Author Archives: Saint John's Episcopal Church

A Sabbatical Season

Posted on by

Dear Friends,

It is hard for me to believe that I have been serving with all of you for over five years now. September will mark our sixth anniversary of being in ministry together. As announced at the Annual Meeting in February, I will be taking a three month sabbatical this year. Combined with two weeks of vacation, it means I will be away from St. John’s from July 24 through November 2.

The wardens and vestry have been working with me to arrange coverage during the sabbatical. We anticipate hiring an interim priest to be with us two or three days a week, including Sundays. Our priest and pastoral associates,   Lyn, Dick, and Liz, will continue with their regular assistance in preaching and presiding, and their engagement in the pastoral life of the parish. We also anticipate that many of you will participate in carrying out ministries that are important to our life together.

A sabbatical after five years of service is part of my  Letter of Agreement, and the vestry has supported my decision to take it at this time. I am sure there are many questions people may have about the sabbatical, and in the coming weeks, the wardens and I will provide more details about what this three and a half month period will be like.

This will be a time of renewal for me. A theme of my sabbatical will be to focus on creative endeavors, including oil painting and piano lessons. The sabbatical will also be a time for the parish to more clearly identify the strengths and opportunities of its members. You will hear more about that as well in the weeks to come.  I’m grateful for the vestry’s support, and confident that under their leadership, we will continue to be a community where people can hear the Spirit, see God’s beauty, and act in love.

Faithfully,

Tom

 

 

 

 

Charlestown Historical Society Church Tour

Posted on by

St. John’s will be one of four churches open to visit for the Charlestown Historical Society’s Church Tour on Saturday, June 3 from 10 am to 2 pm.

St. Francis de Sales, St. Mary’s, First Church, and St. John’s will all be part of the tour. It is suggested that people begin the tour at St. Francis Church, where brochures will be available. Lemonade and cookies will be offered at St. John’s at the end of the day.

 

EfM: Formation for Christian Leadership

Posted on by

From Left to Right: David Bresnahan, Kathleen Steen, Jane Struss, Alice Krapf

On Sunday May 21, four graduates of the Education for Ministry Program (EfM) were recognized at the 10 am service. Alice Krapf, David Bresnahan, Jane Struss, and Kathleen Steen each received their diplomas at the service. EfM provides adult Christian formation through a four-year curriculum that includes bible study, church history, ethics, worship, and theological reflection.

An EfM group has been meeting on Wednesday evenings at St. John’s, and will resume in September. We are currently seeking new participants. More information can be obtained by contacting the church office

Read Esther

Posted on by

Dear Friends,

This week, I call your attention to the biblical book of Esther (and not for a reason some of you might think). You will see in the article below that the presiding bishops of the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are inviting us to undertake disciplines of fasting, prayer, and advocacy on behalf of those who suffer from hunger in our country.

What does that have to do with Esther? I won’t say more. Rather, I encourage you to read the bishops’ messages (or watch their videos) and read the book of Esther. You never know when you might be called “for such a time as this.”

Faithfully,

Tom

 

For Such A Time As This: A Call to Prayer, Fasting, and Advocacy

Posted on by

Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) have issued a joint statement calling for prayer, fasting and advocacy.

The statement, For Such a Time as This: A Call to Prayer, Fasting, and Advocacy, calls for fasting on the 21st of each month through December 2018, at which time the 115th Congress will conclude. 

The 21st of each month is targeted because by that time each month, 90% of SNAP (formerly food stamp) benefits have been used, thereby causing the last week of the month as the hungry week in America.

 The fast will launch with a group of national and local leaders doing a three-day fast together May 21-23. These leaders include Presiding Bishop Curry, Presiding Bishop Eaton, and leadership throughout the Episcopal Church.

 

Click here to read the bishops’ full statements and to see video presentations by each of them.