Greetings!
PARISH NEWS for Tuesday, December 31, 2019 - New Year's Eve
ALTAR SERVERS & ALTAR FLOWERS SIGN UP SLOTS
HAVE NOW BEEN ADDED FOR 2020
 (look under Volunteering at St. John's, below)

Russell's farewell reception this Sunday, after the service - As we will be having a farewell reception for Russell Jacobs, our retiring weekend sexton, this Sunday, January 5, all members of the congregation are asked to bring finger foods to share. The reception will be held in room 207/208. Russell has been with us for over 6 years. He is now married and lives in Maryland so it is time for him to "retire" from St. John's. We will send Russell off with our good wishes and thanks for his many years of faithful and outstanding service to St. John's. after the service

Christmas services - Many thanks go to all who worked hard to make our Christmas services beautiful and meaningful - our choir and organist (Mandy Hull), the Altar Guild, those who came to "clean and green" the church, our parish administrator (Catherine Packard), and all those who helped with the services (including the Crossett family who covered all the roles at the 4:00 PM service). It was truly a team effort!

Pledge / Offering envelopes - Packets of your pledge / offering envelopes for 2020 are available in the breezeway after the Sunday service. Please pick yours up and save us the expense of mailing them.

Wednesday 6:00 PM service - We will not have the 6:00 PM service on Wednesday, January 1. This service will resume on January 8.

Church Office - The church office will be closed on Wednesday, January 1 in observance of New Year's Day.

Our profound thanks goes to Tom McDermott for being our treasurer for the past 4 years. Tom has done an incredible job of organizing our finances, seeing that funds are put aside for building repairs, and looking ahead at what major expenses might be ahead so we can plan for them. His reports to the Finance Committee and the Vestry have been very helpful in letting the leadership know exactly where we stand financially. Diocesan guidelines state that a treasurer should not serve more than 4 years without taking a break. We are very fortunate to have Denise Bellows step up and take over the role of treasurer. Many thanks to Tom for his years of service, and to Denise for becoming our new treasurer.

Many thanks go to David Weir for his donation of a 50" TV to be used for classes, Vestry presentations, etc. It was hard for people to read facts and figures on the smaller TV we have been using. Thanks, David!!

The St. John's Sunday School class for the 2-4 year olds will meet this Sunday, January 5 in room 215. Children will attend the first part of the service with their parents and will then leave through the side door following the reading of the gospel. Parents may either stay in church or accompany their children to Sunday School. It is important for our children to begin to learn about Jesus and his love for us at an early age. When children are baptized, the parents and godparents vow to see that their children are brought up in the Christian faith and life. Sunday School plays an important part in their life long Christian formation.

I ntern in the Deacon's School to assist at St. John's - Steven Busch, a second year student in the Deacon's School will serve as an intern at St. John's in 2020. His first Sunday will be January 5, though he will sit in the congregation that day. He will be a Vocational Deacon when he is ordained in 2021. That means his ministry will be that of a deacon, whose focus is on those in need in the community, and he will not be ordained as a priest. Steven spent his career in the military and he is now retired. His focus at St. John's will be outreach. After learning more about the community and its needs, he will help us either enhance an outreach program we already have or help us start a new one. Steven will assist on Sunday mornings in a rotation of positions (but he will not displace our lay people who currently serve as LEM's, lectors, crucifers, etc.) and will work 3 hours per week on outreach. I am pleased to welcome Steve to St. John's and look forward to his ministry with us.
Children and parents taking in Carol's sermon on Christmas Eve.
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SUNDAY SERVICE
We can prepare our hearts & minds by reading ahead
for the Sunday Service lesson


The Epiphany


January 5, 2020

9:30 AM

 The First Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6
Isaiah prophesies that the Lord, the God of light, will banish all darkness and evil from the lives of his people.

The Psalm: 72:1-7, 10-14 - page 685, BCP

The Second Lesson: Ephesians 3:1-12
The Apostle Paul reminds the Ephesians, and us, that all are equal at the foot of the Cross.

The Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12
Led by strange signs to Jesus' presence, the Wise Men guide all gentiles on their way to the Lord.
  ____________________________
 
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 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 9:50 - 10:40 AM 

_________________________

THE ADULT LECTIONARY FORUM

MEETS EACH SUNDAY IN THE LIBRARY, FOLLOWING THE SERVICE 
  FROM 10:50 - 11:50 AM

The Saint of the Week:

Amelia Jenks Bloomer was born in New York, raised as a Presbyterian, and as a young woman became an activist for the anti-slavery, anti-alcohol, and women's suffrage. In her day, women's fashions encouraged tightly laced waists that often led to severe health problems. Moreover, trailing dresses that custom required women to wear were extremely hard to keep clean, especially before paved roads and sidewalks became the norm. Her innovative remedy for both concerns made her married name a part of the English language: Bloomers!

THE DIOCESE OF VIRGINIA

Diocesan Visioning Tour 2020
  During her Pastoral Address at our Diocesan Convention last month, Bishop Goff articulated her vision for our Diocese for the next few years. She added that, "If the vision belongs to the bishops alone, it will never be ours. So let's continue this address as a conversation. I invite the people of the Diocese to come together in a series of vision gathering during the season of Epiphany."

This is your invitation to take part in our Diocesan Visioning Tour with Bishop Goff and Bishop Brooke-Davidson. The questions we'll discuss will be publicized before the sessions so that participants will have a chance to give them some thought, and so that people who can't attend might have a chance to submit their thoughts.
Visioning Tour Dates and Locations
Wednesday, January 15, 6:30 p.m. Christ Church, Glen Allen
Thursday, January 16, 3:30 p.m. Christchurch School, Christchurch
Thursday, January 23, 7:00 p.m. Aquia Church, Stafford
Thursday, January 30, 6:30 p.m. St. Paul's, Ivy
Saturday, February 8, 1:00 p.m. Calvary, Front Royal
Saturday, February 15, 1:30 p.m. Good Shepherd, Burke
Saturday, February 29, 10:00 a.m. St. Peter's, Arlington
 

VOLUNTEERING AT ST. JOHN'S
Sign Up Here to be an altar server , or to donate flowers for a Sunday 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).
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!

Vocation
Vocation is not a goal to be achieved but a gift to be received. Every life experience becomes a vehicle for God’s call to be realized in vocation. In learning our limits and embracing failures, we can begin to recognize God’s particular gifts for us, which infuse our very being and form in us our unique vocation.       
         – Br. Jonathan Maury, SSJE
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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