IF you have not taken the CAT (Congregational Assessment Tool) survey yet and you are a regular attendee over the age of 16, PLEASE take it by Sunday, 4/27. Thanks!
Author: Michelle Burke
Fish Fry, April 11
Join us on Friday, April 11 for St. John’s Fish Fry from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. Your ticket ($16 adults, $10 kids) includes fish, homemade slaw, fries, roll, and dessert. Cash bar. Soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages available.
Tickets available by Venmo (scan code above) or Zelle (treasurer@stjohnschicago.com). Please put “Fish Fry” in the memo. Tickets are also available at the door (cash/check). All are welcome!
St. John’s Concert Series
Piano Recital with Mio Nakamura
St. John’s Concert Series presents
Piano Recital with Mio Nakamura
Sunday, March 9, at 3 pm
Join us for a delightful afternoon with pianist Mio Nakamura performing works by Chopin, Schumann, and Ravel. This concert is free and open to the public. In person only, no livestream. Co-presented by St. John’s Episcopal Church and Emerging Artist Chicago.
Worship with St. John’s
Ash Wednesday
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Join us for Ash Wednesday service with the Imposition of Ashes and Holy Eucharist at 7:30 pm
Download the bulletin for Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
For Online Worship: Join any service via Zoom Meeting ID: 882 2966 1337 Passcode: 3857 By phone: call 312.626.6799. Enter the Meeting ID and #. Enter the Password and #. OR Watch on Facebook live on our public page. If we’re not on St John’s Chicago, we’re live on Rector John
Join us for the Season of Lent, Holy Week and the Celebration of Easter
Lent
Lenten Soup Supper, Friday, March 14, 6 pm
Lenten Soup Supper, Friday, March 21, 6 pm
Fish Fry, Friday, April 11, 6 pm
Holy Week
Palm Sunday (with neighborhood procession), April 13, 8 and 10 am
Children’s Holy Week, April 16, 6 pm
Maundy Thursday, April 17, 7:30 pm
Stations of the Cross, April 18, 12 pm
Good Friday, April 18, 7:30 pm
Easter
Easter Vigil, April 19, 8:00 p.m., beginning in the Memorial Garden
Easter Sunday, April 20, 8, 9:15 and 11 am
Easter egg hunt between 9:15 and 11 am services
Announcing the Rector Search Committee
February 16, 2025
After prayer and careful consideration, the Vestry is please to appoint the following to serve on the Rector Search Committee:
- Christina Calvit
- Frank Gaytan
- Chris Horlacher
- Melissa Kanter
- Jason Martin
- Amy Meadows
- Rich Gage, Co-Chair
- Laura Singer, Co-Chair
More info about where we are in the process is all on our Rector Search page. The group will be commissioned for search on March 2nd at both the 8am and 10am services.
Mardi Gras 2025
Join Us March 1st, 2025 from 6:30pm to late for Mardi Gras with music by Joe Lill! Please register via the form so that we can have an accurate count.
Rev. Andrea Mysen Visit
If you missed Rev. Andrea Mysen (Canon to the Ordinary) visit on Sunday after the 8 or 10, WE DID RECORD THE 10AM SESSION! It is linked under our Rector Search page.
NEW! St. John’s Creative Arts Community
St. John’s Creative Arts Community is a newly formed group of artists and crafters of all skill levels who meet twice a month at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3857 N. Kostner Avenue, Chicago.
Craft Day: First Wednesday of the month from 1 to 4 pm
Craft Night: Third Wednesday of the month from 6 to 9 pm
We welcome all who need a space to work on art projects, are looking to learn a new skill, or just want to hang out with other talented, creative people. If this sounds like you, please stop by! Attendance is free. Join us in the church hall and bring a project that you want to work on. Children are welcome to join the fun, but please note we do not provide any childcare
Questions or have a skill you want to teach to others? Please contact Debbie at dmaher34@gmail.com.
Open to all in the Irving Park Community!
Search Committee Update
Last week, as announced on Sunday 11/3, the Vestry named Rich Gage and Laura Singer as co-chairs of the Rector Search committee.
Next steps: The Vestry and the Search Committee co-chairs, Rich Gage and Laura Singer, will be meeting with our diocesan transition minister at the Nov. 20, 2024 Vestry meeting at 7:15 p.m. All are welcome to attend that meeting to hear what the diocese shares with us. Use this link to attend on Zoom. We also meet in person.
The Vestry and Co-chairs will meet again in December to plan and develop the self-nominating process for the St. John’s Search Committee.
For questions or more information, please contact Rich Gage at richardgage51@sbcglobal.net or Laura Singer at laura.t.singer@gmail.com.
In the meantime, please pray with us:
God, please help us set aside
Everything we think we know about You,
Everything we think we know about ourselves,
Everything we think we know about others,
And everything we think we know about
St. John’s, so we may have open minds
And new experiences with these
Things and come to know You
Better. Please help us see the truth.
Amen
Letter from the Interim Rector
November 7, 2024
This week is a difficult one for many in our community. Writing those words feels trite to me, but I also know the power of feeling seen and acknowledged, even and especially when we are in the depths of our human experiences. If you need to talk to a pastor, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me by email or phone (312-925-1409).
I’ve been thinking a lot about the mission statement of St. John’s leading up to the election and especially this week. It’s posted all over the church and all of our communications materials: “We gather to celebrate God’s gifts—open hearts, minds, and hands—and transform the world.”
In other words, we are not called to a particular politician or political party or even specific political actions. We are called to gather in celebration of what God gives us, our hearts, minds, and hands open, that we might be coworkers with Christ in the transformation in the world. All of us, in all our varied gifts are called to this by God, the creator and source of all things. The outcome of an election doesn’t change that. That work is ongoing. That relationship with God doesn’t end with our disappointment. We are still accompanied by Christ, whose journey on earth led him to a cross in solidarity with the poor, the meek, the hungry, the merciful, the mourners, the pure in heart.
In thinking about this call to transformation, I was led to this poem from Feminist Prayers for My Daughter by Shannon K. Evans. I have found some comfort in the words of this petition and I hope you do as well.
In Christ’s peace,
Meghan
O You Who Plant Trees from Mustard Seeds
When my daughter becomes despairing over the state of the world
—which she will—when she realizes that her biggest efforts are only a ripple in the pond
—which is true—when she wants to give up because caring just hurts too much
—which it does—bring her back to the face right in front of her. Remind her that smallness is not the same as nothingness. Get her to take a nap. Pour her some water.
And when she is ready once more
—which she will be—present before her actions she can take
in her town,
on her street,
in her home,
in the smallest spaces, the least sexy spaces, the spaces that don’t seem to matter much.Stroke her hair and whisper in her ear,
Now then, my beloved, this is how you change the world.Amen.
