| | Weekly Dispatch, February 1st, 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
- Eagle and Child – Thursday, February 2nd, 7:00pm at the Bittaker's
- Annual Meeting – Sunday, February 12th, after Church
- The Burning of Palms/Conclusion of Creeds/Evening Prayer – Wednesday, February 15th at 6:30pm at Church
- Ash Wednesday – Wednesday, February 22nd at 6:30pm at Church
| | A Message from Fr. Joe |
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| We are only a week and a half away from our Annual Meeting! I find it helpful to remind ourselves of the purpose of the Annual Meeting, what we can expect, and its significance for our life together.
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First, the Anglican approach to church governance might be different than your experience. We are not a congregational in our governance, but we operate through representation and accountability. As a congregation, members vote for Vestry members who shall represent you in making decisions for the parish. This includes financial/budgeting, administration/policies, advising the rector in areas of ministry, maintenance of church property, and uphold the overall vision and mission of the church. This is an important and valuable role in the life of the parish, and therefore, only confirmed members may serve on the Vestry. Clergy, with the exception of the Rector, cannot serve on Vestry. Also, spouses of Vestry members cannot serve on Vestry. This is all connected to our responsibility of representation and accountability.
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A significant purpose of the Annual Meeting is for the Congregation to vote and elect any new Vestry members. When it comes to vote, it is good to understand that the person you are voting for will represent you. The Annual Meeting is also an opportunity to give thanks to God for the past year, reflect on what we experienced, and look ahead to what we hope for in 2023. This will include our finances, honoring our outgoing Vestry members, and new focused areas of ministry. Finally, we wish to hear from you and your voice in these matters. While we do not want to spend the whole day together, we will take some time to invite questions or input on what we will present. If you have any questions on Vestry or the Annual Meeting, please feel free to reach out to me or any other Vestry member.
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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 Foolishness of the Cross by Fr. Joe |  | A message from the series "Sermons from Lectionary Texts." What is the foolishness and stumbling block of the cross, and yet is the very power and wisdom of God? Paul dealt with serious pastoral confrontations with the church in Corinth. Their issues were not unlike the church today. What the church of Corinth needed to hear is the same message we need; the foolishness of the cross.
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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.
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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! |
| | The Burning of Palms – Preparing for Ash Wednesday/Lent| On Wednesday, Feb. 15th, included with our regular time of Evening Prayer we will also burn the palms to prepare ourselves for Ash Wednesday. You may join us at 6:30pm to conclude our discussion on the Apostles’ Creed, and/or evening prayer/the burning of the palms will be begin around 7:15pm. Please bring any palm branches with you to throw in the pile! |
| | 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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