of St.

Johns in Pine Meadow

St. Johns mission is to nurture all people in their spiritual growth, in their Christian education, and in their relationship with God. The Rev. Salin Low, Rector November 2012

St. Johns is and will be what YOU make of it!

I am continually amazed by the number of people who contribute their time and talents to St. Johns especially on days other than Sunday. There is a list inside this newsletter of people who kept the garden beautiful during the summer. A group painted a couple of sides of the church in September. Some parishioners are working to straighten up the kitchen. And of course our crack cleaning crew, led by Ron Caine and Tom Chappell, is keep the church spotless for Sunday worship and use by other groups during the week. All these efforts are labors of love for a place and a community which has offered friendship and comfort to people who entered here for over 160 years! Now we are at a time when the changes in our individual and corporate lives are affecting the place St. Johns can have in those lives. The demands on families when all adults are working are tremendous. In addition to being church time, Sunday morning is a time for team sports, shopping for the week, and maybe the only time to be together for the family during a hectic week. Older adults look forward to time away at least in the winter to escape the cold and snow for a few weeks or months. In the meantime St. Johns is still a place which nurtures and strengthens those who are a part of its community. Our children are being taught the traditions of our faith. Our worship is enhanced with the music of the choir and the order created by the altar guild. The lessons are made part of our lives through sermons and the weekly rehearsing of the eucharist. Care and presence are offered to those in need. While much of the ministry of this place can be accomplished by those who have time to devote to parish life during the week, other parts of our work requires the financial support of each of us. Our building must be kept warm in the winter and must be lighted all year long. We rely on professional help from organist, parish secretary, Christian education consultant, and priest, although all work on schedules limited by a tight budget. Our financial support of St. Johns ministry is another sort of labor of love. The material resources which we have accumulated represent the days and years of effort we have put into our various careers. When we share from that bounty, in effect we share our labor to make and keep St. Johns ministry strong - in our time and in years to come. The strength of a parish can be measured by the breadth of support for its ministry. What St. Johns will be next year and in the years to come will depend on how much each of us is willing to give - in time, in talent, and in treasure. Consider prayerfully how much God has given to you and how God is calling you to use those gifts. Blessings and Peace,

Please return Pledge Cards by that date.

Bits&Pieces

HOW WERE DOING SO FAR

SEPTEMBER 2012 RESULTS
Operating Income Operating Expenses $ 23,055 $ 17,358 $ 139,037 $ 146,251 Prayer Requests Requests are handled confidentially through the office during the rectors absence. Prayers will continue for a month unless other time periods are specified. You may fill out a prayer request form or call the office at 379-3062. Wednesday Evening ServiceIts the new Sunday. Please join us at 7:30 on Wednesday evenings for a quiet service offering time for reflection and prayer. Anointing for healing of mind, body and spirit is offered following communion. Church Office Hours Office hours are 8:30 a.m. 1:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

Year To Date
Operating Income Operating Expenses

Sue Bremer, Treasurer

Shopping Cards
An Easy Way to Help

Now Available for Immediate Purchase $100 Stop & Shop Cards

Special ShoppingNov. & Dec.

Double Help for St. Johns Weekly Card Sales Cards sold every Sunday from Nov 4 to Dec. 16. Card percentages for St. Johns doubled. Shop with cards or give them as gifts while also giving to ministry.

news from

church school

Create your own mite box to collect loose coins. The accumulation of small gifts can make a big difference in the work of the church. Bring your coins to the church anytime to be combined with others gifts and presented at the altar on the first Sunday of the month. The October offering was $70.63. We collect all month so feel free to bring in at any time and bless it on the first Sunday of the month. The total to date including Octobers offering is $751.44

We will be studying Old Testament figures through November. Specific studies are: Primary class (in the parish hall) studying Moses-flight from Egypt, traveling in the desert, finding the Promise Land, Giving Thanks for a new home. Intermediate class (in the addition) will be studying key judges, kings, and prophets, exile and return to Jerusalem while creating our own timeline/ symbols for each figure we learn about. Middle school class and 9th grade class (in the addition) continues to use our new curriculum Reform to discuss a number of judges, kings, and prophets and other key figures of the Old Testament. SAVE THE DATES November 20 - Stone Soup Sharing our gifts to feed each other December 9 - Special Advent Activities During & after 10 am service

PARISH REGISTER
(Broadly Defined)
The register is broadly defined, because there are events in the lives of parishioners and their families which are not recorded in St. Johns register. It is good, however, for us to hear about these events in each others lives. Let the office know about happenings in your own life and in the lives of other parishioners, especially hospitalizations.
Births Emile Blakeslee Boileau (Son of Julia Hall & Francis Boileau) (Grandson of Blake & Sue Hall) Richard Joseph Langer III (Son of Jody & Richard Langer) (Grandson of Laura & Bruce Wearne) Marriage MaryJeanne Lofquist & Justin Chichester

Special thanks to Norma Pappalardo for all her efforts in rejuvenating and restoring the Gill Memorial Garden. Special thanks to Ron & Joan Caine, Rose Osborne and Tom Chappell for cleaning the church. Special thanks to everyone who participated in the Italian Dinner/Songfest and Auction, we raised almost $4,000.00 Thank you to everyone who contributed food to the Italian Dinner, especially Judy Jones, Guy Hayes, Joe Russo, Rick Smith and Donna Colavecchio for the baked ziti, Ann Atwood, Beth Coates, Barbara Henri, Suzie Horn and Rose Osborne for the salads, Diane Hayes and Donna Colavecchio for the appetizers and Jill Healey for the bread. Thanks to all who helped with Peters 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. Johns.

DRUM CIRCLE NOVEMBER 11 - 4 PM

Gary Pontelandolfo is forming a drum circle for those who want to use or develop skills with hand drums of various sorts. He has invited guest drummers and encourages all who want to explore their inner drummer to join the circle. You can reach him at gazza8@me.com or (860) 379-3708.

FALL GARDEN CLEAN UP NOVEMBER 11th Following the 10 AM Service

Bring a rake & work gloves. Call the office (379 -3062) with questions. Many thanks to the following people for helping with the Gill Memorial Garden this year: John Gargiulo Ann Atwood Jill Smith Beth Coates Ruth Grobe Mac Wilson Gray Horn Laura Carter Nancy Gibson Ellen Childs Laura Wearne Jill Healey Gordon Ross Norma Pappalardo Barbara Henri Maggie Stull

Coffee Hour Hosts

10:00 a.m. Service
This is an important part of our ministry of hospitality to visitors, to children, to one another. Coffee supplies other than cream are available in the kitchen. 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 who attend the 10 a.m. service are requested to host at least once this fall.

JESSE TREE
Arrives November 18th Take a tag and purchase a gift for a needy child.
This is an annual outreach project at St. Johns. We will provide a stocking, a gift, and an item of clothing for 25 children. Cash donations will be accepted to provide a holiday meal for each family (approximately 12 Families). Anyone interested in helping with sorting and delivery of the gifts may call the office at 379-3062 or contact Beth Coates at 379-2488 or b.coates@charter.net.

P. O. Box 27 Pine Meadow, CT 06061 Phone: 860 379-3062 www.reddoors.com

Address Correction

The Episcopal Church Were Here For You

Sunday Worship 8:00 & 10:00 a.m. September
Wednesday 7:30 pm

Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service Tuesday, November 20, 2012 At St. Johns @ 7:30 PM
St. Johns will host the Thanksgiving service at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 20th. A joint choir from St. Johns and North Congregational will enhance our worship. Attendees are asked to bring an offering of canned goods to be donated to local food banks, which clearly need even more help than usual in these difficult times. Cookies for a reception following the service are appreciated. There will be no Wednesday service on Nov. 21.

NEWS FROM DEACON DENISE

Literacy Training will be held at St. Johns on Thursday, December 13, 2012 from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. If you have not already signed up and would like to attend please let Denise know. Knitting Group On the first Sunday of the month, a few of us will be getting together after each of the Services during coffee hour to knit. And if you want to give it a try, Denise is able to show you the basic knitting stitch that youd need to learn in order to make a simple scarf or prayer shawl. Come join us!!

November 2012
St. JohnsCalendar of Events
Anniversaries in Italic
Sun Mon Tue Wed
1

Thu
2

Fri
8:30 PM AA

Sat
3

Holy Eucharist 8 & 10 AM Commitment Sunday Prayer Shawl Group

Holy Eucharist 7:30 PM 8:00 PM AA

8:30 PM AA

10

11

Holy Eucharist 8 & 10 AM Drum Circle 4:00

12

13

14

Holy Eucharist 7:30 PM 8:00 PM AA

15

Krista & Mark Warren

16

8:30 PM AA

17

18

Holy Eucharist 8 & 10 AM Stone Soup

19

Kathy & Andy Riberdy

20

Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service 7:30 PM

21
No Service 8:00 PM AA

22

23

8:30 PM AA

24

25

Holy Eucharist 8 & 10 AM

26

Vestry 7:00 PM

27

28

Holy Eucharist 7:30 PM 8:00 PM AA Josette & Richard Carter

29

30

8:30 PM AA

November Birthdays
7-Nov 7-Nov 8-Nov 9-Nov Michael Tooke Joe Kenney Mark Warren Nancy Gibson

9-Nov 12-Nov 13-Nov 15-Nov 16-Nov 21-Nov

Roger Frigon Garrett Healey Kenneth Krohner Kaila Dee Phil Prelli Debi Althen

22-Nov 22-Nov 25-Nov 28-Nov

Del Springer Jonathan Truss Leigh Colavecchio Henry Castonguay

The dinner at Brodie Park on September 28 was a wonderful evening. Good food, good Italian music, good friends. And we made over $4,000 for our ministry. Check out the website for a collage of photos.

On October 7 the church school thought about all the good things St. Francis did in helping the poor. Millie enjoy a romp on the green and a quick blessing pic.

On October 14 a group went on a hike to Haystack Mountain in Norfolk. The rains held off, and it was a fun afternoon.

On October 20 MaryJeanne Lofquist and Justin Chichester were married at St. Johns. Justin is the nephew of our parishioners Carol Wilson and Joan Caine