Dear Friends in Christ,

Welcome to September! Many churches say, “Welcome back,” but I remind everyone that God is always here for you, even when you are away. I hope everyone had a great Summer and stayed cool in the heat. My sons enjoyed going to the Manorhaven pool (what a gem!) as well as using the splash pad at the park.

Right now, planning for the Fall Kid’s Carnival is in full swing! We had so much fun last year with the Carnival in November that we will be running the event in a similar fashion, except it will be on October 26th. I hope and pray that you can all help out in any way you can. If you have interest in organizing other events, please let me know. Having an idea is wonderful, however that is just step 1. Step 2 is to plan, organize, and run the event. Often this step is where the idea dies. Please pray hard about what you would like to see happen at St. Stephen’s, but also how you can participate in making it happen.

You will be seeing a lot more activity in the Parish Hall. Our Consignment Shop is doing very well thanks to the staff/volunteers. Our expanded partnership with the Port Washington Children’s Center has brought a lot life into the building, as well as many capital improvements. The Senior Center is going strong and the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra will begin rehearsals in the hall. Via the MAP process, I hope we will continue to grow and expand our reach into the community. I hope you will all plan to participate.

There is a lot happening here at St. Stephen’s but there is still so much more to give! How can we spread God’s message of love to more people in our community? How do we let the wider community know about us? These are questions to pray on as we move into the future. Now is the time to look to the future with hope in our hearts and spread God’s love in the world.

Yours in Christ,

Mo. Lauren

The Rev. Lauren T. McLeavey
Rector