Open Door April May

OPEN DOOR April / May 2015

HOLY WEEK & EASTER Page 2

CELEBRATING THE DEAN’S MINISTRY Page 4

COME & SEE Page 14

FAMILY MINISTRies

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STAFF & VESTRY CLERGY The Very Reverend Peter Eaton Rector and Dean The Reverend Robert Hendrickson Acting Dean

Highlights CELEBRATING THE DEAN’S MINISTRy

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FAITH IN ACTION

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The Reverend Elizabeth Marie Melchionna, Acting Sub-Dean The Reverend Jadon Hartsuff Canon The Reverend Charles LaFond Canon Steward The Reverend Elizabeth Costello Curate

SENIOR STAFF

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HUNGER, FAITH & FOOD CONFERENCE

Kim McPherson Director of Religious Education

HUNGER, FAITH & FOOD C

Mike Orr Director of Communications Stephen Tappe Organist and Director of Music

ABRAHAMIC INITIATIVE: KNOWING EACH OTHER

Tara Williams Director of Finance and Administration

VESTRY

COME & SEE: AN ANTHEM TO INVITATION

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MEETING IN THE GARDEN

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Larry Kueter, Senior Warden Tim Dunbar, Junior Warden Andrew Britton, Treasurer David Abbott, Clerk Class of 2018 Ashley Bracken, Andrew Britton, Jane Schumaker, Ned Rule Class of 2017 David Abbott, Tamra d’Estrée, Jack Denman, Mike McCall Class of 2016 David Ball, Jen Courtney-Keyse, Suni Devitt, Anna Pendleton

Phone: 303.831.7115 Email: info@sjcathedral.org 1350 Washington Street Denver, CO 80203

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From the Dean: NOTHING WILL BE LOST One of my favorite passages in Saint John’s Gospel are the words of Jesus: “Everything that the Father gives to me will come to me…this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me…” This is one of the great promises to us, a promise that enables us to look to the future in hope and expectation to the One who is faithful.

It is hard to believe that Kate and I are leaving the Cathedral and Denver. This is Kate’s home, where she has roots that go back generations. The altar at the Cathedral at which I have celebrated so many Eucharists is dedicated to the memory of a member of her family.

And Denver has become my home, too. A former dean of this Cathedral encouraged my father to be a priest, and so in a special way I owe my own priesthood to this place. Here Kate and I were married just over a decade ago, and here I presided at her father’s funeral. From a purely personal point of view, this is home for us as no other place is.

I count it a huge honor and privilege to have served as the Dean of this Cathedral for over 13 years, and I am pleased that of the 13 rectors and deans, I am the fourth longest-serving. This Cathedral is one of the jewels of the Church, and I treasure all the memories, the accomplishments, and the hard work that make up this chapter of our common life during which God has called us to be together for a while.

Kate and I are filled with gratitude for all that you have given to us. You have helped us to learn and grow, and you have taught us how to live the Christian life more authentically. You have embraced us into your homes and families, and given us the huge privilege of sharing the most intimate human experiences of life and death with us. You have been faithful and you have shown us what loving this community can mean for our mission.

You have done so much for the sake of the Gospel while we have been among you and it has been amazing.

We face the prospect of our parting right after we celebrate the great Feast of Easter – a grief in the midst of the promise of new life. It is never easy to say goodbye, especially where roots and love are deep. But we face saying goodbye to each other not in darkness, but in the light of the resurrection that assures us that nothing will be lost in that love of God that knows no end. This is the promise that gives us the strength to bear what we think we cannot bear, and to face what we cannot imagine. We do this together, knowing that even when we are apart, we are united to each other every time we celebrate the Eucharist.

We leave you also confident that the life and the ministry of this extraordinary community will not only continue; it will grow stronger. I have no doubt that a wonderful new chapter awaits you with a new Dean.

You are in the hands of one of the most remarkable teams of clergy, lay staff, and lay leaders in the Church, and together you will embrace the opportunities before you. Please welcome and love your new Dean as you have welcomed and loved Kate and me. That, and carrying on the work, are the two greatest gifts you could give us as we go.

I do want to thank our bishop for all his support to me and to this community during my time as your dean.

And I want to mark the huge contribution that those who have served this congregation on the staff have made during these years. We have been privileged to have such remarkable people among us, and they have left their mark on us all.

Nothing will be lost. You and I shall not be lost. All of us, all creation, will at last be gathered into God’s kingdom where all shall flourish, and where we shall know as we are known. Let us always remember each other with gratitude, and please pray for Kate and me, as we shall be praying for you.

HOLY WEEK & EASTER The nursery will be open for all evening services during Holy Week.

Please note that the first service of the day on Palm Sunday and Easter Day is at 7:30 am, not 8:00 am.

Palm Sunday - March 29

7:30 am, 9:00 am, 11:15 am Solemn Eucharist, the Blessing of Palms, and the Proclamation of the Passion 10:15 am Adult Formation with Bishop Pritchard, Everding Lecturer 6:00 pm The Wilderness

Holy Monday - March 30 8:30 am Morning Prayer 5:00 pm Evening Prayer 7:00 pm Eucharist

Holy Tuesday - March 31 8:30 am Morning Prayer 11:00 am Chrism Mass 5:00 pm Evening Prayer 7:00 pm Eucharist

Holy Wednesday - April 1 7:00 am Eucharist 8:30 am Morning Prayer 5:00 pm Evening Prayer 7:00 pm Tenebrae

Maundy Thursday - April 2

8:30 am Morning Prayer 5:00 pm Evening Prayer 6:00 pm Parish Soup Supper 7:00 pm The Liturgy of the Lord’s Supper 9:00 pm - 8:00 am (Friday) All-night Watch of the Passion (Prayer Vigil)

Good Friday - April 3

8:30 am Morning Prayer 12:00 noon Good Friday Liturgy 5:00 pm Evening Prayer 5:30 pm Family Eucharist, Saint Martin’s Chapel 7:00 pm Good Friday Liturgy

Holy Saturday - April 4

8:30 am Morning Prayer 5:00 pm Evening Prayer 7:00 pm Easter Vigil, Baptisms and Confirmations, and the First Mass of Easter

Easter Day - April 5

7:30, 9:00, 11:15 am Festival Eucharist of Easter Day No Christian Education classes today.

10:30 am Family Easter Egg Hunt 6:00 pm The Wilderness

Everding Lecture, Holy Week

The Everding Lectureship in Anglican and Inter-Religious Studies is a gift to the community from Professor H. Edward and Lee Palmer Everding. Through a cooperative partnership between Saint John’s Cathedral, the Iliff School of Theology, and The Denver Foundation, administrator of the Lee Palmer Everding Fund, the Everding Lectureship seeks to promote the study of Anglicanism and interfaith dialogue. Our Everding lecturer this year is the Right Reverend John Pritchard, the recently retired Bishop of Oxford. Our lectureship this year will take a sustained format as Bishop Pritchard will join us as our Holy Week preacher, beginning on Palm Sunday and concluding with the Great Vigil of Easter.

The Sacrament of Confession during Holy Week

The Cathedral priests are available to hear confessions after Evening Prayer in Saint Martin’s Chapel for anyone who simply wants to make a confession this way. The clergy are always ready to administer the sacrament of reconciliation at any time, and you are welcome to contact one of the priests to discuss whether this rite might find a place in your spiritual discipline.

Maundy Thursday Prayer Vigil

April 2, 9:00 pm. Following the Maundy Thursday liturgy, there will be a silent vigil of prayer until 8:30 am on Good Friday in Saint Martin’s Chapel. This commemorates our Lord’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane before his arrest and trial in the early hours of Good Friday. Every member of the Cathedral family will be prayed for during the Vigil. Please sign up for a period of prayer time on our website at sjcathedral.org/PrayerVigil or on the sheets available in the Welcome Center or outside Saint Martin’s Chapel.

Maundy Thursday Parish Soup Supper

April 2, 6:00 pm, Dagwell Hall. Come early before the Maundy Thursday Eucharist and share a simple meal and fellowship together. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian soup will be provided.

Family Easter Egg Hunt

April 5, 10:30 am. Eggs stuffed with candy, and plenty of friends to share the fun! Children will gather on the East Lawn following the 9:00 am service for our Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Wee ones (Ages 0-3) will hunt in the Nursery Play Garden (enter through the nursery, or the gate on Clarkson Street). Children (4 & up) will gather just outside Memorial Hall for instructions so that the hunt begins when all are gathered.

Parking for Holy Week services

Please remember that the Morey Middle School parking lot (enter on 13th Ave. between Emerson and Clarkson) will be open for parishioners for the Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Day services. The lot is also available for services each Sunday.

Celebrating the Dean’s Ministry at Saint John’s Father Robert Hendrickson One of the critical tasks in any organization’s transition is to say goodbye to those departing in a full and robust way. We at Saint John’s are saying goodbye to Peter and Kate as they leave to begin Peter’s ministry as Bishop Coadjutor in the Diocese of Southeast Florida.

Many have wondered what this means for us here at Saint John’s. This issue of the Open Door is devoted to the many ways by which the Cathedral is looking ahead and building on the foundations which Peter and Kate have helped to lay.

We are in the incredibly fortunate position to ask that question from a real position of strength and vitality. In no small part, a key component of their legacy here will be the vibrancy of the congregation and leadership as they takes their leave.

Farewell CELEBRATIONS

MOVING FORWARD IN MINISTRY

Sunday Morning Celebrations We will say farewell to Peter and Kate on Sunday, April 19 at two special services; 8:00 am and 10:00 am. NOTE: Services will not be held at our regular service hours this weekend, but will only be at 8:00 am and 10:00 am. Receptions will follow each service in Dagwell Hall. There will be no adult formation on this day and Children’s and Youth programming will be at 9:00 am.

As we spend the next month celebrating Peter and Kate and their ministry here at the Cathedral, the Vestry will begin to discern the path and steps to be taken in the search for a new Dean. On Sunday, April 26, during the formation hour at 10:15 am, we will begin to present the foundations of leadership roles and begin our collective conversation as we plan ahead after Peter’s departure. Please join us in Dagwell Hall for this time together.

The Wilderness Celebration Peter and Kate will have a farewell celebration on Sunday, April 12 at The Wilderness at 6:00 pm.

We will continue to communicate updates in our weekly eNewsletter, the Voice. Subscribe to receive these communications at sjcathedral.org/ eNewsletters.

NEW BISHOP’S FUND IN HONOR OF THE DEAN’S MINISTRY We are collecting a fund to help establish Peter with the vestments and other things he will need as he begins his ministry as the Bishop Coadjutor of Southeast Florida. Please help us send Peter and Kate to their new work with this substantial support as a sign of our gratitude for all that they have given to us over the years. We hope that all our parishioners and friends of the Cathedral will contribute to this fund. All gifts of whatever amount are welcomed and honored.

Please make out your check to “Saint John’s Cathedral,” mark it “New Bishop’s Fund,” and send it to Tara Williams at the Cathedral. We shall prepare a book to record the names of all donors so that Peter and Kate have a tangible record of our love and gratitude.

Thank you for helping us to be generous to two people who have been unselfishly generous to us.

Larry Kueter Senior Warden

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Tim Dunbar Junior Warden

Father Robert Hendrickson Acting Dean

A FAREWELL Kate Eaton Goodbyes are never easy, and for me saying goodbye to Colorado is especially hard. As a fourth generation Coloradan, I am bound to this land in ways that are difficult to put into words. I will miss it deeply.

Saint John’s Cathedral is also a place where the generations before me in my family have found faith. The altar that sits amidst the choir stalls was given in memory of my great aunt, Winifred Hollister. My mother, Edith Gleason, brought me to Saint John’s as a teenager. And Robin Johnston, a long-time parishioner and my dear friend and spiritual mother, introduced me to my future husband, Peter.

To have been a part of starting The Wilderness in the fall of 2007 changed the direction of my life.

Not only did I experience the awe and wonder of volunteering to help Saint John’s open our doors anew through this service; I also discovered my own calling. I had no idea as I was serving as Director of National Resource Development for Mercy Housing that I would soon leave fundraising as a professional full-time career to help church communities across the country develop their own worship services that would draw people into their doors who had no church home. I am blessed to have the opportunity to create and co-lead The Wilderness for the last time on April 5 and 12.

I will miss the community of Saint John’s very much and will always remember these years as ones that formed me in ways I could never have imagined. I am excited for the future of Saint John’s and believe that it will always be safe haven amidst the storms of life.

As we part ways and say our goodbyes, I will remember this great Cathedral and all it has meant to me in my life.

Peace to you all, Kate

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TOGETHER IN SERVICE, EDUCATION, AND ADVOCACY Mother Liz Costello

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ime and time again, parishioners at Saint John’s Cathedral have demonstrated their continued interest in serving the community not only within our walls but outside them. Just as the city’s needs have shifted, so too have our efforts shifted to meet these needs.

At the Outreach Summit almost two years ago, parishioners named their desire to have the work of outreach ministries and the Urban and Social Concerns Committee (USCC) reflect more of a relational-transformational/being-with model, as opposed to a doing-for model. To respond to these longings, while recognizing that newer outreach ministries were operating outside the purview of the USCC, the commission discerned a need to disband and regroup.

To undertake this work, Saint John’s commissioned former USCC members and other lay leaders in outreach. Their goal has been to identify both a framework and fresh language for a new ministry of outreach at the Cathedral, while working collaboratively with key ministry leaders and a focus group. In February, this committee chose “Faith in Action” to describe the work of the new outreach entity at Saint John’s.

To honor the recent designation of Saint John’s Cathedral as a Jubilee Parish by the Episcopal Church in Colorado and the national church, the branding committee crafted the tagline, Together in service, education, and advocacy. This phrase was chosen because, to qualify as a Jubilee Parish, the Cathedral was asked to identify the ways in which our ministries engaged in “action, education, and advocacy.”

So we name these three essential modes of engagement as reminders of our shared call to serve, to teach, and to speak out—acting collaboratively, prayerfully, and alongside one another.

And we created a new entity that recognized existing ministries while folded emerging ministries into the mix.

After considering the range of ministries at the Cathedral, the branding committee identified three clear areas of focus: Housing, Hunger Relief, and Alternative Gift Giving.

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Housing Ministry The Housing Ministry at Saint John’s Cathedral seeks to provide housing for people struggling with homelessness, recognizing that we serve a God who became homeless to be with us—who was born into a family who had no shelter.

activists and agencies in Denver and with interfaith organizations to provide fresh, local food to people in need. To achieve these goals, the ministry’s three arms, the Cathedral Co-Operative of Gardeners (CCG), the Hunger, Faith & Food (HFF) planning committee, and Days of Service collaborate with hunger-relief activists and agencies in Denver and with interfaith organizations to feed those in Metro Denver who don’t have enough to eat.

Out of this understanding and in response to Denver’s many homeless individuals, parishioners The work of the CCG is powered by 20-plus gardenerhave collaborated with local faith communities, the missioners who plant, tend, and deliver freshly Women’s Homeless Initiative, Capitol Hill United harvested produce throughout the growing season.

Ministries (CHUM), the Saint Francis Center, and Partnering with Grow Local Colorado, CCG members Habitat for Humanity. To achieve these goals, this tend and harvest the food ministry has two arms: the Women’s Homeless Time and time again, parishioners gardens at the Governor’s Mansion and help with DUG Initiative and Days of at Saint John’s Cathedral have community gardens across Service. demonstrated their continued the street. They are hostsite coordinators for a CSA The Women’s Homeless interest in serving the community ( Co m m u n i t y - S u p p o r t e d Initiative (WHI) has, for delivering the past three years, not only within our walls but Agriculture), offered overnight refuge outside them as well. Just as the unclaimed shares weekly to a community partner to homeless women. This in hunger relief, which city’s needs have shifted, so too partnership among faith them to communities, WHI, and have our efforts shifted to meet distributes Denver’s many hungry CHUM provides shelter for people in need. On Sundays, twenty women, 365 days these needs. they collect parishionerout of the year. As a Monday grown produce for Monday delivery to a community night host site, Saint John’s Cathedral shelters partner in hunger relief. Because honeybees are women on alternating months. This overnightexcellent partners in hunger-relief, the CCG will also housing mission has transformed the lives of the assist with the Saint John’s beehive ministry. guests and of the lay volunteers.

The Days of Service offer parishioners opportunities to serve for single four-hour or half-day increments.

These service opportunities are a great way to explore how to get involved with partner agencies in a greater capacity. Housing-focused Days of Service opportunities offer us the ability to collaborate with local community partners to work on a variety of projects to alleviate homelessness, including The Saint Francis Center, Habitat for Humanity, Urban Peak, and Family Promise.

Hunger-Relief Ministry “Feed my sheep,” Jesus said to his disciples. This ministry seeks to feed those who are hungry; striving to end hunger locally.

To work toward this goal, parishioners at Saint John’s Cathedral made common cause with hunger-relief

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The Hunger, Faith & Food (HFF) planning committee meets after the garden harvests are in to organize another kind of harvest: of people and ideas. HFF holds annual conferences every spring. These conferences seek to increase awareness about local hunger, boost efforts to collaborate, and to act together in new initiatives in the community.

The HFF planning committee works with a range of local hunger-relief partners and ecumenical and interfaith groups to educate lay people and religious professional alike on how they can work to end hunger locally.

The Days of Service component offers parishioners with the opportunity to serve for single four-hour or half-day increments. These service opportunities are a great way to explore how to get involved in service at Saint John’s. Days of Service community partners include Metro Caring and Project Angel Heart.

Alternative Gift Giving Alternative gifts honor the generosity of Saint Nicholas, who was known to leave gifts for poor children.

During Advent, two alternative gift-giving opportunities include the Giving Tree and Gifts for Life. The Giving Tree provides gifts for people in need over the holidays. Community partners provide gift lists to a volunteer coordinator who ensures that each gift-need tag is placed on a tree.

Gifts for people in need are collected mid-November thru mid-December. On the final drop-off date, parishioners gather to organize and deliver gifts to community partners who distribute the gifts.

Also during Advent, parishioners can participate in an alternative gift market. Episcopal Relief and Development’s Gifts for Life offers parishioners the opportunity to purchase gifts that fight poverty, hunger, and disease worldwide in honor of someone’s name.

Burgeoning Ministries in Housing and Hunger Relief Faith in Action continues to grow, especially in the areas of housing and hunger relief. Now in a period of discernment, two projects speak to this growth.

The Hunger-Relief Ministry is in conversation with Metro Caring about building a Learning Garden on the Cathedral’s campus. Meanwhile, in response to persistent shortages in low-income, supportive housing, the Cathedral is investigating with the Saint Francis Center the building of permanent, lowincome, supportive housing—also on our campus.

Both projects will provide greater opportunities for parishioners to continue putting their faith into action.

To celebrate and recognize these ministries, and Saint John’s designation as a Jubilee Parish, the Cathedral will have a special service on April 26, 2015, at 9:00 am and 11:15 am. The Reverend Becky Jones, Jubilee Officer for the Episcopal Church in Colorado, will commission these ministries as they continue living out our call to “go in peace to love and serve the Lord.”

To learn more about Faith in Action leadership and ministry, please visit sjcathedral.org/Serve or contact Mother Liz Costello at Liz@sjcathedral.org.

Sunday, May 10

9:00 am - 1:00 pm White Garth & Dagwell Hall Come one, come all... to the Annual Saint John’s Cathedral Mother’s Day Plant Market.

Mother’s Day weekend marks the unofficial start to the gardening season. Moms will cherish the gift of plants and colorful flowers that will liven up any space.

Give your mother, caregiver, or special woman in your life a unique gift and make it an unforgettable Mother’s Day. • Hanging Baskets

• Annuals

• Window Boxes

• Perennials

• Herbs

• Roses

• Tomatoes

• Groundcover

• Vegetables

• And More!

Request a catalog listing and place your special orders from Welby and Alameda Nursery now through April 30 by emailing Perry Beaton at perrybeaton@msn.com.

The Mother’s Day Plant Market proceeds will support the Learning Garden and the Cathedral Grounds.

HUNGER, FAITH & FOOD CONFERENCE

HUNGER, FAITH & FOOD

CONFERENCE 2015 Faith Institutions and Community Partners Commit to Ending Local Hunger Kris Stoever

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ach day, many thousands of our neighbors in Saint John’s has for several years convened food Metro Denver struggle to put nutritious and lifemovement activists and community gardeners in sustaining food on the family table. We hear an annual winter event at the Cathedral. They have news of hunger. We see hunger. We are called to act. celebrated their successes and friendships. They Leaders of faith institutions, lay and clergy alike, have have shared notes on growing-and-sharing programs. a special charge. They are able But in 2015, Saint John’s to commandeer great reserves and its HFF 2015 planners “What is God calling us to do?” of human talent, vision, and stepped it up. They introduced energy in their congregations. movement activists to religious Many faith communities have irrigated lawns that professionals and lay leaders and issued a call to could be planted with food gardens. They have action. Together they pledged to the end hunger kitchens for teaching and food preparation. They locally. have parking lots and parish halls for table fellowship and meals ministries. They have pulpits and voices The half-day conference began in Dagwell Hall and a duty of care. with a zero-waste lunch that highlighted the moral challenges of a Haves and Have-Nots society of local But religious professionals rarely have the resources hunger and abundance. Half the participants lined to cook up a hunger-relief ministry from scratch. The up for a buffet of rice and beans, plus all the water good news? The resources are there, and on March they could drink. Meanwhile the other half were 19 at Saint John’s Cathedral, religious professionals seen to their tables and served a four-course meal, and lay leaders gathered to find out what they and all the ingredients locally sourced and then prepared their own communities could be doing to end hunger

by HFF planner and executive chef Andre Roux, of locally.

25 and Change. After presiding over welcome and

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registration, Wartburg West students transitioned to gracious food service while HFF keynote speaker Adrian Miller spoke to the group, asking, “What is God calling us to do?” Miller is the executive director of the Colorado Council of Churches and author of a James Beard Awardwinning book on the history of soul food.

Participating Sponsors:

A plenary session on the Scriptures of different traditions followed. The Reverend Dr. Cynthia Cearley, Presbyterian Church USA, led panelists through a discussion on feeding the hungry. They included Rabbi Stephen Booth-Nadav, chaplain at Kavod Senior Life and director of Wisdom House Denver; Ismail Guder, executive director of the Multicultural Mosaic Foundation, Denver; Ved Nanda, director of international law at DU and founding president of the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of the Rockies, reflected on what their traditions said about feeding the hungry.

“How do you do...?”

Mother Liz Costello led the first of two sessions, which presented inspiring stories on hunger-relief collaborations in which institutional faith communities played key roles as conveners and mobilizers of community action. Eileen Regan and Deacon Bethany Thomas, of Calvary Episcopal in Golden, partnered with Hunger Free Colorado to produce a local food hub. In Denver, Urbiculture and Celebration Community Church together created a vast community garden with a Pay-What-You-Can farmstand for its neighbors.

“How can we help?”

At the end of the conference, after Adrian Miller issued a call to action, everyone convened in the nave of the Cathedral for a dizzying round of speed-networking.

Community partners said, “How do you do...?” and then, “How can we help?” Urban farming, food preparation and nutrition, beekeeping, advocacy, and supportive services for hunger relief and to exit poverty. They were all there..

The relationships formed at HFF 2015—among members of the planning group and those who came to the conference—will fuel hunger-relief efforts going forward in Metro Denver and throughout Colorado.

For more information about opportunities to be involved in hunger relief ministry at Saint John’s, please visit sjcathedral.org/serve.

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KNOWING EACH OTHER Mother Elizabeth Marie Melchionna At the end of our Eucharist, we are sent out from worship by the Deacon, who says, “Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.” To this call we, as the congregation, respond, “Thanks be to God.” One of the powerful ways that the Saint John’s Cathedral community goes forth into the world is through the work of our companion ministry, the Abrahamic Initiative.

Known affectionately as AI, the Abrahamic Initiative seeks to foster mutual understanding and appreciation among Abrahamic faith traditions through education, dialogue, and action. We hold that “knowing each other and understanding the foundations of each tradition will help dispel false images and stereotypes that thwart positive relationships and generate conflict. Healthy and constructive relationships will emerge from mutual understanding and appreciation of each tradition.”

The leadership board of AI is comprised of Muslims, Christians, and Jews from the Denver area, who work on three functional committees: education, dialogue, and action. During the last year, we have hosted a wide variety of events. In July of 2014, we joined the Lady Fatima Center for the Iftar (meal breaking the daily fast during Ramadan) and heard from Muslim, Jewish, and Christian representatives about the role of fasting in one’s religious tradition. In September of 2014, we organized a Harvesting for Peace event at Ekar Farm, a community farm that grows food for hunger relief organizations and serves the community regardless of religious affiliation. We participated in Colorado’s Conflict Resolution month in October by partnering with facilitators from the University of Denver’s Conflict Resolution program to learn techniques to seek understanding and cultivate compassionate listening skills. November 2014 brought a multi-faith concert with music from Hal Aqua and the Lost Tribe, a klezmer fusion music group, who draw on the music of Eastern European Jews, and the Zevk Ensemble, featuring traditional music based on devotional Islamic poetry.

March of 2015 brought the screening of the PBS

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documentary “Three Faiths, One God: Judaism, Christianity, Islam” and our fifth Annual Interfaith Passover Seder.

The Abrahamic Initiative also hosts interfaith dinner groups. These groups are an opportunity for Muslims, Christians, and Jews to gather regularly for supper and to begin to share in one another’s lives. Some of the AI dinner groups have been meeting for more than ten years! These rich interfaith encounters have grown deep friendships in which each individual is able to be rooted firmly in his or her own tradition and encounter and learn from the tradition of another.

AI is a learning laboratory for students as well.

We supervise students from the University of Denver who work with their Interfaith Advocates program as well as a graduate student in the Masters of Divinity program from the Iliff School of Theology. AI seeks to partner with local educational institutions to promote interfaith education and understanding and we are exploring new relationships with Metro State and Regis University.

Through AI, we also go forth into the world globally.

Through our YouTube channel (Abrahamic Initiative Denver), we have had nearly 5,000 views of the program events we have recorded and posted from people interested throughout the world. All of the Saint John’s Community are welcome to all of the Abrahamic Initiative events.

You can like and follow us on Facebook or at our website, abrahamicinitative.org. If you would like to learn more about how you could volunteer with AI, please contact Mother Elizabeth Marie at elizabethmarie@sjcathedral.org.

Monday, April 27 through Saturday, May 2 Many of the images in the Saint John’s Bible were created as iconographic images. Come and learn about the process of creating an icon from the most outstanding RussianByzantine style instructors in North America.

The course will run all day from Monday, April 27 to Saturday, May 2, 2015. Fee includes tuition and all materials. $699 per person.

The Prosopon School offers intensive week-long workshops in various locations throughout North America, as well as ongoing classes in the instructor’s studios.

Students are introduced to iconology: the practical and the theoretical aspects of the iconographic tradition. Explanations of iconographic symbolism and the theological base of each step of the process are presented parallel to the technical instruction. No artistic experience is required of the beginning student. The Prosopon School does not hold the preparation of professional icon-writers as its foremost purpose, although such a possibility is not excluded. The main goal of study is rather to cultivate a clearer consciousness of the uncreated Image of God according to which man was created, and to understand the various “layers” of created life, drawing on Scripture, Tradition, and Patristic thought. The student is reintroduced to the teaching of the Church through the language of light, color, image and symbol. Through the language of iconographic symbolism, the student moves toward a clearer vision of the

Image of the Holy Trinity, by Vladislav Andejev

Divine, of him- or herself, and of the world.

By writing an icon according to the divine canons, the student works towards the reestablishment of the original condition of human’s tarnished image.

For questions, please contact Mother Elizabeth Marie Melchionna at 303.577.7731 or elizabethmarie@sjcathedral.org,

Register now at sjcathedral.org/ProsoponWorkshop

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COME AND SEE: AN ANTHEM TO INVITATION Father Charles LaFond

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y friends all have the Sodastream kitchen appliance these days. It is a great gizmo that makes tap water into soda water with the push of a button. They have one because I rave about mine, make them soda water, and then jump around the kitchen yelling, “Great! Right?” over and over again while they politely sip and then smile, raising an eyebrow. I make them more soda, and then infuse it with lemon, lime, or blackberry. I tell of the wonder of not having to buy cans of soda, drag them home from the store, and then recycle them. I love my Sodastream, and I tell anyone who will listen and who will, at the same time, taste a tall, bubbly glass of refreshing homemade soda.

telling another person where to get bread.” But a better, truer definition of evangelism is this: “One person telling another person where they were just now fed with bread—and then taking them to get some.”

We invite you to share the gift of an invitation to come and see Saint John’s Cathedral—an invitation made by you to a specific person on a specific day.

We invite our friends and family to come and see our faith community built upon generations of relationships with our Creator, with one another, and with our neighborhood and city. We invite you to share the beauty of our Cathedral; a place that is comfortable with many more People who tell other people about questions than answers to the things they love or which make the mysteries of our world and treasures of our faith.

People who tell other people about the things they love or which make their life their life better are connecting better are connecting others with joy and bounty.

We invite you, these Easter others with joy and and Pentecost seasons, to bounty. That is what keeps happening in the Gospel invite a neighbor, a cousin, a co-worker, an old friend, too. Over and over again in John’s Gospel, we see a child, a parent, or even an acquaintance who has people talking to people about Jesus. We hear the occasionally asked you about your faith, to come slogan “come and see” as one person tells another and see this place you call your church home: Saint person about something they love. About love itself John’s Cathedral. in human form. About finding the Pearl of Great Price.

The Gospels repeat the idea that when one person has It is not a hard conversation to invite your friends to encountered something wonderful in their lives, they see the church you love. It is natural. invite the people they love to encounter it too, just in case the encounter might inspire engagement and Know a friend who loves music? Invite them to then transformation. When I was nine, someone told a service, a concert, an evensong, or a compline me about a church. They took me to see it. Months service. Know a friend who marvels at architectural later I joined. Today my life is changed because of it, beauty? Invite them to Doors Open Denver or to take and perhaps the lives of others too. a tour with you at the Cathedral. Know a friend who is longing for a place where they can ask questions of In John’s Gospel, Jesus issues an invitation for people faith without judgment? Or who miss the elements to “come and see” how he is living. Nathaniel invites of faith they had when they were children? Know Philip to come and see Jesus. Mary and Martha ask someone who is looking for a safe environment Jesus to come and see his dead friend Lazarus as to explore the Bible? Invite them to a service, to the turning point of the Gospel story. Over and over, Cathedral Nite, a Sunday Story class, or a Newcomers’ “Come and see” is an anthem to invitation to see God Reception. at work.

Too often, evangelism is defined as “one person

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Saint John’s is a welcoming place. You are a vital part of that welcome and we thank you for continuing to be a part of that welcome and invitation. The invitation to come and see, a first century biblical slogan of invitation, is relevant today as we make plans to be more intentional in our personal relationships outside our church walls to invite neighbors, friends, and family to come and see the place we love and to see a place that has been central to our faith and life-change. Here's the basics of how the Come and See Campaign works. We are asking you and all members of the congregation to do just three things:

1 2 3

Make the commitment Will you commit to inviting one person to come and see what you love about Saint John’s?

Who would you ask to come and see?

Will you make a pledge, to yourself and to your community, and commit to inviting a friend to come and see?

invitE YOUR GUEST Invite your friend to come experience a service, event, or program at Saint John’s. You're not asking anyone to join, just to come experience an event in this church community we enjoy.

You're asking if you can share something you love with a person who is important to you.

Plan the date and time of your time together.

Be a great host Sometimes reminders are helpful of when you’ve made plans. Check in with your friend and reiterate the plans.

Come together, or meet in the Welcome Center, and be present with them the entire time you are here together.

Send a thank you note to them for having come and seen your church.

That’s it! It’s pretty natural. You’d pretty much do the same things to invite a friend to dinner, or out for coffee, or to see a concert with you in the park.

NEXT STEPS

Join us in a season of invitation at Saint John's Cathedral. Please visit sjcathedral.org/Invitation to fill out your online Invitation Pledge. Thank you for your commitment to Saint John’s and to make this important invitation.

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MUSIC AT SAINT JOHN’S Karen Black

Friday, April 24, 7:30 pm Karen Black teaches organ, church music, and music theory, serves as organist for weekday chapel and Sunday services, and conducts Kantorei at Wartburg College. Prior to coming to Wartburg, Dr. Black held positions as full-time Director of Music and Organist at Zion Lutheran Church, Hopkins, Minnesota; Assistant Organist at Trinity Episcopal Church in Indianapolis, Indiana; and fulltime Director of Music at Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis. Freewill offering.

Chanticleer

Friday, May 8, 7:30 pm Called “the world’s reigning male chorus” by The New Yorker magazine, and named Ensemble of the Year

by Musical America in 2008, the San Francisco-based, GRAMMY® award-winning ensemble Chanticleer embarks upon its 37th season in 2014-15. Chanticleer is known around the world as “an orchestra of voices” for the seamless blend of its twelve male voices ranging from countertenor to bass and its original interpretations of vocal literature, from Renaissance to jazz, and from gospel to venturesome new music. Tickets are available at sjcathedral.org/Concerts

MUSIC AT NOON Opera Colorado Young Artists Tuesday, April 14

A concert –style experience not to be missed! Performed by the Opera Colorado Young Artists, this delightful program features highlights from the operatic and musical theater repertoire. Designed to entertain and educate, the performance includes background information on each piece. The program ends with a Q&A session which will give the audience a unique insight into the world of opera and Opera Colorado.

Phoenix Gayles Tuesday, May 12

Phoenix Gayles, lyric soprano, recently placed second in the Metropolitan National Council Rocky Mountain Regional Audition. She sang the role of Pamina in Die Zauberflote with the Boulder Opera Company, as well as the role of Frasquita in Carmen with Opera Tampa, and performed as soloist with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic Orchestra.

EVENSONG These free Pre-Evensong programs run 2:30 to 2:55 pm on the third Sunday of the month, from September to May. These concerts are a prelude to Evensong, a 45-minute service in the English Cathedral tradition, rich in choral music, sung by the Cathedral Choir.

Rocky Mountain Children’s Choir Sunday, April 19

The Fourteeners, an advanced performing choir of the Rocky Mountain Children’s Choirs, is comprised of middle school and high school girls. Directed

by Artistic Director, Leslie Britton, the Fourteeners perform regularly throughout the Denver area.

Brian du Fresne, organ Sunday, May 17

Brian du Fresne currently serves as principal organist at Saint John’s Episcopal Church in Boulder.

Additional concert information can be found online at sjcathedral.org/Concerts 17

WOMEN’S HOMELESS INITIATIVE Saturday, April 11, 12:00 to 1:30 pm Join us for a program featuring WHI at Saint John’s. Meet the volunteers who transform Dagwell Hall into a beautiful dormitory, who feed our guests dinner and nutritional breakfast bags, and who stay overnight and provide a safe refuge and place to sleep. You will learn about our experiences in this important ministry that happens on Monday evenings here at Saint John’s. In a beautiful video, created by two of our volunteers, you can hear the voices of the ladies as they tell us just how important WHI is to them. Finally, we will make “personal pillow bags” for the ladies who will stay with us in April and June. Please bring any small toiletries, small tubes of lotion, lip balm, small packets of tissues, etc. to contribute to the pillow bags. Sign up now at sjcathedral.org/DayofService.

METRO CARING Saturday, May 16, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Join us as we follow Jesus’ commission to feed the hungry at Metro Caring’s new Hunger Relief Center. Metro Caring is Denver’s largest hunger-relief agency that provides guests access to fresh-produce, nutrition education, and gardening classes. This family-friendly day of service (children as young as 6-years old are welcome!) will provide parishioners with the opportunity to learn more about hunger in Denver and the work of Metro Caring. Additionally, parishioners can help clean and stock their fresh-food shopping market. Meet at Metro Caring, 1100 E. 18th Ave, Denver, CO 80203.

Sign up now at sjcathedral.org/DayofService.

Meeting in the Garden:

Community Learning Garden

Mother Liz Costello

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s human beings, we are inescapably tied to the soil. The soil, in Hebrew, adamah (ground), is that from which adam (humankind) evolved. In the garden, humanus (humans) were sustained and fed from the humus (earth). Our origins are not only in the soil, but it was in the soil that God taught us how to be human.

In the Garden, we were commissioned to “serve and keep” the soil—to serve the garden, as a custodian serves a sacred space, and to keep the garden, as a wise grandmother ensures the future flourishing for her children’s children. In Hebrew, ‘to keep’, shamar, is the same verb used in the Aaronic blessing, “The Lord bless you and keep you.” “To keep” is to nurture and to ensure the sustained flourishing of life. And part of that flourishing includes keeping healthy and whole relationships between humans, animals, plants, and our God. Remembering our commission to “serve and keep” the soil, and to “feed my sheep,” as Jesus commanded, Saint John’s has partnered with Metro Caring to host a Learning Garden on Cathedral grounds and to comanage it with our community partner in hunger relief. We know that growing food, especially in community, is a relational, sharing ministry as much as it is a nutritional ministry. Gardens nourish us and teach us both. We become more self-sufficient when we learn to grow food, but we also learn to depend on each other for help and knowledge.

As a place for transformational faith in action, the Learning Garden provides its urban stewards a way to enter into deeper relationship with one another and with God. Stewarding our property for mission, parishioners will be invited to get their hands dirty and work alongside others. Metro Caring will share its knowledge and expertise it has gained from its other learning gardens that help relieve hunger and malnutrition in Denver’s food deserts.

Metro Caring will provide programmatic components with its Seeds for Success garden curriculum, teachers, and guests. Saint John’s Cathedral will provide a Learning Garden coordinator and a volunteer team to help maintain the garden alongside Seeds for Success guests. Parishioners can volunteer with teaching, tending, and harvesting. In addition to the simple work of tending and teaching, Saint John’s Cathedral will host an annual Harvest Supper to celebrate the accomplishments of the growing season and provide a time to be together.

Metro Caring has already successfully piloted Learning Garden programs at Presbyterian–Saint Luke’s Hospital and at Saint Paul United Methodist Church. At its headquarters at 18th and Downing, it is growing year-round produce in its new greenhouse.

The Learning Garden will be a meeting place. It will be a place for gardeners to meet each other by working with sunshine and water and the soil to which we are inextricably tied. It will be a place for parishioners and participants to meet each other as humanus, whose shared survival is in the humus. It is in the garden, where we meet and recognize one another as sisters and brothers in God’s human family. Yes, our jeans will be dirty and our nails will be encrusted with dirt and our faces gleaming with sweat. But together in the garden, a place of creation and re-creation, we will gather to remember and to learn anew what it means to be human.

Interested in being part of this exciting partnership?

Please join us for the Faith in Action Summit on Thursday, April 30 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm in Dagwell Hall or on Sunday, May 3 from 1:30 to 3:00 pm in Room 107. To RSVP, please go to sjcathedral.org/ FaithInActionSummit. For more, information, please contact Mother Liz Costello at liz@sjcathedral.org.

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Sunday, May 3, 11:15 am Please join Saint John’s and the Saint Andrew Society for this annual tradition that incorporates Scottish music and tradition, provided by the Denver & District Pipe Band, with the liturgy of the Eucharist.

Following the service, please join us for a reception featuring the Rocky Mountain Highland Dancers.

A Time of Rest and Readiness Father Charles LaFond

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ext fall, we will be re-engaging in the conversation we have annually about pledging to the mission God is unfolding at Saint John’s, and we are grateful for your funding of that mission. We have upgraded our database and made a transfer of all data—a huge job—and we believe it will improve our ability to communicate effectively about pledges and gifts. The fall campaign will launch on Sunday, September 20 and run through Wednesday, November 18, when we will all gather in the Cathedral nave for the campaign celebratory dinner of a lifetime. Mark your calendars now for that wonderful night of music, food, and dancing.

Thank you for making your pledge to the mission of the Cathedral, in Denver, in our greater community, and in our world. If you have not made a pledge, might you consider doing so this coming fall? Every pledge counts, no matter the size. Your pledge will help change thousands of lives.

Homeless women have a warm and safe place to sleep. Youth are formed into people who live out the

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gospel and make good choices in life. Beautiful music and liturgy unfold in people’s lives so that they can easily connect with God. The sick are visited in homes and hospitals. The lonely or isolated are visited with the Eucharist with a kind word and a gentle touch.

The curious are connected with the Word of God in typeface, calligraphy, illuminated manuscript, iconography, preaching, and teaching. The involved encounter others, making friends at meals that feed body, mind, and spirit.

The Cathedral is a beacon of hope in the city of Denver—a place of radical hospitality where more than 1,700 people live our baptismal vows, daily, in many creative ways.

Thank you for your investment in that ministry and be assured that when you get your pledge card this fall, it not only represents an opportunity for you to return to God a portion of God’s great blessings to you, but also exists as an artifact, one of many, in your livedout Christian life.

Volunteer Dinner Wednesday, May 20 at 6:00 pm Please join us for or a special evening, hosted by the staff and clergy, in which we express our gratitude to those who are so active in volunteering time and talent to serve the mission and ministry of Saint John’s. We shall have a gala night of dancing and joyful community.

Each year, the Cathedral unfolds its mission and ministries through the hard work of hundreds of people who make ministry happen because of their willingness to donate their time and creativity so generously to our work together.

Please RSVP at sjcathedral.org/VolunteerDinner.

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China Mission Pilgrimage June 8-21, 2015 In June 2015, our Sub-Dean, Father Robert Hendrickson, will lead a mission-pilgrimage to mainland China in partnership with the Amity Foundation, an organization of Chinese Christians historically affiliated with the Episcopal Church.

We will emphasize Christian service, encouraging participants to bear witness to their faith through their work together with Chinese churches, as we visit Nanjing, staying at Nanjing Seminary, and Beijing, where Father Robert lived for two and a half years.

It is impossible to say how many Christians live in China today, but no one denies the numbers are exploding. The government says 25 million—18 million Protestants and 6 million Roman Catholics. Independent appraisals all agree this is a vast underestimate, with conservative figures approaching 60 million. More Christians are in church in China on a Sunday than in all of Europe.

The new converts include peasants in remote rural villages to the sophisticated young members of the middle class in China’s booming cities.

Our hosts, in Nanjing, will introduce us to the range of services they provide, from housing for orphans, schools for the differently-abled, sustainable agriculture projects, and the largest Bible printing press in the world. They will also help us understand the complex history of this former imperial capital which also served as the capital during World War II. In Beijing, we will tour ancient cathedrals and vibrant church communities as well as have a chance to visit significant local sights such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven.

For more information about future mission trips, please contact Annie Croner, Cathedral Administrator, at Annie@sjcathedral.org.

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More Than “Just” a Mission Trip Father Jadon Hartsuff

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o many, mission trips are primarily a way to serve.

Mission trips are ways to feed the hungry, house the homeless, clean up environmental messes, or do countless other tasks to share our resources of time, talent, and treasure.

But to me the greatest value of a mission trip is not its ability to accomplish some days of serving others but rather its ability to change the way our vision serves us.

Take, for example, the trip that ten of us from the Cathedral took to Florida this past New Year. Eight high-school youth, Pamela Kniss, and I were all hosted and housed by Hearts of Palm Mission at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church in Palm Beach Gardens. Most of our mission work took place an hour inland at Real Life Children’s Ranch—a home for two-dozen abused or neglected children from Florida’s foster care system.

Now I do not doubt for a moment that most everyone who signed up for this trip thought our primary reason for going was to serve those wonderful kids at the ranch. And, indeed, we did a lot of very good work—from giving countless hours of attention to the kids through afternoons of craft and game time to physical labor like scrubbing the outside of houses to clean them of the tropical grime that comes with the hot summers, and helping to clean out attics and take down Christmas lights and do all the other tasks that gave overstretched house parents much-needed relief.

As the week unfolded, however, everyone started to understand that as helpful and well-intentioned as

that work was, it could have easily been accomplished without the expense of bringing us from Denver to do it. No, the trip and the time were about more than this. The primary purpose, it became clear, was to change the way we see ourselves and one another— to change our worldview. The work was a means to multiple ends. Going somewhere far away from our own familiar environment primed our eyes to be more sensitive so that we might more quickly and deeply change our sense of vision itself.

Jesus tells us that there will always be unmet need in the world (Mark 14:7; John 12:8; Deuteronomy 15:11). And while Jesus’ own ministry involved a lot of need-filling and caregiving, serving never seemed to be his primary purpose. Rather, every moment of his service helped reveal the contours of “kingdom vision”—a way of seeing ourselves and our neighbors differently. Jesus’ primary purpose was to change the way the world knows and sees God. So whether it is a trip with high school students to Florida (which we will make again this coming New Year), a trip to Leadville with middle school students (which we will make this July), or a trip to China with adults (which we will make this June), the primary mission of our mission trips is the correction and expansion of the way we see the world—and our place in it. Every wall painted, every meal prepared and shared, and every friendship bracelet knotted provides an opportunity for us to look out and reframe the way we see every moment of relationship to God and one another that comes after any particular journey.

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GETTING REA DY FOR MUSIC

MUSIC

CAMP

August 17-21, 2015

9:00 to 11:30 am daily

Children thrive when making music. A mini music camp this summer at Saint John’s Cathedral makes that possible.

Targeted to children ages 5-11, “Getting Ready for Music” Music Camp aims to teach music fundamentals. The curriculum will include lessons on violin and piano, a daily show-and-tell of musical instruments, and active listening to music.

Theory lessons, games, and stories will teach notes on the staff, rhythm, solfège, and basic sight-singing. Children will be taught a repertory of sacred songs, spirituals, and folk songs, which will be reprised for parents on the last day of camp. Working with Music Director Stephen Tappe, Assistant Organist Lyn Loewi, and childsafety certified volunteers, the focus will be on basic, healthy singing skills and choral group building. Wholesome food and active games will fuel bodies and minds through the morning. Cost for the weeklong camp is $95.

Register online at sjcathedral.org/MusicCamp

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DREAM TOGETHER CONFERENCES

A Harvest of Longings Father Charles LaFond

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lease save Saturday, October 17, for the second annual Dream Together Conference. As you walk down the hallway to Dagwell Hall, you will notice the beautiful artwork from last year’s conversations and be reminded of the great work we did to imagine new possibilities. Please make a pilgrimage through it when you next pass by, lingering with the images so that they challenge and inspire you.

As we enter into this period of transition, the Art of Hosting Meaningful Conversations becomes even more crucial. Last month, more than 60 members of our church and diocese were trained in how to lead the hosting of meaningful conversations over a three-day period. We are poised for great conversations that will inform and liberate our longings for our future. These are not meetings in which we decide who we are or what kind of new Dean we want to hire. Instead, the Art of Hosting is a harvest of longings. The Dream Together Conference is an experience in which we learn how to articulate longings, face and manage limiting beliefs,

and engage in conversation. In this experience, we move out of control and order into the chaordic space between chaos and order where there is organic, exciting, wild growth potential.

CHAOS

ORDER

CONTROL

There will be great food, powerful connection, and engaged conversation. Please mark your calendars today for this experience of personal transformation.

2015

DREAM TOGETHER

CONFERENCE

“When my grandchild’s grandchild hunts eggs on the Cathedral lawn 50 years from now, what will Saint John’s look like?”

The Saint John’s Dream Together Conferences.

Leaving our legacy one conversation at a time.

October 17, 2015.

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Welcome to Family Ministries at Saint John’s Children come to us full of wonder and joy, and already knowing something about God. Our task is to nourish the seeds of God’s love that have already been sown, and to help our children find ways to strengthen their relationship with God throughout their lives. We do this through the stories of the Bible and our Church, by encouraging their wonder and helping them discover their deep joy, by welcoming them and involving them fully in the Saint John’s community.

3:

Good Friday Family Service. 5:30 pm. We will begin in St. Martin’s Chapel, and end in the Cathedral with Eucharist from the Reserved Sacrament. Everyone is welcome to join this holy walk.

Family Life eNewsletter

5:

Easter Day. Egg Hunt at 10:30 am on the east lawn. For our youngest members, an additional egg hunt will be held in the Nursery Play Garden.

Serving in Worship

10-12: Quest Youth Retreat Weekend at Frontier Ranch.

If you are new to Saint John’s, or if perhaps just haven’t found your way ‘in’ just yet, please do check the Family Life Newsletter for invitations that we hope will help you to connect! Register at sjcathedral.org/ eNewsletters.

Our children & youth are part of worship, too! Contacts to get involved: Acolytes (4th-12th Grade): David Barr, DavidLBarr@msn.com Youth Ushers: Deanna White, Deanna_white1500@hotmail.com Youth Readers: Billy Baker, BillyB@sjcathedral.org Youth Chapel Greeters: Kim McPherson, Kim@sjcathedral.org

Cathedral Camp

June 21-27 at Cathedral Ridge, Woodland Park. For girls and boys, ages 8-14. $475. Make new friends and reunite with old ones.

Have a carnival, slide down the water slide, hike, do crafts, sing, laugh, and watch the stars at night. Register now at sjcathedral.org/ CathedralCamp.

Nursery Care Our nursery is a cheerful, safe and welcoming environment for our very youngest members, staffed by professional caregivers as well as volunteers. All are trained to ensure your child’s stay is safe in every way. Please check the website for more information or contact Kim McPherson at Kim@sjcathedral.org.

Sundays 8:30 am - 12:45 pm, ages 0-3 (9:30 am - 12:00 pm summer hours beginning May 24)

5:30 - 7:30 pm for The Wilderness, any age Wednesdays

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4:00 am - 9:00 pm, all ages (through May 20)

17: Celebration Sunday. We will celebrate those who give so much to the Church: our teachers, leaders and youth choir members! Come to formally thank them at the 9:00 am service, and then afterwards at 10:15 am, come to enjoy some of the fruits of their work in Dagwell Hall during coffee hour. Children will present gifts to teachers and leaders.

24: Summer service hours begin.

Children’s Chapel at 10:00 am in Saint Francis Chapel.

Wednesday Christian Formation for Children 4:15 – 5:10 pm, Room 103, for Ages 4 - 9, Wednesdays through May 20. If you missed Sunday’s class, or if your child is a chorister and would like to come on Wednesdays, this time slot is perfect for you! Our Director of Religious Education, Kim McPherson, shares stories, wonders with the children, and invites them to respond to the stories of our tradition through play, art, and other experiences.

Sunday Christian Formation for Children Sundays at 9:00 am, Ages 3 & up, Saint Francis Chapel, 2nd Floor Children are engaged during the first part of the service (the Liturgy of the Word) in very child-friendly fashion, including lesson, prayers, confession and music. Parents may drop off children or remain in Chapel with them. Chapel-goers join their families in the Cathedral in time for Communion, and enter the front of the Cathedral on the East side. Children are invited to come forward at Communion to sit on the carpet.

Sundays at 10:15 am, Ages 3 - 3rd Grade In Godly Play, we create a safe and beautiful space where children are deeply respected as they see, hear, and wonder about stories from the Bible or another part of our Episcopal tradition. Using hands-on materials and “wondering questions” to reflect on the story together, children then choose from a variety of materials—story materials, art supplies, building materials, books, silence materials—to make their own creative responses, and to help make the stories truly their own. Prayers and a feast (snack) round out the session.

• • •

3-4 year olds: Preschool Godly Play, Room 101 K-1st Grades: Godly Play Class, Room 103 2nd-3rd Grades: Godly Play for Older Kids, Room 202

Sundays at 10:15 am, 4th - 5th Grade, Room 204, 2nd Floor SOWhAT stands for: Stories, Outreach, Wonder, Arts, & Theology. At this age, children are ready for more…more insight, more activities, and more sophisticated art projects. In this year, as the Saint John’s Illuminated Bible resides with us, our children will have a rare opportunity to explore what sacred space means, and how our own journeys are illuminated by the arts and our faith.

Sunday Formation for Youth

M ID DS C HLO OEL

igh SCHOOL

Sundays at 10:15 am Our mission is to help our youth build a community of love and trust. This is a place where teens can engage their faith in relevant ways, find ways to be the hands of Christ in the world, and have fun doing it together! After the 9:00 am service, Middle School Youth (grades 6-8) gather in Room 300 for refreshments, conversation, and activities all built around the theme of creating a ‘rule of life’ for themselves — ways to live the very best life possible. We encourage questions and conversation in a trusting atmosphere, and we offer other extended-time faith-building opportunities too: retreats, mission trips, and Cathedral Camp.

Sundays at 10:15 am Senior Youth (9-12th grades) gather for weekly teaching and conversation with Father Jadon.

This is an opportunity for older youth to learn fundamental aspects of Anglican theology in an atmosphere that encourages them to confirm both what they believe and what they struggle with as they encounter the challenges of living as Christian teens. The weekly meetings complement a number of seasonal “away days” that allow for even greater depth of community and spiritual growth.

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1350 Washington Street Denver, Colorado 80203 sjcathedral.org

info@sjcathedral.org 303.831.7115