Refugee Sunday, which took place April 3, provided an excellent opportunity to kick off a new series of Outreach Council programs known as Outreach Sunday Offerings. Many of us enjoyed lunch together as we explored how to support and respond to refugee ministries in Jacksonville.

A strategic goal for the Outreach Council is “Encouraging and nurturing people to serve Jesus.” To that end, Outreach will host several luncheon events highlighting various ministries. Not all these sessions will be as encompassing as Refugee Sunday. Typically, we will have a light lunch and spend about an hour together after the 10 a.m. service. While we may host community speakers from time to time, mainly we will hear from our brothers and sisters, each sharing how and why they became involved in ministry, how that ministry has shared Jesus’ love with others, and what a blessing it is to serve God in this calling.

I hope you will join us this Sunday, May 1, for lunch as we learn about Family Promise. More than 2.5 million children in America are homeless. Working with congregations and other agencies Family Promise has compiled an 82 percent success rate in moving families with children from homelessness to stability. Family Promise exists around a commitment to build a better community, one family at a time.

Join us on Sunday, May 1, to learn how to become involved.

For each of the 50 days from Easter to Pentecost, we will post a scripture verse, a reflection by a clergy member, and a prayer from the book The Creation Care Bible Challenge, edited by Marik P. Zabriskie. Books are available through the Cathedral Bookstore & Gift Shop.

The posts will be available on the St. John’s Cathedral Facebook page at 2 p.m. each day. If you are not a Facebook user, you can find the posts on our website: Just scroll down the home page to see the latest social media content.

Join us as we focus throughout the Easter season, during which Earth Day is observed, on the gift God has given us in our planet and natural surroundings, and on our role in their care.

The Author Conversation with Dean Kate on May 1 will focus on the book Beyond Triathlon: A Dual Memoir of Masters Women Athletes, authored by Celeste Callahan, Dottie Dorion and Jane Hunt with a foreword by Sarah Springman.

Female students today never knew a time without Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which protects students from sex-based discrimination and exclusion in education programs or activities. It benefits all women, especially female athletes. This dual memoir recounts the lives of Celeste Callahan and Dottie Dorion, who were athletes before Title IX was passed. Callahan and Dorion were runners and triathletes who constantly battled gender norms and stereotypes. The memoirs of the two athletes’ oral and written accounts are stitched together to detail their journey through sport against societal standards and pressures.

Join us in the Cathedral Bookstore and Gift Shop. Books are available for purchase.

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Dottie’s artwork is also currently on display in Taliaferro Hall. Come take a look Sundays from 8 a.m. until Noon; Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Are you curious about the candidates for the IX Bishop of Florida? You can get to know them online by visiting the Bishop Search page. Better yet, we invite you to come to St. John’s Cathedral to meet and greet them in person.

This event is produced by the Diocese of Florida and hosted by St. John’s Cathedral.

It is open to all and free of charge.

For those who can’t make it in person, the event will be live-streamed on the YouTube channel for the Diocese of Florida. View it here.

Reflections on Resurrection in Scripture, Poetry and Art is a series of five sessions led by Linda Privitera and Joe O’Shields on Thursday evenings on Zoom, May 5 to June 2 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Using the post-resurrection appearances in the gospels we will consider the text, a poem, and an art piece for our discussion. We will begin our sessions with the “original” ending of the gospel of Mark. This course is a continuation of the Personalities, Portraits and Poetry format first presented in Pentecost and Advent of this past year. Save the dates and join us for lively discussion and thoughtful reflection. This course is sponsored by All Saints’ Anglican Church Westboro (Ottawa), Canada.

Sunday, May 8 will be our last 9 a.m. service in Cathedral Park for this school year. This is a casual service of Holy Eucharist. It will be followed by a time of fellowship in Taliaferro Hall with snacks and activities. The service and the activities are planned for all ages. Please join us!

~Deacon Linda Rosengren

Please join us Friday, May 13 at 10 a.m. for a tour of the aquaponics farm located at 958 Albert Street, near A. Philip Randolph Blvd. in Jacksonville. We will learn all about the growing system and the Native Fresh ongoing mission of sustainable farming. The tour is limited to 20 participants. Laura Eldredge will be your contact person at the farm.

Fresh Ministries’ aquaponics farm known as Native Fresh is an education-focused commercial aquaponics farm located in the heart of downtown Jacksonville. Because of the tightly-controlled environment, a wide variety of produce is grown year-round using no pesticides and significantly less water than traditional methods.

If interested, contact Laura Eldredge