St. John's Episcopal Church - Centreville, VA
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Parish News - February 16, 2022
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Dear St. John's Parishioners and Friends:
As the number of COVID infections continue to decrease, it is my hope that we will be able to return to in-person worship services and activities in March.
If so, we will have the Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on March 1 in the parish hall from 5 - 7 PM. Volunteers will be needed to help set up, cook, clean up etc. Please let Dave Parker know ( [email protected]) if you can help. We will have link to the sign up sheet next Wednesday for those who want to attend so we know how many to cook for.
We will then have our Ash Wednesday services at 12:00 noon and 7:30 PM on March 2. St. Anthony's of Padua, one of our Ministry Partners, will join us for the evening service.
Ash Wednesday starts the season of Lent, a time of prayer and meditation, a time of repentance and getting rid of whatever hinders us from living a full and Christian life.
During Lent, those who would like to will read and reflect on the book "Soul Stages: Surviving and Thriving in the Second Half of Life" by Christopher Chamberlin Moore. You can order this book on Amazon. The book study will meet on Zoom at 7:00 PM on Wednesday evenings, starting on March 9 and continuing for 6 weeks. As we look toward a time of transition at St. John's, we will reflect on how we have encountered other times of transition in our lives. There is no need to sign up for the book study. The Zoom link will be in the Wednesday E Notes each week. Just click on the link and join us.
If the COVID numbers continue to decline, we will have our first Sunday in-person service on Sunday, March 6. We will continue to wear masks and socially distance ourselves as much as possible. We will also continue our "safe" way of having communion by using the individual cups for the bread and the wine.
To many of us, it feels like COVID has been with us forever. But there is reason for hope and optimism. COVID infections and hospitalizations are declining in our area. Vaccination numbers are up. Spring is around the corner and resurrection is on the horizon. May God continue to give us the strength and the hope as our journey continues.
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The Rev. Carol Hancock
Rector
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In February, we will have online services only
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The services will be live streamed at 9:30 AM on Sunday morning, and they can be watched later as well. The link to the online service is found below and will be the same link every Sunday. On Saturday, we will resend the link, along with a link for the bulletin and the lectionary class.
SUNDAY LIVESTREAM LINK:
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PARISH NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Two important announcements were made at the Annual Parish Meeting:
- When you put a donation in the "debt reduction" envelopes that are in the pledge envelope packets, the donation will go to pay off the facilities loan first (to get it paid off more quickly). If you would rather your donation in the "debt reduction" envelopes go to pay down the mortgage, please write "mortgage" on the memo line of your check.
- We have enough money in the restricted flower fund to buy the flowers for Easter. If you would like to make a donation at Easter in memory or thanksgiving or in honor of someone, you can use the "Easter Flowers" envelope in the pledge envelope packets and make a donation to Outreach. Draw a line through "Easter Flowers" and write Outreach, and also write Outreach on the memo line of your check. Please let Catherine Packard in the church office know if the donation is in memory or thanksgiving or in honor of someone. Those names will be acknowledged in the bulletin on Easter Day.
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Looking ahead - Our Lenten book study will use the book "Soul Stages: Surviving and Thriving in the Second Half of Life" by Christopher Chamberlin Moore (2021) We will be looking at times of transition and change in our lives, as we look ahead to transition and change at St. John's. Please order your own book, which can be found on Amazon. We will meet on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM on Zoom during Lent, starting on March 2.
Many thanks go to David Weir, David Daniel Weir and John Tucker for live streaming and recording our services so people can watch them online. Live streaming our services will continue after we return to in-person worship services, so those who are out of town or unable to come to church can still join us virtually.
Our newly formed Garden Committee is up and running......and planning for the spring planting season! Committee members Gail Weirich, Bev Milunec, Mimi Spear, Susan Davis and Dick Griffith have met to plan a small garden to raise some "easy to grow" vegetables. They plan to have 3 raised beds on the patio and will begin planting in early May. If you would like to help with the garden, or want to learn more about it, please contact Mimi or Bev who are the co-chairs. Vegetables that are raised will be donated to Western Fairfax Christian Ministries.
A Celebration of the Life of Helen Rusnak has been scheduled for Saturday, April 9. Time and location TBD.
The church office will be closed on Monday, February 21 in observance of President's Day.
We will be sending in an order for engraved bricks soon. If you would like to purchase a brick in honor or in memory of someone to be put in our "Walkway of the Saints", please let Carol know. The forms are in the church office and the cost is $75.
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*Wood Bundles Now For Sale*
The price is still nominal at $5 per bundle and the bundles are located outside the breezeway. Donations can be put in the envelopes provided and put in the secure adjacent mailbox.
Andrew Wade
The Church that Stacks Together, Stays Together!
Many thanks to Gene & Elise Crawford. All firewood bundles sold so far this year, have come from their house. That wood was split over 18 months ago. The wood recently split on Mt. Gilead Green will be sold next winter and will replenish the supply back at the Crawford’s house. Over the past few months, there have been several truckloads going back and forth. The system must be working, as the firewood continues to sell at a robust pace! Gene has also taken the role of foreman and quality control on what is to be sold this year and what will be sold next year, thank you Gene!
On Saturday morning, February 12th, we had a crowd descend on Mt. Gilead Green on very short notice. Several volunteers helped bundle wood. Several more volunteers helped transport the wood from Manassas to St. John’s. We had enough parishioners on hand to also be able to do some ‘pothole patrol’. Every year, the snowplow does a number on the gravel in are parking lots. Some of the gravel ends up on the sidewalk and on the grass. There were several comments like, “This is sure better than spreading mulch” and “I can’t think of anything else I would rather do on a Saturday morning in February”. Yes, it was a little bit of work and some good fellowship😊 We wrapped up by Noon.
Thank you to everyone that came out on this cool morning and those that support this fundraising campaign.
We anticipate having at least one more ‘log splitting’ day on Mt. Gilead Green, sometime in the next month or two. Please be on the lookout for follow up announcements.
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A Lot of Wood
has been bundled recently, many thanks to the efforts of the team, some of whom are shown here.
And it's been selling like hotcakes!
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OUTREACH and VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
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The Katharine K. Hanley Family Shelter is located nearby and currently house up to 12 families onsite, 12 families in hotel sites and serve over 40 families in their prevention and rapid rehousing programs. Seeking volunteers for:
- On-call movers: 3-4 volunteers with a pick-up truck or U-Haul Rental Truck, must be able to lift and move furniture and other household items.
- Volunteer Delivery Driver (VDD): Provides essential help in getting items to community members, residents, and Shelter House Program Participants. This position requires a working vehicle, license, and personal ability to navigate to new places.
- Volunteer On Call Moving Assistant (VOCMA): Requires the ability to lift, carry, and drive. They work directly with residents who are moving out of shelter or relocating This position does not include the transportation of people. (Ages 18+)
- Volunteer Shelter Assistant (VSA): A versatile position that participates in
onsite tasks such as cleaning, organizing, and various hands-on activities depending on the needs of the shelter determined by the Building Manager and/or Community Coordinator. (Ages 16+)
- If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please contact Rev. Deacon Steve at [email protected] who will coordinate with KKHFS Community Coordinator to get you started. Note: positions may require training from the KKHFS particularly those involving direct contact with clients.
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Western Fairfax Christian Ministries updated list of the foods that they need the most. You can bring your non-perishable items to the church on Sunday mornings, or drop them off in the box outside the door by the breezeway during the week and they will be delivered to WFCM.
Most needed items in the food pantry this month, Feb 2022:
- Canned Vegetables (low salt spinach, collard greens, corn)
- Juice (100% Fruit in plastic containers)
- Syrup - Jelly/Jam
- Flavored Rice/Pasta - Canned Pasta
- Pasta Sauce - Tomato Paste
- Canned Pineapple
- Jello/Pudding
- Dried Lentils
- Maseca flour - Sugar
- Granola Bars and Individual Snacks (chips, crackers)
- Condiments and Salad Dressing (family size not miniature packs)
- Baby Cereal and Baby Food
- Similac Baby Formula (Blue Label/Advance)
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Toiletries: Toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, feminine pads, body wash, (NOTE: we are not currently in need of diapers size 0-4 due to our partnership with Greater DC Diaper Bank. Please only donate larger size diapers, larger size pull ups, or wipes if you want to donate items for babies.)
The Western Fairfax Shepherd Center is still accepting volunteer drivers to support clients who need help getting to appointments, shopping trips (for food), and to deliver food from WFCM to clients. Please contact the Shepherd Center at 703-246-5920 or email [email protected] and copy Deacon Steve at [email protected].
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Sign Up: Sunday service reader or usher We welcome, need, and value your help! The lector will read the 2 lessons and the psalm. The usher will hand out bulletins and bring the elements and offering to the altar. If you would like to do either of these, CLICK HERE.
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Sign Up: Altar Flowers
Please indicate how you wish your flower donation to appear in the Sunday bulletin. (Wedding anniversary, in memory of someone - something special you want to remember by providing flowers.) CLICK HERE
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Service of Evening Prayer - Virtually
Every Wednesday, St. John's has a Service of Evening Prayer. It is a peaceful way to end the day, and it's now being held virtually. Here is the link to this evening's service:
Wednesday, February 16
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The Adult Lectionary Forum - IN PERSON & ON ZOOM
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SUNDAY WORSHIP & EDUCATION
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THE ADULT LECTIONARY FORUM - HELD EACH SUNDAY
All are invited to join in, following the Sunday service, in the library. Or use the link to the Lectionary Forum via Zoom, in case you cannot attend in person, found above.
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We can prepare our hearts & minds by reading ahead
for the Sunday Service lesson
The Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany
February 20, 2022
The First Reading: Genesis 45:3-11, 15
God brings salvation and life out of the choices we make for death and for evil. Joseph is called to go ahead of his family to prepare for them, as Jesus goes ahead of us to heaven, even as we have abandoned him and left him alone in betrayal on the cross.
The Psalm: 37:1-12, 41-42. p. 633, BCP
The Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50
We often long for a seed to sprout the moment it hits the soil, and are discouraged when the field remains barren. May we remember that the season of growth begins out of sight, and is given by God himself.
The Gospel: Luke 6:27-38
It is no extreme action to be kind to those who already love you, or to speak well of and give gifts to those who are generous. The love of God is not capricious, it does not count its reward or give on the basis of expected return.
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Online Contributions
to St. John's
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St. John's now offers three buttons for online donations via Tithe.ly. You may use the buttons below to go directly to Tithe.ly, or you may download the Tithe.ly app on your phone or tablet.
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The Pledge payment button may be used only to make your pledge payment (after signing up to be a pledger, which may be done at any time in the year. See Carol or Vestry)
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The Facility Campaign button may be used only for any contribution for the facility's buildings and grounds, or special facility campaigns.
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The Donation button may be used for any other type of donation to St. John's. To designate a special purpose (i.e. Organ Fund, Ministry Partner payments, etc.) please send a note to [email protected].
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Holy Valentine’s Day
While the Church calendar says that today we commemorate Cyril and Methodius, two missionaries in the 9th century who spread the Good News in Thessalonia, not many of us are going to offer gifts today saying, “Happy Cyril and Methodius Day.” If you are reading this in the morning, and someone is expecting a present or candy or flowers which you don’t have, it might be a good idea to turn your computer off and go the store.
However, if you are prepared, then join me in pondering the spiritual dimension of Valentine's Day.
I like chocolate a lot. Well, too much. However, I am still somewhat shaken by my junior high experience of wondering if anyone other than my mother would give me candy as my Valentine. There’s that adolescent fear that gets imbedded in us and makes us wonder if we indeed belong. My way of dealing with it in junior high was wearing myself out with sports: football, basketball, track. However, there are no athletic games going on in the middle of the night when the voices ask over and over again: “Do you belong? Are you good enough? What if people really knew what you are like?” And on and on.
Here's the thing. I am no longer in junior high and most of you reading this aren’t either. However, those voices don’t really go way; the vocabulary just changes. Now it’s, “Do you belong to the right political party?” “Is your behavior around Covid acceptable?” “Do you own enough?” “Have you read enough books?” And so forth. We get older, but part of us never leaves the eighth grade.
So, what’s the gift we need today and every day? It’s what Henri Nowen wrote and talked about all the time: “You are the Beloved” not because of what you do or how you voted or if you are safe or unsafe about Covid or what you own or how many degrees you have and on and on. Being the Beloved is so beyond the mentality of the eighth grade.
You are the Beloved because Jesus Christ is the source of love, and he has no taste. He loves everyone. Period. He doesn’t want your candy or flowers. He want’s your heart.
My wish for all Christians is to embrace the truth that Christianity is a love affair with the living God. This is the Good News. Every day in Christ and with Christ is Valentine’s Day. Every day is a gift from God because God love us and invites us to embrace that love, return that love, and spread that love.
I know that Virginia is for Lovers, but so is everywhere because of who Christ is and what He has done. What if that love was the gift we offered to the people we meet today? What if we looked for the face of Christ in each person we met and accepted that we are called to be that face for them?
There’s a story of an elderly monk who was the guest manager at the monastery. He would sit outside the guest quarters and greet pilgrims. One day it was late. The sun was going down. As a person on retreat came towards him, the old monk squinted his eyes and exclaimed: “Jesus Christ, is it you again?”
We are to receive the gift and give the gift. You are the face of Christ to the people you meet, and they are the face of Christ for you. That’s the real gift today.
Let’s make Valentine’s Day more than happy. Let’s realize it’s holy.
Bishop Porter Taylor
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Formation
A person’s spiritual life is formed by all manner of processes working in intricate, entangled ways. Some aspects of formation are a process of addition, things like absorbing scripture and prayer. And some are a process of subtraction, letting go of those things which are not life-giving, relinquishing attempts to control what we cannot. Some erosion is important to wear away what cannot, what should not endure.
-Br. Todd Blackham
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and the office number is 703-803-7500.
May our ministry together spread God's love to all whom we encounter.
- Carol
The Rev. Carol Hancock, Rector
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