Hearing the Service
St John’s has an Induction Loop System so if you have a hearing aid, please switch it to the ’T’ setting.
Spring Term 2018 Anthems
This term’s offering of anthems during the Sunday morning service has two main themes running through it: on one hand we take a look at ‘God on Stage’, uncovering some of the ways religious themes and ideas have appeared in musical theatre shows over the years, either more or less overtly, and we also celebrate a range of major composers who celebrate important anniversaries in 2018.
This week's anthem, Regina Caeli, H46, bis y the French Baroque composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704), born 375 years ago. Charpentier studied in Rome with Carissimi for several years and was very well connected with Parisian high society, working for seventeen years as house composer to the Duchesse de Guise. He was a prolific composer across all the major genres of the time and was chosen to compose specifically for various members of the French royal family - particularly for the young Dauphin, Louis XIV's son. His final appointment was as Maître de Musique at Sainte-Chappelle, which post he held from 1698 until his death. He is probably most known today for the prelude to his Te Deum, used in the opening credits for the Eurovision Song Contest.
Assistant Curate Dan Warnke
St John’s is getting ready for our next assistant curate – Dan Warnke. Dan’s first Sunday will be 8th July but there is plenty to do before then.
The Big Day!
Dan’s ordination as deacon will take place on Saturday, 30th June at 3pm in St Paul’s Cathedral. The ordinations will be conducted by the Bishop of London. All members of the congregation are invited and people should be seated by 2.50pm. It would be helpful to the office to know how many of us intend to support Dan.
First Appointment Grant
St John’s must also provide Dan with a grant to cover the costs of setting up as a clergyman: robes, books, office equipment, etc. This will be £2,468 extra for the first year. If you are able to help us to meet these costs in some way, please contact Bryan Sollenberger or the Vicar.
Summer Barbecue
As part of the celebrations surrounding Dan’s arrival, our summer barbecue this year will be on 8th July, following the 10am service. We are pleased that once again the residents have kindly opened the gardens behind the church to us. Sign up sheets are in the porch – please indicate numbers in your party and what kind of salad you will bring. St John’s provides the meat and dessert. Suggested donations are £5/adult and £2/child.
Invite Dan to Visit
It is customary for a new curate to get to know members of the congregation by visiting people for a cup of tea. If you would like Dan to visit and feel able to tell him something about how you came to live in the area and what brought you to St John’s, then please put your name and telephone number on the sheet at the back of church.
St John’s Book Club
St John’s Book Club next meets on 2nd July, when they will be discussing Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. For further information, please speak to Michael King.
Connaught Village Sesquicentenary Celebrations
This year the Church Commissioners celebrate 150 years of managing the local estate. As part of the festivities, they are having A Walk through Time on Thursday, 5th July from 3-7pm. Expect a journey through the ages with food and drink, live music and street entertainment spanning the last 150 years to the current day. The area will be traffic-free for you to enjoy live on-street theatre performances, offers from shops and boutiques and much more. ‘Horrible Histories’ will preform live scenes from their latest stage show Barmy Britain, learn how to dance the Charleston, create your own flapper headband, Punch and Judy, special in store offers in the shops around Connaught Street and much much more.
Connaught Kitchens Bric-a-Brac staff
As part of the festivities, Connaught Kitchens, in Connaught Street, is having a bric-a-brac stall with proceeds going to St John’s. Donations of bric-a-brac to support them are very welcome. Alongside the bric-a-brac, there will also be Victorian games for children, a tombola and other activities. Mark this date in your diaries and come along to celebrate with Connaught Kitchens and the Church Commissioners and to support St John’s.
St John’s Stall
St John’s has been invited to have a stall so we need some volunteers to staff it from 3-7pm. See Bryan Sollenberger if you can help.
Mary Poppins
17th July, 7pm
Following the success of last year’s project based on the music from Oliver1, St John's choral scholars in collaboration with St James and St John CofE Primary School and St George's Hanover Square CofE Primary School and a combo orchestra will be performing music from Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins – directed by St John's Director of Music, Robert Greenhill. Tickets (£5 per adult, children go free). Order yours today!
Culture Vulture Ventures
A (Family) Venture to Margate
On Saturday July 14th we venture to Margate for a day at the seaside. Venturers old and young, come with Sam Tear and Margaret to enjoy the Great British Seaside. Sam will be heading for the amusement experience at Dreamland, with all the associated sounds (and screams) of delight and wonder. Not to your taste? Then instead join Margaret to look at the Turner Contemporary Gallery, have a tour of the Tudor House, dating from 1525 and, if there's time explore, Margate Museum, housed in a Victorian Police Station and Magistrates Court with an eclectic history of the town over the past 5,500 years. Bring a picnic lunch and those who wish can end their visit with afternoon tea. Meet at St Pancras International at 10.00am to catch the 10.22am train. Return from Margate 6.30pm arriving St Pancras 8.06pm. For speed, if you can please buy your own train tickets in advance and also take advantage of the 2FOR1 offer on Dreamland wrist bands: https://visitkentoffers.co.uk/family-fun/Dreamland%20Margate
A Misèrable Venture18th September 2018
Thanks to Jonathan Hill, lead violinist in the show and one of our wonderful Sunday morning players, we have 12 half price tickets for Les Miserables on Tuesday 18th September at 7.30pm - £35 instead of £70! Another thank you to congregation member Jamie Poulton, for facilitating our pre-theatre supper booking at his renowned Soho restaurant Randall and Aubin, 14-16 Brewer Street, W1F 0SG www.randallandaubin.com. Full details to follow, but to secure your seat for Les Mis. please pay Margaret £35, cheques preferred.
St John’s Big Gay Night Out
A new social activity for gay guys & girls and their friends.
Thursday 2nd August - Grindr: The Opera!
Grindr: The Opera! puts the most notorious gay hook-up app into the exaggerated world of opera. With musical styles ranging from baroque to contemporary pop, Grindr: The Opera! is a daring, humorous look at the changing landscape of gay relationships, and the greatest catalyst for the shift: Grindr.
Friday 7th December - Mother Goose Cracks One Out!
This year’s pantomime follows years of sell out performances at Above the Stag theatre. You’ve not really been to a panto until you’ve been to Above the Stag.
Tickets for either show £25. Meal before the show at Pico bar and grill (next door to the theatre) – pay as you go. For either event, please contact Ian Smith (ipas@hotmail.co.uk) or leave your payment, stating which event, together with your name, email address and phone number at the church office.
Remembrance Sunday
11th November 2018
Many of you will probably remember the impact of the ceramic poppy display at the Tower of London in November 2014. This year to mark the 100 year anniversary of the end of the Great War The Remembered Charity are launching 'There but not there'. The idea is that those who gave their lives are remembered by silhouettes or name plates on Remembrance Sunday. Our intention is that as many of St John's roll of remembrance (30) will be represented as possible and we invite congregation members to take part. A name block costs £10 or a torso sized perspex silhouette designed to sit on a chair costs £42. Each of these could be placed on a seat to be amongst us all for our service of remembrance and help ensure that each of them will not be forgotten.
Andrew Moxon will be co-ordinating a list of names from our roll of remembrance so please email him on andymox@hotmail.com if you would like any more details and to check what names are available. More information also available on www.therebutnotthere.org.uk.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Fernando Montaño Raising Plastic Pollution Awareness
Fernando Montano, a member of St John’s and soloist with the Royal Ballet, is a Counsellor with One Young World (a global forum for young leaders and entrepreneurs working collaboratively to solve the world’s environmental, social and political problems) and to this end he would like to heighten awareness of the environmental disaster caused by plastics in our oceans and seas. He is planning an art installation working with a professional underwater photographer who will take a series of photos of Fernando in a local swimming pool with a back drop of plastic waste; his designer is creating a special costume for this project made of recycled plastic. Fernando wants to engage the community in this project. He would like to involve St John’s in this project and has had interest from two local schools to involve their students in developing the plastic backdrops he will need for this photo shoot.
Members of our congregation can participate this in two ways: First, save your plastic recycled waste – milk bottles, plastic food trays yogurt pots, plastic bags, straws, plastic cutlery and cups – anything plastic BUT IT MUST BE CLEAN AND WASHED (this is required by the owners of the pool!). Please bring these items in to church on the morning of Sunday 15th July when Fernando will be here to receive them. Second, Fernando plans to start working with an artist on one of these plastic backdrops after church services on that same Sunday and would like to invite anyone, including children, who would like to stay after and work with him on this creation. Fernando is grateful to St John's for this support but asks that you please remember to wash all the items first and wait to bring them until 15th July.
Children’s Community Choir
Thursdays, 4.10pm, St John’s Church
The Children’s Community Choir is open for children 6 years old and above. Sessions are 30 minutes long and children will sing different genres of music. If you are interested in bringing your children along please let Robert know.
St James & St John School Gate Gossip
This past week has been “Sports and Fitness Week” and despite the heat all our children had a great time. It was a full success with external coaches coming into our school for our children to try out all sorts of sports such as Yoga, Fencing, Dancing and various team sports. They also had a “healthy food” day which taught about healthy food and how to prepare it. The grand finale was finally our “Sports Day” at Paddington Recreation Ground. Next week we’re all looking forward to our PFA Summer Fair on Friday, 6th July, and the amazing Summer Raffle with loads of fantastic prizes worth over £500.
Under Five’s Playgroups
An international playgroup aimed at Russian speakers meets in St John’s on Wednesdays at 10am. Another playgroup meets on Thursdays at 10am. Suggested donation for both groups is £2.
