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THE SUNDAY OF THE THREE SARAHS
Dear Parish Family,
This Sundayat our 11 AM Service, it will be our pleasure to have as our preacher that morning the Reverend Amanda L. Jones, currently the Director of Pastoral Care and Clinical Pastoral Education with Roper St. Francis Healthcare of Charleston, South Carolina. Prior to her coming here to the Roper St. Francis Healthcare System, she was Manager of the Chaplaincy and Pastoral Education Department of Palmetto Health, Columbia, South Carolina. She’s a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky (M. Div. 1990) as well as Winthrop University (Bachelor of Social Work, 1987). In 1997 she was ordained in the Greenlawn Baptist church in Columbia, South Carolina, and her ordination was later transferred to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 1998.
Most clergy these days, well before their graduation, usually complete some form of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) along with their three-year sojourn through theological education. I did several “units” of education in both general and mental hospitals while I was in New England doing my studies; no doubt Colton Smith completed units of CPE, as well as Bill Greeley and Roy Hills, and more recently, Greg Smith. The point is that Amanda is a crucial component of the education of religious professionals when it comes to their work in a diverse community of patients and their families. Some, like Amanda, specialize in the area of passing on the complex traditions of pastoral care, others like most of us clergy here, are beneficiaries of the training we received on the floors of hospital rooms and psychiatric wards. Without her, and the good folks that teach in her field, the very fabric of the kind of care that clergy can bring to those in crisis due to illness would be compromised.
We will be very proud to have her with us on Sunday, as in many ways she embodies the essence of the ministries of many women in the church today – something we celebrate every time we look at the tablets on the walls of our church in memory of the lives of our “Three Sarahs.”
Yours faithfully,
David+
YOUR PRAYERFUL SUPPORT IS ASKED FOR
Bobby Shealy, whose nephew Justin Shealy Entered Resurrection Life,
Evelyn Marion, who is recovering at home,
&
Adam Lacy, who is recovering at home.
If you know of a parishioner who is in the hospital or recuperating at home, please contact the Parish Office at (843) 723-8818 or 67anson@bellsouth.net so that we may include him or her in this list.
Thank you to all who have contributed coffee, jam, and condiments for our monthly breakfasts! We now have enough coffee for the rest of 2012!! We will gladly accept your gifts of pepper, jam, and small toiletries. These may be placed in the basket beneath the table in the Parish Hall.
Volunteers are needed to cook and serve breakfast at the Men's Shelter on Wednesday, May 23 at 6:00 A.M. For more information, or to help, please contact Iris Carson at Irisleecarson@gmail.com or (843) 795-2819. Please note the time change! Thank you!
WEDNESDAY BIBLE AND RELIGION DISCUSSION GROUP
The Wednesday Bible and Religion Discussion Group continues the discussion of Isaiah, with chapters 24 through 30 on May 23. It’s not too late to join us on Wednesdays at noon in Stephen’s Hall! If you have questions, contact Alan Arthur at (843) 971-7644 or aarthur@brocku.ca.
Please note that Father Williams will be on vacation starting Sunday, June 3, and returning on Sunday, July 8. He will be in touch while he is away, and he may be contacted through the Parish Office in case of emergencies or other matters.
WHAT IS THE UNITED THANK OFFERING?
The United Thank Offering is a ministry of the Episcopal Church begun in 1889. UTO provides a way for women, men, AND children to give daily thanks to God. Everyone can become a part of UTO by offering thanks and prayers as part of your daily life with Christ while dropping coins in the Blue Box. This is an outward expression of how thankful we are for all of God’s blessings. It is amazing how pennies, nickels, or dimes can mount up, and what they can do in our Lord’s service.
What does the United Thank Offering do?
Every year the total offering is between $2,500,000 and $3,000,000. Every cent collected from the Blue Boxes is given away in grants. The administrative expenses are paid by the general budget of the Episcopal Church.
How do I become a member of the United Thank Offering?
Adopt a habit of giving prayerful thanks to God every day … for good health … for the birth of a child … for rain … for the St. Stephen’s Church family. God’s blessings are infinite! Then drop a coin in your Blue Box.
The United Thank Offering is not a budget to raise, but an offering to share. As a bishop once wrote, “The best thing about the UTO is that it gives people of the Church an opportunity to give thanks! If there can be developed an attitude of thanksgiving and gratitude, there is an overflow of compassion and care.”
Please take a Blue Box from the Narthex and start using it today and every day! You can become a part of this global ministry of the Episcopal Church for mission and ministry. Make the United Thank Offering a part of your spiritual discipline. “Become a missionary.”
WOMEN OF ST. STEPHEN’S POTLUCK DINNERS
UPCOMING WOMEN'S POTLUCK DINNERS:
June 12 - Ellen Dobbins, 1 Vendue Range, Charleston, 29401
August 14 - Nancy Smith, 63 Crosscreek Drive, Charleston, 29412
September 11 - Lynn Chiappone, 18 Jamaica Drive, Charleston, 29407
October 16 - Caroline King, 35 Gibbes Street, Charleston 29401
November 13 - Susan Roehrich, 10 Ashmead Place, Charleston, 29403
If you have questions, please contact Susan Roehrich at (843) 819-0083.
The Women's Bible Class meets on Thursdays from 6:00 to 7:30 PM in Stephen's Hall. We are studying what happened to the 12 apostles after the Ascension of Jesus. We are using as our guide The Twelve: The Lives of the Apostles after Calvary, a book by Bernard Ruffin. We want to learn more about the apostles and how they carried the good news of Jesus' Resurrection to the ends of the earth. Please join us - Everyone is always welcome. For more information, call Mary Lou Titus at (843) 737-2693.
This week's lesson in Sunday school will be "Eucharist feeds us every week," taught by Marianne Austin. On Sunday, May 27, Karen Eichman and Brandy Ramey will be teaching "Penticost Holy Spirit."
The Youth Group will be going to Black Beard's Cove on Saturday, May 26! We will leave from the church at 11:00 AM. Please RSVP to assure you have a seat - Maustin91@comcast.net, or (843) 762-4678, or (843) 367-0921. Hope you can make it! It is going to be a blast!
If you are interested in teaching Sunday School, or if you have any questions about the Youth Group, please call Marianne Austin at (843) 762-4678 or (843) 367-0921.
The members of the Inreach Committee would like to thank everyone who participated in the Fourth Annual Emma Watson Memorial Barbecue and Fundraiser. By being part of this celebration, you have demonstrated how community is created and renewed when individuals act in love and serve each other.
This event, which celebrates the life and service of a true Christian woman, has always been a time to renew old friendships and to form new ones. It has always been a joyous time when good food, good music and good company bring us together with feelings of great peace and happiness. The sight of our children and grandchildren playing together, as they have done at St. Stephen’s for generations, give us all hope that the spirit of this church will retain its joy, its closeness and its steadfast dedication to doing the work that Jesus intended for us to do.
From this small congregation full of creativity and energy, 85 of you donated your time and talents to the creation of beautiful arts/crafts items, to what may be the best food in town, and to a bake sale that sold out, as usual. Many of you contributed your talents in more than one category and forty of you volunteered to help organize, set up, sell, serve and clean up.
We cannot thank you all enough for your generosity and kindness. You have allowed us to keep providing tutoring to children who need and appreciate the chance to ensure their futures in this ever changing world.
The Inreach Committee of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
PS. For those of you who were unable to attend, we will be selling a few of the unsold Arts/Crafts items after the Three Sarahs Service on Sunday, May 20th in Stephen’s Hall. Come see what you missed.
EPISCOPAL RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT
Double your impact as you fight malaria! Some very generous donors will match dollar-for-dollar all gifts for the NetsforLife Inspiration Fund - up to $430,000 - through May 25: http://www.er-d.org/NetsforLife-Inspiration-Fund-Matching-Gift/. Two years ago we had a very successful net campaign and were able to send 100 mosquito nets to malaria-infected communities in Africa. Here is a chance for anyone who wishes to donate through the NetsforLife website to have a dollar for dollar match!
Our Annual Parish Picnic is schedule for Sunday, June 24 at the Folly Beach County Park Pelican Watch Shelter. The Pelican Watch is a two-level shelter equipped with 12 picnic tables (six upstairs and six downstairs). There will be no parking charge this year, and high tide is noon that day. Please note that if there is too much beach erosion, we will have to change the location.
DAUGHTER OF TED WASHINGTON NEEDS OUR HELP
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