Sunday, October 24, Twenty-second Sunday After Pentecost
Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Sunday, October 24 is the Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost. Find the readings here.
Please join us at St. John's Church for one of two in-person services at 8:00 am and 10:30 am. We will try to stream the service live on our Facebook page. If you follow us on Facebook and are logged in around 9am, you should be able to see it. Also, the service will be posted on our Youtube channel by the early afternoon.
You can watch last week's service here.
If you want to join the Zoom coffee hour at 12:30, please email the Parish Administrator for the information.
REMINDER: no heat in church buildings, M-F, Oct 25-29:Milne Plumbing & Heating will repair the Church’s heating system beginning Monday October 25th so there will be NO HEAT in the Sanctuary and Parish Hall buildings for most of that week, ending by Friday Oct. 29th. Please contact Chuck Everett for further information.
STEWARDSHIP UPDATE: "The Abundance of God's Grace" We all have our favorite examples of God's Grace here at St. John's: Mark and the choir's incredible musicianship, our beautiful sanctuary and windows, multiple outreach opportunities, and of course, our church family! The Stewardship Committee invites everyone over the next 3 weeks to reflect on what we love about St. John's, as well as on our experiences during this transitional time, and where God might be leading us. We are also called to reflect on stewardship itself. The Bible mentions the words "wealth, money, and possessions" over 2,300 times - this is second only to "love," and 4 times more frequent than "faith" and "prayer!" Clearly, Scripture is suggesting that our spiritual and material lives are perpetually interwoven. As you prayerfully reflect on the abundance of our life together here at St. John's, please consider increasing or maintaining your pledge, or even pledging for the first time.
Vestry Notes for October 19, 2021, via Zoom · The work on the rectory is almost completed. The Vestry clarified and made more specific their landscaping requirements which will hopefully allow more light to reach the interior and the back yard of the property. Overgrown shrubs covering sidewalks need to be pruned or removed. Future plans will be for low maintenance plantings. The Vestry offered a grateful, unanimous thank you to Sue Lupo for driving the project to conclusion. Sue noted that it was a parish project with many parishioners not only Vestry Members working on the project over the past several months. · The Vestry has allocated $11,000 for the purchase of air purifiers for the sanctuary and the parish hall which will enable St. John’s to return to a full worship schedule with music and coffee hour while guaranteeing the safety and comfort of the parishioners. · Plans for the 2021-2022 Stewardship Campaign are developing with some traditional and some new, interactive approaches. Ingathering Sunday will be November 14th. · The Diocese has identified Mark Gallagher as the Search Consultant who will assist the Parish and the Search Committee. Members of the Search Committee will be identified soon and the Committee will be Commissioned at an upcoming Sunday Service as they begin the work of identifying a new rector for St. John’s. Work on this task will involve not only the Committee but will include roles for parishioners not on the Committee.
All Saints Sunday November 7: During the prayers, we will read the names of those who have died in the last year. Please contact the office or write down names in the back of the church. Bring pictures of your favorite saints, be they family members or major Saints, to sit in the pew with you!
Diocesan Convention Special Events: On Nov. 12, there are special virtual events on the theme of “Mutuality.” Talk, 1pm, breakout sessions, 2, 3 pm, Euharist, 5 pm, Keynote address, 7 pm. ANYONE is allowed to attend. Click here for more information.
Forum Time: Let’s Chat! Today (Sunday) between services (9:15 to 10:15), come to have a conversation with Pastor Lise. Who are you? What is your spiritual hunger? How has Covid changed you/the church? All are welcome!
Contacting Pastor Lise: Pastor Lise (aka Lise) can be reached at lise@stjohnsgloucester.org. She has a church cell phone of 351-217-9209. Please use these to contact her.
Updated Covid Instructions: Masks are required for all indoor activities, and we are to keep distanced (>=6 ft) from other households. Please wear your mask over both mouth and nose.
Music Notes: Mark Nelson is on vacation. Guest organist Benjamin Rechel is an organist, violist da gamba, and historical bass specialist living in Cambridge MA. A graduate of the Longy School of Music, he plays at a number of area churches and collaborates with early music ensembles. When not playing music, he enjoys ocean kayaking, and tinkering with model trains.