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Thursday, December 10, 2020
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Third Sunday of Advent
God of all power and mercy, 
ever faithful to your promises
and ever close to your people:
The earth rejoices in hope of the Savior's coming.
His future coming was proclaimed by all the prophets.
The virgin mother bore him in her womb
with love beyond all telling.
John the Baptist was his herald
and made him known when at last he came.
In his love, Christ has filled us with joy
as we prepare to celebrate his birth,
so that when he comes again, he may find us watching in prayer,
our hearts filled with wonder and praise,
for he is Lord for ever and ever. Amen.
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Advent 2020
Advent season in which the church celebrates the coming of Jesus at Christmas and prepares for the return of Christ at the Second Coming.
Advent is a time of active waiting and preparation. It is a season of opening our lives and souls with longing expectation and renewed hope.
This Advent season we will have a three-part forum series following our worship service on Zoom. The forums will include information and discussion about the personal preparation for the end of our own lives.
First Sunday of Advent, November 29th:
The theology and scriptural basis for anticipatory preparation and being prepared. (presented by Rev. Roger)
Second Sunday of Advent, December 6th:
Personal and legal preparation - Advance Directives, Trusts, Wills and Planned Giving (presented by Gary Powell, Attorney at Law).
Third Sunday of Advent, December 13th:
Preparation for our liturgical Celebration of Life
(presented by Rev. Cathey)
Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 20th:
Preparation and decoration of the church for Christmas
(those who feel comfortable, following the health guidelines will gather
at the church)
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Christmas Eve
A Festival of
Nine Lessons & Carols
of Christmastide
December 24, 2020, 7:00 p.m.
Please Join Us!
St. John's Episcopal Church
Chula Vista, CA
This livestreamed service may be found on our website:
This evening's Festival Of Nine Lessons and Carols, a bridge between Advent and Christmastide, follows the format of the service at King's College Chapel in Cambridge, England. It was first introduced there in 1918 and has been broadcast live on Christmas Eve by the BBC since 1928.
The service includes carols and readings from the Bible. As the service begins, the prayers of the people are sought for those in need at Christmastime as accounts of God's redemptive acts unfold in the lessons which follow. These nine lessons begin with the account of God's confrontation with evil (represented by the serpent in the narrative of the Garden of Eden), continue with the prophecies of the Messiah who will bruise the serpent's head, and conclude with the fulfillment of these prophecies as recorded in the Gospels. Each lesson is followed by a carol chosen to enhance its message.
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Christmas Flowers
Our church will be decorated with beautiful poinsettia 
flowers for Christmas. If you would like to honor your loved ones in our worship bulletin on Christmas, please email or call the office (maria@saint-johns.org; 619-422-4141) with your requests:
In honor of ____
or
In memory of _____
or
In thanksgiving for _____
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2020 Stewardship Campaign
It is with gratitude for the abundant grace received by our God, that St. John's gives thanks for all the gifts you have given to our family of faith.
With your gift of time, talent and treasure, we will continue to make Christ known in our community and respond to our call to love and serve one another.
Stewardship Results Update
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2020
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2021
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Number of pledges
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70
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46
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$141,033.00
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$105,550
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Time and Talent responses
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70
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It is never too late to pledge!
How you can pledge:
- You may mail your pledge card to the parish office (If you did not receive a pledge card, we are truly sorry. Please contact the parish office to request a pledge card.)
- You may email the parish office with the amount of your pledge and how you would like to give (envelope or electronically).
- You may also indicate ways that you can offer your gifts of time and talent.
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Pledge Envelopes
2021 pledge envelopes are available in the office. 
If you would like to receive yours by mail, please call or email Maria in the office
(maria@saint-johns.org/619-216-5220).
If you have been mailing in your pledge checks, you can continue to do so without a pledge envelope- your account will be credited correctly, with or without an envelope.
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Our Sunday Worship Services
Because of the rising number of coronavirus cases placing us in the Purple (worst) Zone,
we cannot gather in the church for in-person worship.
We will continue to gather virtually for our worship service of the Word of God and Spiritual Communion. Our service will be livestreamed on the internet.
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Toys For Tots
 Please give to our Toys for Tots Drive.
This year we will be collecting monetary donations. You may mail or bring your donation to the parish office or use the "Give Now" button on our website.
Consider what you would spend on a toy for a child.
Please make your checks out to St. John's and write Toys for Tots in the memo line. We ask that you write a separate check from your pledge check, for bookkeeping purposes.
All donations need to be delivered to the St. John's office
by Tuesday, December 15th.
May we make this Christmas bright for a child in need.
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Scripture Readings For the Week
Readings for Sunday, December 13, 2020
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Wednesday Morning Prayer
Join us for Wednesday Morning Prayer and Bible Study 
on Wednesdays at 9:30 am as a Zoom meeting.
Please contact Rev. Cathey (revcat@gmail.com)
to be included in the Zoom meeting, or to update your info, if she does not have your current email.
The Morning Prayer guide can be found here:
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Prayers
Birthday and Anniversary Prayers
We would like to acknowledge and pray for anyone celebrating a birthday and/or anniversary in the coming week. Please let us know by Thursday of the prior week so that we can get it in the Sunday liturgy. If you have a picture of you that we could post for your birthday and/or a wedding photo or current photo for those celebrating an anniversary, please email it to us - it would be great to allow everyone to see you.
We Are Available in Your Time of Need If you have a pastoral emergency when the parish offices are closed,
Prayer List
Today and every day include some time for prayer, for yourself,
for your church family, and for those in need.
For our Military
Matt, Drew, Cody, Cameron, Chariti,
Mark, Sean, Jonathan, TK, Christopher,
Timothy, Jeremy, David, Jonathan, Nick,
Jamal, Matt, Daniel, Jocelyn, Devon, Taylor,
Jorge, Katherine, Sebastian, Richie and Roberto.
For Strength in Time of Need
Scott, Betty, Brian, Edward, Anne Marie, Bernie, Jeff,
Christy, Judith, Gloria, Dyan, Marla, the Milam family, Steve,
and for all first responders, medical professionals,
essential workers and their families.
Cycle of Prayers for the Church
In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we pray for the clergy and people of St. Barnabas in Borrego Springs.
In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for the Falkland Islands.
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A Prayer for Change and Grief
Blessed Jesus,
you knew the messiness and confusion of human life.
We cry out to you for mercy,
because our world is in peril, and we are afraid.
In the quiet
we sense you are here,
and you are loving us into a future we cannot see.
We ask that your ever-present love may help us feel our feelings,
rather than trying to escape them.
In time,
help us to understand what our grief has to teach us
about who we are and who we are still becoming.
Here and now we claim our desire
to live with the fullness of presence.
We want to receive dreams and longings,
even while we honor the tenderness of this moment.
We want to be sustained in hope,
open to the mystery of your grace.
We trust that is your desire for us too.
So may your wisdom flow through each one of us,
that in your companionship we may find everything we need
to be your people,
now and always.
Amen.
The Rev. Kay M. Houck
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Prayer Quilt Ministry
The leaders of the Prayer Quilt Ministry would like to remind  you that there are many quilts available for anyone in need of prayer and support. This important ministry brings comfort and healing to many people who are suffering with illness. Please contact Diane Gustafson directly ( diangus15@aol.com) or through the office ( maria@saint-johns.org).
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Upcoming Events at St. John's
| December 13 | 10:00 am | Advent Forum | | December 15 |
| Toys for Tots Donations Due | |
December 20
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10:00 am
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Preparation of the Church
for Christmas
| | December 24 | 7:00 pm | A Festival of Lessons and Carols
Christmas Eve -Virtual
| | December 25 | 9:00 am | Christmas Day Service - Virtual |
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Episcopal Relief and Development
What Would Love Do: 1000 Days of Love
Love calls us to care for our neighbors and for our enemies. Love calls us to attend to those in prison, to those who are homeless, to those in poverty, to children, immigrants and refugees.
What would love do? To you, who so generously support the transformative work of Episcopal Relief & Development, love calls you to continue to sow seeds of lasting change
Visit Episcopal Relief and Development: One Thousand Days of Love to see how you can help.
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Current office hours are 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday through Thursday.
If you need assistance, please email Maria Love:
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Rev. Roger's Office Hours
Rev. Roger will be in the office Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and all day Wednesday and Friday. He will be available by appointment. Please call the office (619-422-4141) to schedule an appointment.
In case of a pastoral emergency, Rev. Roger may be reached on his cell phone at 619-301-0724.
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EDSD Statement of Commitment
As part of the Jesus Movement and the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, we pledge to love our neighbors and protect the most vulnerable among us, remembering our baptismal vows to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being." We live these pledges out by actively engaging in dismantling racism. For many of us, this will mean learning more about our racial identity, listening to those who have experienced racial prejudice, speaking out against racism, and showing up alongside those in our community working to change unjust systems in our society. We also live out this pledge at worship during this pandemic, by wearing face-coverings, respecting distancing guidelines, foregoing the common cup and refraining from congregational singing.
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The Vestry
David Dennehy, Senior Warden
Terry Farrelly, Treasurer
Diane Gustafson, Clerk
Pamela Brittain
Tom Brzeczek
Ray Contreras
Muriel Kulikowski
Jim McDevitt
Judy McKay
Lynn Young
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To our Saint John's Family:
Here is your weekly newsletter highlighting important events at St. John's Episcopal Church. You can also find news about St. John's at www.saint-johns.org.
We welcome your feedback, photos, and news items. Contact Maria Love at 619-422-4141 or maria@saint-johns.org.
Please submit your announcements by Tuesday of each week for inclusion in the Enews and Sunday bulletin.
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Reporting Misconduct
As part of our ongoing commitment to creating a safe haven for everyone, our diocese trains people in the prevention of misconduct and encourages all to report misconduct. All reported incidences are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly and confidentially. If you believe you have experienced misconduct of any kind, please contact Mr. John Seitman, (jseitman@pacbell.net), 858-793-4555 or Ms. Equilla Luke, (aequilla@icloud.com), 760-583-0485.
Safeguarding God's People
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Contact Information
phone: 619/422-4141
pastoral care: 619/301-0724 |
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