This Sunday (October 5) at St. John’s

The heavens declare the glory of God, *
and the firmament shows his handiwork. Psalm 19:1

Every time I read this Psalm, I immediately flash to high school choir at Mechanicsburg High School with choir director Mr. Stewart.  I loved Mr. Stewart, how he taught music, how he taught those of us in choir.  He challenged us.  So much of the way I sing is because Mr. Stewart is in my head, clapping his hands to stop us or to start us up in rehearsal.  As an adult, I felt so blessed that Mr. Stewart joined the church I’d grown up in.  So even then I saw him and benefitted from him.

One of the pieces Mr. Stewart taught our choir was Haydn’s The Heavens Are Telling from Haydn’s Creation.  The piece is rousing glorious and really fun to sing.  So, this Sunday if I break into song during the Psalm, please forgive me.  I’m remembering with joy Mr. Stewart, now singing (or directing) a heavenly choir.
Creation and Stewardship and Blessing of Animals
Yes, it’s the time of year we remember creation as the seasons change and the traditional harvest season comes to an end.  We remember all of creation and this Sunday, we especially remember our pets.  Bring your pet to church (we’ll be having our service in the amphitheater) and both of you will be blessed!  We’ll also start our Stewardship campaign for the 2015 year.  In thanks for all of God’s creation, including our very selves, we prayerfully consider what of God’s we will return for the work of the church.  Pledge cards should be returned by October 26, to prepare for our November 16 Annual Meeting.

News & Notes

Rebecca’s Schedule: Rebecca will be at the Diocesan Clergy Conference October 6-8 and at St. John’s on Thursday, October 9. Her Sabbath Day will be Friday October 10. You can get a message to her by calling the church office at 606-528-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Adult Forum: The Adult Forum will help set up the amphitheater for church this Sunday.  Beginning October 12, we will discuss various aspects being good stewards.

Sunday School – Godly Play: The Godly Play program is for children is offered each Sunday morning at 10:00 am .  All children are invited to participate in this special form of spiritual development.

Godly Play Teachers needed. Godly Play teachers are needed.  Training is provided.  This is a wonderful program of spiritual development for children and we’d like to keep it going in the parish.  Please let Rebecca know if you are willing to be trained and serve as a teacher for a period of approximately 1 month.

Belk Charity Sales Day:  The annual Belk Charity Sales day will be Saturday, November 8, 6-10am.  Members of St. John’s are selling tickets for $5.00 for this special event.  The church keeps the $5.00 and for each ticket you receive $5.00 off an item.

We will be having an initial gathering of those interested in the Brotherhood of St. Andrew on October 5 after the Sunday service. To learn more, speak to Bruce Cory. You can also learn more from http://www.brotherhoodofstandrew.org/about.php

Furnace Needed: The furnace located in the sacristy, which heats part of the social hall and hallways must be replaced prior to this winter.  Cost is $2,250 for a furnace that will also be more energy efficient.  We’ll also need to replace two more furnaces over the next two years:  one that heats the parish hall and one that heats the rectory.  Donations for the furnace can be put in the boxes back on the shelves in the parish hall.

Bring your pets to church to be blessed on Sunday, October 5.  We will have a service outdoors in our park (or in the amphitheater).  Pets should be leashed and/or in carriers.

The Grow Appalachia Committee will meet after church on Sunday, October 5, to distribute flyers for the October 8 community meeting.  The Community meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 8, 7:00pm in the parish hall.  All are invited.

The Vestry has voted to donate $25 each month to Everlasting Arm Homeless Shelter. If you’d like to contribute, put your donations in the collection box by the guest register or mark your donation and put it in the collection plate.

 St. John’s is now registered with the Kroger Community Rewards Program. Please register your Kroger card at http://krogercommunityrewards.com .

  • Be sure to have your Kroger Plus card handy and register your card with your organization after you sign up.
  • If a member does not yet have a Kroger Plus card, please let them know that they are available at the customer service desk at any Kroger.
  • Click on Sign In/Register
  • Most participants are new online customers, so they must click on SIGN UP TODAY in the ‘New Customer?’ box.
  • Sign up for a Kroger Rewards Account by entering zip code, clicking on favorite store, entering your email address and creating a password, agreeing to the terms and conditions
  • You will then get a message to check your email inbox and click on the link within the body of the email.
  • Click on My Account and use your email address and password to proceed to the next step.
  • Click on Edit Kroger Community Rewards information and input your Kroger Plus card number.
  • Update or confirm your information.
  • Enter NPO number (47782) or name of organization, select organization from list and click on confirm.
  • To verify you are enrolled correctly, you will see your organization’s name on the right side of your information page.
  • REMEMBER, purchases will not count for your group until after your member(s) register their card(s).
  • Do you use your phone number at the register?  Call 800-576-4377, select option 4 to get your Kroger Plus card number.
  • Members must swipe their registered Kroger Plus card or use the phone number that is related to their registered Kroger Plus card when shopping for each purchase to count.

This Sunday (September 7) at St. John’s

Hallelujah!
Sing to the LORD a new song; *
sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.Psalm 149:1

Confirmation classes have begun.  Bruce Cory and I have worked on a 5-session course for those wanting to be confirmed in the Episcopal Church.  In the first session, we tell our spiritual autobiography.  We share how we’ve come to St. John’s.

The session is so powerful.  It is powerful to think about your own life in these terms and it is powerful to share that with others.  I learn new things about my own life, both from looking at my story and also by hearing others’ stories.

There were a couple of things I found exciting from our recent sessions.  I was reminded how much of our spiritual journeys require others to support us and to teach us.  In addition, I heard how our search and longing for God is something we are born with.  I heard over and over how friendly, warm and welcoming St. John’s is and how much that means to people.

And with these new members, we will sing a new song.  Their faith and who they are will shape the song we will sing to the Lord.

Blessings as you finish your week!

Love, Rebecca

Bulletin 09-07-2014

Rebecca’s Schedule: Rebecca will be at St. Agnes’ House this week, Monday through Thursday. Her Sabbath Day(s) will be Friday, September 12. You can get a message to her by calling the church office at 606-528-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

Adult Forum: The Adult Forum is reviewing and discussing the 39 Articles of Faith, pages 867-876 in the Book of Common Prayer through September 28.

Godly Play offered for children.  All children are invited to participate in this special program of spiritual development.

St. Philip’s, Harrodsburg, requests our prayers and presence at the service of Celebration of a New Ministry for the Reverend Peter Doddema as Rector, Sunday, September 7, 4pm.

Godly Play Teachers needed.  Godly Play teachers are needed.  Training is provided.  This is a wonderful program of spiritual development for children and we’d like to keep it going in the parish.  Please let Rebecca know if you are willing to be trained and serve as a teacher for a period of approximately 1 month.

Daughters of the King meets the third Wednesday of each month at 4:30pm.  The next meeting is September 17.  If you have special prayer requests or would like to join this prayer ministry, please contact Shelia Phillips.

Some men of the parish are discussing forming a chapter of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. To learn more about the Brotherhood, speak to Bruce Cory. You can also learn more from http://www.brotherhoodofstandrew.org/about.php

Interested in being a member of St. John’s?  If you have been baptized in another faith tradition, and want to be a member of The Episcopal Church and St. John’s Church, plan to attend confirmation classes this fall.  There will be 5 classes offered Wednesday evenings September 3, 10, 17, 24, and October 1, 6:30-7:30pm.  If you are interested, please let Rebecca know. If you have already been confirmed in another faith tradition and would like to be a member of St. John’s, let Rebecca know, so you can be received into the church.  If you are interested in baptism, also let her know.  Baptisms, receptions, and confirmations will be done when the Bishop visits on October 19.

Confirmation classes are being held every Wednesday through October 1 from 6:30-8pm.  All are invited.  This week’s session will be theological tenets of the church.

Computer and Furnace Needed: The furnace located in the sacristy, which heats part of the social hall and hallways must be replaced prior to this winter.  Cost is $2,250 for a furnace that will also be more energy efficient.  We’ll also need to replace two more furnaces over the next two years:  one that heats the parish hall and one that heats the rectory.  Our computer also needs replaced and $600 will get us a new one plus the needed software.  Donations for these two items can be put in the boxes back on the shelves in the parish hall.

Columbarium Niche: The Vestry has voted to donate a niche in the Columbarium to the family of Deacon Dane.  A bronze plaque needs to be purchased to mark the niche.  The cost is $208.   If you would like to donate to the cost of this plaque, please let Gay Nell know.

Grow Appalachia!  The Vestry has voted to move ahead to become a Grow Appalachia site for 2015.  Please talk to the Vestry about your ideas, questions, and concerns.  The Grow Appalachia website is http://www.berea.edu/grow-appalachia/

The Grow Appalachia Committee will meet after church on Sunday, September 7. 

Flowers for the altar: Donations for flowers for the altar are accepted for any Sunday of the year. Please place your donation in the envelope, marking whether they are in honor of or in memory of someone.

Hymn Selection Group If you’d like to choose hymns for services, join this group.  You will choose hymns for an upcoming service and then meet with the entire group to confirm the final selections.  See Billy Hibbitts if you are interested.

Would you like to write Prayers of the People?  If you are interested in writing these prayers (there are resources that can help with this task), please let Rebecca know by phone or email priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

United Thank Offering.  Remember to get your box for your thank offerings for this ministry of The Episcopal Church.  The next collection will be in the fall.

Are you interested in assisting with the Sunday service?  Readers, Eucharistic Ministers, Crucifers, Altar Guild Members and choir members are all important for each Sunday service.  If you’re interested in serving, please let Rebecca know by phone 859-429-1659 or priest-in-charge@stjohnscorbin.org.

We will celebrate Latino/Latina Heritage Month  at our service on September 28.  If you’d like to read one of the lessons, please see me.  In preparation, you can practice the Lord’s Prayer in Spanish:

 Padre nuestro que estás en el cielo,

santificado sea tu Nombre,

venga tu reino,

hágase tu voluntad,

en la tierra como en el cielo.

Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día.

Perdona nuestras ofensas,

como también nosotros perdonamos

a los que nos ofenden.

No nos dejes caer en tentación

y líbranos del mal.

Porque tuyo es el reino,

tuyo es el poder,

y tuya es la gloria,

ahora y por siempre. Amén.

Serving Our Neighbors – See baskets in the parlor.

  • Everlasting Arm, Corbin’s shelter for people who are homeless, is in need of men’s and women’s razors, gloves, deodorant and socks.
  • The Food Pantry at Corbin Presbyterian Church is always in need of nonperishable food items.  Vegetables are especially appreciated.
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