It is with very mixed emotions that I inform the parish that our Parish Administrator, John Edgar, has accepted the position of Director of Congregation Support for the Diocese of Southwest Florida. His last day on our staff will be 7 January and he will begin his duties on the Bishop’s staff on Monday, 10 January. John has been a valuable member of the staff since joining it in 2019 and we will miss him in that role very much. We thank him for his dedicated service and congratulate him on his new position. John will remain an active member of the parish, and plans to be a volunteer on our live streaming team!

We will not fill the Parish Administrator position until the new Rector arrives in February. In the meantime, we do need persons to be in the office and answer the phone on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with pay, from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., beginning 10 January. If you are interested in helping, please contact me. 

The 12 days of Christmas have within them several major feasts, some of which are little known by the average churchgoer. Of course, everyone knows of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, which falls on 25 December, and the Feast of the Epiphany, which falls on 6 January, and which we will celebrate with the Eucharist at 10:00 a.m., ending Christmastide. We will also celebrate the Feasts of St. Stephen on 27 December with a Eucharist at 10:00 a.m. (transferred from the 26th because it falls on a Sunday), St. John on 28 December with a Eucharist at 10:00 a.m., the Holy Innocents on 29 December with a Eucharist at 12:15 p.m., and the Holy Name on 1 January, with a Eucharist at 10:00 a.m. These wonderful feasts give shape to the twelve days of Christmas and provide a depth of meaning to our celebration of the Incarnation. Won’t you join us as we observe the fullness of the season?

Start out the new year by joining your parish family in a food packing event on Sunday, January 2 in the Parish Hall immediately following the 10:00 a.m. service. Your Clergy and Vestry have decided to allocate the proceeds from our Thanksgiving offering to fund this special event, but we still need you to be the hands and feet of the operation – to pack these meals for our hungry neighbors. The event is organized by Kids Against Hunger (www.kahflorida.org) and all meals will go to the Dominican Republic. We anticipate packing an amazing 15,000 meals in just 90 minutes of work, which is enough to feed a small school for about a year.  There are no special skills needed – just show up and have fun serving the Lord!  If you can’t attend the event but would like to support the effort financially, you are welcome to send a check into the office earmarked for Kids Against Hunger. Please contact Fr. Cannon if you have any questions. Learn more at this video link:  A Glimpse Into a Pack-a-Thon - Bing video

The St. Bartholomew Travel Society is excited to announce its much-anticipated pilgrimage/tour August 31 through September 14, 2022 to four Balkan countries: Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. These countries are visually stunning and contain several UNESCO World Heritage sites. This all-inclusive program

promises to be both spiritually and culturally enriching. Departure on August 31 will be from Church of the Redeemer to Miami International Airport.

Look for more details at a table in the courtyard beginning this Sunday, November 28. Questions? Please contact Linda Robinson at lindarobinsonsrq@gmail.com or 941.914.2688.

We congratulate Fr. James Reho, who has just accepted a call to become Rector of St. Catherine’s Church in Temple Terrace, Florida. Fr. Reho has served as Chaplain for St. John’s School, with preaching and celebrating responsibilities on Sundays for the parish, since the summer of 2019. his last Sunday with us will be 23 January, when he will preach and celebrate at both the 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. celebrations of the Holy Eucharist. There will be receptions for him and Lori following both services.

A “purse“ will be presented to him on that Sunday. If you would like to contribute to this financial gift for Fr. James, click here, adding the note or instruction, “Fr. Reho‘s Purse.” You may also send in a check made out to St. John’s with “Fr. Reho‘s Purse“ in the memo line, to St. John’s Episcopal Church, 906 S. Orleans Ave., Tampa, FL 33606.

We thank both Fr. James and Lori for their contributions to our common life, we will miss them, and pray Godspeed as they follow God’s call to St. Catherine’s.

Thanks to the St. John’s community for supporting the children at this local after-school program! On December 16, the kids and their parents were given their gift cards and presents. The sacks of donated food for the afternoon meals were also very much appreciated. The Outreach Commission thanks everyone who so generously participated in this joyful annual undertaking.

Appreciated securities make a fantastic gift to the Operating Fund, the Endowment, or the Building Fund. You may be eligible to take advantage of a two-fold tax savings. First, you avoid paying any capital gains tax on the increase in value of your stock. In addition, you receive a tax deduction for the full fair market value of the stock on the date of the gift. Mr. John Edgar, our Parish Administrator, is available to help you make a gift of stock both quick and convenient. Please contact him at 259.1750.

Our hearts go out to all of the victims of the recent tornadoes in the Mississippi Valley, the Southeast, and the Midwest. If you wish to make a donation through the Church to help the victims, make your check out to St. John’s Church, with the memo Tornado Relief Fund. Our donations will be sent to Episcopal Relief and Development, which is working with various local agencies dealing with this crisis.

Cornerstone Kids Inc, an after-school program for children aged 5 to 11 years in the Tampa Heights area, is seeking a new Executive Director to lead the daily operations for the program. This is a full-time, year-round administrative position. Cornerstone Kids is a 501 (c)3 non-profit program that has served the Tampa Heights community for almost 30 years. Its mission is to assist at-risk, inner city children in their spiritual, educational and emotional development in a safe, secure and nurturing environment, focusing on homework assistance/tutoring, reading and math, technology, mentoring, nutrition, and social-emotional development. Staff consists of 5 teachers, a cook, and a small pool of volunteers. Qualifications include a BA/BS degree in business, education or related field; experience in leading youth development operations,; and five or more years of experience in licensed child care and/or educational program management, employee supervision, grant administration, budget accountability and professional development. The position is open until filled. St John’s is a long-time partner and supporter of the Cornerstone program, which is housed at St James-House of Prayer Episcopal Church. For more information, contact Deacon Moore at 785-9400 or kmoore@stjohnstampa.org.

We will be closed for the Christmas holiday from noon on Christmas Eve to Wednesday, December 29. For the New Year's holiday, we will close at noon on New Year's Eve and will reopen on Tuesday, January 4

Don't forget, no EYC this week because of the Christmas holiday!

Do you have activities going on? Let Ayana know, she'd love to be there!

Our 2022 Youth Mission Trip is now open! We will be serving in New Orleans from Thursday, June 2 through Thursday, June 9. The cost is $550 per person. We will sign for 30 service hours, and a $100 deposit will secure your spot!

Don’t forget to follow our EYC Instagram to stay up to date on current and upcoming events. we are taking a break from the One Minute Devotionals until the New Year, when it will become a monthly addition to our EYC Instagram, but we

Join our Remind EYC group text to stay up to date on EYC happenings by clicking here (from your phone)!

The Women’s Mid Morning Bible Study has concluded their fall study of the first and second letters of Paul to the Thessalonians. The group will break for Advent and Christmas, resuming meeting on Tuesday, January 11. The venue is yet to be decided. They will be studying 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus for the first half of 2022. More information will be forthcoming.

To learn more, contact Sally Wiley at wiley48sm@gmail.com or 244.4497 or Pat Wilson at patwilson68@tampabay.rr.com. All women of the parish and those whom they would like to invite are welcome to join them.

The Wednesday Afternoon adult formation group will not meet today. They will continue on Zoom on Wednesdays from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. after the holidays. The group studies the work of a variety of Christian writers; group discussions are lively and substantive. All are welcome. For more information contact Deacon Kathleen at kmoore@stjohnstampa.org or 785.9400.

Flowers and the candle adorning the High Altar and the flowers at the Chapel Altar on Sundays and Holy Days are financially supported by individuals and families in memory of departed loved ones or in thanksgiving for blessings received.

If you would like to make a memorial or give a gift in thanksgiving on one of the dates below, contact us at parish@stjohnstampa.org or 259.1570.

January 2 – Flowers at the Chapel Altar

January 9 – Flowers at the Church Altar

January 16 – Flowers at the Chapel Altar

January 30 – Candle in the Sanctuary Light

Contact Laurie Lawther at llawther@stjohnstampa.org to set up.

Go to www.stjohnstampa.org and click on "Give Now" on the right side of the top blue bar. The church now has the ability to accept credit and debit card payments, along with checking/savings account payments. To make a pledge or pay in some other way, click on "Stewardship" in the top website menu.

In the 'To' field of the text type 73256, then in the message, type SJE. You will receive a text back immediately with a link to complete the payment.

Laurie is available to walk you through any of these methods by email at llawther@stjohnstampa.org or call her at the parish offices at 259.1570.

December 23, Helen Scott

December 24, none

December 25, Harry Hedges

December 26, Nancy Adams, Kim Wiese, Amy Yost, Constance Severn

December 28, Caden Hearing, Kevin Kellar, Jerry Maya, Graham Thomason

December 29, Winkie Game, Leslie Jennewein, Ben Graham, Barrett Browning

December 30, Pat LeVarge, Cindy Martin, Rob Kelley, Damian Stone

The Men's Interactive Bible Study meets every Thursday at 11:45 a.m. to study the readings for the coming week and for fellowship. The group will convene in person in the Lowry Room for those who are comfortable. If you prefer to continue joining virtually, email John in the parish offices at jedgar@stjohnstampa.org for the link.

The Holy Eucharist (Rite I), 8:00 a.m., Church, followed by Coffee Hour Fellowship

The Holy Eucharist (Rite II), 10:00 a.m., in the Church and on Facebook, and our website, followed by Coffee Hour Fellowship

Bulletins and other resources are available here. Click here for the readings, St. John's follows Track 2.

In addition to welcoming in-person attendance at the 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. Sunday services, St. John's streams our 10:00 a.m. services live on Facebook. Access the stream at our page at https://www.facebook.com/stjohnstampa/. The stream is also live on our website. Please access our most current safety guidance here.

The audio for sermons is here. New sermons are uploaded by Tuesday each week. Bulletins for Sundays are here, each week's bulletin is uploaded to this page by Saturday. Click here to find the readings for this coming Sunday (St. John's follows Track 2). You can also see Sunday services on our YouTube channel, they are uploaded each Sunday by mid-afternoon.

The Church Office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Email us at parish@stjohnstampa.org or call 259.1570.

Our clergy and staff and your fellow parishioners stream evening prayer daily Monday through Saturday at 4:00 p.m. on Facebook Live. Intercessory prayers are invited in the comments during the feed.

Compline is offered by the brothers of the Society of St John the Evangelist on their web site at www.ssje.org on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 8:30 p.m EST.

If you have any questions or trouble using the online services noted above, please contact Lee Lowry by replying to this email. You can also contact the clergy member or parishioner who is the contact for each ministry. 

Father Robinson: 941.350.0043

If you are someone who is able to help your fellow parishioners with errands and other means of support, please contact Fr. MIchael at mcannon@stjohnstampa.org. Conversely, if you are a parishioner who needs help, please also contact Fr. Michael at email at mcannon@stjohnstampa.org or by phone at 864.320.7116. He will match needs with resources so we are able to help one another in Christ's name.