This week at St John's

THIS WEEK AT ST JOHN'S

Dear Friends:

Can you imagine being fined for giving food or drink to a homeless person? Incredible as it may seem, that’s the risk you would be taking in Barrie, Ontario today.

Last week, Barrie City Council passed a bylaw that made it illegal for an ordinary citizen to feed someone, or offer them medical attention, in a public place. You can offer this assistance only with permission from the city, if you are part of a city-funded project or a recognized charity. Transgressors can be punished with a fine of up to $5,000. The bylaw was passed unanimously, without public consultation or debate.

Rev. Canon Simon Bell is a leader in the fight against the criminalization of the homeless and those who help them. In a spirited sermon last Sunday, he noted that “Compassion is not constrained by the permission of those in authority.” Jesus never asked a Roman authority for permission to feed 5,000 people on a hillside; nor did he ask Jewish religious authorities for permission to heal the sick on the Sabbath.

This coming Sunday, October 19, Simon has organized a deceptively simple protest called “Loaves and Fishes.” People are asked to gather at the Spirit Catcher, a focal point on the Barrie waterfront, bringing a piece of food in a sealed container and a refreshment, and offer these to someone else. By doing so, they will be violating the bylaw. There will be no speeches, just a series of quiet but powerful acts of defiance by those who want to reclaim public space as a compassionate space.

I encourage you to listen to Simon Bell’s sermon, which you can find HERE. Like Bishop Budde’s speech at the National Cathedral following President Trump’s inauguration, it shows the power of faithful Christian witness when faced with abuses of authority that threaten the vulnerable.

Please join us this Sunday at St John's at 8:00 and 10:15, when we welcome Rev. Karen McBride as our guest preacher and presider.

Brian Cameron
Guest Editor

Barb and Vicki (see below) did a wonderful job decorating the church for Harvest Thanksgiving. All the fruits and vegetables were contributed to The Well after the service.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 19 | Ninetieth Sunday After Pentecost

Scriptures: Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 121; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Luke 18:1-8

SUNDAY OCTOBER 26 | Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

Scriptures: Sirach 35:12-17; Psalm 84:1-7; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18; Luke 18:9-14

LISTEN TO RECORDED WORSHIP SERVICES

Worship recordings include the following portions of the service: prayers, readings, the sermon, and music.

Harvest Thanksgiving - Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost - October 12, 2025

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost - October 5, 2025

National Day for Truth & Reconciliation - September 28, 2025

Find all St John's Worship Recordings HERE

ST JOHN'S IN PICTURES

Trading places this Sunday!

Many of you will remember Karen McBride, who was a Ministry Intern at St John's from December 2023 to April 2024. Karen is now the Incumbent at Julian of Norwich. She will be preaching and presiding at St John's this Sunday, October 19, and Gary will be doing the same at Julian of Norwich.

REFUGEE ASSISTANCE GROUP

Just in time to help you with your Christmas gift list, St. John’s Refugee Assistance Group is selling handcrafted cheeses from St. Benoît-du-Lac Monastery to fundraise for their work resettling refugees in Canada. Proceeds will help to sponsor at-risk women from Afghanistan, as well as refugees from South Sudan and Ethiopia.

You can choose from either a box of 5 x125 g. selected cheeses for $39 (Mont Saint Benoit, Fontina Fumé, Frère Jacques, Le Moine, Saint Augustin) or a box of 7 for $45 (with the addition of Le Moutier and Bleu Bénédictin)

Orders can be placed until November 22nd via this Cheese Order Form and e-transfer to cheeseforrefugees@gmail.com.

Pickup will be mid-December at church after the Sunday service, or at the times/location selected in the order form.

Please email cheeseforrefugees@gmail.com if you have any questions or speak to Margot Cameron.

More information on the cheeses is available at https://www.abbaye.ca/en/products/cheese/

COMING SOON

EVENSONG

On Sunday, October 26 at 4 pm, join our friends at St. Thomas the Apostle Anglican Church for an Evensong service led by the choir of St. John's. This service is a part of a monthly series led by Kurt Ala-Kantti featuring guest choirs from throughout the city. We hope to see you there! St. Thomas is at 2345 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa.

CENTERING PRAYER RETREAT

The St. John’s Centering Prayer group extends an invitation to anyone who would be interested in a Quiet Day of prayer to be held on Saturday, November 8 at the church of St Columba in Manor Park. It lasts from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. If you would like further information, or would like to register, please contact Lyse Morin: lysermorin@hotmail.com. You can also speak to Garth Bulmer at church the next three Sundays.

Click here for more info.

YOUNG ADULTS AT ST JOHN'S

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Young Adults picnic on October 5. We had a great turn-out for our first event, and had fantastic cooperation from the weather. We look forward to sharing our plans soon for our next event on November 2.

If you have further questions, or want us to email you directly for future events, please reach out to youngadults@stjohnsottawa.ca or see a fellow young adult during refreshments.

Chris Chiavati on behalf of Young Adults at St John's

TELL OUT MY SOUL

Annual Stewardship Campaign

St John's is about to begin our annual stewardship campaign on the theme of telling stories. Our guiding story, in the words of the favourite hymn "Tell Out My Soul," is about Mary telling how the Angel Gabriel came to her announcing good news of great joy in the baby she would carry. For the next three months, we will be encouraging you to share your story. Say to people, "Please tell me about yourself."

We look forward to sharing stories this fall!

Gary+

INDIGENOUS ENGAGEMENT

THE YELLOW BOX

Upcoming Events for your Calendar

WORSHIP EVERY SUNDAY

Please join us at 8:00 and 10:15 a.m. each Sunday.

Sunday, October 19

Vocal Anatomy 101, 12:15 at St John's

Sunday, October 26

Evensong, with St John's choir at St. Thomas the Apostle, 4 pm

Sunday, November 2

All Saints/All Souls, 8:00 & 10:15 services

Thursday, November 6

Singing with Friends. An Evening of Music to Celebrate the Singing Traditions of our Churches. 4 Amigos Churches (First Baptist, Knox Presbeyterian, St Theresa Roman Catholic). Hosted by St John's. 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 9

Children's Eucharist: All Saints, All Souls and Remembrance. We will explore how we remember. 3-5 p.m.

TO REMEMBER IN PRAYER

Our Parish

Prayers for those in leadership roles: Gary, Allen, Christina, Pat, Nicholas, Kimberly, Kerry, Jesse, Aot, Monica, Barb, and all who minister at St. John's.

Prayer Requests: Bev, Alex, James, Alice, David, Barton, Sara, Doug.

Our Diocese

Archbishop Shane Parker, Primate of Canada; and Archbishop Anne Germond, Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario.
The Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples, the Rt. Rev. Christopher Harper, National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop, Sacred Circle Events, and the ministry of reconciliation.
Our Diocesan Partner: Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and Archbishop Hosam Naoum.
For the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we prepare to elect a new bishop: for those discerning a call to let their name stand for election; for the candidates; for Members of Synod; and for our diocesan Administrator, Bishop Michael Bird.
St. Margaret’s, Vanier. The Reverend Colin McFarland and The Reverend Canon Aigah Attagutsiak.

Anglican Church of Canada

The Most Rev. Lynne McNaughton, Archbishop, and the clergy and people of the Diocese of Kootenay.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

The dean, council, and congregations of the Vancouver Island Region of the British Columbia Synod.

Moravian Church in Canada

The people and ministries of the Southern Province of the Moravian Church in America.
The Moravian Church has joined Full Communion with Anglicans and Lutherans - read about the Moravian Church HERE
The Labrador Mission Province.

The Anglican Communion - Pray for Anglicans Worldwide

The Episcopal Church.

Flowers

The flowers are given to the glory of God and in thanksgiving for the lives of Robert and Isobel Cameron and Eileen and Homer Thomas by Brian and Margot Cameron.

Parish Prayer Group

If you wish to have someone prayed for, send an email to:

office@stjohnsottawa.ca

DONATE

CANADA HELPS QR CODE

e-transfer accounts@stjohnsottawa.ca

HOW YOU CAN DONATE TO ST JOHN'S

Identified donations to St John’s are charitable donations and are eligible for a charitable tax receipt. Receipts for donations made directly through St John’s are usually generated on an annual basis. Donations to St John’s through Canada Helps are receipted by Canada Helps.

Here are the different ways that you can give:

E-Transfer

accounts@stjohnsottawa.ca

PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance)

Enrol in the PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance) program, whereby a designated monthly amount is withdrawn from a parishioner’s bank account or credit card. Peggy Lister, the Envelope Secretary, will provide you with the application form required to enrol in this program.

Weekly Offering Envelopes

Use identified weekly offering envelopes to make your cash or cheque donation to St John’s. A request for such envelopes goes to Peggy Lister, the Envelope Secretary, who will provide the envelopes.

Cash or Cheque Donation on Sunday

Make a cash or cheque contribution during a weekly service. The donation must be identified (i.e. a name & address on the envelope or a cheque with the donor’s information) if the donor wishes to receive a charitable receipt for the donation.

Canada Helps

Make a donation to St John’s through Canada Helps by scanning the QR code on the weekly bulletin, the QR code on the sign at the back of the church or through the ‘donate’ button on the St John’s website. Canada Helps donations can be for a single time or set up as an on-going monthly donation.

With thanks to God for your generous support