Greetings!
PARISH NEWS for Wednesday, December 5, 2018
St. John's ECW receives note for United Thank Offering:
" Thank you and everyone at St. John's Episcopal Church for the wonderful contribution to the 2018 UTO Fall Ingathering. We sincerely appreciate all the excellent work St. John's is doing for the United Thank Offering Ministry." God's Blessings, Connie Brady
Historic St. John's gets new roof!
When you come to church on Sunday, look at the new roof on the historic church! In spite of the wind on Tuesday, the workers were up on the steep roof taking off the old shingles and putting on the new. Many thanks to all who contributed to the facilities fund raising effort this past summer. Our goal was to raise funds to replace one HVAC unit, the water heater and the roof on the historic church. Because of your generosity and vision, we were able to accomplish all three replacements.
  • We REALLY need your help!!!
In the past few weeks, I have been approached by the heads of several of our
ministries, such as the counters, the Altar Guild, the Lay Eucharistic Ministers and the lectors, saying they need more people. Most of this work is done on Sunday morning (the Altar Guild sometimes comes in on Saturday). Each of these groups only has about four members, and because many people travel, they end up serving several times a month. We need to have more people in each ministry. Training will be provided! If you are interested in being a counter, see Marie McDermott; for LEM or lector, see Monti Zimmerman or Carol; for Altar Guild, see Marcia Evans. We all enjoy coming to worship on Sundays. But we need YOUR help to make it all happen.

  • Did anyone see anything?
Our "St John's Episcopal Church Welcomes You" sign and post that has been on the corner of Route 29 and Braddock Road was taken sometime between November 18 - 20. Someone sawed off the post at the bottom, close to the ground. If you saw anything or know anything about what might have happened, please let Carol or David Weir know.

  • Our Neighbor's Child Christmas Gifts - thanks to all who selected a paper ornament on the Christmas tree...
Please note: the unwrapped gifts need to be returned to the church by this Sunday, December 9 . Please attach the paper ornament securely to the outside of the gift.

  • Pledge card update
Of the 49 pledges that we received last year, 38 have returned their completed pledge cards, 3 have moved away, and we have 3 new pledgers. If you have not yet returned your completed pledge card, please do so as soon as possible . The Finance Committee and the Vestry are working on the 2019 budget now. Pledge cards can be put in the offering bags on Sunday or mailed to the church office (5649 Mt. Gilead Road, Centreville, VA 20120). For those who have already returned their pledge cards, many thanks!

  • Advent is here!
Advent, the four Sundays before Christmas, began last Sunday, December 2. We have easy-to-follow Advent calendar available with something specific to pray for or do each day. Copies are on the back table in the church.This free calendar and the "Journeying the Way of Love: Advent Curriculum" have been put together by the Episcopal Church as part of the "Way of Love: Practices for the Jesus-Centered Life", started by our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and endorsed by the General Convention. The Advent curriculum will be studied on the four Sundays of Advent at 10:50 AM in Carol's office. Join us this Sunday as we take a look at "Mary and Elizabeth: Journeying with Family and Friends".

  • Another Advent resource
Virginia Theological Seminary is offering daily meditations during Advent. Go to www.AdventWord.org to sign up.

  • What changes will we see in Advent?
The season of Advent is the four weeks before Christmas. It is a time of spiritual preparation and waiting for the birth of the Christ child. Advent marks the beginning of a new church year. We will begin "Year C" of the lectionary cycle, we will have blue hangings rather than green, we will use Rite I rather than Rite II, we will use greens on the altar rather than flowers, and we will omit the "alleluia's". Advent is a penitential season, although not "as penitential" as Lent. These changes remind us that we are in a different season of the church year and that it is a time to prepare ourselves to receive the Christ child into our midst at Christmas. "O come, O come Emmanuel!"

  • Save the date for The Cleaning and Greening!
On Saturday, December 15 , we will have the " cleaning and greening " of the church. We will clean the historic church from top to bottom and then decorate the church for Christmas. Bring your cleaning supplies and join us from 9-12. This would be a good activity for students who need community service hours!
We could certainly use the help of some of our "younger" men and women.

  • Packing and delivering Christmas baskets
Also on Saturday, December 15, we will pack Christmas baskets for the families given to us by Western Fairfax Christian Ministries, starting at 9:00 AM in the library. We will need folks to deliver 10 baskets on Sunday, December 16, right after church. Please let Marie McDermott know if you can help. If you would like to make a donation to the Christmas basket fund, envelopes are on the back table in the church.

  • We welcome another Ministry Partner!
Gamblers Anonymous now meets at St. John's on Saturdays from 2:30 - 4:30 PM in room 207/208.

  • Prayer List
We are happy to put on the prayer list the names of parishioners, family members or friends who are sick or are in need. However, when that person has sufficiently recovered, please let us know so we can take their name off the prayer list. Unless otherwise directed, if we don't hear from the person who has put the name on the prayer list after a few months, we may take that person's name off the prayer list in order to keep the list from becoming too long. That name can always be put back on.

  • Our condolences and prayers go to Walt and Sara Cooner on the
death of his mother, Joanne Cooner, in Arkansas. May her soul and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

  • The service tonight will be Evening Prayer, led by Val Tucker. Carol is at an overnight retreat with the Standing Committee in Richmond.
Many Thanks to:
  • Val and John Tucker for providing bibles for each pew in the church.

  • those who came last Sunday afternoon to fill in pot holes in the parking lot. More rocks should be arriving soon, so stay tuned to find out when we will have the next pot hole filling party!
Please send an email to the office if you did not receive a pledge card yet: SJECCentreville@aol.com, or let Carol know. The cards may be mailed back to St. John's, or put in the collection this Sunday.
Afghans/throws are here!
If you already placed an order for one of the Historic Centreville afghans/throws featuring St. John's, they have arrived! They are ready to be picked up in the office. Please see Carol. (If you didn't already order and pay for one, there are a few extras available to sell. The price is $50.)
SUNDAY SERVICE
We can prepare our hearts & minds by reading ahead
for the Sunday Service lessons.   
The Second Sunday of Advent

December 9, 2018

9:30 AM

The First Reading: Malachi:3:1-4
Those who desire to become something more light, more pure, more lustrous, may do so, but it will not be easy or without painful cleansing. There is one who is coming who will guide this process, if you say yes.

The Canticle: 4, The Song of Zechariah, p. 50 of the BCP
  
The Second Lesson: Philippians 1:3-11
The communion of the saints, through space and time, provides a great comfort to those who follow the way of Jesus in spite of difficulty.

The Gospel: Luke 3:1-6
John the Baptist is often called the last of the Old Testament prophets. His relationship with his cousin, Jesus, represents the hinge point of God's redemption of his people and the world.
  __________________________________
 
THE ADULT LECTIONARY FORUM

MEETS EACH SUNDAY IN THE LIBRARY, FOLLOWING THE SERVICE 
  FROM 10:50 - 11:50 AM
___________________
CHILD CARE IS PROVIDED IN THE NURSERY  
(Rm. 205) 
During the Service
____________

JOINT SUNDAY SCHOOL: 10:30 - 11:30 AM
 Each week, St. John's children join with three of our Ministry Partners: 
Fairfax Chinese Christian Church, 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 

 
DIOCESE

VOLUNTEERING AT ST. JOHN'S
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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COMMUNITY
WESTERN FAIRFAX
CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES

"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:
OPPORTUNITIES
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!

Pay Attention
Jesus says pay attention to children. Pay special attention to those who seem little, last, least, and lost. Who is insignificant to you? Whom have you been overlooking? They, too, are beloved children of God held in love. Pray for them. Reach out, acknowledge, bless, befriend and help those who seem little, last, and lost.
-Br. Luke Ditewig
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.
      - Carol

        The Rev. Carol Hancock, Rector
ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH | 5649 MT. GILEAD RD. , CENTREVILLE, VA | 703-803-7500
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