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ST. STEPHEN SCROLL St. Stephen Lutheran Church is a community of believers, saved by the grace of God, who are called to: • share his love through words and actions; • welcome others into the family of Christ.

ST. STEPHEN LUTHERAN CHURCH NEWSLETTERST. STEPHEN LUTHERAN CHURCH NEWSLETTERST. STEPHEN LUTHERAN CHURCH NEWSLETTERST. STEPHEN LUTHERAN CHURCH NEWSLETTER

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ –

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Jason, Jack, William, and I thank you for thinking of us this Christmas with such kindness and generosity. Thank you for your cards and Christmas letters. We delighted in receiving your Christmas greetings. Thank you for the kind words of appreciation, and for the delightful Christmas surprises and treats. Thank you for showering us with so much love and kindness. You truly blessed us, and we thank our Lord for you.

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star and have come to worship him.’ When Herod heard this he was disturbed. He called together the chief priests and teachers, and asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written.’ Then Herod called the Magi and found out the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.’ Then they went on their way, and the star went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” – The Gospel of Matthew

On Sunday, January 7th Christians will celebrate Epiphany. The word epiphany means "to make known," or "to reveal." On Epiphany we remember the arrival of the Wise Men who brought gifts fit for a king to Jesus. Their generous gifts revealed that Jesus is our Lord and King.

Who were these Wise Men? They were likely astrologers from Ancient Persia. The Bible tells us they navigated by following a special star which became known as the Star of Bethlehem. Since the Wise Men presented Jesus with three gifts, most folks believe there were three Wise Men, but the Bible does not specify how many Wise Men came seeking Jesus. We don’t even know their names, but traditionally they have been called Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.

The Wise Men gave Jesus three symbolic gifts. Gold was a precious metal only the very wealthy could afford during Jesus’ lifetime. Frankincense was a costly resin from the frankincense tree which gives off a sweet scent when heated and was used as a perfume or incense. Myrrh is hardened tree sap, and was commonly used to anoint a person’s body after death.

The Wise Men’s gifts have prophetic meanings. Gold, a symbol of kingship, pointed to the fact that Jesus was the true King of the world. Frankincense was a symbol of Jesus’ priesthood and divine authority. Myrrh is a symbol of death. So the gift of myrrh points to Jesus’ death on the cross.

The Wise Men were the first Gentiles (non-Jews) to acknowledge Jesus as King. The Wise Men’s worship of Jesus was one of the first indications that Jesus came for all people, of all nations, of all races, and that the work of God in the world would not be limited to only a few.

On Epiphany we celebrate that Jesus Christ is truly the Savior of the entire world.

May God bless you and keep you today and always.

In Christ –

Pastor Kerri

St. Stephen Lutheran Church

5903 Bardstown Rd. Fern Creek, KY 40291

502-239-7778 Email:

pastorkerri @gmail.com

Pastor Kerri M. McFarland

Pastor Emeritus, Thomas D. Swasko

St. Stephen Lutheran Church

is a member of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church

in America.

2017 Council Members

Rod Firquin, President

Buddy Zimmerman, Vice President

Elaine Peterson, Council Secretary Glenn Eisenbrey

Larry Faue Michelle Hicks Paul Kiser Sean Morris Duane Steines Reagan Morris,

(youth rep, non-voting)

Bill Wise, Financial Secretary Buddy Zimmerman,

Treasurer Open, Musician

Kim Thonen, Custodian

Cheryl Markley, Office Secretary

secretary.ststephen @gmail.com

Check out the website!

ststephen-louisville.com

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Golden Sneakers’ Gathering

On Wednesday, January 17th, the Golden Sneakers will meet at the church at 11:30 am to enjoy a potluck meal together. The meat will be provided. Please bring a side dish to share. Bill and Vivian Wise, 502-239-1162, will be hosting this event. All are welcome! If you plan to attend, please sign up in the narthex so that we know you are coming.

Preparation for the Epiphany Season

Preparation for the Epiphany season is the next step in the Holiday decorating process. We will be removing Christmas decorations and adding more stars at 6:30 pm on Thursday, January 11th, 2018 during the regular monthly Worship & Music Committee meeting. Please help if you can. If you have questions, please see Brenda Firquin, 231-2901 or Pastor Kerri, 239-7778.

Annual Meeting & Chili Cook-off

Please join us to celebrate the past year and plan for the new year as we enjoy a variety of excellent chili recipes at the Saint Stephen All Congregational Annual Meeting and Chili Cook-off on Sunday, February 11th following the 10:00 am worship service. Also, if you do not have a muffin pan, now is the time to buy or borrow one. It is a great way to sample all of the chili recipes so that you can help us pick a winner!

2018 Sanctuary Flowers and Candle Donors

Sign-up sheets for 2018 sanctuary flower and candle donors are in the narthex in the Flower and Candle binder near the literature rack. Saint Stephen’s cost for the altar flowers each week is $20.00, and the cost for the sanctuary candle each week is going up to $4 in 2018. Please take this opportunity to honor or memorialize your loved ones in 2018, and please help us cover our costs for these weekly items. We need to have the flowers and candles donated as many weeks as possible so that we can continue to provide them. Thank you for your care and generosity. There are still plenty of open Sundays in the Flower and Candle binder.

Annual Reports Due

Committee Chairs,

I am now working on the 2018 annual report. Please send or give me your committee annual reports no later than January 10th, 2018, if possible. I would love to get the full report done so that the council has time to review it before the annual meeting. Thanks for your help!

Regards, Cheryl Markley

2018 Offering Envelope Boxes Available

2018 offering envelope boxes are available in the narthex. Please take the box with your name on it. If you do not see your name, please call the church office, 239-7778, so that we can give you a box and record the box number. As in the past, we included a mortgage fund envelope for each month to make it easy for you to contribute to the mortgage fund. There are also mortgage fund envelopes in the pew racks. Thanks for your continued offerings.

Youth Art Party

On Sunday, January 28th from 11:30 – 1:30-ish, the Youth of Saint Stephen (and anyone else who would like to join us) are invited to join Pastor Kerri and Jack for an art party at the church. We will have lots of fun crafting options like polymer clay, beading, painting, and washi tape for you to enjoy. Come hang out with us and explore your creative, artistic side while you create a masterpiece or two! We will have snacks, but you may want to bring your own sack lunch to enjoy while you create.

South Central Conference Youth Activity

All Youth from the IK-Synod SCC Conference, (which includes St. Stephen youth), 8th grade and up, are invited to play broomball (like hockey without skates, and with brooms instead of hockey sticks) together on Friday, January 19th @ 10:00pm at Iceland Sports Complex at 1701 UPS Drive, Louisville, 40223. The cost is $15/person. All participants will meet at Iceland around 9:30pm, so that there will be time to go over the rules and answer any questions! There will be a lock-in at St. John Lutheran Church at 901 Breckenridge Lane afterwards so that the Lutheran area youth can get to know each other. If you have questions, please contact Whitney Adkins, the SCC Youth Coordinator, at 724-316-7934 or Paul Kiser at 502-435-5534. Please sign up on the bulletin board outside of the church office if you plan to attend.

Still Time to Share Christmas Cards With Fellow Members and Friends

There are still file folders located in the narthex for members and frequent attendees of Saint Stephen to share Christmas cards with other Saint Stephen members and frequent attendees. Each file folder is labeled with a family name. Check your folder, and if you see members who live close to you or relations of yours that haven't been in church for a while, please consider taking their cards to them. The folders will be in the narthex through Sunday, January 7th.

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Ladies Christmas Tea Fun

Ladies of St. Stephen and their friends enjoyed a Christmas tea provided by the fellowship committee on December 2nd. Approximately 40 ladies shared

lunch together and afterwards made light-up snowmen decorations.

Christmas Program Thanks

Worshippers at the 10 am worship service at St. Stephen on December 17th enjoyed the annual Sunday school Christmas program given by the Sunday school children and staff. Special

thanks to Brenda Firquin, (who provided music), and Sunday school teachers Peggy Zimmerman, Elaine Peterson, Sean Morris,

Reagan Morris, Tammy Utley, Glenn Eisenbrey, and Paul Kiser.

Baskets & Clothes Made for FCHUM Christmas Holiday Cheer Program

At St. Stephen at the end of November and beginning of December, we collected items to make food baskets for Fern Creek Highview United Ministries’ (FCHUM’s) Christmas Holiday Cheer program in which FCHUM provides baskets containing everything that families need to prepare their Christmas dinner. Our goal was to make at least 8 Holiday Cheer Christmas baskets for needy families in our community. We made a total of 11 baskets and beat our goal! Thank you to all who contributed! In addition to the Christmas Cheer Food Baskets, the Creative Hands Sew Group at St. Stephen made at least 75 dresses and 50 sets of knitted hats and scarves that were also sent to FCHUM for the Christmas Holiday Cheer Program. Thank you so much for the generosity of your time and talent to make all of this!

4th Qtr Social Ministries Collection Results

Our 2017 4th quarter social ministries donations were collected in December. We collected a total of $257. Half of the money donated was sent to the Fern Creek Highview United Ministries, and half was kept for other social ministry needs. Thank you

so much for your generosity!

Thanks for the Blankets!

St. Stephen helped Jack McFarland collect 85 blankets and $80 in cash in December for his school service project to help local needy families. Jack is working with Rev. Ron Loughry from FCHUM to distribute the

blankets. Thank you to all who contributed!

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December Sanctuary Flower and Candle Donors

December Sanctuary Flower Donors

3rd - James & Darlene Clark in memory of their parents 10th - Lucile Duke’s children in memory of Lucile Duke

17th - McFarland family in honor of William McFarland’s birthday

24th - Connie Clark in honor of Austin Clark’s birthday

*The cost to provide the sanctuary flowers is $20.00.

December Sanctuary Candle Donors

3rd - Kim Thonen in honor of Megan Thonen’s birthday 10th - Connie Clark in honor of Austin Clark’s birthday

17th - McFarland family in honor of William McFarland’s birthday 24th - McFarland family in honor of William McFarland’s birthday

*The cost to provide the sanctuary candle is $2.00.

January 2018 Servants of the Church Sunday - 10 a.m. 1/7/18 1/14/18 1/21/18 1/28/18 2/4/18

Lector Fred McBride Karen Davis Sean Morris Elizabeth Seifert Julia Davis

Ushers Phyllis Boston Fred McBride Adolphus Kahn Tom Curtis Steven Sarson

Rod Firquin Ruth Kleitz Marcus Utley Jacob Curtis Rita Sarson

Acolyte Peace Kahn Jack McFarland Everett Seifert Ella Markley Kayleigh Kiser

Communion Table Kaitlyn Kiser Reagan Morris Steven Sarson Adolphus Kahn Jack McFarland

Vivian Wise Michelle Hicks Rita Sarson Teta Thompson Deb Steines

Commun. Deacon Bob Meyer Rod Firquin Fred McBride Cheryl Markley Tammy Utley

Nursery Cheryl Markley Connie Miller Teta Thompson Jessica Allen Morgan Jimenez

Cantor Bill Wise Susan Johnston Paul Kiser Karen Eisenbrey Fred McBride

Worship Coord. Pat Markley Rod Firquin Jack McFarland Paul Kiser Pat Markley

Greeter(s) Teta Thompson Paul Kiser Ellen & Chuck Ullom Jack McFarland Marilyn Mills

Coffee Hr Host(s) Needed Needed Needed Needed Needed

We celebrate with these couples having January anniversaries:

Glenn & Karen Eisenbrey (3rd/1981)

Michelle & Brian Malone (10th/1999)

Sarah & Ian Schultz (25th/2014)

Rod & Brenda Firquin (29th/1983)

God’s Blessings to these January birthdays:

Greg Allen 5 Ashley Thonen 6 Tom Swasko 10 Ray Christopher 11 Genevieve Morris 13 Phil Davidson 14 Pat Markley 17

Andy Morris 17 Sophia Samora 18 Paige Zimmerman 18 Pete Gall 23 Brenda Firquin 25 Tom Neukam 25

Winter Coffee Hour Sign Up

The sign-up sheet for winter coffee hour volunteers is now available in the narthex. We would love to have people volunteer to provide coffee hour treats after the Sunday morning worship services to share with the congregation as they celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, or other important milestones.

Please help continue the fellowship!

Bad Weather Communication

If the Saint Stephen worship services are being cancelled due to bad weather, an

e-mail will be sent, and the website will be updated. We will also communicate

through local TV stations.

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January 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

Church office closed.

2

3 4 5 6 Epiphany of Our Lord

9:00—Weight Watchers

7 9:00—Education Hr 10:00—Holy Communion 11:15—Coffee Hr 11:30—Fellowship Committee 11:30—Christian Education Committee 5:00—Holy Communion

8

9 12:30—Prayer Shawl Group

10 11 6:30—Worship & Music Committee (Epiphany Season prep)

12 6:00 - 8:00— Girl Scout Troop 8

13 9:00—Weight Watchers

14 9:00—Education Hr 10:00—Holy Communion 11:15—Coffee Hr 11:30—Council 5:00—Holy Communion

15 ML King Jr Day JCPS Break

16 6:00—Finance Committee

17 11:30—Golden Sneakers’ Potluck

18 19 9:30 pm—SCC Youth Broomball @ Iceland

20 9:00—Weight Watchers

21 Ronald McDonald House Collection 9:00—Education Hr 10:00—Holy Communion 11:15—Coffee Hr 5:00—Holy Communion

22 23 4:30—Ronald McDonald House Visit

24 25 26 6:00 - 8:00— Girl Scout Troop 8

27 9:00—Weight Watchers

28 9:00—Education Hr 10:00—Holy Communion 11:15—Coffee Hr 11:30—Youth Art Party 5:00—Holy Communion

29 30 31

Upcoming Events: February 11th—Annual Meeting & Chili Cook-off February 14th—Ash Wednesday

JCPS Break

Due date for next month’s newsletter articles is always the 17th of the month before. Send to: secretary.ststephen@gmail.com

Worship Services: Education Hr (during school yr) 9:00 AM Sunday 10:00 AM, Sunday 5:00 PM

February 2018 Servants of the Church Sunday - 10 a.m. 2/4/18 2/11/18 2/18/18 2/25/18 3/4/18

Lector Julia Davis Susan Johnston Bob Meyer Cathy Meyer Reagan Morris

Ushers Steven Sarson Barry Mills Teta Thomspon Elaine Peterson Glenn Eisenbrey

Rita Sarson Marilyn Mills Pat Markley James Clark Phyllis Boston

Acolyte Kayleigh Kiser Peace Kahn Lilly Morris Lucy Zimmerman/ Mallory Allen

Jack McFarland

Communion Table Jack McFarland Paul Kiser Marilyn Mills Maddie Allen Peggy Zimmerman

Deb Steines Kayleigh Kiser Phyllis Boston Buddy Zimmerman Kaitlyn Kiser

Commun. Deacon Tammy Utley Steven Sarson Bob Meyer Rod Firquin Fred McBride

Nursery Morgan Jimenez Jennifer Kiser Cheryl Markley Connie Miller Elizabeth Seifert

Cantor Fred McBride Bill Wise Susan Johnston Bob Meyer Paul Kiser

Worship Coord. Pat Markley Rita Sarson Rod Firquin Jack McFarland Paul Kiser

Greeter(s) Marilyn Mills Bob & Cathy Meyer Darlene Clark Bill & Vivian Wise Teta Thompson

Coffee Hr Host(s) Needed Chili Cook-off! Needed Needed Needed

January 2018January 2018January 2018January 2018

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St. Stephen Lutheran Church 5903 Bardstown Road

Fern Creek, Kentucky 40291