Church guide

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, we used blue cards on Sunday to help people see that they are not alone in the struggle. The cards were included in the bulletin and people were invited to put a "Y" on the card if they or someone in their immediate family struggles with mental health issues, an "N" if not. The cards were folded and turned in at the beginning of worship, and then all the cards with a "Y" on them were set out on the altar just before the prayers of the people. In the photo you can see the 60 cards that were marked "Y" that morning. The vast majority of our families have someone in them dealing with mental health issues. If that's you, know that you are not alone, and that we prayed for you, your friends, family and caregivers this Sunday.

Tracy was having a hard time paying attention in staff meeting today. For some reason, she kept on looking out the window. Go figure! ;) Pastor Tim

Are you interested in the idea that joy is an option for your life, or even more, that it's a part of your *purpose* in God's eyes? Sign up for the Discipleship Lab this Saturday and check out the Personal Mission Statement session. You'll be glad you did! Register here: bit.ly/DLabRegistration

"Pray As You Go" is a great daily devotion in audio form that gives you a guided reflection, scripture reading, and a bit of music from around the globe. All this an British accents too! Check them out online at pray-as-you-go.org or download the app. I (Pastor Tim) use this app in my devotions and am happy to recommend it. And remember - you can learn about several more devotional resources this Saturday at the Discipleship Lab. that's just one of four "labs" you can take! Get all the details and register here: bit.ly/DLabRegistration.

10 days left! Hi friends! I'm working on the materials for our Discipleship Lab which is coming up quick - Saturday May 4th! If you sign up for the "Devotional Resources" lab you'll get an introduction to a whole lot of great tools for your spiritual life, including several that I have been using and returning to for years! I encourage you to register today. Follow the link to see the full list of labs available this time. Blessings! Pastor TIm bit.ly/DLabRegistration

Join the youth tomorrow at 10:30am for pancakes! All proceeds go toward their mission trips! $7 for all you can eat!

Here is the Holy Week Schedule: Sunday April 14th---Palm Sunday (church is at 9:30 AM) This where we wave palms and celebrate as Jesus is entering Jerusalem. There will be a children's sermon done by Pastor John. After church Pancake's served till noon! Come support the youth as this is a fundraiser for the summer mission trips! Wednesday April 17th---No Faith Formation but COME TO MAUNDY THURSDAY SERVICE TOMORROW INSTEAD!!! Thursday April 18th at 7:00 PM----Maundy Thursday service. This service will have some of our students making their First Communion and maybe involved in foot washing. These are activities that happened at the Last Supper with Jesus and his friends. Friday April 19th at 7:00 PM---Good Friday. This is the service that depicts Jesus final hours before he was put to death on the cross. Sunday April 21st at either 9:30 OR 11:00 AM---Easter Service where we celebrate the wonderful surprise Jesus friends had when they went to the tomb in the early morning and discovered that he was not there but had been raised from the dead! It is a day of celebration! There will be a children's sermon done by Tracy.

The Discipleship Lab returns! Four different opportunities to choose from. You hear it first here! Join us Saturday, May 4th, 9-11am.

image.png Be part of the INCREDIBLE RACE on JUNE 10th-14th, 2019!!!! It will be held at Salem Lutheran in West Saint Paul. Sign up to participate in the week! Be a participant on THE GREAT JOURNEY or Volunteer to help that week or help to prepare before the week begins! Everyone has a place on the journey----how will you be a part of it? ******CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW FOR ALL INFORMATION****** https://salemluth.myanswers.com/incredible-race/

St. Paul Area Synod, ELCA News.

Hi Friends! Pastor Tim here. I just learned about a lecture on Faith and Science coming up next week and I'm really excited to go! It's on Thursday, April 4th and I've read the speaker's book "Modern Physics, Ancient Faith" a couple of times - it's a favorite! If you're interested in the intersection of faith and science you won't want to miss this! Free and open to the public.

Hi friends! Pastor Tim here and I need your help. My next Discipleship Lab is coming up quick and I need to decide what sessions to include this time. Can you take this quick survey for me and let me know what topics you're most interested in? Thanks SO MUCH!!! See you in the Lab on May 4th!

Beth and Tracy received the following Lenten greeting and pictures from Pastor Yona (Ihimbo) and Pastor Anania (Iwonde). "I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. Pastor Anania and I send greetings to all friends at St. Stephen's. Ihimbo and Iwonde are all well. In Lent time we are deeply thinking about what Jesus has done for us and everyone through The Cross which carries the message of Victory for every believer. The Cross pronounces forgiveness of sin and reconciliation. Please read the verses from John 3:14-18. Surely, God loves us. May the Lord bless and keep you safely."

This Friday let's support our friends from the Mosque that we have been connected with through "Let's Talk" for 5+ years. (MasjidAt-Taqwa-1608 Como Ave, St Paul, MN 55108) We would like to be outside their Mosque as they pray on their Holy Day to show our support for what happened last week in New Zealand? (This idea is coming from the Neighborhood Solidity Rally last Saturday) Through "Let's Talk" we have built friendships and strengthened connections between Muslims and Christians. Who would like to join in showing support and friendship??? Their prayers start at 12:00 Noon. A carpool will leave from St. Stephen's at 11:30 AM. You can also drive and meet there! We will be standing outside so dress for the weather! This is for you and your friends and friends of your friends....

Pastor John and I (Tracy) will be attending the gathering in Minneapolis...if interest carpool from St. Stephen's at 1:30 today. Prayers for the Muslim friends we have made in the "Let's Talk" partnership.

Discipleship Lab #2 – Mark Your Calendars! Our first Discipleship Lab back in February was a great success so mark your calendars now for Saturday, May 4th, 9-11 am and join us for D-Lab #2! We will be repeating some of the labs from February so you can catch what you missed the first time or even re-take it if you like. And there will be new labs to sign up for as well. You can help to determine which labs get offered! Here are some of the possibilities I'm considering: Faith 5 – Super-simple daily faith practices for the family at home. Sabbath – Explore what real rest is about and how it can be a part of your life. Fruit of the Day – Team up with friends or family to nurture fruits like Peace, Patience and Kindness in your life. Abiding – Explore practices that help you feel and focus on God’s love for you. Bible Journaling – Learn a simple form for reading and reflecting on Scripture to find application in your life. Build-a-Bible – Use cards and symbols to learn and tell a simple version of the Old Testament. Leave a comment to let me know what you’re most interested in, especially if it’s not on the list yet! Thanks! Pastor Tim

Lent starts on Wednesday with Ash Wednesday-----At St. Stephen's we will be looking at Hebrews (on Sundays) and the Lord's Prayer (on Wednesday's).....this might be something you "fast" from on a personal level! A different way of building faith this Lent season!

In celebration of Mardi Gras!

Here is the audio from Pastor Tim's message yesterday on the importance of "where 2 or 3 are gathered" relationship.

Pastor Tim describes the workshop on Abiding that he'll be leading at the Discipleship Lab event, Saturday February 16th, 9-11am at St. Stephens. For more information and registration, visit bit.ly/DLabFeb2019

Kisten Thompson gives an introduction to the Bible Journaling workshop she'll be leading at the Discipleship Lab on Saturday February 16th. Free and open to the public! Runs from 9 to 11am with registration and refreshments at 8:45. For more information and registration, visit bit.ly/DLabFeb2019.

Here's a sneak peek of the Build-a-Bible workshop that's part of the Discipleship Lab coming up Saturday, 9-11 am on February 16th! Follow this link for full details and to register: www.bit.ly/DLabFeb2019. It's FREE!

We were blessed to have the Hopewell Flute Ensemble bring their musical gifts to us in worship June 17th! These wonderful musicians use their talents to bless their neighbors in North Minneapolis and beyond. Part of their mission involves "Providing access to music education because financial circumstances should not prevent a child from studying music." We encourage you tho learn more about them and join us in supporting their delightful and important work! www.hopewellmusic.com

The fourth and final installment in the "Excursion" into convesation about faith with each other. The theme explores how we can let the Lord guide us so that our life flows and goes in the way Jesus is leading. We get introduced to the image of The Asteroid Field and the navigating strategy of "orient, act, repeat."

This is the second message in the four week June Discipleship Excursion. The focus here is on learning to "abide" as Jesus says, which is to remain connected and open to the Love that God is constantly pouring into us. The full Road Trip series can be found here: bit.ly/FP-RoadTrip.

This is the 3rd of four messages in the "Road Trip Excursion." The Road Trip is an ongoing focus on discipleship, while this 4-week excursion in June is meant to support conversations during the week. This weeks topic is the importance of spiritual rhythms for our life. Daily and weekly rhythms are the most common. The full Road Trip series is available online here: bit.ly/FP-RoadTrip.

This is the first message in the four-week Road Trip Excursion, exploring discipleship and the importance of connecting with each other in conversation. In this message Pastor Tim introduces the "L-Shaped Pipe" metaphor.

Here are some thoughts from Pastor Cassie and Pastor John about worship. What are yours? #ThinkWorship #MyChurch