The E-postle September 27, 2020

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
E-Postle
September 27, 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
• Stewardship: Stewardship Reflection, Stewardship Thank Yous, Community “Phone a Friend”
• Worship: Orange Shirt Day this Sunday – ‘Every Child Matters’, Children’s Sunday
• Parish Matters: We have a Building Coordinator!!, Call for New Leaders – Treasurer and Council Members, Update on Community Ventures Society, Application for Partial Reopening of Parish Buildings, Drainage Repair Project, Financial Status for July & August 2020, Parish Giving, Ongoing Updates Pages, E-Postle Submissions
• Parish Ministries: Fall Bazaar, Anglican Church Women (A.C.W.) News, Food Bank Update
• Community News: Spring Street Community Kitchen, Week of the Older Person, 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 27            8:30am & 10:00am – Sunday Morning Prayer – Orange Shirt Sunday + Children’s Sunday

https://zoom.us/j/542312325?pwd=R3FKTnZ4WUU1YUFveCtzOUljM2FLZz09

Meeting ID: 542 312 325
Password: 010729

Sunday, September 27          following 8:30am and 10:00am worship – Informal Virtual “Coffee Hour”
Tuesday, September 29        10:15am – 12:00pm – Bible Study
Tuesday, September 29         7:00pm – 8:00pm – Prayer Group

 

STEWARDSHIP

Stewardship Reflection

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

Matthew 21:23-32
Jesus speaks about John the Baptist to those who “have it made.” They didn’t listen to John’s message which advocated for justice. However, says Jesus, the toll collectors and prostitutes did. And they (as we all know) didn’t “have it made.” Are there connections between stewardship and justice? You be the judge.

 

Stewardship Thank Yous

Whilst we have been locked out of our beloved church and buildings, they have not been abandoned to moulder and decay. In the absence of our bustling community, the building and maintenance teams, our wardens and Vivian, along with Parish Council have worked to keep up our buildings making structural repairs to the stairs and deck of the PMC, and investigating drainage issues around our buildings. Each week a member of the team makes checks on the building and grounds. When we are able to safely gather again, our meeting places will be standing ready for us, thanks to this quiet team.

“Even if we don’t see it, God is always working underneath the surface, behind the scenes, and orchestrating his plans and purposes.” Louie Giglio

-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 this Sunday – ‘Every Child Matters’

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

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”.

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.”

 

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 are 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

We have a Building Coordinator!!

Thank you to Rich Thompson who has volunteered to be our Parish Building Coordinator, once again. We are very thankful that he is able to help out in spite of having a full-time job with “unsocial” hours.

 

Call for New Leaders – Treasurer and Council Members

While waiting to replace the role of Treasurer, Amalia McGlashan has graciously offered to hold the role remotely until we find a replacement.

With the departure of the McGlashans, Council is now down to a smaller group of 2 clergy and 5 lay members. We really need those of you who have the interest and/or skillset to come forward 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.

 

Update on Community Ventures Society

Over the summer our parish had received permission from the diocese for a restricted opening of the Parish Hall, in order to host neighbouring non-profit Community Ventures Society (CVS). Due to increased staff-to-client ratios necessitated by the pandemic, CVS has less staff available and they are holding off for now on having an additional site on our premises.

 

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.

 

Financial Status for July & August 2020

We append below the Parish financial status for your information.

Statement of Income and Expenses ending 31^st August 2020

	July Actual	August Actual	August Budget	August YTD Actual	August YTD Budget
Income	$15,060	$10,299.70	$19,083.33	$111,933.58	$152,666.64
Expenses	$12,384	$12,660.72	$19,089.80	$104,280.19	$152.641.90
Surplus (-) Loss	$2,076	-$2,361.02	-$5,81	$7,653.39	$24.74

 

	July Actual	August Actual	August Budget	August YTD Actual	August YTD Budget
Offering for General Funds	$10,016	$8,338	$15,408.33	$81,329.53	$123,266.64
Offering for Property	$1,494	$1,056.70	0	$10,202.60	0

Notes: Deficit in August is due mostly to lower donations and purchase of an online version of our membership and accounting database.

 

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/Links – https://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

As we prepare for our potential annual Fall Bazaar (this year envisioned to be a virtual online bazaar instead), we continue to search for parish members who may have items to contribute. If you sew, crochet, knit, craft, or otherwise create, please contact us with a brief description of your creation. Due to the constraints of online selling, we may not be able to sell all products. Please know that every contribution will be appreciated and would be available for sale at our next in person bazaar or tea. Please contact Alma Oldenburg at ACW@stja.ca or 604-788-2562, or Sue Hall at sbhcat@hotmail.com.

We are also looking for computer help to create our online ordering system. If you are willing to help with this task, please contact Kristin Kuhn at bobandkristinkuhn@gmail.com or 778-957-8987.

Anglican Church Women (A.C.W.) News

Layettes:
The A.C.W. are collecting baby items (newborn to 2 years) for the layette bundles for A.C.W. Place. Baby Layettes are a collection of items a family would need for a new baby, bundled up in a blanket, and sent to needy families in the North of B.C. and locally. If you would like to contribute to this outreach, please contact Ann Adair-Austin at ACW@stja.ca for collection details. Items will need to be collected by October 17th.

Mission to Seafarers
The A.C.W. are also collecting items to send to the Mission to Seafarers for their Christmas-at-Sea event. If you would like to contribute to this outreach some of the suggested items to donate are: toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, soap, razors, small shower gel and shampoo, socks, gloves, toques (home made or bought), chocolate. (No scarfs as they are dangerous onboard). More information on this outreach can be found on the Mission to Seafarer’s website: https://www.flyingangel.ca/. There is also an option to make a financial contribution to this outreach through their website, if that is more preferable. Please contact Ann Adair-Austin (ACW@stja.ca) for collection details. Items will need to be collected by October 24th.

Calendars:
The 2021 Anglican Church Calendars will be available at the end of October. Cost: $7 each. If you would like to reserve a copy, please contact Antoinette at: toni.woodman@shaw.ca.

 

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

Spring Street Community Kitchen

Thanks to all who joined us this past Thursday for our first test run of the online Spring Street Community Kitchen, a partnership between St. John’s Anglican and Inlet United. We all enjoyed learning and sharing about “How to Make a Pumpkin Pie”.

In line with our Thanksgiving theme, we are also raising funds to support the Thanksgiving Meal ministry of our neighbours at All Saints Catholic Parish. Please consider giving via any of the ways outlined at https://www.stja.ca/supporting-st-johns/, and make sure to let us know that your donation is for “Community Kitchen”.

We continue to welcome volunteers for future kitchens – planning, hosting, moderating, and tech support are just some of the roles available. Please connect with Geri at rectorswarden@stja.ca or SpringStreetCommunityKitchen@gmail.com to learn more.

 

“The Week of the Older Person” Zoom Webinars

The Tri-Cities Seniors’ Action Society and the BC Association of Community Response Networks are hosting a Zoom event “The Week of the Older Person” from September 28 to October 2.

There will be a Zoom webinar each day starting at 10am and ending between 11:30am to 12:00 noon. There is NO COST for these workshops. Register for each day’s webinar at https://www.facebook.com/events/331751294710874/

• Monday, 9/28: Falls & Injury Prevention
• Tuesday, 9/29: Why Preventative Health Matters
• Wednesday, 9/30: Protecting Yourself during COVID and the Importance of Vaccines to Stay Healthy
• Thursday, 10/1: Elder Abuse Awareness
• Friday, 10/2: Sleep to Better Health

 

Bishop Election

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

Information on the 5 nominees and the election process, as well as a video and transcript for the virtual “Town Hall” can be found at https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/collections/seeking-our-next-bishop.

Please continue to hold the clergy and lay delegates and 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.

In Episode 2 of the season, “The Creator’s Game,” guest host Peter Downie explores the game of Lacrosse and its deep spiritual roots. 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;
• St. Michael, Surrey – The Venerable Luisito Engnan;
• St. Michael, Vancouver – The Reverend Wilmer Toyoken, The Reverend Eric Stroo;
• St. Francis-in the-Wood, West Vancouver – The Reverend Angus Stuart, The Reverend Alecia Greenfield;
• 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 27, 2020 – Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost

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

 

Readings for October 4, 2020 – Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20; Psalm 19; Philippians 3:4b-14; Matthew 21:33-46

 

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