Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Parish Family & Friends,

I want to share some exciting news with you. After being inactive for a time, our Parish Council here at St. John’s has been reformed and is once again up and running! I am so grateful to the members who previously served and have agreed to come back for a six-month term to help us get moving again. With their wisdom and experience we will continue the important work of helping our parish grow and thrive. I have also asked our current council members to submit names of parishioners for me to prayerfully consider for future service, so that this body continues to represent the many voices of our parish family.

The Parish Council is an advisory group that allows me, as your pastor, to listen more closely to your voices. One of the most valuable things the council does is what we call “rounding.” Each month, council members call fellow parishioners simply to ask about their experience of St. John and garner feedback. These conversations are then shared with me so that together we can strengthen our parish life.  Most recently they have begun calling parishioners who have joined the parish in the past two years to help me better understand their desires, needs, and what is attracting new people to call this parish “home”.

The council also plays a key role in organizing our annual Parish Picnic. I’m happy to tell you that planning is already underway for this year’s picnic, which will be held on Sunday, November 30th, the First Sunday of Advent.  What a wonderful way to kick off the new liturgical year together. Please mark your calendars! It’s always a joy to come together, celebrate the good things God is doing in our midst, and simply enjoy one another’s company.

I ask you to keep our Parish Council in your prayers. Their service is a blessing to all of us. Please join me in thanking these parishioners who have stepped forward to serve:

• Lonn Blankenship
• Christine Macejka
• Marilyn Percy
• Steve Shea
• Diane Skoriak
• Olivia Clemons
• Rob Griffith
• John Maceluch Jr.

May God guide their work, and may we as a parish family continue to grow together in love of Christ and His Church.

Peace.

-Fr. Kennell