When I started at St. John’s on July 1, I was told that my timing was perfect, because I would have a slow—maybe even boring—couple of months to get settled in, before things kicked off for real in September.
Well, I fully believe that things will only get busier from here, but the last two months have been anything but boring. It has been a delight to get to know the parish of St. John the Evangelist, from the delightful Not-So-Spooky Haunted House float at the 4th of July parade to the solemn beauty of the funerals to the all-hands-on-deck flurry of activity when we arrived on Sunday morning to find a burst water pipe flooding the narthex! Across the board, it has been wonderful to see how St. John’s folks show up, and what they can do when they set their minds to something.
However, as wonderful as it has been to get involved with what is, I’m so excited to talk to you about what’s to come!
The various ministry teams at St. John’s have been hard at work preparing for the fall, and I think it’s going to be a great year. Here are a few things to keep an eye out for:
Sunday Worship @ 5 (SW5) will return in mid-September, and we look forward to welcoming back the evening crowd for weekly worship and fellowship time.
The Youth Ministry program calendar begins with a kickoff on Sept. 14, and we have a full and exciting calendar of events planned, including service projects, faith formation, and possible collaboration with other local churches.
The Creation Care and Outreach teams are offering plenty of opportunities for service and learning: coming up soon is a composting workshop in early September, followed by the first Laundry Love of the fall on Sept. 22.
For anyone else who, like me, is still figuring out how things work around here, the Newcomer’s Ministry is preparing a series of evening gatherings, and members of the Vestry will be holding “Office Hours” at Coffee Hour the second Sunday of every month.
Of course, planning for perennial classics like the Not-So-Spooky Haunted House and the Holiday Boutique are already underway: watch this space!
All that, and there are probably a hundred other ways to get involved, meet new people, and find God in and around St. John’s. I can’t wait to discover more.
Finally, just so I don’t forget to say it, thank you. It’s been a great two months and I so deeply appreciate the warmth and generosity with which I’ve been accepted into this community. Looking forward to working with you in the year to come!
In peace,
Rev. Eva Dalzell
The Rev. Eva Dalzell
Curate