St. John’s will celebrate All Saints' Day, Monday, 1 November, with the Holy Eucharist with hymns at 10:00 a.m. on the day. The Feast of All Saints will also be celebrated on the Sunday following at both morning services.

All Saints’ Day is one of the seven Principal Feasts observed in the Church and commemorates all of the heroes of the faith, known and unknown, who gave their “all” for Christ, many to the point of martyrdom, and now who are “before the throne of God, and serve him day and night within his temple.“ (Rev. 7:15) All Saints’ Day, whether on the day or the Sunday following, is a day when all members of the parish should make a special effort to be present for the Holy Eucharist. Since we are observing it on the day this year, we do hope that there will be a good turn out for the actual day, 1 November!

Our Holy Eucharist on Wednesdays is back! The services will take place in the church at 12:15 a.m. beginning next week, November 3

The Way of Love small group for parishioners under 40 meets next Wednesday, November 3 at 7:15 p.m. on Zoom. Join them to pray, share, and grow! Send Fr. Cannon an email and he’ll send you the link.

Parish Brunches are back and we need your help! Chef Dave needs team members on the third Sunday of the month to help feed our parish. The first date is November 21, and he will be in the kitchen from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. Won't you give of your time to support fun fellowship? Contact Dave to sign up!

Menus will consist of finger foods, and diners will be spaced throughout the Parish Hall and Courtyard for safety.

We invite you to join with the Cathedral for a Zoom webinar on Monday, November 8 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. Cathedral Church of St. Peter member and director of the USF Counseling Center, Scott Strader, and Monica Burton, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, will help us understand how we can extend compassion, build resilience, and practice self-care as we face the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic.

Register here and the Zoom link will be sent to you. Please invite friends, grandparents, and others! This is beneficial for all those who love and care for our children, youth, and young adults. For more information, visit the diocesan website.

The annual Fathers Ministry camping trip will be November 5 and 6 at Lakewood Retreat, 25458 Dan Brown Hill Road in Brooksville. Don't miss this popular St. John's tradition! Contact Kaivon Madani with questions and to RSVP.

Alumni and alumni families, don't miss two opportunities to celebrate St. John's School! Our School is turning 70, and will be commemorating this big anniversary with events all year long! Mark your calendars for the Santa Run and the Alumni Social in December. For more information, contact Cindy Fenlon, or click on the graphic to enlarge. Click here to sign up.

Ron and Mary Hulse’s lovely home and pool area were the setting for great conversation, meet and greets, and delicious food last Friday as the Soiree held its first event in quite some time! Click on the collage to enlarge and see all the fun!

As part of marking the 70th birthday of St. John’s School, our school community is engaging seven special days of service… one for each decade St. John’s Episcopal School has served Tampa Bay. This past Saturday, families and alums, together with staff members Cindy Fenlon and Fr. James Reho and his wife, Lori met at Metropolitan Ministries for a family service day that is the second of seven days of service this year. They worked in the Metropolitan Ministries clothing store, which serves many in need, and also worked in the garden where fresh vegetables are grown for many folks in need throughout the Tampa area. Students, parents, faculty, alumni, and administrators were all present for this fun and productive day. Keep an eye out for the third of these seven days of service… and join in the fun of working together and helping others!

Participating with Cindy and the Rehos were Hampton Stephens (parent and School board member), Walt Stephens (7th grader), James Clifton (parent), Addison Clifton (7th grader), John Wagner (parent) and alums Zayden Saldin (SJE 2020) and Davis Wash (SJE 2020).

Do you like to sew? Do you know a young person who would like to learn to sew? Well, St. John’s may have a new ministry for you. Nothing fancy necessary, just straight lines!

We are beginning a sewing ministry that will make pouches for Tampa’s unhoused population to store their ID and other important documents. The pouches have a cord that goes around the neck and can go under a shirt or blouse so that documents can remain out of sight and safe.

They are very easy to make. We have samples and instructions. They will be distributed to people in need by Faith Cafe and Love, INC. What we need now is denim or other strong fabric and velcro strips. Old, unwanted jeans or other denim clothing will work. We will place a container in the

Parish Hall, properly labeled, for your donations. If you would like to join the sewing ministry, donate supplies, or receive more information, please reach out to Shirley Susich at [email protected].

Offering envelopes for All Saints' Day will be in the church this Sunday. All names must be returned to the church office by Monday, November 1, in order to meet our print deadline. Those wishing to remember departed loved ones may return the envelopes by Monday or email the parish offices at [email protected], including the name(s) of the departed and the name(s) of those making the request in the body of the email. You may also make your contribution by clicking on this link and selecting "All Saints' Day" from the dropdown menu.

Cornerstone Kids will benefit from your generosity once again this Christmas! The Giving Tree will be put out in the courtyard Sunday, November 7, and then throughout the following week in the church office. You can choose a child to buy gifts for, wrap the gifts, and return them to the church office. If you’re not a toy shopper, the parents will can surely use $20 Wal-Mart gift cards. And the program always needs food and paper products for their hot afternoon meal.

See you on the 7th!

Many of our former book club members have expressed the hope that we can begin again, now that we are learning to live cautiously with the COVID virus. We will miss the leadership of our faithful, long-standing coordinator, Helen Gilbart, who has stepped down. Pat Rice and I have been trying to find someone who would help us resurrect our group.

Polly Woodard, a member of our book club for several years, has agreed to serve in this capacity, along with her daughter Mary Blythe Broecker. For those who don’t know Polly, I asked her to introduce herself!

“A UNC Chapel Hill graduate, M.Ed., I was a college-prep English and World Lit teacher in Fairfax, Virginia high schools for over thirty years. I especially enjoyed working with prospective English teachers at George Mason University, who trained with me as teacher interns. I have led book clubs in Virginia and Tampa and was delighted when Mary Esther Parker invited me to join the St John’s Book Club.”

We need your input as to how to reactivate the club. We propose an organizational meeting on Tuesday, November 16, at 4:00 p.m. in the Lowry Room. If this works, let us know. If meeting in person with masks is not comfortable for you, let us know that. Before we meet, Polly wants your book suggestions, so she can present them to the group. We will start with a monthly book to discuss at our January meeting. If enough folks suggest the same book, we might start that book discussion in November.

Here’s how to reach Polly with your preferences as to books and meeting arrangements: call her at 571.215.8543; or email her at [email protected]. The sooner we hear from you, the sooner we can get started!

Don’t forget that there is NO EYC this Sunday, October 31! We hope that you will spend Halloween night with your families or friends.

Looking forward: St John’s EYC will be serving at Metro Ministries Holiday Tents on Sunday, December 12 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.. Every volunteer needs to sign up through this link to be included in our St John’s group: http://stjohnsyouth.metromin.volunteerhub.com. We will need to know our final numbers before December 1! Youth Group families, including parents and children over 8, are welcome to sign up to serve together!

Check out Youth Group pictures and video from this week (including a Christmas Singalong?!) on our St John's EYC Instagram.

Join our Remind EYC group text to stay up to date on EYC happenings by clicking here (from your phone)!

Our 2021 St John’s Christmas Pageant Sign-up is now officially open! Email Children’s Minister Ayana Grady with your preferences. We are asking for at least one parent per family to sign up to help. Our Christmas Pageant Cast Reveal Brunch will be on Sunday, November 21 after the 10:00 service in conjunction with the Parish Brunch.

Grace T

8th grade at Orange Grove Middle Magnet

🎹 Grace played the piano for 2 years

🎶 Grace is in the top Chorus at her school

🎭 Grace is also in the top Theatre class at her school

Grace’s favorite thing about St John’s: I love connecting with those around me!

The Women’s Mid Morning Bible Study continues a study of the first and second letters of Paul to the Thessalonians using the study guide Paul for Everyone, Galatians and Thessalonians by N. T. Wright. They meet on alternate Tuesdays, gathering at 10:00 a.m. for fellowship, followed by the lesson from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. They will continue to meet by Zoom for now. Sharon Stoll will lead the study of 2 Thessalonians, Chapter 1, on Tuesday, November 9.

For more information, contact Sally Wiley at [email protected] or 244.4497 or Pat Wilson at [email protected]. All women of the parish and those whom they would like to invite are welcome to join them as the group delves into Paul’s earliest extant correspondence.

The Wednesday Afternoon adult formation group continues on Zoom on Wednesdays from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. The group studies the work of a variety of Christian writers; group discussions are lively and substantive. All are welcome. For more information contact Deacon Kathleen at [email protected] or 785.9400.

Are you interested in serving God and your parish community through one of our many ministries, but don't know where to start? Contact Fr. Cannon by email or at the church office at 259.1570, and he can help guide you to the perfect match!

Contact Laurie Lawther at [email protected] to set up.

Go to www.stjohnstampa.org and click on "Give Now" on the right side of the top blue bar. The church now has the ability to accept credit and debit card payments, along with checking/savings account payments. To make a pledge or pay in some other way, click on "Stewardship" in the top website menu.

In the 'To' field of the text type 73256, then in the message, type SJE. You will receive a text back immediately with a link to complete the payment.

Laurie is available to walk you through any of these methods by email at [email protected] or call her at the parish offices at 259.1570. If you prefer, you may also call John Edgar in the parish offices and he will fill out a pledge card for you.

October 28, Adam Burden

October 29, Rowland Lee, Ken Dockery

October 30, Nicholas Arcuri, Scott Greacen, Steve Straske, Robert Mattox, Carter French, Walker Wilson, Haydon Swanson, Felix Dorsch

October 31, Simon Morley

November 1, Nancy Craig, Minnie Norton, Dave Corey, Sherrie Weekley, Allison Shamblin, Ginny Collier, Anna Marie Stracey

November 2, Carson Eckhard, Sykes Eckhard, Ken Johnston, Jensen Whittlesey, Jude Whittlesey, Jonathan Maya, Mark Lane-Holbert

November 3, none

The Men's Interactive Bible Study meets every Thursday at 11:45 a.m. to study the readings for the coming week and for fellowship. The group will convene in person in the Lowry Room for those who are comfortable. If you prefer to continue joining virtually, email John in the parish offices at [email protected] for the link.

The Holy Eucharist (Rite I), 8:00 a.m., Church, followed by Coffee Hour Fellowship

The Holy Eucharist (Rite II), 10:00 a.m., Church, on Facebook Live, and our website, followed by Coffee Hour Fellowship

Bulletins and other resources are available here. Click here for the readings, St. John's follows Track 2.

The Contemporary Women's Bible Study (CWBS) group does a weekly virtual study on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. This is a Zoom meeting, so if you are interested in participating, contact Deacon Kathleen at 785.9400 or [email protected]; or Sally Thompson at [email protected] or 254.3009 for the link.

In addition to welcoming in-person attendance at the 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. Sunday services, St. John's streams our 10:00 a.m. services live on Facebook. Access the stream at our page at https://www.facebook.com/stjohnstampa/. The stream is also live on our website. Please access the most current safety guidance here.

The audio for sermons is here. New sermons are uploaded by Monday each week. Bulletins for Sundays are here, each week's bulletin is uploaded to this page by Saturday. Click here to find the readings for this coming Sunday (St. John's follows Track 2). You can also see Sunday services on our YouTube channel, they are uploaded each Sunday by mid-afternoon.

The parish offices are open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Email us at [email protected] or call 259.1570 to speak with John Edgar if you have questions.

Our clergy, staff, and fellow parishioners stream evening prayer daily Monday through Saturday at 4:00 p.m. on Facebook Live. Intercessory prayers are invited in the comments during the feed.

Compline is offered by the brothers of the Society of St John the Evangelist on their web site at www.ssje.org on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 8:30 p.m EST.

If you have any questions or trouble using the online services noted above, please contact Lee Lowry by replying to this email, or John Edgar at [email protected]. You can also contact the clergy member or parishioner who is the contact for each ministry. 

Father Robinson: 941.350.0043

If you are someone who is able to help your fellow parishioners with errands and other means of support, please contact Fr. MIchael at [email protected]. Conversely, if you are a parishioner who needs help, please also contact Fr. Michael at email at [email protected] or by phone at 864.320.7116. He will match needs with resources so we are able to help one another in Christ's name.