My sisters and brothers in Christ:

johnchrysostomGreetings in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ and in thanksgiving for the faithful witness for Christ and for justice that was continually offered up by our patron saint, John Chrysostom. This weekend, we celebrate St. John with one service only, at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 31. After a brief annual meeting, when we’ll elect members of the Bishop’s Committee and delegates to Diocesan convention and brief the congregation on the 2016 budget that the BC adopted tonight, we’ll set our faces for the Cardinal Gym and our annual Ministry Fair and chili potluck.If you’d like to come to the potluck but haven’t signed up to bring a salad, side dish, or dessert, please fix up whatever the Holy Spirit may specify and let Loreen Guilford, the distinguished chair of the Parish Council, know what you’re bringing by writing her at loreenguilford@gmail.com.

If you're bringing children to church on Sunday, I'm delighted to announce that our Sunday School staff and volunteers will keep them busy throughout the service and annual meeting. We will take Holy Communion to them (or offer them blessings) so they can participate with us in the sacrament as usual.As for the Ministry Fair, dozens of St. John's ministries, almost all of them lay-led, will be present and eagerly recruiting new ministers. Keep your eyes peeled especially for:

-- The ushers table, where both women and men are now cordially and warmly invited to serve Christ by welcoming the people of God to our services and making them feel at home. Head usher Harry Elliott will have all the details.

-- St. John's member Lara de Leon, who is launching a new ministry to provide rides to church and doctors' appointments for our members and neighbors who can't drive. (St. John Chrysostom, meet Uber St. John's!) While we're still working on the details, on Sunday Lara hopes to sign up as many volunteer drivers as possible.

-- The Higher Calling Council of the Saddleback Valley, a new non-profit organization based at St. John's that will also serve our neighbors in need. Look for the council's president, Paula Neal Reza, and pick up materials about our first event, which is coming up on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Bell Tower Regional Community Center.  Our speaker will be U.S. Army Col. Bill Russell Edmonds, author of the critically acclaimed God Is Not Here: A Soldier's Struggle With Torture, Trauma, And The Moral Injuries Of War. He'll be introduced by our own Col. Stewart Navarre, former chief of staff at Camp Pendleton. The afternoon is free and open to the public. Col. Edmonds will autograph copies of his book, which will be available for sale. The event co-sponsor is Strength in Support, an Orange County non-profit that provides mental health services to veterans and their families. Tell your friends, and especially tell vets. All proceeds from book sales and a free will offering will benefit Strength in Support.-- And the St. John's School admissions table, where you'll learn about the opportunity to provide a temporary home this spring, and perhaps beyond, for one of our international students, an 8th grader who loves golf and horseback riding. As our international student program grows, church members will have additional chances to be deputy parents to our young Cardinals. Learn more on Sunday by speaking to admissions director Beth Anderson.

All that and much, much more in the name of Christ and in thanksgiving for brave John Chrysostom!Yours in Christ's love,
Fr. John

Movies A Man for All Seasons (1)P.S.: Next Sunday, Feb. 7 at 9 a.m. in the Bishop's Room, in the last installment of An Epiphany Search for God at the Movies, Andy Guilford will lead a conversation about "A Man For All Seasons." Winner of Oscars for best picture, director, and actor, this 1966 classic depicts the epic clash at the beginning of the English Reformation between Henry VIII and Sir Thomas More. You'll love it If you enjoyed "Elizabeth" and "The Tudors." At the link below, you can rent the film at Amazon and watch on your computer or tablet. (Mo. Martha noticed this trick: If you click on "more purchase options," you can rent the movie for $2.99 (standard definition) instead of the $3.99 HD choice that pops up first.)