This week at St John's

THIS WEEK AT ST JOHN'S

Dear Friends:

As we move into summer, our weekly newsletter moves to every second week. The updates below will take you through to our next "This week at St John's" on Thursday, July 9.

I want to share some good news. The Rotary of West Ottawa has honoured St John the Evangelist with the "Family and Community Services Award." Presented by former St John's parishioner Tom Belton, the citation was a description of St John's significant community engagement:

Centres of worship have, for years been focused on supporting the needs of those in

our society who are less fortunate. This year's Family and Community Services

Award recipient has been covering this criteria for many decades through its

services to humanity.

St John the Evangelist Anglican Church has been centrally located in Ottawa's

core since 1912. It has served our community with Outreach programs that have

played key roles in aiding the most vulnerable of our citizens. Present times

have magnified this extremely important dedication even more.

"The Community Thrift Shop" has played a most effective and creative role since

1967. This Shop has offered a large selection of donated goods including

clothing, household items, books, and more, all at affordable prices to all. The

Shop is staffed by St. John's volunteers including a large number of new

Canadians who gain valuable practical working experience, which is critical to

adjusting to their new home country. There's also a "voucher' system whereby

several agencies in Ottawa may issue $35.00 vouchers quarterly to those in

need to be exchanged for essential items. St John's vouchers amounted to

$79,387.00 during the year 2025.

The "Refugee Assistance Group" diligently works to sponsor refugees from

other countries. This dedicated group supports refugees who arrive in Canada

largely with only a suitcase and the clothes on their backs. This assistance

ranges from financial help, locating housing furnishings, enrolling children in

schools, locating doctors and medical care, obtaining employment, the use of

public transportation, language learning, all things that are so important to these

newcomers.

The "Affordable Housing Committee" actively promotes affordable housing for

those in need. St John's has been at the forefront in the National Capital for

decades with initiatives such as Multi Faith Housing. Currently St. John's is

supporting The Odenak Project at LeBreton Flats. Some 133 units at Odenak

will house indigenous people, veterans, recent immigrants, women and children,

and adults with cognitive disabilities.

St John's also provides space and supports "Circles of Support and

Accountability" as well as "Belong Ottawa at the Well".

On behalf of the Rotary Club of West Ottawa, I would like to ask Reverend Canon

Gary van der Meer, the rector of St. John's, to come forward and accept this

year's Family and Community Services Award with our thanks and gratitude.

I hope to see you this Sunday, 9:30 a.m. Please note the organizational meeting for participation in Capital Pride follows the service in the chapel during hospitality. Get your lemonade and join in the plan!

Gary+

St John's today following the afternoon rainfall

SUNDAY June 28 | Fifth Sunday after Pentecost | 9:30am

Jeremiah 28:5-9; Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42

SUNDAY July 5 | Sixth Sunday after Pentecost | 9:30am

Zechariah 9:9-12; Psalm 145:8-14; Romans 7:15-25a; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

LISTEN TO RECORDED WORSHIP SERVICES

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

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost - June 21, 2026

Second Sunday after Pentecost - June 7, 2026

Find all St John's Worship Recordings HERE

ST JOHN'S IN PICTURES

St John's streetview today

UPDATES

CAPITAL PRIDE EVENTS

Capital Pride Parade Touch Base:

Please join us immediately following the service on Sunday, June 28 to start planning St John's participation in the Capital Pride Parade on Sunday, August 30. We look forward to participating and organizing other parishes of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa to join us.

Please also join our interfaith delegation to share in Temple Israel's Pride celebration on Friday June 26, 6:15 p.m. See details in the poster above.

CHRISTMAS MARKET CALL FOR VENDORS

We are looking ahead to the next St. John’s Christmas Market on Saturday, November 21. Please help us to invite more vendors - if you know any artists, artisans or crafters who might be interested in participating in our market, please have them contact me for more information. You can reach me through the church office email HERE.

Jill Moll

Christmas Market Coordinator

LIFELONG LEARNING

A book for this summer!

In the summer we've made it a habit to read a book and then get together to talk about it. The book we've chosen for this year is Encampment: Resistance, Grace, and an Unhoused Community by Anglican priest Maggie Helwig.

Encampment is the story of St. Stephen-in-the-Fields, an Anglican church in Toronto's Kensington Market, and how they responded when economic pressures and lack of housing, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, pushed those without shelter to set up tents in their courtyard. It is also the story of those residents, of what brought them to that courtyard and what they found there, and how the church fought to let them stay when the city sought to evict them.

Our plan this year is to have a BBQ in July where we have time to discuss the book, our reactions to it, and its application for our own context. We will then also have a follow-up Zoom discussion for people who were unable to attend the BBQ and to continue any unfinished conversations.

Encampment can be ordered from Perfect Books and Indigo for around $25. It is also available at the Library, but there is currently a long wait list.

The Rev Canon Maggie Helwig was interviewed about Encampment on CBC Radio Ottawa on April 30, 2026. Listen to the interview HERE.

BOOKS & BBQ DATE: Saturday, July 18 - hosted by Ian & Michelle

ZOOM FOLLOW-UP DATE: Wednesday, July 22 - 7:00 p.m.

INDIGENOUS ENGAGEMENT

DISCERNING OUR CALLING TO INDIGENOUS ENGAGEMENT:

On Sunday, June 21, we formed a circle in the chapel during post-worship hospitality to talk about the future of Indigenous Engagement at St John's. Following 5 years with a dedicated Indigenous Engagement Coordinator, we reflected on many successes and our current practices.

There was a high level of interest with over twenty participants. We recognized that the Coordinator position was a helpful reminder about significant dates in Indigenous cultural practices and Truth & Reconciliation, the feeling in the room was that it is time for our whole community to take ownership of our participation rather than count on one individual leader.

We agreed that we need an Indigenous Engagement Steering Group. Our group would include interested participants, Indigenous members of our community, and warden and clergy representation. We are committed to continuing our current practices of smudging and reading the First Nations Translation Gospel, marking of signficant dates, learning opportunities, connections to other parishes with Indigenous ministry and to the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa's All My Relations Committee.

Smudging and First Nations Gospel readings would be reserved to Indigenous members of our community, who would also be welcomed to wear their nation's regalia especially when they are active in the liturgy.

I invite your expression of interest and your continued participation in Indigenous Engagement at St John's.

Gary+

UPCOMING EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR YOUR CALENDAR

WORSHIP EVERY SUNDAY

St John's worship services begin "summer hours" on June 7, with one weekly worship service on Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

Friday, June 26

Barbecue at St John's hosted by Multifaith Housing Institute, St John's Somerset Parking Spots, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, June 28

Capital Pride Planning meeting, 11:00 a.m. in the chapel

Saturday, July 18

Books & BBQ Event: Encampment by Maggie Helwig. Location details closer to the date.

Wednesday, July 22

Books & BBQ: Zoom Discussion, 7 p.m.

TO REMEMBER IN PRAYER

Our Parish

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

Prayer Requests: Ron, Dixie, Jene, David, Earl and Alice.

Our Diocese

Kathryn, our Bishop; Anne, our Metropolitan; Shane, our Primate.
Our Diocesan Partner: Multifaith Housing Initiative (MHI).
Staff at Ascension House, including the Archives.
The Area Parish of Mississippi Lake
St. James, Carleton Place
St. James, Franktown
Christ Church, Ashton
St George’s, Clayton
St. Bede’s Chapel, Nolans Corners
The Venerable Brian Kauk and all who minister there.

Anglican Church of Canada

The Rt. Rev. Alexander Pryor, Bishop; the Rt. Rev. Ann Martha Keenainak, Suffragan Bishop; the Rt. Rev. Jared Osborn, Suffragan Bishop, and the clergy and people of the Diocese of the Arctic.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

The congregations of the South area of the Saskatchewan Synod.

Moravian Church in Canada

The Anglican Communion - Pray for Anglicans Worldwide

The Anglican Church of Southern Africa.

Flowers

The flowers are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of Roger and Ruth Marshall and William and Emeline Smith by the Marshall family.

Parish Prayer Group

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

Prayer Request

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