The Messenger

September 2011

Feature Articles

St. John's Vestry announces restoration and repair project to bring back church building to its original glory

Senior Warden invites parish to hear more about the project during the Welcome Back Sunday Breakfast on September 11, 2011

By Dana Turner, Senior Warden

Greetings: With great excitement, I am pleased to tell you that over the past several months, the Vestry has been hard at work discussing and designing a project and plan that will allow us to make much needed repairs and renovations to our church and allow us to repay our debt by the end of our centennial year 2012!

Now is the time to honor those who came before us by making much needed repairs to our church building before we begin our centennial year of serving God and the community. We cannot delay these repairs any longer. The expense of deferred maintenance only increases and the centennial celebrations are approaching rapidly. We must take action to bring the church building itself back to its original glory.

While making repairs does not sound glamorous, I know you agree with me and the other members of the Vestry that we owe it to God and to those who came before us to maintain our church building to the best of our ability. Therefore, repairs to the church building will include work on existing piers, repair of the roof, replacement of gutters, tucking and pointing all stone joints on the exterior of the church building and re-plastering of the narthex ceiling and the east wall. The project also involves refinishing and repair of the front door and east side door, refurbishing the kneelers, repair of broken radiators and the suspended lanterns. Some of this work will be very visible and will be seen and felt immediately, but some of the work will not be as noticeable. Please be assured that all of this work is very necessary.

The Vestry has authorized the work to begin in September 2011. Our goal is to have the work completed in early 2012 so that we can proudly kick off a centennial year of worship together in our refurbished and renovated church building. To meet that goal, we have already arranged for financing at the bank and have drafted contracts with an architect and construction company.

I know that each and every one of you shares our excitement about this project. I also know that each one of you knows that we must do this together. Thanks to some very generous advance giving from church members and members of the Vestry, we have a good start toward paying for the project, however, our overall church budget remains tight so we must all find a way to contribute above and beyond our annual pledges to cover the costs of this project. We are confident that, working together, the church can be completely debt free by the end of 2012. There couldn't be a better way to honor our founding fathers and mothers than by work together to bring this project to a reality and to its completion.

We will be discussing the project in more detail along with the financing at our Welcome Back Breakfast on September 11, 2011. I hope you will come and hear about the project and its financing at that time, but in the meantime or if you cannot attend on September 11, 2011, please do not hesitate to call any Vestry member for more information. We will be glad to discuss the project, its financing and the ways that you can contribute.

 

St. John's Helping Hands Program earns Award

The Helping Hands Back Pack Program was awarded Volunteer of the Year by Richland School District One. Congratulations to lead organizer Barbara Mullen and the Servant Ministry Committee. An awards ceremony will be held on September 20 by Richland One to honor award recipients and to recognize the many volunteers with Helping Hands. The program provides food delivered in back packs to about 30 children at Hand Middle School who are identified as homeless or not having a permanent home. St. John's volunteers, arrange delivery of non-perishable food to the church, pack the bags during the week, and deliver them to the school every Friday during the school year. According to Mullen, there are 75 volunteers that have helped sustain the program. Helping Hands, originally funded by a one-year Matthew 25 Grant from the Upper Diocese of SC, is in its second year of service.

Acolyte Training Required for Youth

Acolyte Training is required for all new and current youth who serve, or would like to begin serving, as Acolytes at St. John's.  These meetings will take place at 4:00 pm (just before EYC) in the church as follows:

•  Sunday, September 18 (for new and current Acolytes ages 11-14)

•  Sunday, September 25 (for current Crucifer/Servers ages 15-18)

We strongly encourage ALL youth of the parish to serve in this important ministry, and parents are welcomed to attend these meetings.  Please contact the Acolyte Master (Marion Swain) at 803.493.4447 or cmswainsr@gmail.com with any questions or conflicts.

Adult formation offers four classes this fall

Beginning Sunday, September 18, Adult Formation will offer four classes, three of which are described below. Classes begin at 10:15 am each Sunday unless otherwise noted.

The Story of Redemption, Part I (Multipurpose Room)

Boring. Harsh. Irrelevant. Scary. Have you ever used words like these to describe the Old Testament? If so, then prepare to be surprised! Join us in the multipurpose room each Sunday for a brisk walk through the Old Testament. We will engage in a 12-week survey course of the first half of the Bible, moving through stories of victory and defeat, glory and disgrace, sin and redemption. The good news of the New Testament is impossible to fully understand and appreciate without the context of the Old Testament. On Sunday mornings we'll put the pieces together for a more complete view of the big picture of our redemption.

Tales from the Madhouse & Jesus: Man, Messiah, or More?

9/18, 10/16, 11/13 & 12/11(Multipurpose Room, after 7:45 am Service, Breakfast served at 8:30 am) Enjoy two final vignettes from Tales from the Madhouse on September 18 & October 16. In November, a series called Jesus: Man, Messiah or More will be presented on November 13 and December 11.

Who do you say I am? Jesus of Nazareth (Mark 8:29) People have wrestled with that question since the time when Jesus walked the earth. Was He merely a wise rabbi? Was He the Messiah of Israel? Or was He no less than the Divine Son of God? For ten years, applying the rules of sound historical research, a panel of scholars has explored some of the most controversial events in Jesus' ministry in the light of geography, culture, and archeology. Now, in Jesus: Man, Messiah, or More? they show you exactly what the historical evidence reveals about Jesus. You'll discover compelling reasons why you can trust the Gospel accounts as credible records that stand up to informed scrutiny in a way that popular counterclaims cannot. Shot on location in the Holy Land, this remarkable, eight-part Day of Discovery DVD takes you inside the Last Supper, sets you amid pagan ruins in Caesarea Phillipi, and sweeps you back through time to the tables of the money-changers in Herod's temple. Whether you're a Christian or simply exploring Christianity with an open mind, will satisfy your intellect and stir your heart as you gain eye-opening new insights into the supernatural Jesus of history.

Get Wired! (Parlor)

Interested in thought-provoking, stimulating discussions over how scripture is applied to current events? Each Sunday, participants will be met with warm fellowship, challenging topics, and coffee!  Eager minds and interest in caffeine is a plus! Class meets in the parlor each Sunday.

Devotions for Die-Hard Fans! (Dining Room)

The class will use Ed McMinn's devotional books for fans of any and every sport offered by the University of South Carolina and Clemson University. The class will generally focus on five to six devotions from either book (each devotion is only two pages long). Each devotion begins with a Bible verse and then recounts a story of a hero, legend, tradition, or great victory for the Gamecocks or the Tigers and relates it to scripture. The devotion moves from a sports moment to a moment of reflection about God. Through these devotions, we will tackle many everyday issues including success, living faithfully, self-esteem, work, parenthood, relationships, and pressure.

 

Mark your calendar for fall events at St. John's

Welcome Back Sunday

Sunday, September 11 – Breakfast at 10:15 am

 

Wednesday Night Programs & Supper

Wed, September 14 - Wed, November 16

 

Midweek Eucharist

Every Thursday beginning September 15

 

Sunday School for Adults & Children

Begins Sunday, September 18

St. John's Commentary

Relevant Mission

Relevant Mission is a new series in The Messenger, featuring commentary and testimonials from ministry team members about their mission involvement. The series is about St. John's collaboration on mission and how adults and youth learn and share in each mission experience. The next articles, which will appear in the October Messenger, are reflections from the recent mission trips to St. Johns Island and North Augusta.

 

Children's Education begins September 18

with new teachers and locations

Infants  and Toddlers - Room  137

2s and young 3s - Room  131

3k and 4k - Room 130

Teachers for Little Lambs are Wendy Spratt, Areli Kenney, Mary Mac Williams

5K - Room 227

Story Hour with teachers Allison Gallagher, Mary Sherrer, Jackie  Barker, Ali Rodgers, Heather Overdyke

1st grade - Room 216  

Godly Play with teachers Sarah Meacham, Rebecca Smith, Dawn Schmitt

2nd and 3rd  grade - Room 215 

Living the Good News with teachers Kelley Burkett, Katie Gibson, Claudia Baker, Lauren Welch

4th and 5th grade - Room 226  

Living The Good News with teachers Lisa Wilcox, Emily Davidson, Kristine Koutrakos, Sara Burnett

 

Music Ministry at St. John's