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 kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls;
on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Matthew 13
This Week in
St. John’s
Thursday, October 6
10:00 a.m.
The Holy Eucharist and Healing and 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 next week. 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 to dlrncrtpa@verizon.net if you would like to partake.
Embracing an Adult Faith, Adult Christian Education Class
(Lowry Room)
We will not meet next Sunday, October 16, so that parishioners can enjoy our Parish Breakfast and Sandwich Sunday.
11:15 a.m.
The Holy Eucharist (Rite I) (Church)
Monday, October 10
Bible Women
4:00 p.m., Lowry Room
The study group for Bible Women by Lindsay Freeman welcomes all women. Each week is a standalone lesson. The book may be purchased from Forward Movement for $15.
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.
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, October 12
12:15 a.m.
The Holy Eucharist (Rite II) (Chapel)
Wednesday Nights In St. John’s
6:30 p.m., Parish Hall
The Wednesday Nights 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 pgamefla@aol.com for more details.
Breaking News
Festive Family Bingo Night!
On Friday, September 30, we hosted our annual Family Bingo Night in the Parish Hall. Despite the less-than-festive weather, we had a fantastic turnout of enthusiastic players, and plenty of pizza, prizes, and fun for all! We’re planning to do another game night in the spring. Stay tuned for details.
Organ Recital by James Kennerley
We are delighted to be presenting James Kennerley in concert at St. John’s on Sunday, October 30,
at 5:00 p.m. James is one of the finest young organists of today, and this is a recital not to be missed. There will be a big screen to enable the audience to see the organ console, usually hidden from view, and a reception, to which all are warmly invited to meet James, will follow the recital.
Hailed as “a great organist” displaying “phenomenal technique and sheer musicality” (Bloomberg News), James Kennerley is a multi-faceted musician, working as a conductor, keyboardist, singer, and educator.
Mr. Kennerley was a prizewinner at the 2008 Albert Schweitzer International Organ Competition, and a finalist at the inaugural (2013) Longwood Gardens International Organ Competition. In addition to solo concerts in the US and Europe, Mr. Kennerley frequently collaborates with groups such as the Voices of Ascension, New York City Master Chorale, and Greenwich Choral Society. He has studied the organ with David Sanger, Thomas Trotter and McNeil Robinson, and holds the Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists diploma. He has given concerts at Carnegie Hall, The Metropolitan Museum, Washington National Cathedral, The Frick Collection, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, the Royal Albert Hall, Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, London, and many other major organ venues in the USA and Europe. A renowned specialist in the art of improvisation, Mr. Kennerley is frequently in demand as a performer and educator in this regard. He studied improvisation with Robert Levin, McNeil Robinson, and Noam Sivan at the Juilliard School.
A native of the United Kingdom, Mr. Kennerley is Organist and Choirmaster at Saint Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church, New York City, where he directs the professional choir and coordinates the church’s extensive concert series. From 2008 he held a similar position at “Smoky Mary’s”, the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Times Square.
Randy Hehr Celebration of New Ministry Is Saturday
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Clearwater, has called The Rev. Randy Hehr as their Rector. That parish has scheduled a Celebration of a New Ministry this Saturday, October 8, at 11:00 a.m., with Bishop Smith presiding. Randy has been Priest-in-Charge since he went to Holy Trinity after being with us at St. John’s. St. John’s parishioners are welcome to attend this joyful event.
Calling All Moms! Mom’s Mornings Begin Thursday, October 13
Join us at 8:45 a.m. at Discovery House (918 South Orleans Avenue) next Thursday, October 13, to kick off our monthly moms group. With the devotional Bible study Walking with God in the Season of Motherhoodas our guide, you will learn how to nourish your own heart, mind, and soul with the wisdom you need to become the mother you long to be, while garnering strength and support from your peers in a comfortable and judgement-free environment. Let this group be your haven. Come for as little or as long as you’d like. Coffee and morning treats will be provided. Little ones are welcome. If you have any questions or want to join us, please email Whitney Wolf at wwolf@104.237.132.142.
St. John’s Fathers Ministry Service Project
Join the Fathers Ministry on Sunday, October 16, in the Parish Hall for their Holiday Letters for Heroes party! The event will take place after the 9:15 a.m. service i n conjunction with our Parish Breakfast. Parish children will be using their creativity to write thank you letters to service members deployed overseas over the holidays. The Fathers will set up and decorate two tables for letter writing, kids’ puzzles, and Veteran’s Day wreath-making.
Grown-ups can write a letter too! A drop box for letters will be set up the week of the event. Let’s show these heroes our appreciation for their sacrifice and service. See you there!
Annual St. Francis Day Pet Blessing
Pets, pets, and more PETS! Tuesday’s St. Francis Day Pet Blessing brought out dogs, cats, birds, and even our Lower School guinea pig from Mrs. Pekkala’s class, Gomez! Have a safe and blessed year, our animal friends!
St. John’s Fathers Camping Trip
This year’s St. John’s Fathers Ministry camping trip is upon us. This year’s trip will be November 11 and 12 at Lakewood Retreat in Brooksville, FL (https://www.lakewoodretreat.org).
This is one of the easiest camping trips you will ever attend. Do not worry if you haven’t been camping before – this is a “team event.” We welcome dads and children to come early on Friday, starting after lunch. Friday is really the meat of the trip and there are many activities such as canoeing, nature trails, and the animal farm that can be enjoyed. Arrival during daylight is ideal, especially for setting up your tent! If you are planning to purchase a tent, we would recommend the type that pops up, one which you do not need to run bendable poles through sleeves.
The camping trip is a simple event that our children look on with fond, powerful memories. We cannot emphasize enough how profoundly and positively this little adventure impacts them. Dads, be prepared to stand up and say a few words about why you are proud of your child(ren) during the kettle corn campfire on Friday night. An e xample: “Hello, I’m Kaivon Madani. This is my daughter Shahla. Shahla is a great swimmer. She has a wonderful imagination. She works hard at school and makes almost all A+’s, I’m so proud of her and so glad she is here tonight.”
Furthermore, as the date approaches, Kaivon will be asking fathers to sign up to take responsibility for a single task such as manning the grill, cleaning up after dinner, running the s’mores station, cleaning up after we leave on Saturday, etc.
Save the Date: October 16, 6:00 p.m., Dominican Night Dinner at St. John’s Episcopal Church i n honor of the Diocese of Southwest Florida’s Companion Diocese Relationship with the Dominican Republic.
If you have participated in mission work in the Dominican Republic, especially those from the Tampa Deanery, and/or if you are just interested in the work of the Dominican Development Group, they group is asking for volunteers to help make this dinner a success. Both Bishop Holguin and Bishop Smith will bring their guitars (and there will be others) so it should be very entertaining. Dave Kenyon, our expert gourmet cook at St. John’s, has chosen a menu and this should be a fun evening, but we can use assistance.
In addition to volunteers needed for the event, we need 2 volunteers to prep for Saturday, October 15 , and 4 volunteers to prep on the day of the event, Sunday, October 16.
If you can help, please contact Sally Thompson, tampasal@verizon.net, 760.5120 (call/text).
The next meeting of the Board of Directors of the Dominican Development Group will be in Tampa on Monday, October 17. This meeting is scheduled in conjunction with the annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida, one of the dioceses with a companion relationship with the Diocese of the Dominican Republic.
Following Convention on Sunday, October 16, board members will have the opportunity to travel to different churches around the diocese to promote the DR mission programs and the DDG. On Sunday evening, there will be a Dominican night dinner at St. John’s in Tampa, and mission-minded individuals from across the diocese will be invited to enjoy fellowship with the board members.
Pumpkin Painting Party, Sunday October 23
On Sunday, October 23, we will host our annual Pumpkin Painting Party from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. BYOP (Bring Your Own Pumpkin) and we will have everything you need to make your pumpkin a beautiful and festive addition to your Halloween decor. Parents, look for our sign-up stand following the 9:15 a.m. service on October 9 and 16, as well as an evite coming soon to your inbox. Questions? Please contact Whitney Wolf at wwolf@104.237.132.142.
Events and Fellowship
The Soiree
St. John’s Church invites you to a Soirée
at the home of Mary and Ron Hulse, 4912 Lyford Cay Road
Friday, October 21
7:00 p.m.
Bring an hors d’oeuvre to share and a drink of your choosing.
When you check in for Sunday School on October 9, please be sure to sign your kids up for all roles of interest in the Christmas Pageant and pick up a rehearsal schedule so you can mark your calendars. We have parts for everyone and will be awarding lead roles to the kids with the best Sunday School attendance for the fall season. Role assignments will be announced during the Kick-Off Brunch on Sunday, November 13. If you have questions or concerns or if you miss the opportunity to sign up on Sunday, please contact wwolf@104.237.132.142 .
Save the Date for Vacation Bible School 2017!
Save the date, VBS 2017 will be June 19 through 23. Details to follow in early 2017. If you’re interested in volunteering and being a part of the plan, please contact wwolf@104.237.132.142.
Action Items and Opportunities
Kitchen Guild Needs Help
The Kitchen Guild could use volunteers for the Dominican Republic Fundraising Dinner on October 16. Meet at 1:00 p.m. in the kitchen if you can help. We also need help on our next Breakfast Sunday, October 16. Please meet at 8:30 a.m. in the kitchen.
Feel free to just join us at these times, or you can call the parish offices at 259.1570 to let us know you are coming.
AmazonSmile: Support St. John’s While You Shop!
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com
, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping experience as at Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization, St. John’s!
On your first visit to AmazonSmile
, you will need to select St. John’s as your charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. The site will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at AmazonSmile
will result in a donation to St. John’s. Click here to go to our page!
From the Parish Register
Baptisms
Sunday, October 2
Clark Benjamin French
Matthew Thomas Valdes
Birthdays
October 6, Virginia Hobby, Daniel Johnson
October 7, Alton Parker, Mary Pekkala, Kristine Salzer, Jonathan Sbar
October 8, William Clewis, Caroline Mackie, Joan McKay
October 9, Kimberly Dostal, Luke Eatman, Penelope Herman, Isabelle Lowke, Pamela Shives
October 10, Laura Capen, Robert Frick, Alexandra Lutton, Peyton Purdy, Caroline Turner
October 11, Franklin Hancock, Anthony Lee, Mackenzie Moore, Shannon Sampson, Thomas Singletary
October 12, Julie Blanner, Rowan Cruse, Elizabeth Graham, Jeffery Patenaude, Yvonne Santiago, James Turner, Jack Wyatt
