St. John parishioners will staff the Food Bank Pantry each Saturday in November from 9:45 am to noon. Located at the United Reformed Church, 100 West Main Street in Somerville. Click here for directions.  All are invited, including older children, to help interview clients, bag and distribute food.  Call Fenn Putman 973-543-7017 to let him know which Saturdays you can work. 

Pre-order your Thanksgiving pies this Sunday,November 10th or buy your them on Sunday, November 17th after coffee hour.  If you would like to place your order electronically click here to contact Louise Asper.

Once again, the Youth Group will be making and selling pies for Thanksgiving. This is their one big fundraiser for the year which allows the Youth Group to be self-supporting and to support others. They will be making Apple, Pumpkin, and Pecan Pies.

Help bring a smile to a child's face this Christmas.  On November 3rd, 10th, and 17th Sunday School children are filling shoeboxes with gifts for needy children around the world.  The Pre-K/K class will be filling one shoebox for a boy and one for a girl aged 2-4, the 1/2/3 class will be filling one shoebox for a boy and one for a girl aged 5-9, and the 4/5/6 class will be filling one shoebox for a boy and one for a girl aged 10-14.  Mission Outreach will be covering the costs to mail the shoeboxes.  Please consider donating an item.  Possible gift ideas are small toys, school supplies, hygiene items, clothing, and accessories.  Please do not include used or damaged items, war-related items, food, liquids or lotions, breakable items, or aerosol cans.  Donations are greatly appreciated and can be given to Lynn Mitchell or left in her mailbox in the Parish House.  

The Annual Christmas Pageant will be on Sunday, December 22nd at 10 am.  Please turn in your forms by November 20th.  The pageant is open to all interested Pre-K - 12th grade students.  Please take the time to discuss with your child(ren) the time commitments involved with each type of role and their willingness to perform it.  In order to participate they must be able to attend the required practices.   

• Mandatory practices for those with speaking parts and musical roles:
• Thursday, December 19th at 4:00 pm
• Saturday, December 21st at 10:00 am (with a parent)
• Mandatory practice for the ENTIRE cast:
• Saturday, December 21st at 10:00 am (with a parent)

Forms must be returned no later than November 20th.   Roles will be announced and scripts will be available on Monday, December 2nd.  Parent volunteers are also needed.  For more information please contact Lynn Mitchell.

Help save a struggling family's Thanksgiving by providing an uncooked meal.  It's easy!  Just buy the makings for a meal, and deliver it uncooked to your Adopt-a-Family.  A sign-up sheet will is posted on the bulletin board near Parish Hall.  Please call Sue Kennedy at 908-234-0267 or email with any questions.  If you have a particular family you have been supporting in the past, please let Sue know so that she can inform the Food Bank.

The knitters will be having their annual Plaid House girls' gift packaging party on Thursday, December 5, at 10:30 in the meeting room.  They need donations of stocking stuffer type gifts (ages 14 through 18) to add to the packages.  Last year, they gave the girls knitted mitts and headbands, earrings crafted from beads, and lots of candy.  This year's knitted gifts are cowls.  They package and deliver 10 gift bags for their annual Christmas party.  Please leave any donations in the meeting room by December 5 with your name for acknowledgement.  Thank you from the knitting group and the Plaid House girls!

St. John's  Mission Outreach Commission is calling for "Request for Proposals (RFP)" from smaller non-profit organizations in which parishioners are involved.  We are offering grants of $500 -  $2,000 to local charities for which such a sum would be a meaningful donation.  We favor charities that we can support with our time and talent, as well as with funds to help them to build a better organization and reach their goals.

The requirements for the RFP are as follows:

•  The organization must be not-for-profit
• Small, independent organizations are favored but local chapters of larger organizations may also apply
• Organizations are encouraged to name specific projects with a cost of around $1,000, although more  general uses will be considered
•  Each RFP must be sponsored by a parishioner who has knowledge of the organization and who is willing to represent it to the Commission

The RFP need not be long but should include the amount of money sought and a brief description of how the money will be used and what the primary sources of funds are for the charity.  A website address should also be included.

Submit your RFPs, to the Parish Office, by November 15th for funds to be distributed this year.