Featured Events

Late Summer 2010

Marketfest, Thursday Evenings June 17 to July 29

Marketfest is almost here, and here’s where you come in! We need friendly representatives to share a great welcome and some fabulous popcorn on Thursday evenings, June 17-July 29. Join your friends and sign up at the Activity Table.

Marketfest Ministry Training will be offered on Sunday, June 13! Join us after late worship to experience how we connect with our community and neighbors during Marketfest. There will be a brief training on how to set up the Marketfest booth, engage the community which includes making and serving popcorn, then take down the booth. We will also offer a light lunch to simulate the Marketfest experience. This training will give you an opportunity to join us for just one evening for any time you can contribute. You know you can’t resist!

We look forward to any time you can spend with the Marketfest Ministry to connect with folks who don’t know they could be in community with us. Questions? Contact Angela Robinson, or telephone 651.414.9377.

Good God Questions, Sundays, August 1 through 29

Join us Sundays in August at 9 am in the Parlor for a new series, Good God Questions, and find some answers - and maybe more questions! Each session is a separate topic, and we'll have a video presentation along with discussion. Included topics:

August 1 What is the Trinity?
August 8 What about one who is baptized but doesn't believe?
August 15 What happens to us after death?
August 22 What do we do with disturbing biblical passages?
August 29 How do I know the Holy Spirit is active in my life?

Episcopal Youth Music Camp, August 8 to 14

Music camp is an overnight camping experience for youth entering grades 3 — 12 and a leadership development program for young Adults age 18 – 22. Camp runs from 3 pm Sunday, 8/8 to 3 pm Saturday, 8/14. The cost is $525. Twenty St. John's children, youth and adults will participate in Music Camp, an important part of our faith journey.

Music Camp, currently Minnesota's only Episcopal Youth camp, takes a critical mass of campers and staff to be possible. Camper tuition covering food, lodging, volunteer staff, music and program resources is currently the only funding source. Every year the need for funding grows. The charge per participant will dramatically increase in a year. We've tried to keep the camper cost affordable and competitive with other similar camps but without support this may change. As more and more campers from other churches need assistance, the closer we are to not being able to afford the total cost of camp. We need the camp to continue, and we need individuals to help make it happen: those who have the ability to help raise funds from grants, or individuals to share their gifts. Please contact Sheila Foster if you have gifts you can share in this area. Consider becoming a sponsor!

All are invited to the closing performance at Camp Heartland, Willow River, MN at 1 pm Saturday 8/14. More detailed information is available at www.episcopalyouthmusic.org. The website includes pictures and blogs from past camps and will contain an active blog during camp.

Please click on the PDF icon below to download
the August 2010 Youth Voice,
which includes a map to Camp Heartland

(August Youth Voice)

Families Inc. Root Beer Float Event at Cerenity Care Center, August 18

Our annual Families Inc. root beer float event at Cerenity Care Center, 1891 Florence St, WBL, will be on Wednesday, 8/18 at 6 pm. We'll meet there in the main floor Activity Room. Families Inc. will bring the supplies. We'll serve residents in the Activity Room and roam around a little to those who can't leave their rooms. Many hands make light work. All ages are welcome to serve!

School Supplies Ingathering, August 22 and August 29

Please help

Just like clockwork, children go back to school in a couple of weeks. Again this year, many families find purchasing school supplies a difficult choice: gasoline or school supplies, but not both.

St John in the Wilderness strongly supports this program in partnership with many other churches and the St. Paul Area Council of Churches. Your gift of school supplies gives needy children a chance to get out of the bitter cycle of homelessness and underemployed or unemployed parents.

Among many groups with needs, often your gifts go to the American Indian community, very appropriate as we remember the heritage of St John in the Wilderness. Without the help of these Native Americans, our parish might not exist. Each year we receive heartwarming letters of thanks, acknowledging your gifts.

We will gather in school supplies on August 22^nd and August 29^th. Please bring backpacks, pens, pencils, notebooks, crayons, markers and other school supplies to the altar, to be blessed for their intended use and a blessing to the children who use them.

Thank you in advance for your gifts to these needy children as they return to school.

BeFrienders Ministry and St. Paul Saints Baseball, August 24

Support St. John's BeFrienders Ministry 7:05 pm Tuesday, August 24 at the St. Paul Saints and Sioux City Explorers baseball game at Midway Stadium! The $15.00 admission package includes a general admission ticket, hot dog and soda voucher, and a Saints hat (new for 2010). Barb Schwery, BeFrienders Ministry Executive Director, will meet you at the gate. A portion of the proceeds benefits BeFrienders Ministry. The organization with the most supporters that night will get to throw out the opening pitch! Order and print tickets online at www.saintsgroups.com (password: befriender), or call 651-644-6659, or download the PDF file below and fill out and mail the admission package order form.

Please click on the PDF icon below to download
a flyer with further information and an
Admission Package Order Form

(111 KB)

ECW Annual Birthday Luncheon, September 11

St. John's Episcopal Church Women's 16^th Annual Birthday Luncheon: 11 am Saturday, 9/11 at North Oaks Country Club. Bring family and friends to enjoy a taco buffet, entertainment by a very talented vocalist, great fellowship and door prizes! Please sign up at the Activity Table near the Parish Hall to create and donate a centerpiece relating to a month of the year. Contacts: Cyndi Domin, 651/653-1262, or Susie Mahoney, 651/429-3505.

Please click on the PDF icon below to download
the Reservation Form, due Sunday September 5, 2010

(59 KB)

Rally Sunday, September 12

Rally Day is Sunday, 9/12. Be in the All-Parish photo after 10 am worship. Booya lunch will be served, and we’ll have a bounce house for the kids. Parents, register your Children and Youth through grade 12 for fall programs on this day. The theme for the coming year is Mission. The Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile, professor at Luther Seminary, will deliver a homily on Mission at Rally Day Services

Sesquicentennial Celebration Kickoff, September 19, 2010

Did You Know:

That St. John’s church was the first church built in White Bear Lake in 1861?
That in 1860 John and Laura Aubrey donated 3+ acres of land for the church site that is now our Episcopal Cemetery?
That upon completion in 1861, the little church measured 15 ft. wide by 25 ft. long, and people sat on plain benches?

These and many more interesting facts will be revealed in the coming year of celebration at St. John in the Wilderness. September will begin our 150 th year as a parish. We have much to be proud of and thankful for, as an important part of the spiritual life of the White Bear Lake and surrounding communities. These are some of the events planned for the year:

September 19, 2010 Sesquicentennial Celebration Kickoff. The Rt. Rev. Jeffery Rowthorn, Retired Bishop Suffragan of Connecticut and Retired Bishop in Charge of the Convocation of American Churches in Europe will be our guest preacher. Bishop Rowthorn is also a well known hymn writer and liturgist, serving as chapel minister at Yale Divinity School for many years. He has composed the hymn "Word of God in All Creation" in celebration of our Sesquicentennial.
November 11, 2010 Veteran’s Day Celebration
Winter, 2011 Sunday Service including reenactment of bringing the original church from Goose Lake to present location
February 27, 2011 Epiphany Evensong
Winter, 2011 Celebrations of our rich musical heritage
Winter, 2011 Services from the Book of Common Prayer, 1789, 1892, 1928
May 29, 2011 Cemetery Tours of our History on Sunday
June, 2011 Manitou Days Parade, Feast Day of St. John. Native American History Celebration and Block Party
September, 2011 Sesquicentennial Celebration (Rally Day) with Picnic
September 30, 2011 Grand Futures Dinner with period dress for servers

Other events are still being discussed for the celebration. There will be opportunities to learn about our history and its impact on many people in the area. Remembrance items will be offered for sale during the celebration.

As our theme says, Sacred History, Vibrant Future, the history of St. John’s is important as we plan our future. As a vibrant, growing church we need to actively plan for our future and how we as a parish will share the love of God with others in the parish and community. How will God be a part of our and others’ lives in the future? We all are St. John’s and have a great opportunity to impact the future.

We need your help for the events now in the planning stages. If you would like to be part of the planning, please contact the Sesquicentennial Chair, Richard Lee.