Spring/Summer 2021 Service Times: Thank you to everyone who filled out the worship preferences survey. Beginning on Pentecost, May 23, will be moving to two services: one indoors at 9:15am, and another outdoors at 10:45am. The 9:15am service will continue to be live streamed to the church YouTube channel. Registration and masking will be required for both the indoor and outdoor services as before. Congregational singing will be allowed at the outdoor service. In the event of rain or temperatures above 85 degrees, the outdoor service will be moved indoors.
No Zoom Yoga: There will be no Zoom yoga this Sunday, May 9.
Playground Dedication on Pentecost: On Pentecost, May 23, following the 10:45am outdoor service, we will have a dedication ceremony for the new(ish) playground. The playground will be dedicated to the memory of Tommy Sinclair. While we will not have our traditional picnic, there will be plenty of food and fellowship. We encourage all who are able to attend!
Plaque and Contextual Marker for the Confederate Memorial: We have ordered the plaque and contextual marker for our Confederate Memorial. The vestry voted unanimously to use the funds from our Memorial Fund to cover the expense. The Memorial Fund is not part of the operating budget. Neither your pledge nor your Sunday offering is part of the Memorial Fund. This fund is made up of undesignated donations from members and nonmembers. The donations are meant to be used for tangible items associated with the church. For instance, we used the Memorial Fund to purchase the torches that the acolytes carry, robes for Lay Eucharistic Ministers, and a repair to one of our cruets (what is used to hold the wine). Most recently we used the Memorial Fund for audio visual equipment. There is plenty of money in this fund to cover the cost of the plaque and contextual marker. If you feel passionately about this project, you may donate to the Memorial Fund.
Bible Study on Isaiah: We are currently working on the beginning section of Isaiah. We are still meeting via Zoom on Wednesdays at 3pm and may be moving to a “hybrid” of both in person and via Zoom. Use this link. Questions? Contact gro.notpmahsnhojts@rotcertnatsissa or 757-722-2567. Drop-ins are always welcomed!
Faith-Walk Hampton: Faith-Hampton is a group of pastors from Hampton who meet weekly to discuss issues of race and reconciliation. St. John’s is a participating member. Over the past year they have sponsored many educational opportunities, open discussions and times of prayer. On May 11 at 6pm, they will host an online session called “Historical Perspectives on Economic Disparities.” Racial Segregation in most major areas is worse today than it was during reconstruction. Join their panel to learn from different research on this topic as well as community leaders. It will be on the Faith-Walk Hampton Facebook page. Panelists include: Mark Herring (Virginia Attorney General), Professor John Finn (Christopher Newport University), Sarah Black, Esq. (Deputy Director Eastern Virginia Legal Aid) and Will Moffett (Community Activist and Former Hampton City Councilman). Kara Dixon, WAVY TV10 Reporter, will be the moderator. Background material for this historical conversation in the form of research material by Professor John Finn and his team can be found here.
Monday Night Book Club: We will finish reading The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller on Monday, May 10. We will start the book Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. It is a fictional account of Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, who died at age 11 in 1596. It won the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Fiction Prize at the 2020 National Book Critics Circle Awards. If you are interested in joining us, let Linda McMahon know at moc.liamg@nwodhsalps.adnil.
Chanco on the James: Summer Jobs and Info about Summer Camp! Chanco on the James Camp and Retreat Center is HIRING SUMMER CAMP STAFF: Positions include counselor, sailing instructor, ropes course staff, and photographer. Benefits include housing, meals, training and compensation. Email gro.ocnahc@smargorp for an application or more information. LEARN MORE ABOUT ATTENDING SUMMER CAMP: Informational Zoom on May 22 from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.