Volume 3, Issue 21
May 27, 2020

A note to our readers : We are moving the release of the Eagle Notes to Wednesdays so that those who receive a hard-copy regular mail version get it in plenty of time for the weekend worship activity.

Thanks for reading our weekly email newsletter! We hope that it gives you useful and relevant updates for all the events and activities here at St. John's. Feel free to forward this email to your family and friends so they can be included in the "wider circle" that we're drawing here in College Park.

A Message from the Priest in charge...

Dear Members and Friends of St. John's:

This coming Sunday is yet another of the grand feast days of the church that we are having to celebrate differently in this time of social distancing. The Day of Pentecost - coming exactly 50 days after Easter Day - commemorates the coming of God's Holy Spirit to the disciples. We often refer to this day as the "birthday of the church" with the gift of the Spirit being the focus of the "party."

With a nod to the readings that reference the tongues of fire resting on the disciples, we wear "red" as the color of the day. We imagine the movement of the Spirit among us in images of a descending dove or the wind that blows through our midst. It's an exciting day and always a 'fun' day in the church - one of my personal favorites.

Please plan to join us via Zoom (see instructions and connection information below) so that for this principal feast we can celebrate together. Be prepared to enjoy the pealing of bells from our choir to celebrate the day and have one of your own to ring at the closing exchange of the Peace. Let's worship joyfully - even if remotely - and remember that God is indeed in our midst.

Rev. Terri +
This Week's Services:
Compline
Night Prayer
Join us via Zoom
Thursday 7:00pm

For the Compline Service :
You may be prompted to enter the following:
Meeting ID: 843 7684 4017
Password: 848486
(see Zoom instructions below)
Sunday Worship
Pentecost Sunday
Join us via Zoom
May 31, 10:00am

For the Sunday Worship Service :
You may be prompted to enter the following:
Meeting ID: 890 4465 2335
Password: 704817
(see Zoom instructions below)
Morning Prayer
Every Tuesday and Thursday Morning
Join us via Zoom
New Time!! 10:00am

For Morning Prayer :
You may be prompted to enter the following:
Meeting ID: 291 729 9738
Password: 30337
(see Zoom instructions below)
Notes from Rev. Terri

* * * * * * * * *
Our seminarian, Ryan Washington, seemed deeply touched by our heartfelt "good-byes" on his last Sunday with us as well as the gifts of cash and an Almy gift certificate. (Almy is a company dealing with clergy vestments and church goods; Ryan can surely make use of this as he moves along on his journey to being ordained as a priest!) We will miss him and the gifts he offered to this parish. Prayers for Ryan's continued success are being offered!


* * * * * * * * *

BIBLE STUDY: Since it seems that we will be out of the building for a while longer, I would like to re-start our weekly Bible Study this summer, using Zoom as the platform where we can hear and see each other during our reading and study. Study notes will be provided, as in the past, and no prior preparation for the sessions is required. My goal is to have our first session during the week of June 7 - specific day and time to be determined, based on the preferences and availability of the group. Please let me know if you're interested and when the best day/time would be for your participation - day of week and then mornings, lunchtime, afternoon or evening. These sessions will be focused on the Gospel of Matthew.

* * * * * * * * *

COMPLINE: Would you like to join the rotation of individuals who are leading our weekly Compline services? We meet on Zoom each Thursday evening at 7:00pm to say together the "goodnight prayers" of the church, using the beautiful texts from the New Zealand Prayer Book . The service itself is brief - about 15 minutes or so - and a bulletin has already been prepared. Join us this week and check it out. Then let me know if you would like to try your hand (and voice) at leading the service one week. "Training" and support are offered freely and gladly!
Celebrate Pentecost With Sound!

At our celebration of Pentecost on May 31st, our bell ringers will start the service by ringing a special melody derived from  Spiritus Domini,  the Latin phrase for  Spirit Of The Lord.  To help you celebrate Pentecost, we've made a free MP3 file of  Spritus Domini  you can download and use as a ringtone on your cell phone. For more information and the links for listening to and downloading the MP3 file, visit the church's website:


Enjoy!

Tom Elston


















Safeguarding God's Children / People Training

This required training for all staff, Vestry and ministry leaders is now being offered online, via Zoom. During this time when we are mostly in front of our PCs or similar devices, it's a great opportunity to take this training (two sessions) and become more familiar with the issues surrounding the sexual abuse of children and adults, what we can do to prevent it and what the Diocesan polices are related to this. See the chart above for dates/times.

I urge you to sign up! The training certification is good for three years. Having a large number of our parish members trained in this area is one way to prevent any instance of something like this happening at St. John's. As I always say when I lead a training session, it helps us to "grow antennae" that detect trouble before it even has a chance to start.

Rev. Terri +
Put This on Your Calendar
Parish Calendar Notes... at least for now

  • The Bargain Shop in East Point is closed for business at least until the "shelter in place" order for the elderly is lifted. Our tentative target date is now June 15; however, we will re-evaluate the situation at that time. If you have donations for the shop, please call us ahead of time and bring them to the church so that we can arrange for our sexton, Mohamed Ndakpawa, to take them to the shop.
To join any of our worship services via Zoom, here's what you need to do:

(1) If you have not already downloaded the Zoom application and if you have a laptop, tablet or cellphone that has a camera, then you can download the Zoom app at no charge. Just go to www.zoom.com to do this, following the prompts to set up your own 'account.' I would suggest doing this in advance of Sunday's service since the app can take a while to download to your device.

(2) Download a copy of the bulletin for the service by clicking the appropriate button above. You can then print and follow along with the service.

(3) Then, at the specified meeting time (or a few minutes before), click on the appropriate button to access the link to enter the Zoom service.

You will then be connected into the video meeting. All participants will be 'muted' upon entry so that we can begin the service in quiet; however, everyone participating via video can see the faces of other participants and will be able to hear the readers/speakers. At various times during and at the end of the service, everyone will be 'unmuted' and all the channels will be left open for a 'virtual' exchange of the Peace (most likely a noisy time!).

If you do not have a 'camera-enabled' device and/or would prefer to join the meeting by simply calling in with your phone, use 1-929-205-6099 as the toll-free number to do so, using the same meeting ID and password as listed above. You will be connected for audio only.