The Good News of St. John’s

St. John’s Mission Statement

We are called to know all our neighbors and be a bridge of God’s Love; connecting, inviting, sharing, and serving each other and the diverse community of Kingston. We will do this by: 1) Sharing our physical space and resources; 2) Being stewards of the arts; 3) Advocating for social justice; 4) Participating in inclusive and intergenerational worship; and 5) Affirming everyone has a place at God’s Table.

One of our bullet points, to “advocate for social justice” means that, through our faith, we are working to be Christ in and for the world so we must pay attention to the opportunities where we can step up and advocate for needed change. By doing so, we are recognizing that our Savior Jesus Christ is the one who always stands for those who are oppressed by the greed of the few and, as the Body of Christ, we demonstrate our love by doing the same.

Many of us are aware of the fact that, prior to the pandemic, Kingston was in a housing crisis – not enough housing stock (houses, apartments, duplexes, etc) to ensure that people have a place to live. And most of you are also aware that the pandemic drove people to the Kingston area in large numbers. At one point, we sustained the second highest influx of newcomers in the entire country. This, of course, has driven prices/rents up even further and it has also significantly decreased the number of housing units available. Click here for a good synopsis of the issue.

What can we do in the face of such greed? There are several organizations working on the housing issue – RUPCO, Habitat for Humanity, the Ulster County Housing Justice Collaborative, and the Kingston City Land Bank (by the way, our own Bob Dennison is on the board of the KCLB!). There is no one solution because the issue is complicated and has multiple facets. And while immediate relief is needed, sustained and long-term change also must be addressed.

On this front, there is good news! The City of Kingston has been working on a new zoning code that would remove barriers for some much-needed housing development. And the Director of Housing Initiatives for the City of Kingston (Bartek Starodaj) needs us (yes… you and me) to support this effort. He says that the people who usually show up to hearings on proposed code changes are those who want to argue against it. So those of us who want to see change, must take this opportunity to advocate for social justice and show up to this incredibly important conversation.

You can read more about the new zoning draft code by clicking here. You will also find the schedule of hearings/meetings in the month of June. Please choose 1-2 and show up! The members of the Kingston Interfaith Council have made a commitment to do just that so you will probably see some of Kingston’s clergy leadership.

Be the change you wish to see in the world.

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The Flower Ministry: A Note from the Sacristan Team

One of the things the Sacristans take care of are the weekly flowers in church. After 2 years of not being able to have flowers, it’s great that we’re able to restart this tradition. It is all of you who help us maintain this practice, by remembering or honoring someone important to you with a memorial or thanksgiving intention and a financial donation.

Elaine Lawrence maintains our flower list and when you choose a Sunday or 2 throughout the year that you would like to give the flowers you can tell Elaine. Then, a few weeks before that day, she will send you a reminder. She will make sure that your name and the name of the person, or persons, you are remembering gets into the Sunday bulletin. What makes this all even more special is that following the Sunday service the flowers are given to someone who either can’t be in church for any pastoral reason, or they are given to someone in church who we want to remember in this special way.

For many years, Ron Smith, of the Orchid Shoppe, supplied our flowers. He was great to work with and seemed to know what we needed before we even had to ask. Ron has recently retired, and we are beginning a new relationship with Blooming Boutique Florist, on Albany Ave. Of course, as with most things these days, the cost of fresh flowers has gone up. One change we’ve made with our current configuration for worship, using one vase, seems to work well.

Historically we have asked for a donation of $30 for Sunday flowers and while we will continue to welcome donations of any amount, the cost of flowers has risen to $50. As a consequence, it is my hope that we will have more Sundays where 2 people are offering a memorial for flowers, which would help us continue this tradition, a tradition which both enhances our worship and remembers someone who is unable to be with us in church. What is important is that everyone’s participation is welcome. Choose a Sunday and give what you can.

Speak to Lynn Dennison (lynnsdennison@gmail.com) or Elaine Lawrence (eslawrenc@aol.com ) if you have any questions.

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Are you exhausted too?

Have you watched the movie Encanto yet? It’s a beautiful movie and I highly recommend it. The reason I bring it up is because of the character Luisa. When Ana and I were watching it, she turned to me and said, “You’re Luisa!”

I sheepishly agreed, unhappy in the truth of it, if I’m honest. Luisa is the character who sings: “I’m the strong one. I’m not nervous. I’m as tough as the crust of the earth is… I don’t ask how hard the work is.” But under the surface, she’s wondering how long she can keep this up.

I’m sure I’m not alone. There are many “Luisas” and “Louies” out there. Perhaps you can identify with this yourself.

As I write this, I’m aware that the exhaustion I feel is less about the actual doing, although that’s a part of it and the pressure “to do” can be enormous. Rather, the exhaustion I feel is one that is born out of grief and anger and sadness. Life always brings so much for us to navigate. And the emotional content of all of the changes and chances of this life seem to have been amplified in the last 2 years because of the pandemic, on top of the last 6 years of political and social turmoil. And, I’m aware that my tendency is to take on more, as if I could carry the world on my shoulders. But, ultimately, I have nothing left to give.

So, I’m working to turn down the volume of several voices in my head:

• The voice that tells me to pay attention to so many things. I’m turning it down so I can focus in on the things that truly matter to me and my family and to the vows I have made as a priest.
• The voice that tells me I need to do everything that everyone expects of me. I’m turning that one down which means I have to be willing to disappoint people sometimes in order to keep the commitments that truly matter.
• The voice that tells me I have no time for self-care. I’m turning that one down so I can rest and have enough to give to others which means I need to be better about scheduling time off and holding myself to it.

I wonder… what are the voices you have where you need to turn down the volume? Maybe you’re exhausted by the same things I am. But maybe you’re exhausted by other things.

We can bring this to the Eucharistic Table as we come for nourishment. We can offer these voices to God and be renewed in our commitment to Love every week. In this, we can come to know more intimately the truth of Christ – that we are whole and we are beloved children of God.

I’ll see you at the Table this Sunday where we can all refresh ourselves in God’s Love.

In God’s love and mine,
Rev. Michelle

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Announcements for the
Sixth Sunday of Easter: May 22, 2022

RESCHEDULED! Pastoral Care Team Meeting has been rescheduled to June 12. All are welcome to attend.

Calling all bakers! Do you like to make things in the kitchen? Our Communion Bread recipe is easy and quick. You bake one batch, deliver the bread to the church, and we keep it in the freezer until we use it. Sign up to bake for a month (or two) this year. The sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board in the Vestibule.

Deanery-wide Book Discussion: Are you ready to crack open the church?  What might that mean?  Come to a five week Zoom discussion group about Stephanie Spellers’ book, The Church Cracked Open.  She reveals the connection of the Episcopal Church in domination and empire building, and shows ways for us to unravel those connections, enliven our faith, and serve our communities.  Five Tuesdays, 10:30-11:30, June 14, 21, 28, July 5, and July 12 on Zoom. Please RSVP to Allison Moore, standrewsrev@gmail.com, by Monday, June 13 (questions welcome ahead of time too).  It would be best if most of us could make most of the sessions, but it is summer!

Social Hour Hosting: You are invited to sign up on the bulletin board in the Vestibule to be a social hour host! Talk with our Hospitality Coordinator, Barbara Johnston for more information.

Flower Ministry: Honoring Loved Ones – Every week, members of St. John’s honor their loved ones who have gone before by supporting the Flower Ministry at St. John’s with a monetary donation. This ministry ensure we have lovely fresh flowers every week on our altar. Please consider signing up for a Sunday. Contact Elaine Lawrence at eslawrenc@aol.com

Page Turners Book Club: The next books are: June 7th: The Book of Hope, by Jane Goodall, July 5th (date might be changed): The Cold Millions, by Jess Walter. Currently the book club is considering the idea of meeting in person again but, as no decision has been reached. Please contact Lynn Dennison for more information if you’d like to join!

Benefit Concert for Ukraine: All are welcome to participate in the planning, just contact Rev. Michelle. The Kingston Interfaith Council is hosting the concert at St. John’s on a date to be announced.

Have an announcement for the bulletin?
Please send by Wednesday at noon to stjohnskingston@aol.com.

Come one, come all!

Saturday, May 14 from 9:00 – 12:00

Bring your rakes and your gardening gloves and wear your hats and your old jeans. We’ll be spending the morning outside around the St. John’s property to get some tasks done and get us ready for summer. Raking, planting, cleaning, weeding.

Be sure to dress appropriately for a warm day as it looks like it will be in the 70’s on Saturday morning. Much of the work we have to do is in the shade but there is plenty to do out in the sun too. We’ll have plenty of water on hand.

Masks are not required for working outside. We will have some small indoor tasks for those who cannot work outside.

Come and join in community and get to know the other folks at St. John’s. These Parish Work Days are always a lot of fun as we all work together for a common goal.

See you Saturday morning!

If you have pictures of this year’s Holy Week and Easter services, we’d love to have them. Send them to Rev. Michelle at michelle.stjohnskingston@gmail.com. In the meantime, here are some we’ve already received.

Easter Outreach Donations
Each year, the Outreach Committee determines a recipient for donations given at Easter time. And this year, we have all been so deeply distressed by the plight of the Ukrainian people as they face unfathomable horrors in the face of the Russian invasion. We ask you to give generously this year. Monies collected in the plate during all the services will go towards the Episcopal Relief and Development’s Ukraine Emergency Fund. You can learn more here about this fund.

Paschal (Easter) Triduum
This 3-day liturgy begins with Maundy Thursday (Apr 14 at 6:00 pm), continues with Good Friday (Apr 15 at 1:00 pm), and ends with the Great Vigil of Easter (Apr 16 at 8:00 pm). Join us for any or all of these deeply enriching and powerful services and dive into the deeper meaning of these holy days. And be prepared for a special addition to our Great Vigil Eucharist!

Stations of the Cross
On Friday, April 15 at 7:00 pm, come for a seated and prayerful Stations of the Cross where we will use our beloved images that adorn our walls in the St. John’s Sanctuary as a lens through which we see the pain and suffering of the world today.

The Rite of Reconciliation
This rite is sometimes referred to as the Episcopal Church version of individual confession can be an incredibly healing experience and is available during Holy Week. You can still schedule an appointment by contacting Rev. Michelle at michelle.stjohnskingston@gmail.com. If you’d like to learn more about this rite, you can find it on page 447 in the Book of Common Prayer.

Easter Community Brunch
Liz Moeller and Don Hughes have done the heavy lifting to make sure we have an incredible Easter Day Community Brunch. Please know that your additions to brunch are welcomed and needed! Specifically – drinks and desserts. Or bring a favorite dish and we’ll make sure it gets on the table. Thank you, Don and Liz!

Easter Egg Hunt
Leah Siuta has been hard at work preparing for this year’s Easter Egg Hunt and thank you to Adam and Rebekah Hendricks for hiding them all! Bring a basket, if you’d like, but we’ll have bags for all the young people to use for collecting eggs. After worship has finished, gather in the Parish Hall with Leah and she will give instructions for the egg hunt. Thank you, Leah!

Thank you!
And thank you to all those who came for our workday this past Saturday to prepare for Holy Week: Lynn Dennison, Wes Dangler, Laura Ricci, Paula Wisneski, Don Hughes, Liz Moeller, Jeannette Baggot, and Ana Hernández.

As you may be aware, we are scheduled to get plenty of rain through Friday and Saturday this week so we have postponed the outdoor portion of our Parish Work Day, otherwise known as the Lay Weeders. We’ll schedule another day later in the spring so stay tuned!

However, there is still much to do inside to prepare for Holy Week. As announced last week, the Sacristans will be coming together at 9:00 am to pray and meet to plan the week’s work. Then, at 10:00 am we begin the list of indoor work to prepare for Holy Week. We have polishing, cleaning, clearing… lots of work to do. Your help is needed and appreciated to make sure everything is ready for our most sacred liturgies. Come at 9:00 if you’d like to pray with the Sacristans but be sure to come at 10:00 to assist with the preparation.

Easter Outreach and Memorials
Due Wednesday, April 13

If you would like to have a memorial listed in this year’s Easter Sunday bulletin, please get this information to Rev. Michelle by Wednesday, April 13. You can either email her directly with the information and add your offering later, or fill out an offering envelope this Sunday!

This year our Easter Outreach donation and plate monies will be going to Episcopal Relief and Development specifically to support relief for Ukraine. Look for more efforts from the Social Concerns Committee regarding support for Ukraine.

Holy Week Schedule

Click here for information about Holy Week or review the schedule below.

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Grief, Anger, Lament, and the Gift of Holy Week

I think it’s a powerful witness that our siblings of Jewish faith have High Holy Days every fall and that they also call the Days of Awe or the Days of Repentance. These holidays Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, give people the space for bringing everything to God – the grief, the anger, and the lament – so that these may be released and atoned for. This enabled people to begin the Jewish new year with clear minds and unburdened hearts.

It is the same for us, as Christians. We have Holy Week as our space to bring everything to God – our grief, anger, and lament. Everything. In the acts of walking with Jesus from the false triumph of conceit on Palm Sunday, into the commitment to and the betrayal of community on Maundy Thursday, through death and the decent into despair and pain on Good Friday, and, finally, into a new and risen life on Easter… in these acts, we are not simply re-telling the story of Jesus. We are asked to bring ourselves into them so that we may walk with Christ in a risen life. Renewed in and for the world with clear minds and unburdened hearts. 

This is a particularly poignant Holy Week for us, as the community of St. John’s. We haven’t been able to share this Holy Week space together in our Sanctuary in 3 years. The last time we had Easter services as a community in our sanctuary was 2019. These are, indeed, days of awe for us.

Come worship during Holy Week. Allow the rhythm of these liturgies to carry you – all you are, all you have, and all you are carrying. And let us join Christ in the risen life to which we are called.

In God’s love and mine,
Rev. Michelle

Coming together to take care of the buildings and grounds is a wonderful way to share fellowship and offer ourselves to the ministry of stewardship. This year, we want to gather before Holy Week and do some work inside and outside to prepare for this most sacred time in our Christian calendar.

Inside: The Sacristans will gather early at 9:00 am to pray and put together a plan for Holy Week, if you’d like to join the Sacristans in this work, you’re welcome to come early for prayer or anytime afterwards. There is plenty to do!

Outside: Beginning at 10:00 am, we need a crew (that we will be calling the “Lay Weeders”… get it?) to help clear some spaces and get ready for the season. So, bring your tools – gloves, rakes, etc.

Come join us for a fun morning of fellowship and stewardship so we are all ready for Holy Week.

My Brothers and Sisters,

Sunday, March 15, 2020 was the last day before we suspended public worship in the Diocese of New York as a response to the Covid pandemic.  Over the two years which have followed, we have seen coronavirus infections rise and fall, with seasons of surge and seasons of relief.  During that time churches have relaxed many or most of the restrictions on public worship which we had introduced earlier, but the single requirement which has continued across our diocese has been the restriction against administering communion wine in the Common Cup.  We have for all this time received the sacrament “in one kind,” and we have found that we have been able to continue to be a sacramental people, and we have adjusted to that new reality.  

However, with the waning of the omicron surge, and the dramatic fall in the rate of infections in all parts of our diocese, I have a new message: I am happy to authorize, effective immediately, the return to Communion in Both Kinds, and to permit, and encourage, the restoration of the Common Cup in the worship of our churches.

It seems to me that as we approach Holy Week, Palm Sunday would be an opportune time to re-introduce the Common Cup, but no one needs to wait.  This permission is immediately effective.  Recognizing that people have varying levels of comfort during a continuing pandemic, I want to be clear that no one is required to drink from the chalice. No is any parish required to do this until they are ready. But the prohibition is lifted.

For churches which practice Intinction, I do want to make an additional instruction.  The last two years have raised for all of us again the question of hygiene and communion.  Two thousand years of experience have taught us that wine can be safely communicated when people drink from the Common Cup, if the eucharistic minister properly wipes the cup between communicants.  The practice, however, of people dipping the host into the chalice with their own fingers carries a high likelihood of fingers touching or plunging into the wine itself.  Every eucharistic minister has seen this, and it is a certainty that this is an unclean and unsafe practice.  Intinction is an acceptable practice in administering communion, but it is correctly done by the priest or eucharistic minister, with clean washed hands, dipping the host into the wine and placing it on the tongue of the communicant.  The practice of people dipping the host themselves is not permitted.

The restoration of the Common Cup should not be interpreted to mean that Covid is over.  Rather, it signifies that we have come to a time when all of our customs in life must adapt to the reality that Covid is with us indefinitely or long-term, and we must learn how to live with it with the highest degree of safety possible.  Future variants or surges may come, and if they do, I call on all of our churches to return as necessary to the safe and reasonable restrictions that will ensure that our churches are safe places for everyone.

I have long felt that the passing of the communion cup from person to person is one of the most powerful symbols we have in the Christian church of our mutual vulnerability, depth of community, and open self-offering one to another.  As a very frequent celebrant at our altars, I have often felt uncomfortable and even lonely when I have drunk from the cup alone. So I have longed for this day, and the full return of our customary and ancient practice of holy communion.  May this add to the joy of our Easter celebration and the lifting of our collective heart!

With every good wish, I remain yours, Bishop Andy

And this Sunday, our Social Hour time will feature a special conversation about the search for a new Bishop for the Diocese of New York. In last week’s newsletter, Rev. Michelle wrote about the search for the new Bishop. And, as members of this diocese, it is extremely important to make sure our voices are heard. So, let’s have a conversation about the responsibilities of a bishop, the current context of the church, and what kind of support we need in the Hudson Valley.

The Committee to Elect a Bishop has launched a survey to get your thoughts, which closes on Monday, March 14 and can be found here: Episcopal Diocese of New York Bishop Search – A Website of the Episcopal Diocese of New York (dioceseny.org)

Rev. Michelle will have 2 computers at the ready on Sunday so that you can easily fill out the survey before you leave church. So, please be sure to stay for this special and important conversation!

The 80th General Convention of the Episcopal Church: Hearings and Committee Deliberation Continue

1. Begin by going to the General Convention’s “virtual binder” where you can find all the information you need about what resolutions are being considered and when the hearings are taking place. Click this link to go to the virtual binder: General Convention Virtual Binder (vbinder.net)
2. Once you’re on the website, go to “Legislative Committee Meetings” to view the schedule and the docket for that Committee. If you’d like to review the Resolutions themselves, click on “Resolutions” instead. It will tell you which Legislative Committee has been assigned to it.
3. Decide which meetings you would like to attend and/or offer testimony in.
4. Send a request to attend by clicking here: Legislative Committee Meetings — The General Convention of The Episcopal Church.  Note: You must register at least 2 days before the committee is set to meet.

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Renewal: An Invitation to a Holy Lent

Our guest preacher at our noonday service on Ash Wednesday, the Rev. Canon Victor Conrado, asked us, “What will you do with your one wild and precious life?” It’s a quote from a Mary Oliver poem, of course, but in the context of Ash Wednesday, we are reminded of the immediacy of this question because we are also reminded of our own mortality.

And so we look to Lent this year as a time of renewal. To reconnect to our wild and precious self and rediscover the deep desire of our heart, this gift from God that brings us to our truest calling and our most profound ministry.

This week, we begin our season of Lent, a journey of renewal. Traditionally, Lent is a time is set aside for self-examination and repentance. But, as Canon Victor said in his sermon, what if Lent were less about what has happened in the past and more about becoming into the future? What if we spend time examining our wild selves? What if we take this time to repent from practices that deaden us? And then, Lent becomes a time to remove from our lives those things that close us down and keep us bound to past mistakes so that we can open up to the renewal God has waiting for us.

You are invited to the observance of a Holy Lent. A time of Renewal.

In God’s love and mine,
Rev. Michelle

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Announcements for
March 6, 2022

Social Hour returns this Sunday! Now that the pandemic numbers have decreased, we are set to resume our social hour. Please join us after worship for coffee and snacks. And sign up on the bulletin board in the Vestibule to be a host! Talk with our Hospitality Coordinator, Barbara Johnston for more information.

Page Turners Book Club: The books for the next several months have been announced: April 5- Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Anthony Doerr; May 3- The Murmur of Bees, by Sofia Segova. Speak with Lynn Dennison for more information.

Choir Rehearsal! Begins March 20 after worship. Please contact our Director of Music, Terry Earles, if you are interested in being a part of the choir. All members must be fully vaccinated and will wear masks designed for singing.

St. John’s is hiring! We are looking for a Rental Manager – someone with commercial kitchen experience who also has communication/promotional skills to promote our space. The position is posted on our website: Employment Opportunities – St. John’s Kingston (stjohnskingston.org)

And we have hired our new Sexton: Welcome Alex Serrano!
Alex grew up in this area and also works for Holy Cross/Santa Cruz as their Sexton. He will do both of these part time jobs alongside owning his own landscaping business. When you see him around, please welcome him and introduce yourself!

Altar Flower Slots for 2022: The following Sundays are open for those who wish to make a dedication in the name of their loved ones with altar flowers. April 24, June 12, June 26, October 30. Please contact Elaine Lawrence via email to discuss: eslawrenc@aol.com

Have an announcement for the bulletin?
Please send by Wednesday at noon to stjohnskingston@aol.com.

St. John’s Upcoming Schedule
Mar 6: Social Hour Resumes with a Conversation about the Bishop Search
Mar 20: Choir Rehearsal returns after worship
Mar 27: Guest Preacher: The Rev. Dcn. Gene Bourquin, Pastoral Minister for Deaf and Disability Ministry – stay after worship for a conversation with Deacon Gene.
Apr 4: Lenten Healing Service, 7:30 pm
Apr 10: Palm Sunday
Apr 14: Maundy Thursday
Apr 15: Good Friday
Apr 16: Holy Saturday and Easter Vigil
Apr 17: Easter Sunday and Egg Hunt!

Welcome Alex Serrano, our new Sexton!
As we’ve previously announced, the Vestry decided to hire a Sexton to take care of maintenance on our church properties as well as cleaning in the church building. We’re pleased to welcome Alex Serrano to the staff of St. John’s! Alex grew up in the area and is already the Sexton at Holy Cross/Santa Cruz, across town. He also owns a landscaping company so he’s an expert at outdoor work. If you see him around the church property, please say “Hi! Welcome to St. John’s!” and introduce yourself. Alex will be heading up our Parish clean-up days so everyone who comes to volunteer will get a chance to meet him then.

Shrove Tuesday Sunset Prayer Fire and Burning of the Palms
This coming Tuesday, March 1 is Shrove Tuesday, our last day before we begin the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday. As we know, fire is an element of transformation in which one thing becomes another. Come at sunset on Shrove Tuesday, March 1 between 5:30-6:30 pm to the front yard of St. John’s where we will be burning the palms from last year’s Palm Sunday and offering a prayer fire. Write your prayers down and bring them to be offered to God in the fire and be sure to bring your palms so they can become our ashes for Ash Wednesday. And, if you want to sit for a while, bring a chair!

Ash Wednesday: Ashes-to-go and Ash Wednesday Services
This coming Ash Wednesday we will host our yearly outreach to the Kingston community with Ashes-to-go. Between 7:00 – 9:00 am and 4:00 – 6:00 pm, several ministers of St. John’s will be out front along Albany Ave to greet people and, to those who ask, pray with and offer the imposition of ashes. If you would like to be involved in this ministry, reach out to Rev. Michelle.
While Ashes-to-go is an outreach to the larger community of Kingston, the members of St. John’s should make the time to attend one of 2 Ash Wednesday services: 12:00 noon or 7:00 pm. At 12:00 noon, we’ll have a guest preacher – Canon Victor Conrado, who leads the Congregational Development ministry on the Diocesan Staff.

CANCELLATION: Building the Lent Art
Our event on Sunday, February 27 from 2-4 called Building the Lent Ark has been cancelled. Look for more opportunities for all ages formation in the coming months.

Continuation of Masking Policy at St. John’s
While we recognize there are some relaxation of masking policies across the state of NY, St. John’s is maintaining our masking policy for the time being. Whenever you are in the building, please remain masked. The exception to this is that when people are leading worship, they may remove their mask.

Social Hour Returns on March 6
Now that the winter covid surge has passed, we feel comfortable once again to engage in Social Hour after worship. There is a new sign-up on the bulletin board in the vestibule so take a look and sign up to host today! Speak with Barbara Johnston if you have questions.

The St. John’s Choir Returns in April
Choir rehearsal will begin in late March in anticipation of our choir returning to lead worship on Easter Sunday. If you’re interested in joining choir, speak with Terry Earles. All members must be vaccinated and will wear special masks for singing. Choir members can look for more information in your email about rehearsal dates.

The 80th General Convention of the Episcopal Church:
Hearings and Committee Deliberation Continue

1. Begin by going to the General Convention’s “virtual binder” where you can find all the information you need about what resolutions are being considered and when the hearings are taking place. Click this link to go to the virtual binder: General Convention Virtual Binder (vbinder.net)
2. Once you’re on the website, go to “Legislative Committee Meetings” to view the schedule and the docket for that Committee. If you’d like to review the Resolutions themselves, click on “Resolutions” instead. It will tell you which Legislative Committee has been assigned to it.
3. Decide which meetings you would like to attend and/or offer testimony in.
4. Send a request to attend by clicking here: Legislative Committee Meetings — The General Convention of The Episcopal Church.  Note: You must register at least 2 days before the committee is set to meet.

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If you have any issues with your statement, please gather those details and get them to Rev. Michelle as soon as you’re able. She will work with our bookkeeper Pat Allen to clear up any concerns.

Ministry Surveys
Please be sure to get your blue Ministry Surveys back to Rev. Michelle either this week or next. You can place them into the collection plate or in her mailbox in the Vestibule.

The 80th General Convention of the Episcopal Church: Hearings begin this week!

1. Begin by going to the General Convention’s “virtual binder” where you can find all the information you need about what resolutions are being considered and when the hearings are taking place. Click this link to go to the virtual binder: General Convention Virtual Binder (vbinder.net)
2. Once you’re on the website, go to “Legislative Committee Meetings” to view the schedule and the docket for that Committee. If you’d like to review the Resolutions themselves, click on “Resolutions” instead. It will tell you which Legislative Committee has been assigned to it.
3. Decide which meetings you would like to attend and/or offer testimony in.
4. Send a request to attend by clicking here: Legislative Committee Meetings — The General Convention of The Episcopal Church.  Note: You must register at least 2 days before the committee is set to meet.

As you may recall, Rev. Michelle has been elected to be a deputy to General Convention from the Diocese of New York. She has been assigned to Legislative Committee 15 – Ministry. This committee is responsible for any resolutions that have to do with the training, education, and accountability of both lay and ordained ministers as well as the structures that support ministry. Her Legislative Committee is hosting a hearing on Wednesday, February 23 at 7:30 pm. If you want to join that meeting, click the link above under #4 and send a request.

The Beauty of Ash Wednesday

“Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.”

This is the phrase I utter when I impose ashes on someone’s forehead. It’s an honor to speak these words, offering them to another human being as a reminder of how invaluable and precious their life is. How exquisite and dear all life is. We come from this earth, this dust. And it is to this earth we shall return.

It’s humbling. It’s empowering. And it’s beautiful.

Each year since I’ve been at St. John’s, one of the most significant ways we have reached out to the wider Kingston community is through offering Ashes-to-go. So many people have left the church behind for so many different reasons. And, over these 7 years, I’ve found that Ashes-to-go not only reminds people about who we are, but it reminds them about who they are – beloved and precious children of God. If this is the only message that people ever hear from St. John’s, then I will have considered our ministry to be a true success.

I ask you to join me in offering this message to our neighbors. We will be out on Albany Ave during commute times – in the morning and the afternoon. We usually see between 150-200 people that day. We will have sign-ups at church starting on February 20 for those who want to help.

And, of course, our full in-person Ash Wednesday services will be at 12:00 noon and 7:00 pm. Please make it a priority to be at one of those 2 services.

In God’s love and mine,
Rev. Michelle

Announcements for
February 13, 2022

Announcing a new program at St. John’s!
Click here for more info!

Altar Flower Slots for 2022: The following Sundays are open for those who wish to make a dedication in the name of their loved ones with altar flowers. April 24, June 12, June 26, October 30. Please contact Elaine Lawrence via email to discuss: eslawrenc@aol.com

Page Turners Book Club: The books for the next several months have been announced: February 1- Oh, William, by Elizabeth Strout; March 1-The Rules of Magic, by Alice Hoffman; April 5- Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Anthony Doerr; May 3- The Murmur of Bees, by Sofia Segova. Speak with Lynn Dennison for more information.

Undoing Racism Online Workshop ENJAN (End the New Jim Crow Action Network) has been working in the Kingston-Poughkeepsie area for over 10 years to end racism and mass incarceration. The roots of racial oppression are so deeply embedded in our social worlds and our personal lives that they narrow our minds and harden our hearts in ways we don’t even see. It takes intensive training and a supportive community to bring this to light.  Undoing Racism Workshops have been offered by the Peoples’ Institute for Survival and Beyond to provide this training and create this community nationally and internationally for over 40 years. These powerful and inspiring workshops combine education on racism as a social and historical system with personal reflection on how this affects each of us. They provide a first glimpse of what it’s like to build an anti-racist culture and community. Racism will not end on its own!
The online workshop is scheduled for Friday-Sunday, February 25-27, 10am – 4pm each day.  If you would like to register, there is a link on the St. John’s website: stjohnskingston.org/grow/racial-justice-and-reconciliation

Have an announcement for the bulletin?
Please send by Wednesday at noon to stjohnskingston@aol.com.

St. John’s Upcoming Schedule

Feb 27: All Ages: Building the Lent Ark, St. John’s 2-4 pm
Mar 1: Shrove Tuesday
Mar 2: Ash Wednesday
Mar 5: Vestry Retreat at Huntington House
Mar 27: Guest Preacher: The Rev. Dcn. Gene Bourquin, Pastoral Minister for Deaf and Disability Ministry – stay after worship for a conversation with Deacon Gene.
Apr 10: Palm Sunday
Apr 14: Maundy Thursday
Apr 15: Good Friday
Apr 16: Holy Saturday and Easter Vigil
Apr 17: Easter Sunday