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

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The Good News of St. John’s

February, 2023

February 11, 2023

St. John’s Inquirer’s Class Dates Announced

Learning together is a wonderful way to develop community and deepen relationships between one another. We hope you’ll join us for the upcoming Inquirer’s Class series because it’s not just for people who are new to the Episcopal Church – it’s for everyone at St. John’s.

Come for the entire series or come for a few sessions. Each session will be held in person at St. John’s on Sunday afternoons from 1:00-3:30 pm and cover a wide range of topics from worship to history to scripture.

There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the parish hall, just to give Rev. Michelle an idea of how many handouts to make.

March 12: How We Pray: Worship in the Episcopal Church
March 26: Who We Are: History and Structure of the Episcopal Church
April 2: What We Believe: The Creeds of the Church
April 23: How We Read Scripture I: The Hebrew Scriptures
May 7: How We Read Scripture II: The Greek Scriptures
May 21: What We Do: Ministry and the Baptismal Covenant

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2023 Seasons of Lent and Easter at St. John’s

Here are the many opportunities for people to engage and learn at St. John’s over the coming months. Look for more information here in our e-newsletter, The Good News at St. John’s.
Feb 19: Godly Play for kids, Healing Sunday
Feb 21: Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper: Games and pancake supper. Suggested donation is $15 and all proceeds go to support our Family Ministries Program. 5:30-7:30 pm
Feb 22: Ash Wednesday: Holy Eucharist with Distribution of Ashes at 12:00 noon or 7:00 pm. Ashes-to-go for the Kingston Community 7-9 am and 4-6 pm.
Feb 26: Forum: Acolytes, Ushes, and Lector… Oh, my! Come and learn more about the various worship leader roles at St. John’s and sign up for training. After worship.
Mar 5: All Ages Worship – The Curiosity of Nicodemus
Angel Food East Mac-n-Cheese Bakeoff Returns! Come for food and fun in support of our feeding ministry. Begins at 2:00 pm at Keegan Ales.
Mar 12: How We Pray: Worship in the Episcopal Church. Inquirer’s Class is held from 1:00-3:30 pm.
Mar 19: Godly Play for kids, Healing Sunday
Mar 26: Purple Sunday! The Alzheimer’s Association will offer a forum about Alzheimer’s and dementia. After Worship.
Who We Are: History / Structure of the Episcopal Church. Inquirer’s Class is held from 1:00-3:30 pm.
Apr 2: Palm Sunday All Ages Worship
What We Believe: The Creeds of the Church. Inquirer’s Class is held from 1:00-3:30 pm.
Apr 6: Maundy Thursday – soup supper, Eucharist, foot-washing, cleaning of the Altar. Begins at 6:00 pm
Apr7: Good Friday – Prayer service at 1:00 pm with the reading of the Passion. Stations of the Cross at 7:00 pm.
Apr 8: Holy Saturday – Reflection and prayers followed by Work Party at 9:00 am. Easter Vigil begins at 8:00 pm
Apr 9: Easter Sunday: Festive Choral Eucharist followed by Community Brunch and Egg Hunt for the kids
Apr 16: Godly Play for kids, Healing Sunday
Apr 23: How We Read Scripture I: The Hebrew Scriptures. Inquirer’s Class is held from 1:00-3:30 pm.
Apr 30: Forum – Topic TBA
May 7: All Ages Worship
How We Read Scripture II: The Greek Scriptures. Inquirer’s Class is held from 1:00-3:30 pm.
May 21: What We Do: Ministry and the Baptismal Covenant. Inquirer’s Class is held from 1:00-3:30 pm.
May 28: The Feast of Pentecost
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Consider Masking
While masking remains optional at St. John’s, you are encouraged to consider wearing a mask during worship to help keep down the transmission of covid, flu, and other illnesses. Masks are available at both entrances.
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Special Lenten Zoom Conversation


Resistance and nonviolence are not in themselves good. There is another element that must be present in our struggle that then makes our resistance and nonviolence truly meaningful. That element is reconciliation. Our ultimate end must be the creation of the beloved community. – The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A few weeks ago, here in the newsletter and also at our Annual Meeting, I spoke about the Episcopal Church’s Becoming Beloved Community and that we would be using this format for a larger parish conversation about Anti-Racism and Racial Reconciliation. The Beloved Community as Dr. King told us is not some fanciful, idealized moment in which we are beyond difference. It’s actually quite the opposite, it’s a real, tangible society that celebrates difference by working for justice and living in peace with itself. He believed that it is possible and so do I. I would not stand and invite you to a Table of Reconciliation every Sunday if this were not the very thing I believe in.

I’m pleased to invite you all to our Ulster County Deanery Lenten Conversation Series – Preparing to Become the Beloved Community. Every Thursday during the season of Lent, we will meet together over Zoom from 6:30-7:30 pm with members of Episcopal congregations throughout Ulster County. These conversations will be led by myself, the Rev. Michelle Meech, the Rev. Marcella Gillis of Christ the King in Stone Ridge, and the Rev. Allison Moore of St. Andrew’s in New Paltz. 

Signing up is simple – just go to the CTK website by clicking here. And then clear your schedule on Thursday nights for this special conversation.

I sincerely hope that you’ll join us.

In God’s love and mine,
Rev. Michelle

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Announcements for February 12
The Sixth Sunday After the Epiphany

Ash Wednesday: Wednesday, February 22
Holy Eucharist with Distribution of Ashes: 12:00 or 7:00 pm
Ashes-To-Go (for the Kingston Community): 7-9 am and 4-6 pm
Christian Formation Survey (the green sheet): LAST WEEK! You may have noticed a green sheet in your bulletin, which is a survey for all adults asking for thoughts, opinions, and suggestions about adult formation topics. Rev. Michelle loves to teach, and this is your opportunity to make some requests. Please return it to Rev. Michelle by Feb 15 – either hand it to her or place it in her mail cubby outside the kitchen.
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.
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 and so is the recipe.
House Blessings – one of the traditions of this season is to bless our homes for the new year with the sprinkling of holy water and the marking with chalk. So that you can do this at home, there are take-home kits available with everything you need. Questions? Ask Rev. Michelle
Pledge Envelopes Are Here: If you made a pledge to St. John’s for 2023, your pledge envelopes are available. You can find a set with your last name on the box where you pick up your bulletins near the lectern. If you’re new to using them or have any other questions, speak with Lynn Dennison.
Acolytes, Ushers, and Lectors… Oh, my! Attention all people of St. John’s! Rev. Michelle will offer a forum after worship on February 26. During this forum, you will learn more about different liturgical duties and be invited to register for training. We’ll talk about Lectors, Sacristans, Acolytes, and Ushers – all of whom are important to our common worship at St. John’s. People from age 6 to adult are welcome to consider these ministries.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 the next few months: March 2: Inside the O’Briens, by Lisa Genova. If we have bad weather during the winter, we will switch to a Zoom meeting. Interested? Talk with Lynn Dennison.

Angel Food is in need of drivers! Drivers deliver meals on Thursdays. Meals are ready by 11 a.m., and most routes take about an hour. Substitute drivers are also needed so if you can help out as an on call driver, you are needed! Speak with either Rev. Michelle or Lynn Dennison if you can help.

Visit to the Jewish Museum ~ Organized by the Episcopal-Jewish Relations Committee Tue, March 21 10:00 am – 2:00 pm A private guided tour of the museum with a museum educator, followed by lunch and discussion, led by the Rev. Posey Krakowsky, at the Church of the Heavenly Rest. Lunch, which is included in the $10 cost, will consist of an assortment of sandwiches and salad (with options to meet all dietary needs), cookies, and coffee and tea.  Register here: Visit to the Jewish Museum ~ Organized by the Episcopal-Jewish Relations Committee – Episcopal Diocese of New York (dioceseny.org)

St. John’s Office Hours
Mondays 11:00-4:00 pm, Thursdays 1:00-3:00 pm
Phone: 845-331-2252    Email: stjohnskingston@aol.com
Please note: Rev. Michelle’s Sabbath Day is Friday.

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