Canon Lee
At the Congregation's annual meeting, scheduled for Sunday, February 4, 2024, vestry elections will take place.
The vestry of the Congregation is similar to vestries of other parishes. As the elected leadership of the Congregation, the vestry is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Congregation's common life.
However, there are significant differences.
The Congregation is not responsible for anything related to the Cathedral itself: the building, its administration, its programming, or its worship. The Congregation does not have its own clergy. I am the priest-in-charge of the Congregation, but I work for the Cathedral and report to the Dean. My leadership of the Congregation is part of my responsibilities as Vicar of the Cathedral.
For other vestries, hiring a priest, taking care the building, and managing a parish's assets are a major part of its responsibilities. The Congregation is fortunate not to have to worry about these details. Instead, it can focus solely on its mission of hospitality and welcome.
As you discern whether you are called to serve on the Congregation's vestry, with its unique characteristics, please contact Sonia Omulepu, the chair of the Nominating Committee, for any questions or to submit a nomination.
The Rev. Canon Steven Lee
Vicar
(Photo: The Romanian Madrigal Choir)
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CONGREGATION FUNDRAISING DRIVE FOR CATHEDRAL COMMUNITY CARES
The Congregation of Saint Saviour is hoping to raise $3,000 dollars or more to give directly to the Cathedral Community Cares Christmas Drive. CCC plans to give out gift cards to its clients so they can buy presents, supplies, and food for the Christmas season. Gift cards allow families to make best use of our generosity. Let's build a better community by supporting our neighbors and the urgent work of CCC this Christmas season. All donations are tax-deductible. All amounts welcome. All monies raised go to support the CCC's programs.
https://onrealm.org/TheCongregation/give/christmas
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THIS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26
In-Person Community
8:30 AM - Volunteer at the soup kitchen of Cathedral Community Cares.
10:00 AM - Cathedral doors open.
10:30 AM - Sunday Service.
11:30 AM - Coffee Hour in the Nave. All are Welcome.
4:00 PM - Evensong.
5:00 PM - Post-Evensong Recital: The Magic of Winter: The Romanian Madrigal Choir Jubilee Tour.
Online Community
10:30 AM - Live-stream of Sunday service.
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UPCOMING AT THE CATHEDRAL
Young Adults: Upcoming Events
Cathedral Community Cares: Christmas Gift Drive
Cathedral Music: Upcoming Events
November 29 at 6:00 PM - Holiday Card writing for the clients of SAGE in Cathedral House.
December 1-3 - Crafts at the Cathedral is back!
December 3 at 4:00 PM - Bach Cantata No.61, Nun komm der Heiden Heiland (Savior of the Nations, Come) will be presented at Evensong. Due to the annual Crafts Fair, Evensong that day will take place in Synod Hall, at the corner of 110th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
December 4 at 6:30 PM - Episcopal Charities Annual Tribute Dinner
December 9 at 7:00 PM - Cathedral Christmas Concert
December 17 at 4:00 PM - Installation of the 11th Dean of the Cathedral
December 18 at 5:00 PM - Community Christmas Carol Sing
December 18 at 6:00 PM - Blue Christmas Service in Cathedral House
December 21 at 7:30 PM - American Modern Opera Company's Performance of El Niño: Nativity Reconsidered
Christmas Eve Lessons & Carols:
https://www.stjohndivine.org/calendar/45461/christmas-eve-lessons-and-carols-internal
Christmas Eve Festal Eucharist:
https://www.stjohndivine.org/calendar/45462/christmas-eve-festal-eucharist-internal
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PRAYER IN COMMUNITY
Morning Prayer
8:00 AM - Online Diocesan service. Link.
8:00 AM - In-person service with the Community at the Crossing. Enter through the 5-door by the security booth.
8:30 AM - Online Cathedral service. Link.
Evening Prayer
5:30 PM - Online Cathedral service. Link.
Wednesday Evenings
7:15 PM - The Community at the Crossing’s Wednesday prayer gathering is an hour of informal worship, informed by the charismatic tradition. Diocesan House on the Cathedral grounds. More information at this link.
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CHRISTMAS FLOWER FUND
For so many people, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine is a beloved part of their Christmas celebrations. Whether decades-long traditions such as the Christmas concert or new traditions such as Blue Christmas (a gathering for people without family during the holiday season), the Cathedral is a source of joy, comfort, and wonder.
We hope that you will once again join us in making magic this season when we rejoice in the Nativity of Jesus. Please consider a gift to the Cathedral’s Christmas Flower Fund. Gifts can be made in honor of or in memory of a loved one and will be acknowledged in our Christmas Eve service bulletin if received by December 15, 2023. Please go to the Cathedral’s website https://www.stjohndivine.org/support/donate and choose Christmas Flower Fund from the drop down menu.
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Congregation Column
Extending the Thanksgiving Spirit
by Bob Deming
The purpose of this reflection is to give thanks and praise to my partner on the Admin Team, Laura Freseman.
We began our work together over two years ago. Hope Chang, the former assistant to our Vicar Steven Lee, had left to attend graduate school in September 2021. Laura and I were tasked with managing the administrative duties of the Congregation, and that mostly entailed paying bills, handling Realm, which is the Congregation’s online accounting software, and producing a few financial reports monthly for the Vestry. As far as the accounting work, we were taking over for Cecilia Amadi, who had done this work for 15 years and Angelo Santos, who had assisted in the last few years. They both were trained as accountants; we had minimal training and were new to the accounting work. We soon got ourselves dirty, mucking about and developing expertise in Realm. Laura was the leader and I happily followed along. It has been a blessing to work together and develop new skills and expertise in database management. Laura does quality work and having a great partner is ever a great experience.
I provide a bit of insight into how our way of working took shape. Laura and I gradually set up systems, so we gained a sense of what to do. Her area is more on the online banking and mine involves handling the checks. A few evenings a month, we come together over Zoom to pay bills and do the bank reconciliation. When something is out of the ordinary, say a retreat reimbursement, I lean on Laura to deal with the situation and then get us back on track.
On this posting day which happens to be the day after Thanksgiving, I gratefully express thanks for Laura’s behind-the-scenes commitment and contributions to assure that the Congregation finances and other administrative matters are in fine order.
(Photo: Laura Freseman)
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