HUDSON, MA– What can we do here and now in Metrowest to affect climate change? That question and others will be addressed at a Climate Education and Action Summit on Saturday, May 21, from 3-5 pm in Hudson. The event will be at the 21 Church St., Hudson location of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metrowest, the Argeo R. Cellucci, Jr. Clubhouse.
    This free, family-friendly event is designed for middle school age students through adults from any area town and is sponsored by the Micah Center for Social Justice and Green Hudson.  Green Hudson will lead an environmental education session which will answer questions such as “What causes climate change?”, “What is the evidence that climate change is happening?” and “How does climate change affect life on Earth?” Summit leaders are Brian White and Per Gyllstrom.
    To register, visit  http://www.saintstephenlutheran.com/micahcenter.html. For more information email micahcenter@saintstephenlutheran.com. 
    Climate science, climate change myths, risks associated with continuing to use fossil fuels, the impact of climate change on the habitat we depend on to sustain life, and how the modern electrical grid incorporates renewable energy will be discussed. In addition, Brian and Per will give an overview of careers in renewable energy and climate adaptation. This interactive exchange will focus on what Metrowest communities can do now to impact global climate change - in our homes, schools, transportation, policy, local government, and through advocacy and education. 
    Activities will include a hands-on experiment, and an Eco Challenge with environmentally-friendly prizes, and, keeping true to the theme, snacks will be offered on compostable dishware with minimum packaging.
    Brian White, founder and president of Green Hudson, and a director of the Hudson Land Trust, has been involved in social and environmental causes since high school. He grew up in Carbondale, PA, the location of the first deep vein anthracite coal mine, and grew up observing the harm that fossil fuels have visited on some of the most beautiful land in our country.  Brian and his family have lived in Hudson since 2005.  He works for Bose Corp in Framingham and currently leads the consumer electronic advance development group.
    Dr. Per O. Gyllstrom is a senior software architecture and strategy advisor at Enel X North America Inc. He works with Enel X senior management to drive and guide the current and future development of Enel’s energy applications and platforms.  At Green Hudson, Per is focusing on green energy initiatives.
    Green Hudson is a citizen group that seeks to help the town become more environmentally friendly and conscious, through outreach, education, and direct action.
    The Micah Center brings forth social topics for education, awareness and to promote meaningful discussion that could lead to meaningful change.

What is the oldest Christian holiday? It’s coming up this week – Easter Vigil on the night before Easter, and St. Stephen Lutheran Church will be marking the holiest night of the year with Bible readings, stories, a video message, and more.  
    Beginning at 7:30 PM on Saturday, April 16 with a bonfire outside the church at 537 Bolton St., Marlboro, the event will then move inside where people will hear St. Stephen parishioners read and interpret seven Bible stories. Some will preach while others will incorporate creative methods, for example, to tell the story of Daniel with a musical band and ensemble and the story of Jonah set to the theme of the retro TV show, Gilligan’s Island.
    “In ancient times, Christians would gather after sundown and tell all the great stories of salvation,” said St. Stephen pastor Joseph Graumann. “These stories would reach their climax in the story of Jesus’ triumph over death and continue into the present day. As the day broke, Christians would celebrate the first communion service of Easter morning.”
    The St. Stephen Easter Vigil will not go all night, but it will be a bit longer than a traditional church service. “This is a longer service, but it is very accessible, and moves about the church building,” Pastor Graumann said. Following the readings and stories, the service will conclude with communion “and the first Allelujas of Easter,” he noted.
    For a more traditional Easter celebration, Festive Easter worship will take place at 10 AM on Sunday, April 17 and will feature music by both the vocal and handbell choirs. An Easter brunch follows the service, and all are welcome to come for worship and stay for food and fellowship.. Other Holy Week opportunities at St. Stephen Lutheran Church include Maundy Thursday worship at 7:30 pm, preceded by a soup and bread supper at 7:00 PM, and Good Friday Worship on April 15 at 7:00 PM.
    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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The Micah Center for Social Justice will host “Know Your Rights,” a  Zoom clinic presented by the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, on Tuesday, March 1 at 7:00 p.m. A flagship offering of the lawyers guild, the program focuses on people’s rights regarding police stop and search policies and is designed to both educate and empower people, regardless of their immigration status. 
    If you are alone on a dark road and the police pull up behind you with their lights on, what should you do? What is safe and what are your rights? These questions and others will be answered during the Zoom clinic. 
    The Micah Center, founded in 2020, brings forth social topics for education, awareness and to promote meaningful discussion that could lead to meaningful change. Begun as an initiative of  St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Marlborough, the center has also attracted community members as individuals and from other organizations. Micah Center volunteers believe the Know Your Rights clinic can provide a starting point for conversation and understanding.
    For information on how to access the Tuesday, March 1 Zoom event, go to www.saintstephenlutheran.com/micahcenter.
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“Community” is the theme for Wednesdays in Lent at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Marlborough, beginning with Ash Wednesday worship on March 2 at 7 pm at the church at 537 Bolton St. Marlborough. Wednesday worship continues through Lent on March 9, 16, 23, 30 and April 6.
    “After two years of being kept apart, and as we’re increasingly able to gather again, this Lent we focus on what brings us together,” said pastor Joseph Graumann. The prayer service will explore community with creation, all the saints, our neighbors, the marginalized, and community with Christ. At this time, masks are still required at worship.
    Wednesday services will follow the format of Holden Evening Prayer. Written in 1985-86 by Marty Haugen during a musical residency at Holden Village, a scenic Lutheran camp in the mountains of Washington State, Holden Evening Prayer is a simple Lutheran vespers service that follows traditional form while using contemporary and inclusive language. Since then, the service has been adopted around the world. Haugen is a composer of liturgical music for Lutheran, Roman Catholic and other denominations, with over 400 compositions.
    “God creates each of us for community with others, and so we’re never truly alone., pastor Graumann added. “If you’re feeling lonely and isolated after two years of pandemic living, come make friends at church.”
    As Lent draws to a close, St. Stephen will mark Palm Sunday on April 10 at 10 am, hold a Maundy Thursday worship and soup supper on April 14 at 7 pm, and Good Friday worship April 15, also at 7 pm. The Saturday April 16  Easter Vigil  at 7:30 pm will focus on seven Bible passages, with insight and interpretation by parishioners. On Sunday, April 17, festive Easter worship will take place at 10 am, followed by a potluck brunch.
    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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Bringing warmth to others in winter was a focus for the people of St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Marlborough, for the holidays and beyond, as they wrapped sweatshirts, and donated blankets, throws and cocoa.
    In December, the youth group wrapped 200 sweatshirts for the local Sweats for Vets program, and also shopped for gifts for teens in the Hope for the Holidays outreach. St. Stephen members and friends of all ages, in partnership with the Hudson-based Fresh Start Furniture Bank, collected more than 40 new blankets, throws, and comforters, including some quilted items, and added packets of cocoa to bring several kinds of warmth to the clients of Fresh Start in January.
    “Thank you for dropping off all those blankets and some with Girl Scout cookies and hot chocolate, too,”wrote Fresh Start’s Sue Waudby to St. Stephen Lutheran Church Pastor Joseph Graumann. “We truly appreciate the generosity of your parish in helping to keep our families warm this winter.” She added that the volunteers “were so thrilled to see all these blankets come in when we were running so low. Thank you so much for being a community partner with us.”
    For more information about the 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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From a family-friendly experience for your pre-schooler to a traditional carols and candlelight service for everyone from the kids to Grandma, there is a Christmas Eve service to match your needs at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 537 Bolton Street, Marlborough.
    At 4 pm on Friday, December 24, the Family Service will encourage participation through
responsive readings, a story time, holy communion, and an opportunity to share prayers. “This is a time to come together to hear the Good News that Jesus is born,” said St. Stephen Pastor Joseph Graumann. “Kids are welcome to sit on the floor in the center of the church, and the first two rows will be reserved for their parents,” he added. This service will be a little shorter than the evening service.
    The Festival Eucharist Service, at 7 pm, will offer a more traditional Christmas Eve with readings, prayers, holy communion, carols, and the lighting of candles. Both the handbell choir and the vocal choir will provide additional music. Those who attend will hear the creation story in a new way “as we celebrate God’s message, that Jesus is with us, here and now,” Pastor Graumann noted. “Whether you are new to church or newly returning, you have a place at Christ’s table.”
    Masks are required for everyone age two and above, at both services, and those who are eligible are encouraged to be vaccinated. For those who would prefer Christmas Eve worship from home, both services will be available through YouTube. Go to the church’s website, www.saintstephenlutheran.com, and select Visit our YouTube Channel.
    For more information about the 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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Singing, playing musical instruments, eating Christmas leftovers, feeding the birds, and going on sleigh rides are among a myriad of world customs for St. Stephen Day, December 26, but perhaps the most popular is to give gifts to the poor. The people of St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Marlborough are going to embrace that giving tradition of the church’s patron saint, and invite the community to join them.
    Partnering with Fresh Start Furniture Bank in Hudson, St. Stephen church will collect new blankets and throws between now and Sunday, December 26. If you would like to participate in bringing a little coziness to our neighbors, you can drop off your donation to the church at 537 Bolton Street, Marlborough (Route 85) on Sunday, December 19, from 9 am to noon. (The worship service will take place from 10-11, but items can be left in the lobby.) 
    You can also bring your blankets to one of the Christmas Eve services, Friday, December 24 at 4 pm (Family Service) and 7 p.m (traditional service with candlelight, carols, and handbells). Please note that all items (blankets, throws, comforters) must be new and unused, and should be left inside the church, in the lobby.
    At the 10 am worship service on Sunday, December 26, the collection will be blessed and taken to Fresh Start the following week. Along with other area groups Fresh Start has been working hard to resettle many of the refugees coming to this area.
    For more information about the 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

Two groups contributed their skills, their time, and their money to make Christmas a little happier —and warmer— for mariners served by Seafarers International House, based in New York City. The Knit Wits of St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Marlborough and the Shrewsbury based Night Knitters created handmade hats and scarves, the basis for 30 gift satchels put together by St. Stephen church volunteers. The kits were also packed with a sweatshirt, a teeshirt, a pair of socks, a can of nuts, and a hand made Christmas card.
    Seafarers are often isolated and lonely, sometimes without the means to contact family frequently, or purchase needed items while in port. Typical contracts put most at sea for 10 months a year, and they remain a largely forgotten population at the holidays.
    This is the sixth year the St. Stephen knitters made sure Seafarers would be warm and not forgotten at Christmas. In the first year of participation, Saint Stephen sent five kits and they have been increasing their donation each year. Those who knitted, donated, or put together the satchels this year included Janice Conlin, Joyce Danielson, Lina Dickey, Martha Domke, Marlea Dutt, Ginny Fulham, Ann Gibson, Pastor Joe Graumann, Liz Greer, Peg and Don Harbert, Judy Kellogg, Elaine Recklet, Melanie Whapham and Jane Woolsey. Some funding for the sweatshirts was provided through a Thrivent Action Team initiative. Thrivent, a financial services company, supports a variety of outreach projects. The project was organized by Melanie Whapham, who also delivered the gift packages to a Seafarers chaplain in New Haven, Connecticut. An additional 8 hand knitted hats were donated to the Hudson Food Pantry.
    Seafarers International House is an ecumenical mission of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to seafarers and sojourners, as well as people who are distressed, disadvantaged, and displaced. For more information, check out https:/www.sihnyc.org.
    Seven Lutheran chaplains support the Seafarers Port Mission. When requested, they will board merchant marine ships to provide pastoral care and counseling. During the holidays, chaplains distribute the packages to ships that port in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, Philadelphia and southern New England that will be out at sea for Christmas.
    For more information about the 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

More than 20 families from St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Marlborough, participated in a recent outreach to the Northampton-based Cathedral in the Night, an outdoor community that offers Sunday evening worship followed by a free meal. In an effort spearheaded by youth group leader Sarah Maston, parishioners responded by donating and preparing food, bringing warm clothing, and/or purchasing needed items such as socks, sweats, and thermal underwear, through the CITN Amazon wish list.
    In previous years, church youth had attended worship, served hot meals, and dined with the guests, but Covid restrictions have meant that dinner is now prepared for takeout. The Maston family and six other volunteers dished out 80 hot meals for the to-go containers.
    Cathedral in the Night, www.cathedralinthenight.org, is an outdoor Christian community in downtown Northampton, MA which seeks to create a safe place for all people: the homeless, the housed, the church-less, the churched, the student and the resident to explore, question and live out their spiritual beliefs; to gather for a meal and to empower one another to engage in issues of social justice by working to fight the causes of inequality and homelessness. 
    For more information about St. Stephen Lutheran Church, visit the church’s Facebook page or website, www.saintstephenlutheran.com. 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. 
    Worship is held each Sunday at 10 am, with those attending asked to wear masks.
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