Virtual Angel Tree
Purchasing of gift is due on Monday, December 14
With the help of our community partners and the generosity of fellow parishioners such as yourself, St. John's is now launching a virtual Angel Tree to provide for the children of Bishop Walker School and the schools in Washington, D.C. that are supported by Communities in Schools. 

There will be two virtual trees. The first will be for students with Communities in Schools. We are aware that a number of their families have experienced poverty, loss of a parent, illness, and even homelessness.
Our second virtual Angel Christmas tree will help support the library of Bishop Walker School. While helping expand upon the resources for these young boys, St. John's will also be helping a Black-owned bookstore. 

Whether your participation is large or small, we hope you'll join us in purchasing a gift by Monday, December 14. Every gift is a blessing and every blessing is a reason to celebrate.
Update: all of the Bishop Walker School gifts have been purchased as of Thursday.
Instructions for mailing address:

For clarification, once you've selected a gift and moved it to your cart, please select the
St. John's Episcopal Church option in the Select A Shipping Address box when purchasing the gift. 
Regathering Information
Join us on Sunday, December 13. Worship will be livestreamed from our sanctuary at 9:00 a.m. Worship will be posted online on Facebook, YouTube, and our Worship Page. If you would like to be put on the list for attending services as space becomes available, please write here. We are able to open these services to 15 people each week on a rolling basis.

Our outdoor gatherings will take a pause at this time.
Stewardship 2021
This year St. John's needs you more than ever. While our budget has been under strain from the pandemic, we have forged ahead with our ministries and outreach thanks to the generous support of our members. If you are in the fortunate position of being able to make an early and even increased pledge to our church for 2021, we would very much appreciate it. Any pledge, large or small, is important and provides necessary information as our vestry makes decisions for next year. Thank you for considering this request and for helping to make St. John's a place for healing grace in 2021 and beyond. Please contact the Stewardship Committee here with any questions.
St. John's Sunday Schedule
Visit www.stjohns-dc.org for more information.
Latrobe Young Adult Evening Prayer and Christmas Party
Tuesday, December 15 at 6:30 p.m.
The Latrobe Young Adult Fellowship is an active group at St. John's Church in their 20s and 30s. On Tuesday, December 15, at 6:30 pm, we'll gather for an outdoor Evening Prayer service at a location downtown. In lieu of the annual Latrobe Christmas party and gift exchange, after Evening Prayer, all are invited for a walking tour of the monuments at night. Please bundle up, wear masks / face coverings, bring water bottles, practice physical distancing, and other health measures.

Contact the Rev. Savannah Ponder with questions or to be added to the Latrobe email list. Please click the button below to register. Registration is open to 25 people and required by Tuesday, December 15.
Holy Habits
A new podcast from St. John's Church, Lafayette Square
Journeying through Advent + Christmas
This is Holy Habits, a new podcast from St. John's, Lafayette Square journeying through Advent and Christmas. In these conversations, we explore the disciplines we need to live our faith here and now. This is an exploration into the shape of a life well-lived, that is, a life oriented to receiving the gift of belonging in God's life. 
Virtual Coffee Hour
Sunday, December 13 at 10:00 a.m. | Online via Zoom
Join us Sunday at 10:00 a.m. for coffee hour to socialize, catch up, and talk about the service. Send a message here for the link to participate.
Bible Study
Sunday, December 13 at 10:00 a.m. | Online via Zoom
The Bible Study led by Jack Reiffer will be held on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. online via Zoom. Please contact Jack Reiffer for the link to participate.
Church School for Children
There will be no Church School for Children this Sunday, December 13. Please contact the Rev. Savannah Ponder for more information.
Please click below for the Children’s Bulletin with coloring pages of stories from this Sunday’s scripture readings.
Youth Group for Grades 6-12
Sunday, December 13 at 11:00 a.m. | Online via Zoom
The youth will meet on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. via Zoom. Please contact the Rev. Savannah Ponder for more information.
Service of Compline
Tuesdays, 8:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. | Online via Zoom
Compline is a service for the completion of the day or Night Prayer. Join us at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesdays for this peaceful liturgy as our day ends.  

Centering Prayer
Wednesdays at 7:30 a.m. | Online via Zoom
Centering Prayer is a form of Christian prayer that allows us to experience God’s presence within us. Join us as we quiet our mind and begin our day with 20 minutes of silent prayer together. No experience needed. Contact Thom Sinclair for more information or for the link to participate.
St. John's Speaker Series
Sunday, December 20, 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. | Online via Zoom
Join us Sunday, December 20, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., for a discussion led by John Negroponte, an American diplomat. He has been Ambassador to Honduras, Mexico, the Philippines, the United Nations, and Iraq. In Washington he served twice on the National Security Council staff, first as Director for Vietnam in the Nixon Administration and then as Deputy National Security Advisor under President Reagan. He has also held a cabinet level position as the first Director of National Intelligence under President George W. Bush. His most recent position in government was as Deputy Secretary of State. He will speak about the Biden Administration’s Foreign Policy.

Following the discussion, there will be opportunity for Q&A.
Baptism at St. John's
If you are interested in having a child baptized, or in baptism for yourself, please contact Kaye Edwards. 
Note that the parents or grandparents of children being baptized must be active, pledging members of St. John’s. Adults interested in baptism for themselves must attend the Rector’s Adult Inquirers’ Class and be active, pledging participants in the life of the parish. 

To give families options during this extraordinary time, and until St. John's is open for full Sunday services, the Rector will discuss options to a church service with families, including baptisms at home (and preferably outdoors) or a private baptism at the church. All baptisms must comply with health and safety guidelines.
St. John's Refugee Committee
St. John's is welcoming a refugee family of five, coming from Afghanistan in mid-December, by preparing an apartment for their arrival! The family will be in the U.S. on a Special Immigrant Visa, which means the refugee worked with the U.S. Armed Forces or under Chief of Mission authority as a translator or interpreter and has experienced ongoing serious threat as a consequence of that employment.

Thank you for the incredible outpouring of support over the past week! We have collected all the items for the family and a handful of volunteers will be setting up the apartment on the afternoon of Sunday, December 13. Contact Jess Sanchez if you might be able to help or with any questions.
COVID-19 Pandemic Service and Giving Opportunities
Direct volunteer service or requests for help:

Please send an email to help@stjohns-dc.org with your name, contact information and details of the type of assistance you would like to contribute or that you need. We are matching volunteers with those requesting help for practical support during the pandemic, such as grocery shopping. 

Financial Assistance: 


  • To support members of parishes in the Diocese of Washington who suffer from food insecurity and other hardships, the diocese has suspended the Annual Bishop’s Appeal for the diocesan budget and has replaced it with a Covid-19 Emergency Relief Appeal.  You can make a gift on the diocesan website at this link: https://www.edow.org/about/giving.
In case you missed it
Visiting Loved One's in the Church Columbarium
If you would like to visit a loved one in the columbarium, please contact us here to arrange a time for your visit.
Prayer List
Our prayers are requested for the special needs and concerns of this congregation, especially:

Those who are sick or recovering:

From our parish: Tung-Lin Anikeeff, Tony Anikeeff, Eve Atkeson, Garry Dalby, Bobbie Falk, Susan Herrington, Nelda Johnson, Jim Mullins, Lydia Olson, Bob Patchell, Dace Vidins, and Jeff White.

Friends and family of our parish: Bob Adams and the residents and staff of the Juniper Glen Alzheimer’s Treatment Center (Laurie Adams), Lorraine Barkett (Paul Barkett), Diane Bender (Peter Odom), George Beury (Garrett and Lisa Russo), Barbara Virginia Abalos Branes (Joanne Hutton), Buckley (Chrystal Martin), Carrollann and Thomas Burkart (Pamela Venzke), Caroline (Wendy Fibison), Bill Clark (Clark Ervin), Brian Cohen (Jane Hague), Wayne Crochet (Stephen Crochet), Harry Davis (Mary and Carl Raether), Wendy Addiss Dellar (Joanne Hutton), Karl Dornemann (Deb Dornemann), Bobby Doyle (Alex Pappas), Jimmy Gallagher (Joanne Hutton), Elaine Gravatt (Margo Wiegenstein), Courtney Jordan Hillman (Erika Northcutt), Lucas Hunt (Matthew Taylor), Tom Kiernan (Joanne Hutton), Phyllis Lambert (Will Morris), Howie Lutt (Virginia Bader), Meredith Markiewicz (Matthew Taylor), William Markiewicz (Matthew Taylor), Sherill Mason (Kaye Edwards), Betty Maudlin (Susan Welch), Tammy McCleaf (Matthew Taylor), Scott Miller, Jr. (Johnathan Miller), Timothy Mullins (Jim Mullins), Judy Nicola (Cynthia Walker), Jose Obregon (Victor Obregon), Ginger Parra (Leila Taaffe), Charles Pope (John More), Lloyd Poplin (Joy and Dick Nathan), Yvonne Reiffer (Jack Reiffer), Cawley Scott (Robyne Johnston), Ashley Sukenik (Holly Sukenik), Wendy Strothman (Richard Metzger), Zoe Taaffe (Leila Taaffe), Diane Mark and Otis Tomlinson (Andrew Tomlinson), Garland Treadway (Karen Zachary), Richard Van Horn (Kaye Edwards), and Mick Wiegenstein (Margo Wiegenstein).

Those who are in rehabilitative care: 

From our parish: Marcella Odom.

Those who are in the hospital: 

Friends and family of our parish: James Hodges (Matthew Taylor), Julie Howell (Cynthia Walker), Vera Hyncik (Holly Sukenik), Chase Madar (Rob Fisher), Gina Robinson (Matthew Taylor), Travis Rogers (Robert Carroll), Mary Seidman (Nora and Hap Rigby), and Kathryn Zielinski (Richard Metzger).

Those who are in hospice care:

From our parish: Jimmy Lowe.

Those in our parish celebrating a birthday this week: Charles Bader, Bob Beizer, Linda Gaines, Debby Hailey, Geraldine Hayhurst, Joanne Hutton, Paul Kallaur, Alan Kirk, Emmanuel Lagera, Grant Lucio, Kelly Mufarrige, Jason Munro, Randall Roe, Marie Sadqi, Sandy Sierck, and Lucie Vogel.

Those in our parish celebrating an anniversary this week: Lisa and James Kirchenbauer and Nayla and Michael Mengel.

For those on the frontlines in the coronavirus pandemic, especially:

Friends and family of our parish: Janie Abernethy (Elizabeth Lewis and David Abernethy), Sandra Brown (Becca Brown), Nathan Cobb (Livy and John More), Chris Gardner (Ann Gardner), Yee Houston (Quin Woodward Pu), and Marta Kochanska (Livy and John More).
Stay connected with St. John's Church on social media!