Save the Date for Our Centennial Celebration Dinner!

On Sunday evening, May 6, we will cap off our Centennial with a celebratory dinner. Our special guest will be the Right Reverend Dabney Smith, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida. Mark your calendars and plan to join us for this momentous event in the life of our Parish! More information to come.

Service of Remembrance 

Please contact the Parish offices at 259.1570 or dhuelsman@stjohnstampa.org to tell us you are planning to attend and if you need transportation.

Uganda News 

Message from the Head Teacher, Kamaiba Primary School

Praise be to God dear Friends:

We are glad our friends Peggy Curlin, Leland Baldwin and Sally Thompson reached home safely and hope they communicated our warm greetings to all our friends at St. John's Church. We recall the nice time we had with them.  

I need to also extend thanks for the school leaders, more especially for the supplies you gave to this school during the time of your visit. The mosquito nets are so wonderful, as are the writing materials and so many other things.

Recently the school conducted elections for school prefects. Many pupils aspired for different posts; they were given chance to campaign. One of the aspirants for the post of a monitor was a nine (9) year old boy in Primary Three, who passed through challenging three big boys.

We are now preparing our Primary Seven pupils for registration for Primary Leaving Examination (PLE). We have so far given them three sets of exams for which we shall make an average pass of 50% for one to be able to register for PLE.

Please convey our thanks and greetings to our friends and brethren of St. John's Church.

By Rev. Benjamin Bwambae, Head Teacher, Kamaiba Primary School

Maundy Thursday Agape Meal 

Thursday, April 5, 5:30 PM, The Rudisill Parish Hall 

Agape is defined as "selfless Christian love."  It reflects the love of God and is the love that Christians are called to share with one another.  On Maundy Thursday, the people of St. John's are invited to come together for an Agape Meal.  Also known as a Love Feast, the Agape Meal is an early Christian tradition that recalls the meals Jesus shared with disciples and others during his ministry.  

We will gather in the Rudisill Parish Hall at 5:30 PM for drinks and snacks, followed at 6:00 PM by a potluck supper to include soup prepared by our church chef, Dave Kenyon. Attendees are asked to bring one or more of the following to share: cheese, vegetables, olives, crackers, wine, grape juice, and grapes. Please RSVP to Leland Baldwin at lelandtbaldwin@aol.com and let her know what you are bringing.  At 6:30 PM, we will remember our Christian servanthood in a footwashing ceremony.  The Maundy Thursday service will begin at 7:00 PM in the church (see below for details about the Vigil following the service). 

Thursday, April 5, 8:00 PM to Friday, April 6, 7:00 AM

The Vigil will take place in the chapel and will continue throughout the night until 7:00 AM Morning Prayer.  If you are interested in participating in the Vigil, please contact Nicholas Nitch at nnitch@tampabay.rr.com.  For more information, please click here. All parishioners are encouraged to attend the Maundy Thursday Vigil even if they do not wish to participate formally.

All newcomers to St. John's, please join Father Doug Remer and his wife Sterling at their home at 5231 Jules Verne Court in South Tampa for an informal wine and cheese reception. Get to know your fellow newcomers as well as our Rector and his wife. We are happy to welcome you to our church family!  

Chance Drawing to Benefit St. John's School 

The SJE Parents' Club is proud to announce the 2012 Chance Drawing for $5,000 in gas, fifty $100 gift cards, to be honored at Radiant Food Stores, GasKwick and Marathon locations, compliments of Radiant Food Stores. Tickets for the Chance Drawing are $5.  Each ticket sold enters the purchaser into our Chance Drawing, to be held at the school's annual fundraiser, Celebratio on Saturday, April 14 (need not be present to win). Contact Alissa Grzybowski, Chance Drawing Chair at alissa.grzybowski@me.com or 641.0584, with questions.

Easter Reminders

Holy Week and Easter Schedule

Please click here or go to our website at www.stjohnstampa.org for the entire Holy Week and Easter schedule of services and events.

Help Us Flower the Cross

Please bring flowers on Easter Sunday to "flower the cross" in the Garth next to the church. The flowering cross is found in Christian art as early as the 6th century and is based on a legend that says the cross itself burst into bloom at the moment that Jesus died. We celebrate the joy of the Resurrection by decorating a bare cross with fresh flowers, and encourage all to take part.

Easter Eggs Needed

Please bring filled Easter eggs to stock up for our annual Parish egg hunt to take place after the 9:00 AM services on Easter Sunday. Eggs may be left in the Parish offices.

Return Easter Flower Envelopes

If you would like to contribute to the Easter Flowers Fund "in memory of" or "in thanksgiving for" a loved one, send your contribution and name(s) of loved one(s) to the Parish offices by this Friday, March 30, to be included in the Easter bulletin.  Make sure to tell us if it is a memorial or in thanksgiving, and include full names, no initials or titles, please.

Lenten Mite Boxes

Mite boxes (coin collection boxes labeled "Hope Chest") were distributed at the beginning of Lent. Please encourage your children (and remind yourself) to fill them with coins and bring them to church on Easter Sunday. The proceeds benefit Episcopal Relief and Development. 

Support Our Troops

Our fellow parishioner Cary Brown is currently stationed in Afghanistan and welcomes donations of snacks for his troops there. Crunchy, salty, sweet or spicy snacks are most popular. Our children will write letters to the soldiers to include with the care package. Please bring donations to the Parish offices and thanks for your help.

Final Night of Wednesday Lenten Dinner Series:

Supper: 6:00 PM, Program: 6:45 PM