Random Writing froma Rector on Retreat

Dear friends in Christ,

I am deeply grateful forthis sabbatical time. It has been a rich timeof renewal for me. I have been free to con-template my walk with God and considermy role as a priest of the Church.

I have missed you. It has been a real joy tosee some of you from time to time. I wasespecially glad to greet so many of you atthe Consecration of Bishop Bourlakas. St.John’s is a special community and we areblessed to belong to each other.

I look forward to being together againsoon. I am eager to share the journey that Ihave been on and to hear what God hasworked among you in my absence.

One of my sabbatical activities has been towrite. With apologies, I share the modestexample “The Mockingbird Fusses.” (Isaid I was going to write. I did not promiseit was going to be good.)

God grant you grace, peace, and joy,

Your brother in Christ,—Wilson+

The Mocking Bird Fusses June 2013

I was planting some flowers in the gardenone day in June. It was a bright, clear dayand, though only mid-morning, was veryhot. It was, after all, summer in Virginia. Iwas already dripping with perspiration andwas grateful for the meager shade of mytattered straw hat.

All seemed well with the world – except forthe mocking bird. She sat on the wire near-by fussing and fussing. Seems I was a littleto close to her nest.

Our family knew where the nest was andwas excited about it. It was about fifteenfeet up in a young maple tree that we hadplanted not long after moving in. Fouryears ago the tree wasn’t even ten feethigh. Now it is nearly thirty feet and ahome for the mocking bird.

The mocking birds’ presence was not sub-tle. They ruled our yard. If they could theywould drive off any perceived threat. Ifthey couldn’t drive the threat they wouldsit on the telephone wire and screech like asentry sounding the alarm.

We have a bird feeder across the yard frommaple tree that attracts all sorts of birds.Many of the small birds do not seem to

August 2013

The Gleanings ofSt.John’s

bother the mocking birds so they areallowed to congregate. But not the blue jays.

A blue jay would land and the mockingbird would swoop across the yard like anexpert fighter pilot. Startled birds explodein a flutter of wings in all directions. Andthe blue jay would flee at full speed withthe mocking bird right behind and just atouch above. In a few seconds the mockingbird returns to the wire to stand guard overthe yard. This little drama would play outover and over during the day.

On this particular morning I was workingnear the bird feeder and the mocking birdwas mad. After a while her repeatedscreeches began to get on my nerves. Andthen I chuckled.

I looked at her and said, “You fool bird,you’ve never been so safe. While I’m hereno blue jays are going to come around.None of the neighborhood cats are stalk-ing. And no other creature will come near.I’m the one that fills this bird feeder foryou. Heck, I’m even the one that plantedthe tree you’re guarding so carefully. Mustyou fuss so?” (You know it’s hot whenyou’re talking to the mocking bird.)Apparently she did because she kept righton screeching.

As I settled back to planting I chuckledagain wondering if God ever felt like thatwhen I’m fussing at Him.

Message from the Rector (cont.)

Church PicnicSunday, August 11th

10:30 amJohnson’s Orchard

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Upcoming Events & Parish NewsChurch Picnic—Sunday, August 11th

Nancy and Danny Johnson have cordiallyinvited St. John’s members and guests toan open-air Eucharist picnic and swim attheir farm—Johnson’s Orchard & Peaks ofOtter Winery—on Sunday, August 11th.The picnic service will begin at 10:30 am.The 8:00 am service will be held at St.John’s.

People are asked to bring potluck picnicitems. Paper goods, beverages and hotdogs will be provided.

There is a large tent with picnic tables andattached benches, but people may alsowish to bring their own lawn chairs.

Volunteers will assist with the carrying offood to be refrigerated and/or heated forlater. A blessing of the food is held afterthe close of the service. A lunch bell will bestruck when food is ready to be served.Swimming in their pool is available andusually enjoyed by the children. Come pre-pared with your suits and towels.

Directions: From Bedford: Take Route460 West for 1 mile. Turn right on Route680, Patterson Mill Road (opposite therhinos), go several miles, and then turnright on Sheep’s Creek Road. Turn left atthe entrance sign. (Folks should use theonly driveway that is not behind a closedand locked gate, which is the 2ndentrance.) Ushers appointed for the daywill help with parking. A special area isavailable for handicapped parking.

We look forward to this event. IF thereshould be inclement weather everythingcan be moved inside, but let’s pray for asunny day. Please contact the Church formore information.

“Favorite Hymns” MonthMary Anne Eubank is taking requests andwill be playing all your favorite hymns during the month of September. In Augustfolks should send Jenny Shutt theirrequests for favorite hymns, and MaryAnne will incorporate as many as possibleinto the services in September. People cansubmit their requests by e-mail, snail mail,facebook message, write on a scrap of paperand put in the collection plate, or send bycarrier pigeon...whatever you fancy. (Thelast one isn’t really recommended, as Jennydoesn’t care much for birds.)

New Phone DirectoryThanks to Jenny Shutt for providing uswith a new telephone directory. Be sure toget your copy with a yellow cover and getrid of the green copy. We know there willbe changes, so please email or write outyour changes to Jenny’s attention.

Christian Formation Classes begin &Welcome Back PotluckMark your calendars: Sunday School class-es resume at 9:30 on Sunday, September8th. Our annual “Welcome Back” Potluckwill follow the 10:30 worship service.

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The Rev. Mark Allen Bourlakas was conse-crated as the Sixth Bishop of the EpiscopalDiocese of Southwestern Virginia onSaturday July 20, 2013 in a service held inthe Roanoke Performing Arts Theater.Over 1,000 people attended BishopBourlakas’ consecration. The serviceincluded all of the pomp and circumstanceone would expect of an event which hasoccurred only five other times in the last94 years. The diocesan massed choir wasover 170 persons strong with membersfrom across the diocese including RevelleHamilton and Helen Ann Spessard. St.John’s own Foster Garrett was selected tobe one of the 16 acolytes who participatedin the consecration service.

The Chief Consecrator was The Most Rev.Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishopof the Episcopal Church. Numerous otherbishops throughout the Anglican com-munion and the Episcopal Church werealso present for this momentous occasionincluding The Rt. Rev. F. Neff Powell and

The Rt. Rev. A. Heath Light past bishopsof the diocese. The Rt. Rev. Nick Bainesfrom our companion diocese in Bradford

England was alsopresent for the conse-cration. The servicebegan with the pres-entation of the testi-monials certifying thatBishop Bourlakas waseligible to be conse-crated as our SixthBishop. Bishop Light led the congregation

in the post communion prayer which fol-lowed the examination and the Eucharist.

Bishop Bourlakas was presented with thesymbols of his office after being vested inthe order of bishops. The DiocesanCrosier has been carried by Bishops ofSouthwestern Virginia since it was present-ed to Bishop Marmion as a gift by theyouth of Christ Church Martinsville. Thecrosier was given to Bishop Marmion inrecognition of his work to integrate thediocese. The crosier is engraved with thenames of the bishops who have carried itincluding Bishop Bourlakas.

Bishop Bourlakas was presented with achasuble, stole and miter which were madeby the Holy Rood Guild at St. JosephAbbey, Spencer, Massachusetts. The youthof the diocese presented Bishop Bourlakaswith a walking stick and hammer symboliz-ing their willingness to walk with him and

Steve Wandrei, Bruce Brinkman, Eileen Mayo-Smith,and Kate Brown attended the service.

Acolyte Foster Garrett

Bishop’s Consecration Steve Wandrei

S P E C I A L R E P O R T

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work along side him. The Diocese ofBradford presented Bishop Bourlakas witha handcrafted oak pectoral cross carvedfrom wood which predates the Americanrevolution. Members of Bishop Bourlakasformer congregation and members of hisfamily presented him with other vest-ments, his pectoral cross and ring engravedwith the seal of the Diocese of SouthwestVirginia.

Our Sixth Bishop will lead the Dioceseinto its second century facing a number ofchallenges. We enter our second century asa diocese with many of our churches losingmembers and dwindling financialresources. We must remember that in call-ing our Sixth Bishop, we stated in ourdiocesan profile: We are ready to moveforward to the next chapter of in the life ofour diocese, and our hope is to partnerwith someone who will help us discernwhere it is God is calling us to go.

Bishop White reminded Bishop Bourlakasand all of us of the words of BishopGresham Marmion, the Fifth Bishop of theDiocese of Kentucky and brother of our

own Bishop Marmion: “Be bold. Be coura-geous. Let us begin our journey togetherand go forth boldly and courageously totake advantage of all the new opportunitiesGod has given us to be the body of ChristJesus in the world around us.”

From the back cover of the service bulletin:

“And so, sweet Lord, I ask to be given notgold or silver or jewels, but rather wisdom sothat I may know how to guide your people.O font of wisdom, send her forth from thethrone of your glory so that she may be withme, toil with me, work with me, speak in me,and bring my thoughts and my words, all myundertakings and decisions, into harmonywith your good will, to the honor of yourname, for their progress and my salvation.”

For Your Own PeopleAelred (1110-1167)Third Abbot of the Cistercian Abbey atRievaulx, England

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The vestry’s June meeting was held onWednesday, June 19, 2013. (The vestrydid not meet in July.)

Jim Vest called the meeting to order andBeth Bagley opened with prayer. KaraSensenig presented a brief report on themission trip with the youth which was avery positive experience for those whoattended.

Alan Pipkin, Treasurer submitted hisreport in writing. Revenue and spendingwere both up slightly. He also presentedthe audit proposal from Brenda Johnson.

Senior Warden’s Report: Jim Vest reportedthat Jo Bell had made a quilt to raffle off tobenefit the Shutt family. The Bedford FireDepartment agreed to help with the ticketsales. The raffle will take place during theJuly–August time frame.

Peter and Eileen Mayo-Smith from our linkparish in England will be visiting Bedford inJuly. He will be preaching on July 21st andwill also be here for the consecration on the20th.

Jim reported that the executive committeehad met and discussed the use of theRector’s Discretionary Fund in Wilson’sabsence. It was agreed that the Vestry can-not authorize use of the fund. He asked thePersonnel Committee to work with Jennyon volunteers for the office if she needs to beout and needs help finding someone.

Jim further reported that there is a websitetraining coming up at Evans House onAugust 23rd for anyone who is interested in

going. Jenny will be coordinating sign-upfor the training once the Diocese sends outdetails.

Junior Warden’s Report: Bill Jackson report-ed that he had met with a contractor aboutremoving the pews for handicapped seating.He had replaced the stained glass in thedownstairs doors so it is clear once again! ThePhoto Directory will be organized by BruceBrinkman and Tim Trevalian will be takingpictures. The new “Altar Rail Renovation”Committee has several people who are inter-ested in talking about that project.

The various committees presented theirreports, including Beth Bagley, who report-ed that the mission item for VBS will be“Blessing Buckets” and “Blessing Bags”which will be delivered to the victims of thetornadoes in Oklahoma by God’s Pit Crew.They are working with the OutreachCommittee on the project and the congrega-tion will be given the opportunity to partici-pate as well.

Steve Wandrei reported that ParishConcerns needed volunteers to help moveValerie Chastain’s items into storage. Healso reported that Kristy Hylton had lostfood in her freezer due to recent storms.

The meeting closed with prayer at 7:10 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,—Jenny Shutt, Recording Secretary

The Vestry Report Jenny Shutt, recording secretary

Next meeting: Wednesday, August 21, 6:00 pm

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Christian Formation Kara Brown & Shannon McGuirk

This summer has been full of planning for vacation bible school, which is off to agreat start! Many thanks to BrendaChurch, Sherri Hodnett, ChandraSchmehl, and Martha Nowlin for help inplanning it! I can say it has been an enjoy-able time working alongside Beth Bagleywith these other ladies to make a wonder-ful week happen for the children of St.John’s and the Bedford coumminty. Also aspecial thanks to Judy Whitehead andHeather Garrett for providing us withhome cooked kid friendly meals!

Sunday School Resumes September 8th

Sunday School will kick off on September8th, and we are searching for more teachersfor the middle school and high schoolclasses. If you are interested please let meknow! We will have a "Sign Up" Sundayon August 18th, that you don't want tomiss!!

Sunday School Classes

The Preschool Class will meet in the nurs-ery for ages 2–3.

Godly Play will continue in the Atrium andwill encompass ages 4 – 5th grade.

The Middle School Class for 6th – 8thgraders will be meeting in the room next tothe nursery. Come join us on the big comfycouch!

Our High School Class for 9th – 12thgraders will continue to meet in the SeniorHigh Youth Room beside the kitchen.

Pease join us for any of these classes, evenif you can’t come every week!

We are planning a pool party to celebratethe start of Sunday School so look fordetails to come on that.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

—submitted by Shannon McGuirk

C O M M I T T E E S

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Parish Concerns Steve Wandrei

C O M M I T T E E S

Our committee, small in numbers, hasmuch on its plate right now and that’s whywe need your support and help.

The Quilt Raffle to benefit Jenny Shutt’sfamily, as Liam continues treatment forleukemia, is off to a good start. Many ofyou have bought your own tickets for $5or $10 and we thank you for responding.

NOW we need you to take tickets to sellto those outside St. John’s. Jo Bell whomade the quilt is way ahead of all of us byselling about 150 tickets! Bless you, Jo.

We have the month of August to makethis fund grow – to help with the vastmedical expenses for the Shutt family.

Call Steve Wandrei with any questions.

Each Sunday Winston Kendrick gets aride to church, but he also needs a ridehome each Sunday. Please take a turn.Winston lives south of town on ShingleRock Road in Bedford .

I want to thank Steve Wandrei, JudyWhitehead, Bill Mays, and Blu Ayers fortaking turns in recent weeks.

We were able to provide several contain-ers of soups and casseroles to our sextonKristy Hylton who lost electricity duringthe storm in early July losing all the con-tents of their refrigerator. Again ourthanks to Sis Amparan who so generouslyfills our freezer.

—submitted by Rebecca Mays

Fellowship Blu Ayers & Julia Baker

C O M M I T T E E S

The summer heat and the Benefit QuiltRaffle has moved Lemonade from theLawn to the Linoleum. We are grateful toall those who have helped bring our con-gregation treats in the heat. The Augustschedule follows with a reminder about the“Welcome Back” Potluck on Sunday,September 8th. We will be welcomingeveryone back to the routine of SundaySchool as well as welcoming Wilson backfrom his summer sabbatical .

August 2013–Coffee Team Schedule

August 4 Hodnett

August 11–Picnic none

August 18 Rowe

August 25 Ayers

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Daughters of the King Joyce Moorman, President

The gospel for Pentecost Nine, July 21st,was Luke 10:38-42, the story of Jesus andhis disciples as they were traveling andentering the village where he was invitedinto the home of Mary and Martha.Martha being the “hostess with themostest” and becoming quite disgustedwith her sister Mary because she was onlyinterested in what Jesus was saying.The Rev. Peter Mayo-Smith delivered awonderful sermon discussing how weoften miss the “Wows” in life because weare forever worrying about the details.Our Chapter of the DOK at St. John’scould not be a better example of the Maryand Martha story. How ironic that it hap-pens to be our chapter’s designated name.We find ourselves busy with the details ofaltar guild, choir, lay reading, chalice bear-

ers, preparing church suppers, after churchreceptions, and the list goes on.However, we do take at least oneWednesday each month to corporatelypray for the healing of others and our-selves, have Eucharist together, and meetas sisters with the renewing of our mottoand prayer and remind ourselves that weexist, For His Sake. It was a reminder to me personally to takesome time, relax and listen, instead ofalways doing. Enjoy the gifts I havereceived, accept them, and be thankful. Ifind myself too busy like Martha and notlistening for the Holy Spirit like Mary.

—FHS, Joyce Moorman

Vestry Person of the MonthVPOM August—Scott FoglemanScott Foglemanjoined St. John's in2011. He is amember of theVestry and hasbeen active on the

Communications Committee. His contri-butions to improve Church communica-tions include establishing and maintaining

St. John's website. Scott enjoys the adultforum and helping the youth group.

Scott was born in Richlands VA and raisedin Richmond VA. He has lived in LosAngeles, CA and New York City, NY. Heis married to Wendy Witt, has three stepchildren Aaron, Quincy, and Finn. Wendyand Scott are founders of Witt-FoglemanTeam of Keller Williams Realty.

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Blessing Buckets for God's Pit Crew The Outreach Committee invited peopleto participate in providing “BlessingBuckets” for God's Pit Crew. These buck-ets supply immediate emergency suppliesto people who have lost everything in com-munities devastated by tornadoes, floodand fires. The committee provided thebuckets and a list of suggested items.Filled buckets need to be returned to StJohn's by August 4th so that they can betransported to Danville. No time to take abucket but want to help? A donation of$35.00 will cover the cost of one bucketand we will do the shopping for you. Writeyour check to St John's and mark it‘Blessing Bucket.”

Shepherd’s TableFriday, July 5, brought about 45 customersand five or six children to eat our preparedmeal of hot dogs with homemade chilli,coleslaw made fresh that morning, bakedbeans and homemade cake for dessert. As Iarrived at 8:30 to open the door AnnLinkous greeted me with a tray of freshlycut vegetables and dip that she had pre-pared, and Kathie Childers left bags of freshfruit, apples and oranges to be given out tothe lunch crowd.

Soon Shannon McGuirk, Brenda Arbogastalong with her daughter, JoAnn Eubankand grandson Michael entered the kitchenand started the preparation of cooking,baking, fixing lemonade and setting thetables. Marilyn Rowe brought ingredients

to make coleslaw dressing and prepared ahuge mixing bowl of slaw. TomMontgomery and Louise Pipkin droppedby with fresh baked cakes. Cheryl Millerarrived to help for the day and broughtchopped onions and hot dog buns. LauraRodes came in to wait on tables, and JimHueber, our official counter and handyman took his favorite position in a chair.After greetings with an introduction andprayer, we began serving at 10:40 as somany people had come inside because ofthe heat.

By 1:00 p.m. the last lunch person depart-ed, and we had prepared a total of 75 meals(some people are hungry and eat two platesor request extra food.). We cleaned up in30 minutes, locked the door and left forhome. Our next meal will be served onFriday, August 2. We are extremely gratefulto those of you who donate food or yourtime to this worthy cause. Without yourhelp we could not continue to do thisimportant project each month.

—submitted by Judy Whitehead

Community Outreach Marilyn Rowe

C O M M I T T E E S

Next Shepherd’s Table: Friday, August 2

Next Outreach Committee Meeting: Wednesday, August 7, 6:00 pm

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REACH Mission Trip a SuccessThe Youth Mission Trip to Roanoke was ahuge success. A total of 19 youth and 4adults from St. John’s and Main StreetUMC participated in the mission. Thosefrom our church included Jacob Sensenig(pictured top right), Aaron Plattus (mid-dle), and Quincy Plattus (bottom). FromJune 8–14 youth helped in many differentareas including:

• Renovation of a house for a family, • Helping at the Rescue Mission withmeal prep and serving the homeless,• Unloading trucks and working theline assisting people at the Foodbank,• Painting and helping care for childrenat the Battered Women's Shelter, • Organizing and pricing items for theRescue Mission Thrift Store, and • Community clean-up

Our group stayed in the basement of theSalvation Army and some even helpedbuild bunk beds so the next groups wouldnot have to sleep on the floor. Each day wespent over 6 hours working on differentprojects with various groups. This Fall wehope to have a fundraising luncheon (fornext year’s trip) with a slideshow presenta-tion of our work in Roanoke. When all thekids say “I want to go back next year,” Iconsider that proof of a successful trip!

—submitted by Kara Sensenig

Youth Group Fall Planning MeetingPlease plan to join us after church onSunday, August 18th for a Youth Groupplanning meeting. We will be working onour schedule for the Fall. Contact HeatherGarrett if you have questions.

Youth Group

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St. John’s Episcopal ChurchSUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY

54 6

1211 13

1918 20

2625 27

BD: Shannon McGuirk

BD: Capron HedgepathBD: Amy Whyte

Pentecost Eleven8:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I10:00 am Choir Practice10:30 am Holy Eucharist Rite II, Children’s Chapel11:30 am Lemonade on the Lawn

Pentecost Thirteen8:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I10:00 am Choir Practice10:30 am Holy Eucharist Rite II11:30 am Lemonade on the Lawn12:00 pm Youth Group planning meeting

Pentecost Fourteen8:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I10:00 am Choir Practice10:30 am Holy Eucharist Rite II, Children’s Chapel11:30 am Lemonade on the Lawn

Benefit Quilt Raffle Drawing

SEPTEMBER 2013S M T W T F S1 2 3 4 5 6 78 9 10 11 12 13 1415 16 17 18 19 20 2122 23 24 25 26 27 2829 30

Parish Picnic

JULY 2013S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 67 8 9 10 11 12 1314 15 16 17 18 19 2021 22 23 24 25 26 2728 29 30 31

AUGUST 2013S M T W T F S

1 2 34 5 6 7 8 9 1011 12 13 14 15 16 1718 19 20 21 22 23 2425 26 27 28 29 30 31

Orchard)

BD: Nancy HenryBD: Carol Cross

BD: Langley Weber Jr.

BD: Evelyn JohnsonBD: Reagan Rowland

BD: J.T. Rowland

BD: Beth BagleyBD: Heather GarrettAnv: Robbie & Meredith Dooley

Pentecost Twelve8:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I10:30 am Holy Eucharist Rite II, (at Johnson’s 11:30 am Parish Picnic

BD: Meredith DooleyBD: Clarence WatkinsBD: Ricky Guerin

BD: Eddie SitzlerBD: Lizbeth Laurrell BD: Marge Rucker

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6:00 pm Vestry Meeting

First Day of School

6:00 pm Outreach Comm.Mtg

1:00 pm DOK Meeting

4:30 pm PEO Group

10:00 am PEO Group

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

August 20131 2 3

7 8 9 10

14 15 16 17

21 22 23 24

28 29 30

12:15 pm HE/Healing Service

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12:15 pm HE/Healing Service

7:00 pm N.A. Mtg

7:00 pm N.A. Mtg

7:00 pm N.A. Mtg

7:00 pm N.A. Mtg(last night)

Shepherd’s Table(Youth Group)

7:00 pm N.A. Mtg

BD: Nate Willis

BD: Marsh Baker

BD: Shannon McGuirk

BD: Jim Towner

BD: Abbey WalkerAnv: Charles & Janet Hardison

Anv: Jim & Mary HarveyAnv: Bill & Ann LinkousBD: Jim Vest

Anv: C. Boyd & Gloria CarrBD: Kathie ChildersBD: Debbie Weber

BD: Kristy WaffAnv: Ron & Carol Martin

VBS 6:00–8:30

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The new Rwandan HUGS Boutique andThrift store will re-open soon thanks toenormous work by many wonderful volun-teers. My heartfelt thanks to ALL who havehelped us.

Before the grand opening/ribbon cutting ofthe newly re-organized Boutique we'll hav-ing our Annual HUGS Yard Sale in theboutique location August 2 & 3 from 8:00a.m. –3:00 p.m. (NOTE: This is a longer, 2-day sale and a different location than pre-vious ones at the St. John's Church). Westill need lots of helpers before the sale andon the two days of selling. If you can assistus anytime from July 29– August 1 forsetup and sale days please e-mail or callNancy Strachan at strachanl@aol.comHome: 540-586-4446 Cell: 540-314-2800.We need lots of baked goods as food salesboost our profits greatly and our treasury isvery, very low!

Our overflowing HUGS Boutique relocatedfrom a corner of the top floor to the entirebasement of The Bedford Country Store at315 N. Bridge Street. Do to the overwhelm-ing work it has taken to move and reorgan-ize existing stock and prepare truckloads ofnew arrivals the yard sale is later than salesin previous years. Soon after the yard/bakesale we will have a "Grand Opening" of theRwandan HUGS Thrift Store andBoutique. Many lovely donations have beenset aside for the "Boutique" but loads ofwonderful things await yard sale shoppers.

Our 50 cent baby clothes bins are popularand we've added a $1 SALE rack for adultclothes!

We accept household goods, books, linens,antiques, appliances, sports goods, bric-a-brac. jewelry, and most anything in goodshape that will help us generate much need-ed income for our kids in Rwanda. Cleanclothes already on hangers are much appre-ciated!! Donations are tax deductible.

—Nancy

Rwandan HUGS Nancy Strachan

S P E C I A L R E P O R T

August 2 and 38:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

New Location! Basement Level of the Bedford Country Store

315 N. Bridge Street, Bedford Park in rear & enter via back door Tons of great stuff at great prices–

clothes for everyone by the ton! Books, toys, linens,art, household goods, & some antiques & furniture

YARD SALEFriday & Saturday

Serving God in Rwanda with a Hand Up, Not a Hand Out

Rwandan HUGS annual

Biggest ever – tons of ever��hing! & BAKE

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Church Growth Philip Baker

C O M M I T T E E S

The Church Growth committee has beenkeeping up with St. John’s visitors andguests during the summer. We anticipatean event in the fall to connect newermembers with the congregation.

Our committee promotes the health of thecongregation, in many respects. We'vebeen very pleased to have Carol Martin,Nurse, administering blood pressure testson a regular basis at St. John's. (Serving asa test subject, I found my blood pressurewas elevated which got my attention.) Weencourage everyone to check your bloodpressure regularly, no matter how activeyour lifestyle may be or how recently youhad it checked. It's hard for us to be agrowing congregation if we're not alsohealthy congregation.

Please stop in and see Carol so she cancheck your blood pressure in the youthroom next to the kitchen during coffeehour. Carol is a registered nurse and she'sa good person to know.

We will have visitors and guests comingand going during the summer, and substi-tute priest Glenn Busch while Wilson's onsabbatical. Please make an extra effort tomake our visitors and Glenn feel at home,as comes natural.

For those of you connected to theLutheran congregation, we are working onsome combined adult Sunday school ses-sions. The intention is to help enliven ourSunday school agendas and we believe itcan help both congregations grow andsupport adult education.

Here's hoping all of you have a wonderfulrest of the summer.

—Philip Baker and the Church Growth Committee

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PrayersOur Clergy and their Families: Pray for our Bishops, Katharine and Mark, andfor Richard and Martha; for Wilson, ourRector, and Kara; For Glenn, Our InterimPriest, and Kathy; Carol and Kay, ourDeacons, and John.

Diocese of Southwestern Virginia:For the people and mission of St.Elizabeth’s Roanoke; and for their priest,The Rev. Richard Fife.

Diocese of Bradford:For the Retired Clergy, Widows, Widowersand Dependents Committee.

Episcopal Church of Sudan: For the ministry of the Archbishop, TheMost Rev. Daniel Deng Bul and Deborahhis wife. For the Diocese of Lainya and itsbishop, the Rt. Rev. Peter Amidi.

Anglican Cycle of Prayer:For Pennsylvania and the Rt. Rev. CharlesBennison.

Daughters of the King: Pray for all those on their prayer list; for Rwandan HUGS, Inc.and the Mustard Seed Project.

Pray for all those who are sick, especiallyPaul, John, Marshall, Denver, Janet, Barbara,Nina, Ben, Peggy, Rachel, Stephen, Steve,James, Alan, Janet, Linda, Butch, Liam, Win,Bill, Tom, Jane, Louise, Scott, Ed, Charlotte,Cornelia, Shannon, and Beverly that theymay have improved health.

For all those who are shut-in or who havesuffered a loss, especially Amorette, Polly,Virginia, Vera, Mabel and Walt, that theymay know God’s comforting spirit.

Pray for all members of the Armed Forces,especially those deployed from Company“A” and “C,” and Rob, Chris, Ben, John,Marc, TJ and James.

Pray for all teachers and students as theybegin the new school year, Father,We thank you for the opportunityto begin this new school year,and we ask that you blessthe students, faculty, and student familiesthat make our schools great places.We pray that you will guide us in all ways,so that we will seek your willin everything that we do.We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ ourLord. Amen—David Bennett

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Peter & Eileen Mayo-Smith arrived inLynchburg on the Amtrak train Fridayevening, July 12. The reason for the visitwas to attend the consecration of MarkBourlakas as Bishop of the diocese ofSouthwestern Virginia and to visit two linkparishes. Mike & Pat Rieleymet themand drove them to Roanoke to meet ScottWest, the rector of Christ Church,Blacksburg. Peter is vicar of two parishes inthe Bradford Diocese in Yorkshire,England. One, St. Michaels, (the famousBronte family church) is linked withChrist, Blacksburg and the other, St.James, Crossroads is linked with St. John’s,Bedford. Peter and Eileen stayed withScott and Ann West in Blacksburg Friday,Saturday and Sunday nights. Peterpreached at Christ Church on Sunday. OnMonday, the 15th, Mike Rieley and Jim

Vest drove to Blacksburg, retrieved Peterand Eileen and drove them to Bedford byway of the scenic route down old Route 11through Salem to Roanoke for visits toCenter in the Square, the Farmer’s Marketand Mill Mountain then, up the Blue

Ridge Parkway to Mike and Pat’s house inBedford. Over the course of the followingweek, the Mayo-Smiths were treated toBedford Southern Hospitality and the gen-erosity of the family of St. John’s. Jim &Renée Vest, Mike & Joyce Moorman,Bill & Rebecca Mays, John & Kay Waff,Frank & Kaky West and many othershelped to make it a very memorable andenjoyable visit. The agenda included visitsto Chateau Morrisette, Mabry Mill, AppleOrchard Falls, Smith Mountain Lake and aparish picnic at the Moorman’s. TheBishop of the Diocese of Bradford andPeter Mayo-Smith participated in the con-secration service Saturday in Roanoke andPeter preached at St. John’s on Sunday.

Around St. John’s

front: Peter Mayo-Smith, Jim Vestback: Eileen Mayo-Smith, Mike Rieley, Renée Vestmiddle: Coco

Pat Rieley, Renée Vest, Eileen Mayo-Smith

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Around St. John’s (cont.)

Peter and Eileen departed BedfordMonday morning and spent a few days inWashington, DC before returning toEngland. Mike and Pat arranged, throughCongressman Goodlatte’s office, a Capitoltour that they said was one of the high-lights of their visit there. They wrote whenthey returned, that they had an absolutelymarvelous time and are grateful to all theSt. John’s people who made them feel sowelcome in Bedford. Peter said that aftervisiting his naturalized American father inConnecticut and then his friends inBedford, he and Eileen are definitely“Confederates”. We told him we like tosay, “American by birth. Southern by theGrace of God.” B

St. Johns extends its sympathies to BruceBrinkman and the family and friends ofPeggy A. Nolin. A celebration of Peggy'slife was held at St. John’s on Saturday, July13, 2013. B

A BIG hug and a big thank you to all thatassisted me in the Memorial Service forPeggy Nolin. I honestly could not have doneall that was done by myself, if it were not forthe efforts of Jenny, Kathie, Blu, Jim, Gordon,Rebecca and others. On behalf of the friendsand family and myself, Thank you so verymuch and thank God for St. John's and peo-ple like you.

God's Peace and Love to you,—Bruce L. Brinkman B

Ann & Bill Linkous were in Binghamton,NY in June for their granddaughter’s bap-tism. Jordan Kathryn Rodney was baptizedon June 30 at the Trinity MemorialChurch. Jordan joins big brother Justice(who visited St. John’s last summer) andthey are the children of Ann & Bill’sdaughter Elizabeth and husband MikeB

Foster Garrett loved her experienceattending Middler Camp at PhoebeNeedles for rising 7th & 8th graders inJune. She participated on a high ropescourse and traveled to North Carolina forrock climbing. Courtney Greer alsoattended Phoebe Needles and had a won-derful time as well. Here’s what Courtneyhad to say:

“I really enjoyed the Beginners Camp atPheobe Needles. We learned a lot of newgames, and one of my favorite songs Ilearned is "DeMuse." I also met a lot ofnew friends! We went swimming almostevery day, and we even visited a llamafarm! B

The Horse and Hound Wine Festival atNancy & Danny Johnson’s orchard was abig success in mid-July judging by the pho-tos in the newspaper.

They are now planning an event onOctober 12, 2013 at 9:00 am for a “dogwalk” to raise money to fight canine cancer.B

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Around St. John’s (cont.)

A big thank you to three Boy Scouts fromTroop #183: Graham Dooley, JacobSensenig and Jack Allen (pictured above)did a huge job of moving clothing andother items to the Rwandan HUGS, Inc.new location at the lower level of TheGeneral Store on Bridge Street. LesStrachan worked with these three friendsfrom Boy Scouts who showed themselvesto be willing workers and very energetic inrunning up and down the store’s three lev-els. A big thank you for your hard work. B

We are so proud of Rhetta Watkins andthe staff of Bedford Middle School fortheir national award: “OutstandingMaking Middle Grades Work (MMGW)School.” Bedford Middle School is one ofonly nine MMGW schools in the nation toreceive the 2013 award.

The full story (from the front page of theBedford Bulletin) is posted on the bulletinboard at the lower level of the church andgives insight into how hard Rhetta, as prin-cipal, and the teachers have worked tomake improvements at Bedford MiddleSchool. Our congratulations, Rhetta. B

We rejoice with Tom & Shirley Mustardand their family on Tom’s good reportfrom the doctors. Tom is getting right backinto his routine of walking in the neighbor-hood and assisting the priest at theirchurch. B

Speaking of the Mustard’s church, it seemsthat Tom & Sue Montgomery are lookingahead to building a new home outside ofAtlanta and they will attend the samechurch as Tom & Shirley.

We are greatly saddened by the news thatthe Montgomery’s plan to move but wewish them every blessing. B

At the end of May, Bill & Ann Linkousenjoyed a 12-day trip to Ireland. Theybegan their tour in Dublin, where a high-light of the trip was Trinity CollegeIreland's oldest university. They visited theold Library containing thousands of manu-scripts including the 9th century Book ofKells, famous for its precious illuminations.They continued to Belfast, Giant'sCauseway, Galway, and along the coast tothe majestic Cliffs of Moher. They madeadditional stops in the town of Killarney,Blarney Castle, and finally to Limerick. Theyspent their farewell evening at the 15th cen-tury castle Bunratty where they had amedieval style banquet with dinner, wineand entertainment. B

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Around St. John’s (cont.)

Sara Nowlin, is excited about her newteaching position for the fall! She will beteaching 7th grade science at MartinsvilleMiddle School! Parents Martha & MelNowlin helped with the move in July andclasses will start in August. It has been abusy year for Sara, who became engagedearlier this year. Best of luck to you in yournew job! B

The Rowland Family is finally settled andvery happy with their new home inRoanoke/Bonsack. With this move,Trippe was able to shave a good 30 min-utes off of his drive to work, so they arevery happy about that. Mackenzie has beenin Georgia visiting her Dad, but they arelooking forward to her return at the begin-ning of August. B

Congratulations to Carol Martin and herfamily on the birth of her newest grand-daughter! Camille Addison Martin wasdelivered on July 12th (five weeks early) toKristin & Ben Martin. Camille weighed4lbs and 14 oz. Both mother and daughterare doing well. B

Our sincere sympathy is extended to BluAyers & family on the recent loss of hersister-in-law, Joyce White. Blu & Glennattended her service on Saturday, July 20which was held at the Bruton ParishChurch in Williamsburg, VA with a recep-tion at one of her niece’s home in town.Blu was pleased to have time with herbrother, James Harley White. B

The Schmehl Family enjoyed a week inthe Florida Keys at the end of June. Thegirls really enjoyed snorkeling and swim-ming with the fish. Then in July they werethrilled to play host to Chandra’s exchange“sister” Susanne and her family fromDenmark. It was a wonderful reunionmarking almost 30 years of friendship . B

Please give your contributions to “Around St. John’s” to Judy Whitehead or email themto Chandra at stjohnsnewsletter@verizon.net.

NEXT DEADLINE: The deadline for theSeptember newsletter is Sunday, August18th.

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Bene,t Quilt Raf-e

for Liam Shutt5-year old cancer patient

and son of Matt & Jenny Shutt of Bedford

Drawing on Sunday, August 25 at St. John5s Episcopal Church, 314 N. Bridge Street, Bedford

Tickets: $2/each, $5/six tickets, $10/twelve ticketsCash or checks payable to 3St. John5s Church4, add 3Quilt Raffle4 in the memo

Tickets also available at the following locations:Bedford Fire Garrett & Garrett Keller-Williams Department Law Firm Real Estate Of,ce

315 Bedford Avenue 116 E. Main Street 203 N. Bridge StreetThis handmade 3fan4 quilt was created and donated by Jo Bell of Blue Ridge. She is a member of St. John5s Episcopal Church. We are grateful to her for this generous gift.

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Submit Newsletter articlesto Chandra Schmehl by email at

stjohnsnewsletter@verizon.net with questions, suggestions, or complaints.

September Deadline: Sunday, Aug, 18Address Changes: Please help us to keep our postagecosts down by notifying the church office if you have achange-of-address. The Post Office charges us for anyreturned mail. Also, notify the office if you have a youngperson in your family away in school, we will be happy tosend them a copy of the newsletter.

The StaffThe Rev. F. Wilson Brown, Jr. . . . . . . . RectorThe Rev. Kay Waff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DeaconThe Rev. Carol Cross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DeaconMary Anne Eubank . . . . . . . . . Organist/ChoirJenny Shutt . . . . . . . . Administrative AssistantKristy Hylton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sexton

Sunday Services8:00 am . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Holy Eucharist Rite I9:30 am . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sunday School/Choir Practice

classes for preschool through high schooland Adult Forum

10:30 am . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Holy Eucharist Rite II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(1st Sunday, Rite I)

11:30 am . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Morning Social Hour

Wednesday Service12:15 pm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Holy Eucharist Rite II

(Healing Services 1st& 3rd Wednesdays)

How to Contact Us:314 North Bridge Street Bedford, VA 24523540-586-9582email: jshuttstjohns@verizon.net

wbrownstjohns@verizon.net

www.stjohnsbedford.dioswva.org

St. John’s Episcopal Church

The VestryJim Vest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Senior WardenBill Jackson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Junior WardenBeth Bagley . . . . . . . . . . . . Clerk of the VestryAlan Pipkin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TreasurerPete Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Asst. Treasurer

Members:Blu Ayers Beth BagleyPhilip Baker Scott FoglemanHeather Garrett Rob JarvisSue Montgomery Don RoweSteve Wandrei

Vestry Person of the Month for August:Scott Fogleman