Ascension Sunday

E-Postle

May 21, 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: 

Tues – May 23               10:15am – Bible Study on Zoom (see link above) / 7:00pm – Prayer group on Zoom (see link above)

Wed – May 24               9:30 – 11:30am – Wednesday Morning Prayer Space

Sat – May 27                  Rescheduled Spring Tea

 

Sun – Jun 4                      Blessing of blankets for National Indigenous Peoples Day ceremony

Sun – Jun 18                    Honouring National Indigenous Day of Prayer; Gift-Making @ Noons Creek Hatchery

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

 

 

NEW THIS WEEK:

Stewardship Reflection

Luke 24:44-53– Prepared by Mark Tranvik

A strong emphasis on forgiveness is implicit and explicit in our texts on the Ascension. Let us not lose sight of the fact that the very appearance of the resurrected Christ to his disciples is first and foremost a message of forgiveness. The ones who fled and denied Jesus are not reminded of their cowardice and faintness of heart. Rather his first words to his confused and bewildered followers are “Peace be with you.”

Spring Tea Rescheduled to May 27

The Spring Tea has been rescheduled to Saturday, May 27, 2:00-4:00pm. Please note this date on your calendar and contact all those to whom you may have sold tickets or even those you haven’t.

If you previously volunteered to help, please confirm with your area leader or Ferne that you are still available. If you weren’t available for the previously scheduled Tea but will be this time, also please let Ferne know… we now have a few vacancies to fill.

We will be setting up tables and doing general prep on Thursday, May 25, 9:30am-1:00pm. This would be a good time to drop off crafts or plants.  Please give us a hand if you are able.

Someone will be at the church hall starting from noon on Saturday, May 27 to receive pies and baking, crafts and plants. This will give us time to price the baking and slice the pies. Someone will also be in the hall on Friday, May 26, 7:00 – 8:15pm if this is a better time for you to drop off items.

Any questions please connect with Ferne Malcolm.

Events Preparing for National Indigenous Peoples Day – June 21

Upcoming events at Noons Creek Hatchery in preparation for the Coast Salish House Post Blessing Ceremony and Feast include:

Thursday May 25 at 6:30pm is a very important evening presentation with Aaron Nelson Moody. This will be an opportunity to hear and learn about Ceremony Protocols and Information. A great opportunity to hear an Indigenous speaker on their customs and traditions…

GIFT MAKING OPPORTUNITIES

Part of Ceremony tradition is to offer a gift to all who attend. There will be opportunities to participate in making these gifts and learn some Indigenous craftings over three Sunday afternoons from 1:00-3:30pm:

• May 28 – Cedar Rose Brooches with Priscilla Omulo
• June 11 – Indigenous Teas with Cease Wyss
• June 18 – Miniature Felted Hearts to Remember pins and Salve-making with Kerry Baisley, Diocesan Missioner for Indigenous Justice

Further information at Noons Creek Hatchery’s Facebook page.

Community Garden Update

We are excited to announce that the first visible phase of our Community Garden is underway this week! Many thanks to Teno Vassallo and Tony Lee for building the garden beds on the front lawn of the PMC, and to Teno’s friend Dave Farley for providing the lumber to us at a substantial discount. Please see our website information page and like, follow, and share our Community Garden Facebook page, where we will begin to post pictures and updates on this exciting project!

Refugee ReSponse News

(submitted by Mary Kyle)

I am happy to report that our new family from Syria arrived safely on May 9 and was greeted at the airport by some of the members of our Deanery Refugee ReSponse group. They were taken to their lovely home in Port Coquitlam, where a Syrian meal had been prepared for them. They have been busy since their arrival with getting SIN cards, setting up a banking account, grocery shopping, registering with Immigrant Services and the School Settlement worker. They have also been taken around by bus and have been introduced to the neighbourhood (grocery stores, community centre, library, parks, and playgrounds etc.) by members of the ReSponse group.

They are a lovely, happy family and continually say “thank you” to the church communities who have offered their support. Please pray for the family and for God’s guidance in our endeavours to help ease their adjustment to life in Canada.

Guest Musician

We extend a warm welcome to Peter Reinhardt, who is serving as guest musician at our 10am worship this Sunday, May 21, while LaRee is away.

Parish Council May Meeting Summary

Parish Council had a productive Zoom meeting last Tuesday, May 16. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, June 27.

Besides our usual group prayer and spiritual reflection and general reports, we worked on fleshing out our 2023 goals; discussed the future direction of food ministries in the parish; and reviewed COVID protocols in light of the April 30 outbreak.

We have committed to doing all that we can to minimize COVID risks and invite the parish to continue to join us in keeping our community as safe as we can. We will be ensuring increased ventilation of our space via turning on fans and opening windows where we can. COVID is spread mainly through extended time in close quarters with those carrying the virus (knowingly or unknowingly). We remind all to stay home and join on Zoom if you have any suspicious symptoms and take extra precautions if you have been recently exposed. Please also let the clergy/wardens know if you’ve tested positive after being at church, so we can notify folks of any major potential exposures. You can see our current safety protocols for worship here.

Rector Away

Vivian will be away on vacation this week beginning this Monday, May 22 and returning on Thursday, June 1. Please connect with Joanne at administrator@stja.ca, Rich at rectorswarden@stja.ca, or Ruby at peopleswarden@stja.ca, for time-sensitive parish matters during this time.

For pastoral emergencies, to be connected to the on-call priest, please call Rich on his cell phone.

We are grateful to the Rev. Dr. Angus Stuart who will serve as supply clergy next Sunday May 28.

Adjusted Office Hours This Week

Parish Office hours this week will be Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday (May 23, 24, 26), 10am-2pm.

Diocesan Synod – Delegate Report

(submitted by Ann Adair-Austin)

As lay delegates of this parish, Geri Grigg and I both attended the Synod gathering this past Friday and Saturday. Lilian Elliott also attended. Unfortunately, Vivian and Anne were both unable to attend with us due to ill health. This was the first in-person convening of Synod since before the Pandemic. It was an eventful two days packed with various presentations, information about a developing initiative within the Diocese, prayer and praise, and plenty of good fellowship. Geri and I sat at a table with lay and clergy delegates from St. James, Vancouver.

In Bishop John’s homily on Friday morning, he spoke about the years that the Pandemic had taken a toll on a variety of aspects within the Diocese and in this current recovery period asked us to look for the priorities to consider as we work towards the “new normal” in our Parish lives. Over the two-day period we were involved in an exercise to determine what we would consider to be the priorities in our Parish and Diocese.

We were given presentations by: PWRDF, Mission to Seafarers, the Property Development Subcommittee, Care+Share, The Anglican Foundation, Chaplain to Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver School of Theology, and two video presentations on Climate Change.

The Diocesan Task Force on Homelessness and Housing Affordability presented us with an initiative to develop resources and assistance to work towards alleviating the current crisis of homelessness and its associated problems, such as mental health and addictions issues.

We participated in the elections of various positions to Diocesan Council, Provincial Synod and General Synod, and voted to pass the 2023 Budget and Vision Budgets for 2024 and 2025.

A number of resolutions were presented and passed. Most of them being straightforward, such as making changes to the wording in the Canons for better clarity. But we also voted on 6 resolutions presented by the Diocesan Task Force on Homelessness and Housing Affordability. Four were passed, one was defeated and one was deferred to the Canonical Committee for further clarification of its definitions within the Canons. Both Geri and I thought that this Synod was a productive event, and hope that we efficiently and effectively represented the Parish of St. John’s.

Diocesan Article on Synod

Please see a summary of Synod here, written by Diocesan Communications, which includes links to photos, and various Synod materials. Note especially the Report from the Task Force on Homelessness and Housing Affordability, which parishioner Sharon Cooper was involved with. She invites us to read the report that outlines the task force’s work and recommendations to the wider Diocese.

 

INFORMATION:

Celebrating Easter New Life at St. John’s: Sunday worship (updated)

This week we celebrate the many ministries supporting the heart of our St. John’s community – Sunday worship: Choir; Altar Guild; Tech Team; Coffee Hour; Ushers, Crucifers/Servers, Readers, Lay Assistants, & Counters (+ Intercessors):

—Choir – The choir offers up their gifts each week, helping to lead congregational singing, as well as offering special musical anthems–coming from a variety of styles, repertoire, and cultures–to enhance our worship services. Choir members also lead the reading of the psalm each week.

We currently have twelve regular choir members and we are always happy to include more people. All people who like to sing are invited to join us at any time. One does not need to be able to read music. Singing in a church choir helps one to glorify God, and singing in general has been proven to boost one’s mental and physical health, and will improve one’s feelings of happiness!  

—Altar Guild – We are a group of volunteers who work in teams of 2 or 3 on a 4-week rotation. The Altar Guild sets up for and cleans up after the principal Sunday services and other services such as baptisms, weddings, and funerals. Essentially we “set the table” for the parish community. The members of the Altar Guild are responsible for the cleaning, preservation and usage of the items required for the ongoing worship life of the parish. We care for the altar, vessels and linens and prepare the Sanctuary for services. We also supervise the decoration of the church with flowers, and anyone is welcome to participate by donating flowers. Just sign up on the Flower Chart at the back of the church. There are lots of empty spots to be filled. The Altar Guild is open to all, and more volunteers are welcome to join us.

—Tech Team –Our objective is to help connect and serve parishioners, friends and those who are spiritually seeking at St. John’s. The most prominent function of the team – and the one that is most in need of additional hands – is supporting worship. Currently there are 2 roles: Zoom host and In-House Tech. Zoom hosts ensure the right slides are projected for those in-person and on Zoom, serve as main welcomer to our online congregation, and monitor sound/visuals for the online worship experience.

In-House Techs set up and run the equipment in the church and liaise with the Zoom techs. We are looking for more people to sign up – training and support will be provided, especially for those without past experience interested in learning! Please speak to John Warren if you would like to explore more.

 —Coffee Hour – Hospitality and fellowship are so important to our community’s ongoing health and growth. We celebrate all those who are part of this vital ministry and would love to have more folks be part of this! 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.

—Ushers, Crucifers/Servers, Readers, Lay Assistants, & Counters (+ Intercessors): we give thanks for all those who serve in the many roles that go into helping worship run smoothly each week. Perhaps you might be interested in trying out a new role? Please speak to Vivian (rector@stja.ca) or Anne (deacon@stja.ca) if you are interested in learning more.

• Ushers – greet people as they arrive to worship, help welcome and orient visitors, pass the offertory plate, count attendance numbers.
• Crucifers/Servers – carry the cross during the procession, assist the deacon in setting the altar
• Readers – read the scriptures to the congregation each Sunday
• Lay Assistants – assist with the chalice (wine) during communion
• Counters – count and record the money collected each week
• Intercessors – lead the Prayers of the People [featured already as part of prayer ministries on 4/30])

 

Easter is all about recognizing the risen Jesus among us, and so we are spending 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 different places 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.

 

HOW YOU CAN SERVE THE WORLD AROUND US

Volunteering June 21 @ Indigenous Peoples Day Events

The Port Moody Ecological Society and the “In the Presence of Ancestors” Project are looking for enthusiastic people to volunteer on June 21 for the National Indigenous Peoples Day festivities at Rocky Point Park.

They are looking for people who can help them set up in the afternoon, and people who would help greet guests and serve them food during the free feast. They will also need people to help them clear the park at the end of the evening.

This is sure to be an amazing day, and a lot of fun for everyone involved! If you’d like to be involved, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Tracey Schaeffer at volunteer.pofaproject@gmail.com.

More festivities information can be found via the Noons Creek Hatchery Facebook and the Eventbrite page.

  

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 FOR ALL AGES

Area Vacation Bible School – July 10-14

St. Laurence Anglican and Good Shepherd Lutheran in Coquitlam are partnering to lead Vacation Bible School this year. Kids ages 4-11 are invited to journey with Daniel in ancient Babylon as we learn what it means to be courageous and have integrity in the face of difficulty…and have a whole lot of fun. VBS will be five mornings, July 10-14, from 9-12 noon at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1504 Sprice Ave., Coquitlam. Contact Jason Wood, St. Laurence’s Youth and Family Minister, at stlyouthandfam@gmail.com to register.

Also, if you would be interested in volunteering, they are looking for a variety of roles: leaders for small groups, crafts, drama, and games; and help in decorating and in the kitchen. Please connect with Jason above to offer your assistance.

Youth Retreat @ Camp Artaban

The Diocesan Youth Movement is leading a youth retreat at Camp Artaban on June 2-4, open to youth ages 11-19, in collaboration with PWRDF. The theme is “Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly”. Information and registration can be found here.

 

 

Readings for May 21, 2023, Ascension Sunday

Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 93; Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53

 

Readings for May 28, 2023, The Day of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:25-35, 37; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13; John 7:37-39