  "An open, vibrant worship community where everyone is welcome!"
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Latest News |
Welcome to Saint John's
Where our Mission is to know Christ through the Gospel, and to use
our talents and gifts to extend His Light to the world. |
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Message from Rev. Ann February is the month of Valentine’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, Presidents’ Day, and this year, Ash Wednesday. Valentine’s Day celebrates love, the essence of relationships, and the means through which we experience community. How deeply we acknowledge God’s love for us can become a measure of our ability to love others. Love is multidimensional, and it is how John describes God: God is love. When we love anyone, we are sharing in the divine essence. An agnostic once asked a wise priest how he could come to know God. The wise man answered with a question: “Do you love anyone?” The man said that he did and the wise man told him, “You are closer to God than you think.” Families come in all sizes and degrees of complexity but the building block for each is simply love. Friendships are possible because they are fueled with love. Community and parish life are able to be in solidarity because of love. We serve others, the poor, the oppressed, and the vulnerable because we are capable of love. Bill Alexander and I were in Haiti Jan 2-10 with folks from Saint John’s Glyndon and Saint Paul and Redeemer, Chicago. After a night in Port-au-Prince we drove up into the hills to St. Etienne’s parish in the Diocese of Haiti, which is part of the Episcopal Church, U.S.A. Saint John’s Glyndon has had a partnership with St Etienne’s for several years, where the youth group from the two parishes have planted trees in a reforestation project, and are currently working together to build a cyber-café. Four of our group stayed on site, camping, and working on projects. The rest of us, needing a slightly softer place to lay our heads, journeyed into Jacmel. Each day we drove back to St. Etienne’s and worked to clear a site for the building of the cyber-café and a farmer’s cooperative. The church was destroyed and Morning Prayer was being held as are Sunday services in a shed (wooden frame, tin roof, and tarp walls) with wooden benches. Children came to investigate, smiling, trusting, and willing to sing, draw pictures, and be with us. It was a moving experience. The families are subsistence farmers and the church is the center of their community. The parish founded school educates the children. When a parent dies, it may be very difficult for a child to continue with education, but with compassionate generosity we could insure that their education continues. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice.” On Sunday we attended the annual meeting: two hours of it, in which it was clear that even in Creole, the members are very dedicated and passionate about their church. The space was full with small children sitting quietly with their parents, attentive to the discussion. Holy Eucharist followed the meeting. Even though it was in Creole, the service was very similar to ours. It is one of the wonderful things about being Anglican, no matter the language, or place, we are united in the way we worship. I am increasingly thankful for the power of prayer /worship to shape our belief. When in other places where the sights and sounds differ, the movement of the Spirit of the living God is dynamically present. Relationships are at the core of any community. Each person is shaped by family, experience, education, and when we venture beyond our comfort zones, we allow God to transform us little by little. Seeing the joy of the people despite their poverty is an inspiration to me. How easy it is to allow trivial things to distract us from living into our baptismal covenant (BCP 304). |
Offering Envelopes are now available at the back of the church. If you did not receive one and would like to, please contact Lori at the church office (301-733-2560).
Second Half of Life: The next meeting of this support/discussion group will be Tuesday, February 14 (weather permitting). We will be celebrating Saint Valentine, as we gather at 12:30 for a BYO lunch. Our discussion at 1:00 p.m. will continue with the focus on the BONE GATE ? the sixth gate of the Eight Gates of Wisdom, from the book by Angeles Arrien, The Second Half of Life. At 2:30 p.m., we break for Holy Eucharist. Please enter by the elevator door and go to Saint Mary's Chapel. "It is not by muscle, speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character, and judgment; in these qualities old age is usually not only NOT poorer, but it is even richer." [quote from Cicero] For more information, call Sallie Bailey at 304-258-3057 or email her at salliebailey@earthlink.net.
Annual Report: Extra copies of Saint John’s 2011 Annual Report are available at the Antietam Street entrance as well as in the office. Content is also available on the church’s website: stjohnshagerstown.org.
Volunteer Opportunity: After many years of dedication, Eleanor Brown would like to retire from managing the Sunday flower memorials. The financial aspect will be handled by the church office. All that is needed is someone to oversee the sign-up of flowers for the Sunday services. Please call Lori at the church office (301) 733-2560.
Ushers Needed: If you are interested in becoming an usher, please see Mike Mummert. There will be an ushers’ meeting on February 26 between the 8:00 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. services.
Memorial Service: A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, February 21, at 11:00 a.m. for Norvelle Beatty.
Confirmation is the process of learning how we can live into our baptismal promises. Anyone is welcome to attend the confirmation classes, which begin February 24. Frank Carden will lead a series of classes on Saturday mornings at 9:00 a.m., continuing through March 24. The Rev. Ann Boyd will hold classes Sunday afternoons, beginning at 1:00 p.m. from February 26 through March 25. Confirmation will take place on April 15 at the 10:15 service during Bishop Sutton’s visitation. Please call the office to enroll.
Daughters of the King: Our chapter of the Daughters of the King is looking for you. We are beginning a membership class, and I’d love to tell you about it. Being a Daughter is not about taking on “one more thing” in your busy life: being a Daughter is about becoming more intentional about your prayer life and seeing where that leads you. For more information, see Karla Davis or call her at 301-797-7781 or 301-667-8744.
Sunday School:
You might remember that our mission project at Vacation Bible School this past summer was to collect items for the children residing at CAMEO House, a residential program for mothers recovering from addiction and for their children. The children wanted to do something kind for them again for Thanksgiving, so we ordered a cake from the Cookie Jar for their Thanksgiving dessert and the children made a book of prayers to send along. That cold, gray afternoon we entered the dining room with what we considered a small gesture. When we saw the faces of mothers and children gathered around their Thanksgiving table, shining with smiles at the brilliantly colored cake, we were reminded that even a small light can illuminate the world with God's love.
To celebrate Saint Valentine's Day, the children will hold an umbrella drive. From his window at work, Brian Miller can see the mothers from CAMEO House walking their children to the elementary school in the morning. On rainy days, he has noticed that they have no umbrellas to keep the children dry. The children in the Sunday School program have committed to collecting umbrellas for CAMEO House. Please bring an umbrella and place it in the box in Trimble Hall. If every Saint John's family brought one umbrella, the children at CAMEO House would have shelter from the rain for years to come!
Looking toward next school year, we are seeking volunteers to teach the children in first through fifth grades. It would be a wonderful luxury if we had enough teachers to divide into Grades 1-3 and 4-5. Please contact me (sarahpmiller@yahoo.com) if you have any questions or would like to volunteer.
We are pleased to offer electronic giving as an option. Electronic giving allows your contributions to be transferred from your checking or savings account directly to the church account. You may also contribute using a credit or debit card. While away on vacation, you have the peace of mind that your gift has been received and is contributing to the work of the church, especially during the low cash flow months of the year. You may enroll at our website, www.stjohnshagerstown.org by clicking on the DONATE NOW button.
1. You choose the method ? Checking Account, Savings Account, Credit or Debit Card
2. You select the frequency ? One time, weekly, semi-monthly, monthly
3. You indicate the amount
4. You set the start date.
That’s it! The rest is automatic.
Bester Elementary, Our School
Coats and Winter Accessories Needed: As part of our partnership with Bester Elementary School, we are collecting coats for students. Many do not have a winter coat, which we take for granted. They would like new or gently used coats, sizes 5 to adult, for both girls and boys, along with mittens, gloves, snow boots, scarves, and hats. Do not have any children at home to pass on their gently used items? You can go to a retail or thrift store, or give a monetary donation that we will give to the school to purchase what they need. Please place your gently used items in the large box in Trimble Hall. Dusty Graham (301-991-5612) can answer any questions you may have.
Readers Needed: We need many caring adults to read to kindergartners for an hour a week. Pick your day, Monday through Friday, any time between 10:30 a.m. and 12 noon. You will read school-furnished books for about 30 minutes per student. Sign-up sheets are at the gift card table at the Antietam Street entrance. If you have any questions, call Bonna Nakopoulos at 301-739-1534 or Bill Alexander at 301-665-9322.
Books wanted: Gently used or new children’s books can be donated to Bester Elementary School by placing them in the Books for Bester Elementary box in Trimble Hall. If you have any questions, please call Dusty Graham at 301- 991-5612.
Help Needed: Saint John’s is partnering with another church to provide food for the weekends for several children who would otherwise go without. Help is needed to pack five backpacks with these basic necessities. Can you give some time to support this worthy cause? Dates and times will be made available. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, please contact Rob or Kelly Slocum at 240-420-3754.
Thistle Farms is a social enterprise that is run by the women of the Magdalene Community in Nashville, Tennessee. Magdalene House is a residential program for women who have survived lives of violence, prostitution and addiction, founded by Episcopal priest, The Rev. Becca Stevens. The women create, by hand, natural bath and body products that are as good for the earth as they are for the body. Purchases of Thistle Farms products directly benefit the women who made them through support of the Magdalene Community. Samples of their lotions, candles and bath products will be available for smelling and testing during the coffee hour as well as information on how to order these products. Books written by the women of Magdalene and The Rev. Becca Stevens will also be available for perusal.
