Beloved St. John’s community, I am full of both immense gratitude and also poignant sadness to bid a warm farewell and blessing for our Seminary Intern, Elizabeth Lienesch. She will preach on Sunday May 22, her final Sunday with St. John’s, when we will honor and bless her in the service and in a coffee hour[…]
Please join Lisa and Rex for a discussion of John Philip Newell’s Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul, which explores the Celtic thread within Christian tradition. This is about the sacredness and interrelatedness between all things, and is an important corrective to the ways Empire has distorted Jesus’ original message. In particular, Newell explores the sacred feminine,[…]
About those quilts in the parish hall… What do you remember about the weather in Minneapolis 40 years ago? Were the winters colder or warmer? Was there more snow or less snow? Were the summers cooler or warmer? Drier or wetter? It can be hard to experience the weather on a cold winter day and[…]
After many months of discernment, including conversations internal to St. John’s and with others from the broader community, St. John’s Racial Justice & Healing team has unanimously voted to approve a “Champion level” partnership between St. John’s and the Center for Leadership and Neighborhood Engagement (CLNE). CLNE is an organization committed to working with North[…]
Children entering grades 1st – 5th Peace Frogs Camp half day – August 22nd – 25th from 9:00am – 12:00pm. Sign up here Youth entering grades 5th – 12th Camping Trip to Jay Cooke State Park July 10th – 13th for youth entering 5th – 8th grades in the fall. More info will be sent[…]
Hi St. John’s families, We are soooooo excited to announce the return of family meals during our Wednesday night children’s choir practices! Our first dinner is scheduled for April 20th, beginning at 5:30pm. Because it has been a while since we have been able to offer this option, we would like to get an idea[…]
In December the interns from Circle of the Beloved worshipped with us and shared about themselves and their work at Adult Forum. Megan Palmer, the intern working with the Rev. Julie Luna and the Hispanic community at St. Nicholas Episcopal Church has extended an invitation for St. John’s to support our neighbors who depend upon St.[…]
Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul is convening faith leaders statewide for a series of compelling conversations with Minnesota Commissioner of Public Safety John Harrington about creating a better system of public safety and policing in Minnesota. A small group from our congregation is attending the series of conversations on Zoom. They will walk through[…]
Our friends at Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light (MNIPL) are partnering with a non-profit cooperative, Solar United Neighbors (SUN), to promote residential roof-top solar panels. The SUN co-op educates members on the financing of solar power, helps negotiate competitive pricing, and guides members through the process of solar-panel installation. Membership in the co-op is currently[…]
You are invited to join Lisa in a small group, 9-week pilot curriculum called “Centered”—becoming centered in love for God and one another as we grow to look, act and love more like Jesus. In these weekly early morning zoom sessions, which will begin in mid-February (exact date TBD), we will read scripture, watch a[…]
St. John’s, St. Luke’s-St. James and St. Paul’s are all working together to welcome a family as part of the Afghan resettlement program to Minneapolis! The family recently arrived in the North Metro and will be moving very soon into their new apartment in Uptown, near St. Paul’s. They have six kids and came to[…]
Friends – Here is an update on the Afghan Immigrant Family. Thank you for everyone who has expressed interest in participating in this ministry. The combined congregations have a family of 8 designated, and we are waiting for approval from Refugee Services from The Episcopal Church. The family has relatives in the metro, who immigrated[…]
Beloved St. John’s community, As you will recall, following the murder of George Floyd, St. John’s did extensive work exploring systemic racism and ultimately discerning the Spirit’s call to center the work of racial justice and healing in our parish. We found this work to be central to the gospel and Christian faith, not an[…]
Live the Legacy Martin Luther King Jr “Day of Service” Cold Weather Kit Packing Event Join others in the community with a service event that honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Together, people of all ages, are invited to pack cold weather kits for our neighbors. These kits will be[…]
How the Word is Passed “The history of slavery is the history of the United States. It was not peripheral to our founding; it was central to it. It is not irrelevant to our contemporary society; it created it.” –Clint Smith. This is the “word” that must be passed down. Throughout the month of January[…]
Thank you everyone who selected a family, shopped for household supplies, and decorated a Thanksgiving Basket earlier this month. This year had its unique challenges with the Urban Homeworks UHW) offices moving and of course COVID. As ever and to no one’s surprise, the generosity and creativity of St Johns members was more than up[…]
Beloved St. John’s community, As I write this, it is almost precisely the moment of the Winter Solstice – Tuesday morning, December 21. This is the darkest day of the year; the sun rises long after my daughter Carly gets on the bus for school, and sets before the evening meal. This is truly the[…]
This year’s confirmation class is unique in many ways. They are a group of ten tenth and eleventh graders from seven different high schools who have been through three CYF ministers and are the only group in known St. John’s history to have their pilgrimage postponed due to a global pandemic. That’s a lot for[…]
Friends – The Afghan resettlement information meeting held on Wednesday night (referred to below) is tied to an invitation from Bishop Loya and others to all faith communities in ECMN to take part in an effort during Advent to raise awareness across the diocese for our Afghan allies that have made their way to safety[…]
November 18, 2021 Friends – As many of you know, we are in the process of setting St. John’s 2022 budget. As we consider the details of our potential revenue and expenses for the coming year, I am prompted to reflect on the tireless work of our beloved staff, to create new and safe opportunities[…]
Thanksgiving Baskets for Affordable Housing Our annual partnership with Urban Homeworks to make Thanksgiving Baskets is on – just a little later than usual. Urban Homeworks is moving their offices so we are working around their construction and move schedules. Our goal is to provide 70 Baskets filled with household essentials to residents of Urban[…]
Readers and Pageant Participants Still Needed for Christmas Eve 3pm Pageant Join us at the 3pm Christmas Eve service for our spontaneous pageant! No rehearsals needed but please come @ 2:15pm on 12/24 to get your costume and prepare for your role! We will meet in the Library. Thank you to everyone who signed up[…]
Pastor Kelly Chatman will be preaching and presenting the 10:10am adult forum on the topic of “Bible and Liberation: Exodus” on November 7, All Saints Sunday. Pastor Kelly Chatman is the Executive Director of the Center for Leadership and Neighborhood Engagement, a North Minneapolis-based nonprofit whose vision is to mobilize congregations and leaders as powerful[…]
Friends – This past March, a group of churches, organizations and individuals – including Bishop Craig Loya – came together to form the Minnesota Sanctuary State Coalition. The goals of the coalition included creating greater awareness of the ways that Minnesota state and local government entities share information or collaborate with U.S. Immigration Customs and[…]
St. John’s leadership recently conducted a short survey asking people about your experience of our online worship, and we are grateful that many people responded. Here is what we learned: A sizeable number of people do use and value our online worship service options About two thirds of the people responding said they thought our[…]
Election Day is right around the corner. Do you know who is running for Ward 13 City Council? Would you like to better understand their positions? Join us for a Ward 13 Candidate Forum on Monday, October 4 at 7:00 p.m.The forum will be held in-person at St. John’s Episcopal Church as well as recorded[…]
Join us for the first book group sessions of the fall. We are reading The Church Cracked Open, Disruption, Decline, and New Hope for Beloved Community. Written by The Reverend Stephanie Spellers. Stephanie Spellers is an Episcopal priest, author and speaker who serves as a Canon to The Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry. She[…]
“Pay attention. / Be astonished. / Tell about it.” These words by the poet Mary Oliver are one way to think about the art of spiritual listening. This fall at St. John’s, we invite you to consider three options for spiritual listening within our community. The groups will be a place to hear each other[…]
Thursdays, September 9 and 16: 7:00 to 9:00pm (via Zoom, see our Thursday e-news for the link) Sundays, September 19 and 26: 10:10 to 11:05am (in-person TBD) Please read this in preparation for the conversation on September 26 We are offering a four-session series about how to have gracious conversations across lines of difference, called[…]
This fall, beginning Sunday, September 12, we will begin having two Sunday morning services: 9:00am Service of Holy Eucharist using innovative liturgies (contemporary style with piano) 11:15am Book of Common Prayer Rite II Service of Holy Eucharist (traditional style with organ) For the time being, we will not be having the 8:00am service, but may[…]
Children, Youth and Families Ministry (CYF) has a number of very important roles it needs to fill for the coming school year. Please prayfully consider these opportunities and connect with Heather to sign up or ask questions– youth@stjohns-mpls.org – and thank you!!! Sunday School Leaders/Assistants – Teach or assist with one of the following classes –[…]
2021 Classrooms September 2, 2021 My name is Ginny Jacobson and I have been involved with St. John’s Haiti Partnership for over a dozen years. I have two remarks regarding our partnership.August 22, 2021 several of us from St. John’s attended St. Luke’s/St. James to listen to, and welcome, Louis Noncent, Principal of a partner[…]
Blessed members of Saint John’s: I want to draw your attention to the work of the church at a national level. I attend a monthly meeting with leaders across the Episcopal Church, led by Stephanie Spellers of the Presiding Bishop’s Staff. This week, we learned about an active program in New Mexico. St. Bede’s Episcopal[…]
Volunteers Needed for Our Saviour’s Housing Ministry on Friday, August 13 Volunteer dinner groups purchase, prepare, and serve a nutritious meal to 24 residents at our emergency shelter every night of the year. It’s a perfect opportunity for families, congregations, co-workers, or friends to join together for a fun and fulfilling evening! St. John’s is committed[…]
Greetings, Beloved St. John’s Community. Today on the feast of Mary Magdalene, I remember the 17th anniversary of my ordination to the diaconate. As is my custom on this day, I read and reflect on Mary and her unique role as apostle to the apostles, as she is often referred to. This day I am[…]
St. John’s Public Safety Ministry provides information on the following event for informational purposes. We are not organizers, nor does our ministry endorse any of the proposed charter amendments that are likely to appear on the ballot for the Minneapolis city elections in November. MARCH (Multifaith Anti-Racism, Change, & Healing), with Reclaim the Block and[…]
As we begin to meet indoors for worship, you will undoubtedly notice several new things at St. John’s! New Technology First, due to the incredible generosity of several St. John’s members, we now have a new screen and projector in BOTH the sanctuary and the parish hall that can be used in all sorts of[…]
ALIGNING FINANCES WITH VALUES: Church Mortgage Refinanced at Local Bank Thanks to our members’ continued contributions to the Capital Campaign that funded major improvements to our church building a few years ago, we were recently able to pay down and refinance our mortgage. Until now the mortgage had been held by Wells Fargo. At our[…]
The Ordination of Kate Maxwell to the Priesthood I am delighted to announce that, God willing and the people consenting, our own Kate Maxwell will be ordained to the priesthood on Saturday, June 19 at 4 pm at St. Mark’s Cathedral. Watch online here. Kate has been a devoted and gifted member of St.[…]
Summer Solstice Community Virtual Pow Wow Thursday, June 24, 6-8pm First Nations Kitchen is hosting a Summer Solstice Virtual Community Pow Wow in partnership with the Hook & Ladder, and CTEP Americorps. We are aiming to decrease isolation and offer a celebration to our local Native Communities. One of our leaders the Rev. Barb Fairbanks[…]
FINAL OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE INPUT ON SANCTUARY STATE SUPPORT What to do and when? Before July 12, We are asking all St. John’s members to familiarize yourselves with the proposals of the Minnesota Sanctuary State Coalition and provide your input to Wardens Stacy Walters, Mark Lindberg, Deacon Rex McKee or Rector Lisa Wiens Heinsohn. This information has been in the[…]
Support our Partner School in Haiti Since 2007, St. John’s has been in partnership with the Episcopal parish and school of St Philippe et St Jacques in Collin/Gressier, Haiti. Our partnership is one of many in the Diocese of Haiti Parish Partnership Program, which partners Episcopal parishes or dioceses in the US with Episcopal[…]
During Lent, click below for a storytelling podcast from a member of St. John’s. Then come Sundays at 10am to talk more about what we heard. Click here for more. Week 5 conversation with Rie Gilsdorf Week 4 conversation with Tom Lutes Week 3 conversation with Susan Swann Week 2 conversation with Heidi Joos Week[…]
In art “sacra conversazione” (or sacred conversation) refers to depictions in paintings of the saints, Jesus and Mary, on the same picture plane as though they are in dialogue. There is something deep about this in the history of Christianity. Historians of our faith have argued that among the many factors the led to Christianity[…]
Part 1: Color A Smile: Print these seasonal coloring pages or create your own art and spend cozy family time coloring. Then send your cheerful pictures to Color-a-Smile to be distributed to deployed soldiers, nursing homes, and hospitals. Color A Smile, PO Box 151, Morristown NJ, 07962-1516 Part 2: Buy and Donate Supplies: Safe House[…]
Annual Meeting Sunday, January 23rd, 2022 at 11:00am (via Zoom) Please make a special effort to join the whole congregation for our Annual Meeting. A quorum of 50 people is required. On this day we will have ONE 10:00am Sunday morning service (which can also be watched independently at a time convenient for you, as[…]
Every year we elect new members to the vestry – our church’s governing body or board of directors – to replace members’ whose terms are expiring. Serving on vestry is an important way to give back to our community by providing leadership after engaging in other aspects of St. John’s community life. Mark Lindberg, Sr.[…]
To everyone who has donated to our Haiti Partnership, thank you so much. We know that these are difficult times for everyone, and your sacrificial giving will make a world of difference to the teachers and students at St Philippe et St Jacques. Not surprisingly, we are behind in our fundraising this year. If you[…]
St. Nicholas, an Episcopal Church in Richfield with whom we partner, has reached out for help. They have a Spanish speaking service, and the economic fallout from the pandemic has left many of their Spanish speaking members in need of support. These members need food, toiletries, and other essential items for themselves and their families.[…]
Continued thanks to all who have pledged to this year’s stewardship campaign, Strengthening Our Connections! We have currently received $452,866 in pledges. At this time last year we had received $507,881 in pledges of a total of about $550,000—so we have a way to go. Please make your pledge today! Of course we understand that[…]