This week at St John's

THIS WEEK AT ST JOHN'S

Dear Friends,

This week I made a calendar of all the St John’s events leading up to Christmas. After the calm of the summer months, we were suddenly back to two services, the return of choir and children’s ministry, parish council, and a host of upcoming special events. I didn't want to forget anything and I wanted to make sure we pace ourselves.

This newsletter mostly looks ahead to the coming month. See below for our second Karaoke event. I went to the first one we had in the spring – also my first ever – and I loved it. I want to sing "The Gambler"!

Here are a few more events in addition to those noted below. The Capital Region Interfaith Council (CRIC) will hold its annual Joy of Faith gathering at St John’s on Sunday, October 22, in the church at 3:00 p.m. Also on Sunday, October 22, we will give an update on the search process for St John’s Director of Music. We are hoping for a fall colours hike in October. More details on all of these in next week’s newsletter.

The St John’s Refugee Assistance Group has been busy with some wonderful developments as you will see in the report below.

We are celebrating Harvest Thanksgiving in our services this coming Sunday. In addition to it being an important family time, I have a new appreciation for the Harvest. This year for the first time, I had a plot in a community garden. It was a small space but I picked more tomatoes than I could have imagined. I was surprised by the abundance and I was moved by the enthusiasm of the Centretown Emergency Food Centre when I called asking if I could bring tomatoes to the food bank. This would be a great Sunday to bring a food donation!

Looking forward to worshiping with you as we thank God for the Harvest!

Gary+

SCRIPTURES - Sunday, October 8, 8:00 & 10:15 a.m.

Deuteronomy 8:7-18; Psalm 65; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; Luke 17:11-19

SCRIPTURES - Sunday, October 15, 8:00 & 10:15 a.m.

Isaiah 25:1-9; Psalm 23; Philippians 4:1-9; Matthew 22:1-14

SERMON - Sunday, October 1, 10:15 a.m.

Listen to last Sunday's Sermon HERE

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Karaoke Night is a St John's Event with our own private room. You are welcome and so are your friends! Let us know if you would like to meet for supper beforehand - there's a wonderful Indian restaurant right downstairs! Let us know HERE.

PREPARING FOR LIFE’S TRANSITIONS

Final Session: Planning for a Funeral

If you are a senior looking ahead about for yourself or on behalf of your loved ones, you may be wondering what choices you have. Come for this one-hour session immediately following the Sunday 10:15 service, held in the Parish Hall. You're welcome for coffee and refreshments in the chapel and we will call you over to the Parish Hall to begin. Your questions are welcome and we look forward to Sean Copeland's guidance and support.

Sean Copeland

Funeral Director & Owner, Whelan Funeral Home, Ottawa

This Sunday - October 1, 12:00 - Parish Hall

Special thanks to Paul Beverley for our second session on Long Term Care, and to Heather Austin-Skaret for our first Session on Wills and Estates.

UPDATE FROM ST JOHN'S

REFUGEE ASSISTANCE GROUP

“We no longer have to be afraid”

Did you know that in the last two months, St. John’s Refugee Assistance Group has welcomed three Afghan families who have escaped the tyranny of the Taliban? To learn more, click HERE.

HYMN SING FOR ALL SAINTS

HYMN SING is back - our first one since the Pandemic! Take a break for lunch and come back to church on Sunday, November 5 at 1:30 p.m. After our morning worship for Remembrance Sunday, our hymn sing will celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day.

Cara Gilbertson, Artist-In-Residence & Grayson Nesbitt, Choral Scholar collaborate with Interim Music Director Barb Hallam-Price to encourage the congregation and choir of St John’s to have fun singing hymns of your choosing. This event is perfect for beginners, professionals, and everyone in between.

Get your voice in shape
Feel the joy as you sing
Suggest a hymn – you might even be introduced to a new favourite!

Everyone is welcome. Send us your hymn suggestions by Wednesday, October 25, so we can prepare. Suggest hymns HERE.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5 - 1:30 P.M.

ST JOHN’S CENTERING PRAYER GROUP QUIET DAY

This Quiet Day is a one-day retreat for the practice of silence and stillness. Silence and stillness are key elements for contemplation in all religious traditions. The day will include two sessions of centering prayer with introductory comments for persons who are not familiar with this type of contemplation to learn the simple basics. It will also include a session of lectio divina, an ancient form of bible reading. This will be followed by periods of silence.

This is not a conference. Except for the bible study, participants will remain silent in silent prayer.

For more information and to register, please contact the Reverend Garth Bulmer HERE.

Let us know if you need transportation. Bring a bag lunch. $15/person.

Location: St Mary Magdalene Anglican Church - Chelsea, Quebec.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4 - 9:30 - 3:30 P.M.

BOOK STUDY - FINAL SESSION

Our Home and Treaty Land:

Walking Our Creation Story

For the third and final session on our book study, the book draws us towards considering the unceded territory on which we live in the Ottawa area. How should a treaty be formed today? What should it say? We will consider how the book brings us to personal involvement with "Treaty is the key to the shared narrative, shared spirituality and shared respect for the land."

The dialogue between Rev. Dr. Raymond Aldred, a status Cree, and Rev. Dr. Matthew Anderson, a settler-descended biblical scholar is intended to help us be engaged as a community. Let's look ahead.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14 - 9:30 A.M.

St John's Parish Hall

ST JOHN'S CHRISTMAS MARKET

Saturday, November 25, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

HOLD THIS DATE IN YOUR CALENDAR!

We want this first-ever Christmas Market to be a great event – the more the merrier! We are now calling our list of volunteers - if you signed up, or you would like to sign up, we welcome your participation. Find out more from HERE

TO REMEMBER IN PRAYER

Our Parish

Gary, Allen, Barb, Kimberly, Kerry, Jesse, Stephen, Brian, Michelle, Jill, and all who minister at St John's. Prayers for those in need: Robin, the Calder Family.

Our Diocese

Shane, our Bishop; Anne, our Metropolitan; Linda, our Primate.
Community Ministries of the Diocese of Ottawa:
Belong Ottawa: Centre 454; St Luke’s Table; The Well/La Source
Centre 105 (Cornwall)
Cornerstone Housing for Women
Ottawa Pastoral Counselling Centre
Refugee Ministry
St. Barnabas, Ottawa. The Reverend Canon Stewart Murray Deacon Steven Zytveld.

Anglican Church of Canada

The Rt. Rev. David Lehmann, Bishop, and the clergy and people of the Diocese of Caledonia.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

The dean, council, and congregations of the North Region of the British Columbia Synod.

Evangelical Lutheran and Anglican Churches Together

Pray for people and ministries working to address issues of poverty, homelessness, and affordable housing.

The Anglican Communion - Pray for Angicans Worldwide

The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem & The Middle East.

Flowers

The flowers at the chancel altar are given to the glory of God and in thanksgiving for the lives of Robert and Isobel Cameron by their son Brian Cameron. The flowers at the font are given in loving memory of Jan Calder.

Parish Prayer Group

If you wish to have someone prayed for send an email to:

prayer-request@stjohnsottawa.ca.