However, health regulations prohibit the clergy from being informed when our parishioners are in the hospital, so we will not know if you or someone you love is there unless you tell us. W e want to provide support in any time of need or crisis.
Please call the parish offices at 259.1570 or email
The Holy Eucharist (Rite II) and Healing & Anointing (Chapel)
Men’s Thursday Bible Study and Lunch
11:45 a.m., Peterson Room
The Men’s Thursday Bible Study and Lunch group continues meeting on Thursdays at 11:45 a.m. at the School’s Middle School campus. The readings the group will study are those from the Revised Common Lectionary for the coming Sunday.
Please do not park in the Four Green Fields parking lots. Lunch is sandwiches at $5 per person. RSVP todlrncrtpa@verizon.net if you would like to partake.
Adult Formation classes will meet again to begin an Advent study on December 11. Come and join the conversation! Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes. For more information, email Kathleen Moore or contact her a t 221.6253.
11:15 a.m.
The Holy Eucharist (Rite I) (Church)
Monday, December 12
Bible Women
4:00 p.m., Lowry Room
Bible Women will take a break for the holidays, and will not meet again until January 11.
CWBS is studying Amos and Hosea . After conversation and a light breakfast (fruit & some type of bread) that members take turns bringing, the study starts at 7:00 a.m. and ends shortly before 8:00 a.m.; a few people may leave early if they have to go to work.
CWBS will not meet on Tuesday, December 29.
All women of St John’s and their friends are welcome; the current group includes several valued members from other branches of Christ’s church. For more information, please contact Kathleen Moore at 221.6253 or kathleenmarymoore@gmail.com.
Wednesday, December 14: Ember Day
12:15 p.m.
The Holy Eucharist (Rite II) (Chapel)
Christmas Party with Cornerstone Kids
Once again, the families of St. John’s will host a Christmas party for Cornerstone Kids on Wednesday, December 14
, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at St. James’ House of Prayer. This year, there will be arts, crafts, songs, and food. This event always promises to be a fun and enjoyable time for both the kids at Cornerstone as well as the families from St. John’s who attend. If you are interested in volunteering to help with the party or if you would like more information, contact Shawn O’Brien at sobodp@gmail.com or 505-5877. See you there!
Wednesday Nights In St. John’s
6:30 p.m., Parish Hall
No matter what you believe, no matter how you behave, Jesus invites you to follow In God’s Footsteps. In this eight-session study, best-selling author and pastor Andy Stanley shows you that Jesus’ invitation was really an invitation to relationship and this study explains what it means to follow Jesus.
The Wednesday Nights group will continue viewing this series through February 1, with breaks for the viewing of the movie Godspell on December 21, and a holiday break with no meeting on December 28.
December 14 – Fearless
December 21 – Godspell
December 28 – No Meeting
January 4 – Follow Where
January 11 – The Fine Print
January 18 – What I Want to Want
January 25 – Leading Great
February 1 – Unfollow
The group invites all parishioners and friends to join them each week in the Parish Hall. Bring a dish to share and an open heart and mind for discussion. Contact Paul and Winkie Game at
The Service of Nine Lessons and Carols that took place on Sunday was a wonderful demonstration of our magnificent choir’s ability to fill our historic church with lovely seasonal music. Click here to go to our Facebook page and see our video of one of the pieces. We invite you to share it with your “friends” too!
And join us for our Annual Christmas Concert on Sunday, December 18 at 5:00 p.m. for more holiday cheer!
Christmas Party with Cornerstone Kids
Once again, the families of St. John’s will host a Christmas party for Cornerstone Kids on Wednesday, December 14
, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at St. James’ House of Prayer. This year, there will be arts, crafts, songs, and food. This event always promises to be a fun and enjoyable time for both the kids at Cornerstone as well as the families from St. John’s who attend. If you are interested in volunteering to help with the party or if you would like more information, contact Shawn O’Brien at sobodp@gmail.com or 505-5877. See you there!
Annual Christmas Concert: Sunday, December 18
Our Annual Christmas Concert will take place on Sunday, December 18, at 5:00 p.m. This concert, begun as a one-time event in 2007, has very much become a part of the St. John’s Christmas tradition, and draws a large crowd. There will be carols of the season for audience and choir, and music by Francis Poulenc, Andrew Carter and Peter Warlock. The Christmas Concert will be followed by a reception in the Parish Hall, to which all are warmly invited.
Nominees to the Vestry of St. John’s Church
The Vestry has nominated the following parishioners to stand for election at our Annual Meeting on Sunday, February 12, following a combined service at 10:00 a.m. Photos and biographical information will follow soon.
Doug Arthur
Heddy Brown
Carleton Compton
Greg Hearing
Stephen Leal
Ned Roberts
Dottie Webster
India Witte
Parish Breakfast and Sandwich Sunday
December 18 is our Parish Breakfast and Sandwich Sunday. Join us in the Parish Hall after the 9:15 a.m. service for a tasty breakfast, and to prepare sandwiches and bag lunches for the patrons of Faith Cafe. Thanks to the Adams family for being our Sandwich Sunday hosts this month!
Children and Youth
EYC Volunteer Opportunity: Saturday, December 17
Christmas is a very joyous time of year, but it can also be very difficult for those in our community who are in need. St. John’s EYC will volunteer at Feeding Tampa Bay’s major distribution event on Saturday, December 17 from 7:30 a.m to 1:00 p.m. There are just eight slots available for volunteers, contact Father Ackerman as soon as possible to sign up for the event.Check the website for updated information!
EYC Christmas Party: Sunday, December 18
It’s time to relax, trim the tree, and maybe even sing a carol or two! All youth are invited to the EYC Christmas Party from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. in Discovery House. Bring your Christmas cheer and enjoy the evening! Click here to sign up to bring food or help with party setup.
Children’s and Youth Ministry Dates
Please note, the 2017-2018 Calendar of Events and Key Dates for the Children’s and Youth Ministries will be available in January. These dates will also be covered in our bi-monthly e-newsletter from the youth and children’s ministries, the Scoop. If you would like to be added to the Scoop mailing list, please contact Whitney Wolf.
Seeking Photographer to Capture Christmas Pageant
If you’re planning to attend the 4:00 p.m. service on Christmas Eve and would be interested in being one of our designated pageant photographers, please contact Whitney Wolf. You don’t need to be a professional photographer – just someone with a decent camera (i.e. not a cell phone) who might enjoy capturing a few shots of the performance, to be used in church communications and on the website.
Christmas Pageant Rehearsal Schedule
The remaining rehearsals are as follows:
Saturday, December 17 – 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 22 – 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
For a more detailed schedule or if you would like to help out, please contact Stephanie Andrews at szam1317@gmail.com or Cristy Braun at gatorcristy@gmail.com.
Action Items and Opportunities
Every Member Canvass 2017
The Every Member Canvass for 2017, Living Generously, is now on! We encourage every parishioner to make their pledge by December 31. Pledge safely online by clicking here.
From the Parish Register
Baptisms
Sunday, December 4
Molly Cameron Taylor
Thomas Alan Byrne
Birthdays
December 8, Sydney Braun, Robert Elliott, Mark Schabacker
December 9, Thomas Conlee, John Koch, Lilly Young
December 10, Nicole Hasselbach, Kevin Johnson, Julie Sunich
December 11, Thomas Moxley, Christopher Nix, Ingalls Witte
December 12, Stephen Galloway, Eleanor Taylor, Christopher Walker, Jack Walker
December 14, Donna Gem, Absley Goodman, Mary Greacen, Kathryn Lewis, Ainsley Paustain, Sharon Stoll
