"To know Christ and to make Him known . . . "
The Chalice
The Weekly Sunday Bulletin of St. John’s Episcopal Church 
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever (Psalm 23).
 
Today we are back in John’s Gospel. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Jesus is the Word of God made flesh that we might know that Jesus is our redeemer, God’s son. John uses the metaphor of the good shepherd that we might understand the relationship between us and our Lord. God came to us that we might have abundant life in him. We are called into relationship with Jesus Christ through the breaking of Bread and the scriptures. Psalm 23 tells us that when we walk through the racism, sexism, individualism, and ungodliness of this present age, Jesus, the good shepherd will walk with us. God will walk with us through this pandemic and into the higher plane of the Beloved Community, if we will stop to hear his voice.


I urge every member to develop a deep relationship through worship, prayer, and service to the Living God. Join us daily as we walk together with our Lord at 9AM through Morning Prayer. If you are going through a difficult time, we will stand beside you and pray with you until we all reach the Promised Land. Follow the path of righteousness that Jesus has laid before us and have your soul restored. We will make it through this difficult time back to green pastures because God loves us and walks with us on this perilous journey through the desert. Please do not be afraid. If we have ever walked through the shadow of death, it has been this last year. Notice the word "through"! This is not where we end up. Please know that there are green pastures and still waters ahead once we get through this pandemic.

Please walk with one another through the last of this pandemic by calling and visiting one another as you are vaccinated and are able. Join us next week on Tuesday at 6:30pm for a meeting of our Lay Eucharistic Ministers and Visitors. We will be offering another class so that you can be certified to take Holy Communion to our shut ins. Come to the church when you feel comfortable and help us recycle cloths in the Thrift Shop. We are trying to be open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, but we need more help. Nancy and our Thrift Shop team really need your assistance! You can offer one day or come every week. Please join us.

Please remember that this week we celebrated Earth Day. Plant some flowers or a tree in the coming weeks. Pick up some garbage or plastic if you see it. Commit yourself to recycling, reducing your carbon footprint and caring for this planet each and every day. St. John’s is committed to environmental stewardship! Our solar panels have given us a zero-sum electric bill in the new section of the church. We have invested wisely and the dividends are both financial and environmental. Please recycle all paper at the church and help us to reduce our consumption.

In Christ’s love, 
Fr. Duncan
SUNDAY WORSHIP THIS WEEK
8:00 am - Rite I Holy Eucharist in the church
Face masks, social distancing, and contract tracing sign in. Space is limited.
 
8:00 am - Rite II Morning Prayer
8am Service Bulletin: Easter4 04-25-2021
 
9:15 am – Rite II Morning Prayer with Music
9:15 am Service Bulletin: Easter4 04-25-2021
 
10:15 am - Sunday School via Zoom
 
11:00 am - Rite II Holy Eucharist in the church & Facebook Live
In person: Face masks, social distancing, and contract tracing sign in. Space is limited.
 
Please note: Pre-registration for in person services is no longer required. Attendees will have to sign in upon arrival for contact tracing purposes. Please see the Vestry protocols outlined below. 
COFFEE HOUR
Please join us for a ZOOM coffee hour each Sunday immediately following the 8:00am (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83750939744) & 9:15am (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85013336358) services. Grab a cup of your own coffee and a snack, share some time with your friends at St. Johns.
SAFE PRACTICES FOR IN-PERSON SERVICES
We are so happy to welcome people back into the church for in-person worship. As we slowly re-open and increase the number of people allowed in the church, we can all do our part to keep ourselves and others safe and healthy:

  1. Masks are required. Disposable masks are available at the back of the church;
  2. Social distancing. Please maintain a 6ft distance between your group/family and others;
  3. Sanitize hands upon entrance. Dispensers are available at the back of the church;
  4. Prayer Books available to borrow;
  5. Service bulletins and reading inserts and are available at the back of the church;
  6. Only sit in designated areas;
  7. No singing at this time
  8. Follow all traffic flow signs and instructions of the ushers.
MORNING PRAYER
All are welcome at Morning Prayer. We meet Monday through Friday at 9:00 am via Zoom. Our short prayer service is followed by some fellowship and discussion. Feel free to join us occassionallly to listen and pray, or come more often to participate as a leader or reader, and to start your day with your focus on Christ and a deeper connnection with your friends at St. John's.

BIBLE STUDY
Bible Study meets on Mondays at 6:30 pm and on Tuesdays at 11:00 am.

Monday Evening Bible Study at 6:30 pm: 

Tuesday Bible Study at 11:00am:
PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY
The Prayer Shawl Ministry has truly been reenergized!

We have distributed 27 shawls this year! We are grateful to have received some yarn donations and monetary donations.THANK YOU to those who donated and to those making these beautiful shawls! As we continue to make shawls for those in need in our community, we can use your support to keep us going.

Please consider donating to help our ministry! You can donate yarn or donate financially using the link below or sending a check into the church. You are also welcome to make a shawl and donate the completed shawl to the ministry.


We meet via Zoom on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 6pm, for a group check in. Our next meeting is Thursday, May 13.

Please contact Noelle DeLorenzo at ndelorenzo217@gmail.com with any inquiries on donations, receiving prayer shawls, or joining the ministry.
SCHOLARSHIP
The St. John's Scholarship committee is now accepting applications for the 2021 Florence and Robert Scott Scholarship.


A scholarship will be awarded to one or two graduating High School senior(s). Your application must be received by the Parish Office by Friday, May 14, 2021. You may submit your application and supporting documents via email to cfreas@stjohnshuntington.org or by mail to: St. John's Church, Attn: Scholarship Committee, 12 Prospect St, Huntington, NY 11743.

Please contact the Parish Office with any questions at (631) 427-1752 or cfreas@stjohnshuntington.org.
THRIFT SHOP OPEN
The Thrift shop is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 12-3 pm. We have new spring clothes and nic nacs are 50% off!

 Come and Shop!

The Thrift Shop is accepting donations of seasonal clothing. If you wish to become a volunteer in the ministry of the Thrift Shop, please contact Nancy Feustel at n.feustel@verizon.net.
STEWARDSHIP
If you have not already pledged, please consider making a Stewardship commitment in 2021 in support of the ministry of St. John’s. Your stewardship is a commitment to sustaining St. John’s ministry today and going forward.

Using your credit card or a direct payment from your checking account, you will be able to make a one-time payment or set up recurring payments using our secure payment platform Realm. Please click on the link below to make a payment:


Or send a check made payable to "St. John's Episcopal Church" to 12 Prospect Street, Huntington, NY 11743.
PRAYER CONCERNS FOR ST. JOHN'S
We pray for all our doctors, nurses, and medical staff who put themselves at risk to care for us during this corona virus epidemic.

We pray for all our men and women serving in the armed services and all first responders who put themselves at risk every day, especially during this time. May God keep them safe and healthy, and return them home to their loved ones.

We pray for those who work for justice. May God give us all strength and wisdom to act for change when it is needed.

We pray for the sick: Tom, David & Irene, Linda, Danica, Lori, Leslie, Hope, Mike, Michael, Elizabeth, Patti, Bob, Christian, Gladys, Lynn, Fred, Jim & Irene, Debra, Alex, Michelle, Pauline, Richard, Barbara, Bill, Pat, Cory, Allassadra, Ellen, Lucille, Frank, Theresa, Spencer, Sue, Wylie, Matt, Cheryl, Tom, Stephanie, Lisa, Gary, Maggie, Tyler, Ursula, Edward, Christine, Samantha, Grace

Please note: We have begun a new prayer list for Easter. Please send your updated prayers for the Easter season to Coral in the Parish Office, cfreas@stjohnshuntington.org.

For pastoral care and prayer, please contact Fr. Duncan or Claire Mis, directly.