ANNOUNCEMENTS - The Week of April 7, 2024 (click here for the PDF version)
Here’s what’s happening at St. John’s, around the diocese, and in the local community. THANK YOU to everyone who helped with Saturday’s iftar dinner. PRAYER LIST We pray for those on our parish prayer list: Presiding Bishop Michael, Sylvent, Carl, Joan P., Elmada, Jackie, Brett, Lori S., Charlotte M., Michelle J., Nathan, Donna, Andrew, Steve D., Bruce, Nina, Shabba and Sister Eleanor Francis. FOOD PANTRY Next Sunday, April 21, we will collect food for the Boonton Food Pantry. ZOOM MEETING TOMORROW Monday, April 8, at 7 p.m. is the next Zoom meeting for small and mid-sized churches. This is a great opportunity to connect with resources and members of other similar-sized parishes. Such connections may be especially helpful as St. John’s enters a time of clergy transition. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87371874393?pwd=dlBEa3hkdUhJTHFzM3lqaGVTU0lNdz09 Meeting ID: 873 7187 4393 Passcode: 553852 Join by telephone: 1 646 558 8656 US (New York) SAVE THE DATE: On Sunday, April 28, Brigid Dwyer will return to St. John’s as guest preacher and Morning Prayer officiant. After the service and coffee hour, she will lead a training workshop in the church for all lectors, including those currently serving and those who wish to participate in this ministry in the future. MORE NEWS Find the latest diocesan and denominational news, including the nominees for the next presiding bishop, in The VOICE online. The current and past issues are in the archive at https://dioceseofnewark.org/e-news. You also can sign up to receive the biweekly newsletter and other diocesan announcements via e-mail.
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Dear St. John's,
This Sunday, we are excited to welcome Bishop Carlye Hughes to St. John's. She will lead the worship service and join us for a short time at coffee hour, then meet with the vestry, wardens and clergy. This will be a time to celebrate St. John's and also to assess where we are and dream about the future. So that we all are well-informed, in case any of you missed the annual meeting last Sunday, I'm printing a copy of my message below and attaching a copy of the annual report. I hope you are all able to join us for this special Sunday. Rev. Sharon Annual report message: The past year was a busy one for St. John’s. We worshiped together every Sunday, undeterred by the occasional balky boiler, fallen plaster or winter storm. We buried beloved parishioners and baptized babies into our membership. We introduced a Longest Night service and revived the tradition of celebrating Palm Sunday with the First Presbyterian Church by eating breakfast together and processing with blessed palms between our churches. Among our many other activities:
Because of these ongoing financial pressures, I will conclude my time as priest-in-residence at St. John’s at the end of my two-year letter of agreement in June. During my remaining time here, I am working with the vestry to arrange training for those interested in assisting with worship. This includes members to lead Morning Prayer and to serve as readers of sermons as well as lessons. Periodic supply clergy will provide Communion each month. I also will be preparing bulletin templates to assist with future worship planning. On the financial side, the vestry is working hard to cut expenses and prioritize needed capital improvements. Among other things, it is exploring options for renting or eventually selling the rectory after the Ibrahimis move and looking for new fundraisers. I am sad to leave this church community I have come to love. Members may be feeling anxious about entering a time of clergy transition and about making decisions about St. John’s future. Change and transition can be hard for all of us. But the COVID shutdown reminded us that, at its heart, the church is its people. St. John’s members are a faithful, loving church family. And we have Jesus’ promise that he will always be with us. So let us move forward in prayer with confidence as we prepare for and discern the future together. For, as one of my favorite hymns proclaims: God has work for us to do. Rev. Sharon Dear St. John’s, Yesterday was the feast day of St. Matthew the Evangelist. Our church is named after St. John the Evangelist. We know them as the credited authors of two of the Gospels, the written accounts of the Good News of Jesus’ life and ministry, death and resurrection. Those accounts have helped to spread and build faith throughout the world for almost 2,000 years. As baptized Christians, we are called to carry on the evangelists’ work of sharing God’s Good News. One way to do this is to share stories of our faith. To help us learn how to do this, or to do it better, the diocese is offering a workshop called “This is My Story: Learning to Share Our Faith Stories” from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21, at St. Elizabeth’s, Ridgewood. I hope you will consider attending as a step toward deepening your own faith and sharing it with others. Here is the link for more information: https://dioceseofnewark.org/.../my-story-learning-share... Rev. Sharon Dear St. John’s, It probably won’t surprise you that I’ve been thinking a lot about mothers this week. I am deeply grateful for all of the prayers and support I’ve received after my mother died last Sunday. They have sustained me and my family in this difficult time. Mothers are powerful figures in our lives. They carry us from our inception, give birth to us, guide and nurture us. Because of this, mothers are an important symbol. We speak of Mother Earth, for example, who hosts and supports the life of all creatures and plants on our planet. In the church, while we often talk about God the Father, we also see biblical imagery of God the Mother. Deuteronomy 32:18 speaks of the God who gave us birth. In Isaiah 66:13, God says, “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.” In Matthew and Luke, Jesus speaks of wishing to gather the children of Jerusalem together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. Let us give thanks for our Heavenly Parent, the source and sustainer of our existence and the comforter of all who mourn. And let us give thanks for our earthly parents, who love and nurture us while we are here together and who remain as blessed memories when we are parted. Rev. Sharon Important announcements: This Sunday, Sept. 17, we will worship at St. John’s Lodge, 280 Boulevard, in Mountain Lakes as we join the church St. John’s founded, St. Peter’s, in a special service celebrating its 100th anniversary. Suggested arrival time is 10 a.m. for the 10:15 a.m. service. Parking is available at the lodge and nearby Island Beach. Next Sunday, Sept. 24, we anticipate worshiping again in the parish hall for safety reasons while repairs are being made to the ceiling in the church. Deacon John will be leading Morning Prayer. That day also is Boonton Day, from noon-4 p.m. Please let me know if you can volunteer some time at our table that afternoon. The Tricky Tray is scheduled for Oct. 22 at the Parsippany PAL Building, 35 Baldwin Road. Don’t miss out! Tickets are available online only. Click the Tricky Tray link on our website, or go directly to https://tinyurl.com/DogLoversTrickyTray |
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