The Week of March 14, 2021 |
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Holy Week Schedule at Saint John’s Episcopal Church
March 28th - April 4th
Palm Sunday
10:15am
Holy Eucharist
The Easter Triduum
7:00pm
Maundy Thursday – Good Friday – Holy Saturday
Easter Day
10:15am
Holy Eucharist
Dear Parish Family:
Blessings in this season of Lent. Given the hopeful signs and the downward trend of reported Covid19 infections in Connecticut, I will be in consultation with the Executive Committee (and Vestry) in the next week about resuming indoor church services beginning Palm Sunday, March 28th. This of course will require that we continue to observe Covid19 safety protocols. Please keep this in your prayers as we discern the way forward. We’ve all experienced the hardship of separation and we all yearn to be together once again in community. Many of you have been very vocal about this, and your voices are being heard. Please keep this in your prayers and ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Blessings and Grace,
Wilfredo Benitez+
The Rev. Wilfredo Benitez,
Priest In Charge
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Mark your calendar for these upcoming Lenten events |
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We invite our parish family to join us for these upcoming Lenten events @ 7:00PM
Wednesday, March 17 - Healthcare Disparities and the Covid 19 Pandemic
- Presented by Sheelagh Schlegel.
Lent affords us an opportunity to explore the response to the Covid19 pandemic, and how communities of Color have been disproportionately affected by this crisis.
Thursday, March 25
St. John's Women's group will be presenting a concert in honor of "Women's Suffrage" featuring Dr. Chris Shepard. All are welcome to this night of healing and relaxation.
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ZOOM Login Info
Saint John's is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: St. John's Lenten Series 2021
Time: March 17 & 25 @ 7:00PM
Meeting ID: 925 4250 2194
Passcode: 938886
Join by phone: +1 929 205 6099
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Trivia Night Fundraiser for Haiti
March 13 at 7pm
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There is just a couple of days left before the St. John's Haiti Committee hosts the Trivia Night Haiti Fundraiser. You do not want to miss this evening of fun and fellowship so grab your tickets now. |
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Saturday March 13, 2021 - 12-2pm
Our Lenten food drive is happening this coming Saturday from 12-2pm!
Please join us in two ways:
1) Donate food or money! We welcome whatever shelf-stable foods you have on hand or checks made out to the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield. Please drive up to the half driveway across from the fire department for easy, social-distanced drop-off. Please note that we will not be able to accept donations dropped off at the church ahead of time!
2) If you are a middle school or high schooler, please volunteer for pick-up and delivery! We’ll be collecting the food at St. John’s and from local grocery stores in a socially distant safe way before delivering it to the Food Bank.
As members of the body of Christ, it’s always good to feed our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Please let Mattie (mjohnson@stjohns-stamford.org) know if you can participate!
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"Spring Into Undies" Campaign |
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Hello Parish Families,
The outreach Committee of St. John's will be participating in the “Spring into Undies” Campaign run by the Undies Project.
The mission of The Undies Project is to provide new underwear to men, women, and children in need to improve their lives. Underwear is the most under-donated, yet most needed, item of clothing. No one should be deprived of the simple daily necessity of clean underwear that many of us take for granted. Hygiene and physical comfort are only a part of this basic human need. New, clean underwear also provides dignity and self-esteem. For many underwear is a necessity, not a luxury.
Together We Can Make a difference
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The money raised will be used to purchase new underwear to lighten the burden for those who are homeless, living in shelters or who are on low incomes No amount is too small to make a difference in the life of someone less fortunate.
Some of the organizations that they work with are: Building One Community, Bridgeport Rescue Mission, CT Institute for Refugees & Immigrants, Inspirica, Homeless Outreach Team (H.O.T), Kids In Crisis. Please see their website for further information this worth cause.
Paula Thompson
Outreach committee
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For those wishing to respond to the note above from Paula, donations for "The Undies Project" can be made to Saint John's Church. Please mail your check to the church to the attention of Ms. Kathy McBride. Please write: "The Undies Project" at the bottom of your check. The Outreach Committee is requesting monetary contributions between $10, $15, $20, or $25. Our Goal is to Contribute $500 to the campaign. The Deadline for this is March 25, 2021.
Thank You!
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All group activities at St. John's, apart from the Sunday morning in-person services, remain canceled until further notice. These include outside groups and ministries using our facilities. |
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Children & Teen Video Chat
Sundays at 10 AM!
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Please join us for a video chat with kids and teens. We’ll pray, check in on how we’re doing, share a Bible story, and share gratitudes together.
Sundays at 10:00 AM
The Zoom meeting info will be sent out on Sunday morning.
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Godly Play Sunday School
Sundays at 10:00 AM
The Zoom meeting info will be sent out on Sunday morning.
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Helpful Information on Covid19 Vaccinations in Connecticut |
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Dear Parish Family,
As we make our way out of the darkness of Covid19, here are some helpful websites with updated information on Covid19 in Connecticut, and scheduling your vaccination. I was happy to learn (while visiting some of our elderly members on Ash Wednesday) that some had already been vaccinated. Cases are starting to go down in Connecticut, however Stamford remains in the Red zone. Please continue to observe safety protocols, and wear your face masks. I hope you will find this information helpful. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
Blessed Lent,
Fr. Wilfredo+
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Dear Parish Family:
Sometimes simple tasks get put off when we are surrounded by other tasks requiring our immediate attention. Pledge Cards were discussed at the Annual Meeting. It's become apparent that many of our parishioners have every intention of returning their Pledge Card but in the absence of the usual convenience of dropping it off at church on Sunday, this has been set aside. For your convenience we are including a pledge card here that you can print, fill out, and either scan and e-mail back to the church (kmcbride@stjohns-stamford.org) or you can mail it back via snail mail. You would be doing our parish family a huge service if you return your Pledge Card, especially in the midst of the ongoing challenges that Covid19 represents. The leadership of the parish is sensitive to the fact that income may have been affected by the Pandemic for some of our membership. Please give this request your prayerful consideration.
Blessings and Grace,
The Rev. Wilfredo Benitez,
Priest In Charge
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Fr. Wilfredo is giving away a ton of books, and other items, from his office. If you would like any of these, please make an appointment with Kathy McBride to stop by. A contribution to Saint John’s, or a charity of your choice, for anything you take would would be appreciated. 🙏🏽 |
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Bon Samaritain Sponsor a Child Program |
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The Haiti Committee has launched a new online bulletin board for Haiti with 31 children who need sponsorship for the 2020-'21 school year. It costs $80 to sponsor a child’s tuition or $150 for tuition, books and uniform.
Please consider sponsoring a child. No contribution is too small! You can sponsor online by visiting https://stjohns-stamford.org/give/ Click on the blue GIVE button and select Bon Samaritain School and Clinic in the "Give To" box; or see Sheelagh or any member of the outreach committee for further info.
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An invitation to join me in Daily Prayers |
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I am happy to offer you a new opportunity to enhance your prayer life. Every morning, Monday through Friday, on my Coffee and Morning Prayers Podcast you find an offering of various prayers and scripture readings. I invite you to click on the picture below and join me in this next step in our common prayer life as we seek a new and exciting way to find a spot for God in our busy lives.
Blessings,
Sandy+
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Saint John’s Church Racial Healing Group
Mission Statement
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In pursuit of living the love of God with hearts open to all, the Racial Healing Program Group at St. John’s Church seeks to deepen our calling as the beloved community through an active dedication to anti-racism within St. John’s, Stamford, and beyond. As a multigenerational and multi-ethnic church, we seek to go beyond being a welcoming and inclusive place of worship to actively dismantle racism through creative ministry, healing dialogue, justice, and public programs.
Anyone wishing information on the work of the Racial Healing Group please contact Ms. Jackie Bembridge: jackiebembridge@gmail.com
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Tuesday Bible Study: Gospel of Matthew
Note new Zoom link
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Join Fr. Sandy on Tuesdays at 2pm online via Zoom for a Bible Study on the Gospel of Matthew. Below is the info:
Meeting ID: 243 991 8700
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Have You Seen These Services?
Click on any of the images below to watch and listen
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Prayers for our parishioners
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A Prayer in a Time of Coronavirus |
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Click on the banner below to read the prayer |
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Dear Parish Family:
Faced with the unfortunate circumstances of having to keep our church closed, in order to help curb the spread of Covid-19, it is imperative that your pledge be either mailed to the church, or better yet, that you make your donations electronically. Please see the instructions below on how to do this.
Our expenses won’t go away even if we’re not having live worship, so I ask that we all be mindful of this. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Kathy McBride, our Parish Administrator. Our vestry, and parish family, will be much appreciative for your efforts.
God’s Grace and Peace,
Fr. Wilfredo+
NOTE: You can simply mail in your check to the church office if you would rather not use the online giving tool. Our Parish Administrator, Kathy McBride, is receiving the mail and doing the banking as usual.
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UPDATE
Our total for the year is 746lbs.
The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield remains in desperate need for donations. Please continue to help in any way you can.
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All group activity at St. John's is cancelled until further notice including outside groups and ministries using our facilities.
Stay updated with meditations, readings, music and sermons by visiting our Facebook page or our website.
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St. John's Office Hours
The Church office is currently closed to public access.
However you may leave a message at 203-348-2619 -
our Parish Administrator, Kathy McBride is checking the messages
many times a day and will respond right away!
Prayer List
FORWARD DAY BY DAY
This is the Episcopal Church's own discipleship publication! As disciples, followers of Christ, daily prayer and reflection grounds us in God's love and gives us strength and clarity to confront our weaknesses, put our trust in God and listen to where God is calling us to serve. Available online for-free!
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