The Bridge

June 30, 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

Mother Minerva’s Musings Summer 2023

I cannot believe that summer has arrived and we are beginning the second half of the year. I am very excited about the accomplishments of the first year and look forward to the ministry opportunities to come.

We have welcomed new people to our congregation, and we have said goodbye to people that have been part of our community of faith for decades. It is natural to feel some grief and loss when one of our long time friends and church members leave. It can also feel a bit scary wondering who will now do the things they used to do for our church. I too can sometimes worry, and I remember that our God is one who always provides what we need and more. Our God is a God of abundance. St. John’s with God’s help will continue to be a part of this community living into its mission.

Bishop Andy Doyle joined us in May to celebrate the Feast of St. John the Evangelist and baptized and confirmed seven people. We have baptized 1 Adult and 3 Children this year so far. It is important to remember that the vitality of a congregation is not solely based on its size.

St. John’s has had a full half year. We started out with a baptism in January. Once again we celebrated Shrove Tuesday with a fun filled evening of loteria. During Lent we were able to have our Lenten Series of Eat, Pray, Learn studying the book Glittering Vices. I was also able to celebrate my first Holy Week in person at St. John’s. I was very glad not to burn anything or anyone on my first time censing the altar. This was mostly due to Bill’s coaching. In April, we went out into our neighborhood again to meet more neighbors and learn how St. John’s can better partner with our neighbor. As I mentioned above we had our bishop’s visit in May. The reception was led by a new group of leaders with the help and support from people who have led this effort for many years. All this was done without a parish hall.

St. John’s does not allow something like lack of access to the parish hall to stop it from fulfilling its mission. And, there has been a lot of time and attention from Kevin Flegal to help us get back into the parish hall. We are just waiting to get our final bid approved by the church insurance and then the construction will begin. I am confident that we will all be very happy with our upgraded parish hall.

I continue to be amazed at the faithfulness of the members of St. John’s. It is an honor and a privilege to serve with you. I will be going on my annual vacation to rest and spend time with family and friends. I look forward to returning refreshed and ready to continue walking with you on our journey of discipleship - loving God and our neighbor.

MINISTRY OF THE WEEK

Growth Committee

The Growth Ministry at St. John’s Episcopal Church seeks to know our neighbors better and to learn more about ourselves in the process. While we come from different backgrounds and cultures, and live in different zip codes, all of us can be mad, glad, sad, and afraid. We believe that congregational growth is the natural extension of our willingness to lead by example and to listen to others. We think that those who lead welcome responsibility. Leaders take chances and get things done. Leaders practice what they preach and work out their views in the real world of action. Leaders believe that marginal improvement and growth are worth seeking, whether it be a better community or additional committed congregants. To get to know our neighbors better and build relationships with each other, the Growth Committee organizes events like neighborhood walks, a fall festival, Jamaica, and pet blessings. We take inspiration from T.S. Eliot’s words that “We shall not cease from exploration; And the end of all our exploring; Will be to arrive where we started; And know the place for the first time.”

St. John’s Growth Ministry seeks to know and love our neighbors as ourselves. Please contact Steve Kriechbaum at 512-791-3823 or Henry Welles at 512-565-7404 for more information.

ST.JOHN'S OFFICE CLOSED

Just a quick heads up— our office will be closed on July 4 and will reopen on Wednesday, July 5. However you’re celebrating, stay safe and don’t forget the reason for the season!

2023 Episcopal Youth Event

St. John's answers YES! We have two youth attending EYE23. Mr. Henry Lugo and Mr. Anthony Lopez. Let's pray for these young kids who are attending for the first time.

Save the Date

Family Afternoon,

July 9, 2023

Our next Family Event will be on Sunday, July 9th at 2:30 p.m. The goal is to have family friendly events once a month which will range from educational activities to fun activities. This event will allow us to get to know each other better and for our kids to have a good time. We will celebrate July birthday’s with food and cake!

Save the weekend! Jamaica 2023

Save the Date! We will have our annual Jamaica Fest on the weekend of September 9-10. We will have more information soon.

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

Sunday Morning Christian Formation will take sabbatical leave for the summer after Father David concludes his series on Proverbs on Sunday, July 2. It will resume on Sunday,

August 6.

All are encouraged to read, mull, and ponder in the interim.

Please contact Deacon Victoria for more information.

Cornerstone Literary Circle

Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

On Wednesday, July 5, 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

Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Study will take sabbatical leave for the summer. It will resume on Wednesday, August 2.

The class meets via Zoom:

Zoom Link to Wednesday Night Class

Meeting ID: 886 3246 7047

Passcode: 980365

Please contact Henry Welles for more information.

Thursday Morning Bible Study

10:00 a.m. - Thursday

The Thursday Morning Bible Study is hybrid. Thursday Morning Bible Study will complete our study of Bible Women on July 6, and take a break for the rest of the summer. Join us in-person at 10:00 AM in the Narthex or virtually by Zoom. The Zoom link to can be found in the weekly Christian Formation email.

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.