I want to thank all the parishioners who contributed toward the Rev. Margaret’s going away gift(s). Your generosity helped us give the gift of the laptop, printer, walking stick and tippet. I think Margaret was suitably overwhelmed by these tokens of our appreciation.

There will be a three week interim between this, Margaret’s last Sunday, and Sept. 1, the first day the Rev. Rebecca Myers begins her ministry at St. John’s. During this period, in the event of a pastoral emergency, please call me at 440-227-0035, or contact any vestry member if I am not available. We will contact the diocesan Mission House and Network for Pastoral Leadership and Healthy Congregations staff to arrange pastoral care. During this period, the vestry functions as the “canonical authority” of the parish under the guidance and oversight of the diocesan staff and bishop and will insure that the pastoral needs of the congregation are met and that the worship of the church continues.

We will continue to have Sunday services at 11:00 am and Wednesday evening worship at 6:00ish (those who come know how these evenings go). The next two Sundays we will have guest speakers from the Leadership Team of the diocese at the services who will engage us in prayerful reflection during the service to help us think back over the past three years and share our dreams and expectations for the next three years.

Just because we are in an interim period between clergy does not mean the ministry of St. John’s ceases. Remember what The Outline of the Faith in the back of the Book of Common Prayer states:

We, the laity, are ministers, too, to each other, and our ministry continues.

Peace,
Bruce W. Cory
senior warden