www.stjohnsportsmouth.org12 December 2013
 
Harp and Flute Concert this Saturday 
  

Please join us in the beautiful, candlelit sanctuary of historic St. John's Church for our annual Harp and Flute Concert...a tradition of peace and serenity in this holy season of Advent!

 

Musicians Debra Cross (who holds the Virginia Symphony's H. Lee Canter Principal Flute Chair) and Barbara Chapman (who holds the Virginia Symphony's Benton Family Principal Harp Chair) will perform at St. John's on Saturday, December 14 at 5pm with a special quartet offering music before the concert.   Invite your friends and neighbors!  

 

Fr. Derek's Silver Anniversary Surprise

 

On Sunday, December 1, St. John's hosted a surprise luncheon in honor of Fr. Derek Harbin's 25th Anniversary of his priestly ordination.  During the feast, Senior Warden Bill Oast presented our rector with a new leather Prayer Book/Hymnal to replace the tattered ones he has been using since his ordination.  The people of St. John's are to be congratulated for keeping the secret--Fr. Derek was truly surprised!

 

How overwhelmed I continue to be at your kindness, love, generosity, and prayers!  Thank you so much for the altar greens, delicious luncheon, and beautiful prayer book and hymnal you gave me in honor of my ordination anniversary.  Every day you shine with the brightness of Jesus.  What a blessing you are!  Derek Harbin+      

 

Giving to Christ at Christmas

Christmas will be here in two weeks.  As we prepare for the upcoming Christmas season, our parish is offering each of us the opportunity to do the single-most important act of the holidays: give a gift to Jesus Christ.  Giving to Christ at Christmas is based on a simple idea.  It's Jesus' birthday.  That's why we give gifts to each other.  Let's have our gift giving begin with a gift to him.

 

Each year we invite followers of Jesus associated with St. John's Church to give the most generous, one-time cash gift we can-above and beyond our normal giving, as we would any Christmas gift-to fund the twin heartbeats of our Lord: evangelistic witness and relief of human suffering, locally, nationally and internationally.  This year, at our Annual Parish Meeting, we have chosen to direct our gifts to the Westmoreland Children and Youth Association of Portsmouth.

 

Founded in 2009 by Tyrone and Pat Hines, Westmoreland Children and Youth Association works with the most at-risk children in Portsmouth to keep them out of gangs.  Their goal is to promote an understanding of basic values, team work, community service, and character development through mentoring and involvement in a wide variety of sports and cheering.  They have no paid staff and work closely with Zion Baptist Church who provides adult mentors and coaches. 

 

So what's involved?  It's simple.  On December 24, bring your offering marked Giving to Christ at Christmas to services on Christmas Eve and give it as part of our parish Christmas festivities.  If you can't be with us that night, simply place your gift in the offering basket at any Christmas worship event through Epiphany (January 6) or mail it to the Parish Office.  Please note on the memo line: Giving to Christ at Christmas. 

 

Each dollar we give this year will be matched, doubling our gift in Jesus' name.  This Christmas we have the opportunity to forever change the lives of children in our own community.  Our prayer is that this gift will truly honor the One whose birthday we shall soon celebrate.

 
Hanging of the Greens: Sunday, 12/22 @ noon

The Flower Guild has a plan for coordinated greens, flowers, and plants throughout the worship space and a strategy to help us quickly complete the work. But we need more than plans to prepare our worship space for Christmas - we need you!

 

Everyone (young and old) is needed and welcome to help decorate inside and out after the 11am Eucharist on Sunday, 12/22 (two days before Christmas Eve)!

 

We have a number of tasks to accomplish. Each group of tasks will be headed by one or more Flower Guild member and instructions and all materials will be provided - we just need your willing hands. This list will be in Chisholm Hall next Sunday (12/15) for you to sign up for the task you'd most like to do.  If you have them, bring tools according to the task you have chosen.

 

We also still need some additional 'greens'. So also check the list below for requested greens to see what you might be able to provide from your yard (or a willing neighbor's yard). This year we won't need huge amounts. So even if you can only spare a few branches, you can contribute. We are asking for the greens to be at the church no later than Saturday at Noon on 12/21. We want to be able to condition the greens so they will stay fresh longer. That will also allow us to group the greens with each set of tasks to make decorating more efficient.

 

We still need:  pine, fir, cedar, magnolia leaves, camellia leaves, variegated and green holly (with berries if possible), juniper with berries, pyracantha, winterberry, and nandina berries, oregonia, and other interesting evergreens, pinecones or other dried seed pods. 

 

Questions?  Contact Linda Buchanan.

 

Miscellany

  

Christian Formation for all ages continues this Sunday.

 

Our last Advent pilgrimage is Wednesday, 12/18.  Feeling rushed and stressed getting ready for Christmas?  Take a 30-minute time out on Wednesday 12/18 from 7-7:30pm and give the Spirit a chance to prepare your heart for the coming of Jesus once again.    Visual reflections will be offered by parishioners who made an Advent pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2012.

 

The Epiphany Pageant is coming!  Sign up this Sunday or email to be in the cast. Please note if you would like a speaking role.  Adults and Children are encouraged to participate.  The Pageant will be presented on the Epiphany, Monday night, January 6 at 6:30pm.

 

St. John's new cookbook, Feast on Favorites, is available for purchase each Sunday
in Chisholm Hall during the Sunday hospitality times after worship.   To purchase a cookbook online, please click here or direct your friends to the bottom of our website homepage. 

 

The Perfect Christmas Gift for the AWEsome lady in your life!  Surprise her with a St. John's Women's Retreat registration at the beautiful Hilton Ocean Front Virginia Beach on February 21 & 22.  Our guest speaker is Tracy Miles from Proverbs 31 Ministries.  Purchase your gift after worship in Chisholm Hall or online.  Your AWEsome lady will appreciate your thoughtfulness!

 

Sign up to prepare a meal for this year's Pilgrims in Christ group using the sheet posted in the Parish Hall.  Use your gifts of hospitality while you fulfill your baptismal promise to "do all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ." 

 

Contribute by PayPal.  Our website now offers a PayPal option to receive contributions.  Click here or at the bottom of our website homepage.  

 

The Parishioner Corner of our Website has news you can use.  Here you can access the latest parish directory, parish handbook, access worship ministry schedules, and read approved minutes of vestry discussions and actions as well parish financial reports.  Need or don't remember the password?  Click here.  

 
Parish Calendar

Click here to access our Parish Calendar


In our Prayers this Week

If you would like to add a name to the prayer list, please contact the prayer chain.

 

Prayers for the Church

Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury; Katherine, the Presiding Bishop; Holly, our bishop

Derek, our priest; our parish staff, wardens and vestry

 

For Justice and Peace  

For Barack, our president, Bob, our governor; Ken, our mayor; Erin Elliott-Carrico; Roberto Gonzalez; Nate Kingsbury; Will Oast; Dariana Torres and Bill Wolter who are serving our country overseas or away from home; for the Coast Guard Personnel on watch and on patrol from Coast Guard Base Portsmouth

 

For those in any Need or Trouble  

In our Parish: Marti Austin; George Booth; Donald Bowles; Bill Edwards; Mavia Hudgins; Linda Mathews; Cassie McBride; Arlene Peterson; Carol Phipps; Alice Robbins; Paul Sarandria; Jennie Todd; Lauren Weaver; Andre Williams

Related to our Parish: Mary (sister of Dody Mason); Nancy (mother of Andy Gray); Michael (sister of Sherry Clem); Walter (cousin of Dody Mason); Sally (mother of Fr. Derek); Tom (brother-in-law of Lindsey Hicks Thornton); Dylan (friend of Miles Harbin); Carolyn & Kevin (sister and brother-in-law of Brenda Wolter); Barbara (mother of Dody Johnson); Andy (father of Ray Symmes); Mary (friend of Alice Taylor-Smith); James (father of Bonnie Scott); Patients of the Naval Hospital & EDMARC hospice for children. 

 

Thanksgivings  

For those expecting a child: John & Katie Goodwin, Joe & Stephanie Ryder


Departed

Clara (grandmother of Willy Wolter); Nelson Mandela


Stewardship of God's Resources for the week of 12/08:
 
Worship Attendance: Sunday 8am (16), 9am (62), 11am (105); Wednesday 6:30pm (10)
Worship Offering: $14,728
Income needed for ministry expense each week: $5,874
 

Pledges of active parishioners in arrears as of November 30: ($26,982)


Sunday, December 29 is the last day to receive a contribution for 2013.  For those who mail their contributions through their bank, please advise them to mail early.  Any monies received after that date will be posted to 2014.


 
The Rev'd Dr. J. Derek Harbin, rector

Rick Bishop, kirchen manager
Keith Byers, bookkeeper
Philip Goodrich, sexton
Ellison Gregg, staff photographer & twitter
Clifford King Harbin, associate to the rector
Rebecca Mina, creation atrium coordinator
Sr. Heather Rollins, technology & facebook  
Scott Rollins, organist and choir director
Stephanie Ryder, publications

Welcome to our Sunday Worship Services
 Contemplative Eucharist, Rite I at 8:00am
 Contemporary Eucharist at 9:00am
 Traditional Eucharist, Rite II at 11:00am

Wednesday Healing Eucharist, 6:30pm

Holy Days as Announced

You'll find us at 424 Washington Street, Portsmouth, VA 23704 or by phone at 757-399-4967

Our office hours are 10:00am - 1:00pm M-F. We look forward to seeing you!
Like us on Facebook  Follow us on Twitter  Find us on Google+