Events & Happenings
Holy Week & Easter Service Schedule
Maundy Thursday (April 17)
Good Friday (April 18)
Easter Day (April 20)
Lenten Study & Wednesday Soup Suppers
Dear Beloved Community,
As we journey together through the sacred season of Lent, we invite you to join us for a special book study on Subversive Witness: Scripture’s Call to Leverage Privilege by Dominique DuBois Gilliard. This powerful book challenges us to recognize the privilege we hold and discern how we might use it to seek justice, serve others, and live more faithfully into God’s beloved community.
Guided by the Kaleidoscope Institute’s principles of gracious dialogue, we will gather in a spirit of hospitality, curiosity, and deep listening. Together, we will explore how Scripture calls us to embody Christ’s love by dismantling systems of oppression and walking in solidarity with those on the margins.
Details:
With grace and peace,
Mother Erika and the Formation Team
Episcopal Church Women (ECW)
ECW Potluck Luncheon Meeting
The ECW of St. John's Episcopal Church, Aptos will host a Mandala Presentation
on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 from 12:00 until 1:30 PM. Donna Seelbach will be talking and sharing visuals about the Mandala in art. There will be an opportunity to create your own mandala using a pattern provided. Bring a bag lunch!
For more information contact The ECW Board: Karen Greenleaf, Barbara Raney, Alliee DeArmond
Pastoral Care @ St. John's
Always call 911 in an emergency situation that requires immediate assistance from police, fire department or ambulance!
But if you need help or are in the hospital or if you know a St. John’s person who needs assistance or is in the hospital, please call one of the wardens, call one of the Assisting Clergy or leave a message at the Church Office.
2025 Seacliff Beach Cleanups:
Choir Practices:
Honored Women's Day at St. John's, May 3, 2025
Dear St. John's,
As you may be aware, St. John's will be hosting the ECW's annual Honored Women's Day event on May 3, 2025. Thank you so much for offering your space for this special honoring of the women in the Diocese of El Camino Real for furthering the mission of Jesus Christ in their particular churches. Your parish space and location is amenable to events that bring folks together to worship and celebrate God's Grace and abundant creativity.
Blessings,
Donna Seelbach
ECW President
Association of Faith Communities (AFC) Update
Courtney Barrett, the AFC Program Manager, Matt, our Sexton and Win Fernald (then Sr Warden) met to review the overnight program for our guests at St. Johns on Saturday nights.
We also remain a backup location for Tuesday nights if Resurrection Catholic Church needs to be used to house local evacuations due to flooding or fires.
Update from the Rector Transition Team by Rick Becton
This week, your Rector Transition Team begins interviewing candidates for the position of Rector of St. John’s Church, Aptos. A healthy number of candidates have applied and have a strong desire to enter the discernment with our parish.
Our committee has worked for over a year to get to this moment; we are all anxious—in a good way—to meet and get to know each of these priests. It has been emphasized by the Diocesean leadership that each of these candidates are qualified to do “the job” of leading our church family. But, at this point, it is the responsibility of your Rector Transition Team to interview, read application materials, seek out online resources, listen to sermons, and discern which ones should become finalists. Then, these finalists are raised up to the Vestry for further consideration for a potential religious call to us.
Along our journey, which can seem more like a marathon, we have been assisted by Canon To The Ordinary Martha Korienek of Diocese Of El Camino Real in Salinas. She has been a great help to our team, sketching out the process, regularly consulting with the team chair, doing campus visits and facilitating the crafting of our current parish profile. At this time Canon Martha has decided to pursue other professional challenges in her work as a priest, and we are now consulting with Bishop Lucinda Ashby for the final leg of our process.
I have thanked Canon Martha for her generous friendship and guidance during these last 14-months.
Onward we march in this exciting endeavor. Please keep our team and our rector candidates in your prayers for the next couple months.
Shower Trailer at St. Johns
by Brian Raney
• Saturdays from 10 am - 4 pm
• Tuesdays from 1:30 - 7 pm
Starting September 21st of 2024 and continuing every Saturday & Tuesday for the foreseeable future we will be hosting the Mid-County Homeless Coalition's shower trailer on the campus of St. John's that was formerly hosted at Resurrection. The trailer itself will be parked next to the office trailer for most of the week with a port-a-potty immediately next to it. The customers of the shower will most likely distribute themselves around the campus waiting for their turn at the shower or just enjoying a safe space to chill. They are not vetted, but just folks who don't have access to other facilities.
Maundy Thursday (April 17)
- Agape Dinner & Service w/ Foot washing & Eucharist, 6:30 p.m., SANCTUARY.
- Altar of Repose: after the service until noon Friday.
Good Friday (April 18)
- Seven Last Words of Christ, 12 p.m., SANCTUARY.
Easter Day (April 20)
- Great Vigil of Easter, 5:30 a.m., begins in FRONT COURTYARD,
- Easter Breakfast, 7:00 a.m., CAFE & BACK PATIO,
- Short Family Service w/ Holy Eucharist & Choir, 9:00 a.m., SANCTUARY,
- Festive Coffee Hour, 10:30 a.m., CAFE (sign up sheet in the café)
- Easter Egg Hunt, 10:30 a.m., BACK PATIO.
- Traditional Service w/ Choir & Holy Eucharist, 11 a.m. SANCTUARY.
Lenten Study & Wednesday Soup Suppers
Dear Beloved Community,
As we journey together through the sacred season of Lent, we invite you to join us for a special book study on Subversive Witness: Scripture’s Call to Leverage Privilege by Dominique DuBois Gilliard. This powerful book challenges us to recognize the privilege we hold and discern how we might use it to seek justice, serve others, and live more faithfully into God’s beloved community.
Guided by the Kaleidoscope Institute’s principles of gracious dialogue, we will gather in a spirit of hospitality, curiosity, and deep listening. Together, we will explore how Scripture calls us to embody Christ’s love by dismantling systems of oppression and walking in solidarity with those on the margins.
Details:
- What: Lenten Study book – Subversive Witness by Dominique DuBois Gilliard
- Where: St. John’s in Aptos, Midtown, S.C. & Westside S.C..
- When: Wed evenings in Lent, from 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. (April 2, 9)
With grace and peace,
Mother Erika and the Formation Team
Episcopal Church Women (ECW)
ECW Potluck Luncheon Meeting
The ECW of St. John's Episcopal Church, Aptos will host a Mandala Presentation
on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 from 12:00 until 1:30 PM. Donna Seelbach will be talking and sharing visuals about the Mandala in art. There will be an opportunity to create your own mandala using a pattern provided. Bring a bag lunch!
For more information contact The ECW Board: Karen Greenleaf, Barbara Raney, Alliee DeArmond
Pastoral Care @ St. John's
Always call 911 in an emergency situation that requires immediate assistance from police, fire department or ambulance!
But if you need help or are in the hospital or if you know a St. John’s person who needs assistance or is in the hospital, please call one of the wardens, call one of the Assisting Clergy or leave a message at the Church Office.
- Mother Erika Essiem, Interim Rector: (831) 708-6828, [email protected]
- Tom Butler, Sr. Warden
- Anne Baker, Jr. Warden
- Church Office: (831) 708-2278
2025 Seacliff Beach Cleanups:
- 05/03
- 08/23
- 10/11
Choir Practices:
- St. John's Choir - Wednesday @ 1:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary.
- Chime Choir - Friday @ 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary.
Honored Women's Day at St. John's, May 3, 2025
Dear St. John's,
As you may be aware, St. John's will be hosting the ECW's annual Honored Women's Day event on May 3, 2025. Thank you so much for offering your space for this special honoring of the women in the Diocese of El Camino Real for furthering the mission of Jesus Christ in their particular churches. Your parish space and location is amenable to events that bring folks together to worship and celebrate God's Grace and abundant creativity.
Blessings,
Donna Seelbach
ECW President
Association of Faith Communities (AFC) Update
Courtney Barrett, the AFC Program Manager, Matt, our Sexton and Win Fernald (then Sr Warden) met to review the overnight program for our guests at St. Johns on Saturday nights.
We also remain a backup location for Tuesday nights if Resurrection Catholic Church needs to be used to house local evacuations due to flooding or fires.
Update from the Rector Transition Team by Rick Becton
This week, your Rector Transition Team begins interviewing candidates for the position of Rector of St. John’s Church, Aptos. A healthy number of candidates have applied and have a strong desire to enter the discernment with our parish.
Our committee has worked for over a year to get to this moment; we are all anxious—in a good way—to meet and get to know each of these priests. It has been emphasized by the Diocesean leadership that each of these candidates are qualified to do “the job” of leading our church family. But, at this point, it is the responsibility of your Rector Transition Team to interview, read application materials, seek out online resources, listen to sermons, and discern which ones should become finalists. Then, these finalists are raised up to the Vestry for further consideration for a potential religious call to us.
Along our journey, which can seem more like a marathon, we have been assisted by Canon To The Ordinary Martha Korienek of Diocese Of El Camino Real in Salinas. She has been a great help to our team, sketching out the process, regularly consulting with the team chair, doing campus visits and facilitating the crafting of our current parish profile. At this time Canon Martha has decided to pursue other professional challenges in her work as a priest, and we are now consulting with Bishop Lucinda Ashby for the final leg of our process.
I have thanked Canon Martha for her generous friendship and guidance during these last 14-months.
Onward we march in this exciting endeavor. Please keep our team and our rector candidates in your prayers for the next couple months.
Shower Trailer at St. Johns
by Brian Raney
• Saturdays from 10 am - 4 pm
• Tuesdays from 1:30 - 7 pm
Starting September 21st of 2024 and continuing every Saturday & Tuesday for the foreseeable future we will be hosting the Mid-County Homeless Coalition's shower trailer on the campus of St. John's that was formerly hosted at Resurrection. The trailer itself will be parked next to the office trailer for most of the week with a port-a-potty immediately next to it. The customers of the shower will most likely distribute themselves around the campus waiting for their turn at the shower or just enjoying a safe space to chill. They are not vetted, but just folks who don't have access to other facilities.