Vestry Members

Jean Kolljeski, Sr. Wdn. 479-252-1360 2017 Pat Klahr, Jr. Wdn. 479-670-3147 2019 Jim Walcott, Clerk 651-1898 2017 Eden Buergler 462-8892 2017 Bill Chandler 883-9576 2017 John Cross 459-0303 2017 Tony Flippin 629-6044 2018 Becky Ibison 650-2833 2018 Steve Irby 479-434-3523 2019 Pettus Kincannon 479-651-0718 2019 Ron Lawson 918-962-2436 2018 Susan McCluney 479-414-7455 2018 Karen Orite 870-404-3891 2019 Kandice Poirier 479-414-5719 2019 Doug Shadell 479-462-1026 2018

PASTORAL CARE MINISTRY TEAM Mary Ann Arnold

Team Leader – 452-1359

Neighbor to Neighbor Coordinator

Pettus Kincannon

Eucharistic Visitors - 651-0718

Staff Fr. Mike Lager,

Rector 221-4030

mlager@stjohnfs.org

Jeannie McCabe

221-4032

Children/Youth Ministries

Tim Hess

Parish Minister of Music

Vickie Phelan

Administrative Assistant

David Arnold

Parish Treasurer

Harold Braswell

Financial Secretary

Gordon Albritton

Sexton

Dorothy Love

Saturday Receptionist

Judy Trowbridge

Nursery

Angel Hallmark

Nursery Assistant

Mary Ann Arnold

Volunteer Ministries Coord.

Worship Schedule

Sunday 8:00 am Holy Eucharist,

Rite I

10:30 am Holy Eucharist,

Rite II

Contact Information Parish Office: (479) 782-9912

Fax: (479) 782-4369

Office Hours Mon.-Fri., 8:00am--5:00pm

Website Stjohnfs.org

Email stjohnfs@stjohnfs.org

NEWSLETTER EDITOR Mary Jane Mustard

479-883-1488

Dear St. John’s Family

The sign at Woods Elementary benignly states: “School Classes Re-sume August 15.” The Northside H.S. illuminated marque flashes the same message: “Classes resume August 15.” These signs evoke different emo-tions. For a kid, they are a cruel reminder that the carefree summer days are quickly coming to an end. The ominous message recalls the sandwiched-board cartoon prophets who declare, ‘The End is Near!' Now that I’m mar-ried to an Elementary school teacher, I see the sign through a different lens. It is not as much as an end to summer as it is the beginning of a Mount Ever-est climbing excursion. The impossible and exhausting climb begins on Au-gust 15, so everything better be in place or the students will overwhelm like a landslide over the expedition.

The opportunity to learn takes on a different hue when it is not our vocation nor required of us. When it is our choice to learn it becomes a thrilling adventure. Stretching our outlook or perspective on the world around us encourages us to grow beyond where we currently reside. Engag-ing our minds to understand the complexities in the world around us is a pri-mary gift of humanity.

As we move into St. John’s program year, I want to encourage you to challenge yourself to grow in the perspectives of your faith. The Mind Stretchers Connections group will offer three themes this year. The Autumn sessions will address ‘Ozark Archeology.’ The Winter talks will be ‘Iconography: The Way of Religious Imagination.’ The Spring sessions will address ‘Fake News: Perception versus Reality in Economics.’ These lecture based classes are held at 6:00 pm on the third Tuesday of the month beginning in September (see Babble/Enews/Announcements for times).

The Rector’s Class will resume on August 23rd at 5:00 p.m. in the Skinner building. The class is repeated on Sunday mornings at 9:15 a.m. in the newly refurbished Chamber’s Hall in the education wing of the church. This year we tell the Story of the Church as it unfolds in its complex and exponential way in America over the last two centuries. The Christian mes-sage becomes uniquely American in the Mormons, Pentecostals, Jehovah’s Witness, Fundamentalists, Charismatics and many more. The unique ways the Gospel is understood and applied will challenge our own beliefs as we study them together.

Certainly, the Sunday homily is an important piece of education. Be a careful listener…Make notes on your bulletin. Reflect and read on your own as you let the lectionary texts inform your spiritual life.

I’m glad to be back in full stride! Fr. Mike

August 2017

EVENTS TO

REMEMBER

Shredded

Wheat

by

Molly Schardt

1st Sunday

Breakfast

Sunday,

August 6

9-930am

Remember

Buck-A-Book

&

St. John’s Book

& Gift Shop

Agnus Day

1st Sunday Breakfast is August 6! 9am—9:30am. Come and join us.

1st Sunday Breakfast

Laymen’s League - July, 2017

Girl’s Night Out - August, 2017

Italian it is! Join us at Joe’s Pizza and Pasta Italian Grill, 4102 Rogers Avenue, at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, Au-

gust 29th. Bring a friend and enjoy good food and fellowship with this ecumenical group of ladies.

Our July meeting will be held on the 27th in the Parish Hall. We will be serving Bratwurst in a bun, with sau-erkraut and mustard available. This will be accompanied by pasta salad, ice tea, and a special dessert. Every-one is welcome and encouraged to attend. It is always great to fellowship together and break bread together.

DOK (Daughters of the King) We will meet on August 13 at noon in the Skinner Building.

8:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 06— Sunday Breakfast 06 — Patricia Irby 13— Muggy Murray 13 — Karen Orite 20— Becky Ibison 20 — Jackie Sanders 27— Debbie Chandler 27 — Becky Dunn

Sunday Hospitality - August

Altar Guild August

8:00 Jane Foltz 10:30 Bonnie Johnson & Betsy Vicary

In the News...

Market music

Gregory Allen, 13, serenades market goers from his grandmother Suzy Smith’s Beland Manor booth Satur-day at the Fort Smith Downtown Farmers Market. Smith sells homemade jams, jellies and salsas as Grego-ry practices his violin, accepting tips. The market at Garrison Avenue and Second Street is open 7 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Saturdays. (JAMIE MITCHELL/TIMES RECORD) borrowed from SWTR

Don’t rock the boat

Sandy McGowan helps her granddaughter, Raquel Nash, build a boat for her rock Mon-day during the Maker Monday program at the Dallas Branch Library. Provided with a plastic water bottle, styrofoam rings, straws, tape and a personal rock, participants designed and built a boat that would keep the rock dry and float in a tub of water. Raquel is the 6-year-old daughter of Karen and Chris Nash. (JAMIE MITCHELL/TIMES RECORD) borrowed from SWTR

ECW (Episcopal Church Women)

We will meet on August 20 at noon in Chambers Hall.

Hudson Neil Waguespack, born June 29th to Eliza-beth Pryor Waguespack and her husband Mat-thew. The family resides in Raleigh, NC.

Greyson Keith Wood, born July 15 to James & San-di McCabe Wood. He weighed 5lb. 6oz. And was 18 1/2” long. Grandson of Jeannie McCabe.

Enneagram Introductory Retreat Want to have a deeper understanding of yourself and insights into others? In work-ing to build a world filled with God’s love, it is truly loving ourselves that is sometimes diffi-cult and loving others is even harder. The Enneagram is a spiritual tool that can be useful for all people, inclusive of all de-nominations and all religions. It is a tool that at its core helps us discover how we, as humans, separate ourselves from the Love of God and provides tools to help us make other choices. Regular monthly gatherings will follow at time to be set by retreat participants. Want to know more? Come join us:

Introductory Retreat: - August 25-27

St. John’s Skinner Building Fri: 6-9:00pm—Sat. 8:30-4:00 with Lunch

Sun. 1:00-3:00 pm

$35.00 (Workbook & Lunch) Register at www.stjohnfs.org /Home Pagee

Deadline to Register: Sunday, Aug. 18

Or contact David Sims dsimsefm@aol.com or Jeannie McCabe (479)221-4032

3

Vee Chandler The Rev. & Mrs. Bill Wright Mike Smets & Bonnie Johnson

St. John’s Directory Updates: Sharolyn Sprigg 10520 Sandpiper Lane Knoxville, TN 37926 Richard & Macon Hossley 3210 Ashebury Pt Greenwood, AR 72936 Sandy McGowan 1316 Fianna Pl. Fort Smith, AR 72908

Our condolences to Ciccy Goff on the loss of her sister-in-law, Donna Rapp.

Saint John’s Building and Grounds Committee is led by Junior Warden Pat Klahr with support from Father Mike Lager, John Cross, Pettus Kincannon, Lou Skeen, Bill Chandler, Becky Ibison, Steve Irby, new mem-bers Mike Smith and John Dobbins, and Sexton Gordon Albritton. Pat’s communications with the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program led to their recommended that Saint John’s contact a preservation architect to create specifications that define needed worship area roof repairs. John Mott, a renowned Preservation Architect in Virginia who is currently contracted to restore the Wilhauf House in Van Buren, is a former St. John’s Senior Warden and was a parishioner when the 1990 preservation work was completed on our church. At Pat’s request, Mr. Mott has very kindly agreed to meet with us when he next comes to Van Buren. While initial roof repair bids have been received from local contractors, they will not be acted on; the bidding process will be repeated after specifications are developed by Mr. Mott or a preservation architect. Richard Snow, Snow's Remodeling, has painted the Church’s high elevation exterior wood trim. A 60’ lift was needed to reach the belfry. Some trim was replaced and many additional repairs were made to the roof. Building and Grounds Committee members are pleased with the work. Mr. Snow will also repair the leak damage in the Parish Hall and to the worship area plaster walls after the roof repairs are completed. Alternative methods are also being considered by John to repair or replace the decayed wood siding on the front exterior of the long hallway. The Episcopal Church Women graciously donated funds for a new awning over the worship area NE entry which will be ordered after Lou Skeen makes sure the canvas matches the exterior trim color and that roof repairs have been completed so there is no chance of damaging it. Building and Grounds is working with the Information Technology Committee to have Bryma Tech expand Wi-Fi coverage into the worship area which will enable security surveillance of the hallways during services. Karen Orite’s thoughtful donation of a used tablet computer and a generous but anonymous donation of $300 are certainly facilitating this project. John and Steve replaced an electronic ballast in a florescent ceiling light fixture and re-wired the lighting in-side four display cabinets in the Gift Shop. The kind ladies who work hard to make the Gift Shop successful have always been very considerate supporters of Building and Grounds projects, so we ask you to please shop there frequently. Supplemental jack posts were installed in the basement underneath the Altar by John and Steve to augment two badly rusted original steel posts. Pettus and Bill have worked regularly to beautify the landscaping in the garden and around the church prop-erty. Building and Grounds is now seeking a parishioner to assume maintaining the garden in the Columbari-um courtyard. Debbie and Bill Chandler, along with Debbie’s sister, have done wonderful work here for many years but they can not continue due to health issues. Please consider accepting this opportunity to serve Saint John’s.

Building & Grounds Minutes

1 Bryan Goodwin

1 Charlotte Ziegler 2 Jane Foltz

2 Barbara Petrus

3 Teresa Williamson 4 Jeff Pryor

5 Kevin Crawford

6 Jennifer Napier 8 Connie Smith

9 Roger Young 10 Rosemary Rapley

10 Julain Young

11 Brenda Davis 11 Sloan Gist

11 Keith Kestner

12 William Hoover 12 Amalie Koenig

15 William Kolljeski

16 Sara Goodwin 16 Sanna Sullivan

17 Heather Carroll

17 Allie Cleveland 17 Debbie Lee

18 Gary Hays 18 Amelia LaFreniere

18 Charles Purdy

19 Sam Koenig 20 Kendall Contreras

21 Lee Vlademar

22 Michael Lager 22 Matthew Vlademar

24 Barbara Duty

25 Emma Cobb 25 Donald Morrison

25 Karen Vićens-Nash 29 Sam Baker

30 Doug Thrift

31 Blair Duty

2 Sal & Patti Camuso

6 Bill & Debbie Chandler

7 Willis & Sara Edmiston

21 Steve & Patricia Irby

23 Orland & Betty Gaithe

Volunteer Opportunity

We are in need of someone to take over the maintenance of the Columbarium Garden. This would be great for a couple to do together. Please call Pat Klahr at 479-670-3147 if you have questions or are interested in this op-portunity.

Buck-A-Book

“That all may read” — that is the ongoing mission statement for St. John’s Buck-A-Book Ministry. There is no means of counting the many men, women and children we have reached. Only through your generosity — and many others — has this been made possible. As this ministry continues to grow, so do our needs. You are meeting that need, and I know you will continue to do so. We began several years ago with a small shelf of discarded books and this endeavor has taken on a life of its own. Surely, this ministry is a “God Thing” and has blessed so many. Thank you for your support as it continues into the future.

Mary Jane Mustard

St. John’s Book Store & Gift Shop

Well believe it or not, half of 2017 is finished. It is time for my 2nd quarterly report to the membership. If you attend church, you have probably heard some financial information, either from our Rector, or during an-nouncements. Income received is 48.4% of the 2017 budget. Pledge income is very close to what we budgeted, but we must remember that we had a budget deficit of $34,684. For the first half of 2017, expenses exceed income by $21,688. Repair and maintenance operating accounts have had expenses exceeding the budget by $3,055, or 28% over the six months budget. The building and grounds committee has been doing a fantastic job at keeping expenses at a bare minimum to keep our facilities repaired, providing many hours of labor of love. There have also been extra donations to cover specific projects. When you see the Junior Warden or a member of B&G, say thank you. One last item is to let you know that we no longer have a rainy day fund in hand. We still have money in the bank; however the large majority of it is designated or restricted in some way. Dave Arnold

From the Treasurer

“Some days are better than others, but are a product of a giving and a joyful heart.” That pretty well sums up the philosophy of “your Book Store & Gift Shop.” While striving to provide a means of beauty in your sur-roundings, availability of Episcopal tradition and Christian knowledge and personal growth” — that is what we’re all about.” New items are arriving, being ordered, and then purchased by you. Thanks go to our volun-teers and all who continue to support this venture.

Mary Jane Mustard, JoAnn Flocks, Cissy Goff

Are you familiar with Shredded Wheat? Well, for those who are not in touch —

It’s a rather innocuous cereal A cereal I love so much!

Shredded Wheat was with me as a little girl.

Then throughout my entire school years. Through marriage and children — good times and bad.

My biscuits were always there.

I was Happy upon moving to Arkansas To find Shredded Wheat in the grocery stores.

Philadelphia Scrapple was a total unknown But I couldn’t ask form anything more.

I’ve tried Puffed Wheat and Cheerios

Rice Crispies and all the rest. Although each cereal has its merits

Not one can pass the test!

You may think I’m a total nut! But when I am someone’s house guest I give prior notice to family and friends

That Shredded Wheat is my only Request.

So when I enter the Pearly Gates And it’s time for me to eat.

I know I’ll see an arrow pointing

THIS WAY FOR SHREDDED WHEAT

Shredded Wheat by Molly Schardt

GROUPS kick off in SEPTEMBER SNEAK PREVIEW: Mind Stretchers topics for 2017-18 Speaker Season:

♦ Archeology: Archeology of Prehistor ic Bluff Shelters of the Arkansas Ozarks (Sept) River Valley Archeology in the Ozarks (Oct)

♦ Iconography: Norman Rockwell and Religious Iconography – The Reli-gious Imagination (Jan); Images of Christ – Religious Vision in Nineteenth Century Russian Art, Iconographic theology (Feb)

♦ Ecology: Fake News: Perception versus Reality in Economics: Percep-tion versus Reality in Macroeconomics (Mar) Perception versus Reality in Microeconomics (May )

Save the Dates: 3rd Tuesdays beginning in September!!

SERVICE—Continues through SUMMER ♦ Casserole of Life "They who eat of it shall not hunger” 4th Fridays, 8:30 am, Parish Hall Kitchen -prepares hot meal

for Next Step Homeless Services clients. Serve meal at 11:30. Coordinator: Jeff Champlin (479) 452-7029 ♦ Sack Lunch Program— Contact Jean Kolljeski (contact info on website www.stjohnfs.org or through church

office, (479)782-9912)

SOCIAL ♦ Golf— MONDAYS, Resumes SEPT 11, 5:30 pm Ben Geren course ♦ Vino League : Resumes in September

STUDY ♦ Creative Bible Journaling: On break till FALL ♦ NEW!! Enneagram— Introductory Retreat Workshop AUG 25-27. See article in this issue. Small group meetings to

follow ♦ Mind Stretchers –Fall Preview above ♦ Rector’s Study - Wednesdays/Sunday am— Resumes in September

Small Groups Ministry AUGUST

5

How do I become a member?

“I’m already an Episcopalian.” Simply contact our parish office, give the secretary the name of your previous church, and we will do the

rest. We will let you know when we’ve received your letter of transfer and will welcome you formally. “I was baptized, but not in an Episcopal Church.” Simply obtain a letter from a former church that states when the baptism took place and who administered

the sacrament. A photocopy of your baptismal certificate also works. The priest will then explain how you can be confirmed by a bishop at one of the feast days.

“I’m Roman Catholic.” You are also asked to provide evidence of Christian baptism: a copy of your baptismal certificate or a let-

ter from a former parish. Roman Catholics are “received” into our parish. “I’ve never been baptized.” Then get ready for a life-changing celebration! Simply talk with the priest for more information.

If you would like to know more, Please speak with the priest.

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September is Hunger Awareness month. The Sack Lunch Program (SLP) will honor and celebrate Hunger Awareness Month by moving into our new building. SLP will also host Dark Night at the Little Theatre in September and will have Sack Lunch Sunday. Stay tuned for information about these two events.

Sack Lunch Program Will Move in September.

Kid’s Korner AUGUST 2017 Volume 14 Issue 8

Youth Web site: http://www.stjohnfs.org/youth-children/

Symbol: E HWY (eee high-way) E-ducation H-ome W-orship Y-outh Groups

EHWYWY

Youth Ministry Mission: To create an environment for youth and their families that gives a sense of com-munity, invites people to belong to the Body of Christ, and empowers each to do God’s work through acts of love and service. Providing Community that Empowers

July 24-27

“Weaving Life”

A Heifer International Curriculum

Summer Program (VBS) Over fifty children and workers gath-ered for fun learning through lessons, activi-ties, arts and crafts and sharing meals. Learning how all of creation is woven to-gether was the focus of the week. The highlight of the event were the visits from the animals: all types of fowl—chickens, babe chicks, peachicks, and a rooster; a lion-head rabbit, Lilac; and Flam-ing June, the Nigerian goat. After collecting quarters all week for Heifer Project Int’l, some of the group made a road trip to the ranch in Perryville where the program started in the 1950’s.

Kid’s Korner Vol. 14 Issue 8 AUGUST 2017

W-orship

A C O L Y T E S Acolyte Masters: Mike Tickler

Scheduler: Eden Buergler

SUBMIT FALL SCHEDULE Requests!!!! To Eden

TRAINING for NEW and Promoted levels

AUGUST 20—12:00-1:30 Lunch served

Y-outh Groups

Fully Relying On God

….. In MISSION

Dolphins

… 3rd-5th gr

&

STARFISH– 6th-12th

FALL Kick OFF- September 10

Watch for details

CAMP MITCHELL

A Y E - Oct. 20-22 Youth: 6th grade– 12th grade / Cost: $110.00

ALL Registration onlilne at: eycarkansas.org Tab: Events—AYE

For Scholarship Assistance— Contact Jeannie McCabe

St. John’s

GIRL SCOUT Group Daisies (K-1st)

Brownies (2nd-3rd) Juniors, Cadets (4th-9th)

Will Start Up Again in SEPTEMBER

Contact Leader: Natalie King-Hyman Or Jeannie McCabe for information

Backpack Blessing Students, Educators &

All St. John’s Instructors

Sunday, August 13 10:30 Service

Youth BRING your Back Packs!!