I want to thank all of you for the privilege of serving as

your interim rector. St. Stephen’s will always be a very

special church for me. Thank you for opening your hearts

to Jane and me as we sojourned with you these past

fifteen months. I will cherish the memories of how much

you love St. Stephen’s and how dedicated you are in

service, making St. Stephen’s a parish where God is seen, love is felt, and lives

are changed. It has been a special opportunity to live and work in Oak Ridge,

where I have enjoyed the community, as well as the surrounding natural beauty.

So many of you have thanked me for my ministry, but I want to thank you as

well. You have accomplished a lot. You have been generous in your practice of

ministry, and your vestry has labored faithfully, both sustaining the present

and diligently preparing for the future. You have continued to attract new

members and visitors. Your ministries of prayer and beautiful worship have

enriched many lives beyond measure. Together with these things, you have

continued your tradition of excellence in music. In it all, I have enjoyed

serving with such a dedicated staff, and benefiting from their positive spirit. I

know that Jane joins me in thanking you for being such a loving church family.

We use the word transition a lot during interim ministry. As you move closer

to a time of welcoming a new rector, I am in my own time of transition into

retirement. I will take a week of vacation beginning March 24, moving and

relocating to Louisville, Kentucky, and returning for my last service with you

on March 31. In reality, I find it hard to say goodbye. I always find it easier to

say, “I will see you later.” We are friends, and I will look forward to hearing

how you are doing.

As anticipated, Bishop Cole has assisted the vestry in identifying my successor

in interim ministry. Please read the announcement from our Senior Warden,

Courtney Manrod, on this page of The Evangel, introducing Fr. Bo Townsend,

who will join you for ministry soon. ...continued on page 2

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church 212 N. Tulane Avenue

Oak Ridge, TN 37830

Tel: 865-483-8497

The Rev. Larry C. Minter INTERIM RECTOR

rector@ststephensor.org

The Rev. Dr. Stephen Damos PASTORAL ASSOCIATE

Simon Ballintoy DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

choir@ststephensor.org

Caroline Wood YOUTH MINISTER

YouthMinister@ststephensor.org

Cameron Ellis TREASURER

treasurer@ststephensor.org

Elizabeth Pack

PARISH SECRETARY secretary@ststephensor.org

Nancy Anderson CHRISTIAN FORMATION

CECoord@ststephensor.org

Craig Brent, Adam Ballintoy,

Mary Petersen EPISCOPAL YOUTH

FELLOWSHIP (EYF) EYF@ststephensor.org

Jim Ball WEBMASTER

webmaster@ststephensor.org

Sharon Thomas NURSERY SUPERVISOR

Courtney Manrod SENIOR WARDEN

seniorwarden@ststephensor.org

Barbara Steele JUNIOR WARDEN

juniorwarden@ststephensor.org

M A R C H 2 0 1 9

In conjunction with our DIOET, I’m very happy to

announce the selection of Fr. Bowman (Bo) Townsend as St.

Stephen’s second Interim Rector, effective April 2019,

immediately following Fr. Larry’s retirement and

departure. It is expected Fr. Bo will continue in this role

through selection and calling of our new rector. Fr. Bo and

wife Beth (practicing attorney and avid knitter) recently

returned to Knoxville after his retirement from St. Christopher’s in Austin,

TX. Please join me in welcoming them to St. Stephen’s. ~ Courtney Manrod

A M E S S AG E F RO M THE SR . WA RD EN

LENT 2019

March 6th is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. There will be three services that day in the nave of the church, all

with the Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion at 6:30 a.m., 12:10 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.. I hope you will join us for

Shrove Tuesday pancakes on the evening before, where EYF will be hard at work serving during that special annual

meal. After the pancake supper, please join us outside for the burning of palms from last year, helping to the

prepare ashes for the next day. As you read the schedule of events in Lent, please notice that we are giving special

focus to Sunday morning as the time for adult Lent study. With less clergy this year, and with increased lay

leadership, we will not have a Wednesday evening Lenten program. Instead, we’re focusing our time and efforts on

the Sunday adult study. Please read further on page 5 about Growing a Rule of Life, our Sunday Forum topic for Lent.

For Sunday Eucharist at the 7:45 and 11:15 services, we will follow the Penitential Order for Rite One, found on

page 319 of the Book of Common Prayer. The nine o’clock service will follow the same order for Rite Two found on

page 351. During Lent we will read the words of the Decalogue, found on pages 317 and 350 respectively. As you

prepare for worship, you might consider reading and contemplating the words of the penitential rites along with the

Decalogue.

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by

prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. BCP, page 265.

Liturgics Committee

Periodically during the year, the Liturgics Committee meets with the interim rector to consider seasonal plans and

developments for the worship life of the parish. This is a group of 15 people who have roles in a range of

responsibilities for the worship life of the church, among them are representatives of the Altar Guild, ushers, makers

-of-schedules and others. The group will meet with me this March to plan more thoroughly the seasons of Lent and

Holy Week, and all of Eastertide through the Day of Pentecost. This will assist the group in planning beyond my

retirement, as well as having things in place when the Rev. Bo Townsend comes on board in April.

Changes in Weekday Services

Over time, it sometimes happens that attendance at a particular service will ebb and decline. In particular, the

Wednesday Healing Service has reached a time in its life for reconsideration as a regularly scheduled service. After

some time of reflection with the Liturgics committee in past meetings, and with the Vestry at our recent retreat, I

will no longer schedule the Wednesday service. However, St. Stephen’s will continue offering the Tuesday

Eucharist in the chapel at 11:30 each week, and we will offer prayers of anointing and healing on the first Tuesday

of each month during the context of that service.

Another service to consider is the afternoon service at Greenfield, a once a month Tuesday afternoon service. The

attendance there has declined to such an extent that I will be suspending that service, knowing that our Eucharistic

Visitors are actively engaged in the administration of Communion on a regular basis. Larry †

A NOTE FROM FR. LARRY

...continued from page 1 I have enjoyed meeting Fr. Bo and getting to know him. I know he will receive a warm

welcome, and that you will be blessed with his spirit for ministry and his very fine skills.

Reading further in this issue of The Evangel you will learn about plans for Lent at St. Stephen’s. A special thanks to

all of you who made Fr. David’s last Sunday with us such a celebration. My thanks to those of you who prepared

such an elegant reception, and to all who helped make it a special day of thanksgiving at St. Stephen’s.

Grace and Peace, Larry †

Adult Forum

February has been a good month for the Adult Forum as we have been led by Steve Herbes exploring the topic of

Cultivating Christian Mindfulness. He has gone through some of the history and various practices through the

years. The most helpful parts have been as he coached us while we practiced some mindfulness exercises. Thank

you, Steve.

March 3, we have Andy O’Quinn coming to inform us about TORCH, the agency he heads. TORCH is helping to

address the homeless issues of our neighbors. We have board members from St. Stephen’s serving with TORCH

and our Outreach team supports this ministry.

We invite each of you, whether you are able to attend on Sunday or not, to join us in our Lenten study that begins on

March 10. We will be following a study on developing a Rule of Life. This comes from SSJE, the Society of St. John

the Evangelist. If you will sign up, SSJE will send you daily videos through your email. These videos will be the

curriculum we follow when you come on Sundays. We have a team of people who will facilitate these discussions.

Rob Steele will start us off on March 10. To sign up, go to https://www.ssje.org/growrule/. Under the “Subscription

Info” section, enter your email address, name, and start date of March 3. Click the green “Subscribe” button and

you will be registered.

Prayer Family Pictures

Last month I ran this same article and have not received any takers. As Fr. Larry and I talked, we agreed that there

may not be anyone who takes up this ministry. I hope that you will give prayerful consideration for stepping into

this position.

For seven years now we have been focusing our prayer efforts on a few families each week so that the entire

parish can give special intercessions for each family. One aspect of this that has helped to keep those families

in our focus has been having the families to send in current pictures so that we have a face with the names as

we pray. The picture part takes some time each week to remind the families that they are being prayed for.

And, then pictures are requested from them. The pictures are then tagged and printed and posted.

If you are interested in being the contact person for continuing this ministry, instructions are very simple for

anyone with some limited computer skills. Please contact me soon so we can get you on board and this will

continue through the calendar year.

Camp Clearfork is Coming

Yes, Clearfork summer reading camp is coming again! This will be the fourth year that we have been on mission

with these children and youth in the Campbell/Claiborne County area that is known as Clearfork Valley. Our

weeklong effort this year will be June 10 – 14, 2019.

Each year we have had a theme for the week that then extended through the summer. This year we are expanding

into writing as well as reading. Of course, reading and writing go hand in glove. We will be making paper,

possibly using invisible inks, and hopefully creating a journal for each child to take for their personal stories. We

need volunteers on the team now as we plan for the best year yet. We need people who are good at organizing,

lesson-planning, crafting, recreation, cooking and serving, and just being friends. We need people who stay in Oak

Ridge to prepare materials for each day’s camp and who can help to unload when volunteers return for the day. We

need people who will organize the materials we already have and inventory what we need.

Please contact the office so your name can be on the list as we plan. We need YOU!!!

PARTING NOTES FROM FR. DAVID

CURS I L LO

As some of you have likely heard, East Tennessee Episcopal Cursillo will celebrate Cursillo

Weekend 50 at Grace Point on March 21-24, 2019. I am blessed to be counted among the family of

35 Cursillistas here at St. Stephen’s and am happy to say that our number will grow by at least one

during the next weekend. St. Stephen’s will also be represented on Team 50 by Michael Potter and

Simon and Adam Ballintoy.

When I look back at the 5 years I have been part of the Cursillo family, I realize that, while I

experienced one of the most powerful spiritual experiences of my life, my weekend plugged me into

a network of amazing people, both laity and clergy. People that today I count as great friends, but

most of whom I’d never heard of at the time. People who are there for me and for others both when bad times hit

and in times of joy. People that I might never have crossed paths with if not for, finally, saying” Yes” to the

invitations from Deacon John Wilson and Kathy and Boyd Evans.

In looking back one of the biggest things Cursillo gave me was the opportunity to learn more about the incredible

people in the Diocese of East Tennessee. Wherever I go these days, be it to a Cursillo gathering, a Diocesan

Convention, or maybe just to the grocery store, I’m greeted with smiles and hugs from my Cursillo Sisters and

Brothers.

If I’ve in any way piqued your interest let me encourage you to ask any of the Cursillo Family about their

experiences. You’ll be glad you did! ~ Jim Anderson

EVANGEL EDITORIAL POLICY We welcome articles of interest to the congregation. Publication

is always subject to space constraints; articles may be shortened

or edited if necessary. Deadline for the following month’s

Evangel is the 15th of the current month.

Send to: secretary@ststephensor.org.

Save the date

A Retirement Celebration for Father Larry Minter

will be after the 11:15 a.m. service on Sunday, March 31,

2019. Join us as we say “thank you” to Fr. Minter

for his ministry and service to our parish .

Your Vestry held its annual retreat on February 2nd. It was a special time of fellowship and renewal. Our Scripture

reflection was focused on Matthew 13:3-9, Jesus' parable of the sower (which I encourage each of you to study...in

unity with your Vestry). We discussed what lies ahead of us as St. Stephen's bids fond farewell to our Associate

Rector and first Interim Rector; welcomes and says goodbye to our second Interim Rector; and, ultimately, identifies

and welcomes our new rector...ALL THIS YEAR! We discussed how to prepare for and respond to these changes,

how to best ensure continuity in ministry and model Jesus' love. We discussed how to responsively and effectively

communicate with you, the Parish, by listening, understanding and then responding. We also discussed the

importance of being intentional in growing our parish and welcoming newcomers into our Parish family, to have

fun and seek vitality across and between generations. Additionally we discussed stewardship, how to create an

intentional program that, by design, substantially enables the longevity of His ministry through St. Stephen's.

St. Stephen’s is in the process of transformation with a very bright future. What we do matters. Time is of the essence.

Most sincerely, Courtney Manrod, Senior Warden

VESTRY HIGHLIGHTS

During Lent, the ADULT FORUM will focus on

Growing a Rule of Life, from the Society of St. John the

Evangelist (SSJE). As we explore the monastic practice

of writing and keeping a Rule of Life, participants will:

Design a balanced plan for growing into a deeper

relationship with God, Self, Others, and Creation.

Celebrate areas of their lives that are thriving and

explore areas that need extra nourishment.

Tune their sensitivity to the rhythms of nature to

help them in keeping a Rule of Life.

Grow in fellowship with other participants and

support them through the growing process.

Ultimately each participant will create their own

unique Rule of Life or ‘Garden Plot’ to sustain and

expand beyond the class. 10:10 am in the Parish Hall.

HAPPENINGS IN LENT

Quiet Day

Daughters of the King are sponsoring a parish-wide

Quiet Day on March 30, 2019

at St. Stephen’s. The Rev.

Claire Keene will be leading

our worship. We will begin

gathering at 8:30 a.m. and

Rev. Keene will begin at 9

a.m.. Light refreshments will

be available and the morning

will conclude at 12 noon.

Please join us as part of your Lenten worship.

Please RSVP...by March 22, 2019.

Carole Akers, cakers46@hotmail.com or 865.220.9115

Burning of the Palms

Tuesday, March 5, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.

Join us on the front patio.

6:30 a.m. Imposition of Ashes & Holy Eucharist

12:10 p.m. Imposition of Ashes & Holy Eucharist

7:00 p.m. Imposition of Ashes & Holy Eucharist

Growing a Rule of Life

EYF in March

March 3: Annie @ ORHS

March 5: Pancake Supper

March 9: Paint the Youth Room!!!

March 10: KEY! More details to come...

March 17: Minute 2 Win It Games

March 24: Hiking Day!

March 31: Games at Church!

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper

Tuesday, March 5, 2019 @ 5:00—6:45pm

Join us in the Parish Hall

for our annual Pancake Supper.

$5 per person or $20 family maximum.

Children under 5 are free.

Donations benefit the EYF group.

C O M M U NI T Y I N V O L V E M E NT & O U T R EA C H

Blankets and More

As spring cleaning gets underway, please set aside any clean, gently used bedding you no

longer need. We are collecting new and used bedding for Ecumenical Storehouse. Place it in the

collection bin in the lower hall near the stairway entrance from the back parking lot. We are also

still collecting cash donations for the worldwide Blankets+ program, which helps victims of

floods, fires, and other devastation both in this country and elsewhere. Make checks to St.

Stephen’s and note “Blankets+” on the memo line.

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER

Come lend your heart and hands and voice in celebration of the World Day of

Prayer here at St. Stephen’s at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 1. The wider Oak Ridge

Community is also invited to attend. The supplications of hundreds of thousands

of people around the globe will resound throughout the day as they participate in

the worship service written by women of Slovenia. “Come—Everything is Ready.”

Celebration of Interfaith Music and Arts

Don't miss the Celebration of Interfaith Music and Arts, which concludes the

Oak Ridge Community Interfaith Harmony Month on Tuesday, March 5, 6-9

p.m. at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church. St. Stephen's has been

participating in the month's activities by inviting the community to our

worship services on February 10 and to the World Day of Prayer on March 1.

You have probably heard by now that the choir will be visiting Ireland this summer. Our group of 35 travelers will

spend almost two weeks in the Emerald Isle. The major component of our trip will be singing

the services of Choral Eucharist and Choral Evensong in Belfast and Dublin during the cathedral

choirs’ summer recess, in addition to a public concert at Bangor Abbey.

When we are not singing, we will get to explore a lot of my home turf. Our travels begin in the

sleepy but colorful town Carlingford, before we head along the Mourne Coastal Route, to

Downpatrick, where St. Patrick is buried. Here we will see the ancient ruins of Inch Abbey, Saul

Church, and the holy wells of Struell. After visiting Bangor, we will be based in Belfast for a few

days of free time to explore the city. We will then travel along the Giant’s Causeway Coastal

Route, stopping at Dunluce Castle, Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, Bushmill’s Distillery and the

Giant’s Causeway. The next day we will visit Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh before spending the evening

roaming the monastic site of Devenish Island, on the waters of Lough Erne. The culmination of the trip will take us

to Dublin, where we will be staying at Trinity College.

July 5th Bangor Abbey: Public Concert

July 7th: Belfast Cathedral: Choral Eucharist and Choral Evensong

July 13th Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin: Choral Evensong

July 14th Christ Church Cathedral. Dublin: Choral Eucharist and Choral Evensong

If you would like to financially support this event, please write “Ireland Trip” on the memo line of every check that

you contribute for this purpose. ~ Simon Ballintoy, Music Director

MUSIC DIRECTOR’S NOTES

LOOKING AHEAD

HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE Sunday, April 14 8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Palm Sunday, Blessing of the Palms and Holy Eucharist Monday, April 15 5:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross Tuesday, April 16 5:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross Wednesday, April 17 7:00 p.m. Evening Prayer Thursday, April 18 6:00 p.m. Agape Meal 7:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist with Foot Washing / Stripping of the Altar 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Keeping Watch Friday, April 19 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. 3-Hour Service (Seven Last Words) 7:00 p.m. Good Friday Office Closes at Noon

Easter Sunday Schedu l e April 21, 2019

6 a.m. The Great Vigil & Eucharist

7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Easter Breakfast

9 a.m. & 11:15 a.m. Festal Choral Eucharist

12 :30 p.m. Easter Egg Hunt

BIRTHDAYS

ANNIVERSARIES

3/1 Eleanor Stevens

3/5 Nancy Carow

3/7 Wes Singer

3/8 Chloe Kirk

3/9 Ted Swilley

3/10 Jane Cappiello

3/11 Dominic Giuliano

3/12 Bill Nestor

Jim Anderson

3/13 Virginia Jones

Gay Marie Logsdon

John Storey

Michael Manrod

3/14 Linda Hagaman

3/15 Jim Kring

3/18 Ed LaRose

3/20 Susan Meredith

3/21 Joy Fournier,

Larry Minter

3/24 Jonathan Heischman

3/25 Laura Ellis

3/25 Miranda Miller

3/26 Judy Kidd

3/27 Daryl Yearwood

3/29 John Joyce

Pete Peterson

3/31 Joseph Plante

Ross Mol

3/1 Jamey Kennedy & Allan Reiss

3/6 Jodi & Gregory Majors

3/14 Paige & Bruce Marshall

3/16 Judy & Dan DiGregorio

3/16 Virginia & Charles Jones

3/18 Karen & Daryl Yearwood

3/25 Katherine & Gary Grubb

3/30 Stella & Bill Schramm

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

212 N. Tulane Avenue

Oak Ridge, TN 37830

Food Basket Collection

Spring distribution is March 9, 2019.

Please place your contributions in the carts

near the office area, the nave, or on the

stage in the designed areas.

Food items: cornmeal, flour, sugar, rice,

dry beans, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce,

macaroni and cheese, boxed cereal, instant oatmeal, peanut

butter, jam/jelly, apple sauce, fruit juice, granola bars, cheese

crackers, peanut butter crackers, graham crackers, cake mix,

cake icing, instant pudding, raisins

Canned items: fruit, green beans, corn, peas, mixed

vegetables, tuna, chicken, soup, Spaghetti O’s

Non-food items: toothpaste, bath soap, laundry detergent,

dish soap, paper towels, toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner,

trash bags

Monetary donations will also be accepted

(please designate "Food Baskets").

Volunteers are needed for Friday, March 8 at 9:00 am to pack

the boxes and on Saturday, March 9 at 9:00 am to give out

baskets. Thank you.