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PRAYER CONCERNS FOR ST. JOHN’S
For the sick: Rosa Dovi, Mike LaVertu, Sofia Analise, Milton Dove, Pat Schultze, Bill, Amy, Kate, Jim, Irene, Joyce, Art, Harold Staudenmaier, Ellen, Bruce, Sue, Deb, Kathy, Hortense, Shannon Anthony, Bill Hinton, Ginny Weick, Tom, Ericka, Richard, Mark Bellissimo
We pray for all our men and women serving in the armed services and all first responders. May God keep them safe and return them home to their loved ones.
We pray for all those who currently unemployed and seeking a job.
To have someone entered onto our Prayer List for, please e-mail the church office with the person’s name as well as the requester’s name. The e-mail address is: .
Last Sunday’s Attendance: 146
Sunday Service 10am
November 27 December 4
MC Earl Matchett MC Earl Matchett
LEM Noelle DeLorenzo LEM Rob Wheeler
Acolytes Pete Minichello Acolytes Pete Minichello
Wade Holden Ty Ellenbogen
Thalia Tosetti Jacob Goldbaum
James Conolly Akiko Mastriciano
Chloe Findlay Reiko Mastriciano
Kayla Andrews Timmy Kusterbeck
Lector 1 Leslie Valentine Lector 1 MaryKate Brennan
Lector 2 Thalia Tosetti Lector 2 Ty Ellenbogen
THE CHALICE
The weekly Sunday Bulletin of St. John’s Episcopal Church
November 27, 2016
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
As we begin this new liturgical year, I write to you as your bishop: the chief priest, pastor, and teacher of the Diocese, to set in motion the essential work of Racial Justice and Reconciliation in your parish church, your home and your neighborhood. For each of us, the issues surrounding racial justice are real. No one can say 'these issues do not affect me,' or 'there are no issues in our particular church community or neighborhood.' Living in this diocese, issues of race and racial justice, and the need for reconciliation, affect us all - this is New York, a great melting pot of culture, language, race and religion. And, therefore, a great pressure cooker for the issues associated with such a diversity.
In the midst of this diversity, in the center of this melting pot, we must be the church of Jesus Christ. We must be carriers of the light of the gospel. We must be agents of God's love and healing presence in the midst of the people we serve. In order to accomplish this work, we must first truly know ourselves, understand our own experiences, and grapple with the effects race and racism have on each of us.
Attached to this pastoral letter are two copies of what we have called "the tool kit" which was developed over a year-long process by our Diocesan Commission on Racial Justice and Reconciliation and used very successfully during our Diocesan Convention.(These can be found on the back table of church). The tool kit includes links to various short videos, discussion questions, reading materials and ideas for carrying this process forward into small group conversations in your church, your homes and the neighborhood in which your church sits. I am asking each and every member of our diocese to participate in this important work.
Here is my hope: Each church community engages the small group process during the season of Epiphany, from the sixth of January until Ash Wednesday, creating small group meetings as part of adult formation and education programs usually conducted in the parish. In Lent, and as a part of your Lenten discipline from Ash Wednesday until Easter, every member of the parish engages the process in their home, with family (and maybe extended family). Then during the Great Fifty Days of the Easter season, from Easter Day to Pentecost, each parish engages the process with people from the neighborhood. This part of the process will take some planning on the part of the clergyand church leadership. Some advertising and a form of invitation will have to be created to ensure that the people in the neighborhood know that they are welcome and needed to become a part of this process to heal our relationship as all of God's people.
As I promised in my convention address, this will not be a "one off" event for our diocese or our individual churches. Racial Justice and Reconciliation must be our constant work as a measure of our ministry to the diverse and wonderfully changing population in which we, as The Church, are called to serve. Building mutual respect and understanding can only be accomplished if we hear each other's stories, learn each other's struggles, and build bridges of acceptance and cooperation that go beyond mere tolerance of each other.
We are the Church. This is our calling to build up the Body of Christ and see each other as necessary and essential elements of our own lives. The dedicated and faithful members of the Racial Justice and Reconciliation Commission are available to help in the process that will begin in your midst this Epiphany. We are all committed to the success of this ministry and pledge our full support and cooperation. Please be assured of my constant prayers and unwavering support as we begin this important work. I look forward to celebrating the results of this process in each community. Let's roll up our sleeves and get this important work started.
Sincerely, in Christ,
The Right Reverend Lawrence C. Provenzano
Bishop of Long Island
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VISITORS AND NEWCOMERS WELCOME!
We welcome you to St. John’s Episcopal Church. Established in 1745, this historic church opens its doors to all who seek to deepen their faith and provides warm hospitality to all. We are blessed by your presence and invite you to fill out a Visitor’s Card on the back table of church.
CELTIC SERVICE
There is a Celtic Service today at 5:30 pm. Please come share in this special service. Invite a friend.
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2017 STEWARDSHIP
Thank you to all who have submitted their 2017 Stewardship Pledge cards. Your commitment to St. John’s will help the Vestry with their budget planning. If you have not yet turned yours in, extra pledge cards can be found on the back table of church, as well as in the pews. Please turn in this Sunday so we may proceed with our budget. Thank you for your generosity and continued support of the ministry of St. John’s.
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BIBLE STUDY
Join us for Bible Study on Tuesdays mornings at 11:00 am. We will meet in the Guild Room.
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ADVENT MORNING PRAYER
Join us for Morning Prayer at 9am during Advent every weekday morning except Thursdays.
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ECW ADOPT-A-FAMILY
The ECW will be participating in the St. John’s Episcopal Hospital’s Adopt-A-Family Program this Christmas. Linda Ehrenshaft will be in the Great Hall after services to share the gift tags that will state what gift is needed, age and the child’s name. All purchased gifts should be gift wrapped and have the individual tag attached to the gift. All gifts need to be dropped off by Sunday, December 4th. Any questions, please contact Linda Ehrenshaft at: 631-863-1118.
ADVENT SERIES
Join us on Tuesdays: November 29th, December 6th and 13th. The night will start off with Evening Prayer at 6pm, followed by a Soup Salad Supper at 6:30pm. At 7pm The Collects of the Book of Common Prayer: Prayer, Prose and History will be presented by Drs. Kenneth and Karen Quinn. Every Sunday we begin or liturgy with a prayer called a “Collect.” But what are the “Collects?” Where do they come from? What do they mean? What gives them their high standing among the works of English Prose? This short series will examine a few if the Collects of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, exploring their meaning in the context of liturgy and in the context of the history of the Anglican Church.
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ST. JOHN’S SPIRITUALITY GROUP – ADVENT EVENTS
On Saturday, December 10th the Rev. Canon John P. McGinty will lead us in a special day of Advent Preparation with Advent: What Are You Waiting For, Anyway? From very early on in our lives, most of us are convinced that we know clearly what we are waiting for in this season of the year. But do we really? What does life teach us through the years about what we are truly expecting in Advent and throughout the year? Let us consider the possibilities together. Join us at 9 am Full Breakfast; 10 am Advent Retreat; 12 Noon Celtic Service. Tickets are $20 per person. Please RSVP for planning purposes to: Patti Aliperti 631-385-1410 or Heather Kress at 549-5186.
On Sunday, December 18th we welcome back Julliard graduate Debra Valentin for a special Advent presentation she has written and will perform for us, Blessed is She – The Story of the Savior’s Birth as Seen Through the Eyes of Mary & Elizabeth. At 11:30 am refreshments will be served and the show will begin at 12 Noon in the Church. Suggested donation is $15. For more information, please call Patti Aliperti.
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YOUTH GROUP WREATH SALE
Time to order your Christmas wreaths, roping, poinsettias, and Christmas cactus. Order forms can be found in the back of church and on our website! Order deadline is Monday, November 28. Order pick up is Saturday, December 3rd from 10am to 1 pm; and Sunday, December 4th from 8:30 am to 12 Noon. Please make your checks payable to: St. John’s Youth Group.
Any questions, please contact Ford Spilsbury at 212-873-7088.
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ALTAR GUILD CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS
This Christmas remember your Loved Ones, or offer Special Thanksgivings, by making a donation for this year’s Christmas Poinsettias. Order forms can be found in the back of the church, as well as on our website. Order forms and payment are due Monday, December 12th.
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SING NOEL CONCERT
On Sunday, December 18th at 7PM – our annual Sing Noel Concert featuring Route 110, Nancy Loesch, Leslie Valentine, Douglas Purcell, Larry Long, Christine Dore, Tony Chamorro and Rob Wheeler. Join us afterwards in the Great Hall for some Christmas Cheer. Tickets are $20. For tickets and more information please call, 631-423-7404.