St. John the Divine Episcopal Church Newsletter

Growing by Faith From Generation to Generation

Rector’s Ramblings

EXCITING TIMES-PART 2

I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not

perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the

desert. Isaiah 43:19

L ast month I spoke of the challenge of breaking free and becoming the church God is calling us to be; one who lives up to our core values:

Offering Meaningful Worship

Teaching the Gospel

Caring for God’s People

Our challenge has been, and continues to be, our needs outstrip our resources but we are seeing the tide begin to turn. Before our next annual meeting our debt will dip under the million dollar mark, a milestone to be sure. Contributions are up, and we are ahead of where we expected to be at this time in our budget year. It is still a budget that depends on borrowing from reserves, but to date we have not done so, and we project only needing half of the $40,000 originally des-ignated.

One thing that has always been true is people are more willing to give of their time, talent and treasure when they see ministry happening. As we begin to see ourselves as a thriv-ing church, not a surviving church, donations appear. In the last two weeks we have been blessed with two major gifts.

First, Mike Fitzgerald will offer his time and talent as our Stewardship Chairman. Our tandem team of last year, Kim Freeman and Thom Brown will remain on the committee but feel unable to continue as chairs. Mike’s quick acceptance of the position is a huge blessing to the community and with last year’s members and a strong Finance Committee to back him up we have a wonderful team.

Second, I receive a donation of $10,000 for the playground and/or other related Sunday School uses. A longtime mem-ber, encouraged by the signs of life in our youth program, made the generous donation. Our need for space, both in-door and out, is significant and this donation will help.

What is still needed in our youth program is an offering of time and talent. While Katie has the Sr. High firmly in hand we need help on Sunday mornings with Sunday School. We could use a couple of more people who like kids to teach the elementary age on Sunday morning. If you are interested please contact me or Michelle Garis.

Finally, in the last month we have seen new folk wander in from the Riverview area. Now that the church can be seen from 301 we are getting foot traffic because we are visible. I am reminded of Jesus’ words: “Let your light so shine . . .” As we continue to move from surviving to thriving, we are shin-ing the light of God’s love into the world and drawing others to a closer walk with Him.

Blessings!

Fr. Kevin+

II Timothy 1:11

Note: Fr. Kevin will be gone July 17 through August 7 for vacation and Continuing Education.

Musings from Fr. Lee

T he other day I ran across a list of qualities that would lead, if followed, to a healthy and emotionally satisfying

lifestyle. The suggested list was not compiled as a description of the Church but I think it fits magnificently. Let me share it with you.

Find a source that offers unconditional love, the kind of love you needed when you were a child.

Now, that is a near impossibility. This source of consistent love is so hard to find but the whole purpose of the church is to embrace and share the always unconditional love of God through Jesus Christ.

Learn to love yourself.

So many times, we cannot love ourselves because we don’t know who we are; we are fabricating ourselves to please someone else. God, through the Church, helps us to see that we are lovable.

Find someone who will regularly encourage, inspire, listen to and challenge you.

Church members are constantly encouraged to reinforce each others’ strengths and confront each others’ weaknesses.

Cultivate relationships with people who will help you take a stand, be authentic and feel secure in your positions.

It is so easy for an individual to fall into unhealthy patterns of behavior. Kind and loving individuals who know the Lord can often be as effective in reaching out to us as would a well-trained psycho-therapist. The Church pays such great dividends not the least of which is the ability to give persons the power to become emotion-ally healthy and authentically themselves.

In Christ’s Name,

Fr. Lee

WHAT IS AN ANNEX?

A n annex is a building joined to, or associated with, a main building providing additional space or accom-modations.

The Task Force for Growth report (which was ac-cepted and approved by the SJD Vestry) recommends specific space recommendations to grow the church.

Using these recommendations an Annex team was assembled to study and implement a solution.

After a number of iterations the best practical solution seems to be:

Keep the nursery and preschool children in the church build-ing for easy access by the parents. Convert the overcrowded office space back to a large conference room. Move the admini-stration and the rector’s office to the annex along with the choir vesting room. Use the present choir room as a meeting room. The Rector’s office may be used to house additional staff as we grow.

The annex will have one large and one medium combination meeting/class room and choir rehearsal room. Choir/LEMS/Ushers will have a vesting room. The youth will have their own room. Administration with offices for the Rector, Assistant Rec-tor, and Administrator. Office staff and workspace. Remaining space has two bathrooms, janitor’s closet and reception area.

The building will be a module built to Florida state building code, approximately 3,200 sq. ft. of space with a stepped man-sard roof. The main advantage of a module is cost and when the new church is built in the future, the module can be removed and sold. If you want to get a feel for what it might look like the Bell Shoals Baptist church on Apollo Beach Blvd is a good example.

The annex team will soon submit the plans to Hillsborough County for a building permit. The present wait time for approval is between 7 to 10 months.

The contractor is working on a detailed cost for the building, entrance stairs and handicapped ramp. In addition, professional site plans and civil engineering drawings are required to deter-mine location, drainage, utility hook ups and costs.

The location will be the north parking lot close to the church. As we proceed more details and drawings will be available for your viewing.

Members of the annex team are: Cher Cerebe, Jack Edison, Mark Hunter, Roger Mills, Bob Stevens, Fr Kevin Warner and Don Van Gelder.

Please feel free to ask them any questions you may have on the subject.

Thank you for your time and patience.

Don Van Gelder

3 CJ Cox, Jr. 4 Carol Acosta 4 Barbara Van Eycken 5 Amy Detweiler 5 Hailey Hosler 6 Paul Weiss 6 Bea MacDonald 7 Bill Schulze 7 Joanna Boley-Lee 10 Bob Mills 10 Bill Schwolow 10 Carol Collins 11 Don Houck 13 Sue Arp 14 Dorothy Rich

14 Gary Baines 14 Joel Taliaferro 15 Thomas Hill 15 Mary Whitman 16 Sally Sutton 16 Hannah Selke 17 Pauline Yannotti 17 Karin Risley 18 Jackie MacDonnell 18 Bob Cox, Jr. 20 Liz Wood 21 Ronald Davis 22 Tom Pagnini 24 Dennis Schroedter 24 Christine Jones 25 Jim Pyles 27 Vickie Crupi 27 Jamia Gordon 28 John Hood 29 Anna Judway 29 Jeannie Bieber 31 Audi Moore

31 Julianne Savage

Wendy and Jim Smith 08/02/1997 Cinde and John Howell 08/03/1996 Susan and Kevin Warner 08/09/1980 Barb and Dick Gingrich 08/10/1974 Diane and George Wiggins 08/15/1987 Paulette and Bill Carney 08/16/2003 Beth and Les Clarke 08/20/1966 Katy and Chuck 08/21/1971 CJ and Bob Cox 08/23/2003 Paulette and John Gentry 08/23/1968 Mary and Lew Merrill 08/24/1996

Ruth Sample 6/26/2016 Dean Merrill 7/7/2016

Dr. Walter & Sandy Powell

Ilene and Gene Hemingway celebrated with a special blessing in church Sunday for their 60th

wedding anniversary.

JUNE 2016

GENERAL FUND

JUNE Income $ 25,266 Year to Date Income $ 206,192 JUNE Expenses $ 30,080 Year to Date Expense $ 205,240 $ (4,814) $ 952

BUILDING FUND JUNE Income $ 2,530 Year to Date Income $ 25,903

Extra Principle $ 5,000

JUNE Expenses $ 9,733 Year to Date Expenses $ 36,380 ($ 1,821) ( $ 10,477)

The General Fund ended this month with a deficit, deceas-ing the Year to Date total. The Building Fund also ended with a deficit. However, a generous gift was received from one of our members. This gift was used to pay down the principle of the mortgage With this gift we are closer to our goal of having the mortgage loan under a million dollars by year end.

Please remember both funds in your giving. In order to properly record your contribution, would you please MARK your check with the amount designated for each fund. It makes it easier for the counters when you do this.

The detailed monthly Financial Report is posted on the bulletin board in the parish hall.

Thank you, Carrie Van Gelder,

Treasurer

Why Is The Church Important? (1 Timothy 3:14-16)

Steven J. Cole

March 27, 1994

I f you were to ask the person in the street, “Why is the

church important?” you would probably get a wide range of answers. Some would laugh at the question, because for them the church is not important in any

way. Others might see the church in the same category as museums: They both preserve things from the past. They’re a nice place to visit on rainy days, where you can observe how quaintly people used to live, but they’re out of touch with our modern world.

Others might couch their answer in political terms: They view the church as a powerful voting block to oppose the erosion of morality and to preserve the family. Or, some might respond to our question by saying that they see the church’s importance as a social institution. It helps meet the physical needs of the poor and the emotional needs of the lonely and distraught. It ministers to people at the pivotal times of life: birth, marriage, death, and times of crisis.

For many American churchgoers, the church is important because it meets many of their personal needs. They shop around for a church that makes them feel good each week. They get a weekly boost that enables them to cope with life.

As we continue our man-on-the-street interviews, we come to a short, balding man with a beard, who looks decid-edly Jewish. Somewhat hesitantly, we ask him, “Sir, we’re asking people the question, ‘Why is the church important?’ Would you care to comment?” We’re hardly prepared for his answer.

He says, “I believe the church of Jesus Christ is the most important force in the world today. Its task is more important than all the governments and universities of the world com-bined. There is nothing to compare with it!”

We reply, “That’s a pretty strong statement, sir! Why do you say that?” He responds, “Because the most significant event in human history was when the living God took on hu-man flesh and lived among us as the Lord Jesus Christ to bear our sins. And since He ascended into heaven, His church now reveals Him on earth, even as He revealed God when He was on earth.” So,

The church is important because it reveals Christ, even as Christ reveals God in human flesh.

That is essentially what our Jewish friend, the Apostle Paul, is saying in 1 Timothy 3:14-16. The church is the con-tinuing incarnation of God incarnate. The word “incarnate” comes from two Latin words meaning “in flesh.” It means that God took on a human body in the person of Jesus Christ. And since Jesus ascended into heaven, we now, as His body continue His presence on earth until He returns. Since the eternal destiny of every person on earth depends on his or her being rightly related to Jesus the coming King and Judge of all the earth, nothing could be more crucial than the church!

Holy Eucharist & Healing Service

C ome to Holy Eucha-rist and Healing Service on Wednes-days at 10:00 a.m. We are often asked

by some people to remember them and pray for them at the

Wednesday morning service. Others come to the service when they need prayers. Often we receive praise reports (good news ) and thanks from those who feel they received a blessing from our prayers or our time with them. I would like to ask that on a nice day where you have a bit of free time, you would occasionally take an hour and come to morning prayer and the healing service on a Wednesday to praise God and then participate in the prayers and laying on of hands for others who need healing. It is a powerful feeling to know that you have given to another who needs you. Remember God said, when two or more... One of my favorite verses in the Bible is: James 5:14-16 : "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has com-mitted sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." Love & Light,

Sharon Van Loan, Healing Ministry Leader

Healing Starts Here

I nformal support group starting for anyone experi-

encing loss, each 2nd and 4th Tuesday from 11:00

a.m. to noon, starting August 8.

THE LORD’S LIGHTHOUSE

If you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness, and your gloom will

become like midday. Isaiah 58:1

F or years, St. John the Divine has supported the Lord’s Lighthouse Ministry, and we continue to do so by col-l e c t i n g m o n e y , f o o d a n d c l o t h e s . The Lord’s Lighthouse also receives food on a regular

basis from the non-profit Feeding America.

Under the leadership of Pastor Bill Cruz and his wife, Dora, it serves the poor of the South Shore area. The Lord’s Lighthouse offers spiritual counseling, emergency assistance, translation, advocacy, crisis intervention, application assistance for Medicaid, Food Stamps and other benefits, and some job skills training.

The Lord’s Lighthouse holds its Sunday worship service and church school at Templo Elim in Wimauma. The service is followed by fellowship and food distribution. 50 – 75 children attend the Sunday School.

NEEDS RIGHT NOW INCLUDE:

To purchase perishable foods and to meet people’s

emergency needs

Nonperishable food, especially maseca flour, flour tortilla , pinto beans, oil, cereal, peanut butter, macaroni and cheese, baby food, formula, diapers, personal hygiene items, household articles, clothing for men, women, and children (from newborn sizes up). All clothing donated must be clean and in good shape.

Wal-Mart gift certificates (to buy shoes and clothes for the

children)

COULD YOU HELP?

Checks may be made payable to The Lord's Lighthouse or to St. John the Divine, earmarked The Lord's Lighthouse. People who wish to donate or obtain services or information may call (813) 641-7100 or (813) 641-7114. The mission is open Tuesdays 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Please pray for the future of The Lord’s Lighthouse Mission and guidance from

the Lord. Thank you,

Connie Keister

Lord's Lighthouse Liaison

BE A SHEPHERD

I have become concerned lately by the absence of

some of our church members. So Linda Burmeister

and I decided to find a way to contact those who

seem to be missing. You may have already found a

sheep “cut-out” on a table in the parish hall and wrote the

name of someone we will contact. We are calling this our

Lost Sheep Ministry.

Hebrews 10:25 says: “Let us not give up meeting together

as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one

another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Linda and I have called several parishioners and met

with others as well. I will list some of the reasons we have

found why people choose not to come to church.

“The church is full of hypocrites.” Yes! It is and I am

one of them. And most likely, so are you. A family is only as

good as its best member, and is as bad as its worst member.

A parish family is no different. Are we not up to snuff? Do

we fall short of your expectations of Christians? Come!

Help us make a difference! That’s a huge part of belonging

to the body of Christ—we are a group of broken, messed-up

people who God makes better, and who make each other

better. Saying that you won’t go to church because of hypo-

crites is like saying you won’t go to the gym because of out of

shape people. Don’t let others keep you from doing what is

right.

“I can pray at home/I am spiritual.” We are all

“spiritual.” It’s how God made us. Sure you can pray at

home! And you should! But, if you are a Christian, that is

not enough. Jesus set his followers up to pray together, to be

in community together, to go out to preach the Gospel to-

gether. He said, “Wherever two or three are gathered in my

name, there I am in the midst of them.” (Mt 18: 20) This

means that God is more fully present to us when we worship

with other people. And, Jesus gave us, with his own exam-

ple, what that prayer should be.

“I don’t like the music – too old fashioned/too contempo-

rary.” We are blessed in our parish to have a variety of mu-

sic. The 8 a.m. service has minimal music, the 9 a.m. is

mostly contemporary and the 11 a.m. is traditional. Choose

which you like and worship God with your singing (or least

with a joyful noise).

Illness. Several members have shared with us that they

are living with chronic illness that inhibits their ability to

attend weekly worship. They find their ability to get out and

participate severely restricted. That is why we have the min-

istry of Pastoral Care. If we know you are restricted to your

home or a facility, let the church know and one of the mem-

bers of this group will visit you and give you Holy Commun-

ion if you desire. Father Lee is always available to take Holy

Communion to those who request it.

“Father Kevin doesn’t talk to me.” Do you mean on Sun-

days between services or at coffee hour? Face it; there are

usually about 100 people in the parish hall between services.

Would you be able to talk to each person there? NO! Well,

he can’t either. I do know for a fact, it you wish to talk to

Fr. Kevin, he will take the time to be with you. Call the of-

fice. Make an appointment. He will see you, talk to you, and

pray with you. I also know that he will come visit you in

your home, meet with and share a meal with you, or what-

ever works. Fr. Kevin relishes the opportunity to get to-

gether with you away from the church building.

“I’ve been hurt by the church. No one cares if I am there

or not.” You may have been mistreated by shepherds who

should have restored you but instead chose to condemn you

(or worse). Or perhaps you have been neglected by your

friends who should have cared enough to seek you out and

return you to the flock. And this made you feel unwanted. I

do not deny that many of us have been victims of the sinful,

selfish, and hurtful acts of those in and around the church.

And sometimes we choose to remain victims even when we

have the opportunity to move on. Imagine that you have

been shot and rushed to the emergency room. Would you

spend all of your time worrying about who shot you? Or do

you think your first concern might be to survive? With

physical hurts, we immediately seek help. But emotional and

spiritual hurts seem to have a response unlike any other

wound. When we are “shot” by people in the church, we

tend to focus on the shooter, not the Healer. This is one of

Satan’s most effective distraction strategies—he knows that

healing is available, and he does not want us to get it. Pray

for those who hurt you; pray that you will be able to forgive

and move on.

These six “reasons” for not coming to church are merely

touching on the subject. There are many other excuses we

make. I am asking you, my brothers and sisters, to be a

shepherd. Help hunt for the lost sheep and bring them back

to the fold. God will bless you and SJD will be filled with

sheep who are seeking Him.

For His Sake,

Barbara Gingrich

Vestry Member

S u n d a y , J u l y 1 0 t h a t the 10:00 service, Joanna Boley-Lee, Cher Cerebe and Anna Judway re-ceived their crosses and were admit-

ted to The Order of the Daughters of the King.

FHS,

Bea McDonald, President

M eetings are held every 3rd Saturday of the month at 8:30 a.m. We welcome all men of the church to come and share breakfast and fellowship with us. Next meeting will be

held on Aug. 20 for doughnuts & bagels. Any questions please contact me at (813) 938-4234.

Bill Carney,

Men’s Group President

T he Orient Road incarceration facilities “Re-entry Program” is in need of men’s belts as donations. They can be placed in the basket on the table in the parish hall or given to Cor-

etta Butts.

M onday through Thursday -9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. are the summer office hours.

For pastoral concerns please call Fr. Lee (914) 545-7474. If it is a Monday, call Fr. Kevin (248) 931-3545. Both are available for appointments, except Mondays for Fr. Lee and Fridays for Fr. Kevin.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

Vestry Officers Mark Hunter, Sr. Warden

Curt Arp, Jr. Warden Linda Burmeister,

Vestry Clerk Carrie Van Gelder, Treasurer

ADDRESS-(MAIL POINT)-

1015 E. Del Webb Blvd.

Sun City Center, FL 33573

Phone (813) 633-3970

Email: sjd-offices@stjohndivine.com

Vestry Katie Arp

Thom Brown Cher Cerebe Bob Collins

Chuck Collins Don Fisher

Michelle Garis Deb Risner

Barbara Gingrich

The Rt. Rev. Dabney T. Smith, the Bishop of the Diocese of

Southwest Florida The Rev. Kevin Warner, Rector The Rev. Lee Miller, Associate

The Rev. Paulette Carney, Deacon Joan Frankel, Organist & Choir Director

Jane Hollis, Office Administrator Candy Allman, Administrative Assistant

Howard Roshave, Praise Leader Thom Brown, Verger

Carole Del Castillo, Editor

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church 1015 Del Webb E.

Sun City Center, FL 33573

Visit our website at

www.stjohndivine.com