Chimes September 2022

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Stewardship Message

by Juliette Kvernland

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When I reflect upon the many blessings in my life, I consider my longtime membership at St. John’s a special one. My connection began over 35 years ago when my husband John and I moved from the City to Larchmont with our two daughters Kristin (age 3) and Zondie (age 11 mos.). One Saturday morning, Harry Jackson and Priscilla Dibble knocked on our door to welcome us to the neighborhood. They encouraged us to try St. John’s as a place of worship. We were interested in finding a warm and welcoming church where we could worship together as a family, meet others, grow spiritually and have our girls baptized. My husband and I were of different faiths and had struggled to find a church where we both felt comfortable. Upon attending our first service at St. John’s and meeting members of the congregation, we decided to give it a try. That warm and welcoming environment that we experienced years ago lives on and makes St. John’s a unique and special place.

Our children were baptized during the Easter Vigil and I quickly became involved in the Sunday School where I met and worked with many parents to plan and prepare lessons, work on crafts, teach Bible stories and help nurture the children’s love of God. Many friendships that were initiated in Sunday School continue today both for me and my children. How special! I feel that it’s important to have a strong and growing Sunday School so that children can be given the opportunity to make God an important part of their lives. Friendships form and they are offered opportunities to be involved in the choir, lector at the family services, be in the Christmas Pageant, prepare meals for the homeless, become acolytes. The list is endless. I am a Eucharistic Minister and I love watching the children participate. Sometimes it takes a little encouragement but they are so proud once they have contributed in a special way. I hope that our Sunday School programs will continue to grow under the leadership of our director Holly Dean Hirshenson. I wholeheartedly encourage participation which is absolutely needed for a thriving program.

I appreciate and value that there have always been many activities and programs available for families to help out and participate in. The Christmas Bazaar, one of our favorites, requires leadership and helpers but has always been a wonderful way to meet new parishioners, have fun, help raise funds for outreach and warm one's heart. Even during the pandemic with the help of cooks, crafty parishioners and hearty salespeople, we were able to keep the tradition alive.

My husband always loved flipping and serving pancakes on Shrove Tuesday and burgers and franks at the picnic. He also enjoyed helping with banking activities pre-pandemic. Making soup, coffee and lunches for the homeless and helping to build homes in Nicaragua, experiencing the life circumstances and needs of others was especially enlightening to our children. Participation in these activities is humbling and inspirational. My husband has also participated in the Saturday Men’s group for many years. It has and continues to have excellent leadership with Paul Schwendener. The men met twice weekly during covid on zoom and it helped them stay connected, express their concerns and pray together. Bravo to Paul. He is a true inspiration.

Activities and programs require support and participation. There is something for everyone, you just have to find what moves you and jump on board.

St. John’s has beautiful worship spaces both indoors and out. It was wonderful to gather outdoors (socially distant from one another) to pray together when the pandemic made it unsafe to gather indoors. The church bells pealed loudly at 7 each evening in honor of the healthcare workers caring for the pandemic stricken. A cherished time for me is Saturday afternoon at about 1:30 when I often set up for the 8 o’clock service. It is a holy time for me as I prayerfully prepare the altar, admiring the beautiful windows and appreciating Dr. Maki as he skillfully practices the organ in our empty church. But truth be told, it is most beautiful when the church is full and we all gather to pray…in sadness, in thanksgiving, for help, for peace, to celebrate. There are so many things to pray for in this troubled world but also many things to be thankful for and for me it is the people of St. John’s with whom I have friendships. They help me stay involved and boost my spirits in the most unexpected ways.

We are fortunate to have strong, creative and talented leadership with Reverend Lisa Mason and Reverend Dorothy Greene at the helm along with the Vestry and all who work to keep things running smoothly.

I support our church financially so that it will continue to grow its membership, so that its campus continues to be well maintained, so that we can help one another and others in our community and repair so much of our spaces that were destroyed by the remnants of hurricane Ida. So much was done to help us stay connected and sustain us during the pandemic. We are a strong and caring community and, thanks to the generosity of our parishioners with their time….talents….and generous donations, we will continue to be a positive force within our community. I urge you to join me in generously answering St. John’s call for financial support for 2023 and acknowledging your support by completing and submitting your estimate of annual giving.

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Midnight Run update

We had another very successful run on Friday, September 2. We'll share details in the near future. Thank you to all who donated items and time, and those who attended the run.

Children & Family Ministries

Vacation Bible School (VBS)

This summer St. John's Church hosted our very first Vacation Bible School! A group of children from St. John's, led by youth and adult volunteers, discovered what Love First Vacation Bible School was. We played games, learned about loving ourselves, others, and God, made crafts and found new friendships! While we will miss our fun summer programs, we cannot wait to host our next Love First Vacation Bible School next summer. Until then, we will have Sunday school classes, youth group meetings, confirmation classes, and much more!