| | Weekly Dispatch, February 2nd, 2022 |
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| |  | | St. John's Schedule- Catechesis Hour – Sundays at 9:00am before Church
- Holy Eucharist – Sundays at 10:30am at Church and via Zoom
- Evening Prayer and Lectio Divina – Wednesdays at 6:30pm at Church
- Vestry Meeting – Thursday, February 10th, 6:00pm at Church
- Annual Meeting – Sunday, February 20th, after Church
| | A Message from Fr. Joe | Last Sunday was such a rich time of reflecting on our life together at St. John’s and what our future might look like. I especially was grateful for the participation of our children. They expressed some heartfelt love for St. John’s and provided “mostly” great ideas for future ministries and our own property. Rainbows may not be the visible sign we want communicated (insert wink emoji).
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But where do we go from here? What’s the next step? The Vestry and I will compile and summarize what was spoken, written, and drawn at our next meeting. We will prayerfully work through the details, and finally present a summary at our annual parish meeting. Again, this is on February 20th after church. All are welcome.
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The annual meeting is designed to capture three highlights: gratitude for the past, faithfulness to the present, and hopefulness towards the future. Practically, we will give thanks to God for what He has done through His people this past year. This includes our search committee and two Vestry members who have served and will be stepping down.
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The congregation will nominate and vote to approve two new Vestry members. Please see the attached Nomination Form providing details on membership at St. John’s and service on the Vestry. In the next two weeks, prayerfully consider who you would like to serve on the Vestry, hand them a nomination form to fill out, and they will need to submit materials back to the Nominating Committee. If you have any questions, please see me or the members of the committee (David Beer and Daniel McWilliams).
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Our finance committee will present the approved budget by the Vestry and answer any questions/concerns. Since we were recently approved as a parish status at our Diocesan Synod, the Vestry assessed new parish bylaws for St. John’s. They have been approved by the Vestry and require your vote to either accept and adopt or not. Copies of the new bylaws will be made available for you.
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Finally, we will present a summary of the Vision Charette and will welcome all feedback. In March, the Vestry will have their annual retreat focusing even more on the practical matters of moving forward in these ministries. As we learn more about who we are and where the LORD may be taking us, the Vestry will explore the question, how will we get there?
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This is a very exciting time to be a part of St. John’s Anglican Church. We have a bright future ahead of us and you are a part of it. As we continue the conversations around the future with new avenues of ministry and potentially our own property, prayerfully consider how you can deepen your commitment to St. John’s in your time, talents, and treasure. The LORD has done great things for us, indeed He has done great things; whereof we rejoice!
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If you would like to support St. John's during this time, you can give online by clicking the button below. You may also send a check to the following address:
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PO BOX 36591, CANTON OH 44735
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| The Two Words of the Prophet by Fr. Joe |  | A message from the series "Sermons from Lectionary Texts." All our appointed texts pointed to the role of the prophet. We heard the surprising call of young Jeremiah, the spiritual gifts exhorted by Paul, and the prophetic voice of Jesus that almost drove Him off a cliff. In Scripture, we see the LORD giving two primary words to the prophet for the sake of God’s people. They are the same two words we need to hear today. What are they? Well, let’s listen and find out.
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|  | | Join us every second and fourth (usually) Thursday night for our Eagle and Child reading group! This is a group that meets to discuss and apply classic works in Christian theology from the likes of Lewis, Augustine, Bonhoeffer, and other important authors. Currently, we are reading The Love of Wisdom by Andrew Davison to discuss the history of philosophy as it relates to Christian theology and practice. |
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 | | Cana Vox is a discussion group that meets every other Friday where those, married or unmarried, who support a classical understanding of marriage can explore the controversial issues in a calm, deliberative setting that is not subject to the hostilities often found in today's public discourse on the topic. We seek to discuss thoughtful and gospel-oriented responses to the confusion surrounding marriage in our culture. |
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| | Catechesis| Adults: We continue our focus on the creeds of the Church. What are we professing every week and why does it matter? Join us every Sunday at 9am for a time of rich conversation, engaging teaching, and the coffee is on us! |
Children: Our children began a new catechetical approach called Gospel Play. Our children are focusing on the parables of Jesus where they are catching the revelation of Christ, what He came to do, and what His Kingdom is like. It is a highly interactive approach to catechesis, and we invite all children to participate! |
| | Annual Meeting| Why do churches hold annual meetings? What’s the point? The Annual Meeting is designed to empower you, as a member to give questions, concerns, voice, and even vote for certain matters in the church. All are welcome to attend, but only members are allowed to vote. We will give more details on membership in future dispatches, but all members should mark their calendars for February 20th after church. We will provide childcare too. The meeting should not last more than an hour. One of the major items on the agenda is voting for two new Vestry members. More information on nominating Vestry members is forthcoming, but I would ask you to pray who you might nominate to serve on the Vestry. |
| | Vestry Nomination Form| Here is an attached Nomination form for the Vestry. You will notice there are questions and details surrounding membership at St. John’s and membership to the Vestry. Also, I have provided a detailed description on what it means to serve on the Vestry with its responsibilities. St. John’s is tasked with nominating and voting to elect two Vestry members to serve a three-year term. Again, if you have any questions, please reach out to Fr. Joe or members of the Nominating Committee. |
| | Evening Prayer and Lectio Divina| Alongside our regular Evening Prayer we are going to implement Lection Divina or “Divine Reading.” This practice helps us focus our attention towards the Scriptures and relies upon the Holy Spirit to direct our hearts and minds to the text. We will be praying through the Gospel of Luke outside of the normal Lectionary readings. Come and rest in prayer and the Scriptures. Every Wednesday at 6:30pm. |
| | Interested in Becoming a Member of St. John’s?| Fr. Joe would love to take you out for coffee discussing your interest in becoming a member at St. John’s Anglican Church. Membership is wonderful step forward in affirming your sense of calling to the local and even wider church. If you have any interest in becoming a member or seeking discernment of membership, please reach out to Fr. Joe. |
| | The Daily Office| Interested in a simple way to pray the daily office from the Book of Common Prayer? Follow this link for text and audio versions of the morning, noon, and evening prayer services taken directly from the 2019 ACNA BCP. |
| | Contact Fr. Joe
| I am here for you. If you would like to grab some coffee or other beverages, or would like a home visit, please don’t hesitate to contact me at: frjoe@stjohnscanton.org |
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