To St. John's Parishioners and Friends:

Episcopalians are Bible-believing people. We may not come to the same conclusions as other Christians, but we nonetheless keep faith.

Read more from "Bible-Believing Episcopalians" on our website.

Peace,

Kevin

The Rev. Kevin Laskowski

Priest-in-Charge

St. John's Episcopal Church

P.S. Sunday ministers - readers, acolytes, ushers - don't forget to scroll all the way down to the usual link and sign up to serve. The church needs your ministry, and we often scramble to find folks on Thursdays before printing bulletins. Try not to repeat Sundays or serve more than once a month, but fill in those gaps where you can!

And if you're interested in serving on Sundays, join one of our upcoming ministry meetings (see below) or contact Fr. Kevin.

Altar Guild Meets This Week - and More Ministry Meetings!

The Altar Guild is a group of dedicated ministers who prepare our church and altar for worship. From the Eucharistic elements and banners to flowers and hymn boards, they take care of it all. The Altar Guild will meet this Sunday after worship. If you're drawn to this ministry or just curious, join us.

Liturgy is a "work of the people," and we need you to make worship everything it can be at St. John's. If you're interested in serving in some way, or you're already serving, join us after worship on upcoming Sundays to renew and expand our ministry teams:

• May 10: Altar Guild
• May 17: Ushers

We'll review responsibilities and new expectations, and arrange for additional training for newcomers. Our acolytes met before our bishop's visit. And readers met last week. More ministries and more meetings to come. This is just getting started. If you can't make a certain meeting but would still like to be involved, email Fr. Kevin.

Speak in Tongues at Pentecost!

Pentecost - the "birthday" of the church, which marks the Holy Spirit inspiring the disciples in wind and fire to declare the Gospel - is fast approaching on May 24. We need your help with a Pentecost tradition!

My sending parish (the one that sponsored me for ordination) celebrated the holiday with a special reading of Acts 2:1-21. The lector would begin the reading as usual until they got to verse 4: "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability." Hearing this, members of the congregation would stand in succession and proclaim the verse in a language other than English, as the Spirit gave them ability. Over the years, parishioners stood to speak Spanish, French, Tagalog, Chinese, Polish, Arabic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Gothic, and more. They spoke the languages their families spoke at home, the ones they'd left behind, the ones they'd studied for years, the ones from high school they'd half forgotten, and the ones they had just learned to pronounce out of a spirit of adventure for the occasion. The lector then continued on. It was Pentecost in the pews!

So... if you're fluent, conversational, or just dabble in a language other than English, we need you! Contact Fr. Kevin by May 20 if you'd like to participate.

And don't forget to wear red on May 24! Inquire at the church office for your official red St. John's t-shirt!

And Pentecost is a Sunday especially appropriate for baptisms. If you or someone you know might be interested, contact Fr. Kevin.

St. John's is Hiring!

We are hiring a part-time Ministry Partner Liaison to enhance coordination between our many Ministry Partners and to ensure that Saint John's building is maintained and protected. See the description on the diocesan job page.

Interviews are happening! If you know of someone who may be a fit for this opportunity, please be in touch as soon as possible with the church office or the Senior Warden. 

Altar Flowers Needed

Dedicate the altar flowers in thanksgiving or in memory of a loved one here.

WORSHIP

Sunday Sermon

Jesus tells us that he is the way, the truth, and the life. How disciples act matters as much as what they do. Disciples are unafraid to be honest and real with one another. And the more disciples follow Jesus, the more our lives will resemble the abundant, resurrected, eternal life he lived and proclaimed. He is our path forward, the principle we believe, and the realized promise of a faithful God--a gift we cannot share unless we have received it.

View our services on our YouTube channel and look for new sermons here.

Join Us In Person or Online

Join us in the historic church at 9:30 AM Sunday or watch live via YouTube. Additional links to the livestream, worship bulletin, and lectionary class are sent Saturday and also available on our website.

Readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter

First Reading: Acts 17:22-31

Paul realizes that the people of Athens, by their pagan religion, are seeking a relationship with the divine. He challenges them to follow the living God whom he worships.

Response: Psalm 66:7-18

Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:13-22

Peter offers words of hope to disciples who are suffering. He urges them to accept hardship for the sake of what is right, and to encourage one another.

Gospel: John 14:15-21

Jesus tells the disciples that he and the Father are one, and promises that the Holy Spirit will always be present in the church, enabling us to do great works.

Saints of the Week: Martyrs of the Reformation Era

The Roman Catholic Church commemorates the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales on May 4: men and women who were executed for treason between 1535 and 1679 for their allegiance to the Catholic Church. In recent years, the Church of England has shared this commemoration on May 5, broadening it to all of the English saints and martyrs of the Reformation era.

Read more about them here.

Schedule Change This Week for Bible Study

Fr. Kevin is headed out of town next week, so our Thursday evening class will meet on Tuesday, May 12 at 7 PM, instead of Thursday night. The Wednesday morning class will meet as usual on Wednesday, May 13 at 11 AM.

Join us in the library for Bible study on St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians. No need to RSVP for individual classes. Jump in anytime.

For more information, read a series overview with syllabus, watch our website, and/or contact Father Kevin or Lisa Heller.

Education for Ministry (EfM)

Through study, prayer, worship, and reflection, EfM seminar groups journey together through scripture, church history, and theology.

St. John's EfM cohort meets Wednesday nights in the St. John's library, unless otherwise announced. Registration for this year is closed. Contact Walt Cooner for more information.

Adult Lectionary Forum This Week

Join us Sundays in person in the church library or online via Zoom to discuss the day's lessons. (This is the new link for meeting #826 4944 0667. Please make sure you use this new, updated link.)

Join Us This Tuesday at the Hanley Shelter

We served 65 people in April at the Katherine K Hanley Family Shelter. Kitchen renovations at the shelter meant a pivot to cold offerings this time out. Our new menu included sandwiches, wraps; chips; coleslaw, pasta, macaroni, potato and lettuce salads; grapes, watermelon and blueberry fruit cups; and chocolate cake and cookies for dessert. Many thanks to all those hands that prepared the food and provided the drinks.

Our next dinner is scheduled for May 12, menu to be determined. 

St. John's makes and serves a meal every second Tuesday of the month at the local family shelter. Sign up to prepare or provide food ahead of time and/or join us on May 12 to serve.

Bring donations for our local family shelter to church or drop by the office.

Their needs may be found on their In-Kind Donations Wish List through Amazon.

Donate to Western Fairfax Christian Ministries

St. John's is a founding partner of Western Fairfax Christian Ministries, which provides food and financial support to more than 600 local families every month. Please bring donations of food and more to Sunday services, or drop at the church office. These items are especially needed:

Food:

• White or Wheat Flour (5 lb. bag or less)
• Sugar (1 lb. or 2 lb. bag)
• Oil (canola, vegetable, olive)
• Oatmeal (Quaker Oats)
• Cereal (low sugar preferred)
• Shelf Stable Juice (apple, cranberry, grape)
• Canned Meat (tuna, salmon, Vienna sausages, sardines)
• Canned Tomatoes (crushed, whole paste)
• Canned Vegetables (spinach, potatoes, beets)
• Canned Fruit (pineapple, mandarin oranges, pears, peaches)
• Pasta Sauce (no glass jars)
• Refried, Garbanzo, and Kidney Beans
• Dried Beans (lentils, pinto, black beans)
• Mashed Potatoes 
• Boxed Macaroni and Cheese
• Pancake Mix 
• Flavored Rice (Rice-A-Roni) and Flavored Pasta (Knorr)

Toiletries:

NOTE: Toiletry items cannot be purchased by clients with SNAP​​

• Feminine Hygiene Products (Pads preferred)
• Tissues (Family Size)
• Baby Wipes 
• Body Wash
• Toothpaste
• Lotion
• Shaving Cream and Disposable Razors
• Pull-Ups Size 4T/5

Note: we are not currently in need of diapers due to our partnership with Greater DC Diaper Bank. Please only donate baby wipes if you want to donate items for babies.

Support the Centreville Immigration Forum (CIF)

CIF provides immigrants in need with the means to improve their lives and become more integrated into the community, improve communication and cooperation among all groups serving immigrants, and build community recognition of our strength in diversity.

If you're interested in supporting or volunteering with CIF's labor resource center and other work:

• Donate men’s work clothes and boots (they do not need to be new). Bring them to worship or to the St. John's office, or deliver them directly to CIF at 5944 Centreville Crest Ln, Centreville, VA 20121. Be sure to let the parish office know if you deliver directly to CIF. We like to keep track of St. John's impact!
• Volunteer to provide rides to CIF clients to medical appointments. Sign up on the CIF website.
• Volunteer to accompany immigrants to court hearings. CIF's Volunteer Coordinator will provide training to interested individuals. Contact the parish office for more.

You can support Centreville Immigration Forum's work and advocacy here.

Helping the Shepherd's Center of Western Fairfax

St. John's has several volunteers supporting the Shepherd's Center of Western Fairfax. They provide rides to medical and therapy appointments and other important errands for people who are over 50 and can no longer drive. The Shepherd's Center needs additional drivers and support for local seniors. They've had to turn down a number of recent requests because of a lack of volunteers.

Volunteers do not have to commit ahead to a specific day of the week or time of day. As a driver, you check the Shepherd Center website for the client list, and select the ride you'd like to provide. All pickups are local, and all appointments are in northern Virginia (no DC or Maryland). You don't stay with the client in the doctor's office, if you don't want to. You can volunteer as much or as little as your schedule permits.

To assist, you must live in western Fairfax County in or around Clifton, Centreville, or Chantilly. For more information and to volunteer, visit the Shepherd's Center here.

Prayer Requests

If you would like to add yourself or someone you care about to our Sunday prayer list, please contact clergy or the church office.

Sunday Services

Additional readers and ushers are needed. Sign up here.

Coffee Hour

We gather after worship for food and fellowship. Assist with snacks here.

Katherine Hanley Monthly Dinner

We cook and serve every second Tuesday of the month. Sign up here.

Altar Flowers

Dedicate the altar flowers in thanksgiving or in memory of a loved one here.

Photos?!

Have any photos or short videos from St. John's events? Send them to us.

Support St. John's Episcopal Church

With your contribution, you are part of St. John's offering of healing, hope, and hospitality to all God's people. Click the button below to give online or visit our website for more.