The E-postle November 1, 2020

All Saints’ Sunday
E-Postle
November 1, 2020

“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
• Stewardship: Stewardship Reflection, Stewardship Presentation, Community “Phone a Friend”
• Worship & Prayer: Pastoral Message, Order of the Diocese of New Westminster Investiture
• Parish Matters: Daylight Savings Time, Contribution Statements, Partial Reopening of Parish Buildings as of Oct. 20, Drainage Repair Project, Beware Email Scams, Call for New Leaders – Treasurer and Council Members, Financial Status for August & September 2020, Parish Giving, Ongoing Updates Pages, E-Postle Submissions
• Parish Ministries: Virtual Bazaar, Anglican Church Women (A.C.W.) News
• Community News: Lectio Divina Workshop, Spring Street Community Kitchen, Sacred Teachings Podcast – Season 4
• 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)

Sunday, November 1               8:30am & 10:00am – Sunday Morning Prayer – All Saints’ Sunday& Stewardship Team Presentation + (at the 10am service) ODNW Investiture of Sylvia Bradley

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

Sunday, November 1             following 8:30am and 10:00am worship – Informal Virtual “Coffee Hour”
Tuesday, November 3            10:15am – 12:00pm – Bible Study
Tuesday, November 3            7:00pm – 8:00pm – Prayer Group
Thursday, November 5          Bazaar orders must be received by this date
Sunday, November 8             Remembrance Sunday
Fri- Sat, November 13-14      Drive through pick up for Bazaar items
Sunday, November 15           Stewardship Pledge Sunday
Thursday, November 19        7:00pm – A.C.W. Meeting
Tuesday, November 24          7:00pm – 9:00pm – Parish Council meeting

STEWARDSHIP

Stewardship Reflection

From Sunday by Sunday: Reflections on Stewardship, prepared by the Ven. Dr. Michael Pollesel:

Matthew 5:1-12
Today’s passage could be seen as describing the characteristics of what it takes to be a faithful steward. Can you see yourself in any of the descriptions Jesus offers? If so – congratulations! If not – why not?

Stewardship Presentation

The Stewardship Team will be presenting our stewardship campaign presentation this Sunday Nov. 1 at both Zoom services. This presentation will be our final offering for this year’s stewardship campaign.

Following the presentation, we will have a stewardship package placed on the website for you all to download, print, and return asap by email or mail. If you have difficulty accessing this material, please call Kristin Kuhn (778-957-8987), or Natasha MacDonald (604-961-6630), or leave a message with the church office and we will mail out the package to you. We would ask that you return these as soon as possible.

On November 15, 2020, Pledge Sunday this year, we will have a virtual recognition of our pledge submissions for this upcoming year. We appreciate the effort everyone has put out to help maintain our community through this difficult time of pandemic and our team looks forward to continuing our efforts to maintain community and find ways for us to support one another during this time of separation.

Community “Phone a Friend”

Your St. John’s Stewardship Team have set up a “phone a friend” service for us all to keep from feeling a bit disconnected during these days of physical distancing. We have set up phone teams to call each week to “check in” and help relieve some of the loneliness that is inevitable in the current circumstances.

We would like to make sure no one out there is left out, so email or call Kristin (bobandkristinkuhn@gmail.com or 778-957-8987) or Natasha (freefromfear101@gmail.com or 604-961-6630) if you are not receiving a call and would like to, or if you are interested in helping to make these phone calls, and we will make sure you get hooked into the service.

We know that the caring community that is St. John’s will not leave any of its people feeling more separated than is absolutely necessary. “Distance means so little when people mean so much.”

-Your Stewardship Team

 

WORSHIP & PRAYER

Pastoral Message

We offer our deepest condolences to parishioner John Warren, as he grieves the recent death of his father Ted Warren. As you may recall, John’s mother, Barb, passed on last month also. Please join us in praying for John and his family in this challenging time.

Ted’s funeral in Ontario will be this weekend on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 12pm (3pm EST) and will be livestreamed.

Order of the Diocese of New Westminster Investiture

We will be investing Sylvia Bradley with the 2020 Order of the Diocese of New Westminster (ODNW) at our 10am service this Sunday Nov. 1.

The purpose of the ODNW is to honour and give special recognition to lay members of the Diocese who have given outstanding service over a significant period of time in their volunteer ministry.

To see this year’s nominees from across the diocese, please visit: https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/news/updated-odnw-nominees-for-2020, and for more information on the ODNW, please see: https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/programs/the-odnw

 

PARISH MATTERS

Daylight Savings Time

A friendly reminder to turn your clocks back one hour this weekend for Daylight Savings Time, unless you would like to be very, very early for church this Sunday, Nov. 1… enjoy the extra hour of sleep!

Contribution Statements

With our in-person worship service being suspended, we had to look into a different way to deliver contribution statements. After some searching, we have decided to send them via email going forward. They were sent out on Friday October 23, for the period from January 1 to September 30, with a final tax statement to be sent out in the new year.

Please note: this email will have come from stjohnenvelopesecretary@gmail.com. If you do not see it,  please check your “junk” box first, then email Sheila at envelopesecretary@stja.ca to ensure that we have your current email address.

Any parishioners that do not have email will receive their statements via Canada Post.

Partial Reopening of Parish Buildings as of Oct. 20

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped ready the buildings for our deep-clean last weekend. As of Oct. 20, our buildings have been partially reopened at the diocesan Phase 3 level.

While our reopening does not include use of our buildings for worship at this time, it does include the ability to welcome back community user groups such as the 12 step programs, partial usage of our buildings for smaller group activities, as well as a limited reopening of our Parish Office. These activities are being gradually phased in over the next several weeks.

You may view the full reopening plan at https://www.stja.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/St-John-Port-Moody-102020-Reopening-App-FINAL-VERSION-TO-BE-POSTED.pdf; a guide for user groups is being finalized and will be made available shortly. In summary, any group wishing to meet will need to abide by protocols including:

• obtaining prior approval to meet via the church office
• keeping a contact tracing list of people attending
• wearing a mask
• physical distancing of 2m/6ft
• keeping hands clean with soap and water or hand sanitizer
• disinfecting any touched surfaces as directed
• no sharing of food or drink
• using washrooms on an emergency-use-only basis
• staying home if feeling sick or having had any potential exposure to COVID

Drainage Repair Project

Thank you to all who attended our recent informational meeting. Parish Council is continuing to seek out further quotes and information based on the feedback and questions received at this meeting.

Your participation in this project is integral. Thank you to those who have shared their wisdom and expertise so far! In addition to general feedback, we continue to seek volunteers for this project (could be as simple as vetting the proposals or meeting contractors on site), input into the decision-making process, and fundraising to build up the Capital Improvement Fund.

If anyone has a company to recommend or to consider, please forward the contact information to rectorswarden@stja.ca. If you are interested in helping out with this project, please reach out to Geri.

Beware Email Scams

Please continue to stay vigilant about email scams. Recently again some have received fraudulent emails claiming to be from Vivian – 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

Call for New Leaders – Treasurer and Council Members

While waiting to replace the role of Treasurer, Amalia McGlashan has graciously offered to hold the role remotely until we find a replacement.

With the departure of the McGlashans, Council is now down to a smaller group of 2 clergy and 5 lay members. We really need those of you who have the interest and/or skillset to come forward to assist in the management of your church, St. John’s.

Please speak to Ruby at peopleswarden@stja.ca or Geri at rectorswarden@stja.ca if you are interested or have any questions.

Financial Status for August & September 2020

We append below the Parish financial status for your information.

Statement of Income and Expenses ending 30^th September 2020

	August Actual $	September Actual $	September Budget $	September YTD Actual $	September YTD Budget $
Income	10,299.70	14,089	19,083	126,022	171,750
Expenses	12,660.72	15,197	19,090	119,477	171,732
Surplus (-) Loss	– 2,361.02	-1,108	-6	6546	18

 

	August Actual $	September Actual $	September Budget $	September YTD Actual $	September YTD Budget $
Offering for General Funds	8,338	10,742	15,408	92,071	138,675
Offering for Property	1,056.70	1,392	0	11,594	0

Notes: Thanks to slightly higher donations in September, the deficit is less than in August. If donations continue to increase (27% increase needed for September YTD Budget), we can meet our budgeted amount for the year.

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

Virtual Bazaar

Exciting news! We present our Virtual Online Bazaar event this November!

Although we are unable to come together for fellowship and fun this year, we encourage everyone to check out our online order form, where you will find a list of the items that we were able to compile this year for a virtual online bazaar. (This information will be emailed to you this weekend.) Hopefully you can find some of your favourite items on this list!

We also encourage you all to think about having a cake walk at home within your family bubble and to take pictures to send in to us so that we can create some memories and look forward to the time when we can get together again!

Should you not wish to purchase anything, you can also donate to our bazaar. The ACW and your bazaar team would greatly appreciate the support so that our community outreach projects might continue, even in this time of separation.

Please note that the order form will only be available for orders until Thursday November 5, when it will be removed so that we can get your orders ready for you to pick up in a drive-through event on November 13 and 14. When you place your orders, you will select a time and date to pick up your items.

If you are interested in volunteering to help at our drive through event or would like to help set up canopies, etc, please call or email Kristin Kuhn (778-957-8987 or bobandkristinkuhn@gmail.com).

We hope that you might find just a little bit of joy and fun from this event. We have worked hard to bring you a few items to brighten up our fall season. Please come out and support this event, or make a donation that will then be used to support our church and our many community outreach projects.

Anglican Church Women (A.C.W.) News

Next Meeting
The next A.C.W. meeting will be held on Thursday, November 19th at 7pm.

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

Mission to Seafarers
Thank you to everyone who donated items to the Mission to Seafarer’s Christmas-at-Sea outreach – they were gratefully received. Thank you also to Sharon and Lance who kindly delivered them to the Mission. If you were still wishing to make a donation to this outreach, there is also an option to make a financial contribution through the Mission to Seafarer’s website: https://www.flyingangel.ca/.

Calendars:
The 2021 Anglican Church Calendars are now available via the Online Bazaar order form. Cost: $7 each. Please contact Antoinette at: toni.woodman@shaw.ca with any questions.

 

COMMUNITY NEWS

Lectio Divina Workshop

You are invited to join a Lectio Divina Workshop on Saturday, November 21, 9am – 3.30pm via Zoom.

Discover the “treasure hidden in a field” through praying the scriptures, and deepen your interpersonal relationship with God. Presented by Contemplative Outreach of Greater Vancouver with facilitators Kathy Renehan and Christine Kesans.

The classical practice of Lectio Divina can be divided into two forms: the monastic and the scholastic. The monastic method of Lectio Divina is a receptive form of praying the Scriptures. We will focus on the monastic method with teaching and practice.

To register for a zoom link, or for further information, contact Christine: chris.kesans@gmail.com or 604-944-7447.

Spring Street Community Kitchen

The video of our Oct. 15 Spring Street Community Kitchen “Making the Most of your Thanksgiving Leftovers” is now viewable at https://youtu.be/lmiuK6a57ag.

Donations raised in support of our Community Kitchen are being re-gifted to the communities we serve. Funds from this recent event will go to the Port Moody Firefighters Charitable Society. You may give at any time via the ways outlined at https://www.stja.ca/supporting-st-johns/ – make sure to let us know that your donation is for “Community Kitchen”.

We would love your participation and feedback, and continue to welcome volunteers for future kitchens – planning, hosting, moderating, and tech support are just some of the roles available. Please connect with Geri at rectorswarden@stja.ca or SpringStreetCommunityKitchen@gmail.com to learn more.

Stay tuned for info on our next kitchen!

Sacred Teachings Podcast – Season 4

Season 4 of The Sacred Teachings podcast, entitled “Stolen”, takes us on a series of investigations with guest host Peter Downie. So much has been stolen from Indigenous people for so many years – land, water, language, culture, and much more. This series looks at what has been taken, who took it, and how can justice be served.

In Episode 7 of the season, “Stolen Land”, Dr. John Borrows reflects on the stolen lands and resources of Indigenous peoples in Canada, and focuses on his messages of “Go easy on one another” and “It’s possible in law to solve this problem”. This and other episodes can be found at https://www.anglican.ca/im/podcasts/.

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.

 

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 Diocese of New Westminster – the Most Rev. Melissa Skelton, Archbishop, and Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of BC and Yukon; and the Rev. John Stephens, Bishop Coadjutor-Elect.

And this week:

• The young people of our parish and the wider Church, and those ministries by and with them:
  • The Diocesan Youth Movement – Anne Kessler (Chair) and all parish youth and children’s ministry leaders;
  • Camp Artaban Society – Sandi LaCharite (Chair), Staff and Board of Directors;
  • British Columbia & Yukon Anglican Youth Movement – Sam Conway (Chair);
• All members of the ODNW and the newly invested for 2020;
• 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 November 1, 2020 – All Saints’ Sunday

Revelation 7:9-17; Psalm 34:1-10, 22; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12

Readings for November 8, 2020 – 23^rd Sunday after Pentecost & Remembrance Sunday

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25; Psalm 78:1-7; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13

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		administrator@stja.ca	604-936-7762
(Office is closed at this time, but email and voice messages will be checked Tuesday – Friday)
Rector’s Warden	Geri Grigg	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	Kristin Kuhn, 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