Please note that incense will be used at the 11:15 a.m. service on this day.

Among Christians, Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the twelve apostles and other followers of Jesus, as described in Acts 2:1-31.  For this reason, Pentecost is sometimes described as the "Birthday of the Church."  Pentecost is the fiftieth day after Easter Day, and is ten days after the ascension of Christ.  

The clergy's vestments on Pentecost are red, reminding us of the form the Holy Spirit took as it descended on the disciples.  

"And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire,  

and it sat upon each of them."  - Acts 2:3  

Parishioners may also wish to dress in red to honor this pivotal moment in Christian history. 

Please join us for this important feast in the life of the church!  

Dear Fellow St. John's Parishioners,

The members of the Vestry want to update you on our progress as of the end of May.  A good portion of the Vestry attended the Diocesan-wide Annual Vestry Retreat and training Saturday, May 10th, at DaySpring. We heard great presentations by Bishop Smith, Canon Michael Durning, Ann Vickers (the Diocesan CFO), and Martha Goodwill (our Diocesan Administrator).  These presentations focused on the role of the Vestry in a normal course of operations of a parish, as well as statistical data showing how St. John's compares to other parishes in the diocese. The retreat was very helpful to us in our goal of normalizing our Vestry functions and duties as it gave all of us a great deal of useful information.

On this past Saturday, the Vestry held a second retreat with Canon Durning and Fr. Connelly.  Canon Durning helped us in expressing, in this stage of our history, where the Vestry feels we are as a parish and where we are headed.

Following the retreat the Vestry met with Canon Durning for the planning of our next steps.  In keeping with the wishes of the Bishop, the Vestry will be working on a process of discernment for the parish over the next 30 to 60 days. 

The goal of this process is to gather input from all of the parish members on several important questions.  Some of these questions include

• As a community of Christians - who are we now and who do we want to become?  
• Where is God calling St. John's now?  Is there a new vision for St. John's? 
• What leadership qualities will take St. John's on the road toward our vision for the future? 
• Prayerfully - what do we see as God's will for St. John's?  

As a part of that discernment process, the Vestry will host small group meetings that will be open to all members of the parish after each of the Sunday services during the month of June. We don't know the specific locations yet, but the schedule will be 

• June 8 - After the 7:45 a.m. service and after the 9:00 a.m. service
• June 15 -- After the 7:45 a.m. service and after the 11:15 a.m. service
• June 22 -- After the 9:00 a.m. service and after the 11:15 a.m. service

This schedule allows for summer travel and should give everyone an opportunity to participate.  If you are out of town and unable to attend any of these gatherings, please feel free to put a letter in either of the Wardens' mailboxes in the hall near the parish offices, mail a letter to one of the Wardens, or email the wardens at srwarden@stjohnstampa.org or jrwarden@stjohnstampa.org.  

We want to hear from you! Please join us at one of the six opportunities in June to listen to your fellow parishioners and to offer your prayerful response to these questions. 

Your St John's Vestry

 
Much fun was had on May 29 when parents and friends gathered to celebrate the children who attend the Cornerstone Kids after school enrichment program. Instructors began the afternoon by awarding many certificates to the kids for their academic and behavioral improvements throughout the school year. Then, everyone enjoyed a harp and bell "concert" which highlighted the work our own Sharon Stoll has beendoing with the students. And finally, everyone in attendance was encouraged, including Fr. Connelly, to get up and dance with the kids to the very popular song, "Happy."

Ray and Sharon Stoll were licensed as Lay Eucharistic Visitors by the Bishop this past weekend. Winkie Game was also licensed recently. Thank you to all our Lay Eucharist Visitors for your dedication and ministry! 

We are pleased to welcome our new Curate and Associate Chaplain to the School, Robert O. Baker, to the St. John's clergy. Robert was awarded a Certificate in Anglican Studies by Nashotah House on May 22, and will be ordained to the Diaconate in Christ Church, Bradenton, on Sunday, June 29, at 4:00 p.m.

Robert has a PhD from Baylor University, a Master's in Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary, a Master's in Divinity from the Church of God Theological Seminary, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lee University.  He and his wife Evelyn have four children: Jeremiah (5), Henry (4), Helen (19 months), and Richard (5 months).