PARISH NEWS for Wednesday, January 23, 2019
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Blessing of the travelers : This Sunday, January 27
, at the 9:30 AM service, we are blessing and sending out 13 St. John’s parishioners, plus family, friends, former parishioners, and four people from Emmanuel, Delaplane, on their trip to the Holy Land. We will leave that evening and return on February 8. We will plan several events to share with the congregation about what we learned on this trip after we return. Please keep us in your prayers. (For more details, see paragraph below.)
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As the Rector will be in the Holy Land for 12 days, January 27 - February 8, we will not have the Wednesday 6:00 PM service on January 30 and February 6.
The Rev. Larry Packard will lead the service on Sunday, February 3.
In case of a pastoral emergency, please call our Senior Warden, David Weir (703-344-1766) or Catherine Packard in the church office (703-803-7500). Both have contact information for clergy who can assist you.
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- Are you or someone you know affected by the government shutdown?
How can St. John's help those who are affected by the government shutdown which is now into its fifth week? Some are working without pay, others are not working at all. If you have ideas on how the St. John's community can help, please let Carol know. Those affected will continue to be in our prayers until the shutdown is over. Pray that the President and those in Congress will "make wise decisions and right actions for the welfare and peace of the world." (BCP, page 329)
If St. John's has to cancel its service on a Sunday, as we had to do 2 weeks ago due to the snow, we will send out a parish-wide email no later than early Sunday morning. We will always make every effort to have our Sunday services, but we also do not want parishioners to risk life and limb to get here. If you are in doubt whether services will be held due to inclement weather, please check your
emails
. There will also be an announcement on our
website
and on our
phone
.
- The countdown to the Pilgrimage to the Holy Land...
In 4 days, many parishioners from St. John's and Emmanuel, Delaplane, along with some family members and friends, will begin their pilgrimage to the Holy Land. We will be on this life changing pilgrimage from January 27 - February 8. We will be staying at St. George's College in Jerusalem and participating in their program "The Footsteps of Jesus". Prayers of blessing for this trip and its participants will be held at the 9:30 service on January 27. The St. John's parishioners who are going are: Lisa Heller, Robyn and Tim Ramsey, Larry and Susie Pike, Bev and Gene Milunec, Susan Davis, Andrew and Lori Wade, Val and John Tucker, and Carol Hancock. We will be joined by 9 friends, family and former parishioners, and by 4 people from Emmanuel, Delaplane.
- Saying goodbye to the Fairfax Chinese Christian Church
Pastor Philip Yen from the Fairfax Chinese Christian Church will be with us at the 9:30 service this Sunday, January 27, so we can thank them for their 16 years of worshipping here at St. John's. FCCC has joined another church and they are now part of that congregation. Please join us on the 27th to wish them Godspeed.
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We give thanks for the birth of Alice Francis Kantor, newborn daughter of Joe and Grier Kantor, and granddaughter of Mary Jo and David Kantor. Alice joins big brother George.
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Parishioner Angela Hadfield is still looking for a good home for her cat. More information is available on the flyer in the office. If you have a home to offer, please talk with Angela or call Catherine in the church office.
The Sunday School class for ages 2-4 will meet on Sunday, February 3 from 10:50 - 11:30 AM in room 215. The class will be led by Denise Bellows. Please invite family and friends to join us.
- December 2018 Vestry Meeting Highlights
·Vestry approval of the 2019 budget
·Vestry approval of the Ministry Partner Letter of Agreement and Facility Use Form
·Fairfax Chinese Christian Church is officially leaving at the end of December
- Annual Parish Meeting - Sunday, February 10
Our Annual Parish Meeting will be held Sunday, February 10 right after the 9:30 AM service. We will hear reports of the past year, vote on updated parish by-laws (if you wish to read up on the changes to the by-laws, please see paragraph below), elect some new Vestry members, and a delegate and alternate to Diocesan Convention. If you are interested in being a Vestry member or a delegate or alternate to Diocesan Convention, please let Carol know as soon as possible.
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UPDATED PARISH BY-LAWS
It has been at least 15 years since the SJEC By-laws were updated and there have been many changes to the congregation in that time. Many of the edits corrected grammatical and spelling errors that could not be fixed in previous non-electronic copies and updated the references to the constitutions and canons of the Episcopal Church or the Diocese of Virginia which have evolved over the years. Some dated and gendered language has also been updated.
In addition, the following Articles have been changed:
Article I - General Provisions - SJEC's updated Mission Statement has been included.
Article III - Parish Meetings - The date has been changed to reflect current parish practice.
Article IV - The Vestry - The number of members and the election procedures have been changed to reflect current parish practice.
Article V - Parish Officers - A section of acceptance of financial documents and contracts has been added to avoid ambiguity.
Article VII - Parish Committees - This section has been substantially simplified to reflect current parish practice. Nonexistent committees and commissions have been eliminated and the leadership of committees has been clarified.
Article VII - The Rector - The description of the Rector's duties has been updated.
Article X - Ministry Partners - This new article reflects the importance of the ministry partners in the life of SJEC.
"Tracked changes" versions of the by-laws updates are available if parishioners would like to see the changes in greater detail.
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BIOS OF VESTRY NOMINEES
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Sam Cameron
Sam joined St. John's about two years ago and was baptized and confirmed here. He has spent most of his life in the northern Virginia area and often participates in horseback riding competitions. Sam is an active member of St. John's and looks forward to serving on the Vestry.
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Jim Elliott
I have been a lifelong Episcopalian and have attended St. John's for many years. I served on the Vestry in the late 90's. I currently assist with repairs and upgrades to the building and grounds and helped paint the outside of the church two summers ago. I am retired from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority at Dulles International Airport. Prior to that, I served for 12 years in the US Army.
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Jim Heller
It is an honor to serve on the vestry, as St. John's is a very special place for the Heller family. Lisa and I were married here in 1996, I was confirmed here by Bishop Lee, and St. John's has been our church home whenever we have been posted in Washington. That has been a rarity, as Lisa and I work for the State Department and we've spent long, multi-year stretches overseas, including at the U.S. Embassies in Beijing, Kiev, and Seoul. I have not served on the St. John's vestry before, but have served twice on the board of Congregation of the Good Shepherd, the liturgical Protestant community in Beijing. Lisa and I have two kids: Katie, a junior at William & Mary, and Peter, who is a high school senior.
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Andrew Wade
Andrew D. Wade has been a member of St. John's since 1996. The following year, he and his wife Lori were married by the former Rector, Howard Kempsell, down in Ft. Monroe, VA. Andrew enjoyed leading the junior and senior high youth groups for six years that included four trips through Appalachia Service Project (ASP) as well as many trips to Shrinemont. Although Andrew has never served on the Vestry previously, he has worked with clergy and the leadership of St. Johns with stewardship campaigns and other tasks. On a professional level, Andrew is a CFP® and owns his own Financial Planning firm located in Annandale, VA since 1997. He is eager work on projects that will solidify St. John's Episcopal Church in Centreville, VA for generations to come. He looks forward to working with members of the vestry and all parishioners as we put our Time, Talent, and Treasure to work in the years to come.
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We can prepare our hearts & minds by reading ahead
for the Sunday Service lessons.
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The Third Sunday after the Epiphany
January 27, 2019
9:30 AM
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The First Reading:
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Realizing the ways that we fall short of God's law and his hopes and plans for our lives, we may want to weep, like those who hear God's word in Nehemiah today; but more important than our sorrow and sin is God's hope, as those who hear our told, "the joy of the Lord is your strength."
The Psalm:
19;
page 606, BCP
The Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
In humility we learn that all parts, all parties, are welcome and needed in God's kingdom. The young and the old, the rich and the poor, people of all colors and political persuasions, we may all contribute to God's kingdom and be made into his great people.
The Gospel:
Luke 4:14-21
Jesus makes a stunning assertion in his home church. His comrades are suspicious of his prophecy, leaving readers to wonder whether we discount wise people in our own midst.
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THE ADULT LECTIONARY FORUM
MEETS EACH SUNDAY IN THE LIBRARY, FOLLOWING THE SERVICE
FROM 10:50 - 11:50 AM
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CHILD CARE IS PROVIDED IN THE NURSERY
(Rm. 205)
During the Service
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JOINT SUNDAY SCHOOL: 10:30 - 11:30 AM
Each week, St. John's children join with our Ministry Partners:
Wellspring UCC & Grace Baptist Church
Room 207/208
St. John's Sunday School
class for ages 2-4, Room 215
Meets the first Sunday of each month from 10:50 - 11:30
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- Diocesan "Listening Sessions"
Bishop Susan Goff invites everyone to a "listening session" to hear what's on your mind and your vision for the diocese. Please register for the session you would like to attend.
(I would like to encourage as many people as possible to attend one of these "listening sessions" and to learn more about the diocese and its leadership. This is an opportunity for your voice to be heard about your hopes and dreams for the diocese. The closest one to Centreville is Annandale on February 9.
Here is the schedule for the Recall and Reconnect Listening Sessions. You can click on a location to register.
*We hope to broadcast this listening session via Facebook Live.
What we hear from each other in these sessions will shape subsequent opportunities for sharing as we deepen dialogue and grow in community. What we learn will strengthen us to go Now Into the World. Please do plan to be a part of this time.
Faithfully yours,
The Rt. Rev. Susan E. Goff
Bishop Suffragan and Ecclesiastical Authority
- Intercultural Summit offered by the Diocese of Virginia
Saturday, January 26, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Church of the Epiphany, Herndon
This year we will address some of the difficult topics – immigration, climate justice, poverty and more – that we encounter in our interactions both in and outside our churches. What do we need to know about these topics? How do they relate to our churches and intercultural communities? A variety of workshops will answer these questions.
Register
today.
- Do you receive the "Virginia Episcopalian"?
The "Virginia Episcopalian" is the magazine put out by the diocese four times a year. It includes articles and announcements about what is going on in the diocese, as well as what is going on in the larger church. If you would like a subscription to the "Virginia Episcopalian", please call Erin Kamran at the diocesan office (1-800-346-2373, ext. 1016). Yearly subscriptions are $5. If you would like to receive information from the diocese electronically, you can sign up for the E-Communique which comes out each week, also by calling Erin.
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VOLUNTEERING AT ST. JOHN'S
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Sign Up Here
to be an altar server
*,
or to donate flowers for a Sunday service, or to bring refreshments for Coffee Hour after the service.
*
(if you're not an altar server, and would like to be a Lay Eucharistic Minister (LEM), a Lector, or a Crucifer, please see Carol).
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WESTERN FAIRFAX
CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES
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"We know that food can be one of the most expensive items on a household budget list. Our hope is that in allowing our clients to visit once per month they will save enough money to pay for other expenses such as rent or utility bills."
I
tems are collected weekly in the baskets at the front door of St. John's Church. For food list:
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Reminder
Every Wednesday evening, we have a service of Holy Eucharist and healing at 6:00 PM. The service is about 30 minutes. It is a perfect alternative for those who cannot come to church on Sunday mornings, as well as a good spiritual boost in the middle of the week. Come join us!
Special note: there will not be a Wednesday service January 30 or February 6.
Family
J
esus invited women, foreigners, tax collectors, prostitutes, all kinds of the sick and outcast. Most people were tripped up by sticky memories and labels like Gentile and sinner. Jesus was not. He knew who they were and what they’d done, and he loved them still. Jesus showed them to be one family.
-Br. Luke Ditewig
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My email address is stjohnscvpriest@gmail.com,
and the office number is 703-803-7500.
May our ministry together spread God's love to all whom we encounter.
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Carol
The Rev. Carol Hancock, Rector
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ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH | 5649 MT. GILEAD RD. , CENTREVILLE, VA | 703-803-7500
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Please note:
If you choose to unsubscribe below, please note that you will no longer receive either St. John's sermons or E-Notes, which are sent weekly. If you do unsubscribe and later want to be added back in, that needs to be done through the provider, Constant Contact. Please email St. John's office with the request: SJECCentreville@aol.com.
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