Dear St. Stephen’s church family,

Happy Thanksgiving! Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase; so shall thy barns be filled with plenty and they presses shall burst out with the new wine. -Proverbs 3:9-10

I hope that each of us are able to stop and give thanks this weekend—to remember the many gifts we have received. In response, let us be generous towards others. The altar has been beautifully set with Saskatchewan bounty (thank you Lisa S)! See pickles, barley, canola, carrots, potatoes, jars of peas, beans and seeds, among other local abundance. Come, ye thankful people, come. Raise the song of harvest home! God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied.

 Please mark your calendars for Turkey to Go! On Saturday, October 24^th.  Delicious, hot, turkey-and-all-the-trimmings will be delivered to church, individually packaged for pick up or delivery. Instead of cooking together, which isn’t possible for us this year, we partnered with local business Karlos Hospitality. Tickets are $25 each ($8 goes to church!). Have your turkey and eat it too (no dishes)! This Fun Raiser is one of our Plan C activities, looking for creative ways to stay connected in the midst of covid.  You can place orders for yourself or your friends and family until October 18^th. Spread the word! For more information, call or email. Orders can be placed electronically or in person with a variety of payment options. The email for this event is: events.ststephens@gmail.com 

Youth Group/Confirmation Class Friday, October 16^th at 7:30 pm on Zoom. We will be learning to use the Anglican Prayer book for personal prayer and talking about prayer in general. Seminarian Brody Albers will be helping to lead us in this. Brody is currently doing his internship in Rosetown.  

Parish Cycle of Prayer:

Monday: Eldin and Phyllis and family–Julie, Phil and Odin

Tuesday: Edith and family

Wednesday: Joan B and family

Thursday: John and Aggie and family

Friday: Dusty  and family

 Gratitude is not a simple emotion or an obvious attitude. It is a difficult discipline to constantly reclaim my whole past as the concrete way in which God has led me to this moment and is sending me into the future. It is hard precisely because it challenges me to face the painful moments – experiences of rejection and abandonment, feelings of loss and failure – and gradually to discover in them the pruning hands of God purifying my heart for deeper love, stronger hope, and broader faith.

Henri J. M. Nouwen 

O Lord, we pray thee, sow the seed of thy word in our hearts, and send down upon us the fruit of the Spirit, and at the great day of harvest may we be gathered by the holy angels into the heavenly garner; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Love and blessings in Christ,

The Rev. Amy <><