The Bridge - March 18, 2022

The Bridge

March 18, 2022

The Mission of St. John’s is to be a community of God’s people who heal brokenness, build bridges, and exemplify borderless kindness.

Worship at St. John's

Sunday Services - March 20

9:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I (In-Person)

10:30 am Holy Eucharist Rite II (In-Person and Zoom)

1:00 pm Santa Eucaristía Rito II (en persona)

You are invited to come forward to the communion rail to receive the blessed bread. Please form two lines side-by-side in the center aisle. You may receive standing or kneeling. If you need a gluten free wafer, please tell the minister. If you would prefer a blessing, please cross your arms over your chest.

We anticipate beginning to offer both bread and wine on Sunday, March 27. You will have the opportunity to receive the wine either by intinction or sipping. Or not at all. Receiving the Eucharist in one kind is full reception.

To participate in our virtual Sunday services, you do not need to have a Zoom account or download Zoom. Simply click the link to join.

You may also join the service by telephone -

dial (346) 248-7799 and enter the meeting ID when prompted.

Meeting ID: 879 9502 6837

Zoom link for 10:30 a.m. service

The video recording of the 10:30 a.m. service will be posted on the St. John's Facebook page, YouTube, and the St. John's website later in the day. Additionally, recordings of the English and Spanish sermons will be available. Links to the recordings will be posted on our website (www.austinstjohns.org).

Consider This

We are not human beings trying to be spiritual.

We are spiritual beings trying to be human.

Jacquelyn Small

Meditations for Women Who Do Too Much

edited by Anne Wilson Schaef

St. John's Notices and Activities

AGENDA OF ISSUES - ACTION TEAMS

On March 21, the Core Organizing Team will meet to discuss ideas leading to the implementation of the items identified in the St. John’s Agenda of Issues. You are encouraged to join this team to help plan for actions and ministries important to St. John’s. Please contact John Williams, Sandra Ward, Christi Crow, or Steve Kriechbaum for more information.

Congregational Growth

During the recent St. John’s Congregational Growth Action Team meeting, we discussed making a flyer to invite our neighbors to our services and events during Holy Week and Easter. We also want to select a recurring date for Loteria and will be discussing this with our congregants from the 1pm service. We decided to start up the Jamaica festival and will be selecting a date for this event. We are also exploring the possibility of an “information day” to help people develop wills and other documents. It might also be good for our young adults to have an expert explain how resumes should be written for today’s world. We are very excited get these ideas off the ground.

Steve Kriechbaum, Chair

FARMSHARE AUSTIN IS COMING SOON!

Farmshare Austin's Fresh for Less Mobile Market will return to St. John's Episcopal Church on Sunday, April 3^rd from 11am-1pm. Come shop for fresh, delicious, and affordable fruits and vegetables, local eggs and honey, and a variety of pantry staples! The market accepts cash, credit, debit, SNAP, and Double Up Food Bucks.

We are planning to have eggs hidden for our kiddos - members and families - after the 10:30am and 1:00pm services on Easter Day. Maria Angie Hernandez will happily accept volunteers for stuffing and hiding eggs for our searchers!

Karen Rukovena (and her husband Frank) has volunteered to help organize the Easter Cookie Celebration! We need 2 or 3 more to help with planning this event. For more information about volunteering, please contact Fay Jones.

Easter Bonnets are so much fun! In the past few years, the men of St. John's have shown that they love hats too! We were asked to give lots of notice this year so you can prepare your best bonnets and hats for Easter Day - April 17.

COFFEE AND FELLOWSHIP

The Parish Hall is open for coffee and fellowship after each Sunday service!

We need volunteers to set up and clean up. Put together a team of 2 or 3 (or more!) to make the coffee, set it up, and clean up after.

If you would like to bring snacks, you are invited to do so. Please take your dishes home with you so you won't have to wonder what happened to that plate Dear Old Aunt Gladys gave you.

ALTAR FLOWER DEDICATIONS

Donations received during Lent will be used for our Easter Lilies.

You may now sign up to dedicate flowers for the altar either on the flower chart in the narthex or online through our website.

The suggested donation for a dedication is $60. However, we know that some would like to give more, and some can only give less. All dedications will be honored, and any donations will be appreciated.

CHRISTIAN FORMATION

Lenten Formation Series - hybrid

Wednesdays during Lent - 7pm

Continuing on the Wednesdays during Lent, we will focus on an exploration of Christian history. Each 90-minute session will include watching an episode of a BBC documentary series on the “History of Christianity” by Diarmaid MacCulloch, followed by a discussion of the video.

The topics of each episode are:

The First Christianity
Catholicism: The Unpredictable Rise of Rome
Orthodoxy: From Empire to Empire
Reformation: The Individual Before God
Protestantism
God in the Dock

On the final week, April 6th, Professor Dan Joslyn-Siemiatkoski from the Seminary of the Southwest will join us to wrap up our exploration of Christian history.

This is an opportunity to better understand how Christianity got to where it is today and our place in its two-thousand-year-old story. We hope to see you there! The link to the Zoom meeting can be found in the Tuesday Christian Formation email, as well as in the weekly Bridge.

For more information, please contact Scott Morizot.

Lenten Formation Program

Cornerstone Literary Circle - Zoom

Wednesdays at 5:30 pm

On March 23rd, we will begin John Meacham's His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope. Kim Evert (a former member of St. John's) will be our host.

We'll begin by reading the Overture and Chapter 1 (pp. 3-43). To honor John Lewis, we'll start with a gospel or song from the Civil Rights era as everyone hops onto Zoom and to help center ourselves for discussion.

The reading assignments will be found in each week's Christian Formation email sent out on Tuesday.

Please contact Laurie Williams for more information.

The link to join the class is here:

Cornerstone Literary Circle

Thursday Morning Bible Study - Hybrid

Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.

We continue to meet both in person in the Parish Hall and via Zoom. Everyone is welcome to join our conversation - please participate at your personal physical and emotional comfort level.

For more information, please contact Elaine Jackson .

The link to join the class is here:

Thursday Morning Bible Study

(please refer to our website www.austinstjohns.org or to the Christian Formation email sent every Tuesday for more information and links)

WEDNESDAY MORNING GROUNDS CREW

There are projects to be done all year, and your participation would be very welcome! We start about 8:00 a.m. and finish about noon.

For more information about this ministry, please contact Hal Hughes.

LABYRINTH COMMUNITY GARDEN

The garden is getting ready for Spring. Beds are being prepared for new Spring crops. Right now, in the pantry bed, mustard and collard greens are sprouting along with broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Flowers will soon be blooming in the pollinator bed and in the scent garden. Progress is being made on completing our fence.

At our annual meeting on Saturday, March 12, we made plans for the new garden year and discussed building some new beds. We welcome three new gardeners who have rented beds for the new garden year.

To learn about how our Labyrinth Community Garden serves the community, or for information about obtaining a bed in the Garden for you and your family, please contact Patty Arnold.

Episcopal Diocese of Texas

Established in 1921 by the Diocese of Texas, Camp Allen Summer Camp is widely known as the "best week of the year" by countless children each year. And after two years of the pandemic, kids need camp more than ever! Camp Allen offers action-packed and faith-filled one week summer camp sessions for ages 8-16.

Camp Allen video

Bishop Doyle’s 360 Tour –

Be with the People 2022

Please join Bishop Doyle as he visits Austin on April 3!

Sharing our vision and the work we need to accomplish in the next five years through fellowship and information.

Bishop Doyle will visit St. James' Episcopal Church, 1941 Webberville Road, Austin 78721 on Sunday, April 3. The Town Hall will begin at 3 p.m. Coffee & Snacks will be provided following the presentation.
Please RSVP as soon as possible
Face masks will be optional
Spanish Translation will be available

Please click the button to RSVP

Bishop Doyle's 360 Tour

Caring for Each Other

FOR PRAYER AND PASTORAL CARE

If you find that your situation is causing financial, spiritual, or emotional difficulties, or if you are in need of food, do not hesitate to call Deacon Victoria (512-297-5953) or email Mthr. Minerva (RevMinerva@austinstjohns.org).

We are a church family; when a family member needs assistance we want to try and help that member.

A Prayer for Ukraine

God of Peace and Justice, we pray for the people of Ukraine today.

We pray for peace and the laying down of weapons.

We pray for all those who fear for tomorrow. that your Spirit of comfort would draw near to them.

We pray for those with power over war and peace, for wisdom, discernment, and compassion to guide their decisions.

Above all, we pray for all your precious children, at risk and in fear, that you would hold and protect them.

We pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Amen.

Archbishop Justin Welby

Archbishop Stephen Cottrell

Our Gathering Policy

Based on the new CDC guidelines, masks are optional on the St. John's campus. The CDC guidelines also highly recommend that all persons who are not fully vaccinated wear masks while indoors. Please get vaccinated and boosted to keep yourselves and others safe. Thank you for your cooperation in these efforts to keep our St. John’s community safe and healthy.

St. John's gathering policy continues to be updated as conditions change relative to the COVID pandemic. St. John's holds the health and safety of our community as a top priority.

Your understanding and cooperation are very much appreciated.

COVID-19 Related Information

click on the image to access the Austin Public Health website

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO ST. JOHNS;THANK YOU!

Please visit our website (Austin St. John's)

for other ways to make a donation.

Please send mail to the church post office box:

St. John’s Episcopal Church

P. O. Box 81493

Austin, TX 78708-1493

All First Class Mail, Priority Mail and Priority Express Mail will be forwarded through Dec. 7, 2022.

Stories and Photos for The Bridge

You are invited to send photos and stories about yourself, your family, and our parish for inclusion in The Bridge. As we come back together, let's share our experiences! Please send your ideas, stories, and photos to Fay Jones, (newsletter editor) by 12:00 pm on Wednesdays.

Running event announcements two weeks prior to the date is recommended.