The E-postle March 14, 2021

Fourth Sunday in Lent
E-Postle
March 14, 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: One-Year Pandemic Reflections, Daylight Savings Time, Children’s Sundays in Lent, Helping Out With Noonday Psalms & Prayers, Ongoing Pastoral Care & Support
• Stewardship: Stewardship Reflection, Community “Phone a Friend”
• Formation: Forward Day by Day, Lenten Book Study – “The Book of Forgiving”, Diocesan Lenten Resources
• Parish Matters: Beware Email Scams, Limited Reopening of Parish Office & Buildings, Financial Status for November & December 2020, Parish Giving, Ongoing Updates Pages, E-Postle Submissions
• Parish Ministries: Anglican Church Women (“A.C.W.”) Meeting
• Community News: Sacred Teachings Podcast, Season 6 – Suicide: The Other Pandemic, Installation and Seating of the 10th Diocesan Bishop, 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)

Saturday, March 13                1:00– 5:00pm – Parish Council Retreat
Sunday, March 14                  8:30am & 10:00am – Sunday Morning Prayer + (at 10am) Children’s Talk

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

Sunday, March 14                  11:00am – 12:30pm – 3^rd Sunday Lenten study – “The Book of Forgiving”
Tuesday, March 16                 10:15am – 12:00pm – 4^th Tuesday Lenten study – “The Book of Forgiving”
Tuesday, March 16                7:00pm – 8:00pm – Prayer Group
Thursday, March 18               7:00pm – ACW meeting
Sunday, March 28                   8:30am & 10am – Palm Sunday Morning Prayer
Thursday, April 1                    Maundy Thursday worship (via the Cathedral website)
Friday, April 2                         12noon – Good Friday worship service
Sunday, April 4                       8:30am & 10am – Easter Sunday Morning Prayer

 

WORSHIP & PRAYER

One-Year Pandemic Reflections

A reminder that this coming Sunday March 14 we will take some moments at worship to mark the one-year anniversary of this pandemic, and will be incorporating parishioner reflections into the liturgy. You are invited to take part, by emailing to Vivian (at rector@stja.ca) by Friday 3/12 evening:

1) One thing you’ve missed in this past year
and
2) One thing you’ve learned (about yourself, our church, or the world) in this past year.

Daylight Savings Time

A friendly reminder to turn your clocks forward one hour this weekend for Daylight Savings Time, so that you’re not late for church this Sunday, March 14!

Children’s Sundays in Lent

Younger friends are invited to join us on each of the remaining Sundays of Lent at the 10am service for a special kids’ program. Each week a video of the Godly Play theme “The Mysteries of Easter” will be offered at the Children’s Talk. Let’s learn about Jesus together in Lent!

Helping Out With Noonday Psalms & Prayers

We are now just looking for one more person who can lead on Thursdays once a month for our Noonday Psalms & Prayers. All you have to do is read (out loud) a pre-selected psalm, and share a personal prayer focusing on something or someone in the world around us. Instructions will be provided. Please contact Vivian at rector@stja.ca if you’re interested.

For the past year we have been holding 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:

John 3:14-21
Darkness or light- Jesus tells us that if we live our lives as faithful stewards, our deeds will shine out, as we reflect God’s dream. How much light do your deeds give off?

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

Forward Day by Day

We have a few more copies left (both large and small print) of the February-April “Forward Day by Day” booklets. If you would be interested in having one mailed to you, please contact Deanna at administrator@stja.ca. (You may also read each day’s devotional online at https://prayer.forwardmovement.org/ )

Forward Day by Day is published every three months by Forward Movement, a ministry of the Episcopal Church in the U.S.; it is a daily devotional with an excerpt from scripture and a short meditation, with each month featuring a different author.

Lenten Book Study – “The Book of Forgiving”

This Lent, we are excited to be reading together Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s book, “The Book of Forgiving: the Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World.”

There are 2 weekly opportunities to meet on Zoom for this book study:

• Tuesday mornings (through Mar. 23), 10:15am-noon at our Bible Study
• Sundays after the 10am service (through Mar. 28), with an extended coffee hour running from (roughly) 11am until 12:30pm – bring your lunch or a snack!

The reading schedule is (read these chapters before our gathering):

• Week #3 (Tues 3/9 or Sun 3/14) – Chs 4, 5 – Part 2a – The Fourfold Path – Telling the Story, Naming the Hurt
• Week #4 (Tues 3/16 or Sun 3/21) – Chs 6, 7 – Part 2b – The Fourfold Path – Granting Forgiveness, Renewing or Releasing the Relationship
• Week #5 (Tues 3/23 or Sun 3/28) – Chs 8, 9, 10 – Part 3 – All Can Be Forgiven

From the publisher: “Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize winner, Chair of The Elders, and Chair of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, along with his daughter, the Reverend Mpho Tutu, offer a manual on the art of forgiveness—helping us to realize that we are all capable of healing and transformation.”

As we explore this book together, we will pray and ponder about how forgiveness connects to our own lives and to the many issues that we and our wider communities grapple with, in the world around us. We will also practice living out more fully what we pray each week in the Lord’s Prayer – “forgive us our sins, as we forgive others who sin against us”.

Diocesan Lenten Resources

If you are looking for some additional spiritual meditation material for the Lenten season, the diocese has compiled a list of recommended resources at https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/diocesan-resources/lent-2021-resources. For individual study, check out the “Lenten Daily Emails/Calendar” section toward the middle of the page.

 

PARISH MATTERS

Beware Email Scams

Please continue to stay vigilant about email scams. Recently fraudulent emails claiming to be from Vivian have appeared again – the message claims that she is in a meeting and emailing to ask you to handle a request discreetly or otherwise ask for a favour. When you reply, the person asks you to purchase a gift card (or something similar) so that she can help someone in need. Please note that Vivian would never ask for help in this manner!

You can often tell that a message is fake if you look carefully at the originating email address, if the tone/wording seems strange, and if the request asks you to give money in an odd way. If you ever have any doubt about an email’s authenticity, please feel free to call Vivian (or email rector@stja.ca directly in a separate email) to confirm.

For further information, here are 2 government resources re: email fraud recommended by the diocese:  https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/protect-fraud/internet-email-telephone.html and https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm

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 two 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 groups are following strict safety protocols and are 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 November & December 2020

We append below the Parish financial status for your information.

Statement of Income and Expenses ending 31^st day of December 2020

	November Actual $	December Actual $	December Budget $	December YTD Actual $	December YTD Budget $
Income	15,913.20	25,963.70	19,083.37	198,432.00	229,000.00
Expenses	14,170.73	18,026.57	19,089.30	166,152.00	229,000.00
Surplus (-) Loss	1,742.47	7,937.13	(5.93)	32,280.00	0

 

	November Actual $	December Actual $	December Budget $	December YTD Actual $	December YTD Budget $
Offering for General Funds	10,063.00	18,045.00	15,408.37	132,082.47	184,900.00
Offering for Property	1,121.70	2,125.70	0	16,103.40	0

Notes:
We continue to be able to fulfill our obligations, thanks to your contributions in these difficult and trying times. With a large increase in donations in December, we have a surplus for the month of December and the year as a whole.

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

Anglican Church Women (“A.C.W.”) Meeting

The next A.C.W. meeting will be held on Thursday March 18th at 7pm via Zoom.

Please contact ACW@stja.ca for meeting connection information.

 

COMMUNITY NEWS

Sacred Teachings Podcast, Season 6 – Suicide: The Other Pandemic

Season 6 of The Sacred Teachings podcast is entitled “Suicide: The Other Pandemic,” and can be listened to at https://www.anglican.ca/im/podcasts/. [Note: This season contains themes of suicide that may be harmful or triggering to some audiences. If you, or someone you know is struggling mentally or physically, please contact The Canada Suicide Prevention Service at 833-456-4566 or send a text to 45645.]

The season consists of eight episodes tackling this difficult topic, and features guest host Peter Downie as well as a wide range of Indigenous speakers whose personal and community lives have been impacted by this other pandemic.

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.

Installation and Seating of the 10th Diocesan Bishop

Bishop John Stephens was installed recently as the 10th Bishop of our diocese.

Check out the diocesan article at https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/news/two-liturgies-on-a-late-winter-s-day, which includes links to a video recording of the liturgy and the Facebook photo album. Before the service, there is also a half hour video featuring music and images from parishes across the diocese (see if you can spot the 6 photos from St. John’s!) as well as a video after the service of greetings from each Deanery (thanks to the Stock family, who represented our parish during the welcome from our Tri-Cities and N. Burnaby Deanery).

Spring Street Community Kitchen

Check out the video for our last Spring Street Community Kitchen on “One Pot Meals” at https://youtu.be/HfinDkc3Mhk. If you go to our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SpringStreetCommunityKitchen, you’ll also see links to the evening’s recipes as well as ones submitted by the wider community – feel free to add your own!

Funds raised in support of our Spring Street Community Kitchen are being re-gifted to the communities we serve, and for February’s kitchen, we will give to Crossroads Hospice Society, which provides compassionate care and support to people with life-limiting illnesses and their families. 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 send your one-pot recipes 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 Province of BC and Yukon – The Most Rev. Lynne McNaughton, Metropolitan.

The Diocese of New Westminster – the Rt. Rev. John Stephens, Bishop.

And this week:

• The Archdeacons:
  • The Venerable Kevin Hunt (Burrard);
  • The Venerable Stephanie Shepard (Granville);
  • The Venerable Allan Carson (Lougheed);
  • The Venerable Stephen Muir (Capilano);
  • The Venerable Luisito Engnan (Fraser);
  • The Venerable Richard Leggett (Westminster);
  • The Venerable Bruce Morris, Archdeacon for Deacons;
  • The Venerable Douglas Fenton, Executive Archdeacon (Vancouver);
• 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 March 14, 2021 – Fourth Sunday in Lent

Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; Ephesians 2:1-10; John 3:14-21

Readings for March 21, 2021 – Fifth Sunday in Lent

Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 51:1-13; Hebrews 5:5-10; John 12:20-33

 

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	Rich Thompson	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	Geri Grigg,     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