-
APRIL 2015 Volume 29.4
St. Johns United Church of
Christ
St. Johns is a community of faith centered in Jesus Christ,
seeking guidance and direction through the
Holy Spirit, and demonstrating Gods love to all people in words
and
deeds.
An Open and Affirming
Congregation
503 Stuart Circle Richmond, Virginia 23220 Telephone:
804.358.9291
Email: [email protected]
Web Site:
stjohnsrichmond.org
Published monthly
2013 St Johns UCC
From The Pastor Search Committee
At a Congregational meeting on March 22, 2015, St. John
unanimously voted to call The Rev. Linda Higgins as our next Senior
Pastor. She has accepted our call and will begin her ministry with
us on April 13, 2015. We welcome Linda to the St. Johns
community.
Linda has been a UCC minister for over thirty years and brings
with her a wealth of experience gained while serving churches in
four states.
From Rev. Nicholson Dear Members and Friends,
Last weekend was an extraordinary event. It has been more than a
decade since you as a congregation went through the process of
electing a search committee, went through the long and difficult
search process, and called a settled pastor. But you have done it;
and done it with faithfulness, patience, and care.
You may not realize it but your search committee met virtually
every Tuesday evening over the past year. This placed a tremendous
burden on them and their loved ones who had to adjust their
schedules and organize their lives around the demands of the task
to which they were called and elected. We all owe them a debt of
gratitude that I hope you will express to them.
This is my last Messenger article that I will write to you; and
that is as it should be. We interims know we are just that, interim
minis-ter, only here for a while. Lindas first day will
Welcome!
From Rev. Higgins Dear Members, Friends, Staff and especially
the
Search Committee,
Thank You!!!!!! I cannot even begin to tell you how
humbled and blessed I feel by all that you did on Call
Weekend. The Search Committee had impressed me during the
process with all of their careful and
discerning work, but then to get to meet all of you and be
welcomed. Wow!!! I truly am humbled that you
all care about your church enough to come out on both Saturday
and Sunday to meet me and call me to be
your Pastor. The ways in which you took care of me all weekend
and the ways you cared for each other was
wonderful to both receive and watch.
I am so excited to be coming to Richmond to be your Pastor. You
have made me feel so welcomed already
and I truly am looking forward to getting to know each and every
one of you.
With Love and Prayers for you as you walk through Holy Week,
Pastor Linda
be Monday, April 13, and my last day will be Friday, April
24.
There are a few more steps for you and Linda Higgins to take.
You of course will be welcoming her into the community of St. Johns
in a variety of thoughtful ways. She will need to become a member
of the Potomac Association of the United Church of Christ. This
will require her to go to the DC area to meet with the Church and
Ministry Committee. Once recognized, an installation service will
be held here at St. Johns and she will become officially your
settled pastor. The installation service and the reception
following are a grand time for celebrating her ministry with her
and your ministry with her, as together you begin writing the next
chapter in the ministry and mission of St. Johns.
So even though a milestone has been reached, the journey lies
ahead, and wish you the richest of Gods blessings.
Warmly, Roger
-
Holy Week And Easter
Maundy Thursday - April 2 7:00 am Communion and Tenebrae
Service
Our Communion and Tenebrae (Latin for "shadows" or
"darkness")
Service will guide us as we remember the night of Christs last
supper and betrayal.
Good Friday - April 3 Noon Prayer Service
Easter Sunday - April 5 11:00 am Easter Worship Service
Join us in the sanctuary at 11:00 am for our Easter Worship
Service. The service will conclude with the choir
and congregation singing of the Hallelujah chorus to Handels
Messiah.
Noon Celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord!
Gather in the Fellowship Hall to enjoy fellowship and wonderful
food prepared by the Congregational Life ministry. Special
activities will be provided for the children including our annual
Easter egg hunt. We look
forward to seeing everyone as we greet one another with
Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
2 The Messenger | APRIL 2015
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket
fired
signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and
are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is
not spending
money alone. It is spending the sweat of laborers, the genius of
scientists,
the hope of its children.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, five-star general and the thirty-fourth
president of the United States.
Religious people seldom have difficulty finding a scriptural
basis for engaging in conflict. The Old Testament is a history
of nations in conflict, and God was on the side of the faithful.
The lesson of our Savior, however, is to bridge differences, to
trample prejudices, and to bury animosities. To the surprise of
most everyone, Jesus came not to lead his people in war, but as the
Prince of Peace. Jesus died on a cross, not to defeat the Romans,
but to bring the Kingdom of God. As spring awakens the earth, let
us be pray-full and courageous. Let us pray that our eyes be
opened. Let us see the world as it is and as it yearns to be. Let
us pray for understanding, reconciliation, and the end of
animosities, some of which have lasted for hundreds of years. Let
us pray for ourselves. Let us pray for our neighbors and our
enemies. Let us temper our passions and tend to the patient labors
of peace.
-
The UCC has a long-standing history of working with Amenians
dating back to the early 1800s. Missionaries of the American
Board
of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, the original name of the
UCC Wider Church Ministries, worked primarily with the Armenian
community in Anatolia for a century, opening schools and
orphanages, establishing hospitals, and preaching the Gospel.
Beginning
in 1915, they witnessed and documented the atrocities, and
advocated for an end to the massacres.
SERVICE TO COMMEMORATE...APRIL 26 at St. Johns For the 100th
commemoration of the genocide, St. Johns will be holding a special
worship service on APRIL 26, 2015. This year we will lift up the
horrors and the resiliency of people of faith when confronted with
such events. Members of St. James Armenian Apostolic Church will
join us for worship, bring greetings, offer Lord's Prayer in
worship and enrich our understanding. The Rev. Dr. Susan Minasian,
Chaplain at Franklin and Marshall College and leader in the
movement for reconciliation and admission, will preach. All are
invited to gather for Fellowship with Armenian delicacies in the
parlor after worship.
100 Years later this Genocide remains in denial and leaves cover
for other such events in the world to happen.
3 The Messenger | APRIL 2015
The Armenian Genocide was the Ottoman government's systematic
extermi-nation of its minority Armenian subjects from their
historic homeland within the territory constituting the present-day
Republic of Turkey. The total number of people killed as a result
has been estimated at between 1 and 1.5 million. The starting date
is conventionally held to be 24 April 1915, the day Ottoman
authorities rounded up and arrested some 250 Armenian intellectuals
and community leaders in Constantinople. The genocide was carried
out during and after World War I and implemented in two phases: the
wholesale killing of the able-bodied male population through
massacre and subjection of army conscripts to forced labor,
followed by the deportation of women, children, the elderly and
infirm ondeath marches leading to the Syrian desert. Driven forward
by military escorts, the deportees were deprived of food and water
and subjected to periodic robbery, rape, and massacre. Other
indigenous and Christian ethnic groups such as the Assyrians and
the Ottoman Greeks were similarly targeted for extermination by the
Ottoman government, and their treatment is considered by many
historians to be part of the same genocidal policy.
Armenian civilians, escorted by armed Ottoman soldiers, are
marched through Harput
(Kharpert), to a prison in April 1915.
-
4 The Messenger | APRIL 2015
Please sign up on the lists in the Parlor to help welcome
our
CARITAS guests each night.
APRIL CARITAS Volunteers
Please donate snacks for our CARITAS ministry.
April 1 Jeff Michel, Beverly Lindsey
April 2 The Bighinattis
April 3 Rob Osborn, Helena DeLigt
April 4 Laura Totty
April 5
April 6 First English
April 7 First English
April 8 Jeff Michel
April 9 Elisabeth Burnette
April 10
April 11 Sal Anselmo
April 12
April 13 First English
April 14 First English
April 15 Jeff Michel, Bill Watson
April 16 Elisabeth Burnette
April 17 Don Warren
Easter Offering for ACTS ACTS - Area Congregations Together in
Service - is a Greater Richmond interfaith mission providing
support and resources during periods of financial crisis to prevent
homelessness. ACTS serves as a resource to St. Johns UCC and 50+
other regional
congregations, by assessing and assisting people who visit or
call the churches seeking financial assistance. Instead of the
churches simply offering a hand out, staff is able to refer that
person to ACTS who fully assesses the situation face to face while
taking the necessary time to listen to each individual and how they
got in financial crisis and the best solutions. Since it began
assisting clients in the Greater Richmond Area in August 2006, ACTS
has financially assisted hundreds of house-holds and given other
more appropriate resources to hundreds more. Your support during
2014 enabled 825 people to retain their stable housing within 340
households. That included 332 children under the age of 18 who
would have had their lives disruptedoften an indicator of repeated
homelessness during their adult years. Your continued financial
support is most appreciated by so many in our community who are in
crisis. Special monetary offerings will be received on Easter
Sunday for ACTS.
2015
Stuart Circle Parish
Good Friday Blood Drive April 3, 2015 2:00 7:00
Location:
Fellowship Hall, Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church 1627
Monument Avenue
Parking in alley behind the church
Participating Churches The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart , City
Church, First English Lutheran Church
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, St. Jamess Episcopal Church,
St. Johns United Church of Christ
-
5 The Messenger | APRIL 2015
Journeying with Jesus This month, our children will be learning
about Easter and celebrating the good news that Jesus is risen, and
then beginning to explore stories about Jesus life and ministry.
Because the Easter story is so important, the Toddler and Primary
classes will spend two weeks (April 5 and 12) on this theme. Jr.
Youth will remain in worship on Easter Sunday and then explore the
resurrection story on April 12. There will be no classes for
children on April 19; older children will remain in worship and
younger children will have the option of remaining or departing
after the childrens moment for play and crafts. April 26, the
Toddler and Primary classes will go back to the beginning of Jesus
ministry and explore the calling of Jesus disciples. Jr. Youth will
begin a series focused on the parables Jesus told and their meaning
for us today. Faith Place (9:45-10:45 a.m.) will meet on April 12
and April 26.
Gleaning Hope with Ruth One of the beloved stories of scripture
is that of Ruth, who left her homeland to support her mother-in-law
after great tragedy struck their family. Her perseverance and
commitment are often held up as a model for faithful living. Yet
the story of Ruth is not just an example of family commitment and
renewed romance. Come discover new ways to look at this old, old
story and explore how Ruths choices might offer us hope when we
face difficult circumstances.
Proposed Constitution Discussion Forums During times of
transition, we have opportunities to talk about who we are, where
we are going, and how we are want to live out our mission and
purpose. To this end, Church Council appointed a task force to
review and revise the St. Johns constitution, and the Council has
now approved a new version of the constitution for congregational
consideration. The new version of the constitution does several
things. It clarifies the roles of officers It eliminates the Audit
Committee and moves that
responsibility into other areas. It reflects our current
practices with regard to
membership, It proposes that we move from two-year to
three-year
terms for Council members It permits flexibility in the size of
Council and committees
to reflect the realities of a smaller congregation.
We invite you to read the proposed draft of the constitution and
then attend one of two conversation
forums to discuss these two questions:
Does this constitution reflect what you want St. Johns to be and
stand for?
Are there any parts of the constitution that
you do not understand or have questions about?
The forums will be held Wednesday, April 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
and Sunday, April 12, 9:00-10:00 a.m.
(breakfast included). You can find a copy of the proposed
revised constitution on the website (www.stjohnsrichmond.org), or
pick up a paper copy in the Parlor or Narthex.
Congregational Breakfast
April 12, 2015 9:00 am
-
6 The Messenger / APRIL 2015
...from the President March was a busy month for Council and
members of the Congregation!
Rev. Linda Higgins: During the meeting in late February, Council
voted to present Rev. Linda Higgins to the Congregation as a
candidate for Senior Pastor of St. Johns UCC. During the meeting on
March 9th, a call agreement including financial arrangements was
approved. The date of March 21st and 22nd were set to have Rev.
Higgins join us for her call sermon. The Council and Search
committee planned a glorious weekend and Rev. Linda Higgins was
unanimously approved as the new Pastor of St. Johns UCC. My thanks
to all who participated and made all the festivities possible. She
will join us on Monday, April 13th as our Pastor and Rev . Roger
Nicholson will be with her in transition for a couple of weeks in
April. Rev. Nicholson will preach his last official sermon with us
on April 12th.
A special thanks to our Search Committee who worked with such
commitment for the past 16 months to bring Rev. Higgins to us.
Palm Sunday and Holy Week: Our Palm Sunday parade was great and
a wonderful experience for all. This is an old tradition for St.
Johns, one that many of us have been a part of for years. Our
Easter celebrations are before us. Please join us for Maundy
Thursday services at 7:00 pm, and Good Friday at Noon in the
sanctuary and Easter Sunday worship at 11:00 AM.
Constitution: The Council voted to present the revised
Constitution to the congregation on May 10 at a Congregational
Meeting. There will be two sessions for the committee to present
the document to the congregation for questions and discussion. The
first one will be Wednesday, April 8 at 6:30 in the Fellowship Hall
and the second will be with Breakfast on Sunday, April 12th at 9:00
am . I urge all members to make every effort to attend one of these
presentations.
New Council Members: This is the time of the year that present
council members are re-elected and new members are added to the
council. We have four spots available and would like to see one of
you submit your name in nomination. There will be a
nomination/suggestion form in the bulletin for the next couple of
weeks, please fill one out for yourself or someone you would like
to see on Church Council. The election will be on May 10th.
St. Johns Players: St. Johns Players will be presenting their
annual Cabaret on Saturday, April 25 and 26. This event is a fund
raiser and all proceeds go to St. Johns UCC annual budget. We are
in need of some volunteers to serve as ushers and to help serve the
dinner on Sat. night. Please see Tony Sharpenstein or Betsy
Bighinatti. Tickets are available on line, or in church on Sundays.
Please purchase one soon!
Spring is a busy and exciting time and a new beginning; I hope
you will all travel on this journey with me and the rest of the
congregation.
Peace to all Betsy J. Bighinatti
President
Next Church Council Meeting April 20, 2015
The next Church Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, April
20, at 7:00 pm.
-
7 The Messenger | APRIL 2015
April Lectionary
St. Johns Financial Picture YTD as of 2-28-15
2015 Budget Budget YTD Actual YTD
Income
Pledge Payments* $110,500 $18,333 $16,470
Cash Offerings $11,000 $1,833 $2,317
Other Income (Endowment Contributions $126,700 $29,008
$27,672
Parking Lot Rental, Wedding Income, etc.)
Development Fund $36,000 $6,000 $1,146
Total Income $284,200 $55,174 $47,605
Expenses
Personnel 187,846 29,608 19,943
Committees 27,685 4,614 4,240
Operations/Maintenance 116,140 22,285 27,644
Local Benevolences 7,650 2,583 1,302
Other 9,600 - -
Development Fund 36,000 6,000 $0
Total Expenses 384,921 65,090 53,129
Income/Expenses Total (100,721) (9,916) (5,524)
surplus (deficit)
NOTE:
1. Income includes a total of $85,000 annual contribution from
Endowment Fund ($7083 monthly)
2. Annual Deficit to be covered by Endowment Fund and General
Reserve Fund
3. 2015 Pledge Budget is $110,000. 55 pledges for $118,000 Were
pledged.
Easter
April 5, 2015
Isaiah 25:6-9 Psalm 118, 1-2, 14-24
1 Cor. 15:1-11 Mark 16:1-8
Second Sunday of Easter April 12, 2015
Acts 4:32-35 Psalm 133
1 John 1:1-2:2 John 20:19-31
Third Sunday of Easter April 19, 2015
Acts 3:12-19 Psalm 4
1 John 3:1-7
Luke 24:36b-48
Fourth Sunday of Easter April 26, 2015
Acts 4:5-12 Psalm 23
1 John 3:16-24
John 10:11-18
-
8 The Messenger | APRIL 2015
The annual St. Johns Basement Sale will be held on
Saturday June 6, 8:00 am till 1:00 pm.
Here is your opportunity to do some Spring-Cleaning
of closets and corners!
Bring books, DVDs, dishes, toys, small appliances (in working
condition), pictures,
and gently used childrens clothing (NO CLOTHES FOR ADULTS).
You can bring donations to the church basement
(clearly marked BASEMENT SALE). Thanks for your donations and
for your help! See Dorothy Cook or Laura Siff if you have any
questions
The Church Council, according to our Constitution, has many
tasks. Among them
are:
Encouraging the spiritual life and welfare of the congregation
and its participants
Evaluating the effectiveness of St. Johns ministries
Engaging in short and long range planning
Assisting and supporting the pastoral staff
Church Council is currently seeking self-nominations and
recommendations for new Council members. If you think you
might be called to serve, or know someone else who might have
gifts for leadership, please fill in the form below and mail it to
503 Stuart Circle, Richmond, VA 23220..
I recommend the following person (or myself) for
consideration to serve on the St. Johns Church
Council:
_____________________________
Come and say THANK YOU
to Rev. Nicholson at a Special Reception on
Sunday, April 12 at Noon
-
9 The Messenger | APRIL 2015
St. Johns
Flashback! A Musical Cabaret of Songs from
SJCP
St. Johns Community Players Present
Saturday, April 25 @ 7:30 & Sunday, April 26 @ 3:00 pm
Seating for Theatre Only Tickets: $10 Adults * $8 Students
Saturday, April 25 Dinner @ 6:00 Show @ 7:30 pm $20 Advance
Payment Required
Dinner reservations must be placed by Thursday, April 23 Call
the Box Office to Make Your Reservations 358-9291
or pay on-line at
http://stjohnsrichmond.org/st-johns-players
April Meeting
April 17 - 19, 2015 Kiptopeke State Park
Cape Charles, VA Beach
Trails
Birding
Fellowship
Discussion
Meals
$65 per person
See Cheryl Goode for more information.
Equality Virginia Dinner April 18th
As in previous years, St. Johns is sponsoring a table at this
years Equality Virginia Commonwealth Dinner, which honors the LGBT
community and particular individuals and organiza-tions throughout
Virginia who have promoted LGBT equality. The event includes a
pre-dinner reception (cash bar), a silent auction, the dinner, and
after-dinner dancing. This years dinner is the evening of Saturday,
April 18th at the Convention Center. The cost for a non-profit such
as St. Johns is $925 for a table of 10, or $92.50 per ticket,
instead of the regular price of $125 per ticket. If you are
interested in attending, please contact Jeff Jacobs, at
[email protected] or (202) 361-9887.
All are invited to join us on Thursday, April 9 at
10:30 am at the Valentine Museum for a
tour.
Call Lynda Merry at 756-0270 for information
-
To order fresh flowers to be placed on the altar in honor of a
special
occasion or person or in remembrance of someone, please sign-up
on the flower chart on the bulletin board in the hallway near
the nursery or contact Sonny Darnell at 743-7528 or
[email protected] $45.00 for two beautiful bouquets.
April 5 April 12 April 19 April 26
Welcome
Team Leader
Lynn Snyder
Lynn Snyder
Bill Watson
Bill Watson
Sound System
Mark Atkinson
Mark Atkinson
Acolytes
Hank,
Cammie, Eddie Allen
Hank,
Cammie, Eddie Allen
Savannah, Ashley
Quick
Savannah, Ashley
Quick
Lay Reader
Kristina Gilbert
Rob Osborn
Ashley Quick
Sal Anselmo
Fellowship Hosts
Easter
Celebration
Elisabeth Burnette
Scott Siefert
Chris and Abby Ward
Nursery Helpers
TBA
Chris & Abby
Ward
Laura Totty
Marjorie & Justin
Barbour
Tellers Rob Osborn
Tony Sharpenstein
Rob Osborn
Tony Sharpenstein
Sonny Darnell Dorothy Cook
Sonny Darnell Dorothy Cook
Facilities Bill Watson
Bill Watson
Altar Guild Erin Burnette, Georgianne
Stinnett All to help
Cheryl Goode Arthur Dewey
Sonny Darnell Dorothy Cook
Bryan Anderegg Johanna Gilbert
Flowers Easter Lilies
Fellowship Coordinator: Sal Anselmo 358-1696 Tellers
Coordinator: Bud Higgins 301-5059 Lay Readers Coordinator: Sal
Anselmo 358-1696 Altar Guild Coordinator: Sonny Darnell 743-7528
CARITAS Coordinators: Don Warren Richard Bighinatti
Please find a substitute if you are unable to perform your
ministry and contact your team coordinator AND the office to let
them know who will be filling in for you. Thank you for making our
church ministries run
smoothly!
-
April Birthdays
1 Rene Chrysler 2 Dale Totty 11 Micah Dalton 16 Desiree McNeice
20 Charlotte Ford
23 Huldah Anderson 29 Anne Lohmann Palmen 30 Betsy Bighinatti 30
Theresa Caraher 30 Jerry Simonoff
2015
1
5 pm Card Ministry
CARITAS
2
11:30 am NA Meeting
7:00 Maundy Thursday Service
CARITAS
3 Noon Good Friday
Service
2-7 Stuart Circle Blood Drive
CARITAS
4
CARITAS
5
10 am Choir rehearsal
11 am Worship
12:30 pm Easter Celebration
CARITAS
6 Office Closed
CARITAS
7
10:00 am Staff Meeting
11:30 am NA Meeting
5:30 Finance Comm.
CARITAS
8
5 pm Card Ministry
6:30 pm Congregational Forum/Constitution
CARITAS
9 10:30 am
The Fellowship
11:30 am NA Meeting
7 pm Choir Rehearsal
CARITAS
10
Office Closed
CARITAS
11
1:00 pm SJP
CARITAS
12 9:00 am Breakfast
9:45 am Constitution Forum 10 am Choir rehearsal
11 am Worship Noon Reception for
Rev. Nicholson CARITAS
13
Rev. Higgins first day in office.
CARITAS
14 .
10:00 am Staff Meeting
11:30 am NA Meeting
CARITAS
15
5 pm Card Ministry
CARITAS
16
11:30 am NA Meeting
7 pm Choir Rehearsal
CARITAS
17
Office Closed
CARITAS
18 8:30 am Indian Orthodox
Equality Virginia Dinner
19 Womans Retreat
9:45 am Faith Formation 10 am Choir rehearsal
11 am Worship
20
7 Church Council
21
10:00 am Staff Meeting
11:30 am NA Meeting
22
5 pm Card Ministry
23
11:30 am NA Meeting
7 pm Choir Rehearsal
24
Office Closed
6:00 pm SJP Dress Rehearsal
25
9-2:30 Church World Services Meeting
6:00 Cabaret Dinner 7:30 Cabaret show
26 9:30 am Faith Formation 10 am Choir rehearsal
11 am Worship - Dr. Susan Minasian
preaching 3:00 Cabaret
27
28
10:00 am Staff Meeting
11:30 am NA Meeting
29 30
MAUNDY THURSDAY GOOD FRIDAY
WOMANS RETREAT