2024 Annual Report

Table of Contents

2024 Annual Meeting Minutes

The 2024 Annual Meeting was held via YouTube Livestream on Sunday, January 28, following 10am worship.

St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church
2024 Annual Parish Meeting 

Sunday, January 28th, 2024
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Opening Prayer – the Rev. Jered Weber-Johnson 

Ministry Reports 

Liturgy Video – https://youtu.be/V7aIQsrfDFo 

Faith Formation Video – https://youtu.be/QSWYFphrFsA 

Children, Youth, and Family Video – https://youtu.be/PPbeVVJ0mCE 

Pastoral Care Video – https://youtu.be/bX0crl1BcLw 

Faith in Action Video – https://youtu.be/1QR-_3WsopM 

Welcome & Connection Video – https://youtu.be/qK-MTuNiJHM 

Spiritual Life Video – https://youtu.be/EoJrQxS2d9c 

Music Video – https://youtu.be/bpj4LS5VCVI 

Fellowship Video – https://youtu.be/cEfRiOHa2Ds 

Property 

  • The parking lot was resealed and restriped
  • The deteriorated and failing flat-roof of the 1950s building was replaced
  • Completed various heating and cooling repairs including:
    • Replaced Condensate pump in the boiler room
    • Repaired air compressor in the boiler room
    • Preventative maintenance to boilers and HVAC equipment
    • Rooftop AC repairs
  • Second floor updates for Big Wonder opening:
    • Repainted two classrooms 
    • Refinished tile floors
    • Replaced a toilet, two sinks, and a countertop
    • Hung shelving and coat hooks
    • Replaced and moved a light fixture and replaced dangerous wiring
  • Shampooed carpets and refinished terrazzo and choir room floors
  • Various gutter and downspout repairs and replacement

Approval of 2023 Annual Meeting Minutes – the Rev. Jered Weber-Johnson

Motion to approve 2023 Annual Meeting minutes: moved, seconded; all in favor/0 objections/0 abstentions – Motion Carries

Stewardship Report – Lynn Hartmann, Committee Member

Theme for Pledge Campaign – Growing and Spreading a Canopy of God’s Love

  • The Stewardship Committee is co-led by Sarah Dull and Alice Lightner Johnson; also on the committee are George Kinkaid, Dan Vogel, Lynn Hartmann and Jon Lahti. 
  • When the Stewardship Committee first met in 2023 to decide on a theme for the pledge campaign, the idea of interconnectedness came up, as exemplified by trees and their communications with, and dependency on, each other. Out of this idea came the St. John’s Vitality Tree, which attendees at the ministry fair used to answer the question “What does St. John’s mean to you?”

Pledge Campaign Results

2023

2022

2021

191 new pledges

161 pledges

156 pledges

$714, 596

$679,000

$624,327

46 new pledges

30 new pledges

18 new pledges


97 of the 191 pledges were increased pledges ($409,464) with an average 18% increase. Both the new and increased pledges reflect the impact of the matching gifts.

Thank you to the generous matching donors, inviters (who made phone calls), witnesses (Sally Sand, Sarah Stengle, and the Rev. Jered Weber-Johnson), and to all those who pledged.

Financial Report – Rick Rinkoff, Treasurer

Remarks included in full

  1. An unusual financial year. We reported a deficit of about $5,000, less than half of one-percent of our annual budget. Some ministries were over budget, some under but overall spending was slightly less than we budgeted. A modest shortfall in member contributions was responsible for the deficit. Hold that thought. In a few minutes I’ll tell you why 2023 was the best year we’ve had in the 12 years I’ve been Treasurer.

Every year I stand up here you’re kind enough to stay awake while I present the lighter side of St. John’s finances. Last year I poked fun at our prior Bishop. I’ve explained why St. John’s has much in common with the MN Vikings (you know – people who prepay their pledge are season ticket holders; Jered is our quarterback who sometimes hands off to Craig; eucharistic visitors are our special teams; we both have organs). But while my humor has hopefully evolved to the point where my wife no longer cringes, my philosophy about our church’s finances has remained the same: St. John’s is not about the money. Money is simply the means to sustain our church while we work to fulfill our mission to alleviate suffering in hunger, housing, health care and social justice.

Warren Buffett famously said “Don’t worry about the income, worry about the outcome.” So how did we do? The Academy Awards nominations came out this week and guess what? They missed some categories. Here are the nominees in the category of best mission-related outcome in 2023:

  • First, St. John’s provided over $10,500 of support to St. John’s health care clinic in Kayoro, Uganda
  • Next, through donations to the Clergy’s Discretionary fund, we provided over $11,500 for grocery, medical, and rental needs in our local community
  • We provided over $9,000 to the work of social and climate justice
  • We donated over $14,000 in cash and groceries for hunger relief in our local community
  • We donated over $9,000 and hundreds of volunteer hours to Project Home and Interfaith Action
  • Our last nominee. We supported the work of the wider Episcopal church to the tune of $83,000.

And the winner is …

They’re all winners! Because of your support, St. John’s is making a difference in the world. Thank you!

Here’s another category they missed. These are the nominees for best finance-related outcome in 2023. Each comes with a story because the details are buried in the financial statements and it would take a forensic accountant to find them.

  • Our accountants alerted us early last year to the existence of a US government program to compensate organizations that paid their staff during the pandemic. The Employee Retention Credit. We filed a claim and received $116,000. Long after we received the money, you might have read that scam artists started to solicit organizations to file claims, legitimate or not, so they could collect finder’s fees of 25%. As a result, the government recently suspended the program until they can determine which claims are genuine. Our claim was legit and filing it only cost us $2,000.
  • Next. We’ve had a consistent $200K of debt ever since 2011 when we borrowed money to pay for redoing our parking lot, putting on a new roof, and the Big Dig under the Kent Street sidewalk. As the interest rate soared to 8.5% the Finance Committee said enough is enough and established two priorities. First one: eliminate the debt. They hatched a plan: use the Employee Retention Credit money to pay off about half of the debt and solicit donations to pay off the rest. The plan worked. Various families stepped up and at year-end, our debt was entirely paid off. That saves us $17,000 in annual interest payments. Let that sink in… The plan actually worked better than we expected because more money is coming in for debt repayment than we needed.  Excess money will go into the Capital Reserve Fund used for building projects.
  • Next. The invested portion of our endowment increased by 15.6% in 2023. The draw will increase by $9,000 in 2024 even as we lowered the draw rate slightly to 4.25%, another step along the way to an eventual rate of 4.00%. 
  • Our last nominee. Thanks to a bequest, the Elizabeth Myers Music Endowment was established. The annual draw will go into a restricted fund that the Music Ministry can draw on to grow the music program beyond what the budget provides for.

Again, they’re all winners. Circle back to when I said 2023 was financially the best year I’ve seen despite a $5,000 deficit. Thanks to the US government and a few donors, we received over $200,000. Our restricted funds had a net increase of $80,000, some of it earmarked for the choir and youth mission trips. Investment gains and contributions increased our endowment by over $1 million last year – and that’s after we took a draw of $320,000. Our deficit reflects none of this. 2023 was a very successful year.

But success has a short half-life and it’s a new year, so let’s look forward and touch on the 2024 budget. Start with pledges. Parishioners have pledged a record $714K, spurred on by another year of a matching grant and a wonderful effort by our Stewardship team. The number of pledges increased for the first time in five years.

Higher pledges, more revenue from Big Wonder preschool and more endowment income allowed the Vestry to give the church staff raises this year to help offset the impact of inflation.

In general, ministries are budgeted to receive about what they got last year. Some have additional money available in restricted funds earmarked for their use, most notably Faith in Action and Music. Operating expenses will actually decline this year because we’re no longing paying $17,000 in interest expense.

All in, we’re budgeting 2024 to be breakeven as we do every year.

Remember I said the Finance Committee established two priorities? The second priority should be familiar to many of you: funding long-term capital needs for our building. We established a Capital Reserve Fund a while back and last year I was thrilled to tell you that we had $110,000 in the fund. Well, no more. After a major unexpected roof repair and some exterior painting, the fund was reduced to $10,000.

Our budget provides for a small contribution to the fund each year and we’ll add money left over from debt repayment which will bring it up to maybe $20,000. Based on last year’s experience and a study we did in 2019, we should be socking away $130,000 each year into the Capital Reserve Fund. That’s not going to happen on a $1.1 million annual budget. Same story last year, the year before that, etc. etc.

But now there’s a new story! At their meeting last week, the Vestry voted to explore a capital campaign. There are many steps to the process. The Vestry, Finance Committee, and all of you with the aid of a capital campaign consultant will help discern what the needs of the church are, how much money we’d seek, and where it will come from. It could take a year to get the answers and there’s no guarantee they’ll support moving forward with a campaign.

Then again, they might. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a large Capital Reserve Fund so we didn’t have to borrow money next time water leaks into our building? Or if Richard and Dean didn’t have to avoid certain ranks of the organ because they didn’t work? How about improving the acoustics in the sanctuary so we could hear what a Skinner organ should really sound like? What about a modern kitchen? More support for our mission? These are just some possibilities. It will be up to all of you to discern the final agenda.

Jim Johnson has shared many words of wisdom with me over the years including this gem: “We can do anything we want; we can’t do everything we want.” Based on history as well as our success in raising money to pay off the debt, we believe the congregation has the capacity to fund at least some projects, and maybe all of them. Stay tuned….

Even without a campaign, know that St. John’s is a healthy church. We’re growing and have capacity for more growth. Look around. There’s lots of new faces in church. St. John’s is a magnet for people shopping for a new church. We have wonderful preaching, excellent music, dedicated staff, beautiful building, prudently managed financials. We have a state-of-the-art online presence. We’re fulfilling our mission to alleviate suffering in hunger, housing, health care and social justice. 

None of this would be possible without the support all of you have provided. Thank you for making St. John’s an important part of so many people’s lives.

State of the Church – the Rev. Jered Weber-Johnson

While much of the work done following the murder of George Floyd was good and positive, we know that engaging in anti-racism – the commitment to root out inequality, the promise to do better and be better, to ensure that Black lives matter is more than a slogan and an actual fact, to repair what is broken in our world, in our country, in our city, and even in our church – takes a long time.

If you read the Catechism at the back of the Book of Common Prayer, you know it says that the mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ. The mission of St John’s at its root is reparation, reconciliation, and restoration. In two weeks it will the beginning of Lent and we will hear again that ancient promise from the prophet Isaiah, first given to the Israelites in the midst of oppression, grief, and broken dreams following their return from exile, which still echoes down to us today: “you shall be called the repairer of the breach.” Reparation, restoration, and reconciliation: these three things have defined much of our activity at St John’s in this past year. We’ve reconvened committees, rebuilt participation, and made several building repairs. The preschool Big Wonder, whose mission is racial and gender justice and inclusion is now in the education wing. In January of 2023 we added a monthly Racial Reconciliation Holy Eucharist as a Sunday service with guest preachers reflective of a diversity of life experiences, cultures, races, and identities. This move in our liturgical life reflects a deep awareness that healing takes patient and slow inner work. We cannot repair what is broken in the world without first taking care to repair what is in us. This coming year we will expand on this initiative with the addition of a new preaching role, a monthly sermon from Marjorie D. Grevious, who is our new Evangelist for Spiritual Healing. With this new role, and our ongoing Racial Reconciliation Holy Eucharist services, Jered, Craig, Chelsea and Barbara will preach less regularly. 

This past year saw an influx of new members, meaning that our average Sunday attendance continues to grow back to pre-pandemic levels. We also welcomed our new Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministry, Shelley Byrnes, and we are excited about what’s happening in this ministry. New teachers are being trained in Godly Play and Whirl, and the older kids are preparing to go on pilgrimage. Our choir is growing with several new members, and will host the Association of Anglican Musicians Conference and travel to England for a cathedral residency. 

Last year, hundreds of thousands of dollars were donated, the residual debt was paid, and we had growth in our overall pledge units, meaning more people are giving. In the next year we will discern, with the help of a capital campaign consultant, whether or not the time is right to finally address some long overdue repair and maintenance. 

There are three important goals for us regardless of whether we begin a campaign or raise any money:

  1. That whatever process we engage in will make us more transparent about our money than we already are, such as how our money is invested, how we use it, and who gets to make decisions about it. We’ve done work on this in the past but we have more to do, and this process is an excellent time to continue doing that work.
  2. That we will develop a strategy for funding current and future needs for the repair and care of this historic building
  3. That we seek to be repairers of the breach, knowing all we do about what is broken in the systems and structures of the world with regard to race, class, sexuality, and gender. 

Jered expressed gratitude for the congregation’s support and trust as he enters his 14th year of service. 

Elections

Wardens – First 1-Year Term

  • Motion to approve Bette Ashcroft as Senior Warden – moved, seconded; all in favor/0 opposed/0 abstentions – Motion Carries
  • Motion to approve Bob Baumann as Junior Warden – moved, seconded, all in favor/0 opposed/0 abstentions – Motion Carries

Vestry Members — 3-Year Term

  • Motion to approve the following members to a 3-year term to Vestry: moved, seconded; all in favor/0 objections/0 abstentions – Motion Carries
  • David Bressoud 
  • Lynn Hartmann
  • Priya Schulze
  • Eloise Teisberg

Vestry Members — 2-Year Term

  • Motion to approve Beth Bowman to a 2-year term to Vestry: moved, seconded; all in favor/0 objections/0 abstentions – Motion Carries

Cornerstone Trustees — 3-Year Term

  • Motion to approve the following members to a 3-year term for Cornerstone Trustees: moved, seconded; all in favor/0 objections/0 abstentions – Motion Carries
  • Rick Rinkoff
  • Holly Weinkauf

Gratitude for Outgoing Leaders – Bette Ashcroft, Warden

Vestry Members

  • Holly Weinkauf, Barb Tani, Johannah Frisby, Ed Stieve, Jami Bents

Property Committee Chair

  • Brad Smith

Altar Guild

  • Diane Power

In Memorium 

We recall those whom we lost in the last year, their gifts, and the many ways they cared for this community: Jan Bressoud, Rita Caven, Nancy Martin, Paula Cooey, John Morley, Polly O’Brien, Colin Stees, Lenus Woelfel, Elizabeth (Betty) Myers 

Closing Prayer – Collect for St. John’s

Respectfully submitted by Carrie Keillor, Vestry Clerk

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

Submitted by Sarah Dull, Stewardship Committee Co-Chair

The Stewardship Committee had their work cut out for them this year. Due to deaths and people moving away, we knew there would be over $30,000 of pledges that would not be renewed. We also heard from several households that they needed to cut back their giving. The total amount cut back was also over $30,000. So, we would need to replace nearly $70,000 worth of pledges just to equal last year. 

Time and again we have seen this congregation step up to challenges put before us so, we committed to the vestry that we would do everything we could to at least match last year’s record breaking pledge total of $714,000. It was long and slow but, once again, you did it! 

Thanks to everyone’s support, Saint John’s begins 2025 with 193 pledges totaling $716,194. That is 2 more pledging units than last year, and a slight increase. These numbers include 25 new pledges totaling $32,695. Thanks to the work of our Welcome and Connection ministry. The total also includes $57,500 from 9 households that contributed to our matching gift fund. Your generosity continues to inspire us.

The stewardship committee also led 3 of the Day 1 Sunday faith forums. We helped attendees identify work Saint John’s is already doing that is essential to us as a faith community and needed in the community we serve, how this work will be impacted by the election, which ministries/projects we need to focus on, and what resources and partnerships will be needed to respond effectively.

Thank you to everyone that played their part to make this happen; witnesses, invitors and the stewardship committee (Lynn Hartmann, Dan Vogel, Katie Nichol, Sally Sand, Carrie Keillor, and George Kinkead).

When we journey together in God’s love and do something we cannot do alone, transformation happens.

2024 Financial Report

2025 Financial Statement of Mission

Gratitudes

The ministry of St. John’s depends on the many gifts of time and talent that have been shared by all of us in the name of Christ. 

The vestry recognizes with gratitude, the vision, leadership and the ministry of our deacon, the Rev. Chelsea Stanton.

This year, several members of the vestry have retired from service or are reaching the end of their three-year term. We give thanks for: 

  • John Docherty
  • Paige Hagstrom
  • Eliza Lundberg
  • Rianna Matter

We are grateful for you and for your dedication to the life and ministry of St. John’s.

Election Slate

Vestry Members — 3-Year Term
Lynn Hertz – Welcome & Connection Liaison
Edwin Schenk – Children, Youth, and Family Ministry Liaison
Dan Vogel – At Large
Tamara Zurakowski – Liturgy Liaison

Wardens – Second 1-Year Term
Bette Ashcroft—Senior Warden
Bob Baumann—Junior Warden

Cornerstone Trustee — 3-Year Term
Jim Johnson

Candidate Bios

Vestry Members

Lynn Hertz

Lynn has been a parishioner at St. Johns for now over 19 years.  She served previously on vestry twice and only recently finished a four-year term as senior and junior warden. Her past and current leadership at St. John’s includes serving on the fellowship, building, personnel, and stewardship committees, and is a member of one of St. John’s small groups.  She is standing for vestry as the Welcome and Connection representative.

Lynn and her husband Dennis are the parents of Paul (married to Jess), Anne (engaged to David), and Dan (married to Jessica) and are excited to be grandparents as well. When she is not at St. John’s or grandparenting, Lynn works with Gentle Transitions, a company that helps elders and others through the difficult task of moving and downsizing. Before retirement from full-time work, Lynn was the Assistant Provost at Macalester College here in St. Paul.

Edwin Schenk

Edwin and partner Jennie Walker Knoot have been coming to St. John’s now for over 7 years. They have two brilliant daughters, Verona and Augusta, who are active in the St. John’s children’s programs. 

Edwin is being invited to stand for vestry as the Children, Youth, & Family (CYF) representative after having already served over the past year and a half as a leader of our Rite 13 youth group and more recently as a member of the CYF Committee. Prior to these involvements, Edwin was involved in the St. John’s Young(ish) Adult group, regular in worship, a consistent leader in our newly formed Library ministry, a competitor in our annual Chili Bowl Cook Off, and this past fall one of the St. John’s Stewardship witnesses. In his witness this fall, Edwin shared that he and his family found St. John’s after leaving faith traditions that, in his words, “took a punitive view of those who were divorced”. They came to St. John’s because of our position of radical welcome, affirmation of LGBTQ+ persons, empowering of women, and our willingness to take a serious look at our role in oppression. He also cites our excellent music as a draw.

Dan Vogel

Dan is standing for vestry as an “At Large” member. He grew up in Wisconsin and has lived in the Twin Cities since 1981. Dan has been an Episcopalian since 1990.  In 2016 he moved to downtown St. Paul. He retired from the State of Minnesota in March of 2018.  To prepare for retirement he took a course on Spiritual Direction from Wisdom Ways. He does deep listening with the guests at St.Vincent de Paul Outreach at St. Mary’s Basilica on Monday and Tuesday mornings.

He found St. John the Evangelist in 2018. Initially connecting with the Thursday Book Group, Bible Study and Creation Care. Currently, he is part of the Creation Care Committee leadership and on the stewardship committee. With the COVID pandemic Dan found his way to the St. John’s Daily Office ministry as a regular participant in online Morning Prayer.  As leadership of that ministry is now entirely volunteer, Dan is the regular officiant for Morning Prayer on Mondays and Fridays each week online. Monday nights will find him meditating at St. John’s with the Episcopal House of Prayer.  

Among his many involvements, Dan says, “I’m excited to be going on pilgrimage to Iona this July with St. John’s.” Beyond the church, Dan has interests in theater, concerts, museums, and spiritual memoir writing.

Tamara Zurakowski

Tamara is standing for vestry as the Liturgy representative. She arrived at St. John’s in January 2021. She was raised as a Presbyterian in the Calvinist tradition, but discovered the Episcopal Church in college, where the music was spectacular, but it was the liturgy that won her over (“wow – the clergy didn’t make it up as they went along every Sunday”). At St John’s, Tamara has been active in the choir, altar guild, and as a verger. (She has a collection of hairbows in all liturgical colors.) She is also part of a committee working on a grant application to support our worship experience. 

Tamara is professor and director of the entry-level Master of Science in Nursing program at St. Catherine University. She has been married since 1989 to Shirley, having met during their PhD program at Case Western Reserve. Shirley has failed retirement once, and Tamara hasn’t even tried it. They share their home with a loveable, but eccentric English Toy Spaniel named Katie. Their adult daughter, SarahElizabeth, rescues and rehabilitates horses in Jeffersonville, MD.

Wardens

Bette Ashcroft

Bette is standing for her second year as Senior Warden of the vestry. Previously Bette has served in leadership roles on the Vestry of SJE, St. Stephen’s, Edina, Episcopal Homes, MN, and the Sheltering Arms Foundation. She lives with husband Ernie and dog, Zoe. Bette enjoys reading, stitching, and spending time with family and friends.

Bob Baumann

Bob is standing for his second year as Junior Warden of the vestry. With his husband Bill Sherfey, he joined St. John’s about 23 years ago. They attended one service just to hear Howard Don Small play organ; Jim Johnson welcomed them, and they’ve been here ever since. Bob served as usher and as Clerk of Vestry for a number of years and currently is a member of the Fellowship Committee.  He taught students as a classroom teacher in grades 2 through 4, ending his career as a Reading Recovery teacher and literacy specialist when he retired last year.  St. John’s has served as a most welcoming and fun community where he and Bill can embrace the mysteries of faith through liturgy, music, and service to others.

Cornerstone Trustee

Jim Johnson

Jim joined St. John’s in 1975.  At St. John’s, he has served as both junior and senior warden. He was treasurer for 10 years and before that stewardship chair. Jim and his wife Lucy Jones were married at St. John’s.

Jim is a graduate of Carleton College and the University of Iowa. He is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries. He worked for Securian for 46 years and built its largest unit which provides life insurance tailor-made exclusively for the employees of Fortune 1,000 companies. Jim built the unit by emphasizing customer service and industry leading technology.

Jim retired in 2010. Since retirement, he has chaired a private trust company, the board of Minnesota Opera, and the current $40 million capital campaign for the Arts Partnership which is the umbrella organization for the music groups that perform at the Ordway. In addition to the Ordway itself, The Arts Partnership includes the Minnesota Opera, Schubert Club and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He is a member of the Carleton board and the boards of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Minnesota Landmarks that manages Landmark Center.

Ministry Reports

Liturgy

Submitted by Rev. Craig Lemming, Associate Rector

As people of Common Prayer, our spiritual identities, faith beliefs, and moral imaginations were shaped, deepened, and inspired by the words, music, and rituals we shared in as we marked the seasons and cycles of our earthly pilgrimage.

  • We honored LGBTQ+ Episcopalians on the Feast of Saint Aelred of Rievaulx in January with guest homilist, the Rev. Nathan Black, and on Pride Sunday in June with guest homilist, Mary E. Johnson.

  • St. John’s hosted Holy Trinity Episcopal Church’s annual diocesan celebration of Absalom Jones with guest celebrant, the Rev. Jeckonia Okoth and guest homilist, the Reverend Craig Lemming.

  • Black History Candlemas included the illumination of sacred icons of biblical characters and Christian saints who embodied healing across racial lines of difference. Our installation of sacred icons remained in St. John’s sanctuary through February.

  • During the Season of Lent we centered the biblical stories of women following A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church by the Rev. Dr. Wilda C. Gafney.
  • Monthly celebrations of The Holy Eucharist for Racial Reconciliation honoring saints who lived and worked for racial healing included a roster of marvelous guest preachers.

  • Partnerships with the Creation Care Ministry included Earth Day Sunday with guest preacher Julia Nerbonne; Creation Care Sunday in honor of St. Francis of Assisi with guest preacher Buff Grace; The Season of Creation liturgies in the Fall; and the Advent Wreath Prayers for the Earth composed by St. John’s Creation Care team.

  • Partnerships with Children, Youth, and Family Ministries included a fabulous Epiphany Pageant, an all-ages “Starshine and Clay” Ash Wednesday liturgy, an all-ages Good Friday Triduum, Prayers of the People for Creation Care composed by St. John’s youth, and the annual processions for the Quinquagesima burial and the Easter Day resurrection of the Alleluias.

Faith Formation

Submitted by Rev. Craig Lemming, Associate Rector

As followers of Jesus and his way of love, we were called, equipped, and empowered by the Holy Spirit into the spiritual discipline of renewing our minds in Christ. The people of St. John’s grew in their knowledge and love of God.

  • The Season after the Epiphany: Dr. Chris Vinsonhaler led a Faith Forum series inspired by Ignatian approaches to dwelling in Sunday’s scriptures through our senses and imaginations.

  • Lent: Bible studies centered on the scriptural texts curated in A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church by the Rev. Dr. Wilda C. Gafney focused on the sacred stories of women in the bible.

  • Lenten Read: members of the Faith Formation Commission hosted Wednesday evening Zoom conversations on poetry and theological reflections curated by Malcolm Guite in The Word in the Wilderness: A Poem a Day for Lent and Easter.

  • Faith Formation Commission partnered with St. John’s Women’s Group, Men’s Group, and LGBTQ+ Group to present an all-ages Justice in Film series. This included the screening of a new documentary film, The Philadelphia Eleven hosted by the Women’s Group and the Rev. Chelsea Stanton; My Name is Pauli Murray hosted by Bob Baumann and the Rev. Craig Lemming; and the biopic Rustin hosted by the Men’s Group and the Rev. Jered Weber-Johnson.
  • Eastertide: Dr. Mark McInroy presented a series on Salvation which was one of the best-attended Faith Forum series to date.

  • In partnership with Justice in Action and Creation Care ministries, members participated in the Indigenous Sacred Sites Pilgrimage led by the Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs.

  • Fall programming focused on equipping and empowering our faith community for the US presidential election and its aftermath; Martin Luther King, Jr’s Call to Conscience and loving our enemies; and practices in our Christian history and tradition for healing breaches in society as ambassadors of Christ.

  • Book Group studied and discussed The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully by Frank Ostaseski; How We Learn to be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith by Mariann Edgar Budde; and This Tender Land by William Kent Kruger.

  • Bible Study with Art continued on Zoom on second and fourth Thursdays. Holly Stoerker led this series with assistance from Bette Aschroft, Betsy Wehrwein, Otto Paier, and the Rev. Craig Lemming.

Children, Youth, and Family

Submitted by Shelley Byrnes, Director of CYF Ministries

Families with young children are connecting and supporting each other with childcare trades. The younger students are becoming more of a community rather than just being younger siblings to the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims are learning to be vulnerable and support each other in spiritual issues as they prepare for pilgrimage. Family connections are being made at the family functions.

Children: 

  • Started Baby/Toddler Playgroup with St Mary’s and St Clements that meets once a month. Average 8 children each month.
  • 24 students in the Epiphany Pageant
  • Combined Godly Play Class with an average of 8 students each week and dedicated 10 Leaders.
  • Christmas Party with 21 children

Youth Group

  • Seven pilgrims planning and fundraising 
  • Silent Auction raised $5290 (please pay if you haven’t already)
  • Eight students in Rite-13
  • Youth Group run Pageant
  • Prayer stations in Advent
  • Croatian themed Coffee Hour
  • Six dedicated leaders

Families

  • Pancake Supper
  • Summer Game Nights
  • Pizza Church in Summer
  • Easter Egg Hunt and brunch

Pastoral Care

Submitted by Rev. Craig Lemming, Associate Rector

Following the way of Jesus, our teacher, healer, and good shepherd, who calls us to love one another, especially in times of trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, and adversity, St. John’s pastoral caregivers joined the Holy Spirit in loving and caring for our community.

  • 15 new and returning lay pastoral caregivers completed the 14-week Community of Hope International lay pastoral caregiving training program. Cammie Beattie, Cindy Bertheau, David Bressoud, Kathy Brown, Patty Byrne Pfalz, Jax Collins, Keith Davis, Linda Lindeke, Kathy McGill, Brad Parsons, Holly Stoerker, Jill Thompson, Jennifer Tianen, Betsy Weherwein, and Roger Wilson renewed their covenants or were commissioned into serving in St. John’s Circle of Care.

  • The Pastoral Care Committee: Kathy Brown, Holly Stoerker, Roger Wilson and the Rev. Craig Lemming organized and led monthly Circle of Care meetings. Each month, we focused on one of our ongoing pastoral ministry areas: maintaining our intercessory public and confidential prayer lists, pastoral visits, eucharistic visits, healing prayer and anointing, and card writing.
  • Circle of Care partnered with St. John’s Liturgy Committee to provide Healing Prayer and Anointing during the distribution of Holy Communion in the seasons of Advent and Lent. Our Pastoral Care Committee hosted the annual Blue Christmas liturgy, with Holly Stoerker as guest homilist, for those who struggle with grief, loss, or stress during Advent and Christmastide.

  • With the assistance of Alice Lightner-Johnson and Mary E. Johnson, St. John’s clergy led two Funeral Planning Parties to assist members in providing the pastoral gift of a well-prepared death to their loved ones.  

Faith in Action

Submitted by The Very Rev Jered Weber-Johnson, Rector

Hallie Q. Brown

Last year HQB underwent a season of leadership transition with the departure of long-time executive director, Jonathan Palmer, a time of interim, and the hiring of Benny Roberts as the new executive director.

Impact: Our work with Hallie Q. Brown (HQB), a valued and historic African American community institution and service provider in the Rondo neighborhood, continues to be a multifaceted partnership engaging a number of volunteers and leadership. Our principle way of connecting with HQB has been through their vital food shelf program that raises funds and receives thousands of pounds of donated food each year to feed our hungry neighbors in the Rondo and Frogtown neighborhoods and beyond. We also have been grateful for the leadership of St. John’s members who have served on the Hallie Q. Brown board. This past year both Jan Frankman and Patty Byrne Pfalz completed service on the board, and we are grateful to them for that generous gift of time. 

Highlights:

  • Sponsored 2 food drives
    • Pack the Pews (March) – 331 pounds of food & $2,290 donated
    • Holiday Food Drive (November/December) – 156 pounds of food donated 
  • St. John’s also participated in the HQB Christmas toy drive for this past Christmas that brought in many toys.
  • We also participated by sending volunteers to work in the summer playground and garden clean up.
  • Four St. John’s volunteers also helped out at the HQB Farmers Market in July and August

Fields to Families

Impact: Our Fields to Families, the outreach arm of the St. John’s-Holy Apostles Farmers Market, had another successful year. Volunteers to the market greet visitors, help create community between neighbors and members and farmers, and help deliver produce from the market to our partners at feeding ministries across the Twin Cities: the Hallie Q. Brown food shelf, San Nicholas food shelf, and First Nations Kitchen. Donated and budgeted funds help St. John’s buy produce from the farmers at the end of each market day to then donate the farm fresh produce to these feeding ministries. This mutually beneficial approach to serving our community allows both the farmers and those who receive the food to be edified in the process.

Highlights:

  • More than a dozen volunteers – both members of SJE and beyond, served in this vital ministry
  • Nearly $13,000 was paid to the farmers from donated and designated funds, through St. John’s, to help “buy back” additional produce to donate
  • Hundreds and hundreds of pounds of food were donated

First Nations Kitchen

Impact: In 2024, St. John’s once again engaged in the powerful ministry of preparing and serving meals to the guests and neighbors of the All Saints Episcopal Indian Mission as part of the First Nations Kitchen (FNK) Ministry in Minneapolis. 

Highlights:

  • prepared and served well over 1,000 individual meals at FNK 
  • packed and distributed over 500 bags of groceries
  • SJE community members committed nearly 400 volunteer hours to this ministry, not only participating during St John’s scheduled days, but also filling in when needed. 
  • SJE volunteers committed to delivering groceries from our farmer’s market.

Kayoro Village

Impact: St. John’s continues to be a principal partner in the work of Give Us Wings (GUW), a non-profit based in St. Paul whose mission is entirely focused on education, community development, and medicine in Uganda. In 2010 St. John’s raised funds and helped build a clinic in Kayoro Village, that has expanded and grown to today where it is now a thriving medical center complete with maternity ward, staff quarters, diagnostic equipment and so much more. It is literally changing and saving lives by the hundreds each year.

Highlights:

  • Saw the completion of a new and more modern Laboratory at the clinic. It was built with the possibility of a 2nd floor for future expansion. The lab workers are thrilled with the new space!
  • To complement the new laboratory building, SJE supported the building of a covered walkway between the clinic and lab. We used monies saved from Don Husband’s memorial and will name the new walkway after Don in his honor.
  • Give Us Wings sent two teams of volunteers to Uganda in 2024 and a couple of folks from SJE were able to participate.
  • SJE supported a range of Give Us Wings fundraising efforts throughout the year
    • 25-year celebration (that raised more money than ever before)
    • Riding for GUW
    • Christmas boutique and more
  • This winter St. John’s hosted Give Us Wings executive director, Peter Carlson to greet the congregation and report on these and many other successes in Kayoro thanks to our prayers and efforts.

Project Home

Project Home is a partnership between St. Paul faith communities of many traditions, and the St. Paul Interfaith Network and is an outreach directly to the unhoused neighbors of our city. In 2020 this program moved from being a rotating homeless shelter housed for a month of the year in various faith communities like ours, to being permanently housed on the campus of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondolet. 

Impact: St. John’s now regularly participates in serving the guests in that program through a range of activities, most principally a monthly meal cooked and served by St. John’s members.

Highlights:

  • Served dinner to 30 or more people each month! 
  • Engaged 24 individual volunteers from our faith community 
  • Served nearly 400 individual meals to Project Home families  
  • Received significant donations of groceries for the meals in the early part of the year, saving funds set aside for other vital Faith In Action needs
  • Began to look ahead! For 2025, we are working on developing our relationship with Project Home to better meet their needs and deepen this ongoing partnership.

Creation Care

Impact: The St. John’s Creation Care Team is a combination of direct action/service work and advocacy for the environment. Members formed into a team several years ago but the work and participation in it has really taken off since the pandemic. 

Highlights:

  • Applied for and were awarded a grant to help cultivate a creation focus in liturgy at St. John’s. This included– 
  • Advent Wreath creation from local Minnesota materials
    • Creation Care liturgies using the “Season of Creation” and on Earth Day
  • Tended to and expanded the St. John’s Native Plants garden in the parking lot
  • Secured a Solar Panel proposal to install dozens of solar panels on the roof of the 1950’s “gym” roof; this proposal is folded into potential capital campaign plans under discussion in the current feasibility study
  • Began working with five other Summit Avenue faith communities and Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light to create an Electronic Vehicle Expo for the Spring of 2025 with hopes of hundreds if not thousands of participants from the city

Migrant Ministry Support

Impact: This year migrant support resumed when a migrant family showed up on our doorstep in need of support. We have been amazed by the leadership that has emerged in our midst as we’ve tackled the work of being faithful companions to this family in 2024 and into the future. 

Highlights:

  • 12 volunteers trained and completed background checks through the Minnesota Council of Churches.
  • Offered friendship and support and sponsored one refugee family of two 
  • Raised and spent $4,000 to help the refugee family get established
  • Helped enroll the child in school, summer school, and swimming lessons
  • Provided rides, assisted navigating the American health care system, and caregiving for extensive medical issues including surgery

Welcome and Connection

Submitted by Dr Judy Stack, Minister for Welcome and Connection

St John’s members are growing in their capacity to authentically connect with each other and newcomers, and we are building better connections with our neighborhood and wider community. This was a strong year for Welcome and Connection with growth in visitors, new members, congregational participation, and community connectedness.

  • Wayfinders classes continue to be a significant place of connection for incoming members, not only to the congregation generally but with each other and with existing members who come to the sessions to represent their ministry areas. 
  • Average Sunday worship attendance rose by 10% (from 125 [combined 8am and 10am] in 2023 to 136 in 2024).
  • Number of visiting units (singles, couples, or families) up by 17% from 2023 (from 66 to 77).
  • We welcomed 35 new members
  • Summer book series on building community and connection sparked reflection, ideas and new action.
  • Thanksgiving dinner was a new event that was well attended.
  • Of the new members welcomed since Spring of 2023, all but one family continue to be active in worshiping and giving of their time and treasure.

Spiritual Life

Submitted by Dr Judy Stack, Minister for Welcome and Connection

St John’s members have been expressing a lot of interest in and energy for building more community through expanded offerings in spiritual life. This year several of the Spiritual Life Groups were in a time of transition and relaunching, but most continued strong.

  • The Women’s group, Men’s group, OWLs, Book Group and Spiritual Discernment continued with regular attendance and strong leadership
  • Several house groups have been meeting regularly and have become important places of deepened community and discipleship for St John’s members
  • The Men’s Breakfast continues to grow after coming back to in-person gathering
  • Young(ish) Adults and LGBTQ+ groups are in the process of restarting after hiatuses

Music

Submitted by Richard Gray, Director of Music; Jaena Smith, Music Commission Chair; and Priya Schulze, Music Vestry Representative

This year, our music ministry celebrated significant spiritual and artistic growth, enriching worship and fostering community connections through diverse events and collaborations.

  • Summer Choral Residency in the UK: During the summer, members of our parish choir had the extraordinary opportunity to serve as choir-in-residence at both Canterbury and St. Albans Cathedrals in the UK. Over the course of the residency, our choir led daily Choral Evensong, sharing the rich tradition of Anglican choral music and strengthening the spiritual lives of those present. This was a transformative experience for the choir and the congregation members who supported this opportunity.

     

  • Staff Singers Recital: In May, our staff singers presented a recital showcasing their exceptional talents. The program included solo performances and small ensemble repertoire, highlighting the diverse musical gifts of our team. This event brought the community together for an afternoon of arts and fellowship.

  • We offered 8 concerts and special services, including the Festival of Lessons and Carols which over 240 people attended. 

  • Weekly Thursday Compline services, including monthly leadership by The Mirandola Ensemble, have seen increased attendance and are live-streamed. Verger leadership has increased.
  • Closing Choral Eucharist for the AAM National Conference: In June, we were honored to host the Closing Choral Eucharist for the National Conference of the Association of Anglican Musicians. This significant event drew musicians and clergy from across the country and showcased the beauty and depth of our parish’s liturgical music tradition.

  • Growth and Development:
    • Parish Choir: Now 31 members strong, offering diverse and inspiring musical repertoire
    • Handbell Choir: Experiencing notable growth and enhancing liturgies
    • Partnerships: Copper Street Brass, Artaria String Quartet, Dean Billmeyer, Alison Young, St. Thomas More Community, and The Mirandola Ensemble

  • Gratitude: We deeply thank our choir members, staff singers, instrumentalists, congregation, clergy, and staff for their leadership and support. As we move forward, we are committed to growing our ministry and sharing sacred music to uplift our community and congregation – both in-person and online!

Fellowship

Submitted by Susan Creel, Bette Ashcroft, Sarah Dull, and Lynn Hertz, Committee Members

The ministry of hospitality and fellowship is a valued part of the community of St John the Evangelist. In 2024, we had a full slate of well attended fellowship events and witnessed a deepening of our connection with each other.

  • Started the year with an annual meeting breakfast of dishes prepared primarily by vestry and wardens.  
  • Made a commitment this year to composting at events, which have been well received.
  • The Easter Vigil attracted a lot of non-members.
  • Searched out local and minority-owned catering options for Gathering Sunday.
  • As in previous years the Christmas party included festive decor and parishioner offerings from many different cultures.    
  • Continued to support Sacred Music events such as Lessons & Carols.
  • Parishioners are becoming increasingly self sufficient at signing up for and hosting coffee hour.
  • Our goal is delicious food that accommodates dietary needs and is economical and sustainable.

Communications and Media

Submitted by Ebby Watkins, Communications and Media Manager

We kept our parishioners informed about church offerings through a variety of formats to meet people’s different communication needs. We reached out to our local neighbors to invite them into the Church of the Open Door. We continued to develop our livestreaming offerings to increase accessibility for all parishioners and attendees.

  • Livestreamed 10am Sunday Worship and 7pm Thursday Compline (Night Prayer) every week, along with Winifred Bean Sacred Music Series events and other offerings, such as an Evening with Dr. Gary Dorrien
  • Passed the 500-subscribers mark on our YouTube channel and reached 1,000 followers on Facebook
  • Launched the E-vangelist, a digital version of our longstanding parish magazine. Each article reaches about 110 readers through email and the website. 
  • Switched our seasonal all-parish mailings to a “postcard” format which allows for more flexible and frequent updates. 
  • Began livestreaming sermons to Facebook during worship services (in addition to the existing YouTube livestreams) to increase reach and “share-ability.” This has been highly successful and appreciated, and we thank our livestreaming volunteers for taking on this additional duty so flawlessly!

Property

Submitted by Chris Tegeler, Building Manager

In 2024 we were able to make some improvements, especially in regards to Big Wonder on the second floor. Mechanically the building was maintained but there were not any major improvements. Our mechanical systems are a little old but in good condition. The 50s building is very functional, but the gym kitchen has seen additional use this year and raised some issues. Overall, we are doing well, but there are areas that will need attention in the coming years.

  • Prepared for and cleaned up after many parish, community, AA, Big Wonder and other events.
  • Along with Big Wonder, we removed a wall on the second floor in order to combine two classrooms into one.
  • Replaced malfunctioning A.C. and boiler components.
  • Replaced aging fluorescent undercroft and 2nd floor lighting with improved LED lights.

In Memoriam

We recall those whom we lost in the last year, their gifts, and the many ways they cared for this community: Janice Phelps, Beric Christiansen, Jim Anderly, Jim Linden, Phillip Baird, Fred Morrison, Rev. Dr. Karl Jacobson, Ronald Miller, Ben Johnston, Jr., Stuart Snyder, Pat Brynteson, Shirley Cooper, Virginia “Ginnie” Schauss.

2025 Pledgers

Thank you to those who have pledged to support our mission in 2025:

Anderson, Devon & McNally, Michael

Anderson, Mary

Ashcroft, Ernie & Bette

Bailey, Cara

Ball, Patricia

Baumann, Bob & Sherfey, Bill

Baxter, Tom & Aimee

Beattie, Rob & Cammie

Bender, Heather

Bents, Jamie & Mike

Berndt, Fred & Sylvia

Berry, Brett & Jessica

Bertheau, Cindy

Birkeland, Karen & Jeff

Bradley, Philip & Frankman, Jan

Bressoud, David

Brezny, Nicholas & Christina

Brown, Alison

Brown, Martin & Kathy

Bruce, Devin & Clements, Sarah

Brynteson, Richard

Byrnes, Shelley

Cadwell, Marvin & Sue

Chatt, Karen & Brian

Chen, Jeff

Choloh-Dukule, Enid

Church, Caroline & Merkl, Will

Clark, Jay

Clark, Tony

Clary, Brad

Collins, Jacqueline

Colton, Josh & Tisha

Cook, Ed & Monica

Cooper, James & Sarah

Creel, Susan, Howard & Patrick

Dailey, Mary Ann

Debertin, Jay & Becky

Dexter, Margaret

Diehl, Janet

Docherty, John & Conklin, Marilyn

Doll, Matt & Rachel

Donovan, Maura & Whitman, David

Dove McAfee, Ian

Drew, Alden & Pollard, Mimie

Dukule, Jameselle

Dull, Sarah

Ek, Dorothy

Evans, Tom (Edward)

Fahnhorst, Sean & Lindsey

Farseth, Kathryn

Fay, Brian

Fernstrum, Wendy

Fishel, Teresa

Forkpa, Decius

Georgeson, Michael & Sara

Gettel, Sarah & Knoll, Alex

Gilbertson, Peter & Mary

Greenfield, Walter

Gregory, Christine

Grundhauser, Tony & Cathy

Hagstrom, Gary & Paige

Handschy, Dan

Hansen, Owen & Mary

Hargens, Gar & Thompson, Missy

Harri, Bob

Hebberger, Jo Anna

Henneman, Mark & Terri

Hertz, Lynn

Hogan, Emily & Josh

Horn, Bob

Jackson, Mary Ann

Jacox, Christine

Janeczko, Juanita

Jeffery, Michele & George

Johnson, Gabriel

Johnson, Jim & Jones, Lucy

Johnson, Mary & Hartmann, Lynn

Johnson, Paul & Sarah

Johnson, Pauline

Johnson, Todd & Alice

Jones, Shelby

Keillor, Carrie

Kim, Heidi

Knoot, Jennie Walker

Kochevar, Laura

Kunhardt, Clinton

Lahti, Jon

Lawyer, John

Lemming, Craig

Lightner, Nan

Lindeke, Barbara

Lindeke, Linda

Lindeke, Liz

Linehan, Bob & Emily

Longley, Deborah & Lucy, Andrew

Lorenz, Gail

Lottsfeldt, Josephine

Lundberg, Eliza

MacIntosh, Sue

Madsen, Katherine & John

Mairs, Dusty

Manson, Mary

Maronde, Mark

Marsh, Gayle

Martin, Grace

Matter, Christopher & Rianna

May, Maria

May, Michael

McCarthy, Edwin & Susan

McGill, Kathy

McGlynn, Lindsay

McInroy, Mark & Suzanne

Mensen, Sarah

Mercier, Susan

Merrill, Phyllis

Michaels, Stephen & Helen

Mosso, Karen

Moxley, Caleb

Murakami, Tom & Patti

Nichol, Katherine

Nichols, Philip

O’Connor, Roberta

O’Pray, Lynette & Denis

Olsen, Jeff & Peggy

Olsen, Tim & Musgrove, Ryan

Olson, Rick & Wendy

Palmer, Lyelle

Parsons, Bradford & Dyanne

Pfalz, Patty Byrne

Pfau, Jim

Porter, Melissa

Postema, Don & Lawrence, Gabrielle

Power, George & Diane

Ragland, Susie & Larry

Resch, Richard and Sandy

Rhodes, Beth

Richards, Michael & Tiedmann, Bill

Rinkoff, Rick & Ferguson, Julia

Rosendale, Peter & Jennifer

Russ, Kevin & Kelly

Russell, Anne & Peters, Merrell

Rutledge, Edward & Ellingson, Lacey

Rutter, Anne

Ryan, James

Sailors, Shirley

Sand, Sally

Schenk, Edwin

Schmidt, Patrick & Lea Anne

Schultz, Emma

Schultz, Kit

Schulze, Priya

Smith-Boyer, Helen

Smith, Jaena

Solid, Emily & Craig

Sommer, Stephanie & Spencer, Stephen

Southwick, Judy

Stack, Judy

Steadman, Chris

Steckelberg, Ben & Corrie

Stengle, Sarah

Stieve, Edwin & Paier, Otto

Stoerker, Holly

Stoltenberg, Philip & Jessica

Strickland, Gene & Angela

Sturtz, Linda & Robertson, James

Sutton, Elaine

Sweigert, Cynthia

Swope, Charles & Colleen

Tani, Barbara & Paul

Teisberg, Eloise

Thompson, John & Jill

Tianen, Jennifer

Torrence, Gregory

Vinsonhaler, Chris

Vogel, Daniel

Voje, Patty

Wagner Sherer, Madeleine

Waldo, Andrew & Mary Halvorson

Wall, Kevin & Michelle

Ward, Phoebe

Weber-Johnson, Jered & Erin

Weber-Johnson, Jude

Weber-Johnson, Simon Henri

Wehrwein, Betsy

Weinkauf, Don & Holly

Welsh, Timothy & Liz

Wiant, Emily

Wickman, Michael & Shearer, Stephen

Wilson, Roger & Ginny

Woelfel, Jerry & Becky

Zurakowski, Tamara

Copyright © 2020 St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church

St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church
[email protected]
651.228.1172
60 Kent St N, St. Paul, MN 55102-2232
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