Notice of Annual Meeting, Vestry Elections, and Combined Services

The Annual Meeting of the Parish, which will include the election of four new Vestry members, will follow a combined service at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will take place in the Parish Hall on Sunday, January 18. Lunch will be provided.

At the meeting, four new Vestry members will be elected. The Vestry has nominated the following parishioners: Truett Gardner, Drew Graham, Cindy Hadlow, Kenneth Lane, Dax Nelson, Jackie Preis, Lisa Sepulveda, and Scott Simons. Please click here for full bios of all Vestry candidates.

Early voting, supervised by Vestry members, will take place during normal office hours in the parish offices during the week before the meeting. Voting by proxy is not permitted.

According to our by-laws: "Only adult communicant members of this Parish, those who are 16 years of age or over, whose names are duly enrolled as such in the Register of said Parish, and who are regular in their attendance at its services and make stated contributions of record to its general support, shall be Electors qualified to vote at a duly convened meeting of the Parish."

Many parishioners will have heard about Tampa native Jackie Faircloth, who was recently injured by a car when on a trip to Tallahassee. Jackie is the granddaughter of Marion Faircloth, longtime parishioner and volunteer at St. John's. Jackie was one of the Sugar Shack's first employees so the store has generously offered to donate the net proceeds from sales on four Sundays to support Jackie's recovery. 

Please visit Sugar Shack at 1521 S. Dale Mabry Highway on Sundays, January 18 and 25, and February 1 and 8, to help support the Faircloth family. More information about Sugar Shack, including hours and menus, are available by clicking here.

Choral Evensong: Sunday, February 1

The St. John's Choir has enjoyed the opportunity in recent years to combine with the choir of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church to sing Choral Evensong, and will do so again on Sunday, February 1, here at St. John's, for the feast of Candlemas. The Evensong will take place at 5:00 p.m. in the church. A reception, to which all are warmly invited, follows in the Parish Hall.

Rob Greenway offered an insightful and compelling historical perspective of Islam in his presentation to the Men's Ministry early in January.  He has agreed to return for our February meeting to offer Part II - The Struggle With and Within.  This presentation will cover the expansion of the Islamic faith from the time of Muhammad through the Crusades, the fall of Constantinople, the Ottoman Empire, all the way to modern-day events that are shaping today's Muslim faith.  Rob, who served our country for 20 years in the military and is now a civilian Senior Intelligence Officer at Central Command,  will again deliver this material from a Christian perspective and we expect a spirited conversation on how we, as Christian men, can deal with Muslims in our daily lives.  Remember, Rob's views are his own, and not those of his employer. 

If you made the January meeting, we're sure you were impressed with Part I and will return for this one; if you missed it, Part I is not a prerequisite for Part II, so, either way, we hope you can make this one.  Please RSVP for the February meeting by emailing Dallas Coffield at dcoffield@gmail.com.  Just like for Part I, we'll start this meeting at 5:00 p.m., sit down for Holy Hog BBQ at 5:30 p.m., and get Rob on by 6:00 p.m..  Your donation of $12 buys a dinner and a great seat for this captivating presentation and discussion. 

The inaugural Reunion of our 2014 Baptism Class took place last Sunday at Discovery House. Four of the twelve babies who were baptized in 2014 were able to attend an informative networking and social session. The group ended with a decision to meet twice a year so that the class of 2014 can stay connected. The next event is planned for September.

Saturday, February 28  8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Lunch from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.

On Saturday, February 28, you have a choice of several local ministries to serve.  Descriptions of the projects and sign up opportunities begin February 1 at the Outreach and Evangelism Rally Day.  Details to follow on Rally Day.

Focus on Faith is a small group experience to learn more about the Episcopal Church and its beliefs. The program, which begins February 1, is designed to prepare adults for baptism, confirmation, reception, or reaffirmation of faith.  It is also a time to connect with others on your Christian journey.  The program is led by Mother Alice Sadler, Associate Rector. Download a brochure about Focus on Faith by clicking here, or pick one up in the parish offices. Questions? Contact Mother Alice at asadler@stjohnstampa.org.  

We are delighted, as part of our Annual Music Series, to be welcoming back to St. John's the Boy Choristers of St. Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue, New York City on Sunday, March 8. St. John's has forged a firm friendship with St. Thomas - our own choir having sung there on a number of occasions. The boys will give a concert here in the church at 5:00 p.m., and will be joined by our own altos, tenors, and basses for several pieces in the program. 

As part of their Florida tour, the boys require housing for two nights on Saturday, March 7, and Sunday, March 8. If you might be able to offer accommodation to at least two boys (they are required to stay in pairs), please contact Ginny VanOsdol, who has kindly agreed to coordinate housing. Ginny can be reached at 701.8029, or virginiavanosdol@gmail.com

Simon Morley

The Soiree: Friday, January 16