Second Lent, Sunday, February 28, 2021 By Rev. Christopher Potter, Vicar No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. Genesis 17: 5 The change of name for Abram was subtle; it went from “father” to “father […]
We have a True or False Lenten quiz for you this week. Our Middle School Youth Group members did pretty well — here’s the quiz. Good luck! Here you go: 1. Lent’s official liturgical color is red. 2. Lent lasts for 40 days, not counting Sundays. 3. The word Lent is an old Anglo-Saxon word […]
First Lent, Sunday, February 21, 2021 By Rev. Christopher Potter, Vicar “Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God.” 1 Peter 3:18 This passage, from this Sunday’s scriptures, is another example of often-overlooked, highly significant verses which carries with it almost the entire […]
Youth Group members are using a ‘Lenten Micro Practices’ booklet for Lent’s 40 days. Each day comes with an assignment to apply the lesson throughout the day. At the end of each day YG members go through a five-point checklist written by St. Ignatius Loyola more than 400 years ago. The checklist is a daily […]
Below is part of a prayer from this evening’s ‘Gathering in the Home for Ash Wednesday’, beautifully written, full of wisdom and truth. May it be a blessing to you: We live in mystery. We live torn apart at times: so much glory, so much pain. We live in faith: faith in ourselves and each […]
Laughter, stories, food shares, and prayer filled St. John’s Shrove Tuesday ZOOM service. It was a great lead-in to Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season which begins February 17. Ash Wednesday ZOOM services are at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Service links are in Rev. Christopher’s Monday e-blast. Bring your ‘Ashes to Go’ to the […]
Sunday, February 14, 2021 – Last Sunday After the Epiphany The Season of Lent is drawing close. Ash Wednesday is February 17 this year and Shrove Tuesday is the day before. Our online ZOOM services on both days are at 6 p.m. We’ll also be doing our regular Morning Prayer service on Ash Wednesday at […]
The St. John’s Youth Group leaders are ON IT. Sunday Mr. and Mrs. Nichols, Mr. Miramontes, Mike Olivor, and Mrs. Patti delivered more than 30 “Lent in a Bag” gifts to every Youth Group member. Included in the bags: pancake mix, Lenten Micro Practices pamphlet (more on this next week), a tiny amount of ashes, […]
Sunday, February 7, 2021 – Epiphany 5 – Scout Sunday Several families of the community have stepped up to sponsor a “Matching Fund” in the amount of $25,000 for new pledgers or for those who can supplement this years’ pledge. Your donation would effectively be doubled! This could almost erase our budget shortfall! Details will […]
Sometimes Youth Group is just getting together and checking in with one another, doing housekeeping like discussing Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday plans, and then the leaders watch the last minutes turn into hysterical mayhem with a game of Scattergories. Want to see how it went? Check the screenshot below. The question was “musical instruments […]
Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany ~ January 31, 2021 Family Meeting and “Chrysostom Day” In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus takes out of a man the evil that hardened his heart to the truth of the Gospel. May God find on us no such chains; rather, a need to proclaim the Gospel of mercy, justice, and peace […]
Here’s why youth ministry is important not just to our kids, but to the larger church community: • It helps bring our youth into the larger, intergenerational community of the church. • Helps the church stay relevant in the lives of our youth. • Invites kids who aren’t part of the church into an accepting […]
Third Sunday after the Epiphany – January 24, 2021 Thoughts on Annual Family Meetings Jesus called people who fish because they know the ropes. From my first Annual Meeting 25 years ago to the one coming up Sunday, January 31, I’m always impressed by the solemn and serious nature from the people around me. Whether […]
Youth Group this week focused on the reconciliation message of Dr. Martin Luther King, and, in particular, on an Atlanta bishop who is known as the “dirty-fingernail Christian” because he gets out of the office and out on the streets. Bishop Rob Wright of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia is known for taking Jesus’s first […]
Second Sunday after the Epiphany — January 17, 2021 “Great insight from youth can come…” My curriculum for the Seventh Grade Religion Class is planned during the summer of each year before St. John’s School begins. That’s important for you to know as I tell you that the lesson for this week’s class was the story […]
First Sunday after the Epiphany – January 10, 2021 [The following is an excerpt from my sermon on the Feast of Epiphany] “Epiphany has been celebrated from the earliest days of the church; as early as the end of the 2nd century, it became a solid part of the Calendar and of our theology. “Epiphany literally […]
Youth Groups are back from Christmas break! Middle Schoolers heard a mini-talk on how God doesn’t need us to be perfect, but just wants us to be the best people we can be. Kids also shared about their Christmas break activities. The High School & Beyond group were challenged by group leaders to carry three […]
Last Sunday after Pentecost • November 21, 2020 Greetings of peace from God, the source of abundant blessings to all who notice the grace that surrounds us. The image of “Life as a River” has permeated my thoughts lately. Time, progress, and change are constantly moving us forward while we are caught (sometimes absent-mindedly) in […]
We’re gathering online Wednesday, November 25 at 6 p.m. for the annual St. John’s Church service to give thanks for life’s blessings on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday. Rev. Christopher will include the ZOOM worship link in his eblast to the congregation this Saturday, November 21. And, even in this crazy year, we will […]
Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost November 8, 2020 When I started writing this morning on November 7, the country was still in ‘electoral limbo.’ Now, I toss aside what I started to write in order to address an important matter that lays before us. It has felt like I have been walking on eggshells for the […]