St. Stephen’s Weekly News 2/9/2025

God Word– impressed at home.
But as for me and my household,
we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15

Encouragement Passage
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.  “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:13-17

Calls:
On Sunday, January 19, the voting members of the congregation called Pastor Matthew Reis (pronounced “Rice”) to be our shepherd at St. Stephen’s.  In the same meeting, we called Mrs. Katrina Reis to be our 3rd grade teacher in the school.  Lord’s blessings as they deliberate the calls granted by our Lord through our voters.

Currently Mrs. Trimmer is holding a call to be the 3-5 grade teacher at St. John’s in Goodhue, MN.  Please pray for Mrs. Trimmer as she deliberates where she can best use her gifts in God’s kingdom.  Feel free to reach out and discuss things with her as well.

Singing Schedule:
Thank you to Jr. Choir for singing in the service at Good Shepherd today.

Thursday, February 13, grade 2 will sing in the 6:30 service.

Mission Collection:
We are off to a great start with our mission collection this quarter.  We have collected a total of $236.80.  This puts at 47.4% of our goal of $500.00.  Please remember that your child does not have to have the envelope to give an offering.  The 3rd quarter mission collection will be for WELS Home Missions to support a new mission congregation in Bend, Oregon.  

We thank Pastor Paul Schupmann for his presentation on planting 100 missions in 10 years in the WELS.  We also were introduced to the core of believers that we are serving in Bend, Oregon.

Mid-Quarter reports:
The midway point of the 3rd quarter happened at the end of last week.  Reports will be released by the end of the day on Wednesday, February 12.  You will receive a notification when reports are available.

Spirit Week:
To celebrate the end of the basketball season and prepare for tournament play, this week is Spirit week.  Here are the dress up days for this week:

Monday:  Pajama Day–Wear your favorite pajamas and bring a stuffed animal or blanket to school.
Tuesday:  Sports Day–Wear your favorite sports apparel representing your favorite team
Wednesday:  Twin Day–Find a friend (or two) and dress exactly like him or her.
Thursday:  Raider Group Color Day–Dress in your Raider Group’s color.
Friday:  Raider Day–Come dressed to cheer on our team.  Wear Red, Black, and White. 

Friday is also the winter pep rally.  This celebrates our basketball teams.  Pep rally should begin around 2:00.  All are invited to attend.  There will be activities for all students to participate in throughout the pep rally.

Financial responsibilities:
Please stay current with your book fees for this school year.  Payment reminders will be sent home this week.  Send payments to school in an envelope marked “School Payments”  Thank you.

Kindergarten Round-Up:
On Monday, February 17, 2025,  we will be holding our annual Kindergarten Round-Up.  This will be from 6-7.  It is an opportunity for new Kindergarten parents and students to meet and greet the faculty of the school.  If you know of a family that has a child that would be in Kindergarten next year, please encourage them to be part of this Round-up and learn more about the importance of Christian elementary education.

Accreditation Reminder:
From February 10 thru February 12, a site visiting team will be here at St. Stephen’s validating the self-study we have done.  This team will look at all aspects of St. Stephen’s School ministry and will give a report on their findings.  If you are interested in attending this presentation, it will be held at 3:45 on Wednesday, February 12 in the room above the office.

During pick up and drop off, site team members may ask to discuss with you the school and the ministry.  Do not hesitate to talk with them.

Funding updates:
As you may know, we are collecting funds for a new playground and new bleachers in the gym. 
As of January 31, we have the following available:

-Playground structure and replacement:  $43,440.02, which is 57.9% of our $75,000 goal

-Bleacher replacement:  $12,099.02, which is 40.3% of our $30,000 goal.

What a great accomplishment in such a short time.  With some guidance and the Lord’s grace we may be able to work on both items this summer.  If you are interested in giving, please let us know.  There are a few events scheduled to help raise funds for these items in the coming months.  Please consider where you can help.  

Join the “COIN DUEL” – A Fun School-Wide Competition!
Sponsored by PTS, our Coin Duel will take place from February 24-28! Help us reach our goal of $200 to support the new playground by collecting and bringing in coins to your classroom’s collection bucket.  The goal is to collect coins only.  Any currency that is not coin will be collected, but not counted toward the team count.
Team breakdown:
Team 1: Grades 5-8 Team 2: Grades 2-4 Team 3: Grades K-1
The winning team will be announced on February 28 and will enjoy root beer floats as their reward!
Start collecting and let’s make a difference together!

Movie nights coming up:
Friday, February 28, Movie night at St. Stephen’s in the gym starting at 6:00.  We will be watching Moana.  Water and 1 “Moana themed snack” will be provided.  You are more than welcome to bring a snack to share as well. 

Friday, March 7, Movie night at Good Shepherd to wrap up Read Across America week.  Details to come on which movie they will be watching and the time they will be starting.

St. Stephen’s School Mission:
St. Stephen’s Lutheran School will offer a Christ-centered education to all students. We will instruct them in the Word of God, educate them in secular subjects, train them to become responsible citizens in our community, and prepare them for their eternal victory in heaven when they die. We will do this by holding Jesus and his love before them each day by appropriately using law and gospel as we instruct and discipline.   

Please remember that if you need assistance with anything that you can reach out to the teachers and leaders of St. Stephen’s.  You can also find answers to some questions on the website: www.ssbdwels.com