St. John's Enews
January 1, 2021
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Food Truck Fellowship
If you've had a chance to eat at one of the many food trucks in Naples, you know the deliciousness and fun of this experience. Another wonderful time is the sharing of fellowship among believers at St. John's during worship, coffee hour or a meal. I have missed these times together, as have others, and we've talked at Vestry about how to come together again in the midst of our current reality. On Sunday (1/31) after the 10 AM service, St. John's will host it's Annual Meeting at 11:15 AM. Our plan is to have a food truck for lunch with a selected menu at 12 PM. Tables and chairs will be set up outside and you'll need to register so we can prepare. If there is a positive response, we may host a monthly Food Truck Fellowship.
"Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Heb. 10:25)
Fr. Joseph
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The Golden Years
"Old Timers"
( 25 year anniversary and older)
To those who came before us....we owe them gratitude
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THANK YOU to every dedicated individual and ministry. You have touched so many lives! GOD BLESS YOU!
Your golden name tags are available for pick up at the Narthex before or after worship service:
- Shirley Anderson
- Jean Atherton
- Jack and Gloria Bundy
- Rebecca Davis
- Margaret Donovan
- George and Helen Fox
- Phebe Gillespie
- Marilyn Hibbert
- Ruth Huber
- Lollie Prange
- Ruth Randazzo
- Midge Voss
- Barbara Youngs
Bob Geroy
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St. John's has purchased a permanent name tag for new members. Name tags are available in the Narthex before or after worship service for:
- Joe and Susan Guzzo
- Paul and Amy Heuerman
- Patricia Kipp
- Allain and Patricia Russo
Please contact [email protected] for any changes to your meetings and events so that we can update our calendar and make room for additional facility requests.
Facility Use Request Forms are available at the office.
Please contact me for details in order to reserve your space and time for upcoming meetings and events. All requests are subject for approval.
Instant Church Directory Membership updates are made on a daily basis. If you need your contact information updated and would like your picture included please submit your information and picture via email to [email protected].
We look forward hearing from you.
Claudia Trejos
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As we approach the New Year, a few Resolutions come to mind:
- When in any public space, and you find you cannot distance yourself from others in that space, please put on a mask to protect yourself from others and to protect others from you if you or they have been exposed to any disease.
- Confine your social gatherings to your immediate family or guests that you gather with often.
- Dine out at our many great restaurants in Collier County, but consider carry out, curbside delivery or outside seating. This will help bring our area restaurant staff members back to work so they can better support their families.
- Continue to buy online and pick up at local outlets, or at small, locally owned businesses, even after the Holidays. That keeps the money in our Community and supports the thousands of people that work in retail and the many small businesses in our area.
- Our 5 PM Saturday Service and 8:30 AM Sunday (Masks) has room for more people.
Please know that the Clergy, staff and Vestry at St. John's are dedicated to making sure that church attendance is safe for all our parishioners and guests. The Church Campus is equipped to meet and exceed the CDC and Florida Department of Health protocols and guidelines for safety. Here are just a few things we have put in place:
- Air ducts in all public spaces now contain Ultraviolet (UV) lights that kill bacteria and viruses on contact.
- The sanctuary is disinfected, including all hand rails and backs of pews, door handles, restrooms and all frequently touched surfaces.
- We have purchased and are using the latest technology in disinfectant spray equipment at St. John's.
It has been my distinct honor to serve as your Senior Warden this past year. I am so proud of my fellow Vestry members who have found creative ways to get people back to church, to educate our children on the importance of following the Lord in all their life activities, and to continue to financially support our many activities. Sharing our Time, Treasure and Talent is alive and well at St. John's.
A special thanks to all of you in our Parish Family that have supported each other and the many charitable organizations we help each year. To me, we all have received a double portion of love from our loving God, and we have paid that love forward to our community. And God’s love has led us all through these most difficult of times in 2020. Let us all pray for God’s help to achieve a better 2021 for us all.
Jack Wert
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As season begins and our parishioners are returning, I would like to share some of the good news and accomplishments that have taken place at St. John’s during the trying times we have been experiencing the past several months.
I want to assure everyone that we have taken all precautions to make St. John’s a safe place to worship as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic. Early on I began taking action to make St. John’s a safe place to worship by hiring a firm specializing in sanitizing and disinfecting buildings deep clean and treat all areas for the for the elimination of the Covid 19 Virus. Once the deep cleaning and sanitization process was done I made sure that we had all of the necessary chemicals and supplies needed to enable us to maintain an ongoing safe environment.
I took note of everything the firm we hired used and researched what other highly rated companies were using to sanitize and disinfect buildings and large areas against the virus. I determined that it would be more cost effective to purchase the equipment and supplies and do this work in house. In addition, it would enable us to be able to treat all areas on a regular as well as on an as needed basis should our buildings be compromised by someone testing positive for the virus.
In addition to the above, I had Ultraviolet lights installed in every HVAC air handler. Lastly, I have ordered Purell hand sanitizer stations and dispensers which will provide an additional level of safety throughout the campus. These should be arriving shortly. I had hoped to have this done by the time people began returning for season but demand has, and continues, to exceed supply.
With the above in mind, our parishioners can rest assured that they are worshiping in a clean and safe environment.
Jim Etz
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Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday Season!
This month, we will be exploring new Bible stories and connect them to our everyday lives. Some of the lessons are Jesus is the greatest gift, God wants me to help and love others and God always keeps his promises. Along with reading Bible stories, we will continue to connect to our lessons through hand-ons activities or art projects.
Starting January 3rd, Sunday School will be making some changes to their schedule. We will no longer have virtual classes at this time. All students, parents and teachers attending Sunday School at 8:30 AM will be asked to social distance and wear a mask. For families attending the 10 AM mask recommended service, nursery and educational materials will be available. We hope to see everyone and welcome them back!
Dayna Sottosanti
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A happy and healthy New Year to all our St. John’s teammates! Our stewardship campaign theme was “move the ball down the field and score for St. John’s!” I emphasized in my stewardship letter that we have three teams- offense, defense and special teams. St. John’s has many special teams, all working to make life a better place. Stewardship Sunday included a talk by me in a football jersey and carrying a football! I know this past year has been challenging in many ways. St. John’s 2021 pledges are slightly less than last year, but I am going to blame that on being so busy we forgot to fill it out and return it to the office. Our Finance Committee puts together our budget for 2021 based on these numbers, so it is important for us to have an accurate count going forward. I am confident in our team, and with your support, we will be able to “Move the ball down the field and score for St. John’s!”
Stan Lane
Stewardship Chairman
You can mail your gift to the church at
St. John's Episcopal Church
500 Park Shore Drive
Naples, FL 34103
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Outreach Grant Celebration
How exciting! St. John's Outreach Celebration on December 13, 2020 gifted grant checks and recognized the 10 non profits. This year's recipients have explained their missions and shared their gratitude which we will share with you over the next few months.
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Alzheimer's Support Network
COVID-19 has disrupted our lives. Things we have taken for granted have been taken from us. Our children had to learn in new ways. Our connections with friends had to be re-envisioned and reformed. To reach out to our loved ones in nursing homes, we had to find means of being present without being in the room.
In Naples, Italy in the mid-1300's another pandemic (the plague of the black death) was followed by a renaissance that brought social, economic, and cultural revival and awakenings. This is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit. When suffering, we endure. When besieged, we persevere. When feeling hopeless, we find a way to kindle a new light.
The light didn't go out in Naples, Italy in 1345, and it won't be snuffed out in Naples, Florida in 2020. It is in dim times that we need to rekindle the light the most. We give thanks to those who do just that, who lighten our step, who lead the way. The light has never dimmed at St. John's. In times of trouble, your hand is still outstretched, giving hope and guidance, helping us make sure that our lights remain lit, and our hopes remain high. You help us see that from this pandemic what is revealed is the power of persistence. From your kindness, we see the hope of renewing our commitments to be with one another in peace. From your generosity and your example, we see that there is a path to our own renewal, a strengthening of our community, and the promise of a shared renaissance to come.
With Profound Gratitude,
Clarke Pollard, Executive Director
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The Vestry Committee is pleased to put forward the following slate of candidates for a 3-year term beginning in January 2021: Donna Beecher, Rick Walker, and Frank Lawatsch. Election will occur at the annual meeting on Sunday (1/31/21) |
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The first Sunday I came to Naples, I visited St. John’s and immediately knew that I had found my church home. St. John’s mission is lived out by its parishioners. For me it’s been singing in the choir, facilitating co-ed Bible studies, dining with FOYER friends, supporting children’s ministries and teaming over the steam tables at St. Matthew’s House. St. John’s offers multiple ways for me to embrace God, love my neighbors, and serve the world. I am grateful and blessed.
I last served on St. John’s Vestry 2017-2019 --- 2 years as Senior Warden. It was a privilege to support our Rector, to encourage engagement in our various ministries, to help shape the Vestry’s annual goals, to experience the good work of the Thrift Shoppe, and to learn more than I probably wanted to know about the church’s finances.
I congratulate Fr. Joe and the current Vestry for keeping us on course through the pandemic. I look forward to our future as, together, we grow in our love of the Lord Jesus, deepen our bonds of fellowship and extend our reach of mission.
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I am a lifelong member of the Episcopal Church. I served on the altar as a teenager and moved on to serve as a member of the Vestry of St James Church in Upper Montclair, NJ as Junior and Senior Warden, as well as Treasurer and Trustee of Endowment Funds. I also led the Annual Canvass as Treasurer. Professionally, I am a retired lawyer where my career included partnerships in two law firms and general counsel of three public financial services companies and managing director of a large international bank. I have also served as a board member of other charitable organizations. I was married for over 50 years to Deanna Lawatsch who passed away last year. I have been a member of St John’s since 2010. |
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I was born in Park Ridge, Illinois just outside of Chicago in 1962. My youth was spent in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I attended University of Illinois for my bachelor’s degree and DePaul University for my Masters in Accountancy.
I started my career as a CPA, working for Price Waterhouse in Chicago and then Premark International (now part of Illinois Tool Works). In late 1994, I said goodbye to the cold weather, moved to Naples, and began to broaden my business career operating my office as a CPA/Financial Planner. I got married after moving to Naples and had two sons, Jacob & Nicholas. When my first son was born in 2000, I closed my CPA office and joined Raymond James Financial and am still with the firm over 20 year later. I opened my own branch of Raymond James Financial Services in 2007 and have two other advisors in my office.
Jacob and Nicholas are now both in college. I had divorced when my boys were in elementary school in early 2007. I met Heidi in 2012, and we got married in January 2015 and will be coming up on our six-year anniversary. We now have three boys with Heidi’s son, Taylor.
When Heidi and I got married in 2015, we moved into our current home in Golden Gate Estates. We enjoy the nature that surrounds us. I enjoy outdoor activities, occasional hockey, my old convertible, and good times with friends.
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Thank You!
I want to express my gratitude to David Pfaff for his 30 exemplary years of service as a St. John's counter on Monday mornings. David has led a wonderful team that enjoys their time together. The counters perform an important ministry, counting weekly offerings and making bank deposits.
I want to thank Margo Ziolo for her leadership of St. John's Thrift Shoppe as President over the years. She has led the Shoppe thru very important decisions and volunteered all along.
We welcome Faye Bruso as the new Thrift Shoppe President.
Gratefully,
Fr. Joseph
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Thrift Shoppe
As we approach 2021, we need to look back on the past year. We lost a dear friend and her husband to COVID-19. We have had our ups and downs running St. John's Thrift Shoppe, but we have survived and are doing well. We closed in March and reopened a couple of months later with limited hours.
Our regular Christmas Open house was not the same this year. We decided that we would have Christmas Week and it worked well! By the time you read this, we will be past the Christmas season and looking to open our doors with regular hours soon.
Regardless of the past, we are moving forward. We have a small number of volunteers that come to help plus St. John's Thrift Shoppe board members and the cashiers. Our manager and assistant manager have put in many hours to keep the Shoppe open.
The Shoppe is overloaded with donations. We invite you to consider volunteering at the Shoppe to enjoy a time of fellowship while helping those in need. We have been blessed with two additional storage spaces paid for a whole year with no cost to the Shoppe.
As we approach the new year, we ask for God's blessings upon us as we help other people. We look forward to seeing our old friends as well as new ones.
We are lucky that we have love given to us daily by the volunteers, board members, staff, and God.
God bless all of you!
Faye Bruso
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Ushers
I want to take this opportunity to thank Richard and Lauralee Uihlein for their leading of our ushers over the years. They have trained, encouraged and served our ushers at St. John's in wonderful ways. Ushers welcome people, ensure they have bulletins, help with seating, pass collection plates and prepare the sanctuary for the next service. Even though ushers aren't serving due to the virus, rest assured they will return at a future date. If you're interested being part of this wonderful ministry, please be in touch with Claudia at [email protected].
God Bless You!
Fr. Joseph
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ORDER OF ST. LUKE TRAINING
Have you ever wondered about the healing miracles of Jesus?
Have you ever wanted to know more about the healing ministry?
The Order of St. Luke will be holding a training class in January. Beginning on Monday, January 25 - continuing on Tuesday, January 26 - and finishing on Wednesday, January 27 - 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, bring your own lunch.
Fr. Joe will once again lead us as we follow Jesus' miracles and learn the fundamentals of healing prayer. Miracles continue to happen today! Healings are everywhere! Our Lord Jesus has given us gifts to be shared and used everyday.
Please contact the office to learn more or Vickie Bauch at 239.249.0957 email is [email protected].
Blessings to all!
Vickie Bauch
Convener
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Women's Bible Study meets Mondays at 10 AM in Sugden Hall. Questions? Please contact Jan Eveleigh at
239.682.5339.
Sisters for Life gather Mondays at 5:30 PM in Brewster Hall. Please contact Dee Hayes at 239.784.8759.
Co-Ed Bible Study continues as we study the book of Acts. Tuesday’s from 10 AM to 11:30 AM. We will meet in Brewster Hall. We welcome anyone who would like to join us. Contact Joan McCarthy at 331.625.2196.
Men's Bible Study fellowships on Wednesdays at 7:30 AM in Brewster Hall. Bring your own coffee. Plenty of room to distance. We continue our study of Matthew. Please contact Skip at [email protected].
Order of St. Luke gathers Wednesdays at 10 AM in Brewster Hall.
OSL healing prayer continues on Sunday during the service. For healing prayer at any other time, please contact Vickie Bauch at 239.249.0957.
Stitches of Love meets Fridays at 10 AM in Brewster Hall. Please contact Jane Kindorf at 630.542.1243 or Mary Frances Aiken at 239.450.3199.
St. John's worship services are Saturday 5 PM and
Mask Service will begin Sunday (1/3) at 8:30 AM thru April. This said service will be 45 minutes with Holy Communion at the end.
Enews deadline is Friday (January 8th)
New Year's Day: The office is closed Friday (1/1) Happy New Year!
The Annual Meeting for St. John’s will be held on Sunday (1/31) at 11:15 AM followed by Food Truck Fellowship.
Please sign up!
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Join us for an interactive discussion on peace of mind. Led by Jaime Crossan-DeBres, LCSW, trauma therapist with Community Health Partners, this Zoom webinar will cover various barriers to achieving peace of mind and recommendations on how to achieve it. Be prepared to ask and answer questions such as what peace of mind means to you, and what would need to happen in order to achieve it.
January 28, 2021 | 12:00 PM - 12:59 PM
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
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Archives of the audio and video sermon are available at Sermons.
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Facility Use Request Forms are available at the office.
Please contact Claudia for details at
[email protected] to reserve your space for your meetings and events. All requests are subject for approval.
For any changes to current meetings and events on the calendar please notify [email protected]
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Facility Key Release Form is available at the office. You will be asked to to fill out a form when a key is released. The key return date will be filled out by the office staff. |
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For Lost and Found inquires, please contact the church office. We may have found your item! Any items found, please feel free to drop it off at the office. |
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St. John’s WiFi system is present in all buildings. |
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New Members: Susan & Joe Guzzo and Fred & Mary Gollash
Transfer: John and Carol Peters
Deaths: Ruth Elizabeth Beich and Frank Batsch
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Click on the "Click Here" button below to see log in instructions.
If you need a refresher course on how to upload the Instant Church Directory, simply click on the Download Document button below and you will see three different pages on how to load the directory. One is for iPhone, iPad and any iOS device. The second is for Android & Kindle devices. The third is for logging in from a computer.
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Christine, Ellie, Lois, Gloria, David, Dayna, Betsy,
Rosemaire, Darren, small businesses,
St. John's Parishioners and Families.
Names are kept on the prayer list for 4 weeks unless the office is notified.
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When did we start celebrating New Years?
The earliest recorded festivities in honor of a new year's arrival date back some 4,000 years to ancient Babylon. For the Babylonians, the first new moon following the vernal equinox—the day in late March with an equal amount of sunlight and darkness—heralded the start of a new year.
What does New Year's Day symbolize?
New Year's Day, also simply called New Year, is observed on 1 January, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar. In pre-Christian Rome under the Julian calendar, the day was dedicated to Janus, god of gateways and beginnings, for whom January is also named.
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Jesus Will Rewrite Your Story
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.”
Romans 10:13 (NLT)
I was in a dark depression.
I could not even go get groceries. I just wanted to smoke my cigarettes and drink my coffee and be in my room. I put dark towels around my windows so that no light could come in.
My family planned out a surprise party for my birthday. In the middle of the party, I turned to my mom and I said, “I’m just completely losing my hope.”
Later that night, I was watching TV when Joel Osteen said, “If you want to receive Christ into your heart, just repeat after me,” so I did. Then T.D. Jakes came on. He said if you want Christ in your life, just repeat the words that he said, so I did that, too. I’d do anything for God to come into my life and make a change. The last thing I remember before I went to bed was T.D. Jakes saying, “When God comes, he knocks once. You can’t miss it. It’s the loudest knock you will ever hear in your life.”
At five o’clock the next morning, I was awakened by a knock so loud and so strong that I thought somebody had run into my house. At first, I got scared. Then I went to the kitchen, and looked out the window. A star shone on the cross on top of the church next door. I’d never seen a star like that one. I remembered T.D. Jakes said that when God comes knocking, you have to open that door and invite him in because he won’t come in if you don’t. I opened the door to invite Christ into my life, and a wave of fresh air blew over me. My depression lifted and other things started to change as well.
My eighteen-year-old son had a really bad addiction. He was lost. I prayed, “Whatever you got to do, Lord, do it!” Later that day, I got a phone call from the Department of Juvenile Justice. They’d arrested my son. I went to see him.
Although there’s generally a period of isolation before detainees are allowed visitors, the lady in charge said, “I just feel it in my heart that I need to let you come in and talk to your son.”
When I saw him, my son told me what happened that got him arrested.
“I was at a hotel hanging out in the parking with the guys when the alarm went off three cars down. It was none of us. We weren’t even close. When the police officer got there, he sent everybody home, but I stayed and said, ‘I need to confess something. I’m on probation. I’m not supposed to be out here.’”
My son didn’t even know why he was telling the officer that stuff. He could have gone back in that hotel room and pretended that nothing happened, but something in his heart told him that he needed to tell the truth. As a result, he was sent to juvenile detention for five months.
While he was incarcerated, a minister gave him a Bible. He didn’t read it; instead, he put it on the top bunk. Every night before he went to bed that Bible fell from the top bed into the ground by his feet. He picked it up and put it back and it would fall again. Finally, he said, “Okay, God, I’ll read it.” He started reading it and began changing his ways. He turned around.
And that was only the beginning of how Jesus has been rewriting my story since I invited him into my life. Many more chapters after the prologue.
Marisol Lozano
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St. John's Episcopal Church| 500 Park Shore Drive Naples, FL 34103 | 239.261.2355| [email protected] | http://www.stjohnsnaples.com
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