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From Our Rector
In compliance with the President's directive, we are extending the suspension of in-person services and the "no more than ten" rule to, at the earliest, April 30. We will continue streaming Sunday services on Facebook Live. We will also be streaming services for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday during Holy Week (see schedule below). Our online offerings of prayer, Bible study, and ministry will continue.
The building will remain closed, but your church is still here for you. You will still be able to reach the parish offices by phone or email, and your clergy will be available to you for pastoral conversations by phone or other means. See below for phone numbers and contact information.
Practice social distancing with diligence. Wash your hands. Reach out to one another. Say your prayers. This too, shall pass. May God bless you and keep you and those you love during this most difficult of times.
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Holy Week and Easter Service Schedule
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All services and prayers noted will be streamed on Facebook Live. The church will not be open. If you choose to come to the Chapel of the Resurrection, please remember to use safe social distancing practices with others.
The Maundy Thursday and Good Friday offerings will be designated for the work of the Episcopal Church in the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East.
Thursday, April 9: Maundy Thursday
7:00 p.m. The Holy Eucharist (Rite II) with the Stripping of the Altar.
There will be no footwashing this year so that we can remain within the 10 person recommended guideline for social distancing for the safety of our clergy, staff, and choir.
Friday, April 10: Good Friday
12:00 Noon The Liturgy for Good Friday
3:00 p.m. The Tolling of the Bells and Evening Prayer
The Chapel of the Resurrection, adjacent to the courtyard, is open at all times for prayer and meditation. Social distancing is required. At 3:00 p.m., the bell will toll 33 times, representing the 33 years of Jesus' earthly life while Father Connelly says prayers on Facebook Live.
Sunday, April 12: The Sunday of the Resurrection, Easter Sunday
9:15 a.m. The Holy Eucharist (Rite II) |
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Show Us Your Easter Best!
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| We invite you to share your Easter finery this Sunday on Facebook, whether your family's dapper matching ensembles, your tasty Easter supper preparations, your lovely home decorations, your prettiest colored eggs, or your beautiful flower arrangements! Even though we can't be together in person, we want to enjoy the Easter festivities together virtually on this happiest of holy days! Upload your photos in the comments section on the Facebook Live feed during the service or in the comments on our Easter Sunday post that will go live at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, or email llowry@stjohnstampa.org and we'll share your photos! |
Fr. James Reho and his wife Lori will offer Compline (night prayer) each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7:30 p.m. through Facebook Live during Eastertide. The videos will be available to view after the live stream on our Facebook page. The Rehos will begin Monday, April 13, and the last Compline will be the Friday before Pentecost, Friday, May 29.
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Wednesday Afternoon Adult Formation Begins April 22
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Many of us are missing our Adult Formation group sessions, so after Easter we will begin a new study that combines online videos with a weekly Zoom discussion on Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. The first study will be a four-part series on Prayer. If you are interested in participating, please contact Deacon Kathleen at
kmoore@stjohnstampa.org by Wednesday, April 15. A link to the videos will go out to all interested participants, and you will be invited via your email address to join the Zoom discussion group each week, The first Zoom discussion will be on Wednesday, April 22.
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Invite-Welcome-Connect Core Values
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The ministry of Invite-Welcome-Connect relies on four key values: Prayerfulness, Intentionality, Relationality, and Accountability. These values orient the ministry in such a way so that it does not become simply a place to do projects. First, we are guided by God through the Holy Spirit in prayer. IWC is committed to praying together and discerning God's will for St. John's. Second, IWC intends to be and do work that reflects the image of Christ to the world. We have to keep reminding ourselves of that so we don't fall back into convenient patterns. That brings us back to the centrality of knowing Jesus: To reflect Jesus requires us to know him. Our work is essentially relational, and that's our third value. The goal of incorporating each other deeper into the body of Christ requires us to know each other. How can we get to better know our pew mates, neighbors, acquaintances, strangers, friends, and our Lord? It requires us to listen to other people's stories and to tell our own. What sorts of events, spaces, meetings, ministries, fellowships, can facilitate such knowing? Finally, our fourth value is accountability. There is a rigor to what we do in church, about our faith, that is supposed to integrate with our whole lives. Prayer, intentionality, and relationality provide a baseline of accountability. IWC is committed to being honest about the motivations and results of what it does.
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| We miss you all! Please join us tomorrow, Thursday, April 9 for a Zoom meeting at 9:30 a.m. We are hoping to catch up and check in. Please email Ayana at agrady@stjohnstampa.org or Sarah Bricklemyer at sarah_milton@hotmail.com for the meeting ID. Hope to see you there! |
You can now find audio versions of our weekly sermons on our website. They are uploaded on Monday after each Sunday service.
Click here to listen or click on the Sermons button in the top right of our homepage menu.
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| Please note that the following events have been postponed or cancelled: the Parish Picnic scheduled on April 19, the annual St John's Women's Retreat scheduled for April 24 and 25, and the Newcomers get together on Sunday, April 26. |
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Action Items and Opportunities
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Financial Administrator Needed
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| Our longtime Financial Administrator, Debbi Huelsman, is moving on at the end of the spring, so we are seeking a new person to take this role. It is 20 hours a week and can largely be done from home. Please click here for a full description of the position, as well as how to apply. |
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Loving our Parish During a Time of Need
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| If you are someone who is able to help your fellow parishioners with errands and other means of support, please contact Fr. MIchael at mcannon@stjohnstampa.org. Conversely, if you are a parishioner who needs help, please also contact Fr. Michael at email at mcannon@stjohnstampa.org or by phone at 864.320.7116. He will be matching needs with resources so we are able to help one another in Christ's name. |
| During this time, although we are not able to meet in worship as usual, the work of the Parish goes on. We hope that if you are able, you will continue to make your weekly contribution online here. Giving with credit and debit cards is now available. You can also text to give by texting SJE to 73256, then following the prompts. |
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Virtual Worship, Pastoral Care, Ministries, and Resources
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Please note that blue text denotes a hyperlink directly to the service or website referenced.
Resources
A pdf of The Book of Common Prayer can be found here. Hard copy prayer books are also available at the church, outside on the porch courtyard, if you wish to borrow one. The Lectionary Page, with the readings for each week,
can be accessed here.
If you have any questions or trouble using the online services noted below, please contact Lee Lowry by replying to this email or John Edgar at jedgar@stjohnstampa.org. You can also contact the clergy member or parishioner who is the contact for each ministry.
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Worshipping Virtually
St. John's will continue to stream the 9:15 a.m. service on Facebook Live on Sundays. Access the stream at our page at https://www.facebook.com/stjohnstampa/. The audio for the sermon by Fr. Reho from March 29 is here. The bulletin for last Sunday is here, and we will link the bulletin for this Sunday to the same page by this Saturday. Click here to find the readings for this coming Sunday.
The Chapel of the Resurrection, outdoors in the courtyard, is open 24/7. Please practice social distancing measures with other parishioners.
Individual Pastoral Care
Although in-person pastoral visits are restricted, your clergy are available to you for pastoral conversations. If you are unable to reach them at the Church offices, please call directly. They can be reached at these numbers:
Pastoral Emergency Line: 813.906.5199
Father Connelly: 813.250.6293
Father Cannon: 864.320.7116
Father Goodheart: 321.446.4934
Deacon Moore: 813.785.9400
Father Reho: 917.526.0746
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Group Prayers and Pastoral Care
Evening Prayer
Fr. Connelly is streaming evening prayer daily Monday through Saturday at 3:00 p.m. on Facebook Live. Please join him and your fellow parishioners! Intercessory prayers are invited in the comments during the feed.
Daily School Chapel
Fr. Reho is posting daily morning chapel video services for the school. You can access them here. They become available each day at 4:15 a.m.
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Online Resources for Prayer and Study
Many of us are using online prayer, scripture, and devotional resources-some are old friends from pre-pandemic days, others you may have discovered more recently.
Here are some examples that you may want to sample; all of them are free.
If you know of others, please send the information to Deacon Kathleen at
kmoore@stjohnstampa.org
and she will share them.
Daily/Weekly Emails
Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation from the Center for Action and Contemplation:
cac.org
Brother, Give us a Word from the Society of St John the Evangelist:
ssje.org
The Rev Jay Sidebotham's Monday Matters email from RenewalWorks: go to
renewalworks.org
and click on Resources then Weekly Inspiration.
The Almost Daily eMo by Barbara Cawthorne Crafton from the Geranium Farm:
geraniumfarm.org
Through the month of May, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will offer a series of weekly video meditations called
Habits of Grace.
If you subscribe, you will receive an email link each Monday.
Pray As You Go is a daily prayer session that you can download from the App Store or access online. It is designed to go with you wherever you go, to help you pray whenever you find time.
A new prayer session is produced every day of the working week and one session for the weekend. It is not a 'Thought for the Day,', a sermon, or a bible study, but rather a framework for your own prayer.
Lasting between ten and thirteen minutes, it combines music, scripture and some questions for reflection.
The Mission of St. Clare is an ecumenical website offering Morning and Evening Prayer using the order set out in
The Book of Common Prayer
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It also includes Daily Devotionals and other offices, plus links to the Lectionary Page and other useful resources.
This web site has articles and podcasts with an Episcopal focus.
In addition to their daily email series, the brothers of the Society of St John the Evangelist in Cambridge, MA offer a variety of resources, including a Compline service.
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Children's Ministry Notes
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Sunday School Via Video
Sunday School will continue to send out weekly videos, along with the written lesson. You can see the Palm Sunday video here.
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VBS 2020 Registration Remains Open
Participant and volunteer registration for St John's 2020 Vacation Bible School, still planned to take place June 15 through 19 at St John's Middle Division campus, is now open!
Click here to go there.
St John's VBS is open to potty trained 3 year olds up to current 4th graders, and the cost is $40 per child. If your child is in 5th grade or older, we'd love to have them volunteer! This year's theme is Rocky Railway--a mountain adventure! At Rocky Railway, kids will discover that Jesus' power can pull them through life's ups and downs. Rocky Railway is filled with incredible Bible-learning experiences kids see, hear, touch, and even taste! Sciency-Fun Gizmosā¢, team-building games, cool Bible songs, and tasty treats are just a few of the standout activities that help faith flow into real life.
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Instagram Live Tomorrow!
Make sure that you're following @StJohnsEYCTampa on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/stjohnseyctampa/ Youth Minister Ayana Grady will be doing Compline again on Instagram Live tomorrow night, April 9, at 8:00 p.m.!
Youth Confirmation Class: No Meeting This Week
The Youth Confirmation Class has switched to a Zoom meeting interactive format. The meeting invitations are sent out over e-mail by Ayana.
EYC: No Meeting This Week
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Information and Resources for our Parish Family
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This Week's Birthdays
April 9, Blake White, Robert Frick
April 10, Vicki Malizia, Caroline Deitzer
April 11, none
April 12, Christy Purdy, Stephen Leal, Julie Harrington, The Rev. James Reho
April 13, Madeleine Tellekamp, Jennifer Smith, Payton Rodriguez, Alexandria Kriz
April 14, Irene Few, Don Jennewein, Katie Wiegand, Kian Madani, Marie Borland
April 15, Kurt Grotheer, Justin Pepe
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Sunday's Scripture Snippet
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?
Let them confront me.
It is the Lord
God who helps me;
who will declare me guilty?
Isaiah 50
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Hospital Visitation
We want to provide support during your time of need. However, because health regulations prohibit the clergy from being informed when our parishioners are in the hospital, we will not know if you or someone you love is there unless you tell us. We want to provide support in any time of need or crisis. Please call the parish offices at 259.1570 or
click here to email us to let us know when you need us.
If you have a pastoral emergency when the parish offices are closed, please call 906.5199.
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There are many resources, both national and local, available during this time to help you keep up with swiftly changing events and keep yourself and your family safe. A few are below.
Centers for Disease Control
USF Public Health
USF has experts available to answer questions.
State of Florida
Hillsborough County
City of Tampa
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Thursday, April 9: Maundy Thursday
Men's Thursday Bible Study and Lunch
If you would like to join the virtual meeting and did not receive credentials, contact John Edgar at
jedgar@stjohnstampa.org.
The Holy Eucharist (Rite II) with the Stripping of the Altar, 7:00 p.m., Facebook Live
There will be no footwashing this year so that we can remain within the 10 person recommended guideline for social distancing for the safety of our clergy, staff, and choir.
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Friday, April 10: Good Friday
The Liturgy for Good Friday, 12:00 noon, Facebook Live
The Tolling of the Bells and Evening Prayer, 3:00 p.m., Facebook Live
The Chapel of the Resurrection, adjacent to the courtyard, is open at all times for prayer and meditation. Social distancing is required. At 3:00 p.m., the bell will toll 33 times, representing the 33 years of Jesus' earthly life while Father Connelly says prayers on Facebook Live.
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Sunday, April 12: The Sunday of the Resurrection, Easter Sunday
The Holy Eucharist (Rite II), 9:15 a.m., Facebook Live
Youth Confirmation Classes, 10:30 a.m., Zoom
The Youth Confirmation Class has switched to a Zoom meeting interactive format. The meeting invitations will be sent out by e-mail by Ayana, contact her with questions.
No Sunday School for Children
No EYC
No Enquirers Class
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Monday, April 13
Offices closed for Easter Monday
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Tuesday, April 14
Contemporary Women's Bible Study/Women's Mid Morning Bible Study
The groups will meet virtually in a joint study. For log in information, please contact Sharon Stoll at harpwings@aol.com.
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