News from the Congregation October 21, 2022

Oct 21

Written By Steven Lee; Marsha Ra & Joan Adams

‘‘‘ The Ministry of Presence’ ; ‘Serve on the Vestry’ ” | Dates to Remember| Sunday Programs: 10:30am Worship Service In-Person and Online, 11:30am All Are Welcome Coffee Hour, 4:00pm Evensong | Weekday Programs: Wed Bible Study on Paul’s Letter to the Romans, M-S Morning and Evening Prayer (Zoom)

Canon Lee

"Anglicans are guests in foreign countries who provide hospitality to other guests in those countries."

So observed the Venerable Dr. Bill Schwartz at last Saturday's Global Mission Fair. He is the recently retired archdeacon of the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf, and he was speaking about the ministry of presence that the Anglican Church provides in the Middle East. For example, in Qatar, the Anglican Church has built and currently manages a complex known informally as "Church City." This center houses 80 different Protestant congregations. On Fridays, the day of worship, over 15,000 worshippers use the facility. T here are millions of Christians in the Middle East, Archdeacon Schwartz told us. Not necessarily among the citizens of those countries, but including all the guest workers and migrants who live there. Many of them deeply desire a church community.

The Most Rev. Michael Lewis, President Bishop and Primate of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East, joined the Global Mission Fair by Zoom. He reminded us that this ministry of presence is about investing in relationships. It is different from trying to make "converts" or proselytizing, which can be illegal. The ministry of presence provides a way to witness to our faith without compromise and without inflaming religious tensions. The ministry of presence also acknowledges that we do not make converts. God makes them.

I was also pleased last Saturday to speak to the Rt. Rev. Griselda Delgado del Carpio, Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Cuba. She was staying on the Cathedral grounds during her visit, and the Rev. Yamily Bass-Chaote, who serves our diocese as the Liaison for Global Mission, drove us up to the Global Mission Fair and served as translator for our conversation. We discussed opportunities for collaboration and came up with several ideas to pursue as we explore a connection between our cathedrals. I am excited to restart this important work.

A Message from the Wardens

The Wardens will return next week.

NEWS FROM THE CATHEDRAL - Cathedral of Saint John the Divine (stjohndivine.org

Dates to Remember
Nov 1| All Saints Day Service
Nov 2 | All Souls Day Commemoration
Nov 6 - Cathedral Trustee Sunday
Nov 11 to 12 - 246th Annual Diocesan Convention at Westchester Marriott, Tarrytown, New York
Nov 13 - American Poets Corner Evensong honoring 2022 Inductee Lorraine Hansberry
Nov 16 at 7:00 pm - Meet and Greet at St. Andrew's, Harlem for candidates for Bishop of New York
Dec 3 - Special Convention to Elect Bishop Coadjutor at the Cathedral
Dec 6 - Episcopal Charities 25th Anniversary Tribute Dinner at the Cathedral
Dec 9 & 10 at 7 pm - Cathedral Christmas Concerts
Dec 21 - Performance of El Nino, an opera-oratorio by John Adams, at the Cathedral

Columbarium Visits - Please Schedule in Advance
Due to cleaning and ongoing construction at the Cathedral, some areas may occasionally be inaccessible. Anyone wishing to visit a loved one in the Columbarium is strongly encouraged to schedule their visit in advance via this Columbarium Visit Registration form.

HUMANITARIAN RELIEF FOR UKRAINE

Episcopal Relief & Development is supporting Action by Churches Together (ACT Alliance) as it provides critical assistance to support people affected by violence in Ukraine. Working through ACT member Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA) and other local organizations, ACT Alliance is providing emergency assistance such as food, shelter, water and basic supplies to refugees and people displaced within Ukraine. Donations to Episcopal Relief & Development’s Ukraine Crisis Response Fund will help the organization and its partners continue to provide assistance to people displaced by the crisis in Ukraine.

NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE Home - Episcopal Diocese of New York (dioceseny.org)

NEWS FROM THE CONGREGATION

The Weekly Sunday Hospitality continues.

Research shows that the more you give the more you get. The more you help, the more invested you become in your church and the more it feeds you. Isn’t that amazing? Do you enjoy the coffee and the treats--the time together every week for conversation and welcoming of visitors? To keep this ministry going we need to expand the number of people involved. If you are on the list of helpers and providers of snacks, THANK YOU! If you haven’t volunteered yet— why not join the team? There is nothing exclusive about it. All are welcome to help out. If you can come once a month or every 6 -8 weeks to set up before the service and clean-up after the coffee hour, please contact Marsha Ra or Sue Sobolewski. Or talk to us on any Sunday. We will get you started on this ministry.

NEWS FROM THE VESTRY

NOMINATIONS FOR VESTRY

Have you ever considered serving on the vestry? What does the vestry do?

Since the Cathedral has a Board of Trustees responsible for many of the things that vestries of parish churches deal with--namely all matters related to the building, land, and staff--our vestry is in the enviable position to deal primarily with issues related to building community and encouraging spiritual growth. The vestry has a special charge to offer welcome to potential new members and visitors alike. The vestry also manages the congregation’s assets—primarily the money collected through our on-going stewardship program and special collections for outreach.

To serve on the vestry:

You must be a baptized Christian and a member in good standing of the Congregation for at least one year prior to the election.
To be a warden you must be a confirmed Episcopalian and you must have served as a member of the vestry in the past.
You must be able to regularly attend vestry meetings. Vestry meetings are held in the evening of the third Tuesday of every month.

To run for the vestry, you must fill out and submit this electronic nomination form. Deadline: December 15, 2022. In January, we will distribute information about the candidates. The election takes place at the annual meeting, which is after the 10:30 AM service on February 5, 2023.

CHANGES TO THE BYLAWS

The vestry has been discussing changing the bylaws so that petition candidates must be proposed prior to the Annual Meeting. If you have any comments about this change, please contact the wardens, Marsha Ra or Joan Adams, or come to the vestry meeting on November 15, 2022, which will take place on Zoom.

GIVE/SERVE

Questions about Realm, the Congregation’s Online Hub for Giving, Volunteering, and Reaching Out to One Another
The Admin team would love to hear from you. Whether you need help making the shift to online donations, setting up your account, or just want to know what Realm can do for you, please contact Laura and Bob at this email address: info@saintsaviour.org

THIS SUNDAY

In-Person Worship at the Cathedral

10:00 am - Doors to Cathedral open.
10:30 am - Eucharist Service
11:30 am - All Are Welcome Coffee Hour
4:00 pm - Evensong

The Cathedral requires those entering its buildings to wear a mask.

You can also watch a Livestream of the Cathedral Worship Service
On Facebook: http://facebook.com/StJohnDivineNYC
On the Cathedral website: http://www.stjohndivine.org