The E-postle July 11, 2021

July 10, 2021

Seventh Sunday After Pentecost
E-Postle
July 11, 2021

“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
Worship & Prayer: Lytton Fire – Pastoral Letter from the Primate + Donation Information, Ongoing Pastoral Care & Support
Formation: July/August Indigenous Truth & Reconciliation Online Book Study, Education for Ministry (EfM), Area Youth Group!
Stewardship: Stewardship Reflection
Parish Matters: Rector Away, Survey on Reopening Buildings for Worship, Bishop’s Letter re: July 1 Provincial Lifting of Worship Restrictions, Buildings to be Open for Small Groups, Current Parish Office & Buildings Status, Financial Status for April and May 2021, Parish Giving, Ongoing Updates Pages, E-Postle Submissions
Parish Ministries: Anglican Church Women – Fall Bazaar & Jigsaws for Mission to Seafarers, Food Bank Report
Community News: Summer Offering – Morning Prayer, Sacred Teachings Podcast – The Season of Ginny, Spring Street Community Kitchen
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/2021/program-updates/ for connection information)

Sunday, July 11 8:30am & 10:00am – Sunday Morning Prayer

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

Sunday, July 11                      following 8:30am and 10:00am worship – Informal Virtual “Coffee Hour”
Tuesday, July 13                     10:15am – 12noon – 1^st Tues AM Truth & Reconciliation Book Study
Tuesday, July 13                     7:00pm – 8:00pm – Prayer Group
Wednesday, July 14               7:30pm – 9:00pm – 1^st Wed Eve Truth & Reconciliation Book Study
Tuesday, July 27                     7:00pm – 9:00pm – Parish Council

WORSHIP & PRAYER

Lytton Fire – Pastoral Letter from the Primate + Donation Information

We continue to hold the people of the Nlaka’pamux Nation and Lytton in our prayers as they move through the tragedy of the recent devastating fire. Archbishop Linda Nicholls recently sent a pastoral letter re: the fire, including information on how the Territory of the People is collecting funds for support.

This diocesan article contains the pastoral letter, a prayer for Lytton, as well as additional links to other ways to give financially: https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/news/lytton-fire-pastoral-letter-from-the-primate-update-ways-to-give

Ongoing Pastoral Care & Support

A note from Vivian:

Please know that St. John’s is here for you as we continue to move through this pandemic. Now that I don’t see many of you as regularly, and with the limitations of virtual interactions, it is more challenging to know what everyone’s state of wellbeing and ongoing pastoral needs are. I invite and encourage you to reach out to me or to any of the other parish resources below, if and as you need.

Rector – Please contact me via rector@stja.ca or cell. I am happy to connect via phone, email, text, Facetime or Zoom, and, during this pandemic, in-person in urgent situations. I am here for support in crisis times (i.e. emergencies, hospital stays) and if you would like prayer for an upcoming medical procedure or other major circumstance. I am also available for general spiritual support and encouragement, and can offer a listening ear and prayer in the moment.

Community “Phone a Friend” – our Stewardship Team has set up phone teams to call folks each week to “check in” and help lessen isolation and foster connection. Connect with Kristin (bobandkristinkuhn@gmail.com or 778-957-8987) or Natasha (freefromfear101@gmail.com or 604-961-6630) if you’d like to receive or help make these calls.

Sunday Prayers of the People – If you would like to be prayed for in our Sunday intercessions, please email Anne at deacon@stja.ca. You will be prayed for by first name, for whatever time period you indicate. If you are adding someone else, please be sure you have their OK to do so.

Prayer Circle – Please email Sue E. at prayer@stja.ca. This is a group of parishioners who commit to pray for prayer needs of parishioners and friends/families. All requests are kept confidential within the group, and you can let the group know as much or as little detail of the situation they’re praying for, as you wish. If you are requesting prayer for someone else, please be sure you have their OK to do so.

Parish Visiting Ministry – Members of this team focus on our parishioners who are homebound or living in care homes. During this pandemic time, they are praying for and connecting with these parishioners via phone, email, and mail. Please connect with Joanne W. or Alma at pastoralvisits@stja.ca with needs in this area.

FORMATION

July/August Indigenous Truth & Reconciliation Online Book Study

This week we will begin a 4-week online weekly book study on the intersection of our faith and our journey toward Indigenous Truth & Reconciliation.

There will be 2 groups, each covering the same material:

1 – Tuesday mornings (10:15am-12noon) – on July 13, 20, 27 and August 3.
2 – Wednesday evenings (7:30 – 9:00pm) – on July 14, 21, 28 and August 4.

Please visit https://www.stja.ca/2021/program-updates/ for the Zoom link for each session.

The main book we will be exploring is In This Together: Fifteen Stories of Truth & Reconciliation, edited by Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail. In addition to reading and discussing selected stories from this book, we will also be supplementing with various other written and video resources.

From the book publisher: “What is real reconciliation? This collection of essays from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous contributors from across Canada welcomes readers into a timely, healing conversation… these reflective and personal pieces come from journalists, writers, academics, visual artists, filmmakers, city planners, and lawyers, all of whom share their personal light-bulb moments… Without flinching, they look deeply and honestly at their own experiences and assumptions about race.”

You can purchase the book at your favourite retailer, and we have also ordered a limited number of books, available at a discounted price of $10. (Help is available for those for whom this would be a financial hardship.) Please connect with Deanna at administrator@stja.ca if you would like to purchase through the church.

Education for Ministry (EfM)

We have just completed the 20th year of EfM groups held at St. John’s, and our three graduates are Heather Esposito (St. Laurence), Lois Holmlund (St. Stephen) and Connie Keen (St. Laurence). They were honoured at an on-line graduation service with Bishop John. Congratulations to all three!

A key component to EfM is Theological Reflection that gives you tools by which to reflect on your life, your faith, your personal belief, and your actions. This year this will be from the perspective of “Living Faithfully in Your World”. Through this lens we will study scripture, church history and evolving theologies. Year One is the Hebrew scriptures; Year Two is the Christian Testament; Year Three is the history of Christianity, and Year Four is deepening our understanding of Christian theology. Your commitment is for one year at a time.

The EfM program meets on Wednesday evenings from Sept. to May with mentors Anne Anchor and Debora Jones-Akiyama and fellow journeyers from different parishes. The fee is $350.00 per annum.

Please contact Anne at deacon@stja.ca for more information or if you would like to register.

Area Youth Group!

Are you a member of our St. John’s community that is aged 14 to 19, or are you entering grade 7 this year? If so, that means you are the perfect age to participate in the exciting youth activities happening right now, over the summer, and continuing next year!

The local youth group that meets at St. Laurence Anglican Church meets regularly to have fun together and is involved in all sorts of youth-related community and church projects. There are also lots of chances to participate in the youth movement to support youth in our churches at large, or to add a youth perspective to the work of the church. If you are interested in youth activities and would like to connect with our local youth group, please contact Kristin Kuhn at bobandkristinkuhn@gmail.com or connect with the Parish Office and we will help build that connection with you!

STEWARDSHIP

Stewardship Reflection

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

Mark 6:14-29
What can a steward learn from this story? Maybe not to act or speak too quickly, but to allow the Spirit to guide our thoughts and actions.

PARISH MATTERS

Rector Away

Vivian has been taking a seminary course this week (week of July 5), and working limited hours. She returns fully this Tuesday, July 13. Until then, please connect with Deanna in the office at administrator@stja.ca or Ruby and Rich at peopleswarden@stja.ca or rectorswarden@stja.ca for routine parish matters.

Until Tuesday, for pastoral emergencies, to be connected to the on-call priest, please call Ruby.

We are grateful to the Rev. Michael Chin and the Rev. Anne Anchor, who are leading Zoom worship services in Vivian’s absence. Anne will be serving as officiant at the service on July 11^th, and Michael will serve as preacher.

Survey on Reopening Buildings for Worship

Parish Council invites parishioners to complete a survey to share your thoughts on reopening the buildings for worship.

If you have not received an email with the link to the survey, please contact the Parish Office at administrator@stja.ca to receive it. The survey should take roughly 15-20 minutes to complete.

We ask you to complete the survey by 5pm this Thursday, July 15, and each adult in a household should fill out a separate survey. Please submit only one survey per person.

Thank you for participating in our parish’s discernment about this topic!

Bishop’s Letter re: July 1 Provincial Lifting of Worship Restrictions

In response to the July 1 lifting of provincial restrictions for worship gatherings and services, Bishop John has issued a pastoral letter outlining new diocesan guidelines, effective July 5. In it, he notes, “Some parishes…are ready to move back into in-person worship with few restrictions in place. Others will need to take more time. In consultation with the people in your parishes, and offering ongoing options for online worship, please set the appropriate time-line for your parish… for returning to in-person worship and what that will look like.”

As you know, Parish Council has been actively in discussion about these matters, and we will be reviewing results of the parish survey at our July meeting to aid us in our discernment about reopening. We will continue to keep you updated as more information becomes available, but in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to any Council member with questions or comments.

The Bishop’s letter can be found at https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/news/bishops-pastoral-letter-on-re-opening-july-5-2021

Buildings to be Open for Small Groups

Parish Council decided at our June meeting that beginning in July, and pending diocesan permission for indoor non-worship gatherings, small groups who wish to meet for ministry gatherings may do so, provided they 1) contact the parish office to book time through Deanna, and 2) follow all COVID protocols (current guidelines can be found at https://www.stja.ca/2021/updates-re-coronavirus/, specifically “Guidelines for User Groups”).

The main protocols include:

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

Current Parish Office & Buildings Status

The Parish Office is now open 3 partial days a week – generally on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10am-2pm – but please note that this schedule may shift from time to time. For now, the office will not be open to walk-in visitors – anyone coming by the office for a necessary purpose will need to make an appointment beforehand and follow Covid safety protocols as directed.

Anyone planning to come inside the church buildings at this time must also check in beforehand with Deanna in the office at administrator@stja.ca – even if you plan to be here just for a brief period of time. This is to enable necessary contact tracing, notification to anyone else in the building at the same time, and to review safety protocols as needed.

Two of our community 12-step groups are currently meeting in our space; other outside user groups have opted to hold off on meeting in-person for the time being. The 12-step groups are following strict safety protocols and are permitted to meet under the current provincial health order.

You may view the full reopening plan, the most recent guide for outside user groups, as well as diocesan updates at https://www.stja.ca/2021/updates-re-coronavirus/

Financial Status for April and May 2021

We append below the Parish financial status for your information.

Statement of Income and Expenses ending 31^st day of May, 2021

	April 2021 Actual $	May 2021 Actual $	May 2021 Budget $	YTD May 2021 Actual $	YTD May 2021 Budget $
Income	14,497.70	27,296.04	18,620.82	84,358.84	93,104.10
Expenses	18,582.86	16,481.08	18,541.32	78,110.00	92,706.60
Surplus (-) Loss	(4,085.16)	10,814.96	79.50	6,248.84	397.50

	April 2021 Actual $	May 2021 Actual $	May 2021 Budget $	YTD May 2021 Actual $	YTD May 2021 Budget $
Offering for General Funds	10,811.00	10,295.00	15,333.33	50,925.00	76,666.65
Offering for Property	1,111.70	1,111.70	0	5,534.50	0

Treasurer’s Note: We have a surplus in May but only because of the financial relief that we received from the Government of Canada. Our expenses were consistent with most months since we stopped in-person worship.

We received an email from the Diocese in May that contained great news. We qualified for some financial relief in the form of Canada Wage Subsidy from the Canada Revenue agency in the amount of $13,983.34 (for periods from Nov 22, 2020, to May 8, 2021), which is reflected in the May financials.

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):

Program & Worship Updates/Links – https://www.stja.ca/2021/program-updates/ – current information on programs, including Zoom meeting information and the bulletin and scripture readings for Sunday worship.
Updates on Covid-19 at St. John’s – https://www.stja.ca/2021/updates-re-coronavirus/ – a collection of all special correspondence from the Bishop 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

Anglican Church Women – Fall Bazaar

With anticipation that we may possibly soon be resuming to more of a normal life at St. John’s, the ACW have been discussing the Fall Bazaar which is usually held in November. We realize that it may not be with the same traditions as we have become used to, and that some adjustments may have to be made in concordance with the Provincial and Diocesan guidelines around Covid. As this is a Parish event we would like to ask if anyone would be interested in organising this event. Substantial support and guidance will of course be offered to whomever felt called to volunteer. Please contact Alma at 604 788 2562.

Anglican Church Women – Jigsaws for Mission to Seafarers

The Mission to Seafarers is seeking donations of jigsaw puzzles. The Seafarers have been confined to their ships during Covid – however, the Mission can still take donations to them. If you are among the many people who, like myself, have rediscovered jigsaw puzzles during Covid you may now be wanting to pass them on. If so, please contact Deanna to arrange for a time to drop them at the PMC during office hours. Thanks very much. – Sharon Cooper

Food Bank Report

At our April meeting, Parish Council decided to continue to support the SHARE Foodbank with donations of $500 per month taken from the St. John’s Foodbank fund (retroactive to January 2021), since our own Foodbank does not have immediate plans to resume in the near future. Thank you to those of you who have continued to support the Foodbank financially. Your contributions will still be helping those in need in our community.

And thank you to those who had supported the St. John’s Foodbank with donations of food while we were still meeting in person. The food has been sorted by date, and items close to their “Best Before” date have been taken to the SHARE Foodbank every month during the pandemic–so food donations have not been wasted!

Thank you again,
Mary Kyle

COMMUNITY NEWS

Summer Offering – Morning Prayer

You are invited to join a drop-in morning prayer group every Wednesday at 6am, starting June 30^th and continuing until August 25^th. Each session will include silent meditation and a liturgy of prayer from Philip Newell’s Praying with the Earth – Prayers for Peace.

This group is hosted by Contemplative Outreach of Greater Vancouver. For further information and the Zoom link, contact Christine Kesans at chris.kesans@gmail.com or 604-944-7447.

Sacred Teachings Podcast – The Season of Ginny

“The Season of Ginny,” the new seventh season of the Sacred Teachings podcast, is in honour of the Rev. Canon Ginny Doctor, who recently died from COVID. Ginny was Executive Producer and the heart and soul of the Sacred Teachings series, and was an important figure in the world of Indigenous advocacy and human rights.

The third episode of Season 7 is “Let Me Tell You a Story”. (This and new episodes can be found at https://www.anglican.ca/im/podcasts/.) Ginny was an accomplished and innovative writer, and her stories and poems about growing up in a traditional Mohawk family transport us to a different world. Ginny wrote parables that reflect her traditional Mohawk values and the teachings of her family, community and ancestors.

The season of 8 podcasts will continue to explore Ginny’s work fighting racism, battling the pandemic of suicide in Indigenous communities, and helping to blaze a trail of self-determination for the Indigenous Anglican Church. We will hear about her writing and poetry and peek into the very soul of this deeply ar tistic and spiritual Mohawk woman.

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.

Spring Street Community Kitchen

Thanks to all who participated in our most recent Spring Street Community Kitchen “Family Cooking with Pasta Polo’s Fred Soofi”. The video is available at https://youtu.be/iN5D62U_6cI, and the recipe at https://www.facebook.com/SpringStreetCommunityKitchen/posts/309000887600806.

Note that funds raised in support of our Spring Street Community Kitchen are being re-gifted to the communities we serve. Funds raised for this gathering will be gifted to the Hope for Freedom Society. Hope for Freedom Society has been assisting marginalized people in BC since 1997. They provide long-term residential supportive recovery for men and women suffering addictions, and also assist individuals in the Tri-Cities through their homeless outreach initiatives and meal programs. Donations can be given via https://www.stja.ca/supporting-st-johns/; please designate your gift to our Community Kitchen project.

We also welcome volunteers for future kitchens – planning, hosting, moderating, and tech support are just some of the roles available. Email us at SpringStreetCommunityKitchen@gmail.com.

(The Spring Street Community Kitchen is a partnership between St. John’s and Inlet United Church – be sure to like and follow us at https://www.facebook.com/SpringStreetCommunityKitchen.)

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 Province of BC and Yukon – The Most Rev. Lynne McNaughton, Metropolitan.

The Diocese of New Westminster – the Rt. Rev. John Stephens, Bishop.

And this week:

The Diocesan Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund Unit.
The Diocesan Ecumenical Multifaith Unit – The Reverend Michael Batten.
Our partner Diocese of Northern Philippines, especially the people of our twin church at St. John the Evangelist Mission, Balugan; and Brent Alawas, their current Bishop and Prime Bishop-elect of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines.
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 July 11, 2021 – Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19; Psalm 24; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:14-29

Readings for July 18, 2021 – Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

2 Samuel 7:1-14a; Psalm 89:20-37; Ephesians 2:11-22; Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

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	Deanna Lemke	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/Thurs/Fri, 10am-2pm, but may occasionally change.)
Rector’s Warden	Rich Thompson	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	Geri Grigg, 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

CONTACT US