ANNOUNCEMENTS

SUMMER SUNDAY SCHOOL. During the summer months, Sunday School will be offered at 10:00 AM for children age 4 through the 6^th grade.  The PK through 3^rd grade children will gather in the Fischer Room for Children’s Chapel.  The 4^th through 6^th grade students will meet in the Vestry Room for Bible Bytes.  All children will return to the sanctuary at the Peace to attend communion with their families.  Volunteers are needed to help with the Children’s Chapel.  If interested, please contact Bill Trego.

THE NURSERY WILL BE OPEN ALL SUMMER. This will require the assistance of parent volunteers. Please sign up on the sheet on the Nursery door.

THERE ARE NO JOURNEY OR VOYAGERS CLASSES THIS SUMMER. It is suggested that parish youth volunteer in the Church School or attend church services.

ST. JOHN’S MEN’S GROUP INVITES ALL PARISHIONERS, men and women, to join in a fence removal project on the Gouldin perimeter of the church property, starting at 8:30 am on Saturday, July 19. If you can make it, notify Bob Davidson at robertdavidson@earthlink.net and bring heavy gloves.

SAMARITAN PROJECT UPDATE: $1000 has been sent through Episcopal Relief and Development for Midwest United States flood relief.

Silent Prayer takes a summer holiday: Reverend Frank Sterling will be away during July and August. We are therefore suspending Silent Prayer, but will resume in September.

Prayer Partners: Sandra Ahn and Ray Riess continue to lead this group prayer in the Rector's Study on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM. You may complete a prayer request card (found in the Narthex) and leave it Sandra's mailbox, or send her an email to sjahn_vienna@yahoo.com.

COMMITTED DOG CARE NEEDED. Jeremy Davis (the son of our former Sexton, Laurie) is hoping that one or more parishioners could care for Sophie, their dog. Laurie has moved to Ft. Collins, Colorado, and Jeremy has an opportunity to go to Europe from July 29 to October 14. Sophie needs to know that adults are with her at all times. If you’d like this deserving guest for all or part of the ten weeks, please call the office and leave your name and availabilities. 339-2200, Ext. 310. Thanks. STILL HOPING!!

An update, and a thank you from Martha Miller. On May 18th, I had a very successful bake sale to support the Make it Right Foundation. Through a school project, I chose to aid the housing and political issues in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Make it Right is building 150 new homes in the Lower Ninth Ward. At the bake sale I made $200 to support Make it Right. "And thank YOU, Martha."

Samaritan Food Bank Ministry. For many years, St. John's has generously provided staples for the food pantry at St. James Episcopal Church. In these challenging economic times, this ministry is vital to many Oakland families. Contributions of shelf-stable goods can be left in the baskets in the back hallway at any time. On July 13 we honored Mary Lou DeLauer for her many years of service transporting these goods to St. James. Robert Ferguson has volunteered to continue this work.

ST. JOHN'S SOFTBALL TEAM THE "SAINTS AND SINNERS" season starts June 25.  Come cheer on our team at Coaches' Field on Moraga Rd. in Piedmont.  We are looking for players, too- especially women.  You need only be 18 to play, and need not be a resident of Piedmont.  Check in with Mary Dexter if you'd like to play.

Wednesday, June 25	7:15pm	Lost	6-0	BORROWED  3 PLAYERS
Wednesday, July 2	6:00pm	Lost	12-0	BORROWED 2 PLAYERS
Monday, July 14	7:15pm	Lost	2-1	BORROWED 2 PLAYERS
Wednesday, July 16	7:15pm
Monday, July 28	6:00pm
Wednesday, July 30	6:00pm
Wednesday, August 6	7:15pm
Wednesday, August 13	6:00pm

ACCEPTING RESUMÉS FOR A NURSERY STAFF POSITION.  Starts in September. If you are 16 years or older, can pass a first aid class, and are willing to work Sundays from 9:00am to noon, please forward your resume to kellor@stjohnsoakland.org. Pay is $10 per hour. Thank you.

Help! Our book cart needs books! With the summer reading season upon us, books are going out faster than they're coming in. Please bring us your gently used paperbacks and other good reads.  All proceeds from books sales are matched by a generous donor and are used to support Elderberry activities like Armchair Traveler lunches, etc. Please put donated books into the plastic bin in the library. Thanks!!!

PARISHIONERS GOING ON SUMMER VACATIONS ARE URGED to sign an Automatic Pledge Payment Authorization Form (ACH) to keep church funds flowing without you even being around. Sign-up sheets are in the Narthex. You are encouraged to fill one out and slip it in the gray “OFFERINGS” safe.

VOLUNTEER DRIVERS NEEDED! We’re looking for volunteers to drive some parishioners to our Sunday 10:00/10:45 service. This involves being part of a team and driving the person once a month on a set schedule. If you can help, please call Neal Clark at 510-893-0711.

SERMONS CAN NOW BE HEARD ON ST. JOHN’S WEBSITE. Thanks to the diligent efforts of Ernest Knell and Mary Dexter, we can now go to www.stjohnsoakland.org, and click “Sermons” on the first page. They’re listed with the most recent on top. Click on the date you wish to hear. Be patient: a lot of action takes place in cyberspace to bring us this convenience.

PLEASE STEP UP as a volunteer to help serve refreshments after the 10am services this summer.  We could rename it the "Community Hour" instead of Coffee Hour since it's a wonderful opportunity to visit with dear friends, make new friends and welcome new guests and members.  Coffee and tea is brewed by the ushers and providing snacks is optional.  A sign up sheet is located in the hallway to the right of the Reception Room doorway.

DO YOU HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE BULLETIN? The Vestry and staff have agreed on a form to make your submission quick and complete. See the stack of goldenrod forms on the left side entering the Narthex. Also available in the office.

 A SPECIAL APPEAL: Parishioner Dan Berkey needs a bone marrow transplant to combat leukemia. In addition to your prayers, if you are between the ages of 18 and 60, you can try to help him and anyone else on the waiting list by being tested. Go to www.marrow.org for details.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL, AN INTERGENERATIONAL EVENT, will be held August 18 through August 21. Details to follow.

THE ST. JOHN’S FAMILY COLUMN IN THE CHURCH MOUSE HAS BEEN REVIVED, so please email news about your family which you’d like to share: a trip, a graduation, an award, a marathon completed. Please keep it short and sweet, and email your info to Sara Evinger at sevinger@comcast.net or leave a note in Sara’s Narthex mailbox.

 THE SUMMER SESSION AT CALL (Center for Anglican Learning and Leadership), has four weekly sessions starting July 14. Its “Godly Play Conference” features Lisa Kimball, whose subjects include youth development and vital youth ministry, and Julia and John McCray-Goldsmith. The following week, the Rev. Scott Denman and Mary Gonzales will guide participants through community organizing and empowering congregations while putting faith into concrete action. More information can be found in brochures in the Narthex or by contacting www.cdsp.edu/center_registration.phb or calling 510-204-0705.

LOOKING FOR 1 OR 2 PUBLISHING VOLUNTEERS.  St. John’s office would like to gather one or more volunteers for the production of Sunday Bulletins on a back-up basis. We use Microsoft “Publisher” software, and will train you in its use. So much the better if you already know “Publisher”. To keep your skills honed, it would be ideal if you’d produce a Bulletin every month or so. Summertime is “quiet” time around the church, so a good time to train and learn something new. If this sounds appealing to you, please call Dennis at 339-2200, Ext. 310, or email to admin@stjohnsoakland.org. 

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN AFRICA?  We are seeking people interested in fostering the connections and relationships St. John's members have with East Africa in Uganda and Tanzania.  We wish to find ways to celebrate and enhance these connections at St. John's.  If interested please contact Karen Gleason gilgleason@comcast.net Martha Helms martha750@comcast.net  or Sandra Davidson sjdson@earthlink.net 

ST. JOHN'S ECOLOGY GROUP WANTS TO HELP YOU dispose of dead batteries and compact florescent light bulbs--by recycling them.  You can bring your dead batteries and bulbs to the church, and we will take them to a recycling center.  A "battery bin" and bulb bin are set up in the Narthex for you to deposit used batteries from toys, flashlights, smoke detectors, and CFLs. (no car batteries please). This will be an on-going program, so save those old batteries and bulbs and bring them to church.

IF YOU LIVE IN OAKLAND, YOU CAN PUT YOUR BATTERIES OUT ON TOP OF THE BROWN BIN IN A SEALED PLASTIC BAG. DO NOT TAPE TO THE TOP OF THE BIN.  WASTE MANAGEMENT WILL TAKE THEM AWAY.