The E-postle September 20, 2020

The E-postle September 20, 2020

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
E-Postle
September 20, 2020

“The Parish of St. John the Apostle is called to be
*             A Spirited Community at the heart of Port Moody
*             transformed through the experience of the presence of Christ
*             and sent out to share God’s Love”

 
THIS ISSUE AT A GLANCE

  • Upcoming Dates
  • Rector’s Note
  • Stewardship: Stewardship Reflection, Stewardship Thank Yous, Community “Phone a Friend”
  • Worship: Orange Shirt Day – ‘Every Child Matters’, Children’s Sunday
  • Parish Matters: Application for Partial Reopening of Parish Buildings, Drainage Repair Project, Call for New Leaders, Financial Status for June & July 2020, Parish Giving, Ongoing Updates Pages, E-Postle Submissions
  • Parish Ministries: Fall Bazaar, Food Bank Update
  • Community News: This Thursday 9/24 – Inaugural Community Kitchen, Bishop Election, Sacred Teachings Podcast – Season 4
  • Weekly Devotions: Prayer Cycle, Scripture Readings
  • Important Contact Information

 
UPCOMING DATES

***Note: All gatherings below take place online via Zoom unless otherwise indicated.***
(Visit https://www.stja.ca/2020/program-updates/ for connection information)


Sunday, September 20           8:30am & 10:00am – Sunday Morning Prayer

Meeting ID: 542 312 325
Password: 010729

Sunday, September 20          following 8:30am and 10:00am worship – Informal Virtual “Coffee Hour”
Thursday, September 24       6:00pm – 7:00pm – 1st Spring Street Community Kitchen
Sunday, September 27          Orange Shirt Sunday + Children’s Sunday


RECTOR’S NOTE

It’s been a while since I’ve written a Rector’s Note, but I thought that since this week we’ve crossed the 6 month mark of worshiping online as a community (can you believe that our first Zoom service was Mar. 15!), it was worth noting. It is a somewhat bittersweet milestone, reminding us that the pandemic has gone on much longer than many of us had probably expected in the beginning… but also reminding us of the sweet truth that St. John’s is, at its core, we the people who make up this Body of Christ, wherever we are – virtual or in-person. Throughout these months, I have been so heartened by how we have been able to continue to gather to worship and encounter God together, and to love and care for each other in so many wonderful ways.

I know that for many of us, it has been a challenging period. At times, it may feel like the efforts that we have gone through these many months don’t make a difference, that everything was for naught as things don’t turn out as expected, as what we think we know keeps changing. Many of us may feel underappreciated, or feel exhausted with all the many decisions, the shifting and adjusting, the trying to discern the right way forward when the way is not clear, the burden of all that we have been doing to care for ourselves and for others through this challenging time.

On days when you might feel this way, I commend the following video to you and hope it will be a balm to your soul. It is a lovely informal studio version of a contemporary worship song “Your Labor is Not In Vain,” based in part on 1 Corinthians 15:58: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPj3Kf7Dorw&ab_channel=WendellKimbrough.

Trust that God is at work in you. Trust that your labour is holy and blessed. What you have done and do now matters. You matter and you are beloved. We are not alone in any of this. God is here with us through it all.

Peace,
Vivian

 

STEWARDSHIP

Stewardship Reflection

From Sunday by Sunday: Reflections on Stewardship, prepared by the Ven. Dr. Michael Pollesel:

Matthew 20:1-16
“I’ll pay you whatever is fair,” says the owner of the vineyard to those he hires. However, by the end of the day, the payment hardly seems fair to those who have worked under the hot sun all day long. God’s generosity knows no bounds. How many times do you think to yourself: “God’s not being fair to me”? Think again!

Stewardship Thank Yous

As physical separation from our St. John’s community became the new reality, a new group began to form. This was the Phone-A-Friend team; a dedicated band of caring and committed volunteers who tried to make sure that everyone on our parish list received a call to check on their well being, offer help with groceries, prescriptions, etc. if it were needed, and just be an ear to hear for anyone feeling lonely or bereft by the temporary closure of our buildings. We thank you for this gift of time, love, and friendship to our wider community.

“Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer.” – Ed Cunningham

-The Stewardship Team

 

Community “Phone a Friend”

Your St. John’s Stewardship Team have set up a “phone a friend” service for us all to keep from feeling a bit disconnected during these days of physical distancing. We have set up phone teams to call each week to “check in” and help relieve some of the loneliness that is inevitable in the current circumstances.

We would like to make sure no one out there is left out, so email or call Kristin (bobandkristinkuhn@gmail.com or 778-957-8987) or Natasha (freefromfear101@gmail.com or 604-961-6630) if you are not receiving a call and would like to, or if you are interested in helping to make these phone calls, and we will make sure you get hooked into the service.

We know that the caring community that is St. John’s will not leave any of its people feeling more separated than is absolutely necessary. “Distance means so little when people mean so much.”

-Your Stewardship Team


WORSHIP

Orange Shirt Day – ‘Every Child Matters’

In anticipation of Orange Shirt Day on September 30th, once again we will be recognizing this day at both services next Sunday, September 27th.

From orangeshirtday.org we find this explanation as to why we mark this day:

“Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission residential school commemoration event held in Williams Lake in the spring of 2013.  It grew out of Phyllis (Jack) Webstad’s account of losing her shiny new orange shirt on her first day of school at the Mission, and it has become an opportunity to keep the discussion on all aspects of residential schools happening annually.  The date was chosen because children are back in school and teachers have time to plan, and because it is an opportunity to set the stage for anti-racism and anti-bullying policies for the year.  Orange Shirt Day is also an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and community agencies to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come.”

If you have an orange shirt or scarf or ribbon at home, please wear it on this day in honour of Phyllis and the ongoing work of remembering that “Every Child Matters”. We are also hoping to have a small video from our children on the meaning of this day to them.

Children’s Sunday

We have met with those who have been involved in teaching our children, and have brainstormed ways to keep our children engaged during worship this fall.

On the last Sunday of every month, we will be starting a small program open to children of all ages.  During this program, we will be looking at and talking about the Beatitudes. The curriculum we will be using is from Illustrated Ministries, the source of our Vacation Bible School.

Of course, young people will continue to be welcomed in regular Sunday worship each week, and we hope to find ways in which the children can be more actively involved in the service from time to time.

 

PARISH MATTERS

Application for Partial Reopening of Parish Buildings

After prayerfully considering how best to balance our parish survey results and our ongoing ministry needs, Parish Council has decided to move ahead with an application to the Diocese to partially reopen the buildings at the diocesan Phase 3 level in the next several weeks.

Our application would not include use of our buildings for worship at this time, but would include the ability to welcome back community user groups, partial usage of our buildings for smaller group activities, as well as a limited reopening of our Parish Office. Any and all activity would abide by necessary social distancing, cleaning, contact tracing, and other protocols that are currently being worked out for this application, offering clear guidance to all.

If you are interested in helping to think through some of these protocols for now and/or future reopening stages, please connect with Vivian at rector@stja.ca.

Drainage Repair Project

In response to persistent pooling water around the church buildings following rain, Parish Council retained a company to perform exploratory work to determine the extent of the problem. They have determined the drainage around the church building is in immediate need of replacement and confirmed that we are not currently connected to the City of Port Moody storm sewer system. They have also indicated there is no structural reason the drainage system cannot be connected to the storm sewer system once it is fully operational.

Parish Council has a quote for the repair. We will be seeking more quotes and would like to invite everyone to a special Vestry Meeting soon to make this decision together as a parish. We hope to obtain two more quotes with timelines attached for the consideration of the parish.

If anyone has a company to recommend or to consider, please forward the contact information to rectorswarden@stja.ca. If you are interested in helping out with this project, please reach out to Geri.

Call for New Leaders – Immediate Need for Building Coordinator and Treasurer

The McGlashans have moved up North and are settling in their new home.  Their departure has left a big gap in the leadership of the Parish.

While Amalia has graciously offered to hold the Treasurer’s role until we find a replacement (though not ideal for her to manage remotely), we are in dire need of a Building Coordinator, left vacant by Brian. Although we do not use the church properties as much during this pandemic, the buildings still need to be checked regularly and maintained.

You may already know that we are thinly spread at Council this year with a smaller group of 2 clergy and 7 lay members (before Amalia and Brian’s departure). There is definitely room now for additional Council members!

We pray that those of you who have the interest and/or skillset will step up to assist in the management of your church, St. John’s.

Please speak to Ruby at peopleswarden@stja.ca or Geri at rectorswarden@stja.ca if you are interested or have any questions.

Financial Status for June & July 2020

We append below the Parish financial status for your information.

Statement of Income and Expenses 31st July 2020

June Actual July Actual July Budget July YTD Actual July YTD Budget
Income $13,661 $15,060 $ 19,083 $ 101,633 $133,583
Expenses $ 9,126 $12,384 $19,078 $91,619 $133,552
Surplus
(-) Loss
$ 4,535 $2,076 $5 $7,189 $31

 

  June Actual July Actual July Budget July YTD Actual July YTD Budget
Offering for General Funds $10,261 $10,016 $15,408 $72,991 $107,858
Offering for Property $950 $1,494 0 $9,145 0

Notes: Expenses for July are higher due to (1) Replacement of the PMC stairs, fascia board, and railings for the deck; and (2) Exploration and flushing of the perimeter drain tile system around the church properties.   

 

Parish Giving

Thank you to all who have continued with your offerings via PADs and cheques. If you wish to e-transfer your contributions directly to the church account, please contact Ruby at peopleswarden@stja.ca or Amalia at treasurer@stja.ca for more details. There are also links on our website at https://www.stja.ca/supporting-st-johns/ if you would prefer to donate by PayPal or Credit Card.

Ongoing Updates Pages

There are 2 important pages on our parish website which will be updated regularly as we have new information (links to both pages can also be found at the top of our homepage www.stja.ca):

  1. Program & Worship Updates/Linkshttps://www.stja.ca/2020/program-updates/ – current information on programs, including Zoom meeting information and the bulletin and scripture readings for Sunday worship.
  2. Updates on Covid-19 at St. John’s –  https://www.stja.ca/2020/updates-re-coronavirus/ – a collection of all special correspondence from Archbishop Melissa and from our parish re: actions that St. John’s and our greater diocese are taking with the Covid-19 virus.

E-Postle Submissions

If you have submissions for the E-Postle, please email them to Kathy by Wednesday at 9:00pm at news@stja.ca.

 

PARISH MINISTRIES

Fall Bazaar

The ACW is hoping to be able to hold a virtual Bazaar this fall. We are in the process of making jams and jellies, and would appreciate the return of any jars that you may have from previous years. Please contact Kristin Kuhn or Ferne Malcolm so that we can arrange a drop off plan.

More to come on the Fall Bazaar later.

Food Bank Update

At our last meeting, the members of the Food Bank decided to not resume the Food Bank until it can operate in a way similar to how it had in the past. We will be looking for a new coordinator and discussing ways in which we can divide and/or share the duties. If anyone is interested in joining the group of Foodbank and/or Lunch volunteers your help would be very much appreciated. Please connect with us at foodbank@stja.ca.

-Mary Kyle


COMMUNITY NEWS

This Thursday 9/24 – Inaugural Community Kitchen

You’re invited to join us on Zoom this Thursday, September 24, 6-7pm for the inaugural launch of the online Spring Street Community Kitchen, a partnership between St. John’s Anglican and Inlet United.

Pre-registration is required – please email your name and email address to SpringStreetCommunityKitchen@gmail.com to be included on the list to receive Zoom connection information.

In anticipation of Thanksgiving, our very own Geri will be doing a live demonstration of “How to Make a Pumpkin Pie”. There will be opportunities to ask questions and share conversation with others. We will also be raising funds to support the Thanksgiving Meal ministry of our neighbours at All Saints Catholic Parish.

This will be our first test-run of the Community Kitchen, and we would love your participation and feedback! We are also looking for volunteers for future kitchens – planning, hosting, moderating, and tech support are just some of the roles available.

If you have any questions, please connect with Geri at rectorswarden@stja.ca.

 

Bishop Election

Archbishop Melissa will be retiring at the end of February 2021 and our diocese will be electing her successor on October 3, 2020.

The 5 nominees have been announced at https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/news/announcement-of-the-nominees-for-bishop-coadjutor. In addition to general information on nominees and the election process, a video and transcript for this past week’s virtual “Town Hall” will be made available at the election site by September 19 – https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/collections/seeking-our-next-bishop.

Please continue to hold this election process in your prayers.

 

Sacred Teachings Podcast – Season 4

Season 4 of The Sacred Teachings podcast has just launched! This season, entitled “Stolen”, will take us on a series of investigations with guest host Peter Downie. So much has been stolen from Indigenous people for so many years – land, water, language, culture, and much more. This series looks at what has been taken, who took it, and how can justice be served.

Episode 1 of the season, “Stolen Dreams,” asks: Can you steal the dreams of another person?  Of a group or nation of people? If, so, how to get them back? This and other episodes can be found at https://www.anglican.ca/im/podcasts/.

The teachings, languages, traditions and stories of the Ancestors are shared in this podcast, which is sponsored by the Anglican Church of Canada. Highly respected Indigenous speakers are featured in this series, with a different theme for each season, including the sacredness of Creation and finding meaning in a global crisis.

 

WEEKLY DEVOTIONS

Prayer Cycle

The Anglican Church of Canada – the Most Rev. Linda Nicholls, Primate, and the Most Rev. Mark MacDonald, National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop.

The Diocese of New Westminster – the Most Rev. Melissa Skelton, Archbishop, and Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of BC and Yukon.

And this week:

  • The election of our diocese’s Coadjutor Bishop on October 3;
  • Mission to Seafarers – The Reverend Peter Smyth;
  • Jude Anglican Home – The Reverend Clare Morgan;
  • Vancouver General Hospital – The Reverend Bryan Rivers;
  • College and University Campus Ministries – The Reverend Alain-Michel Rocheleau;
  • Chaplains to the Retired Clergy – The Reverend Karin Fulcher; The Reverend Neil Gray
  • Our partner Diocese of Northern Philippines, Bishop Brent Alawas, and especially the people of our twin church at St. John the Evangelist Mission, Balugan;
  • The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada – National Bishop Susan Johnson, BC Synod Bishop Greg Mohr;
  • The brothers and sisters who share our worship space: The Port Moody Korean Presbyterian Church

 

Readings for September 20, 2020 – Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Exodus 16:2-15; Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Philippians 1:21-30; Matthew 20:1-16

 

Readings for September 27, 2020 – Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost

Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16; Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:23-32


IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION

Rector The Rev. Vivian Lam rector@stja.ca 604-936-7762 (church voicemail) / 604-723-5029 (cell)
Deacon The Rev. Anne Anchor deacon@stja.ca
Parish Office administrator@stja.ca 604-936-7762
(Office is closed at this time, but email and voice messages will be checked Tuesday – Friday)
Rector’s Warden Geri Grigg rectorswarden@stja.ca
People’s Warden Ruby Ng peopleswarden@stja.ca
Treasurer Amalia McGlashan treasurer@stja.ca
Envelope Secretary Sheila De Vaal envelopesecretary@stja.ca
Parish Council Kristin Kuhn, Secretary parishcouncilsecretary@stja.ca
Altar Guild Brenda Binns altarguild@stja.ca
Anglican Church Women Alma Oldenburg ACW@stja.ca 604-788-2562
Bible Study Lynne Milner biblestudy@stja.ca
Building Repairs / Maintenance property@stja.ca
Children’s Ministry/Godly Play Christina Anchor children@stja.ca
E-Postle Kathy De Vaal news@stja.ca
Food Bank foodbank@stja.ca
Parish Visiting Ministry Joanne Walton/Alma Oldenburg pastoralvisits@stja.ca
Prayer Circle Sue Elliott prayer@stja.ca
Prayer Shawls Rosa Weisensel administrator@stja.ca

 

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