| | Weekly Dispatch, June 22nd, 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 Facebook
- Vestry – Thursday, June 23rd, at 6:00pm at Church
- Church Potluck – Sunday, June 26th, after church at Eastwood Park in North Canton
- Eagle and Child – Thursday, July 7th, at 7:00pm at TBD
| | A Message from Fr. Joe |
As you know, last Sunday was Father’s Day. And like I said regarding Mother’s Day, while these days are not part of the Church calendar, they are good for our common life together in society. It reveals our desire to mark the times.
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For some, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can be very challenging because of our various complicated relationships with our parents. It can also be highly celebratory. My family gave me a nice bocce set. Since I joined a community bocce league, I think they felt I needed all the practice I could get. But I also received one of the warmest and sincere notes from my oldest son. It made me proud of him and what the LORD is doing in his heart, but also thankful to God in how He is shaping my sinful heart as a father.
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Whatever our relationships look like with our dads or for dads and their relationship to their children, we have a heavenly Father who relates to us more graciously than we thought possible. He relates to us through His eternal Son by the power of the Holy Spirit whose love has been poured into our hearts.
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As fathers, we depend upon the relational dynamics of the Trinity to form us in our relationship to our children. We all have different approaches to parenting, and there shouldn’t be one form over another because all our children are very different. However, we know that what truly shifts the desires of the human heart is grace. When we reflect or communicate the grace given to us through the Triune God to our children, we are committing ourselves to the hard work of raising our children towards love, humility, and forgiveness. It takes work, specifically patience, because we are trying to model it for ourselves. For instance, how quick are you to admit you did something wrong and ask forgiveness from your child? How can they learn to admit and take responsibility if they can’t see it through you? This is not only the truth when it comes to parenting, but all human relationships. Where does it start? It begins with the consistent grace of God revealed in the Word and given to us in the Sacraments.
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As summer begins, for some families, it is both joyful and challenging. The kids are out of school, and now I must figure out what to do with them. Summer camps fill up, vacations, travel, and all sorts of things are planned but you are to reckon being with them more than the usual school days. Boy do parents need grace. We need it for ourselves, and our children need it from us.
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As we learn through our own failures and hiccups along the way, we are to rely upon God’s provision of grace for today. Tomorrow will have its own worries, and grace is still promised, but let us hold onto it for today’s plans. When you go to the park, plan a family get together, or even come to a church picnic (like the one upcoming!), God goes ahead of you in all things, and He is with you through both the joy and the pain. These are words from a father and priest learning along the way, and I am grateful to learn it alongside each of you.
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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 Ordinary Gospel Vs.Gospel-Plus by Fr. Joe |  | A message from the series "Sermons from Lectionary Texts." Like jumping in the pool on a hot summer day, we jump into Ordinary Time and find ourselves jumping into the middle of an epistle; namely, Galatians. Paul’s chief concern in his letter is how the Galatians were “bewitched” by a Gospel-Plus message. What is that message opposed to the ordinary Gospel we hold onto? Come and see.
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|  | | Join us every first and third (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. We are about to begin reading Confessions by St. Augustine. This is a classic work of Christian spirituality and will make for great fellowship and discussion together! |
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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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| | Mission Opportunity!| St. John’s was recently reached out to by the ministry called Urban Ark, which we have partnered with before. They have invited us to participate in one of their outreaches to the community through feeding the homeless. The date will be July 3rd. We are grateful that Joshua Boquist has stepped up to be the point person for this event. He does need a head count for those who would serve the meal and help him prepare things. His email address is jaboquist95@gmail.com and his number is 440-724-7467. If you would like to be a part of this ministry for this date, please contact him by Thursday of this week. We need to confirm with Urban Ark that we have the people to come and serve. Thank you to all involved! |
| | Evening Prayer and Bible Study In our summer flow of things, we will offer Evening Prayer/Bible Study/Fellowship to once a month in various parishioner’s homes. Our June gathering will be June 29th, 6:30pm at the Gasbarre residence. Their address is 7801 Chatham Ave. NW North Canton. We will gather to pray Evening Prayer, discuss the appointed psalm(s) for the evening, and fellowship. All are welcome to attend.
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| | The Call to Pray Mission Opportunity!
St. John’s was recently reached out to by the ministry called Urban Ark, which we have partnered with before. They have invited us to participate in one of their outreaches to the community through feeding the homeless. The date will be July 3rd. We are grateful that Joshua Boquist has stepped up to be the point person for this event. He does need a head count for those who would serve the meal and help him prepare things. His email address is jaboquist95@gmail.com and his number is 440-724-7467. If you would like to be a part of this ministry for this date, please contact him by Thursday of this week. We need to confirm with Urban Ark that we have the people to come and serve. Thank you to all involved! |
| | Church Potluck Celebration of New Life| What a joy for new life in God’s world and within His Church. We are overjoyed by the arrival of the Bittaker children, and we continue to pray for our other expectant mothers. This be a dual diaper shower for them. Our upcoming Church Potluck/Picnic celebrates life, but also our need for each other in fellowship. On June 26th, immediately after church, we will meet at Eastwood Park in North Canton. The grilling meat will be provided. We ask that you bring a side to share with each other, and it will be BYOB (Bring your own beverages). |
| | 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. |
| | 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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