May 20, 2015 Issue 
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Visit the St. John's School Website

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Visit the Diocese of Southwest Florida's Website

Parish Office Phone: 813.259.1570
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We are always looking for church-related pictures to share with the congregation.  Submit them to LLowry@stjohnstampa.org.
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We want to provide support in your time of need!
Health regulations prohibit the clergy from being informed when our parishioners are in the hospital, so we will not know if you or someone you love is there unless you tell us. We want to provide support in any time of need or crisis.  
 
Please call the parish offices at 259.1570 or email 
parish@stjohnstampa.org to let us know when you need us.


 


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From the Parish Register


 

 

Birthdays:


 

May 21,  Julie Martin, Helen Moseley


 

May 22,  Alan Beaver


 

May 23,  Lane Poe


 

May 24,  Darian Brokaw, Adelaide Sansone


 

May 25,  Rhys Leonard, Madison Osborn, Theresa Picone, Elizabeth Strong, Caroline Tucker


 

May 26,  George Hadded, Zachary Haddad


 

May 27,  Lionel Lowry, V, Alice Prange, Melissa Slack, Adam Weekley

 


 

 

 
Sunday's Scripture Snippet  


This is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 

 

1 John 5






 

Parish News
Exciting New Service for Children Debuts in Fall
Starting Sunday, August 30, a new service created especially for families with young children will begin. The service will take place in the Parish Hall and will run concurrently with the 9:15 a.m. service. Much like our annual Easter service in the Parish Hall, children will participate in the service, and the sermon and music will be geared to their growing minds and faith. Look for more information as fall approaches!
Pentecost In St. John's: Sunday, May 24
Sunday School children and teachers, we invite you to be a part of the entering procession on Pentecost Sunday, May 24. Children should follow the ribbon banner to the altar rail, then turn right and leave the church to head to the parish hall. Children will then go with their teachers to their classrooms for Sunday School.

Please also note that the 11:15 a.m. service on Pentecost Sunday is a Festal Eucharist and incense will be used.
Vestry Retreat Marks Successful Planning Session
The Vestry developed the planning document, Building God's Kingdom, during the Vestry Retreat and adopted it at their last meeting on Thursday, May 14, 2015. Please click here to download the three-page document.

This roadmap to our future is the product of over a year of deliberation by the Vestry, and was informed by the Visioning Plan released in the fall of 2012. We will be guided by Building God's Kingdom during the upcoming year as we plan for the spiritual,  and educational needs of our parish and our parishioners. 

At the retreat, the Vestry also made some slight changes to the by-laws of the corporation of St. John's Church, mainly for clarity and length, to validate business done by phone and email, and to allow for more flexibility with Vestry commissions and committees. The amended version is available in the parish offices.
Finance News
We are now sending your quarterly giving statements by email.  We began with the First Quarter 2015 statements with much success.  If you did not get your statement by email and would like to, please email Debbi Huelsman at dhuelsman@stjohnstampa.org.  With ever rising postal rates, this is an opportunity for St. John's to save a bit of money.  To those of you who did receive your statement by email, thank you for your feedback.
Faith Cafe Needs Drivers

If you have an SUV, station wagon, or truck, a compassionate heart, and a few minutes to spare on a Friday morning, we need your help once or twice a month, or less often, as you are able. On the third and fourth Fridays of each month, St. John's staffs Faith Cafe and picks up 3 - 4 thermal containers of hot food from Metropolitan Ministries at 2002 North Florida Ave. The sealed containers are transported to Faith Cafe, 1340 Clearview Ave, near the intersection of Himes Ave. and Interstate 275. The food needs to be picked up at 10:30 - 11:00 a.m. (No lifting is required. Metropolitan Ministries employees load the containers into your vehicle and Faith Cafe volunteers will unload them.)


If a driver would like to stay and help serve our guests, he or she would be welcome to do so. Alternatively, returning to transport the washed containers to Met. Min. at about 12:45 p.m. is a help, but not necessary. Other volunteers,who drive cars with trunks, can also return empty containers.

Please consider committing approximately 45 min, on a third or fourth Friday to enable our St. John's team to serve the homeless and hungry. To volunteer or ask questions, contact Sally Wiley at 244.4497 or swileytampa@aol.com.
Upcoming Events
Parish Canoe Trip: June 6
Mark your calendars for St John's upcoming Parish Canoe Trip on June 6! We will be gathering at Canoe Escape for a half day of fun on Tampa's beautiful Hillsborough River. Canoe Escape is located at John B. Sargeant Park, 12702 US 301, Thonotosassa FL 33592. The cost is $45 per canoe which accommodates up to 2 adults and 2 children (12 and under) or 1 adult and 3 children. Youth 13+ may canoe together without an accompanying adult. Families 5 or more will need 2 canoes. 

 

We'll meet at Sargeant Park at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday for our 4 1/2 mile trip, finishing our adventure at Morris Bridge Park about noon -- so please pack a lunch. We'll have "Critter Sightings" worksheets for the kids to check off along the way, and pictures to color in their favorite critter afterwards. Expect to see turtles, osprey, otters, and lazy sunbathing gators. Most of the trek is canopied but be sure to bring your hats and sunblock.


Please contact Kevin Kellar or Leland Baldwin with questions. To inquire about financial assistance, please contact Fr. Connelly. You may drop a check off at the office, or with Kevin or Leland -- no later than May 31st.
 

See you on the river! 
VBS Spots Are Going Fast!
Save the date for VBS 2015! Our Vacation Bible School will take place from June 22 through 26, 2015, with a theme of Camp Discovery: Jesus at Work through Us. VBS is 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, with after care available from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. Click here to download the registration form, or contact Leland Baldwin with questions.

Donations needed for VBS are below. Please bring to the parish offices or to Sunday School.

  • Milk jugs
  • Paper towel rolls
  • Toilet paper rolls
  • Four bags of rice
  • Athletic (white) socks
  • Two tents
  • Camping equipment which can act as props for our theme of Camp Discovery 

Summer Sunday School

Sunday School for children will continue over the summer. Please contact Leland Baldwin with questions.

Your Action Needed
Flowers Available
The flowers at the chapel altar are available on August 2. Please contact the parish offices at 259.1570 if you would like to take this opportunity to support St. John's and honor a loved one.
This Week at St. John's
Thursday, May 21
10:00 a.m.
The Holy Eucharist (Rite I) and Healing (Chapel)
11:45 a.m.
Men's Interactive Bible Study and Lunch 
(Peterson Room) 
This final study of 2014-2015 will be led by the Rev. Alice Sadler. Lunch is available at $5 per person. RSVP to dlrncrtpa@verizon.net if you would like to partake.
12:15 p.m.

Noonday Prayer (Chapel)

Friday, May 22
12:15 p.m.

Noonday Prayer (Chapel)

5:30 p.m.

A Service of Commencement (Church)

Graduation service for St. John's School's 8th graders. A reception follows in the Parish Hall.

Sunday, May 24: Pentecost Sunday
8:00 a.m.
The Holy Eucharist (Rite I)
9:15 a.m.
The Holy Eucharist (Rite II) and Holy Baptism (Church)
During the processional, children should follow the ribbon banner to the altar rail, then turn right and leave the church to head to the Parish Hall. Children will then go with their teachers to their classrooms for Sunday School.

Sunday School for Children (Parish Hall)
Please note, Sunday School will continue throughout the summer.
Following the 9:15 a.m. service
Coffee Hour Fellowship (Parish Hall)
11:15 a.m.
Festal Eucharist (Rite I) (Church)
Incense will be used at this service.
Monday, May 25: Memorial Day
Parish Offices Closed for Memorial Day Holiday
Tuesday, May 26
6:45 a.m.
Contemporary Women's Bible Study (Peterson Room)

CWBS continues a study of the Gospel of John, using the study guide John by Mark A. Matson from the Interpretation Bible Studies series. The group meets on Tuesdays from 6:45 to 8:00 a.m. in the Peterson Room at the Middle Division campus. After conversation and a light breakfast (fruit & some type of bread) that members take turns bringing, the study starts at 7:00 a.m. and ends shortly before 8:00 a.m.; a few people may leave early if they have to go to work. All women of St John's and their friends are welcome; the group includes several valued members from other branches of Christ's church.  We would love to have you join us.  

 

For more information, please contact Kathleen Moore at 221.6253 or kathleenmarymoore@gmail.com. 

12:15 p.m.
Noonday Prayer (Chapel)
Wednesday, May 27
12:15 p.m.
The Holy Eucharist (Rite II) (Chapel)
6:30 p.m.
Wednesday Nights in St. John's (Parish Hall)

The last book of the Bible is one of the most difficult to understand because it abounds in unfamiliar and extravagant symbolism, which at best appears unusual to the modern reader. Symbolic language, however, is one of the chief characteristics of apocalyptic literature, of which this book is an outstanding example. Such literature enjoyed wide popularity in both Jewish and Christian circles from ca. 200 B.C. to A.D. 200. "This book contains an account of visions in symbolic and allegorical language borrowed extensively from the Old Testament, especially Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Daniel. Whether or not these visions were real experiences of the author or simply literary conventions employed by him is an open question." - US Conference of Catholic Bishops

 

The Wednesday Nights group continues to study Revelation by viewing an eight session DVD study, Revelation According to John. The Wednesday Nights at St. John's group invites all parishioners and friends to join them each week in the Parish Hall. Bring a dish to share and an open heart and mind for discussion. Contact Paul and Winkie Game at pgamefla@aol.com for more details.