Author: admin

Pentecost – May 31

Dear Beloved Community of St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church,

I hope you are able to experience God’s Spirit of Love through participating in our recorded worship services and Zoom bible studies Wed. 11am & 7pm.  Please let us know if there are other ways you see that our church can be supportive.

Thank you to those of you who have been sending us notes and messages of encouragement and support. They help keep us hopeful and joyful! We always love to hear how things are going.

Thank you for your continued faithfulness in your financial giving back to God through our church. Please remember to either give your offering through the mail, through our website donation option, signing up for monthly electronic giving, OR if you just want to get out of the house, then come by the church and drop it off in the mailbox in a secure slot called “Incoming mail”!  Office hours are M-Th 8:30-2:30. If you come during those times, you may also want to step into the sanctuary for some prayer and quiet time with God. We would love to see you.

Let’s continue to join our spirits in worship anytime online on Sunday. It is so important to offer ourselves to God in this way these days. I know you will find it a comfort and blessing.   Previous weeks are recorded as well.  Please find attached, the bulletin cover artwork, the liturgy, and scripture readings & prayers in the Celebrate. Wear red (in solidarity) to celebrate Pentecost!

– If any of you would like to participate, we are open to a few people Reading Scripture and offering the Prayers of Intercession from the Celebrate page.  Call Leslie at 476-4700 to schedule your spot.

– F R E E electric recliner chair.  It will lift up or down so that you do not have to use your knees or hips to get in and out of the chair.  Excellent condition.   From a member. Call the office for more info.

Peace,
Pastor Jim & Leslie Lapp

Seventh Sunday of Easter – May 24

Dear Beloved Community of St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church,

This Sunday’s bulletin cover reads: “May they be one, as we are one.”  This is a fitting theme for our times, as even something as commonly devastating as this pandemic has not alleviated many of the deep divisions about the direction of our country and how to respond to this unseen threat.

It is hard to imagine being “one” with some of what we are seeing take place in the same of the Body of Christ these days, but it is our calling to do what we can to heal and act and guide our church toward unity about what it means to live out the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As an ELCA congregation we are committed to following the Public Health restrictions and to support those whose health is most at risk. This means that we will not be gathering in person until we are given the permission to do so. Even when we can gather in person there are going to be many different guidelines for how we will do this.  I am thankful for the leadership of our church-at-large who have already provided these helpful and specific ways which I will share when it’s time to.

In the meantime, I hope you are able to experience God’s Spirit of Love through participating in our recorded worship services and Zoom bible studies Wed. 11am & 7pm.  Please let us know if there are other ways you see that our church can be supportive.

Thank you to those of you who have been sending us notes and messages of encouragement and support. They help keep us hopeful and joyful! We always love to hear how things are going.

Thank you for your continued faithfulness in your financial giving back to God through our church. Please remember to either give your offering through the mail, through our website donation option, signing up for monthly electronic giving, OR if you just want to get out of the house, then come by the church and drop it off in the mailbox in a secure slot called “Incoming mail”!  Office hours are M-Th 8:30-2:30. If you come during those times, you may also want to step into the sanctuary for some prayer and quiet time with God. We would love to see you.

Let’s continue to join our spirits in worship anytime on Sunday. It is so important to offer ourselves to God in this way these days. I know you will find it a comfort and blessing. 

Previous weeks are recorded as well.  Please find attached, the bulletin cover artwork, the liturgy, and scripture readings & prayers in the Celebrate.

– If any of you would like to participate, we are open to a few people Reading Scripture and offering the Prayers of Intercession from the Celebrate page.  Call Leslie at 476-4700 to schedule your spot.

Peace,
Pastor Jim & Leslie Lapp

Sixth Sunday of Easter – May 17

Dear Beloved Community of St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church,

We hope you are doing well as we all adjust to new ways of being the church for each other and our community!  You are loved and prayed for often. We sure do miss seeing your faces and worshiping together in person.

Instead, we are relying much more on worshiping together in spirit.  This is also a theme for our Sunday readings this week – that the One Spirit draws us all together and is sustaining us with Love. (Gospel reading is John 14:15-21)

I hope you are able to experience God’s Spirit of Love through participating in our recorded worship services and Zoom bible studies Wed. 11am & 7pm.  Please let us know if there are other ways you see that our church can be supportive.

Thank you to those of you who have been sending us notes and messages of encouragement and support. They help keep us hopeful and joyful!

Thank you for your continued faithfulness in your financial giving back to God through our church. Please remember to either give your offering through the mail, through our website donation option, signing up for monthly electronic giving, OR if you just want to get out of the house, then come by the church and drop it off in the mailbox in a secure slot called “Incoming mail”!  Office hours are M-Th 8:30-2:30. If you come during those times, you may also want to step into the sanctuary for some prayer and quiet time with God. We would love to see you.

Let’s continue to join our spirits in worship online anytime on Sunday. It is so important to offer ourselves to God in this way these days. I know you will find it a comfort and blessing. 

Previous weeks are recorded as well.  Please find attached, the bulletin cover artwork, the liturgy, and scripture readings & prayers in the Celebrate.

-If any of you would like to participate, we are open to a few people reading scripture and offering the Prayers of Intercession from the Celebrate page.  Call Leslie at 476-4700 to reserve your spot.

Peace,
Pastor Jim and Leslie Lapp

Fifth Sunday of Easter – May 10

As we continue to care for our neighbors, especially the most vulnerable, by sheltering-in-place, we are learning new ways of being God’s Church – the Body of Christ in our world today. As always, please do not hesitate to contact us for any prayer requests or other ways your church can help you through this time. You are loved and prayed for.

Thank you to those of you who have been sending us notes and messages of encouragement and support. They help keep us hopeful and joyful!

Thank you to those who have been able to continue maintaining a spiritual connection to one another by participating in the recorded worship services and the Wednesday 11am and 7pm,  Zoom bible studies. It really does help to see and hear each other as we pray and discover God’s Word for our lives.

  • If any of you would like to participate in the recorded worship services, we are open to a few people reading scripture and offering prayer.  Call Leslie at 476-4700 to reserve your spot.
  • For those of you who missed the Santa Cruz Public Library’s  “Shelter in Faith” panel discussion with Pr. Jim and other community faith leaders, it’s available on YouTube through the link below.

Grace and Peace, 
Pastor Jim and Leslie Lapp