December 2014

St. John’s mission is to nurture all people in their spiritual growth, in their Christian education, and in their relationship with God.

of St. John’s in Pine Meadowof St. John’s in Pine Meadow

Welcome Rev. Sandra Cosman It’s official! The Rev. Sandra Cosman will be joining the St. John’s community in early January as Priest-in-Charge. This is an exciting moment in the life of St. John’s. After a long and impactful tenure such as Salin’s it is very important to take the time to discern the appropriate direction for our par-ish. Rev. Cosman is eminently well qualified to guide St. John’s over the next few years as we prepare for the future and the vestry feels blessed that she has agreed to join us in this holy mission. Sandra was ordained in 2007 after earning her Masters in Di-vinity at The Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA. Since joining the priesthood, Sandra has played a vital role in helping a number of churches in the regional area, in-cluding Trinity in Torrington and St. John’s in East Windsor where she has served for the past two years. Furthermore, she is on the board of Godly Play and was the chaplain at Hartford Hospital for a year, an experience she especially cher-ished. When the vestry met with Sandra we were very im-pressed by her warmth and sense of humanity. Later, as we talked to people who have worked with her, a refrain was regularly overheard; “Sandra is very collaborative, thoughtful and spiritual” and, “you would be foolish not to grab her before someone else does!” While Sandra has said that she can’t wait to get started, the vestry thought it would be disruptive for both St. John’s in Pine Meadow and in East Windsor if we tried to bring her on board before the New Year. We have not had a chance to plan an appropriate welcome for her yet but we will do so in the next week or two and then share the plans with all of you. I hope you are as excited as the vestry is and we welcome any input you may have on how to best introduce Sandra to the St. John’s family. Grace be to God and may the joy of His blessing be with each and everyone of you during this wondrous Advent season. Gordon Ross Senior Warden

Episcopalian Liturgical Calendar The Episcopalian liturgical calendar is a finely crafted work of faith. Every year it begins again with the first Sunday of Ad-vent, the fourth Sunday before Christmas. This annual cycle weaves together in an elaborate pattern several thousand years of faith: the Old Testament and the New Testament are given shape through the Book of Common Prayer. This calendar helps to balance the events of our lives with the eternal pres-ence of God. This balance has always existed between the eternal Word of God and the pivotal events of Christianity, which, being hu-man, are tightly pinned down in time and location. If Easter, and the Holy Week preceding, is a paradox between the mys-tery of Resurrection, which stands above time as an event at once singular and eternal, and immediate events of riotous disorder that would not be out of place in many modern cities; Christmas, and Advent preceding, is where the prophets of old speak in relation to an equally singular, and very human, event: one night and one birth. It is during Advent that we are most strongly reminded of the ancient Judaic faith’s immedi-ate relationship to Jesus of Nazareth who was of the House of David and the tree of Jesse. We hear the words of the proph-ets: Isaiah, Baruch, Jeremiah, Micah, Zepheniah, and Moses. From Abraham we are brought down through time to the reign of Herod and the Emperor Augustus. What was foretold by the prophets rushes towards us, life-times of uncertainty, of waiting, of faith culminating in the birth of Jesus Christ. Advent reminds us that the distance we sometimes feel has already been conquered. We have not only the sure faith that He will come; we have the joyful faith that He has come.

Anne Hall,

Vestry Member

HOW WE’RE DOING SO FAR

Oct. 2014 Oct. 2013 Operating Income: $ 11,071 $ 12,692 Operating Expenses: $ 8,267 $ 18,295

YEAR TO DATE

2014 2013

Operating Income: $ 130,219 $ 132,969 Operating Expenses: $ 155,183 $ 153,908

Larry Espinet, Treasurer

Bits & Pieces 

Shopping Cards An Easy Way to Help

Now Available for Immediate Purchase $100 Stop & Shop Cards

When you buy shopping/gift cards through St. John’s, you are making a contribution that does not cost you financially. It may take a little planning. Or-ders are usually taken the 1st and 3rd Sundays, and cards are delivered on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. Or-der forms are available in the narthex and parish hall and can be placed in the lockbox at any time.

As in years past, cards purchased in the next two months will have a double benefit for St. John’s min-istry. Consider using the cards to purchase or use for Christmas gifts.

Church Office Hours — Office hours are 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

Prayer Requests—Requests are handled confiden-tially through the office or by speaking to the Vestry. You may fill out a prayer request form or contact the office. If you would like to be a part of the prayer circle, please call the office. Prayer is part of our concern for one another.

Vestry Members Sought—Some of our Vestry members will be completing their terms in January. If you would be interested in being a part of this ministry, please speak to Gordon Ross. Give the office a gift—complete your 2015 pledge before Christmas. The office will be closed be-tween Christmas and New Years. Christmas Flower Envelopes Enclosed—Donations can be given in celebration of a person or event, not just for memorials. Please return your en-velope to the office by December 15th. Envelopes are also available in the narthex. Altar Guilds meets on Saturday, December 13 at 9AM to polish the silver and brass for Christmas ser-vices. Please make every effort to attend. Please call Donna at (860) 379-4643 with questions.

Next Ingathering—December 7th

The total for the year to date is $466.52. Bring coins anytime. We will keep them safe.

PARISH REGISTER(Broadly Defined)

Let the office know about happenings in your own life and in the lives of other parishioners, especially hospitalizations, so Gordon Ross can contact those in need of comfort.

Special thanks to Ron & Joan Caine, Tom Chappell, Bob Osborne, Bruce Wearne, and Rick Smith for cleaning the church.

Special thanks to Mac Wilson and Pat Sepples for taking care of the fall clean up of the leaves and lawn maintenance

Special thanks to Gordon Ross, Ann Atwood, Gray Horn, Michelle & Jeff Piekos for the Fall Garden Clean-Up.

Special thanks to everyone who helped with Pe-ter’s Retreat this year. Stay tuned for an invitation to help in the coming year.

Thanks to everyone who helps with the mission and ministry of St. John’s.

Coffee Hour Hosts 10:00 a.m. Service

This is an important part of our ministry of hospital-ity—to visitors, to children, to one another. Coffee supplies other than cream are available in the kitch-en. Baked goods are terrific, whether home baked or purchased—whatever works for you. A sign up sheet for the fall is posted in the parish hall. All parishioners who attend the 10 a.m. service are requested to host at least once this fall.

Rhythms of Grace

First Sunday of Every Month At 1:00 p.m.

Rhythms of Grace is designed to meet the needs of families with children on the Autism Spectrum and with other special needs. Those who help feel it is a rewarding experience to work with children and families who need the attention and who are new to St. John’s. Contact Linda Snyder at llsnyders4@charter.net for information.

Pictures Needed For Newsletter

Pictures are needed for the monthly newsletter. If you have any pictures of church activities, please contact the office or forward your photos at (office@reddoors.com).

JESSE TREE

This is an annual outreach project at St. John’s. Thank you to everyone that helped make this possi-ble. Thank you to all the volunteers that assisted with this project. We were able to provide stock-ings, gifts, and items of clothing for children and families.

Prayer Shawls We will plan on dedicating the next batch of pray-er shawls in January, We are continuing this min-istry, so keep on knitting and crocheting. The first Sunday of the month, which begins December 7th, we will meet after the 10:00 am service to knit and crochet together.

The Episcopal Church We’re Here For You

Sunday Worship

8:00 a.m. & 10 a.m.

Address Correction

P. O. Box 27

Pine Meadow, CT 06061 Phone: 860 379-3062 www.reddoors.com

news from 

church school 

Christmas Worship

Christmas Eve

Family Service @ 5pm (Children help with nativity) Festival Eucharist @ 9pm

January 11th

Festival of Epiphany Holy Eucharist @ 8 am

Pageant & Eucharist @ 10am Luncheon & Cake

December 14th

Holy Eucharist @ 8am Lessons & Carols

& Eucharist @ 10am

Christmas Day

Holy Eucharist @ 10am

December 28th

The Celebration of the Holy Eucharist @ 10:00 am

Mark you calendars: Church school takes a break during school vacation. Epiphany Pageant, January 11th - (Rehearsal Saturday January 10th) - In what has become a wonderful annual tradition, our children, youth and adults will be presenting our pageant which focuses on the whole story of our salvation from creation through present day. Lifting up individuals in the Old Testament, the New Testament and in modern history who have accepted the challenge that God has placed before them and, in doing so, have become examples of people of faith (saints) for us all. Advent and Christmas are truly a time for us to reach out to our family, friends, and the stranger among us. Our hope is that you and your family members will join us in community for any or all of these events, re-minding us as we await and then celebrate His birth that Christ did not spend his life alone but, in community with his family, friends and those in need around Him. Peace, Linda Snyder

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2

3 8:00 PM AA

4

5 8:30 PM AA

6

7 Holy Eucharist 8:00 & 10:00 AM Jesse Tree Gifts, St. Nicholas of Myra Day/Lunch

8

9

10 8:00 PM AA

11

12 8:30 PM AA

13 Altar Guild Polishing 9:00 AM

14 Holy Eucharist 8:00 & 10:00 AM Lessons & Carols @ 10AM

15 Vestry 7:00 pm

16

17 8:00 PM AA

18

19 8:30 PM AA

20 Open Door

21 Holy Eucharist 8:00 & 10:00 AM

22

23 Jill & Rick Smith

24 Christmas Eve Services at 5 & 9 PM Office Closed

25 Christmas Day Service at 10 AM Office Closed

26 8:30 PM AA Holly & Jamie Hall

27

28 The Celebration of the Holy Eu-charist 10:00 AM

29 Sue & Brad Bremer Office Closed

30 Barbara & David Henri Kathy & Stephen Jakubowski Office Closed

31 Office Closed

December 2014 St. John’s Church – Calendar of Events

Anniversaries in Italics

December Birthdays 1-Dec Larry Espinet 7-Dec Halyna Petronchak 7-Dec Frank Misiorski 11-Dec Zachary Marek 17-Dec Alan Welch

17-Dec Reid Gargiulo 17-Dec Louis Martocchio 18-Dec Tracy Hoskins 22-Dec Drew Warren 23-Dec Marita Chicoski 25-Dec Gayle Moraski 26-Dec Max O'Neill

28-Dec Danny Hoskins 29-Dec Ralph Hitchcock 30-Dec Robert Atwood 31-Dec Meg Toro 31-Dec Thomas Busemeyer

Nancy Butler’s special cornbread at the Open Door Soup Kitchen.

Some great pictures of Stone Soup by Peggy Budny!!