The E-postle January 31, 2021

The E-postle January 31, 2021
January 30, 2021

Sunday after the Epiphany
E-Postle
January 31, 2021

“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
  • Worship & Prayer: Pastoral Note, Children’s Sunday – this Sunday Jan. 31, New Noonday Psalms & Prayer Volunteers, Ongoing Pastoral Care & Support
  • Stewardship: Stewardship Reflection, Community “Phone a Friend”
  • Formation: “Stars Leading the Way…” Reflections
  • Parish Matters: Annual Vestry Meeting – Feb. 21, Seeking New Parish Council Members, Limited Reopening of Parish Office & Buildings, Financial Status for October & November 2020, Parish Giving, Ongoing Updates Pages, E-Postle Submissions
  • Parish Ministries: Food Bank Update
  • Community News: Farewell Card & Party for Archbishop, Consecration and Ordination of Bishop Coadjutor, Spring Street Community Kitchen
  • 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, January 31                8:30am & 10:00am – Sunday Morning Prayer + Children’s Sunday Program (at 10am worship)        

https://zoom.us/j/542312325?pwd=R3FKTnZ4WUU1YUFveCtzOUljM2FLZz09
Meeting ID: 542 312 325
Password: 010729

Sunday, January 31                following 8:30am and 10:00am worship – Informal Virtual “Coffee Hour”
Tuesday, February 2               10:15am – 12:00pm – Bible Study
Tuesday, February 2              7:00pm – 8:00pm – Prayer Group
Sunday, February 21              after 10:00am service – Annual Vestry meeting
Sunday, February 28              (livestreamed from the Cathedral)
                                               Installation of the Rt. Rev. John Stephens as the 10th Bishop of our Diocese


WORSHIP & PRAYER

Pastoral Note

We offer our deepest condolences to parishioner Claire Prentice, as she grieves the death last week of her mother Bea Young. Please join us in praying for Claire, her father Archie, and their wider family in this difficult time.

Children’s Sunday – this Sunday Jan. 31

Sunday January 31st there will be a lesson/social time for the children during the 10:00am service. We look forward to having them join us at the beginning of the service for the Children’s Talk before they go to their time together.

New Noonday Psalms & Prayer Volunteers

We’re looking for a few new people (of any age) to help lead our Noonday Psalms & Prayers on Facebook! You would read (out loud) a pre-selected psalm, and share a personal prayer focusing on something or someone in the world around us. You can sign up to lead these prayers as frequently as you’d like, and instructions and training will be provided. Please contact Vivian at rector@stja.ca if you’re interested.

For the past several months, we have been holding some sacred space in this way for scripture and prayer each day – we see it as a small spiritual gift for our wider community during this pandemic time. Check out our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/StJohnAnglican to see past videos.

Ongoing Pastoral Care & Support

A note from Vivian:

Please know that St. John’s is here for you as we continue to move through this pandemic. Now that I don’t see many of you as regularly, and with the limitations of virtual interactions, it is more challenging to know what everyone’s state of wellbeing and ongoing pastoral needs are. I invite and encourage you to reach out to me or to any of the other parish resources below, if and as you need.

Rector – Please contact me via rector@stja.ca or cell.  I am happy to connect via phone, email, text, Facetime or Zoom, and, during this pandemic, in-person in urgent situations. I am here for support in crisis times (i.e. emergencies, hospital stays) and if you would like prayer for an upcoming medical procedure or other major circumstance. I am also available for general spiritual support and encouragement, and can offer a listening ear and prayer in the moment.

Community “Phone a Friend” – our Stewardship Team has set up phone teams to call folks each week to “check in” and help lessen isolation and foster connection. Connect with Kristin (bobandkristinkuhn@gmail.com or 778-957-8987) or Natasha (freefromfear101@gmail.com or 604-961-6630) if you’d like to receive or help make these calls.

Sunday Prayers of the People – If you would like to be prayed for in our Sunday intercessions, please email Anne at deacon@stja.ca. You will be prayed for by first name, for whatever time period you indicate. If you are adding someone else, please be sure you have their OK to do so.

Prayer Circle – Please email Sue E. at prayer@stja.ca. This is a group of parishioners who commit to pray for prayer needs of parishioners and friends/families. All requests are kept confidential within the group, and you can let the group know as much or as little detail of the situation they’re praying for, as you wish. If you are requesting prayer for someone else, please be sure you have their OK to do so.

Parish Visiting Ministry – Members of this team focus on our parishioners who are homebound or living in care homes. During this pandemic time, they are praying for and connecting with these parishioners via phone, email, and mail. Please connect with Joanne W. or Alma at pastoralvisits@stja.ca with needs in this area.

 

STEWARDSHIP

Stewardship Reflection

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

Mark 1:21-28
The actions of Jesus seem to have a remarkable effect, and “his fame began to spread.” What kind of effect do our actions, as stewards, have on those around us?

Community “Phone a Friend”

The Stewardship Team is looking for volunteers to keep the phone a friend program going. If you have time to make a few calls once a week to help keep our community connected, please call Kristin (778-957-8987) or email bobandkristinkuhn@gmail.com. Thanks to all the volunteers who have been so kind as to offer their assistance with this project so far. You have been appreciated greatly!

-Your Stewardship Team

 

FORMATION

“Stars Leading the Way…” Reflections

We hope you’ll read, pray with, “like”, and comment on the Epiphany star reflections written by members of the St. John’s family, which are now being posted every morning, Mon-Fri, on our Facebook page  www.facebook.com/StJohnAnglican. (For those not on Facebook you can also view the reflections at https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/tri-cities-north-burnaby/st-john-the-apostle/pages/stars-leading-the-way.) Thank you to everyone who volunteered to participate!

If you’d like an Epiphany star word simply to reflect on personally for the year, it’s not too late! Please connect with Vivian and she would be glad to draw one out randomly for you.

 

PARISH MATTERS

Annual Vestry Meeting – Feb. 21

Please save the date for Annual Vestry, which will be held virtually on Zoom on Sunday, Feb. 21, directly following the 10am service. More information to come, as we draw closer to the date.

Seeking New Parish Council Members

As we move into a new year and come up on our next Annual Vestry meeting, we are looking for several new folks to stand for election to Parish Council. Thanks to those who have said yes already!

As a bonus, we’re excited to showcase Miranda’s artwork supporting Council in these efforts – please click on https://www.stja.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/miranda-council-pic-edited.png to see her wonderful representation of what it means to sit at this leadership “table”.

You may be wondering, what is Parish Council and what would it look like to serve? First, being on Council doesn’t mean you will be expected to do everything at the church! One of our parish values is “We strive to be a spirited and courageous family, valuing all people—laity and clergy—in their ministries.” Here at St. John’s, responsibilities are shared and everyone has a role to play, whether on Council or in another capacity.

Council members spent some time at our last 2 meetings clarifying what we see as some of the KEY ROLES of Parish Council:

  • Praying together while recognizing and seeking God’s guidance in parish decisions
  • Responding efficiently to our church’s needs – making decisions, recruiting others, delegating work
  • Listening to and hearing the needs and wants of the congregation, and representing those voices at the table
  • Identifying the gifts of people in the parish
  • Visioning for and with the congregation
  • Being fiduciary overseers
  • Being a bridge/liaison to our diocese and to the outside world

When we reflected on the HIGHLIGHTS of being on Parish Council this year, a few things we came up with:

  • Getting lots of stuff done
  • Lots of laughs!
  • Spiritual reflection time at the beginning of meetings
  • Knowing what’s going on in the church and being able to participate in it
  • Being able to help out, give back to our church, and make a difference
  • The satisfaction of helping things run (like running a business)
  • (For Lay Delegates) being part of diocesan synod meetings
  • Efficiency and ease of Zoom meetings

Do any of these descriptions of Parish Council resonate with you? We hope you will prayerfully consider whether you may be called to serve this year – please talk to Ruby or Geri (peopleswarden@stja.ca or rectorswarden@stja.ca) if you are interested.

Limited Reopening of Parish Office & Buildings

The Parish Office is now open 3 partial days a week – generally on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10am-2pm – but please note that this schedule may shift from time to time. For now, the office will not be open to walk-in visitors – anyone coming by the office for a necessary purpose will need to make an appointment beforehand and follow Covid safety protocols as directed.

Anyone planning to come inside the church buildings at this time must also check in beforehand with Deanna in the office at administrator@stja.ca – even if you plan to be here just for a brief period of time. This is to enable necessary contact tracing, notification to anyone else in the building at the same time, and to review safety protocols as needed.

We have recently welcomed back one of our community 12-step groups; other outside user groups have opted to hold off on meeting in-person for the time being. The 12-step group is following strict safety protocols and is permitted to meet under the current provincial health order.

You may view the full reopening plan, the most recent guide for outside user groups, as well as diocesan updates at https://www.stja.ca/2020/updates-re-coronavirus/.

Financial Status for October & November 2020

We append below the Parish financial status for your information.

Statement of Income and Expenses ending 30th day of November 2020

October
Actual $		 November Actual $ November Budget $ November YTD Actual $ November YTD Budget $
Income 15,679 15,913.20 19,083.33 157,615.12 209,916.63
Expenses 14,477 14,170.73 19,089.60 148,124.93 209,910.70
Surplus
(-) Loss		 1,202 1,742.47 -6.27 9490.19 5.93

 

October Actual $ November Actual $ November Budget $ November YTD Actual $ November YTD Budget $
Offering for General Funds 11,903 10,063 15,408.33 114,037.47 169,491.63
Offering for Property 1,261 1,121.70 0 13,977.70 0

Notes:
We continue to be able to fulfill our obligations thanks to your contributions. With an increase in donations, we have a slight surplus for the month of November.

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

Food Bank Update

It looks like the St. John’s Food Bank will not be reopening in the near future, given the Covid-19 situation. However, our church continues to help needy people in our community through our support of the SHARE Food Bank. At our October Parish Council meeting, we carried a motion to donate $2000 to the SHARE Food Bank in November to help with their Christmas hampers. Thank you to all the parishioners at St. John’s who have made contributions to the Food Bank fund. We couldn’t do it without you!

We are still looking for a member of our congregation to take on the role of Food Bank coordinator. If you are interested, please send an email to foodbank@stja.ca.

 

COMMUNITY NEWS

Farewell Card & Party for Archbishop

There are 2 ways to recognize with gratitude Archbishop Melissa’s service to the Diocese and wish her a wonderful retirement:

Consecration and Ordination of Bishop Coadjutor

For those who missed it, you can view the liturgy of the Rt. Rev. John Stephens, our Bishop Coadjutor, being ordained a bishop at https://youtu.be/TAfenT2cBxI. The bulletin for the service can be found at https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/events/consecration-and-ordination-of-a-bishop/2021-01-23

As Archbishop Melissa Skelton retires, John will be seated as our diocese’s new Bishop on Sunday, Feb. 28.

Spring Street Community Kitchen

Thanks to all who joined us for our recent “Chickpeas Challenge!” online kitchen – a link to the cooking portion of the evening is at https://www.facebook.com/SpringStreetCommunityKitchen. Feel free to like and follow the page to stay updated on future kitchens!

Funds raised in support of our Spring Street Community Kitchen are being re-gifted to the communities we serve, and for January, we will give to Joy’s Place, a transition house that provides temporary safe shelter and support for adult women and their dependent children. Donations can be given via https://www.stja.ca/supporting-st-johns/. Be sure to let us know that your donation is designated for our Community Kitchen project.

We would love your participation and feedback! We welcome you to share your chickpea recipes with our wider community. Feel free to email your recipes to us at SpringStreetCommunityKitchen@gmail.com and we will share them on our Facebook page. We are also looking for volunteers for future kitchens – planning, hosting, moderating, and tech support are just some of the roles available.

(The Spring Street Community Kitchen is a partnership between St. John’s, Inlet United Church, and All Saints’ Catholic Parish – be sure to like and follow us at https://www.facebook.com/SpringStreetCommunityKitchen.)

 

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 the Rt. Rev. John Stephens, Bishop Coadjutor.

And this week:

  • The Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia and Yukon;
  • The Diocese of British Columbia – The Rt. Rev. Anna Greenwood-Lee;
  • The Diocese of Caledonia – The Rt. Rev. David Lehmann;
  • The Diocese of Kootenay – The Rt. Rev. Lynne McNaughton;
  • The Territory of the People – The Rt. Rev. Lincoln McKoen;
  • The Diocese of New Westminster – The Most Rev. Melissa Skelton, The Rt. Rev. John Stephens;
  • The Diocese of the Yukon – The Rt. Rev. Lesley Wheeler Dame;
  • 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 January 31, 2021 – Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Psalm 111; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Mark 1:21-28

Readings for February 7, 2021 – Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

Isaiah 40:21-31; Psalm 147:1-12, 21c; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39

 

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 Deanna Lemke administrator@stja.ca 604-936-7762
(No drop-in visitors at this time – please make an appointment to come in.

General office hours are Tues/Thurs/Fri, 10am-2pm, but may occasionally change.)
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 Rich Thompson 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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