Announcements for May 1

• Thank You
  Thank you to everyone who contributed to the parish celebration of Holy Week and Easter. From filling hundreds of eggs for the children’s Easter egg hunt to presenting the Halleluiah chorus... from reading at Good Friday vespers to setting up and cleaning up for the Maundy Thursday agape feast... altar guild, acolytes, choir, lectors, prayers, lay Eucharistic ministers, Sunday School teachers, and many more individuals... together we make this time holy. Alleluia!
  
  
• Confirmation (Becoming an Episcopalian)
  Confirmation is the opportunity for those baptized as infants to reaffirm their baptismal vows with their own will and voice. It is also an opportunity for those from other denominational backgrounds to join the Episcopal Church. Bishop Scantlebury will be at St. John’s Sunday, June 19, and will offer Confirmation. The church now encourages Confirmation for young people at an older age than in the past. Young adults (ninth grade or older) or adults interested in Confirmation, please contact the Rector as soon as possible.
  
  
• Responding to Tornadoes in the South
  Episcopal Relief and Development is already responding to the devastation left by the recent tornadoes in the south. If you would like to contribute, click here.
  
  
• Yarn Ministry Gathers This Monday
  The St. John’s knitters will be meeting Monday, May 2, at 7:00 p.m. in the Guild Room. This will be the last meeting for this season until the fall meeting October 3.
  
  
• Sunday School Classes for Children and Adults Resume
  All Sunday School classes resume this Sunday at 9:00 a.m. following the Easter break.
  
  
• Diocesan Leadership and Ministry Fair
  The Diocese of Chicago’s Leadership and Ministry Fair will be held Saturday, May 7, from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Lutheran School of Theology in Hyde Park. The event includes worship, an address from Bishop Lee and a variety of workshops on ministry, spirituality, and church leadership. It is open to all. Deadline for registration is May 4. More information is available here on the diocesan website.
  
  
• Concert with Heart on May 15
  Grande Prairie Singers present "From the Heart of America"--a concert of spirituals, Americana, and more--Sunday, May 15, at 4:00 p.m. The uplifting event will be held at Celebrations Ministries (formerly Hope Lutheran Church) in Park Forest. For tickets, see St. John's choir members Kevin Sprinkel or Betsy Burgwald.