St. John's Episcopal Church - Centreville, VA
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Parish News - February 9, 2022
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Dear St. John's Parishioners and Friends:
Our Annual Parish Meeting was held this past Sunday on Zoom with about 26 parishioners in attendance. Elise Crawford, Sandy Jones and Susie Pike were elected to three year terms on the Vestry. Many thanks go to Andrew Wade and Val Tucker who finished their three year terms. Walt Cooner was elected as our delegate to the Diocesan Convention and the South Fairfax Region, and Monti Zimmerman was elected as the alternate. Tom McDermott gave a brief presentation of the 2021 budget and a few people gave remarks regarding their reports. (If you have not already done so, please read the reports by our various committees and individuals to get a better idea of the work that St. John's does. Reports were sent out on February 3.)
We want to thank again Tom McDermott for serving the past 6 years as our Treasurer, and Penny Parker for serving for 6 years as the Assistant to the Treasurer. They have both spent countless hours insuring that our financial reports were accurate, and our finances were in good shape. They are both now stepping down from these roles. Engraved bricks will be put in the walkway to honor them and their service.
Following the Annual Parish Meeting, the Vestry members met for an informational meeting and election of officers. David Parker was elected as Senior Warden, Dick Griffith as Junior Warden, Angela Hadfield as Register, and Craig Staresinich as Treasurer. Many thanks go to these folks who are taking on these responsibilities. Continuing Vestry members include Bob Faithful, Tom Jones, and Durinda Smith.
The Vestry will be calling on all members of the congregation to help out in various ways - from serving on a committee, to taking on a project to repair something in the church building, to ministering in the community. Particularly in the coming year of transition, there will be a lot that needs to be done. The Vestry is the elected leadership but they cannot do everything by themselves. They will need the help and support of the entire congregation. Please help as you can when you are asked, or see a need.
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The Rev. Carol Hancock
Rector
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In February, we will have online services only
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We will have no in-person services in February due to the large number of COVID cases in Fairfax County and in the state of Virginia. The services will be live streamed at 9:30 AM on Sunday morning, and they can be watched later as well. While we would all prefer to gather in person to worship on Sundays, we are taking this step to insure the safety of everyone, particularly the most vulnerable. The link to the online service is found below and will be the same link every Sunday. On Saturday, we will resend the link, along with a link for the bulletin and the lectionary class.
SUNDAY LIVESTREAM LINK:
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PARISH NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Two important announcements were made at the Annual Parish Meeting:
- When you put a donation in the "debt reduction" envelopes that are in the pledge envelope packets, the donation will go to pay off the facilities loan first (to get it paid off more quickly). If you would rather your donation in the "debt reduction" envelopes go to pay down the mortgage, please write "mortgage" on the memo line of your check.
- We have enough money in the restricted flower fund to buy the flowers for Easter. If you would like to make a donation at Easter in memory or thanksgiving or in honor of someone, you can use the "Easter Flowers" envelope in the pledge envelope packets and make a donation to Outreach. Draw a line through "Easter Flowers" and write Outreach, and also write Outreach on the memo line of your check. Please let Catherine Packard in the church office know if the donation is in memory or thanksgiving or in honor of someone. Those names will be acknowledged in the bulletin on Easter Day.
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Looking ahead - Our Lenten book study will use the book "Soul Stages: Surviving and Thriving in the Second Half of Life" by Christopher Chamberlin Moore (2021) We will be looking at times of transition and change in our lives, as we look ahead to transition and change at St. John's. Please order your own book, which can be found on Amazon. We will meet on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM on Zoom during Lent.
At this point, we are planning to have the Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on Tuesday, March 1 in the parish hall, thanks to David Parker and his group of cooks. We are hoping that the COVID numbers continue to decline so we can have this event in-person and we can return to in-person worship in March. Please stay tuned in case our plans need to change.
Please remember to send in your monthly pledge or donation. Even though we are not currently having in-person worship services, our bills continue to come in.
Online services on YouTube - Thanks to David Weir and John Tucker, our live streamed services are posted on YouTube. Underneath the video is a button you can click on to make you a "subscriber". Being a subscriber is only for St. John's posts. David has informed us that if we can get 100 people to subscribe, he can do more things with the videos. So the next time you watch a service, please become a subscriber.
If you are not receiving the E Notes on a regular basis each Wednesday, please check your spam folder, and it may have gone there. Why? There is not a good answer to that question, but something changed along the route. Then go to your email address book, and add St. John's Episcopal Church, [email protected]. If you continue not to receive it, please let Catherine Packard know at that same email address.
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*Wood Bundles Now For Sale*
The price is still nominal at $5 per bundle and the bundles are located outside the breezeway. Donations can be put in the envelopes provided and put in the secure adjacent mailbox.
Andrew Wade
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OUTREACH and VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
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The Katharine K. Hanley Family Shelter is located nearby and currently house up to 12 families onsite, 12 families in hotel sites and serve over 40 families in their prevention and rapid rehousing programs. Seeking volunteers for:
- On-call movers: 3-4 volunteers with a pick-up truck or U-Haul Rental Truck, must be able to lift and move furniture and other household items.
- Volunteer Delivery Driver (VDD): Provides essential help in getting items to community members, residents, and Shelter House Program Participants. This position requires a working vehicle, license, and personal ability to navigate to new places.
- Volunteer On Call Moving Assistant (VOCMA): Requires the ability to lift, carry, and drive. They work directly with residents who are moving out of shelter or relocating This position does not include the transportation of people. (Ages 18+)
- Volunteer Shelter Assistant (VSA): A versatile position that participates in
onsite tasks such as cleaning, organizing, and various hands-on activities depending on the needs of the shelter determined by the Building Manager and/or Community Coordinator. (Ages 16+)
- If you are interested in any of these opportunities, please contact Rev. Deacon Steve at [email protected] who will coordinate with KKHFS Community Coordinator to get you started. Note: positions may require training from the KKHFS particularly those involving direct contact with clients.
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Western Fairfax Christian Ministries updated list of the foods that they need the most. You can bring your non-perishable items to the church on Sunday mornings, or drop them off in the box outside the door by the breezeway during the week and they will be delivered to WFCM.
Most needed items in the food pantry this month, Feb 2022:
- Canned Vegetables (low salt spinach, collard greens, corn)
- Juice (100% Fruit in plastic containers)
- Syrup - Jelly/Jam
- Flavored Rice/Pasta - Canned Pasta
- Pasta Sauce - Tomato Paste
- Canned Pineapple
- Jello/Pudding
- Dried Lentils
- Maseca flour - Sugar
- Granola Bars and Individual Snacks (chips, crackers)
- Condiments and Salad Dressing (family size not miniature packs)
- Baby Cereal and Baby Food
- Similac Baby Formula (Blue Label/Advance)
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Toiletries: Toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, feminine pads, body wash, (NOTE: we are not currently in need of diapers size 0-4 due to our partnership with Greater DC Diaper Bank. Please only donate larger size diapers, larger size pull ups, or wipes if you want to donate items for babies.)
The Western Fairfax Shepherd Center is still accepting volunteer drivers to support clients who need help getting to appointments, shopping trips (for food), and to deliver food from WFCM to clients. Please contact the Shepherd Center at 703-246-5920 or email [email protected] and copy Deacon Steve at [email protected].
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Sign Up: Sunday service reader or usher We welcome, need, and value your help! The lector will read the 2 lessons and the psalm. The usher will hand out bulletins and bring the elements and offering to the altar. If you would like to do either of these, CLICK HERE.
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Sign Up: Altar Flowers
Please indicate how you wish your flower donation to appear in the Sunday bulletin. (Wedding anniversary, in memory of someone - something special you want to remember by providing flowers.) CLICK HERE
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Service of Evening Prayer - Virtually
Every Wednesday, St. John's has a Service of Evening Prayer. It is a peaceful way to end the day, and it's now being held virtually. Here is the link to this evening's service:
Wednesday, February 9
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The Adult Lectionary Forum - IN PERSON & ON ZOOM
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SUNDAY WORSHIP & EDUCATION
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THE ADULT LECTIONARY FORUM - HELD EACH SUNDAY
All are invited to join in, following the Sunday service, in the library. Or use the link to the Lectionary Forum via Zoom, in case you cannot attend in person, found above.
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We can prepare our hearts & minds by reading ahead
for the Sunday Service lesson
The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
February 13, 2022
The First Reading: Jeremiah 17:5-10
What a relief that we are free from the tyranny of our hearts and our minds. God is the only source of truth and wisdom; we may trust his word, instruction, and care above all else.
The Psalm: 1, P. 585, BCP
The Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
Being raised from death is not a euphemism or a fairytale story, it is nothing other than the gospel truth. Our hope is rooted in the power of God’s love over all evil, even over the evil of death.
The Gospel: Luke 6:17-26
Deep and abiding peace is found not in security or popularity, or in material wealth, but in joining with those who are close to God, as they suffer oppression, injustice, marginalization, and trials.
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Online Contributions
to St. John's
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St. John's now offers three buttons for online donations via Tithe.ly. You may use the buttons below to go directly to Tithe.ly, or you may download the Tithe.ly app on your phone or tablet.
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The Pledge payment button may be used only to make your pledge payment (after signing up to be a pledger, which may be done at any time in the year. See Carol or Vestry)
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The Facility Campaign button may be used only for any contribution for the facility's buildings and grounds, or special facility campaigns.
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The Donation button may be used for any other type of donation to St. John's. To designate a special purpose (i.e. Organ Fund, Ministry Partner payments, etc.) please send a note to [email protected].
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Front Porch
A note: February is Black History Month. There’s a whole universe waiting in that for you. Like the Olympic Games being played at the moment, you’ll find tragedy and triumph, striving and saga, history and human interest, and most of all, vast, unheralded contributions to the life we lead together. I’ll write more about it later in the month, when I return from a study trip to Montgomery and Selma, Alabama, but I want to acknowledge it up front because it’s important.
We’ve been having some lively conversations about the style of our metaphorical diocesan house – whether it might be a grand house, or a modest neighborhood house, or it might be the simplest cabin. Whatever its size and status, an old Virginia house probably has a front porch – whether an elaborate wraparound or a modest roof overhang. A front porch is the space between the house and the world, a place to get some fresh air, a place to string beans, a place to relax. And in most places, it was, and maybe still is, a place to connect with the neighbors. A low-key, don’t-have-to-dust-the-house, meeting place. Front porches evoke another time; a slower, more connected time.
One of my college professors, Vince Scully, was a giant in the field of the history of architecture. He was dramatic and opinionated – a little terrifying. I don’t remember too much about the details of the class I audited, but I do remember this: He said that the loss of the front porch in American domestic architecture would be the death of us. In the age of air conditioning and automobiles, porches were mostly abandoned. Instead, the facades of houses now featured garage doors; now people could come and go completely unseen. Without that simple, low-key way to meet, most people don’t know their neighbors. The sense of community is much harder to build.
I don’t want to get too literal about all this – there are a million exceptions and iterations – but I wonder if the IDEA of the porch is part of the medicine for what ails us in the church. By that, I mean the question I am asked most often: How can we invite and include more people in our faith community? We wonder if we have “attracted” all the people who are going to respond to a new sign or an occasional community event. We make guesses about what the people around us like or want or need, because we don’t know them well. We desperately need front porches.
I wonder what a front porch looks like for your church. In a very few places, it might be literal – an architectural area where you can hang out and chat with the neighbors who are walking around the neighborhood. Of course, that would mean hanging out all week, not just Sunday morning, and it assumes they’re hanging around, too. Let’s assume that we can count those situations on one hand.
Maybe, instead of an attachment to the house, the front porch is another place altogether, where we encounter people in easy ways, to work or to visit or to relax. Maybe the congregation’s front porch is the shelter or tutoring program or scout troop or fire department where you volunteer every week and get to know people well enough that mutual trust and goodwill have grown. Maybe it’s an ongoing dinner series in the community to tackle food injustice, like the one the Rev. Dr. Lee Hill and I attended last week, where acquaintances become allies united by a shared passion. Maybe it’s showing up for the city or county council meetings until people there know your name and you know theirs, or attending the local citizen’s academy and meeting all the people who’d be characters in Mr. Roger’s neighborhood. It could be an advocacy group, or story time at the library, or the weekly worship service at the assisted living facility or orphanage or some underpass where folks gather to hear a Word every week. Maybe it’s a book group, or a discussion group in the class you’re taking.
In Richmond, a front porch could even be the Front Porch Café, a Church Hill nonprofit coffee house that creates conversational space and strengthens the neighborhood. The Front Porch is part of the CHAT initiative, serving the youth of Richmond’s East End and equipping them to make life-transforming decisions through tutoring and other activities.
Yesterday at St. Mary’s in Colonial Beach, I was given a wonderful gift of an image. Colonial Beach has a thing about golf carts. In the summer, they are THE mode of transportation. Do you know what they call their golf carts? Rolling Front Porches. That’s what I’m talking about! They call them that because people constantly stop their carts for a chat – to exchange the news, to visit, to build their relationships. I seriously doubt that any of them get up in the morning and say, “Today I am going to go build relationships by riding around town in a golf cart.” Well, maybe the pastors. But for normal people, it’s just a normal part of a normal life, interacting in this easy, non-threatening, casual way. Maybe that’s what’s we need, as a church. Because as with housing, so with our church – folks aren’t going to wander past our literal physical porch any more. But we can take the porch to them.
If we’re intentional about getting to know people outside our congregational orbit, every one of us can find, or make, or become, a mobile front porch. St. Paul did it by the riverside in Philippi (Acts 16:12-14). It’s how the Good News has moved into the world from the earliest days.
Here’s the thing to remember: front porch neighborliness is slow, by its very nature – let’s call it “leisurely.” Its only agenda is to be a neighbor; to slowly get to know people. To share more deeply when that comes naturally. If you walked past the porch of a house in your neighborhood and stopped to chat for few minutes, and the newly-met neighbor came toward you saying, “I’m so glad you came by. Would you like to join my family? We’re all extremely friendly and we volunteer in the community, too. Come on in!” Well, I don’t know about you, but I’d run for my life. Especially if I overheard their spouse commenting, “Gee, I hope they’ll join our family. It would really help us get the work done and pay the bills!” In real life, we are invited into each other’s lives bit by bit. We share the deep things bit by bit. We reveal our hearts bit by bit. It’s slow work. It’s what builds solid community. And church is real life.
Spiritual friendship and thus spiritual community expand with the chats on front porches, wherever we find or make them. The safety of a relationship where we can talk about our relationship with God, our prayer life, our devotional practices, our crazy mixed-up journey of faith – that safety only comes with time. There will always be a few people who run right into the house, but the future of our churches is in the people who don’t yet have enough familiarity to cross the threshold.
Let’s meet them on the front porch. Before we know what has happened, we will indeed be calling one another family. We may even have to build an addition – and acquire more golf carts.
May you be blessed upon whatever paths your golf cart takes you.
Bishop Jennifer Brooke-Davidson
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Mirror
Jesus' gospel message was that we were all created in the image of God, with the capacity to mirror the same loving-kindness that is God’s essence. We show this by following his example: by being merciful, engaging each other with compassion, listening to each other intently, and when necessary asking God for the courage to speak truth to power.
-Br. Jim Woodrum
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and the office number is 703-803-7500.
May our ministry together spread God's love to all whom we encounter.
- Carol
The Rev. Carol Hancock, Rector
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