The Word from St. John's Church (Week of May 10, 2020)

Join us on YouTube this Sunday for a Service of Morning Prayer

Sunday, May 10

Worship with us on Sunday, virtually! Click on the YouTube image above to participate. There will be music, prayer and preaching. You may choose to participate at your usual service time (7:45 a.m., 9:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m.), or any other time you like. Feel free to share the link with others.

Book Group

Thursday, May 7 at 6:45 p.m. | Online via Zoom

The St. John's Book group will meet on Thursday, May 7, at 6:45 p.m. via Zoom to discuss When We Were Arabs: A Jewish Family’s Forgotten History by Massoud Hayoun. If you love to read, please join us for an evening of discussion and socializing.

For more informatio n and for links to participate, contact Leila Taaffe .

Youth Gathering to learn about Kwasa College

Saturday, May 9 at 1:30 p.m. | Online via Zoom

St. John's youth interested in learning more about Kwasa College, the school in South Africa with which St. John's is a partner, are invited to a special presentation for them this Saturday May 9 at 1:30 p.m. Abbott McCartney and Sigi Block will lead the gathering over Zoom.

To learn more and receive the login information, contact Sarah Wood and Sigi Block .

Episcopal Diocese of Washington Covid-19 Emergency Relief Appeal

Many of us are asking how we can help during this pandemic. In our Diocese we are seeing members of our churches suffering from food insecurity and other hardships. Congregations in low-income communities are an essential part of an increasingly fragile safety net for their most vulnerable neighbors.

To support the most vulnerable parishes, the diocese has suspended the Annual Bishop’s Appeal for the diocesan budget and has replaced it with a Covid-19 Emergency Relief Appeal.

St. John’s parishioners have shown a desire to support others through this crisis. If you would like to help, supporting this relief fund would be an excellent way. You can make a gift on the diocesan website at this link: https://www.edow.org/about/giving.

Virtual Coffee hour

Sunday, May 10 at 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. | Online via Zoom

The Sunday coffee hour this week will be hosted by Anne Stewart and Tony Tambasco . Join them Sunday, May 10, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., for a Zoom coffee hour, to socialize, catch up, and talk about the service. We look forward to seeing you Sunday. Send a message here for the link to participate.

Bible Study

Sunday, May 10 at 10:0 a.m. | Online via Zoom

The Bible Study led by Jack Reiffer will meet at 10:00 a.m. online on Sunday via Zoom . Please contact Jack Reiffer and the Rev. Jane Hague for the links to participate .

St. John's Youth

Sunday, May 10 at 10:30 a.m. | Online via Zoom

The youth will meet at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday via Zoom . Please contact the Rev. Savannah Ponder for the links to participate .

Children's Program

Sunday, May 10 at 12:00 noon | Online via Zoom

The children's program will take place at 12:00 noon on Sunday via Zoom . Please contact the Rev. Savannah Ponder for the links to participate .

Service of Evening Prayer

Sunday, May 10, 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. | Online via Zoom

For more information, please contact the Rev. Savannah Ponder .

Click here to join the Evening Prayer.

Click here for a copy of the Evening Prayer Bulletin

Theology in Troubled Times

Sunday, May 3, 7:00 p.m to 7:45 p.m. | Online via Zoom

In this period of pandemic, nothing seems quite as it was, and much seems unsettling. To address the issues and concerns that some of you may have -- and where God may be in this -- we are offering a course to explore "theology in troubled times", led by the Rev. Will Morris, on Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m. Please contact the Rev. Will Morris for the links to participate or for more information.

Noonday Service

Monday to Friday, 12:10 p.m. to 12:40 p.m. | Online via Zoom

In keeping with St. John's tradition to have worship every weekday, we will meet via Zoom for a noonday prayer service from 12:10 p.m. to 12:40 p.m., led by both clergy and lay leaders. There will also be an opportunity during this service to share your intentions and petitions. (Limited to 100 people.)

Click here to join the Noonday Service.

Click here for a copy of the Noonday Service Bulletin

Click here for a copy of the Book of Common Prayer

Service of Compline

Monday to Friday, 8:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. | Online via Zoom

For more information, please contact the Rev. Savannah Ponder .

Click here to join the Service of Compline.

Click here for a copy of the Service of Compline Bulletin

Pastoral Care

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting our St. John's community in many ways. St. John's parishioners have expressed the desire to help their neighbors during this difficult time. Please use this form to let us know if you:

Can provide support for someone in need or
Are in need of support.

We will do our best to connect those in need with those who are able to help. If you are not comfortable using this form, please send us an email at help@stjohns-dc.org with your name, contact information and details of the type of support you can give or the support you need.

In addition to this direct support from parishioners, our Rector, the Rev. Rob Fisher, has an emergency fund for those who may be in need of financial assistance. If you are in need of financial assistance or would like to contribute to the emergency fund, please reach out directly to the Rev. Rob Fisher .

Prayer List

Our prayers are requested for the special needs and concerns of this congregation, especially:

Those who are sick or recovering:

From our parish: Bobbie Falk, Nelda Johnson, Bob Patchell, Randall Roe, Dace Vidins, Jeff White, and Neil Wilson.

Friends and family of our parish: Niels Beck (Michelle Mangrum), Rachael Buckley (Chrystal Martin), Tom Burkart (Pamela Venzke), Cay Buser (Carl Ward), Bill Clark (Clark Ervin), Brian Cohen (Jane Hague), Harry Davis (Mary and Carl Raether), Karl Dornemann (Deb Dornemann), Bobby Doyle (Alex Pappas), Geri Lucas Haji (Judy McKevitt), Courtney Jordan Hillman (Erika Northcutt), Lucas Hunt (Matthew Taylor), Vera Hyncik (Holly Sukenik), Amy Lowenthal (Andrew Tomlinson), William Markiewicz (Matthew Taylor), Tammy McCleaf (Matthew Taylor), Kevin Milstead (Andrew Tomlinson), Timothy Mullins (Jim Mullins), Zach Newton (Andrew Tomlinson), Judy Nicola (Cynthia Walker), Fred Parker (Gay and Bob Pasley), Ginger Parra (Leila Taaffe), Cawley Scott (Robyne Johnston), Zoe Taaffe (Leila Taaffe), Gabriel Van Oyen (Carolyn Crouch).

Those who are in rehabilitative care:

From our parish: Max Hudgins and Marcella Odom.

Friends and family of our parish: Chifornia Cox (Claudette Cox) and Peabody Hutton (Joanne and Powell Hutton).

Those who are in the hospital:

Friends and family of our parish: Enrique Arias (Karolina Arias), Ray Barkett (Paul Barkett), Diane Bender (Peter Odom), Julie Howell (Cynthia Walker), Phyllis Lambert (Will Morris), Chase Madar (Rob Fisher), Gina Robinson (Matthew Taylor), Travis Rogers (Robert Carroll), and Mary Seidman (Nora and Hap Rigby).

Those who died:

Friends and family of our parish: Nancy Lancaster who died April 21, 2020 and Richard Hamilton Rea who died May 3, 2020.

Those who were born:

From our parish: Turner Calvin Kroese who was born April 30, 2020.

Those in our parish celebrating a birthday this week: Sarah Agnew, Aimee Azzarello, Stephanie Bode, Allison Eydt, Philip Faris, Eric Generous, Jane Milliken Hague, Ellen Herndon, Brad Kosegarten, Marcus Lemon, George Miller, Todd Rich, Alex Stolar, Tim Stuart, Hilary West, and Sarah Yi.

Those in our parish celebrating an anniversary this week: Katherine and Michael Aschieris, Laura and René Doucet, Kelly and Matt Hallett, Katherine and Patrick Hanniford, Dalia Zabala and Larry Lecompte.

For those on the frontlines in the coronavirus pandemic, especially:

Friends and family of our parish: Janie Abernethy (Elizabeth Lewis and David Abernethy), Sandra Brown (Becca Brown), Nathan Cobb (Livy and John More), Chris Gardner (Ann Gardner), Yee Houston (Quin Woodward Pu), and Marta Kochanska (Livy and John More).

Those serving in the Armed Forces including those who are deployed, and for the Armed Forces Ministry of the Episcopal Church:

Friends and family of our parish who are deployed: Peter T. Watson (Wendy Fibison).

Recognizing St. John's High School Seniors

An important annual tradition at St. John's is the recognition of parishioners who will be graduating from high school. We will recognize all graduating seniors with an article in the weekly newsletter, The Word, and on the website, in June. If you are graduating from high school this year, please send us a short biography and a photo by May 21.

With questions and to send your information, contact Kaye Edwards.

Reflections and Updates from the Rector

Click on the image below

Upcoming Baptism Date

Sunday, May 31 at 11:00 a.m.

PENDING

The next dates for Holy Baptism and Class are:

Baptism: Sunday, May 31, 11:00 a.m.

Class: Saturday, May 30, 10:00 a.m.

If you are interested in having a child baptized, or in baptism for yourself, please contact Kaye Edwards.

Refugee Committee

Members of the Refugee Committee, as well as the Rector, wanted the congregation of St. John's to be aware of the fact that we are supporting refugees who are making Surgery Masks for George Washington Hospital. These masks protect the N95 masks worn by doctors and nurses exposed to hazardous particles emitted by coronavirus patients. So far, we have donated 150 masks to GW Hospital. The hospital has been very appreciative.

St. John's on LinkedIn

As many of you know, LinkedIn is the top online business networking platform, with over 630 million registered members. While used primarily to list career and business interests, it also allows you to list (and link) outside interests, memberships and affiliations, including places of worship. As part of our outreach into the community and world of work, we invite you to list your membership (and roles) at St. John's, which will both allow others who might be interested in St. John's to connect with you, and also show our interest in, and relevance to, the world of work.

We have set up a St. John's LinkedIn page , and would welcome congregational participation in building out and populating the page.

To help with that or with any questions, please contact the Rev. Will Morris.

Thinking about Science and Faith

POSTPONED

The Science and Faith study group, slated to start March 30, will find a new time frame for an organizational gathering, as we move further into our new disciplines and rhythms of life. You may wish to go ahead and spend time with this text: Science and Faith: a New Introduction by John F. Haught, Paulist Press, 2012. Contact Joanne Hutton with questions .

St. John's South Africa Trip to the Kwasa Centre

POSTPONED

The St. John's mission trip to South Africa this summer will not take place due to COVID-19. Please keep the Kwasa College ( www.Kwasacollege.org ) in your prayers during these difficult times.