Drew's Reflection for this Sunday will be at YouTube St. Stephen's Episcopal Church NO St. Stephen's online worship service on August 2
Please pray for:
Sheila Carl, Sally Newlin,
Ray Snyder, Linda Hegedus,
Robin Rolt, Megan Price,
Richard Hillier, Jonnee Western,
Terry Persinger, John Bonner,
Lane Clark, Martha Hafner,
Ellie Thomas, Mike Hayden,
Jason Paradowski, Ashley Richey,
Joe Kuhn, Justin Mendoza,
Aaron Campbell, Kay Griswold,
Bill Allen,
Jim Mania [father of Susan Sietz (Manna from Seven), exposed to COVID-19]
Reginald Rutherford (8/3)
Kerri England (8/5),
and Diann McKee (8/6),
on their birthdays
Joanna Benskin, our postulant
Centenary United Methodist Church,
Central Presbyterian Church,
United Campus Ministries,
Second Christian Church
St. Stephen’s, Elwood,
Ms. Gloria Mays, Senior Warden; Dioceses of Brasilia, Haiti, and South Sudan
Thenew Province of Alexandria -
created from the former
Diocese of Egypt
with North Africa and the Horn of Africa
in the Episcopal Church
of Jerusalem and the Middle East
The Rev. Drew Downs and family will be on vacation through August 2. They will be in town because they have bought a house and are moving! Their new address is
1013 E Woodburn Drive
Terre Haute IN 47802 Drop them a card! No in-person visits at this time, please!
Hi Friends,
Normally when I go away for vacation, it is no big deal. St. Stephen’s is more than capable of functioning for a couple of weeks without me. The pandemic has certainly brought more confusion and frustration to all our lives. I am eager to help us establish some new customs that will serve us in the near future, allowing the community to establish new worship patterns and practices.
As for now, my vacation will run through the Sundays of July 26 and August 2. I will post a brief recorded reflection for each Sunday, which you will find on our YouTube channel and at ststephensth.org/live. I also encourage you to gather virtually with our cathedral Sundays at 10 am for worship at https://www.cccindy.org/live!
I am grateful for your work, Apostles! Keep the faith!
As many of you know, for the two years since we've been away from St. Stephen's, Brian and I have been in Berkeley, California. Here, I'm studying at Church Divinity School of the Pacific and preparing for ordained ministry. These years have been full of growth and challenge for us as I've jumped back into a very different kind of grad school, Brian has worked as a parish administrator, and both of us have flourished in building community with seminary colleagues and their spouses and families.
This year with the pandemic, we're trying to figure out how to build community, worship, study, and prepare for ministry in unexpected circumstances. My spring classes went online in March, and it looks like we'll also be working online for the fall semester. We're dealing with a lot of stress and uncertainty, but very thankful that both my studies and Brian's employment can continue uninterrupted, even if not always in the same form.
This summer, I've been working with the San Francisco Night Ministry to complete an intensive Clinical Pastoral Education program as part of my formation for ministry. If you'd like to learn more about what I'm doing there or donate to my fundraiser, please use this link. I've also recently written two Bible studies for the Episcopal Church's online Sermons that Work ministry - you can read them here (for August 2, 2020) and here (for August 9, 2020)
I still hope to return to the Diocese of Indianapolis next spring after I graduate and work in ministry. I'm looking forward to catching up with the St. Stephen's community more when I'm back in the area, and I'm so grateful for your support that has helped me to get this far.
Peace,
Joanna
Thank you! Karen and Rusty Rutherford would like to thank the members of St. Stephens who sent their generous and kind words of sympathy concerning the death of their son, Christopher. Although our family is scattered, we have been blessed with many phone calls, cards, and emails from them and our friends, here, too. Indeed, we are grateful for the joy and kindness that Chris brought to us and this world. Blessings to all of you!
Continuing Financial Giving We understand that the COVID19 epidemic is causing a great deal of stress and confusion for all of us. Without regular in-person gatherings, you may not know how to continue your pledge or even know how to give. And this time of quarantine may be putting a financial strain on you or your family.
The treasurer hopes that you consider continuing to give what you can during this season to help maintain our ministry.
Here are three ways you can do that:
1) Mail a check to the church.
2) Use online banking to have your bank send a check directly.
3) The diocese is now processing online gifts on behalf of the
church. So you may go to https://onrealm.org/indydio/-/give/covid19
and your pledge will come to St. Stephen's.
While the church building is dark, there is light still shining.
Manna From Seven is still distributing food and some hygiene items on Fridays. They are still providing laundry services and putting food in our blessing box.
They could use our help. How? By sending them either a check or a Walmart gift card to help purchase needed items. Your monetary donation is tax deductible.
Please make checks payable to Manna from Seven, Inc and mail to their treasurer: Mike Cahill, 9730 Conner Cr, Terre Haute IN 47802.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Deby Veach at
217-251-7239 or dveach53@yahoo.com Thank you
Manna From Seven is still looking for more coolers to borrow. They will be receiving more dairy products that they need to keep cool. Please call Susan at 812.243.4241 if you have a cooler they can use.
We joined churches across the country today (Thursday July 30) and rang our church bell for 80 seconds at 11 am in honor of Congressman John Lewis (requested by National Council of Churches). Here's a link to a portion of our ring, with views of our very green, and somewhat overgrown, Mabley Garden. John Salamone rang the bell.
Our church building is closed for until further notice.
Drew and Dennis are available by phone and email
see below.
Dennis will check mail periodically
and deposit offerings at least twice a month.
St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
215 North Seventh Street
Terre Haute, Indiana 47807-3103
Phone: 812-232-5165
Web site: www.ststephensth.org
Worship times: Sunday at 8 & 10 am; Thursday at 12 noon
The Right Reverend Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, Bishop of Indianapolis
The Reverend Drew Downs, Rector — rector@ststephensth.org
Rector's cell phone — 770.755.8067
The Reverend Deborah J. Veach, Deacon — deacon@ststephensth.org
Dennis Dieken, Organist/Choirmaster/Secretary — officeadmin@ststephensth.org
YouTube 
