Table of Contents
2022 Annual Meeting Minutes
The 2022 Annual Meeting was held via YouTube Livestream on Sunday, January 30, 2022, following 10am worship.
Last year’s annual meeting was recorded, which efficiently provides comprehensive minutes of our congregational meeting. The recording has been available for all to view on St. John’s YouTube channel all year. You can view the recording at left.
Thank you to everyone who attended, participated, submitted reports, and voted at the meeting, for your vitality and enthusiasm in faithfully embracing innovative new formats of annual meeting!
Stewardship Report
We begin 2023 with 161 pledges, worth $679,000. This is $55,000 more than was pledged last year and the largest pledge campaign St. John’s has ever had!
30 are new pledges worth $71,081. A testament to the investment St. John’s has made to engage new members and re-engage members who we haven’t seen for a few years.
75 pledges are increases from last year, with an average increase of 11%. Thanks to the inspiring dedication and faith in St. John’s mission and ministries of our matching donors that give everyone an opportunity to participate and make an impact.
Thank you to the many that continue to make this faith community a vital witness to God’s gospel and love.
2022 Financial Report
2023 Financial Statement of Mission
Gratitudes
THANK YOU
to our Outgoing Leaders
Every year, the annual meeting marks a transition in our vestry and for some of our other lay leaders.
Brad Smith, Mark McInroy, Mary Johnson, and Nan Lightner all finished their terms as Vestry leaders in January. Terry Dinovo rotated off of Circle of Care this past year. Lea Anne Schmidt rotated off of leadership in Spiritual Life, and Cynthia Bronson Sweigert rotated off of Faith Formation Commission. Greg Torrence served part of the year on the Justice-in-Action Task Force. And our previous group of convention delegates — Lynn Hertz, Benji Koshy, and Jayan Koshy — have reached the end of their 3-year term. These are the transitions that we have been made aware of, but there are many hard-working leaders in our ministries and there may be other transitions happening too.
I’m grateful for everything these parishioners, named and unnamed, have done on behalf of St John’s and all the insight they have given. I know they will continue to be involved at St John’s in many ways.
St. John’s is a better place thanks to each of you!
Holly Weinkauf, Senior Warden
vestry
vestry
vestry
Spiritual Life
Election Slate
Vestry Members — 3-Year Term
Jeff Chen
Tisha Colton
Sally Sand
Judy Stack
Wardens – Second 1-Year Term
Holly Weinkauf—Senior Warden
Bette Ashcroft—Junior Warden
Cornerstone Trustees — 3-Year Term
Tom Baxter
Jay Debertin
Convention Delegates
Bette Ashcroft
Tom Evans
Brad Parsons
Alternates
Holly Weinkauf
Colleen Swope
Nathan Black
Candidates
Jeff Chen
Tisha ColtonTisha Chipeco-Colton started her journey at St. John’s with her husband Josh around 14 years ago, shortly after the birth of their eldest son Jacob. Since joining St. John’s, she has also been blessed by another son, Caleb. Growing up Catholic in the Philippines gave her a fondness for the rituals, liturgy and music that the Episcopal church has to offer, and she appreciates the welcoming and inclusive atmosphere at St. John’s. She, has been involved with Rite 13 mentoring, First Nations Kitchen, and Project Home. Her hobbies, aside from playing tennis and cooking, now include decorating the church for the Christmas and Easter services. She is a geriatrician at HealthPartners, providing primary care to seniors and nursing home residents.
Sally Sand
Judy StackYou are probably most familiar with Dr. Judy Stack from the Formation Commission and various education opportunities over the eleven years since she and her family began attending St John’s. During that time she has also served a term on Vestry, twice been on Companion Teams for St John’s interns, served on Jered’s Sabbatical committee, and was a temporary St John’s staff person. She has been involved with greeters; visitor bread delivery and other aspects of Invite, Welcome, Connect; spiritual life groups, starting the new member classes that eventually became the Basics class, being a lector, singing in choir; and being part of the newly-formed Vitality Commission. If she didn’t have to work, she’d probably volunteer for 10 more things. She has a PhD in New Testament. Before exiting academia, she taught for a variety of educational institutions and in the ECMN School for Formation. She has worked with Church Innovations for 30 years.
Holly Weinkauf – Senior WardenHolly has been a member of St. John’s since 2008 when she and her family—Don, Madeline, Eli and Roan—moved to St. Paul from New Mexico. She’s the owner of Red Balloon Bookshop. At St. John’s, she’s served on the vestry, the CYF committee, been involved with Hearts to Home and Project Home, and is a member of the finance committee. Holly grew up in the Episcopal Church and as an adult, has a deeper understanding and appreciation for its traditions, its commitment to beauty and thought and its openness to all people. She and her family are very grateful to have St. John’s as their spiritual home.
Bette Ashcroft – Junior WardenShe lives with husband Ernie and dog, Zoe. Bette enjoys reading, stitching, and spending time with family and friends.
Ministry Reports
Liturgy
St. John’s liturgies honored our diocesan commitment to ECMN’s Four Priorities as follows:
Discipleship:
- Sung Compline in honor for the Feast of the Epiphany of our Lord
- The Sacrament of Holy Baptism and the Commissioning of Community of Hope International new Circle of Care lay caregivers
- Honoring the United Nations Global Peace Day Sunday as followers of Jesus, the Prince of Peace
- Sacred Music Requiem Concert for All Souls
- Healing Prayer and Anointing during Holy Communion in Lent and Advent
- New Year’s Eve Holy Eucharist to Bless the New Year
Justice:
- The Holy Eucharist in honor of the Feast of Saint Aelred of Rievaulx, patron of all LGBTQ+ Episcopalians with Hymns and Music by LGBTQ+ composers and poets
- Black History Candlemas Procession on the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord: Shining Christ’s Light on those working for Racial Justice and ending Racial Disparities in Black History
- Monthly celebrations of St. John’s Racial Reconciliation Holy Eucharist in honor of Episcopal saints who lived and worked for racial justice
- Creation Care Liturgy in honor of the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi and the Blessing of the Animals
Innovation:
- Livestream Liturgy Team Open House: Recruiting More Livestream Liturgy Ministers!
- Ecumenical Advent Vespers with Saint Thomas More and Saint John’s Choirs
Vitality:
- Liturgy Training for Adults: Ushers, Vergers, Acolytes, Readers, and Chalice Bearers, followed by Lunch with the Choir
- Blessing of the Backpacks for everyone returning to school
- Seasonal Choral Evensongs
- All Souls’ Day Grief and Loss Holy Eucharist with Healing Prayer and Anointing
- Blue Christmas Liturgy for those who struggle with the Festive Season with Healing Prayer and Anointing
- A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
Faith Formation
- During Epiphany Season our Parish Read and Sunday Faith Forums were devoted to studying and discussing The Church Cracked Open by Stephanie Spellers.
- During Lent we studied the appointed Scriptures for the 5 Sundays in Lent using a wide variety of music from diverse genres to break open the meaning of God’s Holy Word.
- Two groups began meeting twice a month on Zoom to study the Scriptures by contemplating Sacred Art through Visio Divina. The Thursday group continued to meet throughout the summer and the new program year.
- During Eastertide we explored theological intersections between Biomimicry and the Resurrection in Native Plants, Birdlife, Engineering, and Mathematics.
- During the summer, we held Bible Discovery in the Holly Garden.
- In September we learned about ways coloniality skews interpretations of Holy Scripture and how financial policies and practices of stewardship in churches can be freed from colonial greed and scarcity into decolonial abundance for all people.
- Dr. Judy Stack began a “deep dive” Bible study meeting every Thursday after Compline.
- October featured our Creation Care Team, Stewardship Committee, Spiritual Life Groups, and Circle of Care who respectively discussed our call to Care for God’s Creation in acknowledging Indigenous Peoples’ Land, caring for and protecting all animals, serving in ministries at St. John’s, joining spiritual life groups, and witnessing all the ways Pastoral Care is administered by lay and ordained ministers in our community.
- In November we explored Why, What, and How somatic spiritual practices can help people of faith of all races heal from internalized racial trauma with St. John’s newly formed Justice Team and Carol DeFrancisco leading our conversations.
- In Advent we convened Wednesday soup suppers and journal discussions about our Advent Parish Read: Gather by Octavia Raheem, which complemented our Sunday Faith Forum series led by Marjorie D. Gevious and Carol DeFrancisco who taught attendees somatic body practices to prepare our minds, bodies, and spirits for the incarnation of God’s love, healing, and wholeness.
Children, Youth, and Family
- We welcomed 5 new members through Baptism (including 3 at the Easter Vigil service)
- 2022 allowed us to resume in person Sunday School, in the building averaging about 8 to 12 kids a week
- The Bishop joined us for our Ash Wednesday Pancake Races
- We created Children’s Ash Wednesday and Good Friday services to introduce Lent and Holy Week to our youngest members
- Said goodbye to Kat and hello to Olivia as our Circle of the Beloved Intern
- With the help of Creation Care we planted a wonderful Butterfly Garden in the parking lot
- We hosted Creation camp in July and August (water and fire themed) hearing stories, crafting and playing
- The youth Summer Camp-out was a success as our middle school cohort took to the wilderness to mark the transition from Rite 13 to J2A. We began discerning and planning our 2024 Pilgrimage
- We were able to return to a staffed nursery this fall, welcoming our youngest members in for fun and play
- We trained 6 new acolytes
- We launched a new curriculum for 3-5th graders, it is lectionary based. Allowing this age group to hear new stories and hopefully have meaningful conversation with their parents/caregivers about that weeks lesson/s
Pastoral Care
- We commissioned 9 newly trained Community of Hope International lay pastoral caregivers. 5 joined the inaugural Circle of Care at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church, and 4 joined St. John’s Circle of Care.
- We offered Healing Prayer and Healing Anointing at the following services:
- During Sunday Holy Communion in Advent and Lent
- At our Grief and Loss Holy Eucharist for All Souls’ Day
- At the Blue Christmas Service
- We studied selected essays from Injustice and the Care of Souls: Taking Oppression Seriously in Pastoral Care by Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook
- We trained 4 Eucharistic Visitors
- Our ongoing ministries were featured in October’s Sunday Faith Forum series including:
- Prayer Lists: Public Sunday Prayers of the People + Private Confidential Prayers
- Pastoral Greeting Cards for Birthdays and those on the Prayer Lists
- Prayer Shawls were delivered to new parents and the sick
- Pastoral Visits with Holy Communion or Healing Anointing
Faith in Action
- $23,378 to St. John’s Healthcare Clinic in Kayoro, Uganda, which supported their ongoing work and helped purchase an ultrasound machine for prenatal care.
- $13,709 for grocery, medical, and rental needs in our community.
- $9,405 for Circle of Beloved to support young people living in intentional Christian community and serving at non-profits in the twin cities while seeking to deepen kinship across lines of difference.
- $3,241 cash and $11,887 worth of food to Hallie Q. Brown Community Center and First Nations Kitchen, to help alleviate hunger in our community
- $1,940 to Project Home and School Tools, as well as $993 worth of food for monthly dinners and nearly 150 volunteer hours, to care for our neighbors struggling with homelessness.
- Got a bike rack to be installed at St. John’s to support those wishing to cut down on car use and care for God’s creation.
Access & Connection
St. John’s has been very active throughout 2022!
- Kat Lewis (pronouns: they/them/theirs) stepped into the role of Invite, Welcome, Connect (now called the Coordinator of Access and Connection) in September. This new position includes both the work of New Member Ministries and their previous responsibilities as the live stream coordinator. They focus on digital evangelism, connection, kinship across lines of difference, and access intimacy.
- Since resuming hybrid worship at the end of February, people are coming back in-person to St. John’s and we have seen many new visitors join St. John’s community both online and in-person. Digital communities often transcend real-world borders. Digital media offers countless possibilities to build and grow relationships that would otherwise be impossible.
- We held 2 rounds of hybrid Basics classes, one in the spring led by Cameron Williams and one in the fall led by Sarah Dull and Kat Lewis. In 2022, we have officially welcomed a total of 15 new members to our congregation, with a total of 34 people signing our visitor’s book and many more joining us in worship and getting involved in various ministry areas.
- New people are finding out about St. John’s because of our bolstered online presence, including increased activity on our Google profile, website, YouTube channel, Facebook, and Instagram.
- Skillful use of available media platforms allow us to share our messages to a much larger audience. Apart from spreading the gospel, digital evangelists also help people navigate some of life’s social, economic, and mental health issues. By launching our Instagram and further promoting our community values online, we have been able to reach more people looking for a faith community they can feel safe and supported in.
- During the last two years, using technology to overcome access issues has increased St. John’s awareness of and commitment to disability justice. Virtual interactions can facilitate personal connection and otherwise unfeasible personal one-to-one meetings.
Spiritual Life
2022 saw the return of several of our Spiritual Life groups and ministries to in-person gatherings. While hybrid and virtual meetings sustained our Spiritual Life programming through the worst of the pandemic, in-person community remained our hope. As Jesus told the disciples, whenever two or three are gathered together in his name, Jesus is in the midst of them. That said, with the addition of good technology, virtual offerings remain an important piece of our ministry, allowing us to gather when weather, illness, ability, or pandemic prohibited us from being together in body.
- The Daily Office ministry of St. John’s continued to meet each weekday for Morning Prayer on Facebook and during Advent in the evenings in the Chapel of the Beloved Disciple at St. John’s for Evening Prayer
- Men’s Breakfast continued to meet via Zoom each month in 2022
- The Tuesday Men’s Gathering resumed in person meetings for theological discussions and community building
- Following the Supreme Court Dobbs decision, striking down Roe v. Wade, St. John’s Women’s Group convened for solidarity, community organizing, and action and now meet monthly in person or online
- The LGBTQ+ was able to offer a gathering in 2022 with hopes of resuming a more regular pattern in 2023
- The Young Adult group remained on hiatus as it searched for a convener – but this did not prohibit a deluge of young adults from joining our many worship services and other programs in 2022
- OWLs held a retreat in the spring of 2022 which was well attended, and monthly Spiritual Life gatherings were held as able in the Watters Pub at Episcopal Home throughout the year
Music
During the early months of 2022, the choir reassembled and once again began providing choral music for services.
- Special services in the early months included several Evensong services to finish out the 2021-22 Sacred Music season, which continued to reflect the Episcopal Church in Minnesota’s Four Priorities set out by Bishop Loya.
- During summer, informal rehearsals and gatherings allowed the choir to keep in touch.
- In early fall, the choir had a workshop led by Dr. Kristina Boerger, music faculty at Augsburg University.
- At the start of this program year, the choir resumed regular singing at 10am Sunday services.
- Spoken Compline is held weekly and, once per month, we offer a sung service led by guest vocalists
- The first half of the Winifred Bean Sacred Music Series included
- Evensong in September
- an All-Souls Requiem Service in November
- the Annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
- Choir membership has grown, and now includes eight staff singers, with two permanent positions in tenor and bass yet to be filled in early 2023. Total choir membership regularly exceeds 25.
- During the summer, the resignation of Assistant to the Director of Music, Haley Olson, left the bell choir without a regular director. Volunteer members from the group have provided change ringing of handbells during psalms, and will continue to do so periodically.
- Our new Circle of the Beloved Intern, Olivia Holgate; and Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries, Katie Madsen have worked with Richard to begin planning for informal musical activities for children and youth.
- Dr. Dean Billmeyer continued sharing his outstanding musical gifts as Organist in Residence.
- Volunteer musicians have provided instrumental music for services periodically during the year, and Copper Street Brass and Artaria ensembles have enriched special services with their performances.
- Artaria String Ensemble and Chamber Music School continues to use St. John’s as both rehearsal space for upcoming performances and for coaching and teaching.
- YouTube and Soundcloud recordings, as well as live service broadcasts, have allowed our musical offerings the opportunity to increase an online presence, providing both worship and musical options for both local and Internet users globally to share in our musical heritage.
- During 2022, the Music Commission continued its bimonthly meetings. While there were several resignations from the Commission, and the passing of one of its loyal and much appreciated members, Malcolm McDonald, several new members joined. Working with the Director of Music, the Commission reviewed protocols for maintaining the safety of the music staff and volunteers during the pandemic. It has also explored ways to support maintenance and repair for the pipe organ.
Fellowship
This group plans and coordinates 5 major parish events every year:
- Gathering Sunday in the fall
- Christmas Party
- Annual Meeting
- Easter Vigil Reception
- Summer Picnic
From time to time, the team may also advise and support other events, such as receptions for the Sacred Music series. Even with the best planning, the events wouldn’t happen if volunteers didn’t show up to help set up, serve, and clean up. At St. John’s in 2022, we were blessed with an abundance of willing hands to make the work light and fun.
Property
St. John’s is coming back to life! With the help of the Property Committee, Building Committee, volunteers, and staff we have done our best to keep up with and enable all the renewed activity at St. John the Evangelist.
Below is a list of some of our accomplishments in the past year:
- All exterior doors were refinished
- Many gutter and roof repairs were made and a large section of downspout was replaced on the tower.
- The Kent Street sidewalk was raised and leveled to eliminate trip hazards.
- Lighting and electrical repairs were made including new LED spotlights on the stone sign on Summit Ave.
- Carpets were shampooed and floors stripped and waxed.
- Several boiler and heating repairs were made in the fall in preparation for winter.
We can all look forward to a busy and productive 2023 in a safe, welcoming and beautiful building.
2023 Pledgers
Thank you to those who have pledged to support our mission in 2023:
| Allen, Kathryn | Hertz, Lynn | Pfalz, Patty Byrne |
| Arndt, Kim | Hillsley, Nell | Porter, Matthew |
| Ashcroft, Ernie & Bette | Hogan, Emily & Josh | Postema, Don & Lawrence, Gabrielle |
| Bailey, Cara | Horn, Bob | Power, George & Diane |
| Baumann, Bob & Sherfey, Bill | Jackson, Mary Ann | Ragland, Susie & Larry |
| Baxter, Sarah | Janeczko, Juanita | Resch, Richard and Sandy |
| Baxter, Tom & Aimee | Jeffery, Michele & George | Rhodes, Beth |
| Beattie, Rob & Cammie | Johnson, Jim & Jones, Lucy | Richards, Michael & Tiedmann, Bill |
| Bender, Heather | Johnson, Mary & Hartmann, Lynn | Rinkoff, Rick & Ferguson, Julia |
| Bents, Jamie & Mike | Johnson, Paul & Sarah | Rosendale, Peter & Jennifer |
| Berndt, Fred & Sylvia | Johnson, Pauline | Russ, Kevin & Kelly |
| Berry, Brett & Jessica | Johnson, Todd & Alice | Russell, Anne & Peters, Merrell |
| Bertheau, Cindy | Jones, Shelby | Rutledge, Edward & Ellingson, Lacey |
| Birkeland, Karen & Jeff | Keillor, Carrie | Sailors, Shirley |
| Bishop, Waveney | Kim, Heidi | Sand, Sally |
| Black, Nathan | Kinkead, George & Jennifer | Sanders, Christina |
| Borreson, Diane | Kinkead, Judy | Schenk, Edwin |
| Bowman, Beth | Klein, Allan | Schmidt, Lea Anne & Patrick |
| Bradley, Philip & Frankman, Jan | Kochevar, Laura | Seymour, McNeil |
| Bressoud, David & Jan | Koshy, Jayan & Benji | Smith, Bradner H. & O’Brien, Laura |
| Brezny, Nicholas & Christina | Krall, Andrew & Anneke | Smith, J. Bradner & Janet |
| Brown, Martin & Kathy | Lahti, Jon | Smith-Boyer, Helen |
| Bruce, Devin & Clements, Sarah | Lautenshlager, Gil | Snowfield, Barbara |
| Brynteson, Richard | Lawyer, John | Solid, Emily & Craig |
| Cadwell, Marvin & Sue | Lemming, Craig | Sommer, Stephanie & Spencer, Stephen |
| Chatt, Karen & Brian | Lewis, Kat | Southwick, Judy |
| Chen, Jeff | Lightner, Nan | Stack, Judy |
| Church, Caroline & Merkl, Will | Lindeke, Barbara | Stanton, Chelsea & Rach, Jeb |
| Clark, Jay | Lindeke, Linda | Steadman, Chris |
| Clark, Tony | Lindeke, Liz | Stengle, Sarah |
| Clary, Brad | Linehan, Bob | Stieve, Edwin & Paier, Otto |
| Colton, Josh & Tisha | Longley, Deborah & Lucy, Andrew | Stoerker, Holly |
| Cooey, Paula & Nichols, Philip | Lorenz, Gail | Stoltenberg, Philip & Jessica |
| Cook, Ed & Monica | Lottsfeldt, Josephine | Stuhlfeier, Karen & Cygan, Walter |
| Cramblit, Mackenzie | Lundberg, Eliza | Sturtz, Linda & Robertson, James |
| Dailey, Mary Ann | MacIntosh, Sue | Sutton, Elaine |
| Debertin, Jay & Becky | Mairs, Dusty | Swanson, Annette |
| Dexter, Margaret | Matter, Christopher & Rianna | Sweigert, Cynthia |
| Diehl, Janet | May, Joe & Susan | Swope, Charles & Colleen |
| Docherty, John & Conklin, Marilyn | May, Michael | Tani, Barbara |
| Donovan, Maura & Whitman, David | McCarthy, Edwin & Susan | Teisberg, Eloise |
| Drew, Alden & Pollard, Mimie | McGill Kathy | Tessier, Meredith & Andrew |
| Dull, Sarah | McInroy, Mark & Suzanne | Thompson, John & Jill |
| Ek, Dorothy | Merchant, Noella & Brian | Tianen, Jennifer |
| Evans, Tom (Edward) | Merrill, Phyllis | Torrence, Gregory |
| Fahnhorst, Sean & Lindsey | Michaels, Stephen & Helen | Vogel, Daniel |
| Fishel, Teresa | Mosso, Karen | Voje, Patty |
| Frisby, Johanna | Moxley, Caleb | Wagner Sherer, Madeleine |
| Frisby, Phyllis | Mraz, Barbara | Waldo, William & Mary |
| Gilbertson, Peter & Mary | Murakami, Tom & Patti | Wall, Kevin & Michelle |
| Gregory, Christine | Myers, Betty | Weber-Johnson, Jered & Erin |
| Gross, Richard | Nichol, Katherine | Weber-Johnson, Jude |
| Grundhauser, Tony & Cathy | Olsen, Jeff & Peggy | Weber-Johnson, Simon Henri |
| Hadley, Rae | Olson, Rick & Wendy | Weinkauf, Don & Holly |
| Hagstrom, Gary & Paige | O’Pray, Lynette & Denis | Welsh, Timothy & Liz |
| Hansen, Owen | Palmer, Lyelle | Wilson, Roger & Ginny |
| Hargens, Gar & Thompson, Missy | Parish, Michael | Woelfel, Jerry & Becky |
| Hebberger, Jo Anna | Parsons, Bradford & Dyanne | Zurakowski, Tamara |
| Henneman, Mark & Terri |
