APRIL 2015

Volume 29.4

Welcome!

St. Johns
United Church of
Christ
St. Johns is a community
of faith centered in Jesus
Christ, seeking guidance
and direction through the
Holy Spirit, and
demonstrating Gods love
to all people in words and
deeds.

An Open and
Affirming
Congregation
503 Stuart Circle
Richmond, Virginia 23220
Telephone: 804.358.9291
Email:
stjohnsrichmondoffice@verizon.net

Web Site:
stjohnsrichmond.org

Published monthly
2013 St Johns UCC

From The Pastor Search Committee

At a Congregational meeting on March 22, 2015,
St. John unanimously voted to call The Rev.
Linda Higgins as our next Senior Pastor. She
has accepted our call and will begin her ministry
with us on April 13, 2015. We welcome Linda to
the St. Johns community.
Linda has been a UCC minister for over thirty
years and brings with her a wealth of experience
gained while serving churches in four states.

From Rev. Higgins

Dear Members, Friends, Staff and especially the
Search Committee,
Thank You!!!!!! I cannot even begin to tell you how
humbled and blessed I feel by all that you did on Call
Weekend. The Search Committee had impressed me during the process with all of their careful and
discerning work, but then to get to meet all of you and be welcomed. Wow!!! I truly am humbled that you
all care about your church enough to come out on both Saturday and Sunday to meet me and call me to be
your Pastor. The ways in which you took care of me all weekend and the ways you cared for each other was
wonderful to both receive and watch.
I am so excited to be coming to Richmond to be your Pastor. You have made me feel so welcomed already
and I truly am looking forward to getting to know each and every one of you.
With Love and Prayers for you as you walk through Holy Week,

Pastor Linda
From Rev. Nicholson
Dear Members and Friends,
Last weekend was an extraordinary event. It
has been more than a decade since you as a
congregation went through the process of
electing a search committee, went through the
long and difficult search process, and called a
settled pastor. But you have done it; and done
it with faithfulness, patience, and care.
You may not realize it but your search
committee met virtually every Tuesday evening
over the past year. This placed a tremendous
burden on them and their loved ones who had to
adjust their schedules and organize their lives
around the demands of the task to which they
were called and elected. We all owe them a debt
of gratitude that I hope you will express to
them.
This is my last Messenger article that I will
write to you; and that is as it should be. We
interims know we are just that, interim minister, only here for a while. Lindas first day will

be Monday, April 13, and my last day will be

Friday, April 24.
There are a few more steps for you and Linda
Higgins to take. You of course will be welcoming
her into the community of St. Johns in a variety
of thoughtful ways. She will need to become a
member of the Potomac Association of the United
Church of Christ. This will require her to go to the
DC area to meet with the Church and Ministry
Committee. Once recognized, an installation
service will be held here at St. Johns and she will
become officially your settled pastor. The
installation service and the reception following
are a grand time for celebrating her ministry with
her and your ministry with her, as together you
begin writing the next chapter in the ministry and
mission of St. Johns.
So even though a milestone has been reached, the
journey lies ahead, and wish you the richest of
Gods blessings.

Warmly,

Roger

The Messenger | APRIL 2015

Holy Week And

Easter
Maundy Thursday - April 2
7:00 am

Communion and Tenebrae Service

Our Communion and Tenebrae (Latin for "shadows" or "darkness")
Service will guide us as we remember the night of Christs last supper and betrayal.

Good Friday - April 3

Noon

Prayer Service

Easter Sunday - April 5

11:00 am

Easter Worship Service

Join us in the sanctuary at 11:00 am for our Easter Worship Service. The service will conclude with the choir
and congregation singing of the Hallelujah chorus to Handels Messiah.

Noon

Celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord!

Gather in the Fellowship Hall to enjoy fellowship and wonderful food prepared by the Congregational Life
ministry. Special activities will be provided for the children including our annual Easter egg hunt. We look
forward to seeing everyone as we greet one another with Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired
signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending
money alone. It is spending the sweat of laborers, the genius of scientists,
the hope of its children.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, five-star general and the thirty-fourth president of the United States.

Religious people seldom have difficulty finding a scriptural

basis for engaging in conflict. The Old Testament is a history of nations in conflict, and God was on the side of
the faithful. The lesson of our Savior, however, is to bridge differences, to trample prejudices, and to bury
animosities. To the surprise of most everyone, Jesus came not to lead his people in war, but as the Prince of
Peace. Jesus died on a cross, not to defeat the Romans, but to bring the Kingdom of God.
As spring awakens the earth, let us be pray-full and courageous. Let us pray that our eyes be opened. Let us
see the world as it is and as it yearns to be. Let us pray for understanding, reconciliation, and the end of
animosities, some of which have lasted for hundreds of years. Let us pray for ourselves. Let us pray for our
neighbors and our enemies. Let us temper our passions and tend to the patient labors of peace.

The Messenger | APRIL 2015

Armenian civilians, escorted by armed

Ottoman soldiers, are marched through Harput
(Kharpert), to a prison in April 1915.

The Armenian Genocide was the Ottoman government's systematic extermination of its minority Armenian subjects from their historic homeland within
the territory constituting the present-day Republic of Turkey. The total
number of people killed as a result has been estimated at between 1 and 1.5
million. The starting date is conventionally held to be 24 April 1915, the day
Ottoman authorities rounded up and arrested some 250 Armenian intellectuals
and community leaders in Constantinople. The genocide was carried out
during and after World War I and implemented in two phases: the wholesale
killing of the able-bodied male population through massacre and subjection of
army conscripts to forced labor, followed by the deportation of women,
children, the elderly and infirm ondeath marches leading to the Syrian
desert. Driven forward by military escorts, the deportees were deprived of
food and water and subjected to periodic robbery, rape, and massacre.
Other indigenous and Christian ethnic groups such as the Assyrians and
the Ottoman Greeks were similarly targeted for extermination by the Ottoman
government, and their treatment is considered by many historians to be part of
the same genocidal policy.

The UCC has a long-standing history of working with Amenians dating back to the early 1800s. Missionaries of the American Board
of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, the original name of the UCC Wider Church Ministries, worked primarily with the Armenian
community in Anatolia for a century, opening schools and orphanages, establishing hospitals, and preaching the Gospel. Beginning
in 1915, they witnessed and documented the atrocities, and advocated for an end to the massacres.

SERVICE TO COMMEMORATE...APRIL 26 at St. Johns

For the 100th commemoration of the genocide, St. Johns will be holding a special worship service on APRIL 26, 2015. This year
we will lift up the horrors and the resiliency of people of faith when confronted with such events. Members of St. James Armenian
Apostolic Church will join us for worship, bring greetings, offer Lord's Prayer in worship and enrich our understanding. The Rev.
Dr. Susan Minasian, Chaplain at Franklin and Marshall College and leader in the movement for reconciliation and admission, will
preach. All are invited to gather for Fellowship with Armenian delicacies in the parlor after worship.
100 Years later this Genocide remains in denial and leaves cover for other such events in the world to happen.

4 The Messenger | APRIL 2015

Please sign up on the lists in the

Parlor to help welcome our
CARITAS guests each night.

APRIL CARITAS Volunteers

April 1

Jeff Michel, Beverly Lindsey

April 2

The Bighinattis

April 3

Rob Osborn, Helena DeLigt

April 4

Laura Totty

April 5
April 6

First English

April 7

First English

April 8

Jeff Michel

April 9

Elisabeth Burnette
Sal Anselmo

April 12
April 13

First English

April 14

First English

April 15

Jeff Michel, Bill Watson

April 16

Elisabeth Burnette

April 17

Don Warren

ACTS - Area
Congregations Together
in Service - is a Greater
Richmond interfaith
mission providing support
and resources during
periods of financial crisis to
2015
prevent homelessness.
ACTS serves as a
resource to St. Johns UCC
and 50+ other regional
congregations, by assessing and assisting people who visit or
call the churches seeking financial assistance. Instead of the
churches simply offering a hand out, staff is able to refer that
person to ACTS who fully assesses the situation face to face
while taking the necessary time to listen to each individual and
how they got in financial crisis and the best solutions.
Since it began assisting clients in the Greater Richmond Area in
August 2006, ACTS has financially assisted hundreds of households and given other more appropriate resources to hundreds
more.

April 10
April 11

Easter Offering
for ACTS

Your support during 2014 enabled 825 people to retain their

stable housing within 340 households. That included 332
children under the age of 18 who would have had their lives
disruptedoften an indicator of repeated homelessness during
their adult years.

Please donate snacks for our CARITAS ministry.

Your continued financial support is most appreciated by so

many in our community who are in crisis. Special monetary
offerings will be received on Easter Sunday for ACTS.

Stuart Circle Parish

Good Friday Blood Drive
April 3, 2015
2:00 7:00
Location:
Fellowship Hall, Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church
1627 Monument Avenue
Parking in alley behind the church
Participating Churches
The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart , City Church, First English Lutheran Church
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, St. Jamess Episcopal Church, St. Johns United Church of Christ

The Messenger | APRIL 2015

Proposed Constitution Discussion Forums

Journeying with Jesus

This month, our children will be learning about Easter and
celebrating the good news that Jesus is risen, and then beginning
to explore stories about Jesus life and ministry.
Because the Easter story is so important, the Toddler and
Primary classes will spend two weeks (April 5 and 12) on this
theme. Jr. Youth will remain in worship on Easter Sunday and
then explore the resurrection story on April 12.
There will be no classes for children on April 19; older children will
remain in worship and younger children will have the option of
remaining or departing after the childrens moment for play and
crafts.
April 26, the Toddler and Primary classes will go back to the
beginning of Jesus ministry and explore the calling of Jesus
disciples. Jr. Youth will begin a series focused on the parables
Jesus told and their meaning for us today.
Faith Place (9:45-10:45 a.m.) will meet on April 12 and April 26.

Gleaning Hope with Ruth

One of the beloved stories of
scripture is that of Ruth, who left her
homeland to support her mother-inlaw after great tragedy struck their
family. Her perseverance and
commitment are often held up as a
model for faithful living. Yet the
story of Ruth is not just an example of family commitment and
renewed romance.
Come discover new ways to look at this old, old story and explore
how Ruths choices might offer us hope when we face difficult
circumstances.

During times of transition, we have opportunities to talk about

who we are, where we are going, and how we are want to
live out our mission and purpose.
To this end, Church Council appointed a task force to review
and revise the St. Johns constitution, and the Council has
now approved a new version of the constitution for
congregational consideration.
The new version of the constitution does several things.

It clarifies the roles of officers

It eliminates the Audit Committee and moves that
responsibility into other areas.
It reflects our current practices with regard to
membership,
It proposes that we move from two-year to three-year
terms for Council members
It permits flexibility in the size of Council and committees
to reflect the realities of a smaller congregation.
We invite you to read the proposed draft of the
constitution and then attend one of two conversation
forums to discuss these two questions:

Does this constitution reflect what you want

St. Johns to be and stand for?
Are there any parts of the constitution that
you do not understand or have questions
about?

The forums will be held

Wednesday, April 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
and
Sunday, April 12, 9:00-10:00 a.m.
(breakfast included).
You can find a copy of the proposed revised constitution on
the website (www.stjohnsrichmond.org), or pick up a paper
copy in the Parlor or Narthex.
Congregational Breakfast
April 12, 2015
9:00 am

The Messenger / APRIL 2015

...from the President

March was a busy month for Council and members of the
Congregation!

Rev. Linda Higgins:

During the meeting in late February, Council voted to
present Rev. Linda Higgins to the Congregation as a
candidate for Senior Pastor of St. Johns UCC. During the
meeting on March 9th, a call agreement including financial
arrangements was approved. The date of March 21st and
22nd were set to have Rev. Higgins join us for her call
sermon. The Council and Search committee planned a
glorious weekend and Rev. Linda Higgins was
unanimously approved as the new Pastor of St. Johns
UCC. My thanks to all who participated and made all the
festivities possible. She will join us on Monday, April 13th
as our Pastor and Rev . Roger Nicholson will be with her
in transition for a couple of weeks in April. Rev.
Nicholson will preach his last official sermon with us on
April 12th.
A special thanks to our Search Committee who worked with such commitment for the past 16 months to bring Rev. Higgins to us.

Palm Sunday and Holy Week:

Our Palm Sunday parade was great and a wonderful experience for all. This is an old tradition for St. Johns, one that many of us
have been a part of for years. Our Easter celebrations are before us. Please join us for Maundy Thursday services at 7:00 pm, and
Good Friday at Noon in the sanctuary and Easter Sunday worship at 11:00 AM.

Constitution:
The Council voted to present the revised Constitution to the congregation on May 10 at a Congregational Meeting. There will be two
sessions for the committee to present the document to the congregation for questions and discussion. The first one will be
Wednesday, April 8 at 6:30 in the Fellowship Hall and the second will be with Breakfast on Sunday, April 12th at 9:00 am . I urge all
members to make every effort to attend one of these presentations.

New Council Members:

This is the time of the year that present council members are re-elected and new members are added to the council. We have four
spots available and would like to see one of you submit your name in nomination. There will be a nomination/suggestion form in the
bulletin for the next couple of weeks, please fill one out for yourself or someone you would like to see on Church Council. The
election will be on May 10th.

St. Johns Players:

St. Johns Players will be presenting their annual Cabaret on Saturday, April 25 and 26. This event is a fund raiser and all proceeds
go to St. Johns UCC annual budget. We are in need of some volunteers to serve as ushers and to help serve the dinner on Sat.
night. Please see Tony Sharpenstein or Betsy Bighinatti. Tickets are available on line, or in church on Sundays. Please purchase one
soon!
Spring is a busy and exciting time and a new beginning; I hope you will all travel on this journey with me and the rest of the
congregation.
Peace to all
Betsy J. Bighinatti
President

Next Church Council Meeting

April 20, 2015

The next Church Council meeting is scheduled for Monday,

April 20, at 7:00 pm.

The Messenger | APRIL 2015

St. Johns Financial Picture YTD as of 2-28-15

2015 Budget

Budget YTD

Actual YTD

Income
Pledge Payments*
Cash Offerings
Other Income
(Endowment Contributions
Parking Lot Rental, Wedding Income, etc.)
Development Fund
Total Income

$110,500
$11,000
$126,700

$18,333
$1,833
$29,008

$16,470
$2,317
$27,672

$36,000
$284,200

$6,000
$55,174

$1,146
$47,605

Personnel
Committees
Operations/Maintenance
Local Benevolences
Other
Development Fund
Total Expenses

187,846
27,685
116,140
7,650
9,600
36,000
384,921

29,608
4,614
22,285
2,583
6,000
65,090

19,943
4,240
27,644
1,302
$0
53,129

Income/Expenses Total
surplus (deficit)

(100,721)

(9,916)

(5,524)

Expenses

NOTE:
1. Income includes a total of $85,000 annual contribution from Endowment Fund ($7083 monthly)
2. Annual Deficit to be covered by Endowment Fund and General Reserve Fund
3. 2015 Pledge Budget is $110,000. 55 pledges for $118,000 Were pledged.

April Lectionary
Easter
April 5, 2015

Isaiah 25:6-9

Second Sunday of Easter

April 12, 2015

Acts 4:32-35

Third Sunday of Easter

April 19, 2015

Acts 3:12-19

Fourth Sunday of Easter

April 26, 2015

Acts 4:5-12

1 Cor. 15:1-11

Mark 16:1-8

1 John 1:1-2:2

John 20:19-31

1 John 3:1-7

Luke 24:36b-48

1 John 3:16-24

John 10:11-18

Psalm 118, 1-2, 14-24

Psalm 133

Psalm 4

Psalm 23

The Messenger | APRIL 2015

The Church Council, according to our

Constitution, has many tasks. Among them
are:
Encouraging the spiritual life and welfare of the
congregation and its participants

Evaluating the effectiveness of St. Johns ministries

Engaging in short and long range planning

Assisting and supporting the pastoral staff

The annual St. Johns Basement Sale will be held on

Saturday June 6,
8:00 am till 1:00 pm.

Church Council is currently seeking self-nominations and

recommendations for new Council members. If you think you
might be called to serve, or know someone else who might have
gifts for leadership, please fill in the form below and
mail it to 503 Stuart Circle, Richmond, VA 23220..

Here is your opportunity to do some Spring-Cleaning

of closets and corners!

I recommend the following person (or myself) for

consideration to serve on the St. Johns Church
Council:
_____________________________

You can bring donations to the church basement

(clearly marked BASEMENT SALE).

Come and say

THANK YOU
to Rev. Nicholson at a
Special Reception on
Sunday, April 12
at Noon

Bring books, DVDs, dishes, toys,

small appliances (in working condition), pictures,
and gently used childrens clothing
(NO CLOTHES FOR ADULTS).

Thanks for your donations and for your help! See

Dorothy Cook or Laura Siff if you have any questions

The Messenger | APRIL 2015

SJCP

St. Johns Community Players Present

Flashback!
A Musical Cabaret of Songs from
Saturday, April 25 @ 7:30 & Sunday, April 26 @ 3:00 pm
Seating for Theatre Only Tickets: $10 Adults * $8 Students
Saturday, April 25 Dinner @ 6:00 Show @ 7:30 pm $20
Advance Payment Required
Dinner reservations must be placed by Thursday, April 23
Call the Box Office to Make Your Reservations 358-9291
or pay on-line at
http://stjohnsrichmond.org/st-johns-players

April Meeting
All are invited to join us on
Thursday, April 9 at
10:30 am
at the Valentine Museum for a
tour.
Call Lynda Merry at 756-0270
for information

St. Johns

Equality Virginia Dinner April 18th

As in previous years, St. Johns is sponsoring a table at this
years Equality Virginia Commonwealth Dinner, which honors
the LGBT community and particular individuals and organizations throughout Virginia who have promoted LGBT
equality. The event includes a pre-dinner reception (cash bar),
a silent auction, the dinner, and after-dinner dancing. This
years dinner is the evening of Saturday, April 18th at the
Convention Center. The cost for a non-profit such as St.
Johns is $925 for a table of 10, or $92.50 per ticket, instead of
the regular price of $125 per ticket. If you are interested in
attending, please contact Jeff Jacobs, at
jjacobs@dtiglobal.com or (202) 361-9887.

April 17 - 19, 2015

Kiptopeke State Park
Cape Charles, VA
Beach
Trails
Birding
Fellowship
Discussion
Meals
$65 per person
See Cheryl Goode for more information.

April 5

April 12

April 19

April 26
Fellowship Coordinator:
Sal Anselmo 358-1696

Welcome
Team
Leader

Lynn Snyder

Lynn Snyder

Bill Watson

Bill Watson

Tellers Coordinator:
Bud Higgins 301-5059
Lay Readers Coordinator:
Sal Anselmo 358-1696

Sound
System
Acolytes

Lay Reader
Fellowship
Hosts
Nursery
Helpers
Tellers

Hank,
Cammie, Eddie
Allen

Hank,
Cammie, Eddie
Allen

Flowers

Mark Atkinson

Savannah, Ashley
Quick

Savannah, Ashley
Quick

Kristina
Gilbert

Rob Osborn

Ashley Quick

Sal Anselmo

Easter
Celebration

Elisabeth
Burnette

Scott Siefert

Chris and Abby Ward

TBA

Chris & Abby

Ward

Laura Totty

Marjorie & Justin

Barbour

Rob Osborn
Tony
Sharpenstein

Rob Osborn
Tony
Sharpenstein

Sonny Darnell
Dorothy Cook

Sonny Darnell
Dorothy Cook

Bill Watson

Bill Watson

Sonny Darnell
Dorothy Cook

Bryan Anderegg
Johanna Gilbert

Facilities

Altar Guild

Mark Atkinson

Erin Burnette,
Georgianne
Stinnett
All to help
Easter Lilies

Cheryl Goode
Arthur Dewey

Altar Guild Coordinator:

Sonny Darnell 743-7528
CARITAS Coordinators:
Don Warren
Richard Bighinatti
Please find a substitute if you are
unable to perform your ministry and
contact your team coordinator AND
the office to let them know who will
be filling in for you. Thank you for
making our church ministries run
smoothly!

To order fresh flowers to be placed

on the altar in honor of a special
occasion or person or in
remembrance of someone, please
sign-up on the flower chart on the
bulletin board in the hallway near
the nursery or contact Sonny
Darnell at 743-7528 or
kenandsonny@comcast.net
$45.00 for two beautiful bouquets.

2015
MAUNDY THURSDAY

10 am Choir rehearsal

11 am Worship

CARITAS

12:30 pm Easter Celebration

7:00 Maundy
Thursday Service

2-7 Stuart Circle Blood

Drive

CARITAS

CARITAS

10

11

10:00 am Staff Meeting

5 pm Card Ministry

10:30 am
The Fellowship

1:00 pm SJP

11:30 am NA Meeting

6:30 pm Congregational
Forum/Constitution

7 pm Choir Rehearsal

Office
Closed

CARITAS

CARITAS

CARITAS

CARITAS

14

15

16

17

5:30 Finance Comm.

CARITAS

12
9:00 am Breakfast
9:45 am Constitution Forum
10 am Choir rehearsal

13

11 am Worship
Noon Reception for
Rev. Nicholson
CARITAS

11 am Worship

5 pm Card Ministry

7 pm Choir Rehearsal

Office
Closed

11:30 am NA Meeting

10:00 am Staff Meeting

11:30 am NA Meeting

19
Womans Retreat
9:45 am Faith Formation
10 am Choir rehearsal

11:30 am NA Meeting

.
Rev. Higgins first day
in office.

Equality Virginia
Dinner

WOMANS RETREAT

CARITAS

CARITAS

20

21

22

23

24

25

5 pm Card Ministry

11:30 am NA Meeting

Office
Closed

9-2:30 Church World

Services Meeting

10:00 am Staff Meeting

7 pm Choir Rehearsal
11:30 am NA Meeting

28

29

30

10:00 am Staff Meeting

11:30 am NA Meeting

April Birthdays
1
2
11
16
20

18
8:30 am Indian Orthodox

CARITAS

27

11 am Worship - Dr.
Susan Minasian
preaching
3:00 Cabaret

CARITAS

CARITAS

6:00 pm SJP Dress

Rehearsal

26

CARITAS

CARITAS

7 Church Council

9:30 am Faith Formation

10 am Choir rehearsal

Noon Good Friday

Service

CARITAS

6
Office
Closed

11:30 am NA Meeting
5 pm Card Ministry

GOOD FRIDAY

Rene Chrysler
Dale Totty
Micah Dalton
Desiree McNeice
Charlotte Ford

23
29
30
30
30

Huldah Anderson
Anne Lohmann Palmen
Betsy Bighinatti
Theresa Caraher
Jerry Simonoff

6:00 Cabaret Dinner

7:30 Cabaret show