Announcements for December 31st

Center for Independence Update

On Monday night members of the vestry attended the Flossmoor Village Trustees meeting. The purpose of our attendance was to ask the village to reinstate the “Special Use” Zoning exception that had expired a couple of years ago. The Trustees agreed to grant the exception unanimously.  Also, the Trustees thanked the church for being such a good institution for the village. They were very appreciative of our efforts to help the people of Flossmoor and the surrounding area. Now that we have the “Special Use Exception” in place the vestry can begin our exploratory conversations with The Center for Independence Through Conductive Education. For more information please contact the vestry, or go to The Center’s web site at: http://www.center-for-independence.org

Respond Now

The Daughters of the King are collecting personal items for the men and women that receive assistance through Respond Now. Suggestions: soap, shampoo, body lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, deodorant, etc. Both full and travel-size are needed.

Vestry Nominating Committee

The Vestry has approved Cynthia Turnquest, Alice Creason , and Shirley Reilly to serve as the nominating committee for our new 2018 Vestry members.

Bible Study/Fellowship Group

This Bible study group will meet at members' houses for a pot luck dinner and fellowship once a month. Kids are welcome! The first meeting will be in January. If you are interested in joining, please contact Mary VanSwol, and state whether you prefer Saturday or Sunday from 5-7 pm. An official time will be announced closer to the date.

Outdoor Altar Tiles

Parishioners or visitors can still donate and receive an original outdoor altar tile from around the Columbarium. For more information, feel free to contact Steve Hofer if you are interested. Available tiles are still on display down in the undercroft.

From Alison Deniston

A very heartfelt thank you to all who participated in this year’s cookie walk. We would not have been successful without you baking, working, and shopping. Our profits were over $2,800 this year!

Vestry Minutes -- October 30th

Church of St. John the Evangelist

Flossmoor, Illinois

Minutes of the Vestry Meeting

October 30, 2017

Foundation

Evening Prayer and Thanksgiving & Prayer Requests
The vestry met in the guild room at 7:00 PM starting with Compline and followed by prayers of

intercession and thanksgiving.

Attendance
Present at the meeting were Interim Rector, Mike Dwyer; the senior warden, Greg Lawrence; the
junior warden, Steve Hofer; vestry members Mike Bond, Bob Burgwald, Rob Carrier, Alice
Creason, Shirley Reilly, Cynthia Turnquest, and Mary VanSwol; the treasurer, Debbi Huggett;
and the clerk, Susan Marquis. Absent were vestry members Randy Oyster and Zoltan Sziky.

Parish Stewardship
Wardens’ Reports and Reports from Parish Organizations
—Steve Hofer is still working on getting the undercroft stair treads replaced. We cannot get the
same color treads that we have now, but there are many other color options.
—A wall in the children’s chapel has about a 1/2-inch gap at the top and needs tuck pointing.
This may run about $1,200. Steve Hofer will get more information.
—Greg Lawrence reported that the village removed a dying elm tree on the parkway.
—Fr. Jim Caldwell, our supply priest for the past four months, sent an email to Greg expressing
his gratitude for our generosity and loving kindness following a coffee hour reception and check
presented to him on his final Sunday with us. Greg will post the note on a bulletin board or in the
“e-vangelist.”

Discussion and Decisions
Pat Braker Memorial
Bill Braker arranged to have a prairie garden planted near the columbarium in memory of his
wife, Pat Braker. Now that the columbarium work is done, Bill would like to install a 6” x 12”
granite marker flush with the ground with the wording, “Pat’s Prairie, Patricia R. Braker,
1929-2014.” Bill and his family will cover the costs of a commercial gardener to care for the prairie garden. Shirley Reilly moved to accept Bill’s plan, and Mike Bond seconded. The motion
was approved.

Jim Buckman Memorial
Sue Buckman has offered to pay for 15 new, lighter-weight, rectangular tables for the undercroft,
and Greg Lawrence has ordered them. Sue asked that a plaque be installed over the closet doors
in the undercroft where extra tables are stored. The plaque will note that the tables were given in
memory of Jim Buckman. Mike Bond will call a representative of the diocese to see if there are
any churches that would like our old tables. Cynthia Turnquest moved to accept the proposal for
a plaque and to put out a sign at the Cookie Walk noting that the new tables are a memorial gift.
Rob Carrier seconded, and the motion was approved.

Pledge Campaign
The vestry discussed the campaign for 2018 pledges. Parishioners (not necessarily vestry
members) will speak during church services about what St. John’s means to them. Alice Creason
volunteered to put together a bulletin board for parishioner comments on the importance of St.
John’s in our lives. Fr. Mike will draft a letter to all parishioners similar to letters that have been
mailed in previous years. A subcommittee on pledging was established including Fr. Mike, Alice
Creason, and Debbi Huggett. Cynthia Turnquest also may participate in a limited capacity. The
campaign will start on December 3rd and continue through pledge Sunday, December 17th.

Budget Relief
The vestry discussed an idea that had been presented in previous years regarding donations of
supplies. A person could volunteer to buy and donate something specific, such as yogurt for
coffee hour or colored paper for Sunday bulletins. Mary VanSwol suggested that cards or Post-It
Notes with descriptions of specific needs could be tacked to a bulletin board, and parishioners
could take cards with them to shop and then return the supplies along with the cards signed by
the donors. The vestry expressed interest in this plan, but no action was taken.

The Feast
Although the annual January Feast of St. John celebration is popular with parishioners, the vestry
feels burned-out on it. Shirley Reilly moved that The Feast be put on hiatus for this coming
January, but it may be re-instated in the future. Cynthia Turnquest seconded, and the motion
passed. The vestry discussed having a Loaves and Fishes potluck on the day of the annual
meeting as a January fellowship event. No decisions were made about this.

Bishop’s Visit
On Sunday, November 12th, Bishop Lee will visit St. John’s and preside and preach at both
services. He would like to meet with the vestry between services. Bishop Lee will be available for conversation at coffee hour where there will be cheese and crackers and fruit as well as the
usual donuts. In the afternoon, from 2:00 to 4:00 o’clock, the bishop will hold a conversation
time at St. John’s with interested parishioners from the deanery. The diocesan staff will provide
food based on RSVPs they have received.

Christmas Services
This year Advent 4 falls on Christmas Eve. There usually are two services on Sundays and two
services on Christmas Eve. To avoid having four services in one day, probably with low
attendance at each, Fr. Mike will celebrate one Sunday morning Eucharist at 10:00 AM, and one
Christmas Eve service in the early evening. He will call Pat Smith Huntoon to see if she is
willing to lead the children’s Christmas pageant again.

All Soul’s Day
There will be a table set up for the All Soul’s Day Eucharist on November 2nd at 7:00 PM.
Parishioners may bring in photos or other mementos and place them on the table. Fr. Mike will
provide a book in which to write names of those to be remembered.

Columbarium Information
Debbi Huggett reported that the check for $4,700 written for concrete work that was not done
has been returned. There was a previous discussion about dedicating the columbarium addition
on Thanksgiving weekend, but that date will need to be moved, perhaps to the spring on a date to
be determined later.

Closing
The meeting concluded at 9:15 PM. The next meeting is scheduled for November 20th at 7:00
PM.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan Marquis
Clerk of the Vestry

Vestry Minutes -- October 16th

Church of St. John the Evangelist

Flossmoor, Illinois

Minutes of the Vestry Meeting

October 16, 2017

Foundation
Evening Prayer and Thanksgiving & Prayer Requests
The vestry met in the guild room at 7:00 PM starting with Evening Prayer and followed by
prayers of intercession and thanksgiving.

Attendance
Present at the meeting were Fr. Mike Dwyer; the senior warden, Greg Lawrence; the junior
warden, Steve Hofer; vestry members Mike Bond, Bob Burgwald, Alice Creason, Randy Oyster,
Shirley Reilly, and Mary VanSwol; the treasurer, Debbi Huggett; and the clerk, Susan Marquis.

Absent were vestry members Rob Carrier, Cynthia Turnquest, and Zoltan Sziky.

Parish Stewardship
Minutes
Mike Bond moved to approve September’s minutes with a minor adjustment. Alice Creason
seconded, and the motion passed.

Treasurer’s Report and Report on Columbarium
—Debbi Huggett reported that revenue is slightly ahead of budget and spending is very favorable
as a result of the open rector’s position.
—Our investment with the Episcopal Church Foundation has a current $181,000 market value
and a $210,000 book value.
—We have not received the refund from Burrink Commercial Services for concrete work not
done on the columbarium project, even though Debbi has requested it several times. She has
asked the general contractor, Premier Landscape, to ask Burrink for the refund.
—Debbi will set up a church credit card through Chase Bank.
—Promised funds from a donor of $4,000 for the columbarium project have not yet come in.
—There have been some glitches in getting the lights in the outdoor altar area to work, but parish
volunteers are trying to solve the problem.
—Currently, there are no doors on the two new seat walls. Mark Moxley is working on finding
permanent doors. If these cannot be installed before snowy weather, Premier Landscape will
install temporary doors.
—Alice Creason moved to accept the treasurer’s report, and Mike Bond seconded. The motion
was approved.

Old and New Business
Wardens’ Reports
Discussions and Decisions

Celebration of Fr. Caldwell
—Greg Lawrence suggested that the parish do something special to mark the supply priest James
Caldwell’s last Sunday with us after having been with us on Sundays for the last four months.
Steve Hofer moved to collect a $500 purse from the parish with the miscellaneous fund to cover
any collection shortfall. Bob Burgwald seconded, and the motion was approved. In addition to
the purse presentation, there will be a celebratory cake at coffee hour on October 29th.

Upcoming Parish Events
Wednesday, November 1st - Fr. Mike Dwyer’s official first day at St. John’s
Thursday, November 2nd - All Soul’s Day with a service at 7:00 PM
Sunday, November 12th - Fall lawn clean-up after the 10:00 AM service, Bishop Lee visits at
both services, and Bishop Lee holds a conversation from 2:00 until 4:00 PM at St. John’s for the
people of the deanery.

Stair Treads
Steve Hofer has chosen a company to replace the stair treads on the north stairs to the undercroft.
The bid came in at $4,500.

CICE Visit
Steve and Mary Hofer and Mike Bond went to the facility in Countryside of the Center for
Independence through Conductive Education for an information-gathering visit.

Upcoming Plans of Our Interim Rector
Fr. Dwyer reported that he plans to set up meetings soon with individuals in the parish who lead
various ministries in order to get to know people and learn how we do things.

Flossmoor Zoning Board
Greg Lawrence noted that the Flossmoor Zoning Board will meet at the Village Hall on
Thursday, October 16th at 7:30 PM and will discuss the zoning variance needed in order for the
Center for Independence through Conductive Education to use space at St. John’s. Vestry
members are invited to attend.

Church Assessment Tool Results
In the interest of transparency, the CAT results will be presented to the parish in some form. Greg
Lawrence is thinking about scheduling a parish meeting to go over the survey results.

Questions about CICE
Greg Lawrence invited vestry members to compile a list of questions they have about the Center
for Independence through Conductive Education and the impact that their space usage at St.
John’s would have on the parish. The following questions were generated:

-Can someone from CICE come to talk to the parish?
-There are many moving parts to this plan. What do we need to know?
-What kind of alterations need to be made to the building?
-Do we need active fire and security alarms?
-Who pays for alterations? If CICE pays, do we need to reimburse them if they leave?
-What is the length of the agreement?
-Who pays for custodial, utilities and other expenses?
-What changes will there be in our liability insurance?
-Do therapists at CICE carry malpractice insurance? Are they certified and licensed?
-Does someone from the parish need to be here from 8:00 AM until 7:00 PM?
-Will the CICE space usage conflict with space usage of other guest groups?
-Parishioner volunteers need to be certified by Safeguarding God’s Children.
-What is a reasonable donation for space usage? Who determines the donation amount?
-What are the donations given from other CICE locations, and what impact does CICE have on
  their operating expenses?
-How many people will be present at the month-long summer camp? What facilities at St. John’s
 will be used?
-What are their parking needs? Do they realize there is a three-hour parking limit?
-What kind of signage do they plan, and what is allowed by the Village of Flossmoor?

Parish Involvement with CICE Decision
Mike Bond, with assistance from Greg Lawrence, drew up a letter to parishioners that explains
the space usage plan. Greg explained that the plan needs to be approved by the parish through a
vote, there will be an opportunity for parishioners to write down questions, someone will develop
a brochure about the plan that can be handed out to parishioners as they leave church in weeks
before the annual meeting, and there will be a presentation during coffee hour on December 10th
or 17th.

Additional Vestry Meeting
The vestry agreed to hold a special meeting in two weeks (October 30th, 7:00 PM) to discuss
some answers to the questions generated at the meeting tonight as well as to discuss the
Christmas service schedule, the Feast, and the pledge campaign.

Closing
The meeting ended with prayer at 9:20 PM. The next vestry meeting is scheduled for October
30th, followed by the regularly scheduled meeting on November 20th.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan Marquis
Clerk of the Vestry

Announcements for December 24th

Center for Independence Update

On Monday night members of the vestry attended the Flossmoor Village Trustees meeting. The purpose of our attendance was to ask the village to reinstate the “Special Use” Zoning exception that had expired a couple of years ago. The Trustees agreed to grant the exception unanimously.  Also, the Trustees thanked the church for being such a good institution for the village. They were very appreciative of our efforts to help the people of Flossmoor and the surrounding area. Now that we have the “Special Use Exception” in place the vestry can begin our exploratory conversations with The Center for Independence Through Conductive Education. For more information please contact the vestry, or go to The Center’s web site at: http://www.center-for-independence.org

Practicing Our Faith Book Club

In December, the Practicing Our Faith Book Club is reading Between the Dark and the Daylight: Embracing the Contradictions of Life by Joan Chittister, a book that "explores the concerns of modern life, of the overworked mind and hurting heart." The book club will meet on Thursday, December 21 at 7:00pm in the Guild Room to discuss the book. New members are always welcome!

Respond Now

The Daughters of the King are collecting personal items for the men and women that receive assistance through Respond Now. Suggestions: soap, shampoo, body lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, deodorant, etc. Both full and travel-size are needed.

Bible Study/Fellowship Group

This Bible study group will meet at members' houses for a pot luck dinner and fellowship once a month. Kids are welcome! The first meeting will be in January. If you are interested in joining, please contact Mary VanSwol, and state whether you prefer Saturday or Sunday from 5-7 pm. An official time will be announced closer to the date.

Outdoor Altar Tiles

Parishioners or visitors can still donate and receive an original outdoor altar tile from around the Columbarium. For more information, feel free to contact Steve Hofer if you are interested. Available tiles are still on display down in the undercroft.

Vestry Nominating Committee

The Vestry has approved Cynthia Turnquest, Alice Creason , and Shirley Reilly to serve as the nominating committee for our new 2018 Vestry members.

St. John’s Christmas Eve Pageant

Our Christmas Eve Mass will have a pageant! We will be using the book by Nikki Grimes, “Voices of Christmas” as our guide. There is still time to join the fun; we will meet after the 9:00 service this Sunday (12/24) to pick out/organize our props in the Adult Formation room. We will then meet back in that room at 4:40 pm to check in before the start of the service. Children of all ages are welcome; this is an opportunity for anyone who ever wanted to be in the pageant but never was brave enough to raise their hand or did not have a Christmas Pageant at their home church when they were younger.

From Alison Deniston

A very heartfelt thank you to all who participated in this year’s cookie walk. We would not have been successful without you baking, working, and shopping. Our profits were over $2,800 this year!

Announcements for December 17th

Center for Independence Update

On Monday night members of the vestry attended the Flossmoor Village Trustees meeting. The purpose of our attendance was to ask the village to reinstate the “Special Use” Zoning exception that had expired a couple of years ago. The Trustees agreed to grant the exception unanimously.  Also, the Trustees thanked the church for being such a good institution for the village. They were very appreciative of our efforts to help the people of Flossmoor and the surrounding area. Now that we have the “Special Use Exception” in place the vestry can begin our exploratory conversations with The Center for Independence Through Conductive Education. For more information please contact the vestry, or go to The Center’s web site at: http://www.center-for-independence.org

St. John’s Christmas Eve Pageant

Our Christmas Eve Mass will have a pageant! We will be using the book by Nikki Grimes, “Voices of Christmas” as our guide. Children of all ages are welcome. This is an opportunity for anyone ever wanted to be in the pageant but never was brave enough to raise their hand or did not have a Christmas Pageant at their home church when they were younger. We will meet briefly this Sunday after church to get organized. Please let Pat Smith-Huntoon know if you are interested. You can just show up to the meeting this Sunday, call or text her, or email her. 

Pledge Sunday – December 17^th. Please remember to bring your completed pledge cards with you this Sunday.

Practicing Our Faith Book Club

In December, the Practicing Our Faith Book Club is reading Between the Dark and the Daylight: Embracing the Contradictions of Life by Joan Chittister, a book that "explores the concerns of modern life, of the overworked mind and hurting heart." The book club will meet on Thursday, December 21 at 7:00pm in the Guild Room to discuss the book. New members are always welcome!

Respond Now

The Daughters of the King are collecting personal items for the men and women that receive assistance through Respond Now. Suggestions: soap, shampoo, body lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, deodorant, etc. Both full and travel-size are needed.

Bible Study/Fellowship Group

This Bible study group will meet at members' houses for a pot luck dinner and fellowship once a month. Kids are welcome! The first meeting will be in January. If you are interested in joining, please contact Mary VanSwol, and state whether you prefer Saturday or Sunday from 5-7 pm. An official time will be announced closer to the date.

Outdoor Altar Tiles

Parishioners or visitors can still donate and receive an original outdoor altar tile from around the Columbarium. For more information, feel free to contact Steve Hofer if you are interested. Available tiles are still on display down in the undercroft.

Vestry Nominating Committee

The Vestry has approved Cynthia Turnquest, Alice Creason , and Shirley Reilly to serve as the nominating committee for our new 2018 Vestry members.

Announcements for December 10th

A Note from Fr. Mike

My Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Can you believe Christmas is just around the corner? In a few days we will begin a new Liturgical Year on the First Sunday of Advent—a time of preparing ourselves, not just with presents, trees, and food, but internally as we celebrate The Word of God made real in flesh and bone—God becomes one of us! A miracle, a gift, and the food of Eternal Life.

This year, December 24^th is not only Christmas Eve but also the Fourth Sunday of Advent, so we need to tweak things a bit. Liturgically, Christmas Eve begins at sundown on the 24th. So…this year we can gather at 9:00am for a Eucharist (without music) to celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Advent. At 5:00pm we will gather for a Family Eucharist with Choir and a Pageant (still working on details). On Christmas Day we will again gather at 10:00am in celebration with hymns. There will not be a 10:00 pm Eucharist.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at any time. Let us all prepare well for the coming of Jesus into our lives.
                                                                                                                     
Peace and All Good,

Fr. Mike

Center for Independence Update

On Monday night members of the vestry attended the Flossmoor Village Trustees meeting. The purpose of our attendance was to ask the village to reinstate the “Special Use” Zoning exception that had expired a couple of years ago. The Trustees agreed to grant the exception unanimously.  Also, the Trustees thanked the church for being such a good institution for the village. They were very appreciative of our efforts to help the people of Flossmoor and the surrounding area. Now that we have the “Special Use Exception” in place the vestry can begin our exploratory conversations with The Center for Independence Through Conductive Education. For more information please contact the vestry, or go to The Center’s web site at: http://www.center-for-independence.org

Practicing Our Faith Book Club

In December, the Practicing Our Faith Book Club is reading Between the Dark and the Daylight: Embracing the Contradictions of Life by Joan Chittister, a book that "explores the concerns of modern life, of the overworked mind and hurting heart." The book club will meet on Thursday, December 21 at 7:00pm in the Guild Room to discuss the book. New members are always welcome!

Respond Now

The Daughters of the King are collecting personal items for the men and women that receive assistance through Respond Now. Suggestions: soap, shampoo, body lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, deodorant, etc. Both full and travel-size are needed.

Bible Study/Fellowship Group

This Bible study group will meet at members' houses for a pot luck dinner and fellowship once a month. Kids are welcome! The first meeting will be in January. If you are interested in joining, please contact Mary VanSwol, and state whether you prefer Saturday or Sunday from 5-7 pm. An official time will be announced closer to the date.

Wednesday Update

The Wednesday Eucharists meet at 9 a.m. Then, at 10 a.m., Fr. Mike will lead a weekly bible study class. This is an all-parish class for both men and women. If you can, please bring your own NRSV bible, but don’t worry if you forget or don’t have one.

Outdoor Altar Tiles

Parishioners or visitors can still donate and receive an original outdoor altar tile from around the Columbarium. For more information, feel free to contact Steve Hofer if you are interested. Available tiles are still on display down in the undercroft.

Vestry Nominating Committee

The Vestry has approved Cynthia Turnquest, Alice Creason , and Shirley Reilly to serve as the nominating committee for our new 2018 Vestry members.