By Laurie Bennett St. John’s “Come Together” party on Saturday, August 26 was highlighted by the “Stump the Rector” live auction items. Ultimately, Lilah Greene won Rev. Scott’s sermon. The “Stump the Associate Rector” item was even more competitive and finally won by Tim Hart who will take great delight in testing Rev. Kathleen’s talents. As a result of all the activities (raffle, silent and live auctions, and party proceeds), more than $25,000 was raised for the church. This will be split between the 2023 and 2024 operating budgets.
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As I write this message, I have not yet started at St. John’s, though I have made the big move to Oakland. However, by the time you read this, I will have started with you and we will be on our new journey serving together. And so, in writing this message, I am time traveling! I know, I know — stay with me. I’ve been thinking a lot about time in these weeks of transition. I’ve been living in the Pacific time zone and working Eastern time zone hours. I’ve been watching the calendar as my November 1 start date seems both a long way off, and suddenly very close. Time seems a little more fluid, a little less straightforward. It can feel disorienting and even frustrating as my body often can’t even guess if it’s 8 or 11am without looking at a clock. From the senior warden: "Serving on the Vestry has helped me grow spiritually and opened my heart"11/27/2023 Dear Friends, It’s dark in the mornings when I wake up now. Nights and days are cooler, falling leaves blanket the driveway. And I’m heading into the final three months of my surprise term as your senior warden. What an adventure I never expected to have in my life! You know that annoying commercial about “young people becoming their parents”? It does happen. Both my mother and stepmother were “church ladies.” Stepmother Gloria was the first female senior warden at her church in Kansas City. I want to take this opportunity to share my experience of vestry service. Why? Two reasons: 1. I believe the reputation of the Vestry deserves an upgrade. When we began recruiting new members last year, several of us discovered that serving on the Vestry had a somewhat ominous reputation. Some individuals rolled their eyes when we mentioned it, while others politely changed the subject or suddenly felt called to visit the restroom. 2. This fall we are actively recruiting at least four new members for three-year terms on the Vestry. We are seeking people of all ages, backgrounds, and diverse experiences who want to share their time and talent with our community. Let go and let God. This was a favorite saying at Judson Baptist Church where I attended when I was in high school. This spiritual act of letting go is one that is embraced in old-time religion but also in monastic spirituality (surrender) and mindfulness (release). Letting go is the ultimate act of freedom. The spirit of letting go is not one of disengagement but rather one of trust in a higher power present to help and to guide. Letting go is the ultimate act of love and faith. Nonetheless, it is hard to do. We have been living in a time that requires letting go of what we have known. The pandemic stripped us bare of our plans and routines. The experience opened our eyes to see the world and the church through a different lens. What does it mean to be a church? What does our future look like? How might we imagine stewarding our community into a hopeful future? You may have wondered how The Gateway Project will impact parking at St. John’s. Will the impact be a net positive, or will we lose parking spaces? How many accessible parking spaces will there be, and where will they be located? Bob Davidson created the graphic here that shows the layout and numbers of our future parking spaces compared to what we have now. This information is posted at church on the wall in the back hall by the kitchen. Check it out:
Parking Summary With The Gateway Project we will have a net increase of 8 parking spaces as well as 2 more accessible spaces. We currently have 43 regular spaces and 2 accessible spaces which are City certified, for a total of 45 certified spaces. With our 17 tandem parking spaces, which are not in compliance with City requirements, added to those 45 in compliance, we currently are able to park a total of 62 cars. The new future parking will consist of 57 regular spaces and 4 accessible spaces which are City certified for a total of 61 certified spaces. With 9 tandem parking spaces, which are not in compliance with City requirements, added to those 61 in compliance, we will be able to park a total of 70 cars. By Julie Knell and Victoria Robinson
By now, many of you have met with a St. John’s “volunteer visitor” in preparation for Pledge Sundays, November 5 and 12. Word is out that these meetings have been informative, positive, and even inspiring. Always, they have been a reminder of the special community we share. By Lilah Greene Sometimes analogies fit right in with the message you are conveying and sometimes they have a limited fit. Sometimes an analogy communicates in more ways than one. I feel that is what’s happening with this year’s Bee Generous campaign. I have written previously that the benefits of our community are like honey produced by our St. John’s hive. We ask you to support St. John’s with your pledge contribution so that we can continue to produce that wonderful honey. Our honey benefits our core community and beyond. St. John’s is a vital participant and presence in Montclair, Oakland, the Episcopal Church, and the world at large. This winter St. John’s engaged Ratcliff, a local architecture firm, to help create a master plan for our campus buildings and property. The goal is to develop a long-term plan for our campus, drawing on our prior investments in the invitation bridge and the work of the Campus Committee to optimize the safety, beauty and functionality of our property and facilities.
A search committee of church members selected Ratcliff for this project, based on their excellent reputation, knowledge of the area, and experience working with schools and churches. We expect to provide a full report to the Parish later this summer, with the architects on hand for a report and Q&A, and renderings of proposed improvements. A steering committee, chaired by Debi Stebbins, leads the project for St. John’s. In the first phase, Ratcliff met with the Vestry, steering committee and three user groups to establish priorities that support the Church’s mission and vision, as well as to review the “guiding principles” that inform our campus improvements. Approximately 20 church members participated in these sessions. Based on these discussions and guiding principles, the vestry approved a two-pronged approach. We are prioritizing improvements to the sanctuary and courtyard and a scaled back and less expensive version of the bridge project, which we have renamed the Gateway. Reflecting our guiding principles, the Gateway project dramatically improves the safety, access and approach to out campus. Improvements to the sanctuary and adjacent courtyard will provide a more flexible space that connects to the outdoors and capitalizes on the beauty of our campus. Ratcliff is working with Sandis, the engineering firm we used for the earlier work, and construction company Oliver & Co. to determine the costs and timetable for the proposed improvements and sequencing of the work. Concurrently a Project Financing Task Force co-chaired by Vestry member Ed Likely and David Brown, is exploring multiple options for financing the desired improvements. This summer we expect to have more details along with renderings to show possible redesigns. “The project will be multi-year, rather than something we can complete in the next one or two years,” according to Fr. Scott. “We are excited by the wholistic nature of this plan and process, which will give us a roadmap to the future.” Patricia Harden People's Warden |