June 2013
The Pace of Summer
St. John’s Episcopal Church Mission Statement
The mission of St. John’s Episcopal Church is to worship and serve God as we:
Pray, Proclaim the Gospel, Promote spiritual growth, justice, peace and love. Affirmed by the Vestry, December 2008
Donna Balser, our Administrative Assistant is putting together and printing our Eagle News. Edie
Eckman is editing for us. All information and articles are due in the church office no later than the 15th of
each month. Early items are always accepted. Thank you for being kind and on time.
June 15 is the deadline for the
July Issue of the Eagle News
Welcome to the Episcopal Church in summer! Our office hours change, our Sunday school takes
a break for the summer, our worship service hour changes, and we tend to forget about church. I pray
that you will not neglect your spiritual life in the summer. It is a time of great beauty and wonderful time
spent with family and friends but it can also be a time of spiritual renewal. Time to gaze through the clear
windows in our nave and remember it is only by the grace of God that we live, move, and have our being.
It is also a time to be an evangelist. Our Brotherhood of St. John’s men will be hosting our annual Low
Country Seafood Boil in June. Mark your calendars for the 3rd Sunday in June, June 16, for this tasty
event and bring a friend or two. We will also be having Vacation Bible School with our Lutheran friends
across the street. It is not only for children but adults as well, so if you are 3 or 83 feel free to come and
enjoy good food, fellowship, and education. Our joint Vacation Bible School is June 23-27 from 5:30 until
8:00 p.m. at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church.
The pace of summer allows us to take a breath and evaluate our private and corporate life. In this
June issue of the Eagle News you will find a simple evaluation form. It was devised by Sally Day who
serves on our Pastoral Care and Newcomers Committee on the Vestry. We hope you will take some time
to consider what brings you to church and what in our common life is important to you. Feel free to sign
your form or be anonymous; it is totally up to you. The Vestry and I are always eager to hear or read
what you are thinking, talking about, happy with, or disgruntled about in our parish.
Speaking of the Vestry, if you feel called to leadership in our parish please approach any member of the
Vestry or me to ask any questions. We stand ready to listen, so much so that on June 30 at 9:00 AM
you are invited to a Vestry breakfast in our parish hall. It will be a time of conversation between the
members of the Vestry and the parish. You do NOT need to bring anything other than your comments,
compliments, or criticisms to be heard and responded to in a public forum. We will have 5th Sunday
breakfasts over the next year; we hope it will be a time of information exchange, deeper understanding,
and maybe even a time to celebrate our common life at St. John’s.
May your summer be blessed with beauty, bounteous blessings, and all the joy that God has in
store for you.
Peace
Kim+
Did you know?
From the Pastoral Care/Newcomers Committee
From the Office
1. Our Casavant organ was purchased in 1968 for the price of $39,298.00.
2. Our picture boards have been installed lovingly and professionally by Tony Balser in the hallway.
If we do not have your picture, give us one, and we will get you on the board of fame!
3. Our Parish Fair netted just under $3000.00 for our Stop Hunger Now pack which is scheduled in
the fall. We needed to raise at least $2500.00. God is good all the time!
4. Our sound system in the nave appears to be working exactly as we had hoped when it was
installed. You should hardly notice it visually; however, it should be helping some folks hear more
clearly the readings and the Prayers of the People.
5. Father Kim will be going back to West Virginia July 15-19 for another week of silence. Please hold
him in your prayers as he reconnects with silence.
From the Loft
From Frank Kennerly
As we think toward the warmer days of summer, please remember that our choir is enjoying a
break from Memorial Day to Labor Day, though we will continue to have Sunday morning rehearsals
beginning at 9:30 a.m. There is lots of room in the choir loft for additional participants, and we look
forward to the joyful participation of our own gifted musicians in worship services during the upcoming
season. Please consider sharing the talents which you have been given. I am available to assist as you
prepare. Please let me know when you’d like to participate at fkenn@comcast.net or 540-221-2345.
I am reminded of The American Guild of Organists’ credo: “Soli Deo Gloria” which translates “To God
Alone be the Glory”. No matter what instrument and no matter what level of proficiency, we are reminded
of the Psalm which instructs us to “make a joyful noise”. We welcome you to share your joyful noise and
there are lots of opportunities to do so during the summer.
Diocesan Common life
From Father Kim
Some if not all have received in the mail a letter requesting financial help from the Standing Committee of
our diocese. The requests are three; one for the bishop’s painting, one for the bishop elect vestments,
and one for departing gifts for our current bishop and his wife. Please know that the parish has already
given the diocese a gift for the painting and it was for the full amount requested by the Standing
Committee.
From Sally Day
Thank you to everyone who brought goodies and joined us at the Newcomers reception on May 5.
It was fun to get to socialize and particularly nice to be in the library with all the comfy chairs. A special
thanks to Norma Buzzard for the cake and to Tony Balser for helping with the dishwasher and being the
kitchen supply database!
If you know someone who would like a visit from time to time, please let us know: Sally Day, 2450943 and Jim Pruiksma, 943-2700.
Join us for Rainforest Vacation Bible School 2013!
Mark your calendar now for June 23 to 27, Sunday through Thursday for an
exciting exploration of faith and rainforests.
Who: children ages 3 to 12 and adults (yes, there is a class for adults)
When: 5:30 to 8:00 p.m., 6/23 -27
Where: Grace Lutheran Church
What: dinner followed by class, crafts, music, recreation, and closing fellowship
Questions: call Sally Day, 245-0943 Invite your friends and spread the word!
June Birthdays
3) Maryann Pruiksma, 5) Kaitlyn Vernier, 6) Andrew Taylor, Jonathan Garber, James Pruiksma, 7) Sally
Cole, Emily Day, Rachel Townsend, 8) Sally Reynolds, 11) Bethany Balser Hicks, 12) David Foster,
Ciara Imbert, 16) Dillen Watson, 18) Andrew Sharretts, Elizabeth Smith, 21) Van Anderson, 23) Judy
Ericson, 25) Julie Pittman, 26) Dale Diacont, 27) Kathy Kappes, Luke Bartosik, 29) Connie Chandler,
Mark Donham
June Anniversaries
1) John & Kathy Kappes, David & Susan Loan, 2) Leonard & Julie Pittman, 7) Ted & Sally Cole, 9) Corey
& Judy Ericson, Doug & Martha Wood, 10) Mike & Ellen Reno, 11) Fred & Dana Zeh, 19) Steve & Kathy
Garber
Blessings
PLEDGES
With summer coming on and attendance down it is hard to remember your pledges
but please don’t forget them!
We still have our normal monthly bills and salaries to pay.
So please take a few minutes to send in your pledge.
P. O. Box 945, Waynesboro, VA 22980
From Donna & Tony Balser
Thanks Be to God on the safe arrival of Katie Ann Hicks. Katie weighed in at 7lbs 2oz and 19 ½
inches long. Proud parents are Bethany and James Hicks, grandparents are Tony and Donna Balser
EV Schedule
June 2 Tom Mullen
June 9 Rhoda Shifflett
June 16 Agnes Messimer
June 23 Dorothy Buchholz
June 30 Bill Gallaher