We are committed to creating a welcoming, safe space for all people to explore life’s big questions and cultivate fellowship. This commitment stems from our understanding that God loves us all for who we are, and we invite you to explore that truth with us. | | |
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Worship Schedule
Sundays at 10 a.m.
(with Morning Prayer once a month)
In person and live-streamed on YouTube
Church School
Godly Play Sunday School 10 a.m.
Teen Text Sunday School twice a month
Lenten Study Group
During Lent after Coffee Hour
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For inquiries or prayer requests email Dawn, our Office Manager.
Please note: Rev. Lisa will be away from March 2-Mar 18.
If you have a prayer request during this time, please speak with
Flora Quammie before worship begins.
If you have a pastoral emergency call Senior Warden Margo Terwilliger.
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As you undoubtedly know, Rev. Lisa is half-way around the globe as you read this, and has been for a couple weeks now. We hope she and Geoff are enjoying their time in Australia.
With Lisa away, we won't have a PIC Ponderings column for you. Fortunately, we have several parishioners who are gifted homilists, who share their gift with us when Lisa's not with us.
One of them, Emily Harvey, a couple of Sundays ago, talked to us about our being in relationship with God. She left us with several questions to ponder "for homework" and we thought we'd repeat them here in lieu of Lisa's column.
- Where do I value the eloquent? The clever? The world’s wisdom?
- Where do I walk a walk that helps me see that God wants a relationship with me?
- How do I reach out to God?
- Where do I hide from God?
- How do I feel God’s love?
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Soup For You!
Our Maundy Thursday will be a bit different year.
Instead of gathering church for service, we'll meet in the Parish Hall at 6 p.m. for a simple supper of soup and bread, as well as Eucharist and a discussion of our ministries at St. John's.
Of course we'll need to know how much soup to make, so we ask that you use the sign-up sheets in the church or the office to let us know you'll be coming.
And, if you'd like to help out by making a pot of soup, use the sign-up sheets to let us know that as well.
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Easter Egg Hunt
Join us Easter Sunday after our service for our annual Easter Egg Hunt.
It's great fun for our little ones - and our teens, who will be helping set up and lead the hunt.
We're asking that parishioners bring in individually wrapped candies for the event. Please see Jen Kamp or Dorothy Shackelford by Palm Sunday to drop off your candy donations.
We already have plenty of eggs to stuff but we could use some egg stuffers. We're hoping you might help us stuff the eggs with candy at Coffee Hour on Palm Sunday.
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Coffee Hour Volunteers Needed!!
We're looking for folks to host coffee hour for the next many weeks.
We're good for March, but have no sign-ups yet for April and May!
Hosting is quite simple. All you need to do is make the coffee, heat up some water for tea and bring some breakfasty nibbles.
Except for the nibbles, most of the supplies are already in-house. And, we're happy to help you host the first time or two until you are comfortable.
If you'd like to sign-up for a Sunday in April or May please email Naomi Fisher here, see her at church, or use the sign-up sheet on the table at Coffee Hour.
This is an important time for casual fellowship. Please help us make sure it's available every Sunday. Thanks!
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Lenten Study Group - 17,24
Our Lenten study continues for two more Sundays - March 17 and 24.
As we've mentioned, we are examining our baptismal promises - with the aid of the book 'Will You? A Lenten Study of Baptismal Promises'
The sessions run from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
If you would like to join us, or if you have questions, please contact Naomi Fisher, Emily Harvey or Herb St. Jean, or just stop by.
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Next Food Collection - March 20
Our next St. John's Food Drop-off will be Wednesday, March 20, from 10 a.m. to noon.
The food collected will be delivered to Our Daily Bread Food Bank.
We're in front of the church to collect your donations of non-perishable foods and personal-care items on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.
Please remember that you can always bring in food on Sunday mornings and place your offerings in the donation basket next to the last pew.
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Men's Night Out - March 26
The next monthly Men's Night Out will be Tuesday, March 26, at 6 p.m. We'll be going to the 202 Tavern, which is, oddly enough, on Route 202 - in New Preston.
You can peruse their menu here.
If you'd like to join us please see Bill Kamp, or email him here.
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Women's Night Out - April 2
The next Women's Night Out will be Tuesday, April 2, at 6 p.m at Vegas, the Mexican restaurant on Railroad St. You can see their menu here.
If you'd like to join us, please email Mary Vallo or Sue Denino. Or, let them know when you see them in church
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The following statement from the bishops of the diocese was posted on the ECCT website on Tuesday, March 5. If you didn't see it, we share it with you now. | |
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Dear Companions in Christ,
Our hearts continue to break as the current conflict in Gaza approaches nearly 150 days, with 1,200 Israelis killed and many held hostage and mistreated. Over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed and, in some areas, thousands are living in famine-like conditions.
Last Thursday, a deadly attack on Palestinians as they gathered to receive humanitarian aid left over 100 dead and over 750 more wounded, according to a statement by the Episcopal Public Policy Network.
The continuing violence and rising death toll leaves many of us unsure of what to say, or what to do. We cry with the Psalmist of Psalm 13, “How long, O Lord, how long?”
As Episcopalians, our Baptismal Covenant calls upon us to pray with fervor, and to act to protect the most vulnerable among us. We are called to witness to, and to share, God’s redeeming and reconciling love in this world
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So let us continue to pray, without ceasing, for peace in the land where our Lord once walked. And let us do what we can to create peace in the world, including our own country, neighborhoods, and homes.
We join the Presiding Bishop’s call for a ceasefire, for the release of all hostages, and for humanitarian aid to be allowed to reach all those displaced and deprived of food and water.
There has also been an increase in anti-Semitic and anti-Palestinian acts across Connecticut and our nation. We condemn any and all violence and/or hate speech targeting our Palestinian and Jewish siblings. We encourage you to reach out to your friends and neighbors: build bridges, offer kindness, listen and learn from one another, and live locally into God’s dream for peace and justice in our world.
We continue to condemn the atrocities against Israelis on October 7, the hostage taking by Hamas, and all violence that has been committed against non-combatants in Gaza and the West Bank.
There are differing perspectives regarding how the armed conflict ought to be resolved. We must not be silenced by different points of view, but rather speak and act with a careful, listening ear to those with whom we disagree.
We have vowed, as Christians, “to respect the dignity of every human being.” This vow made at Baptism can be our guide, our lens, and our call to prayer and action at a time such as this.
May God’s love, made manifest in the Prince of Peace, fill the hearts and minds of all, bring an end to violence, and move us all towards the peace of God that passes all understanding.
And as we journey together in this Season of Lent, let us recommit ourselves in word and action to being a people of the hope and peace revealed in the resurrection of our Lord.
Yours in Christ,
The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey W. Mello, Bishop Diocesan
The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens, Bishop Suffragan
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For easier reading, we suggest you view the poster below on a laptop or desktop rather than your phone. | |
We Thought You Should Know | |
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We came across this recently and thought it could be helpful to you. In fact, the last scam on this list made its way through the St. John's directory not too long ago. Thanks to Jim Rains for calling it to our attention.
Tips to Avoid Scams
Here are some general tips to avoid scams:
- First, anyone can be scammed. Don’t be embarrassed if it happens to you.
- Practice not engaging. You are under no obligation to respond to calls, emails or texts from strangers — especially given that so many of them are fraudulent.
- Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t sound right, run it by someone you trust and take extra time to think about it.
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Don’t answer the phone if you don’t recognize the number - let it go into voicemail. If you do answer the phone, do not answer any questions. Don’t even say “yes” or “no” .
- Don’t click on any link in a text or email from someone you don’t know, or even if it is from a recognized source but seems suspicious.
- Don’t open ANY attachment unless you are expecting it; even from someone you know.
These Scams are Common:
Virus Warning on Your Computer: If you see a “warning” message that your computer is infected with a virus pop up on your computer, do not panic. Never give control of your computer to anyone you don’t know. Simply shut down your computer. If you can’t close a browser window to get rid of a fake virus-warning pop-up, PULL THE PLUG. You will lose what you were working on but that’s minor compared to the consequence of not shutting down. Don’t ever call the phone number in a pop-up.
Package Delivery Problem Text: Another popular scam is a text message saying a package can’t be delivered and to click on the link to confirm your address. Don’t click on any link unless you can verify that it’s legitimate. If you’re suspicious of a tracking number, check it out. If the text cites a tracking number, copy and paste it into the search engine on the delivery service’s actual website. You’re likely to find that it’s a fake (note - USPS tracking numbers are extremely long).
To make sure, go to the source. If you’re concerned that there might be a problem with a package you’re receiving or have sent, contact the service directly, not through the link. Sometimes scammers will use an address very similar to that of the real business, such as Fedx.com instead of FedEx.com. So, if the package in question is being handled by UPS, for example, go to "ups.com" rather than a link embedded in a text.
Gift Card Request: Scammers often pretend to be clergy and ask parishioners for gift card contributions for a worthy cause. Their message will be something like, “I need some gift cards for somebody in the hospital or for our staff and I don’t have time to go get them, I’m very busy, so could you pick them up for me?” Appeals are often made by email, but sometimes via text, or even over the phone. The bogus emails often include the name of your clergy member and a legitimate-looking email address. Look closely at the email address it comes from; it will almost certainly not be from stjohnsepiscopal.clergy@gmail.com. Remember, St. John’s will NEVER contact you by email or text with a request to purchase gift cards, or ask for personal verification information by email.
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Prayers for The Ill, Homebound or In Need
Parishioners: Katie, Carolyn, Peter, Arthur, Anna, Jean, Joy, Joan, Josie, Helen and Sonok
For family and friends: Bishop Curry. Janet, Kathy, Mark, Linda, Carrie, Dennis, Douglas, Kevin, Billy, Charles, Rich, Holly, Matt, Artie and Dorothy
For those who have died: especially those who have died at the hand of gun violence or war
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For the people of Ukraine. For the lives lost and the lives upended in the war there.
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A PRAYER FOR THE RESTORATION OF PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND
God of peace and justice, we pray for the people of Israel and Palestine. We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons. We pray for all who are struggling with grief and fear, that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them. We pray for those with power over war and peace. May wisdom, discernment and compassion guide their decisions. Above all, we pray for all your precious children around the world, that you would hold and protect them. We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen
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The next issue of St. John's Connects will be published on April 5.
If you have something to share in the next newsletter, please send the info to Ron Vallo by Wednesday, April 3.
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Ya Say It's Your Birthday! | |
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Upcoming Birthdays
Shane Deppen (3/21); Emily Lee (4/5); Edith Estrella (4/6); Helen Gardner (4/6); Christopher Partelow (4/6)
Congrats to all who are celebrating! Enjoy your big day!
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