We gather on the Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 21 – 10 am worship
“You are to name him Jesus” Matthew 1:21
Today Isaiah prophesies that a young woman will bear a son and name him Emmanuel. The gospel is Matthew’s account of the annunciation and birth of the one named Emmanuel, God-with-us. During these final days of Advent we pray, “O come, O come, Emmanuel,” a beloved hymn based on the O Antiphons, ancient prayers appointed for the seven days preceding Christmas. On this final Sunday of Advent we prepare to celebrate the birth of the one born to save us from the power of sin and death..
You can also participate in worship through the livestream and recording at www.ststephenslutheran.org.
There is usually a Children’s Church / Sunday School program planned during worship. Please contact Leslie Lapp 476-4700 for more info. The Family Room is always available adjacent to the sanctuary for little one’s activities if you need it. We love having children in church and all that brings as part of worship!
Coffee Fellowship: Please contact our Church Administrator Leslie if you are willing to host. We need you!
Upcoming Events:
Tis the season for Sharing Christmas Joy.
- ELCA Good Gifts & God’s Global Barnyard creative meaningful ways to support better lives. www.goodgifts@elca.org
- A member has an urgent request: Her niece & family are losing their house. It’s a scary time for them. They have a 30 foot trailer to live in and need a space to park. They can pay for the space and electric hookup. Do you know of any such space? Please call the office with any leads.
- Thursdays – Men’s A.A. 7:00 pm Fireside room
- Fridays – A.A. 7:00 pm Fellowship Hall
- Sun. Dec. 21 – Christmas Potluck (Gary’s bringing the ham!)
- Preschool Closed Dec. 22 – Jan. 4.
- Tues. Dec. 23 – Scouts 6:00 pm
- Weds. Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship 7:00 pm
- Tues. Jan. 6 – Trinity Tuesday 6:30 pm local pub (Discretion Brewing Co. 41st Ave. )
1 hour, 1 faith question, 1 drink Info. Kathy Allen 430-6359 - Wed. Jan. 7 – 7:30 pm ZOOM – Bible Study Resumes
- Jan. 8 & 22 – Women’s Café Group 6:00 pm
- Jan. 31 – AFC Shelter Dinners 5:45pm St. Johns Aptos. Sign up to provide (one of the following) main course, salad, dessert & breakfast. We need 2 people to be present & serve the meal. St. Stephen’s is responsible for the 5th Saturday of each month. We are all worthy of dignity and connection. Let’s assist them to a better life. 2026: May 30, Aug. 29, and Oct. 31.
- Jan. 25 – Annual Meeting after 10 am worship
Prayer Requests
- For family of Laura Gates
- For Kara & Family
- For Mary Robe & Family
- For Renee
- For Sina & Bella
- For Katies Family
- For Judith’s brother Paul – health
- For Beth Stiles surgery
- For Chad Fields as he continues cancer treatments.
- For Laura, Ayla, Tate & Terry
- For Margaret Schraft – leg surgery
- For Laura and her twin babies
- For Marta – health
- For Don Frey – foot surgery complications.
- For Tayo Frey – Merchant Marine training
- For Chris Wyneken
- For Gary & Connie Stevenson
- For the family of Bobbie Ericson
- For Joan Wilson & family
- For Cheryl and David Craig – both in hospital
- For Tom Williams – Kathy Berens father in hospice care.
- For Susan Oldfield
- For Levi in his struggles
- For Nancy
- For Tom recovering neck surgery
- For Jeanne Boudreau and her brother James who is in hospice care
- For James health
- For Tim Oldfield (help find job)
- For Kevin (cancer diagnosis) and his mother Cindy
- For Dawn L. heal depression
- Support James Sheehan as he continues his battle with alcohol and depression
- For Chris
- For Cassidy, stroke recovery
- For John B. cancer treatments
- For Lisa Johnson & grandson health
- For Nancy’s son Jesse & grand son Grey
- For Sam’s sobriety, and his son Joshua
- Ana Cardenas being treated for a brain tumor
- For Keith in his continued recovery
- For Chris Powers continued healing
- For Galahad as he navigates new struggles and for the support he needs.
- For the Robe and Volpi families.
- For the Long-Range Planning Task Force: Mark Linder, Steven Hendrickson, Tina Gates, Jeanette Dawson and Doug Hahn.
- For Pastor Jim’s friend Eric as he lives with CLL.
- For Jody, Renny, Iris and Evelyn as they stay in LaCrosse, WI for another year.
- For Nancy and friends at St. Stephen’s Senior Housing: Jane, Annetta, Bentley and Jeannie. Also for James, John, and Elida
- For Joel as his eyesight diminishes.
- For Beau and his family in his recurrence of brain cancer.
- For Dorothy as she struggles with chronic pain.
- For Jeannette’s brother Craig who was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
- For Kyle as he continues to heal.
- For Miller, Shelby, Ashley, April, Marty, Will and other young adults we know, as they struggle mightily with the world and all its ways that harm them. Bring them to healing and wholeness and grace and new life.
Church office hours are Mon-Fri. 12noon – 5pm.
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 bringing it by the church office during the week.
Flowers for Worship: Please sign up to provide flowers in honor of someone or a special occasion as another way to offer yourself in worship to God. The Flower Chart will be available at worship, or you can call the church office – 476-4700.
Other notes:
- Preschool “Inflation Donations” are being collected at church now. This is to help us not have to increase tuition on the families we serve through our Child Development Center ministry. There are lists on the basket in the back of the church and they will be inserted into the Sunday bulletins and the monthly newsletter. These are items that you can add to your Costco and grocery lists. Gift cards are welcome (“Cards for kids”).
- Donations are being collected at church for Socks, canned food & diapers. These will go towards our work with serving those who take part in our Association of Faith Communities programs for the unhoused, and for the Walnut Avenue Women & Children’s Center respectively.
- A few copies of “White Fragility” are available to borrow. Call the office to inquire. This is a congregation-wide perspective that we are trying to adopt as we seek better understanding about the roots of racism, its consequences, and how our lives can better reflect an anti-racism perspective.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Jim
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