Announcements for January 29

• Annual Parish Meeting Thanksgivings
  Thank you to all who participated in the annual parish meeting by attending, preparing reports, making presentations, cooking and serving lunch, and cleaning up. Special thanks to retiring vestry members: Cyndie Knoll, Jack Zielinski, Carolyn Oyster, and MJ Bond. And a spirited thank you to those joining the vestry: Audrey Ongman (Junior Warden), Greg Lawrence, Mark Moxley, Gale Michael, and Stephen Hofer. They join Frank So (Senior Warden) RJ VanSwol, Bev Keene, John Huntoon, Anne Edwards and Candice Barrera, who continue their service to the parish as vestry members.
  
  
• Annual Reports
  Copies of the printed parish annual reports are available on the information tables around the church and in the parish office.
  
  
• Mass en Masse
  Youth worship will not meet this Sunday, January 29. Throughout this spring the young people are scheduled to join in the parish’s corporate worship at 10:00 a.m. on the last Sunday of the month. This Sunday, the youth will help lead the Prayers of the People.
  
  
• Yarn Ministry
  The yarn ministry will meet Monday, February 6 at 7 PM in the Guild Room at the church. If you are unable to attend the gatherings, we also welcome items you create at home. Our handy work is donated to a number of charities. All levels of experience are welcome. If you would like to learn to knit, Sue O’Brien is willing to instruct. Yarn Ministry is not limited to just knitters, crocheters are also welcome. Hope to see you there.

Reflection for January 29

Discussing the engagement of Jewish scholars in the study of the New Testament, Amy Jill-Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler quote Mishnah Pirkei Avot: “Any controversy waged in the service of God shall in the end be of lasting worth, but any that is not shall in the end lead to no permanent result.” Levine and Brettler continue, “Such study can also have a much loftier result. The late Krister Stendahl, a Lutheran scholar... coined the term ‘holy envy’ to express the idea that a religious tradition different from the one we pratice may express beautiful and meaningful notions. No religion contains all wisdom expressed perfectly and there is much in the New Testament that we find both beautiful and meaningful” (Editor’s Preface, The Jewish Annotated New Testament).

Announcements for January 22

• Annual Parish Meeting This Sunday, January 22
  The annual parish meeting will take place this Sunday January 22, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Brunch bunch will be serving lunch following the 10:00 a.m. service. No need to bring a dish. Just come and share fellowship and be a part of this important event in our parish life.
  
  
• Adult Class: Exploring the Catechism
  The Living Faithfully adult class has just begun a new class. The class is appropriate for both life-long Episcopalians and newcomers as well, and you can join it at any time. What does it mean to be created in the image of God? Who is the Holy Spirit? What does the Episcopal Church really teach about the Sacraments? The class will be both lecture and discussion. Please bring your Bible. It meets in Classroom 4 in the Education Wing beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays.
  
  
• Baby Shower for Mary VanSwol
  The choir invites the congregation to a baby shower for Mary and RJ VanSwol on Sunday, January 29. Check with a choir member for more details.

Reflection for January 22

You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do (Source unknown; quoted by Anne Lamott).

Announcements for January 15

• Annual Parish Meeting Next Sunday, January 22
  The annual parish meeting will take place January 22, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Brunch bunch will be serving lunch following the 10:00 a.m. service. No need to bring a dish. Just come and share fellowship and be a part of this important event in our parish life.
  
  
• Treasurer’s Report Available
  The full annual report on the life of the parish will be available at the Annual Meeting. The treasurer’s report is available this Sunday. Look for copies in all the usual places.
  
  
• Adult Class: Exploring the Catechism
  The Living Faithfully adult class has just begun a new class. The class is appropriate for both life-long Episcopalians and newcomers as well, and you can join it at any time. What does it mean to be created in the image of God? Who is the Holy Spirit? What does the Episcopal Church really teach about the Sacraments? The class will be both lecture and discussion. Please bring your Bible. It meets in Classroom 4 in the Education Wing beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays.
  
  
• Youth Worship: New Sunday Offering
  A new children’s worship opportunity is being offered on Sunday mornings during the first part of the 10:00 service. Youth worship is intended primarily for children aged Kindergarten through Third Grade. Older children will occasionally fill leadership rolls. Youth Worship begins at 10:00 a.m. in the Education Wing. For more information, check with Tracie Moxley or Pastor Orr.
  
  
• Gardeners: Free clay pots available
  The clay pots left over from the Christmas poinsettias are available free to anyone who would like to take them. Look in the west foyer near the food donation baskets.
  
  
• Baby Shower for Mary VanSwol
  The choir invites the congregation to a baby shower for Mary and RJ VanSwol to be held following coffee hour Sunday, January 29. Watch for more details in next week’s e-vangelist.

Reflection for January 15

Five Lessons the Church can Learn from Facebook
Facebook Lesson #1: It is all about the life of the participants and not the CEO. Facebook Lesson #2: Facebook culture is very open to ‘friending’ new people into their Facebook community. Facebook Lesson #3: The Facebook community does not have business hours. Facebook Lesson #4: The Facebook community is eager to share life with one another. Facebook Lesson #5: Facebook culture encourages the expression of a person’s passion (Mark McNees, posted on his blog).

Announcements for January 8

• Children’s Sunday School Classes Resume this Sunday
  Sunday School classes for children resume this Sunday, January 8, following the Christmas break. Classes begin at 9:00 a.m.
  
  
• Adult Class: Exploring the Catechism
  The Living Faithfully adult class begins a new class this Sunday. What does it mean to be created in the image of God? Who is the Holy Spirit? What does the Episcopal Church really teach about the Sacraments? The class will be both lecture and discussion. Please bring your Bible. The class is appropriate for both life-long Episcopalians and newcomers as well. It meets in Classroom 4 in the Education Wing beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays.
  
  
• Recycle Your Live Christmas Tree
  Undecorated, live Christmas trees can be recycled January 7 and 14 from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at Irons Oaks (Vollmer Road just west of Western Avenue). Recycling keeps trees out of the landfill and the mulch will be used at Irons Oaks.
  
  
• Job Search Network Workshop
  The InterFaith Job Search Network is hosting a special workshop next Wednesday, Jan. 11, from 6- 8pm at St. Irenaeus Catholic Church in Park Forest. Entitled "How To Write A Successful Cover Letter," the program will be led by retired corporate trainer Phyllis Bacon, who has run a weekly job club at St. Irenaeus since 2004. Admission is free and, if time allows, you can also have your individual resumes critiqued by an expert at no charge. The church is located at the corner of Orchard and Indianwood in Park Forest. For more details, call St. Irenaeus at 708-748-6891. Or contact St. John's liaison to the Interfaith Network, Rob McManamy.
  
  
• Faith in Films: De-Lovely
  Faith in Films gathers Friday, January 13, to view De-Lovely, a musical portrait of American composer Cole Porter. The film is filled with Porter’s music and brings to light “Porter’s elegant, excessive past—including his deeply complicated relationship with his wife and muse, Linda Lee Porter.” Stars Kevin Kline, Ashley Judd and Jonathan Pryce. Meet in the Guild Room at 7:00 p.m.
  
  
• Offering Envelopes
  Offering Envelopes for 2012 are available for pick up in the undercroft. Envelopes that are not picked up will be mailed soon.
  
  
• 2011 Contributions
  The “books” for 2011 will remain open through January 8. Contributions clearly marked 2011 will be posted to 2011 statements. All others will be posted to 2012.

Reflection for January 8

The bond which God establishes in Baptism is indissoluble (Book of Common Prayer, p. 298).