St. Stephen Church to Hold In-Person Worship Every Week Starting July 4

Beginning July 4, St. Stephen Lutheran Church will hold all weekly Sunday services on their property at 537 Bolton St., Marlborough. Throughout the summer, the setting for 10 am worship will be the partially shaded and unpaved back parking lot. In case of rain, the service will take place inside the sanctuary. Some worshipers have appreciated the option of online services over the past year, and that will also continue, with live-streaming on YouTube each week.
    For outdoor worship, please BYOC – Bring Your Own Chair. Although no preregistration will be necessary, please give your information to the greeter if you are a first-time visitor.  Fully vaccinated people may choose to worship without masks; masks are advised, but not mandated for those who are not fully vaccinated. Those attending are encouraged, but not required to keep social distance between household groups.
    “Everyone is welcome, both in person and online, “ said Pastor Joseph Graumann. “I am thankful for God’s grace and assurance throughout this difficult time.”
    On Saturday, September 11, parishioners will participate in an evening service of prayer and healing and a festival Eucharist on Sunday, September 12, at 10 am, to mark the return to the sanctuary for weekly indoor worship. The much-loved coffee hour that typically followed Sunday service before the pandemic will not return over the summer, but the church’s Covid task force, working with other church ministries, is looking into bringing back this institution safely in the fall.
    The new schedule replaces the alternating remote and outdoor Sundays that started on Easter Sunday. For the remainder of June, note that June 20 will be a Zoom service and June 27 will be outside. 
Cleanup Day
    With outdoor services bringing parishioners and friends back to live church in the spring, the property was in full view— and in need of sprucing up. Fourteen enthusiastic members came out for Cleanup Day in May. Raking, weeding, trimming and planting kept the crew busy, and worshipers were rewarded with an improved landscape. Participants included Frank and Marlea Dutt (Hudson), Dave Domke (Marlboro),  Pastor Joseph Graumann (Marlboro), Peg and Don Harbert (Shrewsbury), Doug Kellogg (Marlboro), Pam and Kyle Narahara (Marlboro), Todd Priess (Hudson), Deb and Bill Roberts (Marlboro), Dave Ross (Marlboro), and Ann Weston (Hudson).
    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. 
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