This Week

THIS WEEK in the Parish

Saturday, July 31 5:00 PM Haiti Fund Raiser (Sam Hensley Concert) Church

Sunday, August 1 11:30 AM Catered Lunch Parish Hall

Monday, August 2 9:45 AM Quilting Group Pollard Rm.

11:15 AM Mother’s Morning Out Bible Study Rm. 202

12:00 PM Prayer & Praise Pollard Rm.

5:30 PM Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEMs) Pollard Rm.

7:30 PM Brotherhood of St. Andrew MMC Lobby/Chapel

Tuesday, August 3 11:30 AM Holy Eucharist Chapel

7:00 PM Finance Committee Pollard Rm.

Wednesday, August 4 5:30 PM Holy Eucharist/Healing Service Chapel

Thursday, August 5 6:30 AM Morning Prayer/Light Breakfast Chapel

11:00 AM DOK Mtg. & Potluck (No Eucharist) Pollard Rm.

OPEN DOOR

The Rector has established times during the week in which the hall door to his office

will be open for parishioners to drop by and visit. Please feel free to take advantage of

this informal time to just chat, ask questions, or share concerns.

Monday (3:-4:30 PM) Thursday (2-4 PM) Saturday (all day)

A NEW LOOK. Our nave now has a more “open” feeling in the front with the creation of more space

around the piano and the baptismal font area. These changes were necessitated in part because of the

fire department’s concern that there be more open floor space and less obstruction around the piano by

the exit to the hallway. Addressing this also created the opportunity for the worship team to deal with

the long-standing need to create a larger area for people to better navigate when they return from

communion, eliminate the crowding effect at baptisms, and make it easier during funerals to move

At its July meeting the vestry approved the recommendation to remove the front pews on both sides

and install matching slate in the new areas. Vestry also approved the creation of space for wheelchairs

next to the short pew in the front.

—The Rector, Wardens and Vestry—

SPECIAL BENEFIT CONCERT

for Haiti Mission Work

July 31 at 5 PM

St. Stephen’s is proud to welcome Washington DC basked recording artist SAM HENSLEY.

Sam has been writing and performing his own style of Americana music for over ten years.

His music is regularly featured at events at Kanuga and was recently part of worship services

at the National Cathedral. Tickets are $10 per person or $25 for families.

You can purchase tickets after the 10 am services on July 18 and July 25

or during the week from the parish office.

Last Mass in the Grass

Sunday, August 1

10 AM (in the Grove)

CATERED Lunch (in the Parish Hall)

Please welcome our new St. Stephen’s parish caterer - Marge Hauschildt, Pleasantries Cakes and

Catering. Marge will be catering our Wednesday night suppers this Fall and other church events!

MENU: Sliced Baked Honey Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Garden Salad w/Pineapple Banana Dressing, and Rolls

Almond Cream Cake and a Sugar Free Jello Dessert

THE COST: $7.00 per person

ABSOLUTE LAST DAY TO MAKE RESERVATIONS IS JULY 26!

JUST A REMINDER: Bring your lawn chairs to the church service in the Grove

if at all possible!

MEN’S SUPPER GROUP. Thursday, August 19 – Mark your calendar now – you aren’t going to

want to miss this one!!!

SAM VENABLE

Knoxville News Sentinel columnist,

Outdoorsman extraordinaire

Author of many delightful books

Outstanding speaker, and…..

An Episcopalian – member of Good Samaritan in Knoxville

Sam has generously agreed to share his time and talent with us. Supper will be catered by our own

Kathy Cramer who has agreed to come out of retirement and fire up the stove again for this special

event.

MEMORIAL GARDEN SPRING SPRUCE-UP is underway. The Memorial Garden is undergoing

some maintenance involving repairing and painting the walls and the redesign of the back area. Thank

you for your patience as we work to keep this a beautiful and peaceful place.

64^th Annual LAYMEN’S CONFERENCE - August 27-29 - DuBose Conference Center, Monteagle,

TN. The Laymen’s Conference is a gathering of Episcopal laymen from all across Tennessee - the

three dioceses - for fellowship, fine speakers, excellent food, and spiritual uplifting. See your

EVANGEL or the bulletin board outside the nave for more information and registration materials.

The “FIRST ANNUAL ST. STEPHEN’S WOMEN’S RETREAT” will be held at the Grace Point

Camp and Retreat Center in Kingston September 10-12th. We are planning an exciting time for

worship, learning, fellowship and lots of relaxing. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us. It

will be a great get-together with your fellow St. Stephen’s women. More information will be provided

over the summer. Judy Hardt and Susan Meredith are coordinating this exciting event.

FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY is coming back to St. Stephen’s. Beginning Sunday,

September 12, 1-3 PM, for 13 weeks, we will again offer this premier Dave Ramsey financial

management program. The cost, per family, for class materials is $99.51. (Scholarships are available.)

FPU is a practical and entertaining money-management class. Parishioners who have taken the course

previously and would like a refresher are welcome to do so at no charge. Questions? Contact Jenny

Meredith (483-6276 or 414-7899. Deadline for registration is Sunday, August 29, to allow time for

ordering class materials.

From the Dave Ramsey website:

“Live Like No One Else! Financial Peace (FPU) is Dave’s life-changing program that teaches you to

achieve your financial goals by eliminating debt, saving for the future, and giving like never before.

More than one mission families have attended FPU with amazing results.......”

HELP FOR SENIORS OFFERED! A couple of parishioners (husband/wife team) have generously

offered their time and talents to assist St. Stephen’s seniors with household projects they may not be

able to handle themselves or perhaps are just too expensive to have done. These folks are offering

such services as: installing light fixtures, ceiling fans, dishwashers, toilets, faucets, etc. They are also

willing to do such chores as: flip mattresses, pressure wash decks/porches, paint front doors, change

overhead light bulbs - in other words, small deferred maintenance jobs for people who need the

physical help. Nothing that takes more than 2-3 hours and no work that requires a ladder taller than 8

feet. Materials must be supplied by the homeowner - the labor is free - a thank you will do!. Please

contact the church office to make arrangements.

MEET, GREET and EAT GROUPS forming in September. These are small groups of six to eight

people dedicated to making new friendships and strengthening older relationships, who take turn

hosting a meal in their homes, or elsewhere, once a month. Groups will be reorganized every six

is welcome, both couples and singles. The only requirement is that you like to eat and make friends.

Watch the next EVANGEL for further details.

SHARE YOUR FINANCIAL TALENTS WITH THE CHURCH. The Finance Committee is still

looking for an individual who would like to pursue a ministry in church finance. Specifically, there is

an urgent need for someone who can act as backup for our Treasurer, Liz Johnson, and to assist in the

maintenance of required financial records. Interested? Contact Allan Reiss, Finance Chair, or any

member of the Finance Committee.

MORNING PRAYER. Beginning Thursday, August 5, Morning Prayer will be said at the new time

of 7:00am. While the Eucharist is the chief service on Sundays, the Daily Office of Morning Prayer is

intended to provide a framework for daily life and is celebrated in a small communal setting in the St.

Alban’s Chapel. The service is a mixture of psalms, canticles, Scripture, prayer, and moments of

silence for quiet meditation. A light breakfast follows the service. Our Book of Common Prayer has

made an effort to encourage daily prayer by also providing short services for noonday, early evening,

and evening which can be said corporately as well as privately in the home or place of work. These

begin on page 37 of the Prayer Book.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be

alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” Ephesians 6:18

THE ALPHA COURSE is coming in September to our Wonderful Wednesdays. ALPHA is open to

anyone interested in finding out more about the Christian faith, especially teens and adults. It

originated at Holy Trinity Brompton in London over 37 years ago. ALPHA is a mid-week study that

runs for ten weeks.

Each evening begins in the parish hall with a catered supper and followed by (via DVD) an

entertaining and informative presentation by Nicky Gumbel, Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton. Group

discussion follows offering everyone an opportunity to ask questions and express opinions. If you

would like to explore the questions of life, regardless of how long you have been attending church,

then ALPHA is for you. Those considering Confirmation by the Bishop in January will want to take

this course.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the Christian faith.

Learning and laughter.

People meeting together. An opportunity to get to know others and make new friends.

Helping one another. Small groups give you a chance to discuss issues raised during the talks.

Ask anything. Alpha is a place where no question is seen as too simple or too hostile.

COMPANIONS IN CHRIST — “a small group experience in spiritual formation” — coming to

Wonderful Wednesdays this September. What is spiritual formation?

a process

of being conformed to the image of Christ

by the gracious working of God's spirit

for the transformation of the world

“Process” reminds us that formation is a gradual, life-long movement. “By the gracious working of

God’s spirit” reminds us that we, ourselves, cannot do the work of formation; rather, we open

ourselves to the Spirit and to grace through practicing the spiritual disciplines (prayer, scripture,

worship, etc.) in community with other Christians. The emphasis is on transformation, not education.

Companions in Christ is a program published by The Upper Room to help established Christians

move farther along on their formation journey. Participants commit to daily readings and exercises

and weekly group meetings for sharing insights and deeper exploration. The program is comprised of

modules each 5 or 6 weeks long, and participants commit to just one module at a time.

Want to learn more? Contact Brent Sigmon (482-4662, 607-7015, brentsigmon@mac.com)

IT’S SOFTBALL TIME AT ST. STEPHEN’S AGAIN…..Fall Softball. We are joining forces

with Faith Lutheran to get a Fall Softball team together. The new combined team is going to be called

'Frankenteam' since it is a patchwork of players. Anyone that is interested in playing needs to get in

touch with Heather Cannon no later than August 5. Same as before, the players have to be over 18.

Contact Heather Cannon -- home: 466-1717 work: 241-1284 email: hec2e@yahoo.com

COMING EVENTS

July

Sat. July 31 Sam Hensley Benefit Concert for our Haiti mission work

August

Sun. Aug 1 Last Mass on the Grass (see details above)

Thur. Aug 18 Men’s Supper with guest speaker Sam Venable