| | Weekly Dispatch, November 9th, 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
- Choristers/Bible Study/Evening Prayer – Wednesdays at 6:30pm at Church
- Eagle and Child: Crystal Downing Lecture – Thursday, November 10th, at 7:30pm at Malone University
- Boquist Baby Shower and Potluck – Sunday, November 13th, after Church
- Music Recital – Sunday, November 13th, at 4:00pm at Church
- Parents Night Out – Friday, November 18th, at 6:00pm-9:00pm at Church
- Sonnenberg Station Men’s Choral Group – Saturday, November 19th, at 3:00pm at Church
| | A Message from Fr. Joe |
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| This past week was our annual Diocesan Synod, and I believe St. John’s brought the most representation compared to other churches. 1,000 points! But more importantly, Synod was a time where our very own David Beer was ordained a deacon and eventually will be ordained a priest. Why is a priest ordained a deacon first?
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A deacon is understood to be a servant in the house of the LORD, but this means far more than we might think. They are a servant who seeks to connect the needs of the world to the mission of the Church. As a servant, they are to see all people inside and outside the church to be those whom Christ has died. The office of the deacon is to remind the priest of the mission of the Church. It is a mission to glorify God and extend His Gospel to the whole world. This is why deacons are uniquely called to proclaim the Gospel reading among the people, offer prayers on behalf of the people, prepare the gifts of God for the people of God, and commission us to go into the world for the sake of the people outside the doors of the church.
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A priest will do well when he remembers the same calling of the deacon is further developed in his calling to the priesthood. It is fitting to consider the calling of deacons with the theme of our diocesan synod. It was all about mission.
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As a young parish, mission should be core in our DNA. Many of you were a part of starting St. John’s with various dreams of building the mission of a unique church in this part of Ohio. It stands to reason that the various decisions we make in the church are to lead us to this important question; does this move the mission of the Gospel forward? How will these decisions affect and engage people towards Christ revealed in His Word and Sacraments?
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For instance, when considering a new location for St. John’s, the various factors of moving should lead us to think of such missional opportunities and what the LORD desires to accomplish through us in the locations He wants to place us for a season. Finally, hearing some of the various stories of churches in our diocese, I was reminded to put the mission of the Church and what we are supposed to be about ahead of everything else, even a building.
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As much as we desire a physical place to call our own, I believe the LORD is calling us to take a step back, consider what He is doing in front of us, and focus upon the ministry of mission itself. The stories I heard again and again from fellow clergy was that their physical space came into place in better ways they anticipated, and they attributed it to the people’s commitment to the mission of the church on the ground in the present. God may be calling us to move to a different location, but we are to see these transitions as a movement of mission more than anything else.
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As I have said before, and is always worth saying again, what is the LORD already doing in front of us and how can we join in? This is not something where we wait on Fr. Joe to fill us in, but I encourage you to pray for eyes to see and ears to hear God’s mission in the world. Please let me know what you see and what you hear and let us join together our calling of mission in the world.
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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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| Job's Really Bad Day by Fr. Joe |  | A message from the series "Sermons from Lectionary Texts." If anyone had a really, really bad day it was Job. His suffering was highly significant and was not forgotten by God. What is God’s revealed will towards us in our own suffering, and what does God seek to engrave on our hearts in our pains? In this short passage of Scripture, Job has much to say.
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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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| | Baby Boquist Baby Shower and Potluck| What a gift to celebrate and continue to welcome newness of life in St. John’s! We want to celebrate the gift of life for the Boquist Family having a baby shower and potluck together. After church on November 13th, join us for a time of fellowship and joy. Please bring a side dish to share, and if you would like to extend a gift to the family please connect with Elizabeth Beer for details. |
| | Seeking Confirmation? What’s That About?| Every year we offer a catechetical instruction for those seeking confirmation. What is confirmation, and who is it for? Confirmation is a practice we draw from the book of Acts. We witness the apostles laying their hands upon baptized Christians praying for the Holy Spirit to empower them within the life of the Church. As more infants were being baptized, this practice became more for older children to publicly profess their faith and reaffirming their baptismal identity within the Church. We continue such a practice for our children, but also for those seeking to further confirm their sense of calling to the local and wider Church. We believe confirmation connects us to the broader church and apostolic faith through the laying on of hands by the bishop, but chiefly we trust the Holy Spirit is renewing His people in their commitment to the Church and her mission. If you would like more information on confirmation and would like to discuss further, please contact Fr. Joe. |
| | Fall Cetechesis (Adult, Youth and Children)| We have just three weeks left in our Fall Catechesis Series for all ages until we begin a new series in Advent! More information to come but encourage all ages to still join in the richness of conversation, teaching, and fellowship with one another every Sunday at 9am. The coffee is on. |
Adults: Praying the Biblical Narrative (main worship area)
Youth (ages 11/12-18): The Bigger Story of the Bible (Vestry room upstairs)
Children (ages 4-10/11): Gospel Play on the Prophets (Children’s room upstairs) |
| | Music in the Community! November 6, 3 pm at University of Mount Union’s Presser Recital Hall (in the Giese Center for Performing Arts)
Piano Keys: Maira’s Mount Union university students are joined by our advanced Keys to Artistry students for a fall celebration!
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November 13, 4 pm at St. John’s Anglican in N. Canton
Eric and Claire play an intermediate piano recital. Come hear this talented young sibling duo play music of contemporary composers as well as Haydn, Chopin, and more!
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December 18, 4 pm at St. John’s Anglican in N. Canton
Our Winter Keys to Artistry student recital! Enjoy holiday favorites and other special music. |
| | 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. |
| | 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. |
| | 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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