The Bridge
April 9, 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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Important Announcement!
On Monday, April 12, long-awaited and much needed repairs to the back (north) side of the parish hall will commence. According to Hal Hughes, our Junior Warden, the construction zone will be limited to the area just behind the parish hall and will be marked with construction fencing. There will be a construction trailer parked in the drive which goes down the side of the church and Annex, but this trailer will be removed each Friday for the weekend. Parking and this driveway will not be impacted by the construction on Sundays.
The repairs are expected to take approximately one month. Not only will we have a new back wall, but the entire parish hall will be painted!
The parish hall will be accessible through the front entrance, although there will be times when the electricity will be shut off.
We have been asked to stay clear of the construction zone. By definition, it will be an unsafe place for those who are not actually involved in the work. Which pretty much means all of us!
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Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
We celebrated Easter in a most unexpected and wonderful way! Although we were planning to celebrate outside, the weather was threatening so we quickly implemented our contingency plan and moved into the church for our 11:15 and 1:00 services! Everyone who was in attendance was very cooperative, and we all felt safe in our beautifully decorated nave. As Sheri Rasmussen said, "everyone who came out of the church was just GLOWING!"
Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen - and is often the case, I won't attempt to list everyone because I will leave someone out. However, special thanks to Catherine Turner and the Altar Guild, Bill Cox, Philip Riley and the musicians/choir, the Readers, Carlos Lugo, Alfonso Hernandez, and the others who make the 1:00pm service work, Paula Foy who "hid" the Easter eggs, the cookie bakers, and of course, Mthr. Minerva and Deacon Victoria who led such beautiful and joyful Eucharists. And I would be remiss if I didn't give an enthusiastic shout out to our "Strong Young Man" who helped so much on Palm Sunday and Easter!
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Curious?
You may be curious about how our Sunday services will be conducted now that Easter is over. There are some changes afoot!
On Sunday, April 11, we will continue our 9:30 a.m. virtual service (Zoom), our 11:15 a.m. in-person outdoor service in English, and our 1:00 p.m. in-person outdoor service in Spanish. The location for the outdoor services will be in the area in front of the church doors, with seating on the lawn in front of the Annex. Please remember to bring your chairs, etc.
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So what changes are in the wind, you ask?
On Sunday, April 18, we will initiate a service of Holy Communion, Rite I, at 8:00 a.m. in English. This service will be inside the church, and will use the Book of Common Prayer, which will have been placed back in the pew racks. Masks will be required, and the seating will be restricted for social distancing. Please click this link: 8:00 a.m. Holy Communion Rite I to register for this service.
Yes, for a time we will have four (4) services each week:
- 8:oo a.m. Rite I, in-person inside the church (English)
- 9:30 a.m. Rite II, virtual via Zoom (English)
- 11:15 a.m. Rite II, in-person outdoors (English)
- 1:00 p.m. Rite II, in-person outdoors (Spanish)
As we continue to transition to our new "normal", times and places will change, but we hope that our St. John's faith community will continue to celebrate and worship together in harmony and joy. Your clergy and staff are working hard to offer a variety of worship experiences.
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Need for Caregiver
One of our members is helping to care for an elderly friend (in her 90s) who has dementia and lives in her own home near Capital Plaza. Her daughter would like to ensure that her mother has round the clock care and she is looking for more caregivers. The caregiver may earn $14 an hour. If you are interested, please contact: Claudie Cantu
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Caring for Neighbors
A local pharmacy has partnered with St. John’s to offer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine free of charge to 100 people. The vaccines will be administered at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 11201 Parkfield Drive, Austin. If you, or someone you know, have not received your vaccination yet, please use this link to register: REGISTER FOR VACCINATION The date and time will be announced when determined. The deadline for registration is Sunday, April 11!
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Williamson County has "more shots than arms"
Click here to register ...
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Although many people are being vaccinated, we understand that many also have been unable to make appointments for their first dose. We will continue to offer information about the vaccine process, here and on the Facebook Fellowship page.
Mthr. Minerva has told us that she has contacts who are skilled in outwitting the registration process. Please contact her at Mthr. Minerva if you need assistance.
Texas health officials have opened COVID-19 vaccinations to all adults. The Pfizer vaccine is approved for those aged 16 and older. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been approved for people 18 and older. Reportedly, APH is still limiting to over age 50 but other sites are open to all.
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CDC Guidelines for Fully Vaccinated People
"This is the first set of public health recommendations for fully vaccinated people. This guidance will be updated and expanded based on the level of community spread of SARS-CoV-2, the proportion of the population that is fully vaccinated, and the rapidly evolving science on COVID-19 vaccines."
The guidance for being considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 is at least 2 weeks after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, as well as at least 2 weeks after receiving the single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson (J&J)/Janssen).
Click here to read the entire article:
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COVID Safety Guidelines from Austin Public Health
Austin-Travis County is currently in Stage 3
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Please click this button to read the latest suggested guidelines to stay safe and healthy during the pandemic:
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Click this button for a partial list of businesses which still require a mask during the pandemic: |
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How Can YOU Help? Volunteer!
This message from Travis County gives information about how you can help get our county vaccinated!
"Come make a difference in our community!
We collectively need to mobilize to respond to the needs of our Central Texas community – from vaccine clinics to water and food distribution. We can partner to make it happen.
We can make Central Texas healthier and safer by joining together to meet our community's needs."
This link will take you to the website to register as a volunteer:
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Sunday Worship at St. John's
We worship God in a variety of ways.
- 9:30 a.m. Liturgy of the Word in English (Zoom)
- 11:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist in English (outdoors in-person)
- 1:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist in Spanish (outdoors in-person)
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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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To protect those participating in the service from any possible "trolls" who might try to interrupt our worship, the Waiting Room is enabled for this event. The Verger will admit you to the service as quickly as possible. |
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Please note: Everyone except those people who have an active role in the service will be muted. This is to minimize background noise. At the Prayers of the People, you will be invited to put any prayer requests into the "Chat" and Deacon Victoria will read these at the appropriate time. |
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The virtual English service will be recorded and video will be posted on the St. John's Facebook page, YouTube, and the St. John's website later in the day so that you can replay a service at your convenience. Links to the recordings will be posted on our website (Austin St. John's) .
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The English Holy Communion outdoor service starts at 11:15am. The Bread will be distributed by Mthr. Minerva or Deacon Victoria to each person in place.
We ask that you use our registration system for our contact tracing protocols and in case we need to give you updated information about the service. We will continue to require the wearing of masks while on the St. John’s campus, as well as social distancing of non-household members. We recommend you think of this like any other outdoor event in the sun - use sunblock, bring an umbrella and/or hat (watch for new liturgical accessories for Mthr. Minerva and Deacon Victoria!), water, and a chair or blanket to sit on. There will be a limited number of metal chairs available in a special section for those who are unable to bring their own.
A recording of the English sermon will be available on our website later in the day.
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Virtual Coffee and Fellowship:
Provide your own beverage and treat of choice
Join friends for a virtual coffee "hour" every Sunday! This will begin shortly after the 9:30am service (about 10:15am), so just stay on Zoom when the service ends. If you don't attend the service, you can click on this button to join the fun:
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Knitting Us Together
All knitters, crocheters, cross-stitchers, etc., are invited to bring a project to Sunday's Zoom coffee hour! If you have questions, call 512-423-9935 to speak to Lisa Shirah-Hiers.
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for other ways to make a donation.
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Caring for Each Other
St. John's is interested in meeting the pastoral needs of our community. If you have prayer requests, please contact Sheri Rasmussen. If you need pastoral care please contact Mthr. Minerva or Deacon Victoria. If you would like the Daughters of the King to include you in their prayer list, please contact Sandra Ward.
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Need Help?
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 contact 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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As we gradually return to in-person services and open offices, we will let you know of the hours and days. St. John's will continue to be conservative in our gatherings, requiring masks and distancing, with limited attendance.
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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
Virtual Sunday Services
In English - 9:30am (Zoom)
In-Person Outdoor Holy Communion
In English - 11:15am
In Spanish - 1:00pm
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