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From the Coordinator of Children & Youth Ministry
Reyna Masko
Dear <<First Name>>,
One of the directions from the Future Families Task Force was that we move to a story-oriented curriculum at St. John’s, one that uses the best resources available. I have looked at both Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Godly Play. Both are excellent curricula that come well-recommended. But after conversation with Gennie Callard, our Diocesan Children & Youth Minister, I have decided that Godly Play will be the best fit for our church.
 Children have an innate sense of the presence of God. The Godly Play approach helps them to explore their faith through story, to gain religious language and to enhance their spiritual experience though wonder and play. Based on Montessori principles and developed using a spiral curriculum, the Godly Play method serves children through early, middle and late childhood and beyond.
This summer, Grace Episcopal Church in Traverse City will be hosting Godly Play training from June 9 – 11. I will be going up for the weekend to be trained and am hopeful that some of you will join me. A good rotation of Godly Play teachers will help our program run smoothly. Whether or not you have experience with teaching Sunday School, please consider supporting us now! The weekend’s schedule will be:
• Friday, June 9, 1:00pm-9:00pm
• Saturday, June 10, 8:30am-6:30pm
• Sunday, June 11, Noon-4:30pm
Dinner on Friday, and lunch on Saturday and Sunday, are included in your registration—and the parish will cover all registration costs for those who attend. There are even funds available to assist with your overnight lodging, if that would help you participate. Please just contact me and I will be happy to help! We need to know who is attending no later than May 9 so we can ensure we make arrangements. Sign up at the Parish Information Table or click here and the Parish Office will sign you up.
In Christ,
Reyna
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5th Annual Spring Fling
The Spring Fling has arrived! Join us on Friday, April 28, for the 5th Annual Spring Fling. This year's theme is "Masquerade." You can get your tickets after services on Sunday or by clicking here. If the ticket price would make it hard for you to come, please contact us in the Office as we have donated tickets available! We want every parishioner who wants to be a part of this evening of fun, fellowship, and raising money for good causes to be able to join us.
Speaking of good causes—the proceeds for this year’s Spring Fling have been designated by the Vestry to be split between two ministries. The outreach ministry will be supporting the costs of training to the Sacred Order of Deacons for our parish candidates—so that they might be trained to lead us as ordained deacons in outreach! The “inreach” portion will go to cover the cost of training in the new Godly Play curriculum for our children’s Faith Formation.
If you have an item to donate to the Silent Auction, please sign up at the Parish Information Table or contact the Parish Office. We also need volunteers interested in helping to set up before and clean up after— contact the Office to be added to the list!!
Easter Flowers & Music
Donation envelopes are now available on the parish information table for Festal Music & Flowers Fund—the fund that offsets costs for our special music and flowers at times like Easter. Please include with your donation the printed names of those to be remembered and make your checks payable to St. John’s Episcopal Church with “Festal Music & Flower Fund” on the memo line. Last day for names to be included in the Easter bulletin is Sunday, April 9.
Episcopal Youth Camp Registration!
Our Diocesan Youth Camp registration has opened. There are camp dates this summer for kids from grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Additionally, there is Weekend Camp for adults, families, and children of all ages! And if you want to send your kids to camp—St. John's can cover the cost! Through the generosity of the Hill Family Christian Education Fund, we are able to offer camp scholarships to the children and youth of the parish. Click here to find out more about camp dates and registration and let the Office know if you'd like to request a scholarship.
The Camp is also always welcoming older teenagers and adults who would like to help out as a counselor, whether just for a day or two or for a full week. There is need for chaplains, spiritual directors, cabin counselors, music leaders, and nurse/health professional. Find out more online here.
January
Vestry Minutes
The Minutes from the January Vestry meeting have been approved and are available online here. Parishioners are always welcome to attend Vestry meetings and are particularly encouraged, at least, to join the Vestry for prayer before the meeting. The next Regular Meeting will be Monday, February 27, at 5:30pm, with Evening Prayer preceding at 5:15pm. Archives of past meeting minutes are always available online here.
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FPU Returns to SJE
Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University (FPU) is coming to St. Johns. This 9 week life changing class will be held on Tuesdays beginning May 2nd at 6PM. Join Rick and Angie Slater for lessons from Dave Ramsey on taking control of your money. The average FPU member pays off $5,300 in debt and saves $2,700 in the first 90 days!!! For more information click here or to register click here. If you'd like to participate in this but the cost is prohibitive, contact the Office to request a scholarship. Have you already taken FPU? It's a lifetime membership! You are welcome to attend again if you could use a little refresher.
Parish Wine Tour Planned—Sign Up Early for a Spot!
This year a group from St. John’s will be heading up to Traverse City for the annual Harvest Stompede on September 9 & 10! This is a big event that fills up early, so we’re planning now. Tickets are $40 for the tour of the wineries on both
Saturday and Sunday, with a food and wine pairing at each. You are also invited (but not required!) to join the Stompede trek through the vineyards either in a 5K Walk, 7 Mile Run, or 5K run. There is an additional cost and registration for the Stompede, if you plan on doing it, let us know and we will e-mail you a link to the Stompede registration form.
You need to arrange for your own lodging and are encouraged to do so early because it fills up. Many are choosing to book a stay at the Falling Waters lodge. We are also renting a coach for a Saturday afternoon wine tour from 1pm–6pm and will split the cost of the coach between those who ride along. The cost will be between $30–$40, depending on how many ride along. If you are taking the group coach on Saturday, please do not purchase your winery tour ticket—we will purchase it for you through the coach company. Your wine tour ticket will also let you travel on your own Sunday to visit any wineries we don’t visit on Saturday. Sunday morning, we will all worship together with our sisters and brothers at Grace Episcopal in Traverse City!
Click here to see the sign-up sheet and, if you want to join, click here and the Parish Office will sign you up!
American Cancer Society:
Relay for Life
We have been asked by the St. Paul's, Muskegon, Relay for Life Team, if St. John's would also like to form a Team! Relay For Life is the signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Relay is staffed and coordinated by volunteers in more than 5,200 communities and 20 countries. Relay is a team fundraising event where team members take turns walking around a track or designated path. Each event is 6-24 hours in length and each team is asked to have a member on the track at all times to signify that cancer never sleeps. The Tri-Cities Relay is Saturday, May 20, from 5:00 - 11:00pm, at Mill Point Park, in Spring Lake. We need a team captain! If you would like to coordinate a Team from St. John's, or would like to be a participant on the Team, please click here to let the Parish Office know. For more information about this event, please click here.
March 2017
Parish Page
The March 2017 edition of the Parish Page is now available online here. Read about our Compline by Candlelight each Sunday night in Lent at 8:30pm, our Lenten Quiet Day coming up on Saturday, March 11, Lenten Follies on Friday, March 17, Movie Group on Thursday, March 23, and so much more! Back issues of the Parish Page are always available online here. Any parishioner may submit an article for our monthly Parish Page. |
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