| | Weekly Dispatch, January 25th, 2023 |
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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
- Midday Prayer – Tuesdays at 11:00am in Malone University's Cafeteria
- Choristers/Bible Study/Evening Prayer – Wednesdays at 6:30pm at Church
- Men’s Breakfast – Saturday, January 28th at 8:30am at Kidron Town and Country
- Sunday Birthday Potluck – Sunday, January 29th, after Church
- Eagle and Child – Thursday, February 2nd, 7:00pm at TBD
- Annual Meeting – Sunday, February 12th, after Church
| | A Message from Fr. Joe |
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| Last Wednesday and today the Church recognizes two feast days that are appropriately fixed within the season of Epiphany. They are the feast of St. Peter’s Confession of Faith and St. Paul’s Conversion. Both are powerful revelations of God’s Light shining upon them.
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When Peter declared that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus commended him by saying, “flesh and blood have not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.” As Paul (Saul) was on the road to Damascus (Acts reveals he was “still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord”), a great Light shined upon him, and Jesus revealed Himself.
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Both revelations came outside of themselves, they were not crafted by their own collected conclusions, and such epiphanies set each of them on a path they would have never imagined for themselves.
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Peter delivered the first sermon from the apostles after the event of Pentecost, which led to thousands of people believing in the Gospel and baptized among their households. Paul was known as a zealous Pharisee who heavily persecuted Christians. He believed he was the most righteous person in accordance with the Law, and yet when he encounters Christ, he considers all his pursuits to be dung. He even counts himself as the greatest among sinners.
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Both apostles were significant in their ministries and in what we receive from them. What they share is the epiphany or unveiling of the mystery of the Gospel. Paul reveals the mystery to be the inclusion of the Gentiles into the Church, not through the Law, but by grace through faith in the merits of Christ. Peter was even corrected by Paul, but also by our Lord. He was given a dream to help him see the bigger picture of the Gospel.
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This is crucial for us because the Gospel has come into our neighborhood, and it happened through the ministry of Peter and Paul in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our mission is nothing new. We seek to continue the same ministry of the apostles, which is the continuing ministry of Jesus. We don’t conjure up something new and exciting, but trust in the power of the Gospel revealed in Word and Sacrament. We seek this message to be integrated into our lives and encouraged in community with one another. Let us hold fast to the confession of St. Peter, and be converted by its power like St. Paul, where it is the same old song we sing to each other and the world around us.
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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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| An Epiphany of Place by Fr. Joe |  | A message from the series "Sermons from Lectionary Texts." Jesus begins His official ministry, but He begins in a particular place fulfilled by the prophet Isaiah where light invades the darkness. We are witnessing a revelation or unveiling of locations, and the message of the Kingdom Jesus brings to them. Come and see this epiphany!
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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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| | Vestry Nomination Process As you know, our Annual Meeting is getting closer and closer which means we need your help! We are giving thanks to God for the service of Vestry members Bob Archibald (Sr. Warden) and David Beer. We also hope to welcome two new Vestry members, but this is where you come in. You have already been asked to prayerfully consider who you would like to nominate for Vestry, and the forms have been made available to you. You can also access it here.
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| Please approach who you would like to nominate, and if they are interested hand them the form to fill out. Once completed, the nominee needs to submit all materials to the Nominating Committee (Josiah Spencer and Daniel McWilliams). If you meet all the requirements, your name shall appear on the voting ballot and the congregation will vote for two members. If you have any questions regarding the process, please contact the Nominating Committee. Remember, these are people who shall represent you and all of St. John’s. Thank you for your commitment to this place! |
| | Sunday Birthday Potluck| Join us this Sunday celebrating all our January birthdays! Please bring a dish to share where we can enjoy food and fellowship together after church. If you have any questions about the potluck, please reach out to Elizabeth Beer. |
| | Wednesday Choristers/Bible Study/Evening Prayer| Join us every Wednesday where our children are invited to learn to sing unto the LORD and adults gathered to discuss the faith once delivered to the saints. Our focus throughout the season of Epiphany will be on the Apostles’ Creed reflecting on what we believe and why we believe it. Finally, the evening culminates with a time of Evening Prayer together. Everything begins at 6:30pm and hope to see you! |
| | Annual Meeting (2/12/23)| Please mark your calendars for our Annual Meeting on Feb. 12th after church. All are welcome to attend, but only members are allowed to vote. We will be presenting some reflections on the past year and what we are anticipating for the new year, our financials from 2022 and expectations for 2023, and finally giving thanks to God for our outgoing Vestry members and voting for two new Vestry members. Nominating forms will be available soon, and if you have any questions on the process, please see Josiah Spencer or Daniel McWilliams. |
| | Epiphany Catechesis| For all ages every Sunday at 9am. |
In the season of Epiphany, adults will focus on Christ’s King and Kingdom Fulfilled in the Gospel of Matthew. We will unpack various texts from Matthew whose chief goal is to reveal Jesus as the fulfillment of the biblical narrative. |
Our youth will also focus on the Gospel of Matthew, particularly Jesus’ parables and healings throughout His ministry revealing His Kingdom to us. |
Our children continue with Gospel Play exploring various parables of Jesus all revealing Jesus’ identity, why He came into the world, and what His Kingdom is like. |
| | Men’s Morning Prayer Update| We are taking a pause on Men’s Morning Prayer on Tuesdays. However, we will offer Midday Prayer on Tuesdays, 11am, at Malone’s Cafeteria. All are welcome to join. |
| | 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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