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St. Stephen's Episcopal Church of Mullica Hill Email Newsletter
May 2009	Issue #3
In this issue: Editor's Note Vicar's View From The Senior Warden From The Junior Warden Deacon-In-Training Mission Board Minutes Committee Notes Community Ministries Parish Life Children's Activies Evangelism Christian Formation the Lighter Side Community Information Birthdays and Anniversaries Epsico-Speak Service Times: 5/3 8 AM Eucharist at St. Stephen’s 10 AM Eucharist at St. Luke’s, Woodstown 10 AM Morning Prayer at St. Stephen’s 5/10 8 AM & 10 AM Eucharist - Mother’s Day 5/17 8 AM Eucharist at St. Stephen’s 10 AM Eucharist at St. Luke’s, Woodstown 10 AM Morning Prayer at St. Stephen’s Thursday 5/21 7 PM - Feast of the Ascension 5/24 8 AM & 10 AM Eucharist - St. Stephen’s Day 5/31 8 AM & 10 AM Eucharist - PENTECOST Healing Service on 10 AM on Wednesdays May's Calendar (click for PDF)	Editor's Note: Welcome to the third edition of St. Stephens’ enews letter. Those of you for whom we have email addresses are receiving this electronically. Those with “snail mail” addresses can pick up the paper version at church on the first Sunday of the month. Also, please note you can click here for May's Calendar of Events or go to our website homepage: www.StStephensOfMullicaHill.com. This calendar can be printed out and posted. PS – While you’re looking at the website, check out the Easter photos and our new testimonies/profiles about why people like to attend St. Stephens, just click on the “people” link. (And extra thanks to those who agreed to be videotaped!) Please feel free to contact me with any suggestions or comments at sraman@upenn.edu. Thanks and happy reading! Sheila Raman Combs
Vicar's View: Our joyful 49-day Easter celebration continues through the month of May, culminating on the 50th day with the Feast of Pentecost on May 31st (pente- means “fifty”). As we enjoy this holy season and the wonderful weather of this time of year, I remind you to live like Easter people – that mean to embrace the radically new life we have be given through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through his sacrifice, Jesus has broken the bonds that hold us back from living life to the fullest. So I encourage you to try something new is this Easter season. You have a wonderful opportunity to do something new on May 3rd while I am away at the CREDO Conference. St. Stephen’s has been invited to join St. Luke’s, Woodstown for their 10 AM Eucharist service in Woodstown as a way for our two congregations to do more events together, and what can be more important than worshiping together! Fr. Cook will be here at St. Stephen’s for the 8 AM Eucharist service as well. (For those who wish to stay in Mullica Hill for the 10 am service, there will be Morning Prayer, followed by Sunday School as usual.) In the evening of May 3rd, you have the opportunity to join the “Rockies” as they offer a meal to those in need at St. Paul’s in Camden. I promise you it is not dangerous and you will be blessed to interact with everyone there. On May 16th you can join us at Trinity Cathedral in Trenton to support and witness Joe Sweeney and Carmen Viola as they are ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons. If you have never attended an ordination, it is an awesome experience. The Mission Board is also interested in promoting the understanding that St. Stephen’s is a community of faith, supporting our members in all aspects of your lives. We want to establish a “Son-shine Committee” that will offer support in the form of food, prayer, transportation etc. when you or your family is in need or crisis. Please note that it is not our intension to be intrusive into your life, but to help support you in your time of need. Please consider either heading-up this committee by being the person to organize support when it is needed or are willing to be “on-call” when a need arises, and then let me know. I’ll also take this opportunity to remind you that pastoral care is an essential component of the life of a church family. If you or someone in your family is sick or in need of help, please call me! You do not have to face a difficult situation by yourself and I am honored to offer you my prayers and my presence at those times, no matter the time of day or night. Please call my cell phone (609-760-3159) and TELL ME IT IS AN EMERGENCY. You can also do things in your day-to-day life to live more like an Easter person. Find 5 things to be thankful for EVERYDAY (and make them different) to put yourself in an “attitude of gratitude.” With all the challenges we are facing these days, this may become a saving grace for you. Also, if you are not in the habit of some kind of daily prayer life, you can begin to give yourself and God 5 minutes of your time. You can even start by just breathing deeply and open yourself up to God’s presence. You may be surprised by how much calmer you feel. I pray that you feel blessed by this Easter season and embrace your new life in Christ. In Easter Joy, Valerie+, vballing@comcast.net
Save the Date: May 2 – Harrison Township Day. A fun-filled day for the whole family, including a parade down Main Street (9 am) and a fair from 10 – 5 pm. Come visit St. Stephen’s booth in Ella Harris Park and help spread the good news! May 11 - Book Club Meeting at the Parish Hall. The book is “Plain Truth” by Jodi Picoult. An unmarried Amish girl has been charged with the murder of her new born infant in this fictional bestseller. Did she do it? The author will keep you guessing until the end May 21 - Moms, Movies and More! – Join us for a “chick flick” and discussion about a parenting topic. We will catch a movie at around 7 – 7:30 pm in Deptford and then adjourn for a cup of coffee or ice cream and discussion. Join other St. Stephen’s moms for a night out – you deserve it! Anyone interested in movies or parenting topics is welcome. Email Sheila Raman Combs if you want to join us at sraman@upenn.edu May 9 - Evensong for Canon Elizabeth Geitz Canon Geitz will be retiring as the Diocesan Deployment Officer on May 15th. There will be a special Evensong service offered on May 9th at 2 PM at Trinity Cathedral in Trenton. If you would like to attend, please let Rev. Valerie know. May 15-17 Spring Youth Event Camp Lebanon in Lebanon, NJ for 6-12 graders and their adult sponsors. Cost: $75 per person (scholarship and early registration discounts available). Register at www.newjerseyyouth.org. May 16 - Diaconate Ordination Joe Sweeney and Carmen Viola will be ordained into the Sacred Order of Deacons on May 16th at 10 AM at Trinity Cathedral in Trenton. If you would like to go, please sign up on the sheet at the church door so we can coordinate transportation. Please note if you can drive and how many people you can fit in your car or if you need a ride. Joe will be with us on May 24th, our Patronal Feast Day, to be Deacon of the Mass, and Carmen will be here to celebrate Pentecost with us on May 31st. May 31 - Pentecost is Coming! Do you know or are able to read aloud a foreign language? If so, we would love for you to join our Pentecost celebration of reading the Gospel in many languages. Please talk with Rev. Valerie as soon as possible so she can provide with the reading. May 31 – Sunday School Recognition – Bravo to our 2008-9 Sunday School Class. We will congratulate these young and studious Christians during the 10 am service on May 31. May 31 - Rec Center Ministries is hosting a Sanctus Real concert on May 31st at 7 PM (doors open at 6:30 PM) at the Clearview Regional High School’s Toscano Performing Arts Center. Sanctus Real is an awesome Christian rock band and winner of numerous music industry awards including a Dove award for Modern Rock Album of the Year. Josh Sundquist, a nationally recognized inspirational speaker, will also be speaking at the concert. If you are interested in going, please talk with Nicole Stamm, Jr. Warden as she wants to get a group together. For a group of 15 or more, tickets are $10. each. June 7 – All Parish Meeting and Picnic Parish Life: The Parish Life committee is proud to report that the Easter Brunch was very successful. Many people graciously volunteered to bring food; we certainly had a wide selection of breakfast and lunch entrees, desserts, and snacks. No one left feeling hungry! Everyone pitched in to help clean up, leaving the parish hall presentable. Many thanks to all that contributed. Our next event will be the Parish Picnic on church grounds Sunday, June 7. More information will be forthcoming. We are also looking into a church outing at the Riversharks stadium for Sat., July 11. Just like last year, the Riversharks are sponsoring a Christian fellowship event that day. I will be canvassing the congregation to see if this is a feasible date. - Kathy Knight, kathygoodknight@comcast.net	From the Senior Warden: The weekend of May 2 and 3 will be an opportunity for us at St. Stephen’s, Mullica Hill to reach out in the name of Christ. Harrison Township Day will be celebrated on May 2. We will have a booth at Ella Harris Park that day and we need people to help operate it. We were hoping to have enough people to only have to stay an hour. If you do it, all you have to do is greet people who come by and maybe talk to them and give them a St. Stephen’s worry stone. It will also serve as a day where we can walk around and see what other groups in Harrison Township are doing. May 3 we would like as many people as possible to come down to St. Luke’s, Woodstown for their 10 a.m. service. We would like to explore a shared ministry with them. We are not looking to dissolve either church but instead work together to pool our resources for the glory of God. By combining ministries we can share the load and be better disciples of Christ. Coming down to St. Luke’s will be a good way to get to know the people there and for them to know us. They have attended a few of our functions such as the opening of our kitchen to the community. Please come join us. - Lisa Redfield, redfieldlisa@aol.com From the Junior Warden: The new address list will be emailed out to everyone right after the newsletter comes out and then posted at the church. If you still have to submit your information, you can do it through email at ninianende@verizon.net. - Nicole Buehler, niniende@verizon.net Mission Board Minutes: Committee met on April 20th Meeting opened with prayer Bible study was led by Rev. Valerie Approved minutes from the March 9th meeting Reviewed budget and will make recommendations concerning investments Members will participate in Harrison Township Day on May 2. Motion made to have rectory steps repaired. Gutters and downspouts were cleaned and repaired. Parish Meeting and Church Picnic will be held on June 7. Fundraising Committee working on a raffle to be held in the fall. Joe Sweeney will be presented with a small gift thanking him for his service to St. Stephen's. Checks that were presented were ratified. - Carole Misinkavitch, andrewmisinkavitch@comcast.net Committee Notes: Buildings & Grounds "All Things Bright and Beautiful - the Lord God made them all." Thanks to all who came out to help with the Spring Clean Up on April 4. We were very fortunate to have the help of the Boy Scouts who worked along with us. It was a great beginning and I am sure we can continue making our spiritual home a neat and welcoming place to be. Grass Cutting Sign-up Sheet. The Lawn Mower has been tuned up!! A sign up sheet has been posted in the back of the church for folks who would like to donate their time. If we handle this task ourselves, it means quite a financial savings. So, if you are willing to help, please sign up for the time when you are available. Please note: If you cannot make it on the date you selected, please call someone else to fill in for you a few days ahead of time. Also, if the grass does not need cutting, please spend some time either watering or weeding. - Andy Misinkavitch, andrewmisinkavitch@comcast.net
Evangelism: The Evangelism Committee will meet on April 28. Its agenda includes: final details on May 2 booth at Ella Harris Park; discussion of a commercial; updates on the website, newsletter and directory. Thanks to everyone who has participated in the videotaping for the commercial on April 19. - Sheila Raman Combs, sraman@upenn.edu Stewardship: Psalm 47: Verse 6 SING PRAISES TO GOD, SING PRAISES; SING PRAISES TO OUR KING; SING PRAISES Thanks to our volunteer choir, led by Nell Immler on Easter Day, we heard this wonderful Psalm come to life! Thank you all for sharing your wonderful talent -- the gift of music and voice. - Carole Misinkavitch A Parishioner’s Experience With Stewardship (One in a series of reflections by members of our congregation) It is inevitable that I ponder my charitable giving during the recent annual deadline for filing my income tax return. Having all of the data before me provides the opportunity to assess my annual gift to St. Stephen’s. Every year, I wish that I could give more. Despite my understanding and appreciation of the biblical concept of “tithing,” the delicate balance between my income and expenses makes the goal of giving 10% of my earnings unattainable at this time. When first facing this dilemma, I sought a method of increasing my giving without neglecting my other costs of living. With God’s help (and a priest’s suggestion), inspiration came. For many of us, time is just a valuable an asset as money. I realized that I could supplement my weekly monetary giving with a gift of time. Giving up some hours could compensate for the failings of my checkbook. St. Stephen’s offers many opportunities to donate time, and I have attempted several. I am happy to have become involved in a number of tasks that ranged from raking leaves to serving on the Mission Board. Of all the time I’ve spent at St. Stephen’s, my involvement as a Lay Eucharistic Minister (LEM) has been the most rewarding. I must admit, I did not originally volunteer to be a LEM. I was “drafted” by our former vicar, Harry Collins. At first, I balked at the suggestion, feeling that I was not “religious” enough for such duties. In his reassuring manner, he pointed out that, on our own, it is unlikely that any of us are “good” enough… but with God’s help, we can be. As I continued to serve as a LEM over the intervening years, the experience has actually enhanced my faith. Since Reverend Valerie came to St. Stephen’s, it has been my pleasure to continue these duties with her encouragement and guidance. The benefits have been numerous. The price? Just a little time. I encourage other parishioners to consider becoming a Lay Reader or a Lay Eucharistic Minister. Sure, it may feel a little uncomfortable when you first stand in front of the congregation. However, the costs are few (a little time and some initial discomfort), and the rewards are great. There is much potential benefit for both you and the church. If assuming some of these duties is not possible, consider other opportunities to donate some of your time. There is plenty to do, and too few of us available. All gifts are welcome here at St. Stephen’s… be they time, money, or a sharing of your talent. When we support the church and each other, we assist St. Stephen’s to fulfill our mission of spreading the Good News of Jesus. I can think of few causes that are a more worthy recipient of our donations. -- David Poponi Important Notices Thanks to all who helped at the Spring Clean up! Thanks to Rachel Rowe for all the planting she did in front of the church and in the garden with the flowers from Easter. The grounds look wonderful! Thank you to all who helped make our Easter Celebration so wonderful, especially our musicians, singers, members of the Altar Guild, those that helped organize the Easter Egg Hunt and those that brought food for the brunch!	Deacon's Corner: I would like to extend an invitation to all my Parish Family at St. Stephen’s to attend my Ordination on May 16th at 10:00AM in Trinity, Cathedral Trenton, New Jersey. The Service will begin at 10:00AM and last until 11:30AM (or so). Please try to arrive early (9:30AM or earlier) as they are expecting a large crowd. Our own Kelsey and Michael Butler will be Acolytes with Rev. Valerie participating in the Service. Assistant Bishop Sylvestre Romero will be Ordaining as Bishop Counsell will be away at his daughter’s graduation from college. I understand their will be car-pooling from St. Stephen’s and transportation available. Their will be a reception following the Service with refreshments and fellowship. For those who will need driving directions: Trinity is about one hour + from St. Stephen’s. Take 295 North. Take exit for Trenton to 129 to 29 North. When you come out of the new tunnel, you will travel approx. 3 miles to Parkside Avenue exit. At the first traffic light, turn right onto W. State Street. Trinity Cathedral will be on the right on the corner of W. State Street and Overbrook Avenue (above 1 ½ blocks). Hope you can make it. - Joe Sweeney, sweeneyj25@comcast.net Treasurer’s Report: Christian Formation: Ages 4-7 We will have a special end of year ceremony in the 10 am service on May 31 followed by our final Sunday School session for this spring. We will resume classes in September. Please be sure to attend on May 31 so your child can be recognized for his/her participation in Sunday School this year! Nursery Nursery is offered at 9:45 AM on Sunday mornings in the Parish Hall. A rotating group of parent-volunteers staffs the Nursery. The children rejoin their parents in church following the peace and in time for communion. - Sheila Raman Combs, sraman@upenn.edu The Lighter Side: Why Go To Church? A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday [Saturday]. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all." This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: "I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" --Submitted by Carole Misinkavitch
Community Information Kid Friendly Recessionals The kid friendly Recessionals will be on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month. The children have learned “Jesus Loves Me” and their first rendition of it on April 19 was adorable! “Son-Shine” Committee As mentioned in the Vicar’s View, if you are interested in helping organize or support this pastoral care committee (or you want some more information), please let Rev. Valerie know. Altar Flowers There are many opportunities for you to offer a memorial or thanksgiving for a loved one or event (birthday, anniversary, etc) in July, August and September. The $20 offering helps defray the cost of the flowers and makes the church look and smell beautiful for our worship. Please sign up on the sheet on the back of the front door of the church. Changing Table A baby changing table will be installed in the women’s bathroom in Collin’s Parish Hall. - Valerie Balling, vballing@comcast.net	Birthdays and Anniversaries Nancy McLaughlin – 5-9 Joe and Lynn Sweeney- 5-11 Rachel and John Rowe – 5-13 David Poponi – 5-15 Peter Cupit – 5-16 Bob and Allyson Bailey – 5-27 Bob Bailey 5-28
Episco-Speak Pentecost The term means "the fiftieth day." It is used in both the OT and the NT. In the OT it refers to a feast of seven weeks known as the Feast of Weeks. It was apparently an agricultural event that focused on the harvesting of first fruits. Josephus referred to Pentecost as the fiftieth day after the first day of Passover. The term is used in the NT to refer to the coming of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1), shortly after Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension. Christians came to understand the meaning of Pentecost in terms of the gift of the Spirit. The Pentecost event was the fulfillment of a promise which Jesus gave concerning the return of the Holy Spirit. The speaking in tongues, which was a major effect of having received the Spirit, is interpreted by some to symbolize the church's worldwide preaching. In the Christian tradition, Pentecost is now the seventh Sunday after Easter. It emphasizes that the church is understood as the body of Christ which is drawn together and given life by the Holy Spirit. Some understand Pentecost to be the origin and sending out of the church into the world. The Day of Pentecost is one of the seven principal feasts of the church year in the Episcopal Church (BCP, p. 15). The Day of Pentecost is identified by the BCP as one of the feasts that is "especially appropriate" for baptism (p. 312). The liturgical color for the feast is red. Pentecost has also been known as Whitsun or Whitsunday, a corruption of "White Sunday." This term reflects the custom by which those who were baptized at the Vigil of Pentecost would wear their white baptismal garments to church on the Day of Pentecost. The BCP provides directions for observance of a Vigil of Pentecost, which begins with the Service of Light (p. 227). The Hymnal 1982 provides a variety of hymns for Pentecost (Hymns 223-230) and the Holy Spirit (Hymns 500-516).
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