Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Volume 30.3
St. Johns
United Church of
Christ
St. Johns is a community
of faith centered in Jesus
Christ, seeking guidance
and direction through the
Holy Spirit, and
demonstrating Gods love
to all people in words and
deeds.
An Open and
Affirming
Congregation
503 Stuart Circle
Richmond, Virginia 23220
Telephone: 804.358.9291
Email:
office@stjohnsrichmond.org
Web Site:
stjohnsrichmond.org
Pastors message...
One of the definitions of worship I learned in seminary was that worship was the work of the people. In
this Lenten time period I would like us to think about how we do both forgiveness and reconciliation in
the church.
Forgiveness has
nothing to do
with the person
we are forgiving.
When we forgive
someone we let
go of hurt and
the anger
inside ourselves.
And as human
beings we always have forgiveness work to
do. Sometimes it
is big betrayals
we are learning to forgive and sometimes it is little slights. The person who did not acknowledge you,
the car that cut you off.
Lent 2016 at
St. Johns
In lent we learn from Jesus about letting go of the big betrayals and if you have lived long enough you
have probably experienced some. Sometimes the person we have to forgive the most is ourselves. Our
prayer of confession and our words of assurance are an entrance into that forgiveness work. But it also
usually takes some intentional time to truly let go of the anger we hold toward people who have
betrayed us. Not doing the work, as one of my mentors has said, is like eating a small bit of poison
every day and expecting the other person to die.
Reconciliation is the process of healing the relationship with the other. Not all forgiveness work leads to
reconciliation. You can forgive someone and yet know that for your safety it is not appropriate to be in
relationship with that person again. But when it is appropriate we move from forgiveness to reconciliation. In our worship experience we recreate this by following the prayer of confession and words of
assurance with the peace. A moment when as forgiven people and as people who forgive we are asked
to share that forgiveness.
Why leave the pews during this time of assurance and peace in our worship service? Because
often the person we need to greet in peace is not sitting next to us. Amazingly in churches we often sit
with the people we enjoy the most not those we struggle with. During the peace we are called to reach
beyond our comfort zone and offer the peace of Christ to everyone.
Published monthly
2016 St Johns UCC
So I invite you as you travel through the rest of lent to think about how you can more effectively use the
time in our worship of confession, words of assurance and the peace to deepen your spiritual journey.
After all we have come to worship so let us use it do the work of the people in our relationship with
God, ourselves and our neighbors.
Pastor Linda
April 3
April 3rd we will acknowledge how the resurrection turns the world upside down as we celebrate Holy Humor Sunday. A Special
Sunday to be sure.
Hello All,
NEW TREASURER:
At our February 14th Congregational meeting, we elected Adrianne Dery as our new Treasurer. Adrianne will be assuming her new
role March 1st. She and Fritz have been meeting throughout the month of February as Fritz transitions to Adrianne. In honor of
Fritz and his many, many years of service as the Treasurer of St. John's, we have donated $500.00 to the Alzheimer's Association
and $500.00 to Circle Center Adult Services.
ARCHITECTURAL ASSESSMENT:
Our Architectural and Engineering assessment is underway. The assessment will help us understand potential alternative building
uses, the full extent of our building repairs and an estimated cost to remodel the building.
OPERATIONAL AUDIT:
The Operational Audit is also underway. The audit will help us define new processes and controls for some of our financial
processes.
LETS DISCUSS ALL OF THESE PLANS, REVIEWS, EVALUATIONS & CHANGES TOGETHER:
The outcome of the Visioning sessions and the associated small group sessions along with the results of the Architectural and
Engineering assessment and the Operational Audit will be discussed during our 2016 Congregational Planning Retreat. As a
reminder the Retreat is scheduled for the Friday evening May 13th and Saturday May 14th. On Friday we will enjoy dinner
together and review the above topics. On Saturday we will make decisions on how we will move forward. Our goal is to address
the difficult questions we discussed during our November Congregational meeting. As a reminder, the difficult questions we first
spoke about during the November Congregational meeting are listed below.
Lets continue to use this additional diagram to help guide our path between now and the time of our 2016 Congregational Planning
Retreat.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to any member of Council or the Revitalization Taskforce.
Scott Siefert
Lex Tartaglia
Lynn Snyder
Abby Ward
Don Stiegler
Quick updates:
The new term for Council begins June 2016. We are looking to
fill a couple of seats on Council. Each term is a two year term. If
you are interested in sharing your gifts and talents as a member
of Council you can fill out one of the nominating forms located in
the pews or speak to either Desiree McNeice, Elisabeth Burnett
or Helena Delight or to any member other member of Council.
Peace
Desiree McNeice (Council Chair)
No-
Committee Chairs:
There are still many opportunities to share your gifts of talent
and time on any of our committees. If you are interested in
participating on a committee please contact the Committee
Chair or myself.
Committee
Chair
Vacant
Facilities
Karen-Marie Yust
Finance
Jeff Hetzer
Audit
Chris Ward
Scott Siefert
Admin/Personnel
Elisabeth Burnett
Don Warren
Kristina Gilbert
Church
eeCouncil
Church Council is currently seeking selfnominations and recommendations for new
members. If you think you might be called to
serve, or know someone else who might have
gifts for leadership. please fill in the form found
in your bulletin this month, or call or write the
church office.
The Church Council, according to our
Constitution, has many tasks. Among
them are:
In memory of / In honor of ~
Name ___________________________________________
Given by:_________________________________________
In memory of / In honor of
Daffodil
Tulip
Lily
Given by:_________________________________________
In memory of / In honor of
There are still a few small repair projects awaiting completion. If you missed the workday and would like to help out, please contact
Karen-Marie (kmyust@upsem.edu) for details.
Observing
Lent
LENTEN DEVOTIONALS:
Two Lenten resources continue to
be available in the Parlor. One is
a daily reflection booklet and the
other focuses on weekly themes
and short videos available online.
Pick up one today to help you
keep the season of Lent.
Grounded:
Finding God in the World
Book signing to follow!
Lake Chapel, Early Center
Union Presbyterian Seminary
Free and Open to the Public!
.
Diana Butler Bass, leading commentator on religion, politics, and culture, follows up her acclaimed book, Christianity After Religion,
by arguing that what appears to be a decline actually signals a major transformation in how people understand and experience God.
Grounded observes and reports a radical change in the way many people understand God and how they practice faith. In doing so,
Bass invites readers to join this emerging spiritual revolution, find a revitalized expression of faith, and change the world.
LECTURE: March 14
Interfaith Dialogue
Peter W. Ochs, University of Virginias Edgar M. Bronfman Professor of Modern Judaic Studies, will address how to reduce religionrelated violence at Union Presbyterian Seminarys Dawe Lecture, Monday, March 14, 2016, 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. This lecture is free
and open to the public and will address the significance and importance of interfaith dialogue and organizing
Members and
Pastor of
St. Johns,
Dear all,
Thank you for
all you did for my Aunt Helen Karnap. We
know that she loved each and every one of
you. Lisa and I appreciated the memorial,
and it was so nice to meet some of you.
Love in Jesus Christ,
Bill and Lisa Hawthorn
Members and
Pastor of
St. Johns,
The family of
Laura Siff
would like to
thank everyone at St. Johns for their well
wishes, prayers, cards, food and support
following the sudden loss of our dear mother,
grandmother, sister-in law and aunt Larua
Siff. We know that many in the St. Johns
family feel the loss as deeply as we do.
Love,
The Siff family
ACTS
financial crisis.
Since it began assisting clients in the Greater Richmond Area
in August 2006, ACTS has financially assisted hundreds of
households and given other more appropriate resources to
hundreds more.
Your support during 2015 enabled 709 people to retain their
stable housing within 305 households. That included 288 children under the age of 18 who would have had their lives disruptedoften an indicator of repeated homelessness during
their adult years.
Your continued financial support is most appreciated by so
many in our community who are in crisis. Special monetary
offerings will be received during March for ACTS.
Thank you for your support!
CARITAS
HAVE YOU SIGNED UP TO ASSIST WITH OUR CARITAS MISSION?
To volunteer, please
sign-up on the
board in the Parlor !
SCRIPTURE
Joshua 5:9-12
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
THEME/Sermon Title
Where do you find yourself in the
story?
HYMNS Responses
43
202
417
Introit: 742
Offering: 785
Peace: 775
Introit: 742
Offering: 785
Peace: 775
March 13
Isaiah 43:16-21
John 12:1-8
Prepared
210 ?
480
52
March 20
216
215
217
Introit: 742
Offering: 785
Peace: 775
March 27
Acts 10:34 - 43
Luke 24:1-12
Resurrection Joy
240
238
245
Introit: 236
Offering:
Printed
Peace: 249
Budget YTD
Actual YTD
Income
Pledge Payments*
Cash Offerings
Other Income
(Endowment Contributions
Parking Lot Rental, Wedding Income, etc.)
$111,000
$11,000
$125,150
$9,250
$917
$26,208
$5,568
$1,263
$26,307
Total Income
$247,150
$0
$36,375
$0
$33,138
Personnel
Committees
Operations/Maintenance
Local Benevolences
Other
193,754
21,370
116,690
7,150
9,300
Total Expenses
348,264
20,752
1,781
9,570
2,583
34,686
19,336
586
5,097
2,835
$0
27,854
Income/Expenses Total
surplus (deficit)
(101,114)
1,689
Expenses
5,284
NOTE:
1. Income includes a total of $85,000 annual contribution from Endowment Fund ($7083 monthly)
2. Annual Deficit to be covered by Endowment Fund
Extra cards
and envelopes
are available
We are making
very good progress with the Facilities Fund Drive. At this point
in the office
we have collected
$33,285.41. Please continue to use the Green Special
or from an
Facilities Envelopes
usher. to contribute to this fund that is to be used to do much
$50,000 -
$37,500 -
$25,000 -
SPECIAL
FACILITIES
FUND
A TIME OF REMEMBRANCE
MEMBERSHIP UPDATES
Tickets on sale March 14
New email:
Chris Hagan
chrishagan1@verizon.net
Deaths:
GUIDED
New Members:
March 7, 2016
St. Johns Reiki Room
Available for anyone who has completed Reiki I training
Fellowship Coordinator:
Sal Anselmo 358-1696
March 6
Welcome
Team
Leader
Bill Watson
March 13
Bill Watson
March 20
Doug Waldrop
March 27
Doug Waldrop
Sound
System
Mark Atkinson
Mark Atkinson
Jeff Michel
Jeff Michel
Tellers
Jeff Jacobs
Scott Siefert
Jeff Jacobs
Scott Siefert
Rob Osborn
Tony Sharpenstein
Daniel Martin
Rob Osborn
Tony Sharpenstein
Daniel Martin
Liturgists
Abby Ward
Chris Ward
Daniel Martin
Sal Anselmo
Barbara Etter
Bryan Etter
Kristina Gilbert
Daniel Martin
Facilities
Bill Watson
Bill Watson
Bud Higgins
Bud Higgins
Erin Burnette
Cheryl Goode
Dorothy Cook
Johanna Gilbert
Georgianne Stinnett
Arthur Dewey
Sonny Darnell
Bryan Anderegg
Don Stiegler
Beth Stiegler
Congregational Life
and Care
Altar Guild
Tellers Coordinator:
Bud Higgins 301-5059
Fellowship
Hosts
Elisabeth Burnette
Flowers
Sonny Darnell
Gilbert family
To volunteer to be a Liturgist or
Fellowship Host sign up on the sheet in
the Parlor!
2016
March
1
311:30 am NA
10:00 am Staff
5 pm Card Ministry
6:00 pm Adult
Bible Study
Office Closed
1:00 pm SJP
11:30 am NA Meeting
CARITAS
CARITAS
11
12
CARITAS
CARITAS
13
9:00 am Small
Group Visioning
9:45 Faith
Formation
11 am Worship
9
5 pm Card Ministry
11:30 am NA Meeting
6:00 pm Adult
Bible Study
CARITAS
14
6:30 pm Council
7:30 pm Lecture
CARITAS
10:30 am THE
FELLOWSHIP
16
11:30 am NA Meeting
CARITAS
22
CARITAS
28
CARITAS
17
18
19
11:30 am NA
Office Closed
7:00 pm Choir
CARITAS
23
24
5 pm Card Ministry
11:30 am NA Meeting
10:00 am Staff
Meeting
11:30 am NA Meeting
CARITAS
CARITAS
5 pm Card Ministry
5:15 Lecture
6:00 pm Adult
Bible Study
21
6:30 pm Adult Lenten
Forum
CARITAS
15
20
CARITAS
CARITAS
29
30
7:00 pm Choir
10:00 am Staff
CARITAS
EASTER
Office Closed
11:30 am NA Meeting
CARITAS
CARITAS
10
CARITAS
9:30 am Palm
Parade
11 am Worship
CARITAS
10:00 am Staff
6:00 pm REIKI share
11 am Worship
CARITAS
CARITAS
25
6:30 pm
MAUNDY
THURSDAY
CARITAS
Office closed
NOON Good
Friday Service
8:00 pm NA Event
CARITAS
26
1:00 pm SJP
9:30-3:30 Blood
Drive
CARITAS
CARITAS
31
11 am Worship
CARITAS
CARITAS
1
2
3
4
5
5
Teresa Jolles
Ginny Etter
David Townsend
Sonny Darnell
Rick Cook
Joan Cooper
7
13
16
31
Florence Cross
Frances Smith Vass
Scott Siefert
Johanna Gilbert