing resources for Godly Play, funding initiatives to grow our congregation, or planning for badly needed capital repairs to the building).
Please consider pledging to support our church home next year. If you are renewing your pledge, please consider increasing the amount by 10% to help meet our operational costs or 15% or more to help us meet other parish goals and save for much-needed capital repairs. To let us know how much you plan to pledge, you can:
Fill out this google form: https://goo.gl/forms/QSVDHOnp16fCVFj63
Email Nicole Martinez at ˂nicole.martinezmoore@gmail.com˃
Mail back the pledge form you receive in the mail
Fill out the pledge card at church and leave it in the offering plate
We encourage you to automate your pledge payments at http://tinyurl.com/ssi-give. Automating your pledge ensures continuity of revenue, which allows us to plan better. It is also easier for you-- you don't have to remember! Thank you, sincerely, for your support of our parish.
Next Sunday Be a Loaves and Fishes Surveyor!
Want to know more about our guests at Loaves and Fishes? One good way to get acquainted is to volunteer to help in the annual survey of guests, which takes place next Sunday, October 21. We need six or seven people to administer a simple anonymous questionnaire to those guests who are willing to participate. (Usually most are happy to share information about their lives.) The answers help us shape the program. Loaves and Fishes guests are part of our community. Being a surveyor will give you a chance to get acquainted. We will assemble in the downstairs dining room at 10:15 for a brief orientation and begin surveying at 10:30, winding up at 11:30 or 11:45. If you want to leave early to attend part of the eucharist or start surveying after the sermon, we can work with that. And remember that communion is always ministered on Sundays at Loaves and Fishes. Folks volunteering and eating there are also at worship. Please email Bill MacKaye ˂wmackaye@reverbing.com˃ to tell him you’re available.
50th Anniversary Benefit for Loaves and Fishes
The management team of Loaves and Fishes is excited to announce that, after a several-year hiatus, the Washington Saxophone Quartet has graciously agreed to perform at St. Stephen and the Incarnation (with the renovated acoustics) on Saturday, November 3, at 3:00 p.m. There will be a reception with afternoon refreshments after the performance, and the latest CD will be on sale.
The quartet goes back almost as far as Loaves and Fishes! The four members started performing in 1976. These are the four very talented gentlemen who will be performing on November 3: Reginald Jackson (Soprano Sax), James Steele (Alto Sax), Rich Kleinfeldt (Tenor Sax), and Rick Parrell (Baritone Sax).
The quartet’s repertoire includes adaptations of baroque pieces, including a fair number of Bach pieces; 18th century selections by Rossini and others; and a wide variety of 20th century composers, such as Aaron Copeland, Samuel Barber, George Gershwin, Scott Joplin, and Astor Piazzolo. Since 1997, quartet performances have been aired continually on NPR’s All Things Considered. We can thank the quartet for increasing the appreciation of saxophone performances and expanding the range of pieces played by this adaptable instrument (actually four different instruments).
The Washington Saxophone Quartet has long been a supporter of Loaves and Fishes, and we appreciate this special 50th anniversary recognition for Loaves and Fishes. Suggest donation is $20 per person of $10 for students (either in advance or at the door). Please mark it on your calendar and tell your friends!
Sunday Forums
The Sunday Forums are happening each week from 9:15-10:15am in the auditorium. We offer time to gather as a community and focus on some aspect of our faith and our lives. A forum topic can be whatever is part of your journey with Christ inviting us to understand God working in our lives, to better know one another, and build the community of St. Stephen's and the Incarnation. Come hear our presenters and get to know others in the community. The Forums in the following Sundays will be:
October 21, Joe Casazza will lead the Forum “Put all things in subjection under your Christ”: Submission to the will of God.
Personal Finance Workshop for Immigrants to the U.S.
Join this workshop on Saturday, October 20 at Church of Our Saviour, Hillandale (map at shorturl.at/iv359) from 9am - noon for a bilingual (English and Spanish) workshop led by Lisa Kirchenbauer of Omega Wealth Management and her team which will focus on personal finances for people who have migrated to the United States. We encourage you to invite people who may find this workshop useful. Free. Please register by October 15 sending an email to the Rev. Sarabeth Goodwin at ˂sgoodwin@edow.org˃.
Diaconal Workshop Day (Bilingual)
If you are interested in discerning a call to the diaconate, attend at the Diaconal Workshop Day on Saturday, October 27 at All Souls Episcopal Church (2300 Cathedral Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008) from 9am - 2:30pm. This will be the required first step in the process. Two persons are required to attend with you: Your Senior Priest, and another layperson from the congregation who is likely to serve on the local discernment committee. The workshop includes learning about the ministry of deacons, the various steps in the ordination process, and the structure and requirements of the formation program. At the end of the day, those interested in moving forward will receive a nomination form. You can find more information on https://goo.gl/QWQwWy and you can register on https://www.edow.org/calendar-event-details/155. Please speak to Fr. Sam Dessórdi Leite or Deacon Susan Walker for more information.
