The Week of April 26, 2020
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All group activities at St. John's remain canceled until further notice, including outside groups and ministries using our facilities.
Stay updated with meditations, readings, music and sermons by visiting our
Facebook page
or our
website a
nd
check your email inbox on Sunday mornings
for video links to this week's readings and sermon from St. John's as well as links to online services at the Washington National Cathedral and Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford, CT.
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Dear Parish Family:
Faced with the unfortunate circumstances of having to keep our church closed, in order to help curb the spread of Covid-19, it is imperative that your pledge be either mailed to the church, or better yet, that you
make your donations electronically
. Please see the instructions below on how to do this.
Our expenses won’t go away even if we’re not having live worship, so I ask that we all be mindful of this. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Kathy McBride, our Parish Administrator. Our vestry, and parish family, will be much appreciative for your efforts.
God’s Grace and Peace,
Fr. Wilfredo+
NOTE:
You can simply mail in your check to the church office if you would rather not use the online giving tool. Our Parish Administrator, Kathy McBride, is receiving the mail and doing the banking as usual.
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Here is a quick list of what's coming up online over the next week.
Sunday online service
- 4/26 at 10:30 AM
Children and Teen Video Chat
- 4/26 at 10:00 AM
Leccio Divina and Coffee Hou
r - 4/26 at 12:00 PM
Centering Prayer
- 4/29 at 7:00 PM
Connection details are below
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A Letter From Fr. Wilfredo
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Dear Parish Family:
These have been challenging times for all of us on multiple levels. Not being able to join in communal worship is a heartache for all of us. We're slowly becoming familiar with using new technology that allows us to stream live on Sunday mornings via the internet. Our goal is to "broadcast" live, and for all our parish members to join in, watching simultaneously by simply logging into our parish
website
. For those who miss the live celebration of the Holy Eucharist, all Sunday Services are recorded, and will be available on our website later in the day. These services are also added to the Sermon section on our website. Written copies of the sermons are mailed to those who don't have access to a computer, or smart phone. We are doing everything possible so that no one is excluded. I ask for your patience as it is a new learning curve for all of us; we're adapting, and thankfully we are making progress.
At our Clergy and Wardens Meeting via Zoom with the Bishops this week, Bishop Ian Douglas suggested that the new online technology is showing us how to be the new church we're called to be. Due to the Coronavirus crisis, lot's of people who have left the Church have been coming back to church through live streaming online services, and lots more are approaching our churches that have never been engaged before. This is an opportunity for Saint John's to become known, and an opportunity to expand the gospel message beyond our doors. The live streaming response has been enthusiastic, and literally we have been getting hundreds of hits. Everyone who comes to us on Sunday morning going live, I hope will prayerfully find the Christ in us, that includes old members, newer members, and potential members.
Let's all pray for the time when this crisis is behind us, and we will be able to worship together once again in our beautiful church. Let's pray that we learn the lessons we all need to learn in the Spirit of the Christ; lessons that will impact on our treatment of the environment, the climate, and how we become the community of Christ we're called to be, bound in love.
The next few months will continue to be a challenge, and I pray for the safety and comfort of all of us. I pray for the souls of those we've lost in this country, and in the world; and those who lay in agony due to Covid-19. If you need to reach out to either Fr. Sandy or myself, please e-mail us, or call the church. We will get back to you. I am including a photograph here shot by Dante Ibanez, of our behind the scenes set-up for Sunday morning. Please join us. This coming Sunday, we will also have Coffee Hour for the first time, with Leccio Divina, via Zoom. Please see the announcement connected to this included in the newsletter..
On behalf of our entire parish family, I wish you blessings and God's peace, as we work our way through this deadly pandemic, that we may be sustained by the grace of God, in the light of Easter hope and joy.
Blessings and Grace,
Fr. Wilfredo+
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St. John's Second Sunday of Easter Broadcast
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St. John's continues to stream the services live via Facebook and, as of last Sunday, also on the home page of the website.
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Here are some tips for viewing live on Sunday mornings:
Non-Facebook Users
- Go to
stjohns-stamford.org
on Sunday morning just after 10:30 am. The livestream will be on the home page. If you do not see it in process, wait a minute then refresh your page. You will see the screen with the play button. Press the button to watch the service live.
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Children & Teen Video Chat
Sundays at 10 AM!
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Madeline Johnson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Children & Teen Video Chat
Time: Apr 26, 2020 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Every week on Sun, until Jun 7, 2020, 7 occurrence(s)
Apr 26, 2020 10:00 AM
May 3, 2020 10:00 AM
May 10, 2020 10:00 AM
May 17, 2020 10:00 AM
May 24, 2020 10:00 AM
May 31, 2020 10:00 AM
Jun 7, 2020 10:00 AM
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 863 6917 0257
Password: 730978
One tap mobile
+19292056099,,86369170257#,,#,730978# US (New York)
+13126266799,,86369170257#,,#,730978# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
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Further Resources for our Children and Youth
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Resources for kids - Yoga at home!
Rev. Gena Davis is the priest who led the yoga mass at St. John’s. She’s been offering online classes, including a new yoga nidra for kids age 2-12 for $5/family! For all class details, please e-mail her at
Thank you for sharing these Mattie!
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Lectio Divina and Coffee Hour
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Please join us for
Coffee Hour and Lectio Divina
(praying with Scripture) this Sunday after church at Noon via Zoom. Feel free to have your coffee and snacks to eat from the comfort of your home.
Here's the invite information:
Fr. Wilfredo Benitez is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Sunday Coffee Hour and Lectio Divina
Time: Apr 26, 2020 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 537 842 4792
Password: 628
One tap mobile
+16465588656,,5378424792#,,#,628# US (New York)
+13126266799,,5378424792#,,#,628# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Find your local number:
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Centering Prayer During a Time of Self-Isolation
Wednesday, April 29 at 7:00 PM
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All are invited to the next Centering Prayer session via Zoom
this Wednesday @ 7:00PM.
Fr. Wilfredo Benitez is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Evening Centering Prayer
Time: Apr 29, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 895 8968 6280
Password: 426700
One tap mobile
+16465588656,,89589686280#,,#,426700# US (New York)
+13126266799,,89589686280#,,#,426700# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
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Easter Prayer
By The Rev. Wilfredo Benitez
St. John’s Episcopal Church
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Come, O Blessed Easter Season
Come to a planet where death has overwhelmed your sons and daughters,
Come and bring the light of your bright shining day
To our broken hearts and shattered souls.
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The Reception Area Gets a Facelift
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Dante has been keeping himself super busy, working on projects that can best be done while the church is closed. He's painted the office reception area, and has added glass panels to the door that separates the reception area from the "middle building." This allows staff to see who is coming in from the parking garage with greater visibility. He used paint we already had in storage to do the work, so no extra expense to the parish. We've become deliberately frugal in recent history, and this helps! Thank you Dante!
Click on any image below to enlarge
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Dear Parishioners,
UPDATE
I delivered 21 lbs this week.
The shelves at the Food Bank are almost empty. They are in desperate need for donations.
Please help in any way you can.
I will personally come to your house or a mutual destination to keep their shelves filled.
Thank you
Sunny Stearns
203-249-0393
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Surviving the Coronavirus Pandemic
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An Oximeter Could Reveal low levels of oxygen, before experiencing shortness of breath, or even getting a fever. This is a relatively inexpensive over-the-counter device that can help save lives.
· Emergency rooms measure the oxygen levels of COVID-19 patients with a device called a pulse oximeter. The tool is available over the counter as well.
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· Low oxygen levels may indicate that a coronavirus patient has pneumonia — and requires immediate medical attention — even before they feel a shortness of breath.
· Normal oxygen levels could signal to patients that they don't need to visit a hospital. Low levels could signal that they need immediate medical attention.
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To clergy and members of various congregations,
please encourage your communities to respond to the Census.
It is critical to funding that Stamford and Connecticut will receive in the future. Each person that is undercounted can mean about $2,900 per year to Connecticut (for 10 years until the next census) or about $29,000 per undercounted person (including children).
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Watch Out for Covid-19 Scams
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During a recent meeting, a clergyperson in Connecticut noted a scam that was done on his church membership using an approximation of his email address, etc. Unfortunately, there are fraudsters out there who will try to take advantage of you during this time. Here are a few tips to help you stay safe against COVID-19 scams:
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- Ignore offers of vaccinations or home test kits - there are no products proven to treat or prevent COVID-19 at this time.
- Watch out for phishing emails and text messages - scammers are sending messages that seem to be from "known" organizations like the IRS, CDC or WHO about current topics (like the economic impact payments) in an attempt to get personal information.
- Research before you donate - do your homework and never donate in cash, by gift card or by wiring money.
- Stay in the know - see details on known scams on our How to avoid Coronavirus/COVID-19 Scams page and at the FTC scam information page.
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Tuesday Bible Study: Gospel of Matthew
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Join Fr. Sandy on Tuesdays at 2pm online via Zoom for a Bible Study on the Gospel of Matthew. Below is the info:
Meeting ID: 243 991 8700
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Comforting Music For Challenging Times
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Statement from the Episcopal Bishops of New England on the Disestablishment of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
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Have You Seen These Services?
Click on any of the images below to watch and listen
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Second Sunday of Easter
-April 19
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NOTE: The Community Thrift Shop is closed to the public until further notice due to COVID 19.
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Prayers for our parishioners
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All group activity at St. John's is cancelled until further notice including outside groups and ministries using our facilities.
Stay updated with meditations, readings, music and sermons by visiting our
Facebook page
or our
website
.
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St. John's Office Hours
The Church office is currently closed to public access.
However you may leave a message at 203-348-2619 x10 -
our Parish Administrator, Kathy McBride is checking the messages
many times a day and will respond right away!
Prayer List
FORWARD DAY BY DAY
This is the Episcopal Church's own discipleship publication! As disciples, followers of Christ, daily prayer and reflection grounds us in God's love and gives us strength and clarity to confront our weaknesses, put our trust in God and listen to where God is calling us to serve.
Available online
for-free!
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