The Bridge

June 16, 2023

The Mission of St. John’s is to be a community of God’s people who heal brokenness, build bridges, and exemplify borderless kindness.

Events and Announcements

PARISH HALL UPDATE

We are all ready and anxious for the rebuilding of our Parish Hall to begin.

We had a walk through with the Rebuild Contractor two weeks. Now we are currently waiting for them to get their revised bid submitted to the Church Insurance Company (CIC) to see what additional funds they may reimburse us to accomplish the rebuild. Calls and emails are exchanged every other day.

Your Vestry has voted to spend and additional $8,000 for some upgrades and updates that the CIC will not cover as they were not directly due to the flood that occurred just before Christmas last.

As new information comes to light we will advise the Congregation.

MINISTRY OF THE WEEK

Vergers

The Vergers at St. John’s are a group of very experienced lay servers who assist the clergy in the planning and conduct of worship services. We serve by appointment of the Rector. While there are formal training materials provided by the national Vergers’ Guild organization, our training at St. John’s is mainly via apprenticeship. The term “verger” dates back to the 17th century in Great Britain. The ancient role included protecting the clergy, maintaining the order and upkeep of the house of worship, removal of livestock or unruly parishioners from church grounds, preparations for the liturgy, grave digging, and so forth. Please note that we no longer dig graves.

Today we provide organizational and logistical support for the worship services. We focus on the details so that the clergy can focus on pastoral and sacramental concerns. Some of the specific things we do are:

• Verify that all scheduled servers and participants are present before a service. If necessary, find substitutes for absent servers/participants or be prepared to perform that role ourselves.

• Assist the clergy with planning and executing special services (Episcopal visitations, weddings, funerals, holy days, etc…) and coordinate with other worship teams as necessary.

• Schedule lay servers for the English-language services.

• Be knowledgeable (to the extent possible) about specific needs of parishioners in the worship services (gluten free wafers, limited mobility, etc.) and work with the priest, ushers, etc. as needed to ensure that those needs are met.

• Verify that everything is in place and ready before the start of a service. We have detailed checklists for this.

• Anticipate issues and be prepared to direct/prompt participants of the service as necessary.

• While not specifically part of the verger role, the vergers at

St. John’s also constitute the core of the Tech Team, operating the cameras and other equipment as needed to stream, record, and publish our worship services for virtual worship. The Vergers ministry at St. John’s will always be a small group. That said, we continue to look for candidates to expand this ministry. If you are interested, please contact one of our Vergers:

Anne Faithful

Fay Jones

Marvin Rasmussen

Sandra Ward

Pauli Murray Scholarship Fund

We will celebrate the Feast Day of Pauli Murray on Sunday, June 25. The offering collection on that day will be dedicated to the Pauli Murray Scholarship Fund of the Seminary of the Southwest. In addition to the Sunday offering, you may make a donation by sending a check or making an online donation. In the past two years, our donations have amounted to more than $700 to $900.

The scholarship fund expands opportunities for low-income African American students and other students of color to attend the Seminary in preparation for priesthood in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. The scholarship provides financial support for living expenses for these seminary students.

The scholarship fund is named for the Rev. Pauli Murray (1910-1985), a woman of truly remarkable energy, vision, and accomplishment. She was a pioneer and groundbreaker in many different fields of endeavor. She was an early civil rights activist. Her life included many “firsts” – including the first African American woman ordained to the Episcopal clergy, a co-founder of the National Organization for Women, and the original author of legal arguments later used to desegregate public schools in the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision.

Save the Date

Choir Potluck and Hymn Sing,

June 22, 2023

Everyone is invited to join the choir for a potluck supper followed by lots of singing of old favorite hymns, June 22 starting at 6:00 P.M. The evening will start with supper in the Narthex, followed by singing in the church. Contact Phillip Riley if you have any questions.

Juneteenth Field Trip

June 24, 2023

As we continue our celebration of Juneteenth, on Saturday, June 24, we have a great field trip planned. Last year we

had a fun and educationally charged experience during our visit to George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center. Their collection of artifacts, photos and literary/musical displays recreate the life experiences of the Black American Austinite and Texan, as the history evolved over time. Because their collection is so vast, the exhibits are changed and switched around often, so we're going back to see what's new, or rather, what's history!

On Saturday, June 24, please arrive at the church at 9:15 a.m. so that we may coordinate the drivers and riders.

At approximately 9:30 a.m. we'll head out to our destination.

Directions to the museum will be provided before we leave.:

Washington Carver Museum,

1165 Angelina St.

Austin 78702

(512) 974-4926

For further information, please contact Sandra Ward at 916-501-4719 or Paula Foy at 512-966-6905.

Fan Drive

June 25, 2023

Fan Drive begins on June 25, 2023. We will have more information soon. Contact Sandra Ward if you have any questions.

Our Community

Farmshare Austin

Sunday, from

11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Come shop for fresh, delicious, and affordable fruits and vegetables, local eggs and honey, and a variety of pantry staples!

The market accepts cash, credit, debit, SNAP, and Double Up Food Bucks.

Coffee and Fellowship

The Narthex is open for coffee and fellowship after each Sunday service!

Thanks to our volunteers who make the coffee, set it up, and clean up after.

Let's also be good stewards of our land and recycle! There will be signs in the Narthex with items that are recyclable.

Worship at

St. John's

Our Sunday morning worship and education schedule:

8:30 a.m. - The Holy Eucharist Rite I (English)
9:45 a.m. - Adult Christian Formation Class
11:00 a.m. - The Holy Eucharist Rite II (English)
1:00 p.m. - La Santa Eucaristía Rito Dos (Spanish)

To participate in our virtual Sunday services, you do not need to have a Zoom account or download Zoom. Simply click the link to join.

Zoom link for 11:00 a.m. service

Meeting ID: 879 9502 6837 No passcode is required

Go to our website to download the bulletin

You may also join the service by telephone - dial (346) 248-7799 and enter the meeting ID when prompted. Meeting ID: 879 9502 6837

The video recording of the 11:00 a.m. service will be posted on the St. John's Facebook page, YouTube, and the St. John's website later in the day. Additionally, recordings of the English and Spanish sermons will be available. Links to the recordings will be posted on our website (www.austinstjohns.org).

Christian Formation

Sunday Morning Christian Formation

9:45 a.m. - in person in the church (nave).

You probably know a few proverbs such as “Many cooks spoil the broth” or “Look before you leap.” In this class we’ll look at the Old Testament book devoted to such wisdom: the Book of Proverbs. This book consists of seven collections of short sayings from different periods of ancient biblical history. The book teaches practical wisdom for all of us at every stage of life, using everyday illustrations to convey moral, ethical, or spiritual principles.

We’ll discuss the origins of the proverbs, their authors, and their meanings for us today. We’ll also see how they differ at times from what we usually think a proverb is. Bring your bible (any version) and look forward to discussing how these sayings relate to us and our world. I look forward to seeing you! Fr David

Please contact Deacon Victoria for more information.

Cornerstone Literary Circle

Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

On Wednesday, June 21, Cornerstone will continue to read and

discuss Flowers of the Killer Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann.

Please contact Laurie Williams for more information.

Zoom Link to Cornerstone Literary Circle

Meeting ID: 865 2855 1870

Passcode 446185

Wednesday Night Bible Study

7:00 to 8:30 p.m. (Please note the time change)

To commemorate Juneteenth, the Racial & Social Justice team is hosting the Wednesday night classes with presentations 0n Restorative Justice.

We're excited to announce two guest speakers for this series: The Honorable Cliff Brown, Presiding Judge for the Travis County Criminal Courts, and Mr. Eddie Mendoza, Consultant for Restorative Justice.

Restorative justice is a concept we have been hearing a lot about recently. What can we learn from the Bible and theological scholars? Deacon Victoria will help us explore the theological principles of justice to help us understand Restorative Justice.

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER: Paula Foy

JUNE 21

We will view "The Lanier Phillips Story". Mr. Phillips recounts his harrowing journey, beginning as an African American child in the Deep South, to his life in the U.S. Navy, and especially his experiences during WWII as a ship-wrecked sailor and the community that saved him. This moving and poignant story illustrates how an experience can change an entire trajectory of one’s life. Discussion will follow.

Class Schedule:

June 21 - "One Man's Story", Ms. Paula Foy

June 28 - Restorative Justice in Travis County, Judge Cliff Brown

The class meets via Zoom:

Zoom Link to Wednesday Night Class

Meeting ID: 886 3246 7047

Passcode: 980365

Please contact Deacon Victoria and Sandra Ward for more information.

Thursday Morning Bible Study

10:00 a.m. - Thursday

Thursday Morning Bible Study continues in our hybrid format at 10:00 a.m., via Zoom and in the narthex. We begin meeting the women of the New Testament and will hear what these women have to say to us. We will find many of them more familiar than the Old Testament women were, and look for both similar and very different themes.

Meeting ID: 821 5253 7149

No passcode is required

Please contact Elaine Jackson for more information.

Zoom Link to Thursday Morning Bible Study

Please refer to our website www.austinstjohns.o rg or to the Christian Formation email sent every Tuesday for more information and links.

Ministries

Wednesday Morning Grounds Crew

For more information about this ministry, please contact Kevin Flegal.

Labyrinth Community Garden

To learn about how our Labyrinth Community Garden serves the community, or for information about obtaining a bed in the Garden for you and your family, please contact the Parish Office.

Card Ministry

St. John’s Episcopal Church is starting a new card ministry that will involve sending handwritten cards to our members who are suffering illness and/or bereavement.

Please let Henry Welles, Sandra Ward or Christi Crow know if you have a need or if you know of someone who does. Thank you.

Caring for

Each Other

For Prayer and Pastoral Care

If you find that your situation is causing financial, spiritual, or emotional difficulties, or if you are in need of food, do not hesitate to email Mother Minerva.

We are a church family; when a family member needs assistance we want to try and help that member.

The Episcopal Church has a Rite of Reconciliation (Confession). Please use this button to schedule an appointment with

Mother Minerva for Reconciliation.

Schedule a appointment here

Donations

Please visit our website (austinstjohns.org) for other ways to make a donation.

Please send mail to the Church post office box:

St. John’s Episcopal Church

P. O. Box 81493

Austin, TX 78708-1493

If you are having problems with the online donation system, please contact the treasurer at Treasurer@austinstjohns.org and someone will help you resolve the problem.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO ST. JOHNS. THANK YOU!

Fill out a pledge card here!

Gathering Policy

Masks are optional on the St. John's campus.

Submit to the Bridge

You are invited to send pictures and articles to the Bridge! Please note the deadline: Noon, Wednesday preceding the Friday of publication.

Send to mariaangie@austinstjohns.org with "For the Bridge" in the subject line. Be sure to note the date of the issue in which you want to publish the information or article.