NEWS from St. John's...

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

THANKSGIVING EVENSONG, Tea & Pie Auction | THIS Sunday, November 19th @ 4pm

Join us for a Thanksgiving inspired worship filled with music and prayer.

Gather with us in the Parish Hall following the service as we celebrate with

a pie auction, sandwiches, and other sweet treats.

FUN PARTY GAMES * GRATITUDE INSPIRED CRAFTS * FELLOWSHIP

Grace and Peace,

For everything there is a season; and in this season we have much happening.

Thank you to all who have generously shown your support for the ministries of St. John’s through your pledge for 2024. The majority of the pledges received are new or increases from last year, and we are thankful for all of them.

For those of you who have not yet pledged, it is never too late to share your abundance with God and the Church. Please show your support of our ministries by making a pledge now. And, if you have a year-end RMD, please consider St. John's for a tax-advantaged gift.

This Sunday we will worship in the morning as well as at 4pm when we will offer an Evening Prayer service of Thanksgiving. This early evening service will be followed by tea, sandwiches, and pie. Yes PIE! Come bid on pies just in time for Thanksgiving dinner. Come eat some pie. Come worship and enjoy the fellowship.

We will also celebrate the Feast of Christ the King on Sunday. We have transferred this feast day forward by a week. This is being done to accommodate the four weeks of Advent; Christmas Eve is Sunday, so in order to celebrate all four weeks of Advent, we are shifting Advent forward a week. While we may be out of phase with the official Church calendar, we will be in phase with the seasons of the year. As a result Christ the King Sunday is 19 November, and Advent 1 is 26 November. Join us for all these celebrations leading to Christmas and the Incarnation of Our Lord.

Peace

Fr. Henry+

Bakers are asked to bring their baked goods to the kitchen Sunday morning or prior to the Thanksgiving Evensong service at 4pm THIS Sunday. Please be sure to list ingredients and the type of baked good on an index card.

THE SALUTATIONS MINISTRY will be meeting THIS Sunday immediately following the 10:30am service. Anyone interested in finding out more about this ministry is encouraged to attend the meeting. For more information, contact Mary Kerr.

CASSEROLE CLUB MEETING | THIS Sunday @ 12pm in the Parish Hall

An informal, come-as-you-are, safe assembly of grievers joined by their experience of loss of a loved one. Drop-ins always welcome.

ADVENT WREATH MAKING | Sunday, November 26

in the Parish Hall following the 10:30am service

Take a breath and reflect before the Thanksgiving and Christmas stress. Join us as we begin Advent with wreath making on Sunday, November 26th in the Parish Hall. Grab your Prayer Partners, family, or come alone and join in the fun.

St. John's will be furnishing an apartment for a family of 5 resettled by the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Items on the list of NEEDED ITEMS will be collected at St. John's ONLY on the date given by IRC and taken directly to the apartment. Our hope is to set up the apartment the first or second Saturday in December. Unfortunately, we are still waiting for confirmation on the IRC date. Please see the LINK OF NEEDED ITEMS to furnish the apartment. There will be a truck at St. John's for 2 days only, to collect items prior to the move in date. (Items CANNOT be stored at the church). Questions? Contact Deacon Nancy or Shelley Spencer. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE SIGNED UP to help furnish the apartment.

ADVENT DINNER | Saturday, December 2nd @ 5pm

The Advent Dinner is an annual tradition at St. John’s. The season of advent kicks off with a little bit of fancy and a lot of fellowship. This year’s Advent Dinner will feature Lessons and Carols at 5pm in the sanctuary, followed by a potluck dinner, carols and dessert in the Parish Hall. Make something or buy something to contribute. Wine and mocktails will be provided.

Anyone interested in hosting a table is invited to do so. The Table hosts picks a theme, a color scheme, and decorates their table as elaborate or simple as they want. The attendees tour the tables and vote on categories such as "best theme", "best first impression," and "most creative." Winning Table Hosts will receive a prize. The host provides an appetizer for 15-20 people and may invite up to 6 guest (including the host) to sit at their table. Guest may be members of the church, family or friends. There will be additional tables for general RSVP seating.

CHILDREN'S ADVENT PARTY in the gym from 6-8:30pm

Children are invited to attend Lessons and Carols at 5pm. The nursery will be open and available for the children Pre-K and under. Following Lessons & Carols, the children will be escorted to the gym where they will be served a dinner of chicken fingers, mac and cheese, and fruit, and will have the opportunity to participate in advent activities. A donation of $30 per family is requested to help defray the cost of child care and dinner. The children will join their family in the Parish Hall at 8:30pm for dessert and caroling.

ADVENT DINNER RSVP

AFRICAN PALMS PACKING

African Palms has 263,000 palm cross orders to pack and ship to distributors at the end of December. Volunteers to help with this task would be greatly appreciated. Packing takes places from 9-11am on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in the Parish Hall,

beginning on Tuesday, December 5th.

CHRISTMAS PAGEANT

This year's Christmas Pageant will be presented during the 10:30am Christmas Eve service on Sunday, December 24th. Children and anyone wanting to participate in the pageant should plan to attend rehearsal on Sunday, December 17th following the 10:30am worship service. There are a few narrating roles and a number of pantomime parts. There will also be a need for 3-4 adults volunteers to help direct the children in the pageant. Please speak with Mo. Shivaun, if interested in helping.