​Challenged to collect 500 items for their local food pantry during the month of October, the people of St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Marlborough met and exceeded the goal, amassing 663 cans and packages donated to the Hudson Community Food Pantry.
            Their efforts had an additional benefit: as one of the first 100 participants to meet the “Feed the Northeast” goal of the Thrivent Northeast Member Network, St. Stephen was rewarded with a $500 donation from Thrivent to the food pantry. Frank Dutt of Hudson was the team leader who spearheaded the church project.
            Thrivent is a not-for-profit financial services organization headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Appleton, Wisconsin, and founded by Lutherans. Thrivent clients are part of regional member networks that sponsor generosity programs, financial workshops and social events. HCFP is a non-profit organization serving residents of Hudson, Berlin, and Bolton who struggle with food insecurity. 
            For more information about St. Stephen Lutheran Church, visit www.saintstephenlutheran.com  or the church’s Facebook page. Saint Stephen is a member of the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (www.elca.org) . The church is a Reconciling in Christ congregation, inviting people of every gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, ability, marital status, or class. Parishioners come from Marlborough, Hudson, Berlin, Northborough, Southborough, Westborough, Shrewsbury, Sudbury, Stow, and Bolton.

​There could be an increase of new local voters at the polls, thanks to an initiative of the Marlborough-based Micah Center for Social Justice. To encourage more people to cast a ballot, the Center sponsored a campaign to send hand-written letters to area people eligible to vote. Penning their notes at home or at a recent gathering at the home of Jan and Beth Conlin, volunteers generated an impressive 205 missives. 
       Each letter had a personalized note from the writer indicating why they believed it was important to vote. The reasons were as varied as the baker’s dozen of volunteers.  Deb Roberts, Micah Center chair, recalls these statements: “Voting is powerful;” “Everyone is important and we must vote to share our vision of the country;” “My vote is a way to create a better future for all of us, with good jobs, good healthcare, and safe communities;” and “I feel that it's extra important to speak up, particularly when our country is faced with challenges.”
       In addition to Deb Roberts, Jan and Beth Conlin, letter writers included Bev Broz, Marlea Dutt, Beth Garner, Peg Harbert, Judy Kellogg, Pam Narahara, Anita Phelan, Jim and Joni Schalkhauser, and Melanie Whapham. 

On Sunday, November 13, there will be music and more at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 537 Bolton Street, Marlboro as the inaugural “Performance at St. Stephen” takes place with a concert by Pastor Ed and Ruth Voosen.  The presenters predict a “casual and relaxing” afternoon for the whole family, offering mostly familiar folk songs, show tunes, country favorites, and possibly a sing-along to engage the audience.
     Some of the audience will undoubtedly be engaged by the pre concert activity — the afternoon program begins at 3 pm with an Ice Cream Buffet.
    The Voosens bring not only their voices — he is a baritone and she is a soprano — but also a variety of instruments, from flute to banjo to traditional guitar to a 12-string guitar, as well as interesting history. 
    There is no fee for the concert, but donations are welcome.  A free will offering will be taken to help fund St. Stephen teens who will attend the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans.
    This versatile couple has been making beautiful music together for decades. Ed and Ruth  met at Wagner College, each coming in with a love of music, and married two years later. 
— As a member of the band, The Capitals, as a teen, Ed appeared twice on TV on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour.
— Ruth played the flute in bands and orchestras including All State Band, and sang first soprano in the Wagner College Choir.
— Ed founded and directed the Pinecrest Folk Choir, which recorded two albums and toured the eastern US.  Ruth sang in the choir.
— Together, they have gone on more than 100 cruises, with Pastor Ed as the Protestant chaplain. During those trips, Ruth enjoys playing hymns on flute with Ed on guitar. In addition to cruises, the Voosens have organized and led trips to Israel, Scandinavia, and Germany.
    Ed Voosen was educated at Princeton University and the New York Theological Seminary. Ordained by the Lutheran Church, he served congregations in Brooklyn, NY and Auburn, MA, and retired in 2010. Ruth earned a BS in nursing at Wagner College and is a registered nurse. She has worked in a psychiatric unit in Brooklyn, has been a college health nurse at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and served as a nursery school teacher. The Voosens have three children and seven grandchildren.
    For more information about St. Stephen Lutheran Church, visit www.saintstephenlutheran.com  or the church’s Facebook page. Saint Stephen is a member of the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (www.elca.org) . The church is a Reconciling in Christ congregation, inviting people of every gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, ability, marital status, or class. Parishioners come from Marlborough, Hudson, Berlin, Northborough, Southborough, Westborough, Shrewsbury, Sudbury, Stow, and Bolton
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Sunday School for all ages – from pre-school through adult – will begin this Sunday, October 9 at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 537 Bolton St., Marlborough, MA. While the youngest disciples, pre-school through grade 1, will meet during the 10 am church service, other ages will begin their programs at 9 am.
    Using the “Echo the Story” curriculum from Sparkhouse, students in grades 2 and up will go on a Biblical narrative journey using a collection of learning styles, with a six part sequence that includes videos, listening skills, hearing a story read, using sketch journals to capture interesting aspects of the story, retelling the story, and sharing observations with the group. Arts and crafts will also be incorporated, with the creation of a banner, environmental photography, painting and sculpture all on the program. Melanie Whapham will lead the group.
    Adults will meet with Pastor Greg Mileski, also in the 9-9:45 time slot, for a discussion of the week’s lectionary readings, with a comparative study of religions and a book study also on the agenda.
    The youngest students, pre-school through grade 1, will come to the 10 am church service, then leave before the sermon to hear Bible stories, engage in a related craft and play, and return in time for communion. Heidi Richard, Dianne Bruno, and Stephanie and Lily Ruggiere will interact with this group.
    There is no registration requirement, and all are welcome to engage in this Christian Education program.
    For more information about St. Stephen Lutheran Church, visit www.saintstephenlutheran.com  or the church’s Facebook page. Saint Stephen is a member of the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (www.elca.org) . The church is a Reconciling in Christ congregation, inviting people of every gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, ability, marital status, or class. Parishioners come from Marlborough, Hudson, Berlin, Northborough, Southborough, Westborough, Shrewsbury, Sudbury, Stow, and Bolton

We did not have a camera operator for Sunday Service on August 21st so if you were looking for the You Tube stream it was obviously not there. Our operator was home tending to a child who came down sick on Sunday morning.  We did not have any backups available or time to work something out.   Sorry for any inconvenience this caused.

On September 11, St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Marlboro, will welcome Pastor Greg Mileski, who will serve as the church’s “regular supply pastor” until a new full-time pastor is called.  St. Stephen is in a transitional time between pastors.  In the Lutheran tradition, an interim pastor is assigned while the New England Synod looks for a new pastor to match the needs and goals of the congregation.
    Pr. Joseph Graumann, who served  St. Stephen from 2016 until the last Sunday in June of this year, accepted a new call to a church in his home state of New Jersey. Over the summer, parishioners have had the opportunity to meet and hear a variety of preachers.
    Greg Mileski grew up in the Pittsburgh area and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Religious Studies. “In college I enjoyed classes in biology and chemistry,” he said, “but really gravitated toward my classes in religion and literature.” After college and before seminary, he spent three years as a first grade teacher in Henderson, NC, through the service organization, Teach for America, that sends college graduates to places that have difficulty attracting teachers, 
    Although he attended Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, another seminary he visited, in South Carolina, was significant because it was there that  he met his wife, Jenny, who was the admissions director. They married after seminary and moved  to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for his first call, where “ I enjoyed four years of parish ministry at United Lutheran Church in  L’Anse, Michigan,” Pr. Mileski said. During this time, the Mileskis’ two children, Leo, now 9, and Lena, 8, were born.
    More religious studies were to be next in his journey. “During these parish years,” he said, “ I realized that my love of studying religious traditions wasn’t going away and I came to wonder if I might be of best service to the Church by teaching about the traditions other children of God enjoy and helping us to think about how Christianity is related to them, how a world of multiple religions might be exactly what God has intended all along.” 
    The Mileskis moved to Boulder, Colorado, where Greg studied Buddhism at the University of Colorado and Naropa University, one of the very few Buddhist-affiliated universities in the country.  Interested in pursuing a doctorate, he was drawn to Boston College, as one of the world’s leading institutions in Comparative Theology. Pr. Mileski notes this field asks: “If we deeply study another religious tradition, how does our understanding of Christianity change and become enriched by that study?” He hopes to earn his doctorate sometime in 2023, with a topic generally defined as “How Can We Be More Christ-like?”
    Today the family lives in Brighton where they like to spend time with friends and occasionally go  hiking. Greg and Jenny enjoy cooking vegetarian together.
    “I am very excited to spend some time walking with St. Stephen Lutheran Church,” Pr. Mileski said, “helping all of us to grow our roots more deeply in this tradition that is centered around this truth: God Loves Us, and because of that we are free to love one another, exactly as much as we’ve always deep-down wanted to!”

Reach out to others with food, friendship, peace and kindness, enjoy camaraderie and make new connections at the free Summer Service Week offered at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 537 Bolton St., Marlborough July 25 to 28 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Children and adults, families and individuals are all welcome to attend.  Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
    Each evening will begin with a simple supper provided by the church and then an overview of the Biblical basis for each day’s theme, followed by a hands-on service project to address a local need. 
    Participants will put together healthy snack bags for the free-meal outreach, Our Father’s Table (Monday); fashion housewarming no-sew blankets for the clients of Fresh Start Furniture Bank (Tuesday); fill backpacks with fall school supplies for middle school and high school students served by the United Way (Wednesday); and create greeting cards for nursing home residents, along with a treat (Thursday). 
    Attend all four nights if your schedule permits; if not, participate when you can. To sign up for this free program, use this link: http://www.saintstephenlutheran.com/service-week.html. 
    Most of the materials needed for the service projects have been donated by church parishioners, while some supplies are being provided by Thrivent Financial, with Summer Service Week designated as a Thrivent Action Team project.
    For more information about St. Stephen Lutheran Church, visit www.saintstephenlutheran.com  or the church’s Facebook page. Saint Stephen is a member of the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (www.elca.org) . The church is a Reconciling in Christ congregation, inviting people of every gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, ability, marital status, or class. Parishioners come from Marlborough, Hudson, Berlin, Northborough, Southborough, Westborough, Shrewsbury, Sudbury, Stow, and Bolton
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