| | Weekly Dispatch, August 10th, 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
- Men’s Morning Prayer – Tuesdays at Variety’s at 7:30am
- Eagle and Child – Thursday, August 11th at 6:30pm at the Bergdorf's (dinner provided)
- Vestry – Thursday, August 18th, at 6:00pm at the Church
- Evening Prayer and Bible Study – Wednesday, August 24th at 6:30pm, TBD
- Gospel Play and Policy Training – Sunday, August 28th, After Church
| | A Message from Fr. Joe | I don’t know about you, but I am still in recovery from all that feasting this past weekend! I can’t thank the Archibalds enough for their rich hospitality and how hard they worked to pull so many things together.
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One of the more memorable moments was worshipping together in their barn. It was simple, sweet, and heartfelt. The star of the weekend was, of course, the swimming pond. Our kids and families probably spent the bulk of their time in the water. The “tipsy” whale floaty was highly sought after and many attempts were made to tame the beast, but very few could stay on.
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What was also evident throughout the weekend was the sheer joy of being together. As a young church, we are reflecting thoughtfully on how we come together in fellowship. While not to overwhelm anyone, we develop the calendar in such a way that draws us closer to one another and binding us in Christ. The Church calendar is such a helpful resource to imagine feasting and fasting, not simply on our own individualistic terms but realized with one another in the context of the Christian community.
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Spiritual formation, while personal, is never meant to be private. This doesn’t mean we have to be all extroverts and always be around each other. Rather, it is to see Christ forming us primarily through His Body, the Church, in His Word and Sacrament. It is by His Word and Sacrament where Christ’s presence is made known to us, and by which we can see everything else.
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In other words, we see the world around us through the means of grace. Such a perspective towards our world, our vocations, and our relationships is to envision Christ’s Kingdom claiming all things and making all things new by the same grace. As we come together to worship, we are drawn to such grace not only for ourselves but for the sake of our neighbors and those whom Christ has claimed for His own. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore. Amen.
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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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|  | | 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 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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| | Prayers Appreciated!| Fr. Joe will be away Thursday to Sunday this week to speak at a clergy gathering in Jacksonville, FL. He asks for prayers in all his travels, especially for his flight to stay on schedule! Pray fervently for these travels. Chad will be preaching, and Bishop Ames will be our celebrant. Please welcome him! |
| | Parish Health Assessment Reminder| As you might already know, we sent out a parish health assessment at the request of the diocese. This is to help the diocese observe the health of the congregations and will certainly continue to guide our mission together. If you did not submit your responses, here is the link again. Please be sure to take the time to fill it out. Thank you very much. |
| | Gospel Play and Policy Training| If you would like to serve in our children’s ministry in any capacity, please attend this training day on Gospel Play (children’s catechesis) and our policy regarding sexual misconduct prevention. This will be immediately following church on Sunday, August 28th, and we are planning to provide lunch. Also, we will provide childcare to give us focused time together. Please let Fr. Joe or Maggie know that you plan to attend. |
| | Men’s Morning Prayer| Every Tuesday morning, 7:30am at Variety’s, the men are invited to pray Morning Prayer together. The prayers typically last for about 30 minutes, but guys are certainly encouraged to stick around for fellowship, coffee, and even some bacon. |
| | 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. |
| | 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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