E-Postle April 16, 2023

Second Sunday of Easter

E-Postle

April 16, 2023

 

8:30am (in-person only) & 10:00am (in-person + Zoom) – Holy Eucharist

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

Meeting ID: 542 312 325

Password: 010729

 

This Week’s Worship & Programs – https://www.stja.ca/2023/program-updates/ – current information on what’s going on at St. John’s, including Zoom links and the bulletin and scripture readings for Sunday worship.

 

Click here for contact info for parish ministries

 

There WILL BE Coffee Hour following the 10am service.

 

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS:

 Sat – Apr 15                  Spring Dance in Church Hall

Tues – Apr 18                10:15am – Bible Study on Zoom (see link above) / 7:00pm – Parish Council meeting

Thurs – Apr 20               ACW meeting

Sat – Apr 22                   Clean-up of church grounds, to be deferred if unfavourable weather

Sun – Apr 30                  Companion Diocese Presentation

 

Sat – May 6                     Spring Tea

Thurs – May 11              Spring Street Community Kitchen

 

Sun – Jun 4                      Blessing of blankets for National Indigenous Peoples Day ceremony (new date)

Sun – Jun 18                    Honouring National Indigenous Day of Prayer

Wed – Jun 21                  National Indigenous Peoples Day; Coast Salish Blessing Ceremony @ Rocky Point

 

NEW THIS WEEK:

Stewardship Reflection

John 20:19-31 prepared by the Ven. Dr. Michael Pollesel:

“I came so that they can have life and have it to the full,” says Jesus earlier in John’s gospel. Today, we hear that these are written so that “you may come to believe… and have life in his name”. A faithful steward shows this full life by the way they live out their daily lives.  As they say, “There’s no life like it!”

Clean-up of Church Grounds – weather permitting (updated)

Next Saturday, 22 April, starting at 9am. Please bring your family along for a work-out in raking leaves & debris and trimming of plants & hedges. Grounds Coordinator will be working alongside you!

Property Development Online Course

The diocese has recommended a free online course for churches interested in better equipping themselves for future property development. The course covers everything from visioning and discernment about aligning mission and neighbourhood needs, to legal and financial aspects of the process. There will be 8 sessions via Zoom on Tuesday/Wednesday afternoons from end of April through August.

St. John’s will have several members participating in the course. If you are interested in being part of our parish team attending, please connect ASAP with Rich at property@stja.ca.

Celebrating Easter New Life at St. John’s: Parish Visiting Ministry

Easter is all about recognizing the risen Jesus among us, and so we’ll spend these 50 days of the Easter season lifting up where we see Jesus moving in ministries and programs at St. John’s, and where we sense God’s new life springing forth.

Each week we’ll feature a different place at St. John’s where we see the risen Lord on the move, and we invite you to prayerfully discern if you might feel called to be involved… We’ll have a description of the ministry/program here in the e-postle, as well as some sharing at Sunday worship.

This week we celebrate the Parish Visiting Ministry!

Pastoral care is central to our mission at St. John’s. We are a group of dedicated men and women reaching out to parishioners who are in hospital, in care, or unable to come to regular Sunday worship. We take communion to those that request it.  Some visits may be weekly or monthly, in-person or by phone chat.

We meet three or four times a year to share news of the community we serve, and to receive added instruction and/or inspiration for continuing this important ministry.

Please prayerfully consider joining this ministry! If you are interested or know of a need, contact Joanne Walton or Alma Oldenburg at pastoralvisits@stja.ca. 

Holy Week & Easter Thank Yous

Thank you to everyone who pitched in to make Holy Week and Easter so special: Altar Guild; ushers, readers, intercessors, lay assistants, counters, crucifers/servers, tech team; LaRee and the choir; coffee hour hosts; Ann and all those who helped with Maundy Thursday supper; Bonnie and Amanda and everyone involved with children’s programming on Easter Sunday; Tony and Rich and all who spiffed up the buildings and grounds; and last but not least, each and every one of our congregation and visitors who participated in Holy Week services and joyfully proclaimed “Alleluia!” on Easter Sunday!

Bishop’s Easter Message

You can view Bishop John’s Easter video message to the diocese at https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/news/bishop-john-stephenss-easter-2023-video-message

 

INFORMATION:

Anglican Church Women (ACW) meeting

The next ACW meeting will be held this Thursday April 20 at 1pm in the Church Hall. We will be collecting baby items for the Diocesan layette program. Each year we collect new baby clothing, bibs, towels, blankets etc. to donate to this program, as do other churches throughout the Diocese.

These new baby items are collected at our Diocesan ACW warehouse, bundled up into a layette and donated to the churches in the North, and also locally for needy families. This outreach is open to all members of the parish. If you would like to make a donation, or would like more information, please speak to Ann Adair-Austin or Sue Hall. 

Companion Diocese Presentation

The Executive Archdeacon of our Diocese, the Ven. Philippa Pride, will be our guest speaker at the 10am service on April 30. She will be giving us a presentation of her journey to our Companion Diocese in the Northern Philippines, including material re: our sister church, St. John’s in Balugan. Her presentation will be given as our sermon that day via PowerPoint. Also, she is planning to stay after the service for a Q&A session. Please mark your calendar for an interesting visit! Further details are forthcoming. Please speak to Brenda Lou-Hing with any questions. 

Spring Tea

For our fundraising Spring Tea on May 6th, we will be serving PIE and BROWNIES with ice-cream, along with tea & coffee. Please mark your calendars!

We do have some volunteers to bake pies but more are always welcome. There will also be a Bake Table, Craft Table, Jewellery and Plants Tables. If you are able to help or contribute, please connect with Ferne or Ruby peopleswarden@stja.ca! 

Seeking 125^th Anniversary Ideas

2024 will be the 125^th anniversary of our church’s official opening. We will be spending the year remembering and celebrating God’s work in our parish over these many decades, and reconnecting and reaching out to our surrounding neighbourhoods.

We are looking for your ideas of ways we can mark this anniversary year – no idea too small or big for us to consider! Please mark your idea down on the newsprint (downstairs in the Parish Hall), speak to any Council member directly, or email the office at administrator@stja.ca. If you’d be interested in helping with planning, please connect with Vivian at rector@stja.ca.

Temporary Office Hours

Through April, the Parish Office will have temporary adjusted hours: Tuesday through Friday, 8am-11am.

 

HOW YOU CAN SERVE THE WORLD AROUND US

Spring Street Community Kitchen

Our next gathering will be at St. John’s on Thursday, May 11, 4-6pm, where we will come together for some bulk cooking of soups and sandwiches and have supper together afterward. A portion of this food will go to a local shelter run by Progressive Housing Society, and the rest will be for us to take home for ourselves and/or to share with those from our own networks.

Registration required: please send your name and email address to SpringStreetCommunityKitchen@gmail.com.

Check out our Facebook page for photos and videos from past events, as well as to keep updated on future ones. If you have ideas for this ministry collaboration with Inlet United Church, would like to be more involved, or have any questions, please connect with Vivian in-person or at rector@stja.ca. 

ReSponse Refugee family

The Refugee family consisting of a father; mother; 3 boys aged 8, 7 and 2; and a grandmother will be arriving on May 9^th.

There is still a need for a reasonably-priced 3-bedroom suite in the Tri-Cities that will be available May 1; please speak with someone from the ReSponse Team—Mary, Karlis, Sheila, Laurie, or Richard.

We continue to pray for a safe arrival for our new family.

 

HOW YOU CAN HELP SUPPORT ST. JOHN’S

Flower Chart for 2023

is up at the Narthex (back of the church, by the chapel).  Should you wish to commemorate a birthday, anniversary or give in memory of a loved one, please consider signing up to donate flowers for the altar.

Parish Giving

Donations may be made by cheques, PADs or through e-transfer directly to the church account. Please contact Ruby at peopleswarden@stja.ca or Sheila at treasurer@stja.ca for more details. You may also give via PayPal/credit card via our website. 

 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FORMATION AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH

Ongoing Learning

All are welcome at 2 of the weekly online groups that meet for spiritual learning. Zoom links here.

• Tuesdays, 10:15am-12noon – Zoom Bible Study. Explores the upcoming Sunday’s readings together. From time to time throughout the year, the group discusses a book, or has a special seasonal study.
• Tuesdays, 7-8pm – Zoom Prayer Group – explores different forms of contemplative prayer and meditation, and prays for those in our lives and in the wider world. (NOTE: the Prayer Group is on break this week 4/18 and will resume on 4/25.) 

Sorrento Centre

For generations, Sorrento Centre has been a place where families and young people gather for fun, spiritual nurturing and growth. This Anglican retreat and conference centre has a beautiful historic 24-acre main campus, with private waterfront on the Shuswap, hiking trails and nearby biking routes.

See the Sorrento Newsletter for more info on a youth May weekend event, 1-week adult summer courses, and summer youth jobs.

 

Readings for April 16, 2023, Second Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:14a, 22-32; Psalm 16, 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31

 Readings for April 23, 2023, Third Sunday of Easter

Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35