The latest from St. John's, Clearwater

St. John's Episcopal Church

To love, To serve, To grow in Christ

Sept. 10, 2026

The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 13, 2026

9:00 a.m.

Celebrant and Preacher: The Rt. Rev. Douglas Scharf
Assistant: The Rev. Alicia Gomes
Jim May, Music Director
Lessons and YouTube link listed below.
Celebration of St. John's 60th Birthday
Brunch to follow the service.

Please enter the church quietly and spend time in prayer before the service.

St. John's is 60!

St. John's is officially a sexagenarian! Please join us on Sunday to celebrate St. John's 60 years of ministry to the community.

In honor of this special day, The Rt. Rev. Douglas Scharf, Bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida, will celebrate and preach at our service on Sunday, September 13. He will also confirm parishioner Janice Boutin as well as a member of St. Andrew's, Spring Hill.

The service will be held at 10 a.m.

Following the service, brunch will be served in the parish hall. We will eat delicious food and share stories and memories of St. John's.

Brunch will be catered by our two in-house chefs: Deb Hladky and her students in the culinary arts department of Leto High School in Tampa, and our sexton, Brother Thomas Watts, who is also a professional chef.

The menu:

Classic Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce

Corned Beef Hash Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce

Sausage, Ham, and Cheddar Quiche

Broccoli, Mushroom, Spinach, and Cheddar Quiche

Roast Beef Sliders with Gruyere Cheese and a Smoked Paprika Garlic Aioli

Roasted Mixed Vegetables

Potato Gratin

Cole Slaw

Fresh Fruit

Brownies

Raspberry Streusel Bars

Chocolate Chip Cookies

A cake donated by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church

Iced tea, Lemonade, Coffee

Ya'll come!

A bit of history - The Windows of St. John's

Songs of Creation told in glass

One of the many wonderful things about the windows in our church is that you can see right through them to the nature that surrounds our beautiful campus. However, if you take the time to really look at the windows, or even just the window closest to where you sit, you may wonder about the nature and animals represented.

The windows in their entirity are based on the Canticle "A Song of Creation" from Morning Prayer, Rite I, page 47 in The Book of Common Prayer.

The Canticle is a song of praise and joy to all God's creation. The sweeping lines through all the windows represent the life force, the spirit that runs through all creation. There are recurring themes: the cycle of life, the spirit of life, the Trinity, pairs, mother and child, community, family.

The story begins in the north transept, then moves to the south transept, down the southside of the church, up the northside, and ending at the transept. There are additional windows in the Chapel, the Vesting room and the nursery that represent Anglican and Florida church history, St. John's family, the elements and the people (community). Leading into the sanctuary are the Four Gospel Doors symbolizing Matthew, Mark, Luke, and our namesake, John the Evangelist.

The windows, which were dedicated on November 6, 1989, are sculptured glass. The design, which looks like "frosted glass" was made by sandblasting in stages which carves images in different degree of depth into the back of clear glass. They truly are works of art.

If you would like to take a journey through the windows, there is a brochure in the tract rack that highlights each window. There is also a "game" card that asks you to identify and note all the animals and nature objects in the windows. You might want to take time to read the Canticle. Studying the windows and the canticle is a religious experience.

The windows were designed by parishioner Judy Charmatz and former parishioner Sherrry Daniels, and created by a company previously owned by Judy and her former husband. The windows were paid for by individual parishioners in memory of loved ones or in thanksgiving for blessings.

Town-hall gathering with Bishop Scharf

Tuesday, Sept. 15, 6 p.m.; Calvary Episcopal Church, Indian Rocks Beach

Be part of the conversation on Replanting Pinellas

We will carpool, leaving St. John's parking lot at 5:30.

We remember September 11, 2001

This week marks 25 years since the day that the lives and families in the United States were forever changed. Even though the events of 9/11 took place 25 years ago, many of us can still recall them like it was yesterday. Many are still feeling and living with the effects and the pain.

On this anniversary, let us remember and pray for the victims, the survivors, the families. Let us give thanks for the first responders and for all the "helpers". Our own Rev. Tanya Beck flew to New York and spent weeks ministering to the first responders who took respit in St. Paul's Chapel.

Where were you when it happened? What do you remember?

On this fateful anniversary, let us pray that the nations of the world might find peace with one another.

Wishing our Jewish friends and neighbors a blessed Rosh Hoshannah

September 11 is the first day of the Jewish High Holy Days. Rosh Hashanah (which means, literally, “the head of the year” in English) is not characterized by frivolity and celebration. Instead, it is a holy day marked by intense moral introspection, embodying the deep spiritual meaning of Rosh Hashanah. On this day, Jews consider themselves plaintiffs appealing for their lives before the Supreme Judge and Ruler of the universe.

Because of this judgment, the mood pervading Rosh Hashanah is one of solemnity—but it is also one of trust in a God who is a merciful and beneficent Father, desires our repentance, and is eager to grant forgiveness.

Jewish sages teach that fates are “written” as God judges the world on Rosh Hashanah and “sealed” ten days later on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and the holiest day on the Hebrew calendar. The period in between the two holy days is known as The High Holy Days, Ten Days of Repentance, or the Days of Awe, during which reflection and penitence intensify.

Looking for a simple way to serve St. John's and the community?

Good Neighbors is in urgent need of strong, dependable volunteers to help receive, sort, and load food for our community. Even 1, 2, or 3 hours of your time can make a real difference in helping feed families, seniors, and children across Tampa Bay.

www.goodneighbors.org/volunteer-application-fl

Lectors are needed to read the Lessons and Prayers of the People. If you like to read aloud, please consider serving in this way. Schedules of lessons and readers are sent out prior to the beginning of a month. If you are interested, please speak to Marlene Eichelberger.

St. John's is in need of ushers. The job consisists of arriving at 8:30 on Sunday, greeting people as they arrive, asking visitors to sign the guest book, handing out bulletins. taking up the offering, and guiding people to the communion rail. Training is provided, along with serving alongside an experienced usher. Contact Ellen Seto

There is a need for assistance for Sunday coffee hour - set up, clean up. There is also a need for "goodies" for coffee hour.

The Episcopal Zone

Bishop

The Bishop is the chief sacramental officer of the church and the office which gives our church its name. The Latin word for bishopi is episcopus, and so the original name of the Episcopal Church said that we were the Protestant church with bishops in the United States. Bishops are the chief pastors for their dioceses. They are responsible for ensuring that the faith proclaimed in parishes is the faith of the church. Bishops have the special office to ordain priests and deacons, and together with other bishops, to ordain or concerate other bishops. Theey are also the chief ministers in the rite of Confirmation. Bishops are required to visit all the parishes and mssions in their dioceses at regular intervals. They also preside at diocesan conventions and have administrative responsilbility for diocesan activiites. Each diocese has a diocesan bishop elected by that diocese meeting in convention to be the liturgical and administrative officer of the diocese. The official title of a bishop is The Right Reverend.

Information taken from A New Dictionary for E-pis-co-pa-lains

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 751 followers! It grows weekly. 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

Visit our Website

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 services are live streamed on Facebook and YouTube. The YouTube link is listed below. For Facebook, go to the St. John's Facebook page and click on "videos".

The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

9:00 a.m.

Readings:

Exodus 14:19-31

Psalm 114

Romans 14:1-12

Matthew 18:21-35

Readers:

First Reading: Charles Stupia

Second Reading: Marti Moore

Prayers of the People: Ellen Seto

To watch on YouTube: Click HERE

Weekly Schedule

Choir Rehearsals

6:00 pm. Bell Choir

7:00 pm Vocal Choir

Thrift Shop schedule:

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 9:30- 3:30

Wednesday Morning Bible Study -

10 a.m. in the Parish Hall; for more information, contact Charlie Stupia

Rug Hookers - Parish Hall

Thursdays 10:00 am.

Men's Cursillo Grouping- Parish Hall

Thursdays 7:00 am.

Dates for your Calendar

September 11 St. John's 60th birthday; commemorates the first Eucharist held by St. John's at Belcher School.

September 13 Visitation of The Rt. Rev. Douglas Scharf ; Service at 10 a.m.;

Confirmation; lunch and celebration following the service

September 15 Town hall meeting with Bishop Scharf; Topic - Replanting Pinellas

October 3 Blessing of Pets, 9 a.m., in front of the church

October 9-10 Diocesan Convention

Contact Information

Church Office: 727-531-6020, jandavis.stjohns@gmail.com

Priest: revalicia.stjohns@gmail.com

Senior Warden: seniorwarden2024.stjohns@gmail.com

VIEW ENTIRE MESSAGE

The eNews document is frequently cut off at a certain point to better fit on a page of your phone, tablet, etc. Please scroll down to the bottom of the page, and click on VIEW ENTIRE MESSAGE.

Hurricane Preparedness

It is important to us that we know your plans in case of a hurricane. Are you in an evacuation zone? Many zones have changed this year, so be sure to check on yours.If you are in an evac zone, will you evacuate and where will you go? If you aren't, can you take in a parishioner or two?

We also need your emergency contact, preferably someone who is not local and won't be afftected by a hurricane. Please fill out the form and return it to church or email it to jandavis.stjohns@gmail.com.

LINK TO FORM

Pinellas County now has an app that can be downloaded to your phone or computer which put all storm information such as zones, shelters, emergency response, and more at your finger tips. It can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play

CLICK HERE for the Ready Pinellas App information

CLICK HERE for The Pinellas County Hurricane Guide

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 Thursday enews is Wednesday noon.

Marlene Eichelberger