St. John’s Episcopal Church
207 Albany Avenue, Kingston, NY 12401

The Good News of St. John’s

  1. June 30, 2023

    This Week at St. John’s

    Summer Worship Begins!

    The first Sunday of July we move into the Parish Hall for worship. Why?

    • The Parish Hall has air-conditioning. High humidity and heat make worship very difficult for many people so moving into a cooler, drier space for 2 months is a matter of welcome and inclusivity. You’re invited to bring a light sweater if you tend to be cold in air-conditioning.
    • Summer is a time of travel. As is true of most worshipping communities, our attendance shifts into a slightly smaller number. The Parish Hall is the right size for our summer worship community.
    • The choir does not gather. This means the entire congregation becomes the choir. Worshipping in the round, is better for congregational singing.

    What does this look like? Essentially, the worship service is the same as you’re used to having in the Sanctuary. It’s just in a different space.

    • We have plenty of white chairs for everyone who comes in the summer. We ask that you be mindful of those who may arrive a little late and leave the chairs closest to the door available for them. In other words, fill up the chairs near the organ and in the middle first, please.
    • Our Family Space will be in the back of worship space in the Parish Hall. Please keep this space reserved for those with small children.
    • We will still have Bible Study from 8:30-9:30. Please join this group as we launch into our study of the Gospel of Matthew. (NOTE: NO BIBLE STUDY THIS SUNDAY, JULY 2 – Rev. Michelle’s note below).
    • Come a little early at 9:30 to help set up chairs. And then, immediately after worship, help to take them down so we can use the space for coffee hour.

    ______________________________________________________

    Bible Study Continues

    Sundays at 8:30 am in person and Wednesdays at 12:00 noon via Zoom.
    NOTE: No Bible Study on July 2. See Rev. Michelle’s note below.

    To learn more, click here

    _______________________________

    Vestry Notes

    The St. John’s Vestry meets every third Monday, except during July. Here are the highlights from the June 19 Meeting.
    • The Vestry discussed the good work being done by our new Kitchen/Office Administrator, Brian Silver. Most of Brian’s time and effort is in managing the rental program and, even though we have been renting out the kitchen for over a year now, this is still a new program to St. John’s. We’re grateful for the expertise and energy that Brian brings to his work as we assess the best ways to continue this program.
    • The Columbarium Board oversees the Memorial Garden and the Vestry heard a report from them about the replacement of the green wooden fence, which is deteriorating. The funds will come from the Columbarium Account.
    • Continuing the discussion about Events Planning from May, the Vestry is moving forward with plans to support the following this calendar year: Neighborhood Block Party on Sept 17, St. John’s Harvest (through the fall), Game Night and Parents Night Out (both in the fall). There are plans being made to support the following next year: concert series, plant/seedling sale, Junk-in-the-Trunk.
    • With the shift in Rev. Michelle’s hours/responsibilities, the Vestry and Rev. Michelle will undergo a Mutual Ministry Review. This review is designed to look at how lay and clergy leadership work together to support the life of the congregation. This will be led by the Rev. Allison Moore on Nov. 4.
    • Kathy Burdick offered to chair this year’s Stewardship Campaign and will be seeking the assistance of those who have been actively involved in it in the past.

    ____________________________

    Quarantining, but OK


    Dear Ones,

    I have tested positive for COVID but I’m OK. Here’s the story.

    You may have heard my raspy voice last Sunday during worship as I was recovering from a bad cold. Of course, to be sure it was just a cold, I took 2 separate COVID tests last week that were both negative. So it was, in fact, just a bad cold and I was no longer contagious on Sunday when I led worship.

    However, this past week I attended a conference (it was GREAT by the way and I’ll talk about it with you another day) and sat down next to someone for dinner on Sunday night. We had a really wonderful conversation. However, through the evening he started feeling feverish. The next morning, he tested positive for COVID.

    Immediately, (because I’d had direct and sustained contact with him) I started masking, taking my meals by myself, and generally tried to sit apart. I also tested every day, even knowing that it would take a few days to incubate. Sure enough, Wednesday night I tested positive.

    I came home and have been quarantining in our bedroom ever since, but I’ve had no symptoms. Just a few lingering coughs from my cold, which is normal for me. Still, CDC guidelines tell me that I have to remain quarantined for 5 days. This means, I will not be with you on Sunday, I’m sorry to say.

    Thankfully, the Rev. Joe Campo is available and will be with you on Sunday. Many of you may remember him from last fall when he supplied for us one Sunday. Please be generous with your welcome and gratitude for jumping in at the last minute!

    In the meantime, Ana caught my cold before I left for the conference so if you see her out and about, she does not have COVID (she’s been testing too, to be sure) but she may be coughing. Plus, this smoke makes it very hard on her asthma.

    All this to say that… all is well over here at the Rectory. Ana has a cold. I have tested positive for COVID and am quarantining. But we’re all OK.

    Have a wonderful holiday this week and I will see you all next week for:

    • Bible Study via Zoom on Wednesday July 5 from 12-1
    • Centering Prayer via Zoom on Wednesday July 5 at 5:30
    • Singing as a Spiritual Practice at Ascension/Holy Trinity on Saturday July 9 from 9-3
    • Sunday Worship at 10:00am in the Parish Hall on July 9

    In God’s love and mine,
    Rev. Michelle

    ____________________________

    Announcements for July 2
    The Fifth Sunday After Pentecost

    St. John’s Office Hours
    Wednesdays 10:00-12:00 noon,
    Thursdays 1:00-4:00 pm

    Phone: 845-331-2252
    Email:
    stjohnskingston@aol.comHave an announcement for the bulletin?
    Please send by Wednesday at noon to
    stjohnskingston@aol.comAnchor.Summer Book Read: Join us for the St. John’s Summer Book Read. We will meet over Zoom so you don’t have to worry about missing a meeting due to travel! The book is No Act of Love Is Ever Wasted by Thibault and Morgan. It’s a non-fiction read that focuses on caring for people with dementia but is also a good reflection for all who provide pastoral care or are caretakers of friends or family. Stay tunes: We will announce discussion dates soon!

    Bible Study: Come and join in Bible Study with Rev. Michelle on Sundays at 8:30 am (in person) or Wednesdays at 12:00 noon (via Zoom). We are studying the Gospel of Matthew and you can join the conversation any Sunday! Everyone is welcome to pick up a one-page overview of this Gospel on the bulletin board in the Vestibule. Email Rev. Michelle if you’d like to join the Wednesday Bible Study on Zoom.

    Page Turners Book Club Meetings are on the first Thursday of the month at 2 p.m., in the parish hall. Here’s what we selected for June 1,  These Precious Days by Anne Patchett. Our next meeting after that will be September 7 when we will discuss Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. No meetings in July or August. All are welcome! Interested? Talk with Lynn Dennison.

    St. John’s Outreach Project – People’s Place: When you go to the store, pick up a few extra non-perishable food items for People’s Place food pantry (tuna, soup, pasta, sauce, etc.). We are also taking donations of birthday napkins/plates, candles, and gift bags in various sizes. Bring them to church and place them in the appropriate baskets near the Font.

    The Spiritual Practice of Singing: Join Holy Cross Brother Josep Martinez-Cubero for a daylong workshop on the fundamentals of singing – posture, breath, tone, and diction. All are welcome. No registration necessary. Saturday, July 8 from 9am-3pm at Ascension/Holy Trinity in West Park. $20 donation requested.

    Save the Date! On July 29, the Episcopal parishes of the Mid-Hudson will gather for a special Eucharist to continue the celebration of our newly consecrated Bishop, Matt Heyd. Bp. Matt will preach that day and there will be other activities. Saturday, July 29 at 11:00 am at Christ Church, Poughkeepsie.

    St. John’s Upcoming Schedule
    July 2:        Summer Worship begins in the Parish Hall
    July 8:        Spiritual Practice of Singing, Ascension/Holy Trinity, 9-3
    July 29:      Mid-Hudson Regional Gathering at Christ Church in Poughkeepsie

     

  2. June 23, 2023

    This Week at St. John’s

    Rector’s Forum After Worship

    Rev. Michelle announced a few weeks ago that we would begin to include Morning Prayer as a part of our Sunday worship. This Sunday, stay after worship for an educational forum on both Eucharist and Morning Prayer and learn more about the beauty and meaning of both liturgies as well as the similarities and differences. Be sure to join us!

    ______________________________________________________

    Bible Study Continues

    Sundays at 8:30 am in person and Wednesdays at 12:00 noon via Zoom.
    NOTE: There is no Wednesday session on June 28 as Rev. Michelle will be away. We resume on July 5.

    To learn more, click here

    _________________________________

    NEXT WEEK: Summer Worship Begins

    Weekly Sunday worship moves to the Parish Hall.

    Every summer during the months of July and August we move worship to the Parish Hall, for 2 reasons: First, it’s a blessing to have a smaller space in which to worship so that we can see and hear one another better than we can in the sanctuary. During the summer months, so many people are traveling so attendance drops a bit. Second, the Parish Hall is air conditioned. So, when the heat gets to be too oppressive outside, we are already set up to feel relieved. We return to worship in the Sanctuary on September 10, after Labor Day.

    A few things to note:

    • We will still have 8:30 Bible Study in the Parish Hall. After we finish at 9:30, we will set up for worship. It’s not hard to do, especially if there are several of us working together.
    • The choir does not meet. Instead, the entire congregation sings together during worship.
    • We will have our Family area ready to go at all worship services. As always, all are welcome!

    See you this week in the Sanctuary and next week in the Parish Hall!

    _______________________________________________

    The Brain and the Soul


    Dear Ones,By now you’ve seen the recent invitation to join a book study group this summer on the book, No Act of Love Is Ever Wasted by Jane Marie Thibault and Richard Morgan. We’ll be doing this study via Zoom so that those who travel over the summer can participate as much as possible.

    I’ve only just started to crack this book but I can already tell that it’s a powerful read, especially as Ana and I care for my mother who is struggling with vascular dementia. The authors are writing about the spirituality of caring for people with dementia and, therefore, what it means to the person who has dementia. I find that reading about dementia is usually overly biological or overly sentimentalized, but this is already a good middle ground.

    The question that comes up right in the first chapter is one that acknowledges the difference between the brain and the soul. I realize that most of us know, at least theoretically, that the brain and the soul are 2 distinct parts of ourselves. But, in an experiential way, it’s harder to understand this. I think this is because memory is such a big influence on our identity that, if dementia removes this, it’s as if we start to see less of our loved one. And we no longer feel seen by them. And that is painfully difficult.

    This disease is so painful and stigmatized that we usually hush away dementia, trying to cover it up either because it can be embarrassing when someone makes a faux-pas in public or because we just don’t feel equipped to handle the situation. And, if we are a caretaker, we soon learn that our day to day routines change dramatically.

    Whether you care for a loved one with dementia or you are interested in learning more about how to help with the growing number of people in our society who are facing various forms of the disease, please be sure to email me directly by the end of the month so that you can join us in this summer Zoom discussion. The book is easy to purchase and, if you need a copy, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

    In God’s love and mine,
    Rev. Michelle

    ___________________________________________

     

    Announcements for June 25
    The Fourth Sunday After Pentecost

    St. John’s Office Hours
    Wednesdays 10:00-12:00 noon,
    Thursdays 1:00-4:00 pm

    Phone: 845-331-2252
    Email:
    stjohnskingston@aol.com

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

    THIS SUNDAY! Rector’s Forum on Liturgy As we look towards integrating another form of worship into our Sunday worship life, Rev. Michelle will lead us through a discussion about Eucharist and Morning Prayer – the differences and the similarities of these two forms. After worship.

    NEXT WEEK! We begin our Summer Worship in the Parish Hall.

    Summer Book Read: Join us for the St. John’s Summer Book Read. We will meet over Zoom so you don’t have to worry about missing a meeting due to travel! The book is No Act of Love Is Ever Wasted by Thibault and Morgan. It’s a non-fiction read that focuses on caring for people with dementia but is also a good reflection for all who provide pastoral care or are caretakers of friends or family. Please contact Rev. Michelle before June 30 if you intend on participating. We will announce discussion dates soon after.

    Bible Study: Come and join in Bible Study with Rev. Michelle on Sundays at 8:30 am (in person) or Wednesdays at 12:00 noon (via Zoom). We are studying the Gospel of Matthew and you can join the conversation any Sunday! Everyone is welcome to pick up a one-page overview of this Gospel on the bulletin board in the Vestibule. Email Rev. Michelle if you’d like to join the Wednesday Bible Study on Zoom.

    Page Turners Book Club Meetings are on the first Thursday of the month at 2 p.m., in the parish hall. Here’s what we selected for June 1,  These Precious Days by Anne Patchett. Our next meeting after that will be September 7 when we will discuss Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. No meetings in July or August. All are welcome! Interested? Talk with Lynn Dennison.

    St. John’s Outreach Project – People’s Place: When you go to the store, pick up a few extra non-perishable food items for People’s Place food pantry (tuna, soup, pasta, sauce, etc.). We are also taking donations of birthday napkins/plates, candles, and gift bags in various sizes. Bring them to church and place them in the appropriate baskets near the Font.

    The Spiritual Practice of Singing: Join Holy Cross Brother Josep Martinez-Cubero for a daylong workshop on the fundamentals of singing – posture, breath, tone, and diction. All are welcome. No registration necessary. Saturday, July 8 from 9am-3pm at Ascension/Holy Trinity in West Park. $20 donation requested.

    Save the Date! On July 29, the Episcopal parishes of the Mid-Hudson will gather for a special Eucharist to continue the celebration of our newly consecrated Bishop, Matt Heyd. Bp. Matt will preach that day and there will be other activities. Saturday, July 29 at 11:00 am at Christ Church, Poughkeepsie.

    St. John’s Upcoming Schedule

    June 25:     St. John’s Forum on Eucharist and Morning Prayer
    July 2:        Summer Worship begins in the Parish Hall
    July 9:        Spiritual Practice of Singing at Ascension/Holy Trinity, 9-3
    July 29:      Mid-Hudson Regional Gathering at Christ Church in Poughkeepsie

     

  3. June 15, 2023

    This Week at St. John’s

    Sunday Programming!

    Join us for a Sunday full of programming this week:

    • Bible Study – Weekly Bible Study begins at 8:30, bring your Bible and your Sunday morning brew and join Rev. Michelle as we begin studying the Gospel of Matthew.
    • Godly Play – Leah Siuta will be leading Godly Play for the young people this coming Sunday. If you’re a parent, bring your child to the upstairs Godly Play room and then come down for worship. All the kids will join us in time for Eucharist.
    • Healing Sunday – Laura Ricci and the Healing Ministers will offer prayers for all those who request them during communion.
    • Pastoral Care Meeting – After worship, join the Pastoral Care Team to discuss pastoral care needs at St. John’s. All are welcome.

    ______________________________________________________

    Bible Study Begins June 18 and 21

    To learn more, click here

    ______________________________________________________

    Rural and Migrant Ministry

    Last Sunday, we were blessed with our guest preacher, the Rev. Richard Witt, who is the Executive Director of Rural and Migrant Ministry. He stayed after worship to talk with us more about this vital organization and what help is currently needed regarding the current situation in our rural counties, in which the mayor of New York City is sending busloads of people to other counties. As Richard reminded us, it’s not unusual for us to be receiving immigrants from NYC. What is unusual is the manner in which this is happening. We need to reach out and assist in their settlement here. Rev. Michelle

    Rural and Migrant Ministry is hosting a resource fair for the recently arrived refugees in the Hudson Valley — up to several hundred on Saturday, June 17, at our center at the Grail in Cornwall-on-Hudson. We are partnering with many of the organizations and congregations that have been at the forefront of the initial welcoming of the refugees. Sign up to help here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BWK9XHB

    This is a quick turnaround because time is of the essence. The refugees have been given three months of housing by New York City and three Chef Boyardee-type microwave meals a day — and that’s it. At the end of the three months, they are apparently out on their own.

    On June 17th, we will bus the refugees from the various Hudson Valley motels to the Grail for a day of workshops that will help them further acclimate to the cultural, housing, legal and employment realms of the Hudson Valley. Our goal is to help them gain a more solid footing, avoid exploitation, and connect to long-term resources and the greater community.

    We need help with the following:

    • Prepared meal, fruit and snacks: As we mentioned, the refugees are not being fed decently. We intend to have a diverse meal while they are here with us on the 17th — and we hope to have lots of extras — so we also ask for the donation of carry-out containers for the men to take food back with them.
    • Translators: We need people who speak Spanish, Chinese (we are still trying to figure out which dialect), Arabic, Russian, Portuguese, Haitian Creole and French. We will need interpreters who can engage the men in one-on-one conversations throughout the day, and also in the numerous workshops we will be doing. It would also be great to have folks who are from or have cultural heritage from these countries, so that we can give some connecting comfort.
    • Folks who are willing to engage in fellowship and elementary conversational English — and who might be willing to be an individual ally in the weeks to come during the asylum process.
    • Folks who might have some short-term work for the men to do. All of the men have been vetted by the government and are waiting for work authorization. The refugees we’ve worked with all have one overriding, immediate concern, and that is finding work. Therefore, we are also putting together a job board for anyone who can offer short-term/long-term employment assistance to these very capable men. Work can include things like landscaping and yard cleanup, home maintenance, and more. In order to avoid having the men be exploited and to assure them a just wage, we ask that you offer $20 per hour and provide transportation.
    I know it’s a lot to ask, and on short notice — but if we can get lots of us contributing, we can make it work. Here is the link for folks to sign up:   https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BWK9XHB
    _____________________________________

    Christian Saints: St. John the Baptist

    A new “regular feature” of our Newsletter about the lives of the saints.

    June is an auspicious month to begin this feature of our Newsletter because St. John’s in Kingston was named after St. John the Baptist, whose life is celebrated every year on June 24. There is some lore in the verbal history of St. John’s that our parish was named after both St. John the Baptist and St. John the Divine, but the records indicate that it’s more likely John the Baptist because the founding date is listed as June 24, 1832. As such, John the Baptist is our patron saint.

    St. John the Baptist is one of the better-known saints, having been the one who is named in our scripture as the baptizer of Jesus of Nazareth and the one who identifies him as the messiah. His ministry of preaching and baptism in the Jordan is described in all 4 gospel accounts and his death is also told in scripture by Matthew, Mark, and Luke (known as the Synoptic Gospels). The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus also makes note of his life, ministry, and death in Antiquities of the Jews. There are all kinds of relics of his all over the world including his head, his right hand, and his decapitation cloth.

    John was what we call an ascetic, someone who is characterized by self-discipline and fasting from indulgence. He lived a life apart from worldly ways and called others to do the same because he preached against the worldly corruption of the current Jewish leadership (which got him killed) and prophesied the coming of the messiah. He is the ultimate “fire and brimstone” preacher, one who pronounces hope through reconciling with God and God’s holy ways.

    It is said in the Gospels that John is foretold in the words of the Prophet Isaiah as “the one crying out in the wilderness.” In art, John is depicted as described in scripture – preaching with clothing made of camel’s hair, a wild look, and a diet of locusts and honey.

    You can learn more about John the Baptist in these scripture passages:
    Matthew 3:1-17; 11:2-7; 14:1-12
    Mark 1:4-14; 6:14-29
    Luke 1:5-80; 3:1-22; 9:7-9
    John 1:6-42; 3:22-36; 5:30-42
    Acts 1:1-22

    ____________________________________________

    St. John’s: Then… Up to Now


    Dear Ones,We’ve been talking about a project for a few years now – learning more about the history of St. John’s. This project is a part of our journey towards Becoming Beloved Community.

    Vestrymember Paula Wisneski is leading this project and she wants to gather other members of St. John’s who are curious enough to read through the stories in our archives. We have all kinds of records – letters, bulletins, vestry minutes, newspaper clippings. And, in order to have access to everything possible, this group will not only have my assistance, but the assistance of Wayne Kempton, the Archivist and Historiographer of the Diocese of New York.

    Then, the members of this group will be asked to bring these stories to the larger congregation of St. John’s in two ways: First, we will install a timeline on paper in our Parish Hall and add events/stories to this timeline. People will be able to peruse these stories whenever they want. Second, we will have a regular feature in the Newsletter in which people will re-tell these stories and help us to make connections to the larger context. We know this isn’t a short-lived project, but will take the better part of a year to really dig into the archives and find the stories that matter.

    Paula volunteered to take on this project because she knows how important it is for us to embark on a journey of truth-telling – learning about and telling the full story of our churches, especially including our story of race. Only then, are we really able to do the work of anti-racism.

    And Paula has already found a pretty juicy story: According to the Vestry Minutes of a meeting in 1885, the Rector resigned his position because of what happened at a previous Vestry meeting. Now, Paula cannot yet locate the minutes of the previous meeting, but I wonder what happened! Don’t you?

    Please speak directly with Paula by the end of June if you’d like to be a member of this team of St. John’s Historians.

    In God’s love and mine,
    Rev. Michelle

    ___________________________________

    Announcements for June 18
    The Third Sunday After Pentecost

    St. John’s Office Hours
    Wednesdays 10:00-12:00 noon,
    Thursdays 1:00-4:00 pm

    Phone: 845-331-2252
    Email:
    stjohnskingston@aol.comHave an announcement for the bulletin?
    Please send by Wednesday at noon to
    stjohnskingston@aol.comAnchor.

    THIS SUNDAY! Pastoral Care Meeting The Pastoral Care Team meets after worship. All are welcome to attend!

    Summer Book Read: Join us for the St. John’s Summer Book Read. We will meet over Zoom so you don’t have to worry about missing a meeting due to travel! The book is No Act of Love Is Ever Wasted by Thibault and Morgan. It’s a non-fiction read that focuses on caring for people with dementia but is also a good reflection for all who provide pastoral care or are caretakers of friends or family. Please contact Rev. Michelle before June 30 if you intend on participating. We will announce discussion dates soon after.

    Bible Study: Come and join in Bible Study with Rev. Michelle. Beginning June 18, we will have two opportunities to join in a weekly Bible Study – Sundays at 8:30 am (in person) or Wednesdays at 12:00 noon (via Zoom). We begin our study with the Gospel of Matthew.
    Email Rev. Michelle if you’d like to join either group.

    Grief Support Group: Hudson Valley Hospice comes to St. John’s for the summer to offer a Family Grief Support Group, Monday afternoons 2x a month, June 5 through Sept 25. Prior registration is required – call 845-240-7579 for more information and to register.

    Page Turners Book Club Meetings are on the first Thursday of the month at 2 p.m., in the parish hall. Here’s what we selected for June 1,  These Precious Days by Anne Patchett. Our next meeting after that will be September 7 when we will discuss Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. No meetings in July or August. All are welcome! Interested? Talk with Lynn Dennison.

    St. John’s Outreach Project – People’s Place: When you go to the store, pick up a few extra non-perishable food items for People’s Place food pantry (tuna, soup, pasta, sauce, etc.). We are also taking donations of birthday napkins/plates, candles, and gift bags in various sizes. Bring them to church and place them in the appropriate baskets near the Font.

    The Spiritual Practice of Singing: Join Holy Cross Brother Josep Martinez-Cubero for a daylong workshop on the fundamentals of singing – posture, breath, tone, and diction. All are welcome. No registration necessary. Saturday, July 8 from 9am-3pm at Ascension/Holy Trinity in West Park. $20 donation requested.

    St. John’s Upcoming Schedule

    June 17:     Ulster Deanery Meeting, 9-12:30 at Ascension in West Park
    June 18:     Sunday Bible Study begins in person at 8:30 am, Godly Play for kids, Healing Sunday, Pastoral Care meeting after worship
    June 21:     Wednesday Bible Study begins on Zoom at 12:00 noon
    June 25:     Instructed Eucharist and Liturgical Forum
    July 2:        Summer Worship begins in the Parish Hall
    July 29:      Mid-Hudson Regional Gathering at Christ Church in Poughkeepsie

  4. June 9, 2023

    This Week at St. John’s

    TODAY: FRIDAY!
    St. John’s Game Night is back

    Sunday’s Guest Preacher: The Rev. Richard Witt

    This week we’re giving Rev. Michelle a break from preaching by inviting our guest, the Rev. Richard Witt to offer his gifts as Sunday’s homilist. Richard has served as the Executive Director of Rural and Migrant Ministry since 1991. He drives all over the state of New York working to offer support and advocate for just working conditions for migrant workers. In 2022, Richard was named by the City and State of New York as one of New York’s Top 100 Faith Leaders. Richard is also a member of the Reparations Commission of the Diocese of New York. For us here in Ulster County, Richard is a kind and humble neighbor who genuinely loves people and is committed to justice and God’s Love. This Sunday’s plate offering will be donated to RMM.

    Afterwards, stay for coffee hour and attend a special forum with Richard to learn more about the work of Rural and Migrant Ministry.

    ______________________________________________________

    To learn more, click here

    ______________________________________________________

    Gun Violence Awareness

    Gun violence is a health crisis that is raging out of control in the US. It is now the #1 cause of death of children (ages 1-18) in our country. The last few decades have seen such a sharp increase in gun violence that the first weekend of June is now devoted to National Gun Violence Awareness. This is marked by the color orange and the Wear Orange campaign.

    We cannot simply live in helpless outrage. We must commit to acting and to holding our leaders accountable for the action and their inaction. Please consider how you are called to act as an individual and speak more with Rev. Michelle or Deacon Sue about how you imagine St. John’s might respond as a congregation.

    Friday, June 2, Deacon Sue Bonsteel helped lead a vigil alongside our neighbors at Congregation Emanuel. Deacon Sue along with several others created an installation on the front lawn of St. John’s that has been on display all week – orange t-shirts with the names of all those killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, TX on May 24, 2022.

    Thank you to Lynn Dennison, Bob Dennison, and Roger Bonsteel for helping create the installation. And also thank you to these members of St. John’s for attending the vigil alongside Deacon Sue: Claudette Ford, Barbara Johnston, Lynn Dennison, Bob Dennison, Nilsa Rodriguez-Jaca, and Roger Bonsteel.

    ______________________________________________________

    St. John’s Vestry Notes

    The St. John’s Vestry meets on the third Monday of the month, except for July. Here are the highlights from the May 15 meeting. The next meeting is June 19.
    • The Vestry voted unanimously to:
      • elect Kathy Burdick as the Clerk of the Vestry. Kathy already serves as a member of Vestry.
      • appoint Keith Ferber to the open slot on Vestry. Keith already serves as Treasurer.
      • obtain a credit card, naming Keith Ferber (Treasurer) and Michelle Meech (Rector) as those authorized to use it.
    • The Vestry discussed the following:
      • The new Rector schedule and the addition of Morning Prayer to the worship life of St. John’s.
      • Issues, concerns, and income from the Rental Program.
      • The proposed Events Schedule, discussion to-be-continued at the June meeting.
      • Scheduling a Mutual Ministry Review that will help to define ministerial responsibilities of Rev. Michelle, Officers, Vestry, and Staff. This is in response to the reduction in Rev. Michelle’s hours and responsibilities.
    _____________________________________________

    Living Into


    Dear Ones,The Season After Pentecost is the longest liturgical season we have in the church year. From the Feast of Pentecost (this year, May 28) through the beginning of Advent (this year, Dec 3), this season spans late spring, all of summer, and most of the autumn. We see all sorts of changes during this liturgical season. And the color we use for all of this change is green. Green is, of course, the color of growth.

    During this year’s Season After Pentecost, St. John’s is living into a change of pattern for our common life. Change is not always embraced, as we know. We are all designed to find patterns of life and behavior that suit us and keep us comfortable. Change can be stressful, which is perhaps the main reason we do our best to avoid it. But it’s an inherent aspect of growth, integral not only to our survival, but to our flourishing. We are called by God to discern how to mindfully move through the changes and chances of life so that we care for ourselves and care for one another.

    Some of the ways St. John’s is changing: We are re-establishing Bible Study, we are growing our Family Ministries, we are creating new relationships with people and organizations through the regular rental of our facility, there are new faces at St. John’s nearly every week… and all of this asks us to be adaptable, open to possibility, and willing to actively engaged in the process of becoming. In other words, it all asks us to be willing to change.

    A few weeks ago, I spoke about specific changes to my schedule as the Rector of St. John’s and to our worship life. This week, I want to let you know how the St. John’s leadership team is responding to the shift in how we accomplish the tasks that support our common life. There are 2 ways the leadership is addressing this:

    1. The Staff and Officers of St. John’s will meet later this month to discuss how to develop new workflow patterns so that what we do relies less on the position of the Rector to act as coordinator.
    2. Later this year, the Vestry will be asking the Rev. Allison Moore to come and perform a Mutual Ministry Review, a tool that will help us look at our patterns of leadership and prayerfully determine how to best live into a new way of leading St. John’s.

    The Vestry is moving into a new “season” of leadership themselves. For the last 18 months, the Vestry has been in the process of making difficult and emotional decisions about the financial sustainability of St. John’s. They have been faithful to this task and have done excellent work. With the change in the Rector’s hours, this process comes to an end and the Vestry is now free to more fully lead other aspects of our common life – like stewardship, events, and mission.

    I also hope you’ll note in the Vestry Notes (above) that the Vestry has voted Kathy Burdick in as the new Clerk of the Vestry and Keith Ferber into the open Vestry seat. Both now have dual responsibilities so please offer your thanks to both Kathy and Keith for their faith, commitment, and leadership.

    • As Clerk, Kathy’s main tasks are administrative, making sure the Vestry is attending to its responsibilities to the larger church and tracking/communicating the business of the Vestry and congregation. Kathy is also serving as a Vestry Member, which is not required for the position of Clerk.
    • Occasionally, the Vestry has an open seat either because someone has stepped down from their responsibilities or there were not enough candidates at the time of Vestry elections in January. When this happens, the Vesty is empowered to appoint someone into that seat for the remainder of the year until the next election. Keith is already functioning as Treasurer of St. John’s and now he is also a full member of Vestry with voice and vote.

    Finally, I promise that not all of my missives to you this summer will be about this change (nor will they be as lengthy!). But I also know that clear communication during times of change is vitally important. My door remains open to you. And if you’d like to speak with anyone on the Vestry, please do. We all want this process to be as transparent as possible so that we can grow into this change together.

    In God’s love and mine,
    Rev. Michelle

    __________________________________________

     

    Announcements for June 11
    The Second Sunday After Pentecost

    St. John’s Office Hours
    Wednesdays 10:00-12:00 noon,
    Thursdays 1:00-4:00 pm

    Phone: 845-331-2252
    Email:
    stjohnskingston@aol.com

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

    THIS SUNDAY: Stay for a special Forum with the Rev. Richard Witt of Rural and Migrant Ministries to learn more about the work they do across the state of New York.

    NEXT SUNDAY: Pastoral Care Meeting The Pastoral Care Team meets after worship on Sunday, June 18. All are welcome.

    Summer Book Read: Join us for the St. John’s Summer Book Read. We will meet over Zoom so you don’t have to worry about missing a meeting due to travel! The book is No Act of Love Is Ever Wasted by Thibault and Morgan. It’s a non-fiction read that focuses on caring for people with dementia but is also a good reflection for all who provide pastoral care or are caretakers of friends or family. Discussion dates announced soon, in the meantime, go ahead and buy the book. Want to learn more? Talk to Lynn Dennison, Sue Bonsteel, or Rev. Michelle.

    Bible Study: Come and join in Bible Study with Rev. Michelle. Beginning June 18, we will have two opportunities to join in a weekly Bible Study – Sundays at 8:30 am (in person) or Wednesdays at 12:00 noon (via Zoom). We begin our study with the Gospel of Matthew. Email Rev. Michelle to let her know your interest.

    Grief Support Group: Hudson Valley Hospice comes to St. John’s for the summer to offer a Family Grief Support Group, Monday afternoons 2x a month, June 5 through Sept 25. Prior registration is required – call 845-240-7579 for more information and to register.

    Page Turners Book Club Meetings are on the first Thursday of the month at 2 p.m., in the parish hall. Here’s what we selected for June 1,  These Precious Days by Anne Patchett. Our next meeting after that will be September 7 when we will discuss Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. No meetings in July or August. All are welcome! Interested? Talk with Lynn Dennison.

    St. John’s Outreach Project – People’s Place: When you go to the store, pick up a few extra non-perishable food items for People’s Place food pantry (tuna, soup, pasta, sauce, etc.). We are also taking donations of birthday napkins/plates, candles, and gift bags in various sizes. Bring them to church and place them in the appropriate baskets near the Font.

    St. John’s Upcoming Schedule
    June 9:       St. John’s Game Night! Begins at 6:00 pm
    June 11:     Guest Preacher – The Rev. Richard Witt and Special Forum after worship about Rural and Migrant Ministries
    June 17:     Ulster Deanery Meeting, 9-12:30 at Ascension in West Park
    June 18:     Sunday Bible Study begins in person at 8:30 am, Godly Play for kids, Healing Sunday, Pastoral Care meeting after worship
    June 21:     Wednesday Bible Study begins on Zoom at 12:00 noon
    June 25:     Instructed Eucharist and Liturgical Forum
    July 2:        Summer Worship begins in the Parish Hall
    July 29:      Mid-Hudson Regional Gathering at Christ Church in Poughkeepsie