THIS WEEK AT ST JOHN'S
THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalms 119:9-16; Hebrews 5:5-10; John 12:20-33
TO REMEMBER IN PRAYER

Those On Our Hearts
Michelle, Liz, The Reverend Tim Taylor and the parish of St Anne's, Toronto, The Reverend Gary van der Meer, The Reverend Dr. Caroline Ducros, Gordon, Gregory and all who minister at St John's.

Our Diocese
Christ Church, Bells Corners and their clergy The Venerable Kathryn Otley, Major The Reverend Michael Gibbons and Deacon Tamara Connors. 

Our Companion Diocese in Jerusalem & the Middle East
Saviour Church, Kufr-Yasif, Israel. 
 
Anglican Church of Canada (ACC)
The Right Reverend Mary Irwin-Gibson, Bishop, and the people and clergy of the Diocese of Montreal.
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada (ELCIC)
Deacon Michelle Collins, Assistant to the Bishop and the staff of the Manitoba – Northwestern Ontario Synod. 

Parish Prayer Group
If you wish to have someone prayed for, please call (613) 232-4500 ext 21 or send an email to prayer-request@stjohnsottawa.ca.
JOIN US ONLINE
SUNDAY SERVICE

The Fifth Sunday in Lent
Sunday, March 21 at 9:30am

Join us here at St John's for online worship this Sunday. We are continuing with our new format this Sunday. Part one of the service will be here on youtube followed by part two on Zoom. Once the service is finished we will have our regular Sunday Coffee Hour.
PARISH COFFEE HOUR

Wednesdays
10am, via Zoom

Join Gary and your fellow parishioners with your favourite mug of coffee/tea to engage in fellowship.

Mark your calendars and on the day "zoom in" at this link at 10 am to catch up with parish friends both new and old.

ps: If you don't have computer access and would like to join this coffee hour call the Church Office and we can provide you with instructions on how to access via telephone.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
ONLINE WORSHIP CONTINUES
As Ottawa moves into the Red Zone, the Bishop's office continues to keep us apprised of safety restrictions. All services including Holy Week and Easter will take place online. However, we anticipate in-person worship to begin sometime soon. See the link above or visit our YouTube Channel to watch our services online.
Due to a province-wide lockdown, In-Person Worship was suspended beginning December 27, 2020.
HOLY WEEK & EASTER SERVICES
Mark the following dates in your calendar as we move closer to Holy Week and Easter. All services will be online and links will be posted in next week's newsletter and on the website.

  • Palm Sunday, March 28 - 9:30am
  • Maundy Thursday, April 1 - 7:30pm
  • Good Friday, April 2 - 12:00pm
  • Easter Vigil Saturday, April 3 - 7:30pm
  • Easter Sunday, April 4 - 9:30am
THIS WEEK'S WALK WITH GARY - REPORT

Thanks for joining me for a walk. This past week, on a crisp bright day, we had a great group walk to explore the northeastern section of our parish. We walked east along Somerset to explore Lisgar Collegiate, the Cartier Drill Hall, the Firefighters' Memorial, City Hall (both new and old), and Confederation Park. Thanks to all who joined us - and make 
sure to watch scenes from our walk in this coming Sunday's worship video.
~Gary+
P.S. Looking forward to a forest walk after Easter!
TAKE NOTE
THE SHOP

The Shop opened again on Tuesday, March 9, following strict Covid-19 protocols. Hours are: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays noon-4pm.

Following careful planning and in compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols, the Shop will be open three days a week, Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday from noon to 4:00 pm. There will be a maximum of 5 customers in the Shop at any time. Shop volunteers will monitor access, assist customers and manage the payment and voucher desks. The Shop has been re-configured to provide more space for customers to physically distance. All customers and volunteers will wear masks.

Come and browse the ever changing array of quality goods at great prices, and chat with the volunteers. As a valuable ministry of St John's outreach, vouchers from local service agencies are honoured to help those in need. Come visit this vibrant part of the Centretown community, accessible from Elgin Street, just near the main entrance to St John's. 

Thanks to donations from many people the Shop has a good selection of goods, especially clothing for winter weather. If you have goods to donate please email communityshop@stjohnsottawa.ca  to arrange a drop-off time.
FOLLOW ST JOHN'S ON INSTAGRAM

OTTAWA INNERCITY MINISTRIES
POSITION AVAILABLE

Ottawa Innercity Ministries (OIM) is an interdenominational, non-profit, Christian charitable organization committed to building partnerships, training and mobilizing volunteers to help those who are experiencing poverty and homelessness in downtown Ottawa. The goal of OIM is to meet the spiritual, emotional, social, vocational and physical needs of our street community, and to address the causes of poverty and homelessness with justice and compassion in downtown Ottawa. Our website www.ottawainnercityministries.ca contains more detail about our vision, mission and programs. 

Position: Innercity Veterans Outreach & Support Coordinator
The Innercity Veterans Outreach & Support (IVOS) program was established in 2020 after it was noted that OIM volunteers were encountering a greater number of Veterans on the street and in need. Realizing that the Veteran community is a unique and distinct sub-set of the individuals OIM was supporting and that to be successful Veterans need to be treated in a unique way, it was decided to establish a program that specifically supported Veterans. The IVOS program includes three distinct components: Street Outreach; Door Outreach; and IVOS Fellowship.

Reporting to the Managing Director, the IVOS Coordinator has responsibility to develop, plan, promote, coordinate, and deliver all Veterans-related support and services at OIM, including but not limited to supporting the Street Outreach and Door Outreach programs as it pertains to support for Veterans. The IVOS Coordinator develops contacts, networks and referrals within the Veterans community, churches, the business community, and the social sector, while ensuring communication between Veterans, the Veterans community and OIM.

Qualifications:
The ideal candidate will have served in the Canadian military and will have worked with people who are at-risk of, or who are, experiencing homelessness. He/she will be familiar with Veterans’ concerns and issues and have some understanding of the organizations and agencies in the local community that work with and provide support to this demographic. The candidate will be familiar with the strength-based perspective.  

The IVOS Coordinator will be a committed Christian, with values that reflect the standards of the Word of God in theory and practice, according to the organization’s constitution and statement of faith. 

The position will appeal to those who have:

The ability to relate and engage at-risk, street involved or homeless individuals
The ability to provide pastoral care
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Experience with administration, conflict resolution, crisis management
Computer literacy (MS Word, PowerPoint, etc.)
Experience with supervising subordinate staff and/or volunteers

Additional assets would include bilingualism and ability to provide pastoral care, including, but not limited to prayer and spiritual counsel in the course of his/her duties.

Timing: 
The position is available immediately. 

Salary: 
The salary range is $36,000-$40,000/year. 

Applying: 
Please submit a covering letter and resume in writing or by email by March 31 to: 

Margo Dewar
Managing Director
Ottawa Innercity Ministries
391 Gladstone Avenue
Ottawa ON K2P 0Y9
PARISH ADMINISTRATION AT ST JOHN'S

In the interim, administrative duties will be as follows:

Our music director Gordon and Cara Gilbertson will manage parish communications (Sunday bulletins, This Week at St John's e-newsletter and the website).

Secondly, a roster of volunteers comprising Vicki Robinson, Emmy Verdun and Bea Robertson will cover most of the day-to-day administration tasks including handling correspondence such as email, regular mail, phone messages, etc., procuring church supplies, coordinating activities of various church groups, and so on.

Finally, Ted Reeve, a member of our newly established Property & Building Committee will look after rentals. Many thanks go to all those who have agreed to help out.

We look forward to completing the search process and welcoming a new parish administrator at St John's soon.
DEMENTIA OR MEMORY LOSS?


Do you have a question or concern about memory loss/dementia?  Ask a Dementia Care Coach at the Dementia Society of Ottawa and Renfrew County.  Free.  Confidential.
Ottawa  613-523-4004
Renfrew County   888-411-2067
ONLINE RESOURCES
SCRIPTURE READINGS
NEXT SUNDAY - MAR 28
PALM SUNDAY

Liturgy of the Palms: Mark 11:1-11; Psalms 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11;
ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST
ANGLICAN CHURCH

 154 Somerset Street West, Ottawa, ON K2P 0H8
613-232-4500
office@stjohnsottawa.ca

The Reverend Gary van der Meer, Rector
The Reverend Dr Caroline Ducros, Deacon 
The Reverend Michael Hicks, Honourary Assistant Emeritus
Dr Gordon Johnston, FRCCO, Organist and Choirmaster  
Detlef Dransch, Rector’s Warden 
Stephen Giles, People's Warden
David McIntyre, Deputy People's Warden