We are privileged to serve the living God. We count it a responsibility and an honor to serve others as Jesus Christ served us. At St. Stephen, there are many opportunities for you to use your gifts to reach others.

Here is a short list of LOCAL MISSIONS that we support with our time and donations:

• Habitat for Humanity - as of March 2011, we have built 19 homes.
• Room in the Inn ministry for the homeless - we are a host site every weekend from December through March. Click here for more information.
• CROP Walk against hunger - We have been the largest financial contributor in Charlotte
• Bethlehem Center - www.bethlehemcenter.org
• Charlotte Crisis Assistance Ministry - there is a bin in Holy Grounds Café (near the gym) where we collect clothing to donate. www.crisisassistance.org
• Center of Hope (Salvation Army Women and Children's Shelter) - we provide a meal at the shelter the second Thursday of each month. Click here for more information
  
• Friendship Trays - Charlotte-Mecklenburg's meals on wheels program. www.friendshiptrays.org
• Uptown Men's Shelter - we provide a meal at the shelter the second Monday of each month. www.MensShelterofCharlotte.org (Click here for more information and our Cowboy Stew Recipe. )
• Loaves and Fishes - www.loavesandfishes.org
• Red Cross Blood Drive - quarterly on a Sunday morning. See our calendar for the next scheduled blood drive.
• Shepherd's Center South - www.shepherdscentersouth.org

Beyond our local area, each year we send youth and adults on summer mission work teams with Appalachia Service Project (www.asphome.org) and YouthWorks! (www.youthworks.com).

With our budget, we support global missions through our denomination. Our money supports outreach projects, schools and colleges, social justice programs and other missions throughout the county, state, nation, and world. Over 30% of our budget supports missions.

Room in the Inn We host up to 10 guests from the Urban Ministry Center each Friday in December and each Friday and Saturday from January through March. Click the logo for more information about this ministry at St. Stephen.

Annual Christmas Tree Sale The Ron Robinson Christmas Tree Sale is a fundraiser to benefit our Youth Mission projects. The sale is Friday, Dec. 2 to Sun, Dec. 4. To help, please sign up at www.signupgenius.com/go/ronrobinson or contact Art Dennis.

Christmas Stocking Stuffers Pick up your stockings in your adult Sunday school class or in the marked box in the Narthex. This is a great opportunity to bring some relief to struggling families and to bring a smile to a child’s face on Christmas morning. Pick an age/gender and stuff your stocking with appropriate gifts. We are collecting each Sunday through Dec. 4. It is not too early to start as there are only 32 shopping days until the final date. Our goal is 1000 stockings so we are counting on your participation.

Brown meat and add chili powder, salt/pepper. Add corn, beans and tomatoes. Do not drain vegetables. Cook until rice is done and stew is very hot. There are always pans in the kitchen as we recycle them...so help yourself. A lot of folks double this recipe as the single one doesn’t fill the pan. Your brownies are always a wonderful treat but during the ride to the shelter sometimes the frosted ones end up with more frosting on the foil than on the brownies. We’d love to frost them when we get there if you would bring the frosting “on the side.” As always thanks for making this happen each month.