Weekly News Update

Deans' Note | August 21, 2022

At the Vestry meeting this week, we shared the good news that the Corporation of the Diocese gave its approval to our development plan. We then signed the agreement and the developers' signatures will be forthcoming.

You may recall, we signed the original agreement on Christmas Day, 2020. Since then there were significant changes in the project that required further negotiation. The project now is much improved over the original. St. John's will have a whole new building for ministry, including a parish hall, kitchen, offices and meeting rooms. As you may have seen at the January annual meeting the building design has been enhanced. Our rent increases have also improved and there will be opportunities for a low interest loan to fund needed restoration and renovation of the Cathedral Church, soon to turn 100 years old.

This project will not only improve the entire property of St. John's, but more importantly will provide ongoing income to assist the mission of the Cathedral for the next 100 years. This is significant as the Episcopal church and many others continue to decline in membership. St. John's will be an anchor for the faith in our larger community because of its stable resources. Many other smaller churches unfortunately will not be able to sustain themselves in the coming years, but we will be able to be a gathering place for the people of God for many years to come.

That being said, the purpose of St. John's is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to demonstrate in word and deed that the kingdom of God is a reality, that the vision of Jesus and his Church in the world still is powerful and vibrant despite the clatter of the world around us. Financial and physical resources will help to fuel that mission not replace it.

That means that you as the people of God will need to stand strong and be courageous in the face of adversity, to give of your time, talent and treasure especially in the next few years as the development project begins to move ahead. Remember that the new buildings and financial benefit will probably not be realized until about five to seven years from now. But even then, you the people of St. John's cannot rest on what has already been done.

Together, you will be missionaries to the world. You will be faithful members of the body of Christ. You will be light for the world. You will have the resources to go forward, but the work will be yours to do under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as you continue to be the heart of Jesus in the heart of the city.

Parish Lunch

Sunday, August 28, 2022 at 11:30 am

Join us immediately following our 10:00 am Mass on August 28th as we celebrate our Dean's final Sunday before they begin their sabbatical and study leave. Mark your calendars for the service of leave-taking from the congregation (Fr. Mark and Fr. Dan's last Mass at St. John's) on November 20th at 10:00 am.

A Message from Bishop Brookhart

Beginning in September you and I will be traveling together as the cathedral parish. With the departure of Fr. Mark and Fr. Dan after seventeen productive years, I will be serving among you as Bishop-in-Charge until the end of January 2023. I am eager to be with you in this time of transition and change.

I will be leading liturgies, preaching, looking after your pastoral needs, working with the vestry and staff, and a host of other things. I am sure you will miss the co-deans, and you may be grieving and feeling fear and confusion. Added to that, we do not know each other very well. I assure you that I will be present to help and support you as best as I can. I am certain I will make some errors and mistakes. But through it all I ask that we focus on Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, knowing that he will be will us in sacrament, scripture, prayer, and our life together. He will bring life and hope out of the grief and fear we may feel.

To help you know me here is a very brief biography. I was born in West Virginia and went to school in Ohio, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. I served four, diverse kinds of parishes in Ohio and West Virginia before being elected Bishop of Montana in 2003, ministering there until my retirement in 2018, Over the years I have taught undergraduate, graduate, and seminary courses, and am the author of four books. I have held a wide variety of posts on the local, diocesan, and national church levels. My wife Sue is a former college professor and educational consultant. We have been married forty-eight years and have two daughters. We now live in Culver City.

I ask you to introduce yourself to me, and to let me know about any special needs or good ideas you may have. And I will be praying for you every day as I hope you will do for me.

Contact Information for The Bishop and the Wardens

The Rt. Rev. C. Franklin Brookhart (Incoming Bishop-in-Charge): [email protected]

Mr. Erik Knutzen (Senior Warden): [email protected]

Mr. Michael Tracy (Junior Warden): [email protected]

Upcoming Events

The Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost

Sunday, August 21, 2022

Said Mass at 8:00 am | In-person only.

Choral Mass at 10:00 am | In-person & online.

Worship with us on Vanco Live

Worship with us on Facebook

Worship with us on YouTube

Cathedral Tour

Take a closer look at the art and architecture of our historic building on the Cathedral tour this Sunday after the 10 am service. This month's tour (one week earlier than usual) will focus on some of the most distinctive, but sometimes overlooked, features of St. John's. The tour will begin at the altar platform about ten minutes after the postlude.

Vestry On-Call

Matthew Jimenez

Vestry members are partners with clergy, encouraging the growth of community and the establishment of common ground in the spiritual life of the congregation. Parishioners are always welcome to speak with these individuals on Sunday morning; they assist in making sure our questions, comments, or concerns are heard.

Community

Food Pantry

August 20, 2022

8:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Every third Saturday of the month St. John's helps out the community by distributing fresh produce, meat, dairy and canned goods. Thanks to James Wen we will be providing meat and dairy this month.

If you would like to learn more or have questions you may contact [email protected].

Seeking Evening Prayer Readers

We are seeking readers for Evening Prayer as the Deans transition to retirement. Tuesday has been traditionally led by Mr. Walter Killmer and our clergy, Live from Clergy House. If you are a member of the congregation and would like to be considered as we discern more leaders for this important ministry, please contact the parish office. Assistance available for those new to leading the service.

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