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St. John's Episcopal Church
To love, To serve, To grow in Christ
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The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
February 8, 2026
9:00 a.m.
- Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. Canon Andrew Gerns
- Assisting: The Rev. Kevin D. Mort
- Please enter the church quietly and spend time in prayer.
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Annual Parish Meeting
If you were unable to attend St. John's Annual Meeting, please see Marlene on Sunday to receive an annual report, a current directory and a car magnet. Bob Courdway will have information about a fund raising project. Annual reports and directories will not be emailed or attached to eNews.
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Future Priest Capital Campaign
In the event you missed our Annual Meeting, I would like to bring you up to speed. While working on the 2026 Budget, the Vestry decided it needed to make a positive statement regarding our desire for a full-time rector. We would want a potential candidate to believe we are serious about any offer we might make. Therefore, we added a salary line to our budget and kicked off our Future Priest Capitol Campaign.
We chose one year’s salary as our goal, and thanks to the foresight of past vestries, we have just over 50% to start our campaign. You can check out the numbers on our goal thermometer on the wall outside the nursery and pick up a donation box from the table for those stray dollars.. Join me as we invest in faith to ensure our future.
Bob Courdway, Treasurer
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Four Chaplians Interfaith Service
Please join us this evening at 7 p.m. as the Belcher Rd. Interfaith Group, of which St. John's is a founding member, remember and celebrate the 4 Chaplains, 2 Christian and 2 Jewish, gave up their life jackets to other passengers as their boat was sinking. It is known as the first Interfaith cooperative. St. John's choirs will take part in the service. Reception to follow in the parish hall.
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St. John's Facebook Page and Website
Are you aware that St. John's has a Facebook page? As of today, our Facebook page has 731 followers! Are you one of them? If not, please go to Facebook.com and search for St. John's Episcopal Church, Clearwater, FL. Then either "like" or "follow" the page. We post not only events of local interest, but also information from the wider Episcopal Church.
St. John's website, www.stjohnsclearwater.org, is one of the ways that we communicate who we are as a community. If you are interested in learning and helping with the website, please contact Jim May, jimmay.stjohns@gmail.com
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St. John's Wants and Needs
- Please bring in your palm crosses to be burned on Shrove Tuesday and used on Ash Wednesday.
- The Thrift Shop is in need of volunteers both at the front desk and in the back room
- The Thrift Shop also needs single pants/skirt hangers.
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Pack-a-Sack Revamped
For many years, Caroline Barnett and helpers shopped at Sam's every other Monday, and then packed two weeks of food to be delivered to Belcher School. Currently, we are sponsoring 42 children at Belcher Elementary with the assistance of Hope Presbyterian. Times change and so do we! St. John's now has a standing order with Sam's that is delivered to the church every other week. Then on every-other Sunday morning, after the service, in the parish hall, the food is spread out on tables and packed. This allows for participation by many more parishioners. (The picture shows just a few of the helpers.) It also is much more time efficient. What was taking Caroline, Sandy and Diane about 2 1/2 hours, was completed and cleaned up by a dozen or so parishioners in a little more than an hour. Next Packing date: Feb. 15 following the service.
| | Scan the QR code below to make a donation to St. John's, via Faithstreet. Your generous donations help to continue our mission of loving and serving God in our community and the world. | | |
Worship
Our service is live streamed on FaceBook and YouTube at 9:00 am on Sundays.
If you can't watch live, you can watch it at your convenience by going to St. John's FaceBook page and click on "videos".
To watch on You Tube: Click HERE for February 8, 2026
The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
9:00 a.m.
Readings:
Isaiah 58:1-9a, (9b-12)
Psalm 112:1-9 (10)
1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)
Matthew 5:13-20
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Choir Rehearsals
Bell Choir, Tuesdays, 6 p.m.
Vocal Choir, Tuesdays, 7 p.m.
Thrift Shop schedule:
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 9:30- 3:30
Retirees
Second Monday of the month 10:00 am
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Wednesday Morning Bible Study -
10 a.m. in the Parish Hall. Bring your Bible. For more information, contact Bob Courdway
Rug Hookers - Parish Hall
Thursdays 10:00 am.
Men's Cursillo Grouping- Parish Hall
Thursdays 7:00 am.
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Dates for your Calendar
February 3 Interfaith Four Chaplains Day Service, 7 p.m.
February 7 Celebration of the Life of Absolon Jones, St. Peter's Cathedral, 10 am
February 12-15 Cursillo weekend at DaySpring
February 17 Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, 4:30-6:30
February 18 Ash Wednesday; services with imposition of ashes,
12 noon and 7:15 p.m.
September 11 St. John's 60th Birthday
September 13 Visitation of The Rt. Rev. Douglas Scharf
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A sneak preview at Lent
Sign up sheets for Soup and Salad and the Lenten program will be available before and after services. It is important to sign up so that we will know how much food is needed.
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Office Schedule and Contact Information
Church Office hours are Mon. - Thus. from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm.
Mondays & Wednesdays, for access to church office,
please call the office at 727-531-6020
The Rev. Hugh O. Bell, Priest in Residence
email: hobell2888@gmail.com
The Rev. Kevin Mort, Deacon
cell phone: 727 409-8248
email: kdmort727@gmail.com
Office phone number:
727-531-6020
Office email addresses:
Parish Administrator
Jim May, Music Director email address:
Music Director
727-531-6020 Ex. 4
Marlene Eichelberger, Senior Warden
email: seniorwarden2024.stjohns@gmail.com
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eNews
What you would like to see in eNews? We need your input to keep it fresh and relevant. Is your ministry area doing something that you would like to share? Please send your news, ideas, articles, photos, etc. to me at seniorwarden2024.stjohns@gmail.com
The deadline submission for the Tuesday enews is Monday, 3 p.m.
Marlene Eichelberger
| | NEWS, MINISTRIES, AND UPCOMING CHURCH EVENTS! | | |
The Diocese of Southwest Florida, in partnership with the Cathedral Church of St. Peter, is pleased to invite you to “I Love to Tell the Story: A Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Absalom Jones,” to be held on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter. This day-long gathering will honor the faith, witness, and enduring legacy of Absalom Jones—the first African American ordained as a priest in The Episcopal Church—through storytelling, reflection, worship, and community.
The day will begin with a morning workshop (10 a.m.–12 p.m.) focused on recalling our faith stories, followed by an afternoon presentation by Dr. Kathy Hood Culmer, author, professional storyteller, and Christian educator, titled “Like Fire Shut Up in My Bones: The Role of Storytelling in African American History and Life.” The celebration will conclude with a Holy Eucharist for the Feast of Absalom Jones at 2:45 p.m., with a reception to follow.
Please help us plan by registering in advance at
https://episcopalflorida.wufoo.com/forms/a-celebration-of-the-life-of-absalom-jones.
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