The latest from St. John's, Clearwater

St. John's Episcopal Church

To love, To serve, To grow in Christ

Sept. 24, 2026

The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 27, 2026

9:00 a.m.

Celebrant and Preacher: The Rev. Alicia Gomes
Bunny Harmon, Pianist
Lessons and YouTube link listed below.

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

A message from Stewardship chair, Deb Hladky

We are beginning our annual stewardship campaign, and I wanted to take a few minutes to share some reflections from my own journey.

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a stewardship workshop at DaySpring. One of the things that struck me most was that stewardship is not really about fundraising. Stewardship is about discipleship.

Everything we have comes from God, and stewardship is simply our way of giving back with love and gratitude. When we share our time, our talents, and our resources, we are sharing God's love with others and helping carry out His work in our church and our community.

One thing that became very clear to me during the workshop is that the spirit of stewardship and generosity is already alive and strong here at St. John’s. As we mentioned recently, St. John’s isn’t just this beautiful chapel or the buildings on our campus. St. John’s is you. It’s me. It’s all of us. It’s the people who show up, who care, who give, who serve, and who love our neighbors. That is what makes St. John’s so special. When the Bishop and Canon visited our campus, they saw that spirit in action. They saw the incredible ministries taking place here and the impact our parishioners are having on the lives of people in our communitty.

They saw the work of our Thrift Shop. They learned about our AA and NA groups that offer support, healing, and hope. Belcher elementary outreach through pack a sack, Thanksgiving meals, and the Giving tree. They saw the work of Good Neighbors and so many other ministries that serve people in need and remind our community that they are loved and valued.

These ministries are not just programs. They are God's work. They are the hands and feet of Jesus reaching out into our community.

Rev. Alicia’s sermon a couple weeks ago really hit home for me. It reminded me of my own journey when I was first asked to join the Vestry. Like Moses, my first thought was, ““Who am I? Why me?”

I can’t quote Scripture chapter and verse. I don’t know the Bible nearly as well as so many others do. What could I possibly contribute? I didn’t see myself as a leader, and I honestly wasn’t sure I had what it took.

What I did know was how I felt when I came to church. I knew the blessings my family experienced when my children attended Sunday School. I knew how meaningful it is to serve as an usher and get to know you all a little better, I knew the difference this church had made in my life.

Even after joining the Vestry, I was a little uncomfortable when I learned that the "newbie" often gets stewardship. To be honest, I didn't like the idea of asking people for money or asking people to do more, especially when so many of my friends and fellow parishioners already give so much of themselves.

But through prayer and through the stewardship workshop, my perspective changed. My eyes were opened to the incredible opportunities God has given us to serve others through this church. I realized that stewardship is not about asking for something. It is about inviting people to participate in God's work.

The ministries on this campus change lives. They feed people, support people, welcome people, and bring people closer to God. But these ministries do not happen by accident.

Your financial contributions keep this mission alive. They support our outreach programs, maintain our campus, fund our ministries, and allow us to continue serving our neighbors in Christ's name. None of this would be possible without your offerings and faithful giving.

I also understand that financial giving can be challenging, especially right now. I looked at my own bills yesterday morning and realized that, for much of this past year, there have been months when what comes in simply doesn’t cover what goes out, and I’ve had to dip into my savings to make it all work. I know I’m not the only one. Many of us are feeling the strain of trying to make everything work. That’s why I believe stewardship must come from the heart, and it looks different for each of us. It’s not about how much we give. It’s about prayerfully asking, “What can I give? How can I serve? How can I be part of this?”

God has given every one of us gifts. They may look different, but each one matters. And when we offer those gifts with love, God can use them in ways that can change lives.

As we begin this stewardship season, I invite you to prayerfully consider how God is calling you to participate in the mission of St. John's. Together, through our gifts, our service, and our generosity, we can continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.

Thank you.

Amen.

Deb

Replanting Pinellas Task Force

The Diocese is putting together a Task Force made up of 2 representatives from each of the 6 churches involved in the replant, as well as other clergy and community representatives.

What will the Task Force be doing?

Working closely with the Bishop and diocesan leaders to further refine timeline and goals, including transition planning for each congregation.
Creating a "Mission Statement" for Replanting Pinellas
Making recommendations regarding land use and future development opportunities
Designing and implementing a plan for building community and collaboration through prayer, worship and fellowship
Writing a prayer that can be prayed in the six congregations throughout the process.

If you are interested in being a part of the Task Force, below is a link to the application. The deadline for applying is September 30.

https://episcopalflorida.wufoo.com/forms/replanting-pinellas-task-force-application/

Blessing of our Pets - Saturday, October 3, 9 a.m.

Bring all your pets to be blessed in honor of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Invite friends and relatives who have pets - "all creatures great and small." . We will meet in front of the church. Rev. Alicia Gomes and Pastor Anne Harmon will administer the blessings. Other churches in our deanery have been invited.

We will be collecting pet supplies for animal shelters. Items needed: towels, flat sheets, pillowcases, pet food, dog and cat toys, shredded paper.

Do you shred paper at home or at work? If so, put it in a bag and bring it in. Shelters use it as bedding for Guinea pigs, hamsters, ferrets and other little creatures..

If you are unable to come on Saturday, Oct. 3, you can bring items to church on Sunday, Sept. 27 or Oct. 4.

Italian Fellowship Dinner, Oct. 16, 5 p.m.

Ciao! Do you have a favorite Italian dish? Make it and bring it to the dinner in the parish hall on Oct 16. Join us for good food, music, Italian trivia and fellowship with pisani (friends). Beverages will be provided. More information to follow. Mangiamo!

Caregiver Support Group at St. Alfred's Episcopal Church

If you are caring for a loved one - a parent, spouse, child, or dear friend, regardless of their medical condition (dementia, disability, hospice, long-term recovery) who is caring for you? Providing support and care for a loved one can seem like an overwhelming job, but you are not alone. We are here to offer you support, understanding, learning and the hope you need to carry on with this difficult responsibility. The first group session will begin on Wednesday, September 23rd at 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. in the Parish Library (Building D), at St. Alfred’s Episcopal Church, 1601 Curlew Road in Palm Harbor. We will continue meeting every Wednesday, same time, same place. For more information, contact Cindy at ar@stalfreds.net or call 727-785-1601.

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

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.

Prevent Mosquito borne illnesses - Dump Standing Water

Pinellas County is experiencing an increase in Dengue cases and West Nile activity. Both viruses are transmitted by mosquitoes. Please take immediate action by dumping any standing water, dressing in light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and pants with closed-toe shoes, and defending yourself with an EPA-registered bug spray. Pinellas County Mosquito Control crews are knocking on doors in many neighborhoods to help residents. Please allow them to help find potential problem areas. For more information, visit Pinellas.gov/mosquito

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 Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

9:00 a.m.

Readings:

Exodus 17:1-7

Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16

Philippians 2:1-13

Matthew 21:23-32

Readers:

First Reading: Peri Worrell

Second Reading: Charlie Stupia

Prayers of the People: Judy Charmatz

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

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

October 9-10 Diocesan Convention

October 10 Celebration of Life service for Dr. Charles McCallister, 10 am

October 13 56th Anniversary of the Dedication of our church building

October 16 Italian themed fellowship dinner; 5 p.m.

November 11 Veteran's Day

November 26 Thanksgiving

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