Sunday, November 24 – Christ the King
8:00 a.m. – Spoken Holy Eucharist
9:30 a.m. – Sunday School & Faith Forum: Book discussion on Love Your Enemies
10:30 a.m. – Choral Holy Eucharist sung by the Youth & Adult Choirs with sermon by the Rev’d Margie Baker
5 to 7 p.m. – Youth Group at Flight Trampoline Park
Education for all ages, Sundays at 9:30 a.m.
All adults are invited to continue your education and deepen your faith every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. at the Faith Forum in Hubbard Hall. Topics and formats are varied, and coffee and bagels are provided. Join us!
Sunday, November 24: Book discussion on Love Your Enemies by Arthur C. Brooks, led by Jillian Puzzo of BookBarCT. In this age where division and contempt between people of different viewpoints are everyday occurrences, Love Your Enemiescalls us to a better way of relating with one another. St. John’s parishioner Jillian Puzzo will lead a conversation about the book during this week’s Faith Forum. You’re welcome to attend even if you haven’t finished the book.
Sunday, December 1: Intergenerational Advent Workshop. Parishioners of all ages are invited to an intergenerational Faith Forum to make an Advent wreath, color Advent calendars, and get other Advent resources and ideas. For the wreaths, we will provide faux evergeen wreaths, candles, and decorations (ribbons, small ornaments, pinecones, etc.). If you have a wreath from a previous year, feel free to bring it in to freshen it up and get new candles. Suggested donation: $10 for a wreath and candles, $5 for candles only. One wreath per family, please. We will also have a variety of Advent devotionals and other material to support your observance of Advent at home.
Welcoming all to St. John’s – A note from our Hospitality Chairperson
Dear St. John’s Family:
How many of you remember your first morning at St. John’s? Or perhaps it was a Music at the Red Door concert? Or our annual Christmas Festival? Whenever your first step through the front or back doors of St. John’s was, I hope (and assume) you were met by a warm welcome.
But then what kept you coming back? What helped you to feel a part of the St. John’s community? Did someone invite you to coffee hour? Ask you to serve on a committee? Remind you to come for the Sunday morning Faith Forum? Ask you to go in with them on a Spring Food Fling auction item? Whatever it was, the invitation pulled you in. It got you to come back. It got you to participate more fully and by doing so, began to make you feel a real part of our church community.
This is what we want to do for all who pass through our doors. This effort is not new – all of us greet each other warmly at the Peace and our ushers say hello to all.
What we’d like to do is be even more intentional about making those who are new, and and even those who have been at St. John’s for many years, feel even more welcome, more a part of our community, more like St. John’s is their home “wherever they are in their spiritual journey,” as Susan says so often.
So, I invite you to think about what you can do. If you are part of a certain ministry, can you ask someone to join? Can you ask someone to join you for Coffee Hour? Can you invite someone to join you for the Sacred Circle meeting? Can you simply strike up a conversation with someone you’ve never met? It doesn’t take much, but it does take a bit of thought and intentionality.
As the season changes toward Christmas, and as we move into 2020 with a renewed sense of energy with the wonderful addition of Margie and her family, think about what you can do to make those around you feel even more welcome at St. John’s.
If you have ideas, thoughts or suggestions around how to do this in the activities, groups, ministries and committees that you are a part of at church, please reach out to me or Susan so we can help make those ideas happen.
Thank you,
Julia O’Brien
Chair, Hospitality at St. John’s
Spread the word about the upcoming Christmas Festival
The Christmas Festival is not only a fun annual event, but also a major fundraiser for our many ministries. Help ensure a big turnout by publicizing the Festival to your circle of neighbors, friends and family.
Pick up a lawn sign advertising the Christmas Festival, available in Hubbard Hall on Sunday.
Share our Facebook event announcement and video, or the Christmas Festival graphic below, on your social media feeds.
Invite friends and family to stop by for a bite to eat, unique gifts, and some Christmas cheer!
Christmas Festival Volunteer & Donation Needs
If you have items to donate to any of the Festival sales areas (see area descriptions below), you may bring them to the church during office hours or on Sunday mornings. Items should be dropped off in the open closet area next to the elevator. During office hours, please call ahead so we can unlock the back door for you. If you have large items to donate and need help, please call the office at 860-523-5201 so we can designate a time when someone is available to assist you with transporting items from your vehicle.
Here are needs for volunteers and donations in various areas:
  • Jewelry & Accessories: Once again we will be selling used jewelry, handbags, scarves, neckties and other accessories.So please go through your closets and drawers and see what you might have to donate! A great opportunity to clean out your closets, donate what you are no longer using and let someone else enjoy these items! Donations can be left at the church (in a box/bag marked Chic Boutique) or contact Kim Byrd and she will arrange to pick them up.
  • Art & Antiques: St. John’s loves your art and antiques…even when you have grown tired of them! Make room for something new—Donate your framed art, prints, antiques, or interesting furniture.
  • Books: Looking to pare down your collection of most any kinds of books? We need your donations of fiction, biography, history, crafts, cookbooks, travel, children’s books, coffee table books (art, photography, etc). In fact, just about anything! Hard cover or soft cover. (Please, no periodicals, dated items or text books.) We also accept quality CDs and DVDs. Mark your bagged or boxed donations with “Book Sale” and leave them in the closet across from the restrooms.
  • Hand-knitted accessories: If you’re a knitter and would like to help make hats, gloves, scarves and other goodies to sell at the Festival, contact Heidi Gostyla.
  • Items for wreath decorating: It’s that time again, to look through your closets, attics and basements for any bows, ornaments, faux flowers and fruits, and any other items that can be repurposed for this year’s wreath decorating. We always need to purchase some new supplies, but the more we can repurpose, the more money we save! Please start dropping any supplies by the office clearly marked for GREENERY. Thank you!
  • Wreath decorating night, December 5: It’s almost time to deck the halls! This year we will be meeting in Hubbard Hall on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m., to decorate wreaths to be sold at the Christmas Festival Greenery Table. This is an extremely fun and social night, and there is no decorating talent required, so please consider coming if you don’t have plans.  We will have nibbles and refreshments to keep everyone going! We do have a decent supply of scissors, glue guns and glue sticks, wire cutters, and extension cords, but more are always welcome! Please label any supplies that you bring so you can collect them at the end of the evening. Lastly, a gentle reminder that this is NOT an event for children, and there will not be babysitting available. Looking forward to seeing you then!
  • Donate baked goods or other kitchen specialties to the “Country Kitchen” sale. Bakers, cooks, chefs, everyone! Please think of the Country Kitchen as you are preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sweet and savory treats are appreciated and needed. If you wish to donate and need more information, suggestions and recipes can be provided. Also, we could use your help “behind the table” at the festival. Ginger Gillespie would love to hear from you.
We’re always in need of nonperishable food and winter accessories
Every Sunday, parish children bring donations of nonperishable food up to the chancel during the Offertory. They’ve also recently started bringing forward donations of cold weather accessories (hats, gloves, heavy socks, and umbrellas). Please bring in any of these items when you are able, on any Sunday!
Nonperishable food donations go the Grace Seventh Day Adventist Church food pantry on Prospect Avenue. They are always in need of high-protein foods (such as peanut butter, legumes and tuna), along with cereal, canned goods, rice, pasta, and other staples. With the holidays approaching, stuffing mix, baking mixes, canned veggies, jarred gravy, dried fruits and nuts, and other items for special meals are also welcome.
Cold weather accessories are given to people in need who come to the church looking for help. We need heavy insulated or fleece gloves, warm socks (such as wool boot socks), winter hats, and umbrellas. Items for both men and women are needed, but we tend to see more men in need, so larger sizes are especially helpful.
Donate snacks for Trinity Academy students
St. John’s has been supporting Trinity Academy for the past two years. Trinity Academy serves 40 students at its Hartford location on Sigourney Street (at Trinity Episcopal Church). Trinity is seeking support for its students with a snack drive.
Please consider helping Trinity Academy by donating the following snacks: Nutri Grain granola bars, pretzels, animal crackers, graham crackers, Honey Nut Cheerios cereal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, Goldfish crackers, applesauce, fruit cups.
The easiest way to donate is to order directly from Trinity Academy’s Amazon Wish List.. Orders will be sent directly to Trinity Academy.
Or, you may bring your donations to St. John’s and leave them in the box marked “Trinity Academy” in the Education Wing by December 15.
High school students: Sign up to work in the nursery
We have a new sign-up for high school-age youth to care for our youngest members in the nursery. This sign-up covers the Advent Lessons & Carols service on December 15 at 3 p.m., as well as Sunday mornings in January and February. We ask that each volunteer sign up for no more than two slots per month. Thank you!
Thanksgiving Day service, 10 a.m.
Before turkey, pie and football, come give thanks to God at our Thanksgiving Day service of Holy Eucharist, at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning.
Important note about year-end contributions to St. John’s
For your contributions of cash or checks to appear on your 2019 year-end giving statement, they must be received in St. John’s office/offering plate by December 25. Due to holiday staff schedules, contributions received after December 25, 2019, will get posted to St. John’s bank account in January, in which case they will appear on your 2020 giving statement (even if they are in payment of a 2019 pledge).
If you would like to make an online pledge payment with your credit card and have it appear on your 2019 giving statement, please also do so by December 25, so there is plenty of time for your contribution to clear the merchant account and our bank account in December.
If you plan to donate stock to St. John’s, please contact Financial Administrator Peggy O’Toole at [email protected] or 860-523-5201 x311, before you or your broker initiate the stock transfer.
Christmas gifts for children in need due by December 2
St. John’s is continuing the tradition of sponsoring 60 children with Christmas gift bags in the Stronger Families, Stronger Future program (formerly known as the Nurturing Families Network). If you picked up a gift tag, please shop and place unwrapped items in a gift bag, then return your gift bag to St. John’s by Monday, December 2. You can deliver to the office during the week or to our gift bag table on Sunday mornings. Thank you in advance for your continued generosity!