Greetings!
PARISH NEWS for Wednesday, January 22, 2020
St. John’s Men’s Group Announcement; Lumberjacks Needed!
Saturday Morning , February 1 st , 2020, 8:00 a.m. until...
 
Yes, this is true...
if you have any skill in cutting down or cutting logs up for firewood, we need you. We are looking to cut down & split five trees on Feb. 1 st .  
 
On a serious note, the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has struck the trees on Mt. Gilead Green (the 1.3 acre field) behind the church.  These Ash trees have been infested by the EAB for quite some time. These trees are not only dead but dropping large branches and littering the landscape. This is not only an eyesore, but hazardous to our many ministry partners, and our landscape company. 
 
The plan is to cut the wood approximately 16 inches in length and then split into usable firewood and then stack on pallets behind the shed in the back parking lot (then cover). The firewood will be sold in late summer and fall as we lead up to Centreville Day. The details of this firewood sale have yet to be worked out but will be. 
 
Please bring:
·          Flannel Shirt!
·          Gloves
·          Rakes
·          Wheelbarrows/Dollys
·          Extension Cords/Electric Chainsaws
·          Gas/Gas Chainsaws
·          Pick up trucks
 
We will have water/Gatorade and bagels/donuts. This is Men’s Group work/fellowship event. We are expecting many members of our parish as well as many volunteers outside of our community that are willing to participate in this project.
 
In the event of inclement weather (ice, snow, or rain), we will postpone.
 
If you can make it during any part of the morning, please RSVP to [email protected] .
 
Long-time St. John's parishioner, Mildred DeBell, died on Monday. Mildred DeBell died peacefully on Monday, January 20 at the Wellington, an assisted living facility, where she had lived for a few days under the care of hospice. Mildred, who was 101, had been a member of St. John's for over 75 years and at one point she had been the organist and choir director. She was very active in the community and had been the Grand Marshall at Centreville Day several years ago. Her obituary can be found on the website of Pierce Funeral Home (www.piercefh.com) in Manassas. She had asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to St. John's. A memorial service for Mildred will be held at St. John's in the spring. She will be buried next to her husband and son in the St. John's cemetery.
Annual Parish Meeting - St. John's Annual Parish Meeting will be held immediately after church on Sunday, February 16 . We will have reports from the Rector, the Senior Warden, the Treasurer, and others. We will also elect new members of the Vestry. Those who are submitting written reports should get them to Catherine Packard no later than February 6.

Vestry Nominees - Those who would like to stand for election to the Vestry for a three year term must be confirmed communicants in good standing - faithful in corporate worship and in working, praying and giving for the spreading of the Kingdom of God. If you might be interested in serving on the Vestry, please talk with Carol Hancock, Susie Pike or any member of the Vestry.

Parents of Young Children - Denise Bellows writes : " A few of us were talking and plan to have a playdate on Saturday, Feb 1st 3-5pm at Busy Bees indoor playground in Fairfax. Here is the website  https://busybeesfairfax.com/hours-and-admission-fairfax/ I think its about $15 per kid.  I haven't been yet, but apparently you can just show up, sign a waiver, and play...and the parents can relax and hang out :-)Angela, Maria and I plan to be there with our little ones (Julia, Ben, & Rohan). Hope you can join us!"

Pledge / Offering envelopes - Packets of your pledge / offering envelopes for 2020 are available in the breezeway after the Sunday service. Please pick yours up and save us the expense of mailing them.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will be coming to DC to lead a revival service entitled, "More Jesus, More Love" this Sunday, January 26 at 2:00 PM, at the Entertainment and Sports Arena, 1100 Oak Street in Southeast DC. Tickets are free, but must be acquired online at:
This is sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Washington as part of their annual convention. If you are planning to go and want to carpool, (several of us are going) please let Carol know. There is also a metro stop across the street from the arena.

Western Fairfax Christian Ministries - Most needed items this month are: cold cereal (small family size boxes, pancake mix and pancake syrup. Food is collected every Sunday and taken to WFCM by Tom McDermott.

Bishop Gulick coming May 10 - Bishop Ted Gulick will be with us on Sunday, May 10. If you are 14 or older and would like to be confirmed when the bishop is here, please let Carol know as soon as possible. Confirmation classes meet once a week for 5-6 weeks.

TV for sale! We have a 32” color TV for sale. It's in good working condition and we will accept the best offer. If you want to come by and see it, it is in Carol’s office. The proceeds will benefit St. John’s.

WFCM & Chick-fil-A "Big Game" FUN-Raiser - Football Game Days are better with Chicken! Order your nuggets today for the Big Game on February 2nd and pick them up from the WFCM office in Chantilly on Saturday February 1st.
  •  You can click here to pre-order your re-heatable Nugget Trays - perhaps for a church youth gathering for the Big Game, a friend's party or your own home! A percentage of the sale of each tray supports WFCM's efforts to provide food and financial assistance to those at risk of hunger and homelessness in western Fairfax County.
 
 
Need a nametag? If you are new to St. John’s, or if you have never had a nametag, please fill out a form on the back table and we will make a nametag for you. The nametags have a magnetic back and are stored on the magnetic board outside the sacristy (by the nursery). It is helpful for those new to St. John’s for you to wear your name tag so they can get to know you by name.
 


Make an Online Pledge Offering!
The new way to send your pledge offering! You can download the app to your phone, or you can click the link below, and use your credit card!
SUNDAY SERVICE
We can prepare our hearts & minds by reading ahead
for the Sunday Service lesson


The Third Sunday after the Epiphany


January 26, 2020

9:30 AM

 The First Reading: Isaiah 9:1-4
Though the people of God have suffered, God promises that their future is bright.

The Psalm: 27:1, 5-13 , page 617, BCP

The Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18
At the foot of the cross, there are no divisions among those who follow Jesus, lest we imagine that we are somehow separate or specially appointed.

The Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23
Fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah, Jesus goes to Galilee to call his first disciples.
  ____________________________
 
CHILD CARE IS PROVIDED IN THE NURSERY  
(Rm. 205) 
During the Service
____________

JOINT SUNDAY SCHOOL: 10:30 - 11:30 AM
 Each week, St. John's children join with our Ministry Partners: 
Wellspring UCC & Grace Baptist Church
Room 207/208
_________________________

St. John's Sunday School class for ages 2-4, Room 215
Meets the first Sunday of each month from 9:50 - 10:40 AM 

_________________________

THE ADULT LECTIONARY FORUM

MEETS EACH SUNDAY IN THE LIBRARY, FOLLOWING THE SERVICE 
  FROM 10:50 - 11:50 AM

The Saint of the Week:
John Chrysostom ("Golden Mouth") was so named because of his oratorical eloquence. He was initially a priest in Antioch, and an outstanding preacher. His straightforward literal expositions of Holy Scripture contrasted with the more popular style of Alexandria-based clergy who tended to read allegorical meanings into the text. He became so famous that Empress Eudoxia at Constantinople decided he must be her personal priest, had him kidnapped, and appointed him as a bishop. The scheme backfired. His sermons against corruption in high places earned him powerful enemies (including the Empress), and he was exiled to Cappadocia, where he died. Even so, he is counted as one of the Four Great Eastern Doctors of the Ancient Church . 


THE DIOCESE OF VIRGINIA
Diocesan Visioning Tour 2020
A year ago, we gathered as people of the Diocese of Virginia in a series of Listening Sessions. We prayed, sang, talked and listened to one another in hope and trust. In the time since then, the ministry needs cited by those who participated coalesced into four areas about which Bishop Goff spoke in her  Pastoral Address  to Diocesan Convention. 
The Four Ministry Areas
  1. Healing across differences and including all, particularly in the face of the sin of racism that infects our souls as a nation and as a Church, and with regard to the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons in every aspect and on all levels of diocesan life.
  2. Strengthening our financial health in order to resource the mission to which God has called us.
  3. Sharing the faith of Jesus with youth and others in such ways that they will hear a message of hope in a difficult and challenging world, and so that we all will take part in God´s work of transforming the world. 
  4. Honoring and caring for God´s creation, particularly in this era when changes in weather patterns threaten vulnerable human communities as well as vulnerable non-human species.
We invite you to be a part of crafting and articulating our diocesan vision and priorities for these four areas of our life. Those who attend a Visioning Session (dates below) will be invited to choose one of the four areas for small group work. A trained facilitator will lead each group to help ensure that everyone has a chance to speak and that all engage in active listening to one another and to the Spirit.
Small Group Discussion 
 The questions in each small group will be:
  • What do you think is God's vision for this area of ministry in the Diocese of Virginia?
  • How might you imagine our working together on this? For example, what is your congregation doing/passionate about in this area? How can that action/passion be a part of our wider work? What do you need from others to live more fully into this ministry?
Participants may have thoughts to share in more than one of these areas. They'll be invited to write those thoughts, suggestions and questions on a response sheet. Additional thoughts may be written and sent to  [email protected] .
We are a large diocesan family made up of interwoven congregations and communities, all bound together by God's love. We look forward to seeing what the Holy Spirit is up to in us through these sessions.
Visioning Tour Dates and Locations
Wednesday, January 15, 6:30 p.m. Christ Church, Glen Allen
Thursday, January 16, 1:00 p.m. Christchurch School, Christchurch
Thursday, January 23, 7:00 p.m. Aquia Church, Stafford
Thursday, January 30, 6:30 p.m. St. Paul's, Ivy
Saturday, February 8, 1:00 p.m. Calvary, Front Royal
Saturday, February 15, 1:30 p.m. Good Shepherd, Burke
Saturday, February 29, 10:00 a.m St. Peter's, Arlington
VOLUNTEERING AT ST. JOHN'S
Sign Up Here to be an altar server , or to donate flowers for a Sunday service. ( if you're not an altar server, and would like to be a Lay Eucharistic Minister (LEM), a Lector, or a Crucifer, please see Carol).
COMMUNITY
WESTERN FAIRFAX
CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES

"We know that food can be one of the most expensive items on a household budget list. Our hope is that in allowing our clients to visit once per month they will save enough money to pay for other expenses such as rent or utility bills."
I tems are collected weekly in the baskets at the front door of St. John's Church. For food list:
OPPORTUNITIES
Reminder
Every Wednesday evening, we have a service of Holy Eucharist and healing at 6:00 PM. The service is about 30 minutes. It is a perfect alternative for those who cannot come to church on Sunday mornings, as well as a good spiritual boost in the middle of the week. Come join us!

Prophet
We need the courage of Martin Luther King, Jr., of Desmond Tutu and Mahatma Gandhi and Dorothy Day and Cesar Chavez and Nelson Mandela and Oscar Romero and every other prophet who spoke out against injustice and witnessed to the truth to live it faithfully. We need their courage to do what is right.
-Br. David Vryhof
My email address is [email protected],
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
ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH | 5649 MT. GILEAD RD. , CENTREVILLE, VA | 703-803-7500
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