The E-postle May 16, 2021

Ascension Sunday
E-Postle
May 16, 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: Diocesan Synod, Jerusalem Sunday, Pentecost Red, Sermons Online, Ongoing Pastoral Care & Supports
• Stewardship: Stewardship Reflection, Call for Stewardship Volunteers
• Parish Matters: Flower Beds at Back of Church, Limited Reopening of Parish Office & Buildings, Financial Status for February and March 2021, Parish Giving, Ongoing Updates Pages, E-Postle Submissions
• Parish Ministries: Youth Opportunities, Food Bank Report
• Community News: Spring Street Community Kitchen – May 26 “Fish & Salsa” + Online Survey, PWRDF India Pandemic Donations, PWRDF Vaccine Equity Fund, Trivia Night – Defending our Title!, Online Series on “Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion”
• 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, May 16                     8:30am & 10:00am –Sunday Morning Prayer

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

Sunday, May 16                     following 8:30am and 10:00am worship – Informal Virtual “Coffee Hour”
Tuesday, May 18                    10:15am – 12:00pm – Bible Study
Tuesday, May 18                    7:00pm – 8:00pm – Prayer Group
Thursday, May 20                  7:00pm – A.C.W. Meeting
Tuesday, May 25                    7:00pm – 9:00pm – Parish Council
Sunday, May 23                     Pentecost Sunday
Wednesday, May 26              6:00pm – 7:00pm – Spring Street Community Kitchen – “Fish & Salsa”

WORSHIP & PRAYER

Diocesan Synod

Please keep the 121^st Synod of our Diocese of New Westminster in your prayers this weekend; lay and clergy delegates from across the diocese will gather virtually on Saturday, May 15 from 8:30am – 1:30pm to receive reports, vote on financial and other mission issues of the diocese, and elect positions. Lay delegates from St. John’s this year are Geri Grigg, Mary Kyle, and John Warren (with alternates on standby – Kristin Kuhn, Natasha MacDonald, and Ruby Ng). Clergy delegates are Vivian Lam, Anne Anchor, and Lilian Elliott.

The theme this Synod is “Wonderful are your works; that I know very well” (Psalm 139: 14b). You can view materials and information about Synod at https://www.vancouver.anglican.ca/diocesan-ministries/synods.

Jerusalem Sunday

As we pray for peace in the Holy Land in this current time, we will be marking Jerusalem Sunday this Sunday, May 16. Jerusalem Sunday is an annual church observance to celebrate companionship in God’s mission with the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem in Jerusalem, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. The Diocese is a historic and active member of the Christian, ecumenical, and interfaith community of the Middle East. It is home to several thousand Arab Anglicans in thirty parishes and situated in one of the world’s holiest destinations for Christian, Jewish, and Muslim pilgrims.

Jerusalem Sunday is also an opportunity for Anglicans in Canada to send a measure of financial support to the health care ministries of the Diocese. All donations to Jerusalem Sunday 2021 will support the emergency needs of the Al Ahli Arab Hospital, Gaza.

For more information, please visit https://www.anglican.ca/gr/provinces/jerusalem/sunday/why/

Pentecost Red

In celebration of Pentecost next Sunday, May 23, we invite everyone to wear something red to our Zoom worship services, to represent the power and presence of the Holy Spirit!

Sermons Online

We have begun to post sermons online on our parish YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtYEbMPaN__K4WLhbR6ZP4Q/playlists. We hope that this will be helpful if you wish to meditate further on a sermon, or share with friends and family.

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.

 

STEWARDSHIP

Stewardship Reflection

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

Luke 24:44-53
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures and he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations”. As stewards of Jesus how forgiving are we?

Call for Stewardship Volunteers

The Stewardship Team is looking for some willing volunteers to join our team as we ramp up to prepare this year’s fall campaign. No experience necessary, just a desire to help keep our church healthy, strong, and vital. If you think you might be interested in helping our team, please call Kristin Kuhn at 778-957-8987 or the church office.

 

PARISH MATTERS

Flower Beds at Back of Church

Now that spring has sprung and summer is fast approaching, we are opening the church grounds to anyone who is interested to tend to the flowerbeds, be it planting or weeding.

You are welcome to do so at anytime; if there are others present who are not in your household/core bubble, please mask/maintain social distance and take other necessary COVID precautions. Please also let Deanna (administrator@stja.ca) know when you are here, so that we are aware of who is on the property. If you should enter the buildings, please continue to log the time with Deanna as usual, for contact tracing purposes.

Limited Reopening of Parish Office & Buildings

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.

We have recently welcomed back two of our community 12-step groups; 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 February and March 2021

We append below the Parish financial status for your information.

Statement of Income and Expenses ending 31^st March 2021

	February 2021 Actual	March 2021 Actual	March2021 Budget $	YTD March 2021 Actual $	YTD March 2021 Budget $
Income	13,355.70	15,301.70	18,620.82	42,565.10	55,862.46
Expenses	14,352.45	13,462.85	18,541.32	43,046.06	55,623.96
Surplus (-) Loss	(996.75)	1,838.85	79.50	(480.96)	238.50

 

	February Actual $	March Actual $	March 2021 Budget $	YTD March 2021 Actual $	YTD March 2021 Budget $
Offering for General Funds	9,801.00	10,355.00	15,333.00	29,819.00	45,999.99
Offering for Property	999.70	1,221.70	0	3,311.10	0

Treasurer’s Note: Thank you to all for the continued support to the church in these difficult times. We had a surplus in March, thanks to increased offerings from everyone. This will help in the months to come as we will resume paying Parish Assessment in April.

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/2021/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/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

Youth Opportunities

Are you a member of our St. John’s community that is aged 14 to 19? Are you interested in participating in youth activities in our church? Did you know that there is an active local Anglican/Lutheran youth group you could be involved with?

Even during the COVID period, the local youth group that meets at St. Laurence Anglican Church is actively meeting, sometimes in person with limited COVID-safe activities and sometimes by Zoom. There are also lots of chances to participate in the youth movement to support youth in our churches 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!

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

Spring Street Community Kitchen – May 26 “Fish & Salsa” + Online Survey

As we move from spring into summer, many of us are on the lookout for light, outdoorsy dishes. Join us at our next online Spring Street Community Kitchen on Wednesday, May 26, 6-7pm, where we will have a live demonstration featuring recipes for fish and salsa (and optional wine pairing). As always, there will be opportunities to ask questions and share conversation with others! Our guest chef is our very own Geri Grigg.

Pre-registration is required for this free event – please email your name and email address to SpringStreetCommunityKitchen@gmail.com to be included on the list to receive Zoom connection information.

We’d also love your feedback! Take this 5-10 minutes online survey at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMwK8u2sINxCdTr8O5IEZRhaw40pTlKJyM3-1UaZ3IqUW3UA/viewform. The survey will be open through May 31. (Please fill out the survey only once.) Your input will help us in shaping and growing the Spring Street Community Kitchen in the best ways possible – thank you!

Note that funds raised in support of our Spring Street Community Kitchen are being re-gifted to the communities we serve, and for May’s kitchen, we will be giving to The People’s Pantry Food Recovery Society. The People’s Pantry is a Tri-Cities organization that seeks to build a bridge between local businesses struggling with food waste, and vulnerable populations struggling with food insecurity. They rescue nutritious food that would otherwise go to waste, making it available to people in need. Donations can be given via https://www.stja.ca/supporting-st-johns/ and be sure to designate your gift to our Community Kitchen project.

Finally, we welcome you to send your own summer recipes to SpringStreetCommunityKitchen@gmail.com and we will share them on our Facebook page. We are also looking for volunteers for future kitchens – planning, hosting, moderating, and tech support are just some of the roles available.

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

PWRDF India Pandemic Donations

The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) is currently accepting donations to support India as it struggles with the current COVID-19 outbreak. Several fellow ACT members in the region – some former PWRDF partners – are working night and day to provide emergency services and relief, including the Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA).

For more information on how to designate a donation for this purpose, please visit https://pwrdf.org/pwrdf-accepting-donations-for-india/

PWRDF Vaccine Equity Fund

The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) has launched a new Vaccine Equity Fund to contribute to the worldwide vaccination effort from COVID-19. Money donated to this fund will be used to support our partners as they prepare for vaccine rollout in the coming months.

PWRDF has created a fund for Anglicans eager to “pay it forward.” Now when you receive your vaccine, you have the opportunity to “Pay it forward” and make a donation to PWRDF’s Vaccine Equity Fund.

For more information on this fund, please visit https://pwrdf.org/vaccineequityfund/

Trivia Night – Defending our Title!

Calling all trivia buffs! St. Stephen’s Burnaby will be holding a fundraising Zoom Trivia Night on Saturday, May 29, 7pm. St. John’s team, The Magnificent 7, were the winners at the last Trivia Night, and we are not ready to yield our trophy! If you are interested in forming a parish team (we need 8 people) to defend our title, please connect with Vivian at rector@stja.ca.

It is $10 per person to support this event, and you can also participate as an individual (you will be assigned to a team). More information at https://www.ststephenburnaby.ca/events/trivia-night–93/2021-05-29

Online Series on “Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion”

The Tri-Cities Local Immigration Partnership (TCLIP), chaired by S.U.C.C.E.S.S. and SHARE Family and Community Services has been sponsoring an online series in May called “Dismantling Barriers & Fostering Belonging: An Anti-Racism Initiative”. This week will be the final week.

From their website: “Join us for three weeks of engaging activities as we learn together to deepen our understanding of the importance of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in our communities. From speakers, workshops and dialogues to exhibits and performances, these activities will provide opportunities for us to connect, empower and transform our communities to be stronger and more inclusive.”

More information and registration can be found at https://tricitieslip.ca/dismantling-barriers-fostering-belonging-an-anti-racism-initiative/

 

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:

• St. Columba, Pitt Meadows – The Ven. Al Carson;
• St. Helen, Point Grey – The Rev. Liz Hamel;
• 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 May 16, 2021 – Ascension Sunday

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

Readings for May 23, 2021 – Pentecost

Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:25-35, 37b; Romans 8:22-27; John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15

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