The Bridge
November 19, 2021
The Mission of St. John’s is to be a community of God’s people who heal brokenness, build bridges, and exemplify borderless kindness.
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Please send mail to the church post office box
There have been numerous events of vandalism to the mailbox at St. John's.
We are asking everyone to send ALL monetary donations, and other important mail, to the post office box.
The address for donations:
St. John’s Episcopal Church
P. O. Box 81493
Austin, TX 78708-1493
We will have return address envelopes in the narthex for you to take home to use or to remind you to record the correct the address for the post office box for future reference.
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A Thanksgiving Message from Mother Minerva
Thanksgiving Day is an opportunity for us to focus on gratitude. Often during challenging times, we may focus on the problems yet to be solved, the struggles yet to survive, the brokenness yet to be healed. However, despite the challenges, I have found that with a little effort I can think of a lot of things for which I am grateful.
I am grateful for my family. My family has been able to stay healthy and even the youngest member of our family has received the COVID vaccine. I am grateful that my sons are doing well in school. My oldest son graduated from high school and is adjusting well to his new beginning as a college student. My younger son is glad to be in school back in person with the opportunity to hang out with his friends. Despite COVID we have been able to gather two times this year and we will celebrate Thanksgiving together.
I am grateful for my ministry at St. John’s. Our one year anniversary of being in ministry together is just a little over a month away. There are wonderful events that we have shared. Our first Epiphany together, our first Lent, Holy Week and Easter. We even had the obligatory extra windy Palm Sunday. I will always remember how excited we all were that we “had to” go inside for Easter because the weather did not cooperate for our outdoor service. A very joyful Pentecost when people we had not seen regathered for an indoor picnic lunch. We had a successful bishop’s visit that included baptisms, confirmations, and one new thing for a bishop’s visit - a blessing of a quinceañera. Our first Stewardship Campaign together affirms my belief in our congregation’s generosity and commitment to the future ministry of St. John’s. Although my first year at St.John’s has been full of joy and love. It will be one that I will always cherish.
During this Thanksgiving Holiday, I invite you to also reflect on your own reasons for gratitude
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Sunday Services
9:00 am Holy Communion Rite I (in person)
10:30 am Holy Communion Rite II (in person and Zoom)
1:00 pm Santa Eucaristía, Rito II (en persona)
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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
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The video recording of the 10:30 a.m. English 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).
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Virtual Coffee and Fellowship
Our virtual coffee "hour" provides a time to greet those who do not feel comfortable attending in person. Stay on Zoom when the service ends or click on this button to say hello:
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Coffee Hour and fellowship has resumed in the Parish Hall! There is a sign up sheet next to the coffee maker - let us know when you want to make coffee! |
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Let your friends know about St. John's
All of us have friends who may be exploring issues of faith and meaning in their life. Why not let them know about St. John's and what we are up to? And since most people will want to know a little bit about us before visiting in person, an easy way to do this is to like and share our Sunday Service Zoom link and video recordings on our St. John's Facebook page. There is also lots of good information on the St. John's website. This is a simple thing that we can all do each week to help our friends see if St. John's might be a good place to support their exploration. If you have any questions about sharing your experience with others, please contact Mthr. Minerva or 512.912.7913.
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Are you missing someone who used to be a regular at St. John's? Someone who sat near you every Sunday? Or you visited with at coffee?
If so, please reach out to them and invite them to return to St. John's! You can also let Mthr. Minerva know about them; she will be happy to connect with those who have not yet returned to our services and other activities.
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St. John's Notices and Activities |
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A Call for Lay Servers!
As we move towards more open church, we are in need of folks who are willing to serve as Readers, Lay Eucharistic Ministers, Acolytes, and Ushers for all services. The more we have, the less often you serve!
Please contact Mother Minerva if you are ready to return to active eucharistic ministry.
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Christian Formation at St. John's |
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Lectionary Bible Study - Zoom
No Class next week.
Wednesday, November 24, we will take a "sabbath" break from the Bible Study. Come back next week-we will begin a special Advent series.
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Thursday Morning Bible Study - Hybrid
No Class next week.
Thursday, November 25, is Thanksgiving Day and we will take a "sabbath" break from the Bible Study. We will return the following week.
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(please refer to our website www.austinstjohns.org or to the Christian Formation email sent every Tuesday for more information and links)
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Fall Work Days
We had excellent turn out for both Saturday and Sunday! Our campus looks beautiful, thanks to the hard work of many volunteer hands. Thanks to all who worked hard to freshen and clean our grounds and windows.
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We also give a shout out to all the wonderful ladies who descended on the narthex, nave, and sacristy to make all shiny and clean! As one person said when she walked in - "it smells so good in here!" Special thanks to Debbie Cox who released a glacier from the sacristy refrigerator, and to Maria Nunez who shepherded the dusting, sweeping, and mopping in the nave. Several dads were very important participants by keeping up with the kiddos while their moms worked! |
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If you have questions about this ministry, please contact Hal Hughes.
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Labyrinth Community Garden
Our Annual SeedMoney Challenge is officially underway!
Our garden project is participating in the #SeedMoneyChallenge, a 30-day fundraising challenge and we could really use your support TODAY! In addition to keeping the funds we raise from individuals like you, we have a chance to win a challenge grant of up to $1000 from SeedMoney based on how much we raise over the course of the 30-day period running from Nov 15 to Dec 15.
As an extra incentive, SeedMoney is offering 50 $100 bonus grants to the 50 garden projects that have raised the most after the first week. Your support TODAY can put us into the running for one of those bonus grants. You can find our donation page here:
Thanks very much for helping our campaign to get off to a running start!
Our goal is to raise $1200 this year so we can build more beds. Please direct your questions to Hal Hughes or Patty Arnold.
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If you are interested in obtaining a bed for you and your family, please contact Patty Arnold.
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Voter Education
Travis County Tax Collector-Assessor and Voter Registrar Bruce Elfant is presenting a voter education program on Monday, November 22 at 6pm via Zoom. The topics include:
- How voter turnout impacted the November 2 election
- The role and importance of Volunteer Deputy Registrars for those who have already taken VDR training and those who are considering it
- A review of the new voter laws, their impact, and what people need to know to vote in Travis County
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COVID-19 Related Information |
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For Prayer and Pastoral Care |
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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.
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St. John’s requires masks at all indoor worship services. Masks are optional at all other events on the St. John's campus. Based on the CDC guidelines, all persons who are not fully vaccinated are encouraged to wear masks while indoors. |
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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.
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Ms. Paula Foy, Senior Warden
Mr. Hal Hughes, Junior Warden
Ms. Sandra Welles, Treasurer
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Class of 2022
Ms. Paula Foy
Mr. Hal Hughes
Sra. Rosalinda Rodriguez
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Class of 2023
Mr. Steve Kriechbaum
Ms. Sandra Welles
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Class of 2024
Ms. Maria Caballero, Clerk
Sr. Alfonso Hernandez
Ms. Sandra Ward
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The Rev. Minerva Camarena Skeith, Rector
The Rev. Victoria Mason, Deacon
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Ms. Fay Jones, Director of Communications
Mr. Philip Riley, Choirmaster and Organist
Sr. Alfonso Hernandez, Spanish Music
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for other ways to make a donation.
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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.
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Fay Jones, Editor (fay@austinstjohns.org) |
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St. John's Episcopal Church
11201 Parkfield Drive
P. O. Box 81493, Austin, TX 78708-1493
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Sunday Services
9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite I
10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Rite II hybrid (in-person & Zoom)
1:00 p.m. Santa Eucaristía, Rito II
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The Parish Office is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
from 10am - 12Noon.
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For more information about St. John’s Episcopal Church, please visit our website at www.austinstjohns.org
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