First Sunday in Lent

E-Postle

February 26, 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.

 

Only Coffee & Tea will be served after the 10 am service and before Vestry meeting.

 

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS:

Sun – Feb 26                            All-Ages Chat @10am + Annual Vestry Meeting

Tues – Feb 28                          10:15am Zoom Lenten Study #1 “Invited” … link above / 7:00pm Zoom Prayer Group … link above

Sun – Mar 5                             (after 10am service) In-Person Lenten Study #1 “Invited”

Thurs – Mar 9                          Spring Street Community Kitchen (at Inlet United Church)

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

 

NEW THIS WEEK:

WEATHER ALERT for this Sunday 2/26

We are watching the weather this weekend, and will make the final call about whether in-person services will go forward on Sat. evening. An email will be sent confirming either way before 10pm on Saturday. We will also update our Facebook page and Web site.

If we do not move forward with in-person services, both the 8:30am and 10am worship services, as well as Annual Vestry will be on Zoom – Zoom link above and on our Web site.

If we do move forward with in-person services, Zoom will be available for the 10am service and Annual Vestry. We encourage you to consider your own unique circumstances, and either drive safely, or stay home and join us online if needed. 

Calling All Knitters for “In the Presence of Ancestors Project”

“In the Presence of Ancestors” (previously “Welcome Post Project”) is returning this spring in preparation for National Indigenous Peoples Day. Here is the notification from Tasha Faye Evans:

“I am so excited to offer you an update on the ‘In the Presence of Ancestors Project’. Many of you have been wondering what is happening and the easiest answer is to share this date and meet you there! Please mark June 21, 2023 into your calendars! We are finally ready to host our Coast Salish Blessing Ceremony at Rocky Point Park where we will bless the first three house posts and honour the carvers Zac George, Chrystal Sparrow, Brandon Gabriel Art, Jonas Bige, Keeperlekeyten Lekeyten.

We will be hosting a program of workshops to prepare for this day, including cedar weaving, tea making, community gift making, and opportunities to learn about Coast Salish protocols.

Later this Spring, Chrystal Sparrow will be coming to Noons Creek to complete her carving. Please join the Noons Creek Facebook page to stay informed. We are a family coming together to host this special event. If you wish to help in any way please contact our volunteer coordinator Nishka Valdez Pogroszewski at nishkavaldez88@gmail.com”.

We have once again been asked to provide some knitted blankets for the ceremony on June 21. Please contact Anne Anchor at deacon@stja.ca for details. Help is available to purchase the wool if needed.

 

INFORMATION:

Annual Vestry Meeting – Feb. 26

(Pending the weather) Annual Vestry will be a hybrid meeting (in-person and on Zoom) on Sunday, Feb. 26, upstairs in the sanctuary beginning at 11:30am. The Annual Vestry Reports, Financial Reports and the minutes of Vestry meeting 2022 have been sent out via email and snail mail for those with email addresses.

Note that only tea and coffee will be served downstairs in the Hall. You may bring a bagged lunch but it is preferred that you do not eat in the sanctuary.

All-Ages Chat this Sunday

At the 10am service on Feb. 26, we will feature an “All-Ages Chat”. Of course, everyone of all ages is always welcome at worship each week, but every month (often, but not always, the last Sunday), we have something devoted to nurturing the faith of our younger members. 

New Temporary Office Hours

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

 

HOW YOU CAN SERVE THOSE IN NEED 

Next Community Kitchen

Please join us for our next Spring Street Community Kitchen on Thursday, Mar. 9, 6-8pm at Inlet United Church.

We will be making a breakfast casserole and lunch sandwiches to be served to guests of the Cold Wet Weather Mat program, hosted by Coquitlam Alliance Church in March. All ingredients and equipment will be provided; we are inviting kitchen participants to bring items to add to packed lunches. There will also be some social time after we are done cooking to visit with old and new friends!

Pre-registration for this free kitchen is required – please email your name, email address, and any questions to SpringStreetCommunityKitchen@gmail.com.

(The Spring Street Community Kitchen is a partnership between St. John’s and Inlet United Church – like and follow us at our Facebook page.)

Refugee Family

A Giving Tree is set up in the Church Hall for people to sign up. Please consider donating a welcoming gift for our arriving family. Choose a tag labeled with suggested school supplies from the baggie beside the Giving Tree or donate some money to help with the cost of a school supply order.

Put your name on the tag and attach it to the tree. Please give your gift to a member of the ReSponse Team – Mary Kyle, Karlis Kesans, Sheila De Vaal, Richard Owen or Laurie Fox. There are also a number of household items that have not been purchased yet. We will post a list of those items beside the tree.

Please contact Mary Kyle for more information. We will be keeping track of items that have been purchased, so please let Mary know what you will be giving, so we can avoid getting duplicates.

If you know of a 3-bedroom apartment or townhouse for rent at a reasonable price, please let Mary know.

 

HOW YOU CAN SERVE IN THE PARISH COMMUNITY 

Wednesday Morning Prayer Space

We will begin experimenting soon with opening the church for personal prayers and meditation on Wednesday mornings from 8:30 am to 1 pm. It is intended that we will have a “pair” of volunteers to sit in the sanctuary and welcome anyone who would like to come in to pray. If you feel called to this ministry, please connect with Ruby at peopleswarden@stja.ca or Vivian at rector@stja.ca.

Intercessors, Lay Assistants and Technical Support Assistants

We are looking for more people to sign up for the above. Please connect with Anne at deacon@stja.ca or Ruby at peopleswarden@stja.ca

Sunday Coffee & Refreshments

A Roster/Sign-up sheet is on the notice board in the kitchen. Please consider signing up if you are able, or if you would like to contribute treats.

 

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 for 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

Lenten Program… “Invited”

We begin Week 1 of our Lenten program on Zoom this Tuesday Feb. 28 / in-person next Sunday Mar. 5. The program will run for 5 weeks. All are welcome to join us!

This Lent we’ll be learning together through a program called “Invited”, exploring what it means to engage in genuine, Christian invitation. The program begins with the conviction that invitation is at the very heart of the Gospel—that Jesus invites each one of us to come and follow him, and being an invitational people is at the very core of our identity as Christians.

We’ll be sharing our ideas, hopes, and dreams about how to live our lives of faith—as individuals and as a parish community—in ways that are relevant to the world around us, and we will brainstorm how to more naturally and confidently invite others to join us on this journey.

Every session will have a video viewing, followed by sharing and discussion. There will be 2 opportunities each week to gather – online on Tuesday mornings at our 10:15am Zoom Bible studies, and in-person on Sundays after the 10am service. Each week’s sessions will cover the same topic.

 

Readings for February 26, 2023, First Sunday in Lent

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7; Psalm 32; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11

 

Readings for March 5, 2023, Second Sunday in Lent

Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17

 

 

IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION

Rector	The Rev. Vivian Lam	rector@stja.ca	604-936-7762
Deacon	The Rev. Anne Anchor	deacon@stja.ca
Parish Office	Joanne Fong	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/Wed/Thurs/Fri, 8am-11am, but may occasionally change.)
Rector’s Warden	Rich Thompson	rectorswarden@stja.ca
People’s Warden	Ruby Ng	peopleswarden@stja.ca
Treasurer	Sheila De Vaal	treasurer@stja.ca
Envelope Secretary	Antoinette Woodman & (Asst. Env. Secretary) May Fung	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
Bible Study	Lynne Milner	biblestudy@stja.ca
Building Repairs / Maintenance	Rich Thompson	property@stja.ca
Children’s Ministry/Godly Play		children@stja.ca
E-Postle	Ruby Ng	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