The E-postle October 25, 2020

The E-postle October 25, 2020

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
E-Postle
October 25, 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, Community “Phone a Friend”
  • Worship & Prayer: Pastoral Message, Children’s Sunday – Oct. 25, Order of the Diocese of New Westminster Investiture
  • Parish Matters: 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 July & August 2020, Parish Giving, Ongoing Updates Pages, E-Postle Submissions
  • Parish Ministries: Virtual Bazaar, Anglican Church Women (A.C.W.) News, Food Bank Update
  • 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, October 25               8:30am & 10:00am – Sunday Morning Prayer & 3rd Stewardship Presentation

+ (at 10:00am) Children’s Sunday Program

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

Sunday, October 25               following 8:30am and 10:00am worship – Informal Virtual “Coffee Hour”
Tuesday, October 27              10:15am – 12:00pm – Bible Study
Tuesday, October 27              7:00pm – 8:00pm – Prayer Group
Tuesday, October 27              7:00pm – 9:00pm – Parish Council meeting
Sunday, November 1             All Saints’ Sunday + ODNW Investiture of Sylvia Bradley (at the 10am service)

 

STEWARDSHIP

Stewardship Reflection

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

Matthew 22:34-46
There’s an order to these two commandments: love God first, and then love your neighbour AS you love yourself. The wise steward is the one who tries to obey and follow these each and every day of their lives. How are you doing?

 

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 death this past week 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.

 

Children’s Sunday – Oct. 25

We have met with those who have been involved in teaching our children, and have brainstormed ways to keep our children engaged during worship this fall.

On the last Sunday of every month, we will have a small program open to children of all ages.  During this program, we will be looking at and talking about the Beatitudes. The curriculum we will be using is from Illustrated Ministries, the source of our Vacation Bible School.

Of course, young people will continue to be welcomed in regular Sunday worship each week, and we hope to find ways in which the children can be more actively involved in the service from time to time.

 

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 November 1, All Saints’ Sunday 10am service next Sunday.

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

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 will be sent out on Friday October 23, for the period from January 1 to September 30, with a final tax statement sent out in the new year.

Please note: they will be coming 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, 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
  • 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 last Sunday’s informational meeting on our drainage repair project. Parish Council will continue to seek out further quotes and information based on the feedback and questions received.

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 July & August 2020

We append below the Parish financial status for your information.

Statement of Income and Expenses ending 31st August 2020

  July Actual August Actual August Budget August YTD Actual August YTD Budget
Income $15,060 $10,299.70 $19,083.33 $111,933.58 $152,666.64
Expenses $12,384 $12,660.72 $19,089.80 $104,280.19 $152.641.90
Surplus
(-) Loss
$2,076 -$2,361.02 -$5,81 $7,653.39 $24.74

 

  July Actual August Actual August Budget August YTD Actual August YTD Budget
Offering for General Funds $10,016 $8,338 $15,408.33 $81,329.53 $123,266.64
Offering for Property $1,494 $1,056.70 0 $10,202.60 0

Notes: Deficit in August is due mostly to lower donations and purchase of an online version of our membership and accounting database.

 

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/Linkshttps://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

The ACW is going to have a Virtual Bazaar this year in mid-November. As everyone knows, we are unable to gather for such an event as our usual Fall Bazaar encompasses, but we still have all our crafters and producers that have worked hard to prepare their yearly offerings. As such, we are going to attempt a virtual bazaar.

This means that you may still be able to buy that favourite item that you always look forward to purchasing at our yearly event. Our offering this year will be much less than usual, but we hope that you will still consider purchasing some of our most well-known items. At the end of October/beginning of November, there will be an online order form posted on our church website. Here you will be able to order your items and then come and pick them up (with a drive-through, limited contact method). Please feel free also to make a donation on the online order form, as our selection of purchases is limited due to circumstances of the pandemic. This year, we have to seek out new and unique ways of fundraising…and this is just a tiny sample of that effort.

We hope that this event will let us work together in community, albeit in a new and different way, as we learn to survive and adapt in these uncertain times.

 

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

Mission to Seafarers
The A.C.W. are also collecting items to send to the Mission to Seafarers for their Christmas-at-Sea event. If you would like to contribute to this outreach some of the suggested items to donate are: toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, soap, razors, small shower gel and shampoo, socks, gloves, toques (home made or bought), chocolate. (No scarfs as they are dangerous onboard). More information on this outreach can be found on the Mission to Seafarer’s website: https://www.flyingangel.ca/. There is also an option to make a financial contribution to this outreach through their website, if that is more preferable. Please contact Ann Adair-Austin (ACW@stja.ca) for collection details. Items will need to be collected by October 24th.

Calendars:
The 2021 Anglican Church Calendars will be available at the end of October. Cost: $7 each. If you would like to reserve a copy, please contact Antoinette at: toni.woodman@shaw.ca.

 

Food Bank Update

At our last meeting, the members of the Food Bank decided to not resume the Food Bank until it can operate in a way similar to how it had in the past. We will be looking for a new coordinator and discussing ways in which we can divide and/or share the duties. If anyone is interested in joining the group of Foodbank and/or Lunch volunteers your help would be very much appreciated. Please connect with us at foodbank@stja.ca.

-Mary Kyle

 


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.

 

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. Our next Zoom planning meeting will be this Friday, Oct. 30 at 5pm. 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 6 of the season, “Stolen Health”, Joyce Echaquan recorded the racist taunts of the nurses as she lay dying in hospital.  Her experience is a devastatingly common one among Indigenous People. 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:

  • All Saints, Ladner – The Reverend Robin Ruder-Celiz;
  • All Saints, Agassiz – The Reverend David Price;
  • All Saints, Burnaby – The Reverend Justin Cheng, The Reverend Gordon Barrett, The Reverend Leah Skuro;
  • All Saints, Mission – The Reverend Paul Bowie, The Reverend Glen Nicholson, The Reverend Connie Wilks;
  • 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 October 25, 2020 – Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost

Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Matthew 22:34-46

 

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


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

 

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