The E-postle May 23, 2021

Pentecost Sunday
E-Postle
May 23, 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
• Rector’s Note
• Worship & Prayer: Pentecost Red, Sermons Online, Ongoing Pastoral Care & Supports
• Stewardship: Stewardship Reflection, Call for Stewardship Volunteers
• Parish Matters: Beware Email Scams, Flower Beds at Back of Church, Limited Reopening of Parish Office & Buildings, Financial Status for February and March 2021, Parish Giving, Ongoing Updates Pages, E-Postle Submissions
• Parish Ministries: Youth Opportunities, Food Bank Report
• Community News: In the Presence of Ancestors (formerly The Welcome Post Project), Spring Street Community Kitchen – May 26 “Fish & Salsa” + Online Survey, PWRDF India Pandemic Donations, PWRDF Vaccine Equity Fund
• 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/2021/program-updates/ for connection information)

Sunday, May 23                     8:30am & 10:00am –Sunday Morning Prayer – Pentecost Sunday

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

Sunday, May 23                     following 8:30am and 10:00am worship – Informal Virtual “Coffee Hour”
Tuesday, May 25                    10:15am – 12:00pm – Bible Study
Tuesday, May 25                    7:00pm – 8:00pm – Prayer Group
Tuesday, May 25                    7:00pm – 9:00pm – Parish Council
Wednesday, May 26              6:00pm – 7:00pm – Spring Street Community Kitchen – “Fish & Salsa”

RECTOR’S NOTE

I hope that this Easter season (our 2^nd in this pandemic) has offered you at least a couple of joyful glimpses of the resurrected Jesus, whether in old, familiar places or new places you didn’t expect!  We are getting ready this Sunday to move into a new liturgical season, celebrating the birth of the Church at Pentecost, and God’s amazing gift of the Holy Spirit. I invite you this week to ponder anew how the Spirit has worked, and still works in your life.

Perhaps this lovely older poem I came across this week may provide some fuel for your imagination and prayer…

“The Holy Spirit… in 100 words or less”
by Amy Julia Becker (found at https://www.patheos.com/resources/additional-resources/2010/05/how-the-holy-spirit-moves-today)

In nudges and whispers.
Like a seed growing, imperceptible at first. Like wind, invisible, refreshing, transformative. Like water, cleansing, renewing, powerful.
Unpredictably. Uncontrollably.
Praying: for us, with us, in us, through us.
Convicting, like a judge in a courtroom. Comforting, like a mother with a frightened child in the middle of the night.
We know her work by experiencing it. She will not be pinned down, can only be described with analogies.
But wherever there is forgiveness, redemption, reconciliation, grace, she leaves her fingerprints.
Always the one connecting, making us into the Body of Christ, God’s hands in the world.

Happy Pentecost, everyone!

Peace,
Vivian

 

WORSHIP & PRAYER

Pentecost Red

In celebration of Pentecost this Sunday, May 23, we invite everyone to wear something red to our Zoom worship services, to represent the power and presence of the Holy Spirit!

Sermons Online

We have begun to post sermons online on our parish YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtYEbMPaN__K4WLhbR6ZP4Q/playlists. We hope that this will be helpful if you wish to meditate further on a sermon, or share with friends and family.

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 15:26-27, 16:4b-15
“The spirit of truth will guide you,” Jesus tells his followers. As faithful stewards, do we ask for and follow the Spirit’s guidance in our day-to-day interactions?

Call for Stewardship Volunteers

The Stewardship Team is looking for some willing volunteers to join our team as we ramp up to prepare this year’s fall campaign. No experience necessary, just a desire to help keep our church healthy, strong, and vital. If you think you might be interested in helping our team, please call Kristin Kuhn at 778-957-8987 or the church office.

 

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 asks if you are busy or say that she needs a favour; past messages have claimed she is in a meeting and emailing to ask you to handle a request discreetly. 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

Flower Beds at Back of Church

Now that spring has sprung and summer is fast approaching, we are opening the church grounds to anyone who is interested to tend to the flowerbeds, be it planting or weeding.

You are welcome to do so at anytime; if there are others present who are not in your household/core bubble, please mask/maintain social distance and take other necessary COVID precautions. Please also let Deanna (administrator@stja.ca) know when you are here, so that we are aware of who is on the property. If you should enter the buildings, please continue to log the time with Deanna as usual, for contact tracing purposes.

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/2021/updates-re-coronavirus/

Financial Status for February and March 2021

We append below the Parish financial status for your information.

Statement of Income and Expenses ending 31^st March 2021

	February 2021 Actual	March 2021 Actual	March 2021 Budget $	YTD March 2021 Actual $	YTD March 2021 Budget $
Income	13,355.70	15,301.70	18,620.82	42,565.10	55,862.46
Expenses	14,352.45	13,462.85	18,541.32	43,046.06	55,623.96
Surplus (-) Loss	(996.75)	1,838.85	79.50	(480.96)	238.50

 

	February Actual $	March Actual $	March 2021 Budget $	YTD March 2021 Actual $	YTD March 2021 Budget $
Offering for General Funds	9,801.00	10,355.00	15,333.00	29,819.00	45,999.99
Offering for Property	999.70	1,221.70	0	3,311.10	0

Treasurer’s Note: Thank you to all for the continued support to the church in these difficult times. We had a surplus in March, thanks to increased offerings from everyone. This will help in the months to come as we will resume paying Parish Assessment in April.

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/2021/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/2021/updates-re-coronavirus/ – a collection of all special correspondence from the Bishop 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

Youth Opportunities

Are you a member of our St. John’s community that is aged 14 to 19? Are you interested in participating in youth activities in our church? Did you know that there is an active local Anglican/Lutheran youth group you could be involved with?

Even during the COVID period, the local youth group that meets at St. Laurence Anglican Church is actively meeting, sometimes in person with limited COVID-safe activities and sometimes by Zoom. There are also lots of chances to participate in the youth movement to support youth in our churches or to add a youth perspective to the work of the church. If you are interested in youth activities and would like to connect with our local youth group, please contact Kristin Kuhn at bobandkristinkuhn@gmail.com or connect with the Parish Office and we will help build that connection with you!

Food Bank Report

At our April meeting, Parish Council decided to continue to support the SHARE Foodbank with donations of $500 per month taken from the St. John’s Foodbank fund (retroactive to January 2021), since our own Foodbank does not have immediate plans to resume in the near future. Thank you to those of you who have continued to support the Foodbank financially. Your contributions will still be helping those in need in our community.

And thank you to those who had supported the St. John’s Foodbank with donations of food while we were still meeting in person. The food has been sorted by date, and items close to their “Best Before” date have been taken to the SHARE Foodbank every month during the pandemic–so food donations have not been wasted!

Thank you again,
Mary Kyle

 

COMMUNITY NEWS

In the Presence of Ancestors (formerly The Welcome Post Project)

“‘In the Presence of Ancestors’ reasserts the presence of the original caretakers of these Coast Salish Lands and Waters, inviting all of us to join this legacy of ancestors and ensure a healthy future for all of our relations.” (from the Port Moody Ecological Society website at  www.noonscreek.org)

As part of honouring of the land in this area, those that hold a sacred responsibility to care for the future of these lands and waters have been commissioned to carve house posts that will be raised in ceremony along the Shoreline Trail by June 21, 2023

Stories from the Musqueam people are the focus for events this year; these will be on Zoom. The house post will be carved by Chrystal Sparrow at Noons Creek throughout the year.

Dates
– Thu Jun 3: Legacy of Musqueam Land Defence
– Thu Jun 10: Artist Talk with Debra Sparrow (θəliχʷəlʷət)
– Sun Jun 13: Weaving Workshop with Debra Sparrow
– Mon Jun 21: National Indigenous Peoples Day – Honouring Musqueam

For information on participating in these Zoom events go to  https://www.noonscreek.org/presence-ancestors/

Spring Street Community Kitchen – May 26 “Fish & Salsa” + Online Survey

As we move from spring into summer, many of us are on the lookout for light, outdoorsy dishes. Join us at our next online Spring Street Community Kitchen this Wednesday, May 26, 6-7pm, where we will have a live demonstration featuring recipes for fish and salsa (and optional wine pairing). As always, there will be opportunities to ask questions and share conversation with others! Our guest chef is our very own Geri Grigg.

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

We’d also love your feedback! Take this 5-10 minutes online survey at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMwK8u2sINxCdTr8O5IEZRhaw40pTlKJyM3-1UaZ3IqUW3UA/viewform. The survey will be open through May 31. (Please fill out the survey only once.) Your input will help us in shaping and growing the Spring Street Community Kitchen in the best ways possible – thank you!

Note that funds raised in support of our Spring Street Community Kitchen are being re-gifted to the communities we serve, and for May’s kitchen, we will be giving to The People’s Pantry Food Recovery Society. The People’s Pantry is a Tri-Cities organization that seeks to build a bridge between local businesses struggling with food waste, and vulnerable populations struggling with food insecurity. They rescue nutritious food that would otherwise go to waste, making it available to people in need. Donations can be given via https://www.stja.ca/supporting-st-johns/ and be sure to designate your gift to our Community Kitchen project.

Finally, we welcome you to send your own summer recipes to 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.)

PWRDF India Pandemic Donations

The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) is currently accepting donations to support India as it struggles with the current COVID-19 outbreak. Several fellow ACT members in the region – some former PWRDF partners – are working night and day to provide emergency services and relief, including the Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA).

For more information on how to designate a donation for this purpose, please visit https://pwrdf.org/pwrdf-accepting-donations-for-india/

PWRDF Vaccine Equity Fund

The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) has launched a new Vaccine Equity Fund to contribute to the worldwide vaccination effort from COVID-19. Money donated to this fund will be used to support our partners as they prepare for vaccine rollout in the coming months.

PWRDF has created a fund for Anglicans eager to “pay it forward.” Now when you receive your vaccine, you have the opportunity to “Pay it forward” and make a donation to PWRDF’s Vaccine Equity Fund.

For more information on this fund, please visit https://pwrdf.org/vaccineequityfund/

 

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:

• St. Dunstan, Aldergrove – The Reverend David Taylor, The Reverend Helen Tervo;
• The Deanery of Peace Arch – The Reverend Stephen Laskey, Regional Dean;
• Holy Spirit Anglican Church, Whonnock – The Reverend Miranda Sutherland;
• Our partner Diocese of Northern Philippines, especially the people of our twin church at St. John the Evangelist Mission, Balugan; and Brent Alawas, their current Bishop and Prime Bishop-elect of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines.
• 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 May 23, 2021 – Pentecost

Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:25-35, 37; Romans 8:22-27; John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15

Readings for May 30, 2021 – Trinity Sunday

Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 29; Romans 8:12-17; John 3:1-17

 

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