Announcements
Bishop’s Visit to St. John’s
We are honored and delighted to share that on Sunday, November 22, St. John’s will welcome the Rt. Rev. Rob Skirving, recently retired Bishop of East Carolina, who is serving as the visiting bishop for the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina through the end of 2026 and into 2027.
During his visit, those who wish to formally join the Episcopal Church will have the opportunity to be confirmed. If you are interested in confirmation, or would like to learn more about what that process looks like, please reach out to the church office at office@stjohnssylva.org. We will be happy to connect with you, gather the necessary information, and coordinate with the Diocese ahead of Bishop Skirving’s visit.
Bishop Search Committee
The Search Committee is honored to be called to this work and discernment and are grateful for the support and prayers we have received from across the diocese. We had 1226 responses to the August survey and almost 200 participants in the listening sessions during the first week of October.
We now invite you to further participate in the process of discernment by attending one of six in-person Information Sessions. These sessions are to update you, the people of the diocese, on the search process and to give those present the opportunity to share your thoughts and opinions and to ask questions of the Search Committee.
The sessions are on Sunday afternoons at 3:00 in Rutherforton, Boone, Highlands, Waynesville, Lincolnton, and Mars Hill and give thanks to each of these communities for hosting us. We chose these locations to reach as many people as possible in the diocese. Our goal was for most everyone to be within an hour of a session. We will also have an online session.
St. Francis, Rutherfordton | November 15 | 3:00 p.m.
St. Luke’s, Boone | November 15 | 3:00 p.m.
Church of the Incarnation, Highlands | December 6 | 3:00 p.m.
Grace Church in the Mountains, Waynesville | December 6 | 3:00 p.m.
St. Luke’s, Lincolnton | December 13 | 3:00 p.m.
Church of the Holy Spirit, Mars Hill | December 13 | 3:00 p.m.
Online | December 3 | 7:00 p.m.
If you interested in officially joining the church, please reach out to office@stjohnssylva.org! We would love to facilitate your confirmation / the reception of new members and the bishop’s transition will give us lots of opportunities to do so.
Annual Meeting
Theannual meeting was held last Sunday. Thank you to all who joined!
You can view the meeting’s packet here.
Thank you to everyone who has returned their pledge cards already! Pledge cards have been mailed and should be arriving in your mailboxes soon, if they have not already. If yours hasn’t arrived yet, or you would prefer to complete one online, pledge cards are also available in the Narthex and on our website.
Our goal this year is to receive 50 pledge cards and we currently have 36. We haven’t quite reached our goal but it’s not too late to turn yours in!
Every pledge helps us plan for the year ahead and continue the ministries, outreach, and community connections that make St. John’s what it is.
A pledge card is not a contract or a binding commitment. It is simply a way to let the Vestry and the parish know what we can anticipate receiving in the coming year so that we can budget responsibly and plan for the work ahead. We understand that circumstances can change, and we are grateful for every pledge card returned, regardless of the amount.
Completed pledge cards can be returned in any of the following ways:
- In the collection box in the Narthex
- In the box in the Parish Hall
- In the folder outside the office door
- By mail to St. John’s
Stream Team
Want to serve on Sundays right from your seat? Stream Team helps make service accessible and is as simple as 5 steps to set up, and that’s it!
This Sunday, Aeryn will be walking anyone interested through the steps of setting up the stream on YouTube.
NC Division of Aging
The North Carolina Division of Aging is gathering community input as it develops the 2027–2031 NC State Aging Plan. This plan will help guide programs and services supporting older adults and their caregivers throughout the state.
Community members are encouraged to complete the survey and share their perspectives on the needs, challenges, and priorities of older adults in North Carolina. Whether you are an older adult, a caregiver, or someone who cares about the well-being of our community, your input matters.
Complete the survey by February 28, 2027:
Take the Community Survey
Community members are also invited to participate in a virtual listening session focused on Western North Carolina on January 19, 2027, at 10:00 a.m.. Anyone may attend, regardless of where they live in the state.
Join the Listening Session on Zoom
Your participation can help ensure that the voices and experiences of older adults, caregivers, and communities across North Carolina are reflected in the state’s priorities for the years ahead.
Serving This Week
Altar Guild: Jane Eastman and Dru Russell
Crucifer: Allison Tomas
Ushers: Mary Anne Farrell & George Granning
Oblation Bearers: MaryK & Joe Buranosky
Readers: Allison Tomas (1st Lesson), Mary Anne Farrell (2nd Lesson), Cyndie Faircloth-Smith (Prayers of the People)
Vestry on Duty: Stephen Loper and Mary Anne Farrell
Acolyte: Interested? Email Cyndie!
Stream Team: Diane Tunze
Children’s Church: Beth Jones and Karen Tharp
Coffee Hour: The Madisons
Would you like to volunteer? Sign up to host Coffee Hour using the dry-erase board in the Parish Hall. For everything else, please email Cyndie at fairclothsmithc@yahoo.com. Thank you!
Upcoming Events
Check out the full event details for each by clicking the event banner.
*Family Movie night is on a Saturday in November to account for Thanksgiving.
Click here to view the full event calendar.
Readings for this Sunday: November 15, 2026
The First Lesson
Judges 4:1-7
The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. So the Lord sold them into the hand of King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-ha-goiim. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and had oppressed the Israelites cruelly twenty years.
At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment. She sent and summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you, ‘Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun. I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.’”
The Psalm
Psalm 123
Ad te levavi oculos meos
1 To you I lift up my eyes, *
to you enthroned in the heavens.
2 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, *
and the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
3 So our eyes look to the Lord our God, *
until he show us his mercy.
4 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy, *
for we have had more than enough of contempt,
5 Too much of the scorn of the indolent rich, *
and of the derision of the proud.
The Epistle
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
The Gospel
Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus said, “It is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
(Some features, including events and readings are best viewed on the website. Pardon our dust as we continue our work in progress!)
The new site—and this newsletter—are still works in progress, and we’d love your thoughts as we continue shaping them. If you have suggestions, notice something that isn’t working quite right, or simply want to share ideas, please reach out to Aeryn Knight at arcolton16@gmail.com. Your feedback helps us create tools that truly serve our community.
We’re glad you’re here, and we can’t wait for you to explore what’s new at St. John’s.