| | Weekly Dispatch, June 8th, 2022 |
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| |  | | St. John's Schedule- Catechesis Hour – Sundays at 9:00 AM before Church
- Holy Eucharist – Sundays at 10:30 AM at Church and via Facebook
- Ladies Outing – Saturday, June 18th, at TBD
- Vestry – Thursday, June 23rd, at 6pm at Church
- Church Potluck – Sunday, June 26th, after church at Eastwood Park in North Canton
| | A Message from Fr. Joe | As a priest, it is with such joy to bring people to the Sacrament of Baptism. This Sunday, Lord willing, we will be baptizing three children (Simon, Anna, and Maisie Humphrey) and one infant (Carys Hottel). It is also significant to be baptizing them on Trinity Sunday. It is the name by which each candidate goes under the waters. We name each person, and their identity is now realized through the Triune God. They are adopted by the Father, washed through the Blood of the Son, and given new life in the Holy Spirit. Each Person of the Trinity is distinct for our salvation, and yet each Person shares the same and equal divine essence.
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As we approach the baptismal font, there are three false powers we renounce and three truths we turn towards. We renounce the world, the flesh, and the devil. They are false powers because they are already defeated by Christ’s death and resurrection. While they still exist around us, in Christ they hold no power over us. They can certainly tempt us, overwhelm us, and there are days where it feels like they are winning over us. But when the world, the flesh, and the devil press against you, remember your baptism. Remember the word of the Gospel communicated through your baptism, and quoted from Martin Luther; “So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: "I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also!” As we renounce these false powers, we turn towards three truths.
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We turn towards Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we turn towards the Christian Faith communicated to us throughout the Holy Scriptures, and we turn towards a life of obedience in God’s holy ways that can only happen through the Lord our Helper. Finally, each of us as members of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church will be asked an important question in our relationship to those newly baptized.
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| We will be asked, “Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ?” And we respond with an enthusiastic “we will.” This means you and I have a serious commitment and responsibility to all baptized Christians in passing down the faith to one another, especially with our children. Not only the children in our own household or even extended family, but all the children the LORD puts in our midst. And we have a lot of them. |
You may be wondering; how can I do this?
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First, you will always need the LORD your Helper. You depend upon Him when you take any step of following in His ways. Second, you take the risk of any opportunities the LORD puts in front of you. One of them involves our children’s catechesis on Sunday mornings. You are given the opportunity and all the resources needed to share the biblical revelation of God in Jesus Christ with children in creative and fun ways. It is one of many ways to take seriously your baptismal vows towards them.
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I pray the Holy Spirit would burn in your heart such a holy desire to share the faith with our children. I invite your own prayers to discern how He might use you at St. John’s to pass on the faith to one another. Please contact me where the LORD might be directing you. Let us also pray for those about to be baptized; pray for the Holy Spirit to deepen their walk with them and how He seeks to graft them into the life of the Church.
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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 Spirit Driven Church by Dcn. Chad |  | A message from the series "Sermons from Lectionary Texts." This Sunday we celebrated Pentecost, wherein we remember that the helper whom Jesus promised has truly come to inhabit his people, and even in a way more glorious and unsettling than we could ever have expected. What is the Spirit's role in the life of the church, and how do we know that we are, in fact, a church of the Spirit? Check out this Sunday's Pentecost sermon to learn how God uses his body to continue the ministry of Christ here and now.
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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 Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis to discuss Lewis' layered text pointing us to the great truths which underlie the Christian faith. |
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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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| | Big News!!!| It is with both sadness and joy to announce that Fr. Bryan Hollon was recently called to be the next President and Dean of Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge, PA. We are so excited for Bryan and Suzanne, and they will be sincerely missed. We are currently planning a celebration and thanksgiving to God for the life and ministry of the Hollons at St. John’s. More details will follow. Here is a sweet article on his calling to the position. |
| | Summer Catechesis We are starting a whole new summer catechetical focus for adults and children. Adults will prayerfully and thoughtfully engage the Canticles of the Prayer Book. Each week we will study specific canticles in their place for prayer and their context in Holy Scripture. We also hope to learn how to sing some of them.
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| Our children will hit the pause button on Gospel Play and begin a new summer curriculum called Storymakers. Each child will have their own booklet of activities and engagement with a biblical narrative. This summer we will focus on the Exodus. If you miss a week, you can totally bring your booklet home with you and engage at home or on vacation. |
| | Volunteers Needed| As baptized members of Christ’s Church, we are called with the responsibility of passing down the faith to each other, but especially our children. We are in need of volunteers who can teach children’s catechesis throughout the summer. We will provide everything you need and you will be surprised how rewarding and fun it can be. Please contact Fr. Joe or Maggie if you have interest or any questions. Thank you. |
| | Evening Prayer and Bible Study Since many people are traveling throughout the summer, we will discontinue our weekly Wednesday Evening Prayer and Bible Study. However, throughout the summer we will have opportunities to pray and read the Scriptures together more sporadically in each other’s homes. If you are interested, please see Fr. Joe.
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| | How Can I Serve at St. John's? There are plenty of ways to serve at St. John’s and we would love for you to join in on what God is doing in the church. Below you can see all the different ways to serve. No special skills required, simply a willingness to learn and grow in service.
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| Acolyte Ministry – Carrying the cross, assisting at the table, and learning more about the Anglican Way. |
Altar Guild – Preparing the Lord’s Table for Holy Communion before the service and developing a sense of holiness in worship.
Readers – Approaching God’s Word with boldness and declaring it to the people.
Hospitality – Providing food, setting up and cleaning up the area, and making space for all people to feel welcome and belong. We also hold special events throughout the Church calendar preparing feasts together.
Gospel Play – Experience catechesis with our children with interactive materials enhancing biblical narratives within the liturgical calendar. It is a lot of fun!
Ushers/Greeters – Welcome people as they come to church, especially newcomers, handing out bulletins, and passing the plates for the offering. |
| Music – We would love to expand our music ministry with your various gifts. Do you play an instrument? Are you a gifted singer? Come join the team! |
We hope to develop these ministries with more lay leadership. In the meantime you can contact Fr. Joe, Dcn. Chad, or Maggie if you interested in participating or even taking leadership in these various ministries. |
| | 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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