The Epistle for September 17, 2025

The Epistle St. John's Presbyterian Church in Houston Seventy Years on West Bellfort Dear friends, Seventy years is a long time. Longer than most of us have been alive. Long enough to watch Houston transform from a mid-sized Texas city into one of the largest and most diverse cities in the country. Long enough to see whole neighborhoods rise, change, and find new life. St. John's Presbyterian Church has been here through all of it. Since 1956, this congregation has worshiped at 5020 West Bellfort Avenue. Think about that for a moment. The Astrodome had not even been built yet when the first members of St. John's gathered to sing hymns and hear Scripture. Houston was a different world, and a small group of Presbyterians planted a church in southwest Houston because they believed this neighborhood needed a community of faith that would stay. They were right. And they stayed. I did not arrive until 2007, so I cannot claim credit for those first decades. When I came, the congregation handed me something they had been building for fifty-one years. That is a humbling thing to receive. You walk into a story that was already going long before you showed up. What struck me most in those early years was not the building or the programs. It was the people who had been here for decades and still showed up every Sunday like it was the first time they had discovered something worth getting out of bed for. That kind of faithfulness is rare. You do not manufacture it. It grows slowly, year after year, in the soil of shared prayer and shared loss and shared meals and shared mission. Seventy years of names and faces. People who showed up with mops and buckets after Harvey flooded this building, who worked until the Education Building was clean and dry and whole again, and who then turned around and opened those same doors to One Hope Preschool. Families who buried loved ones from this sanctuary and then came back the following Sunday because they needed to be with their people. Young parents who brought infants for baptism and then watched those same children come back as adults, sometimes with infants of their own. Choir members who sang the same hymns for forty years and somehow found new meaning in them every time. The community garden did not exist in 1956. The columbarium was not there. The partnership with Lulwanda Children's Home in Uganda would have seemed impossible. The PCHAS Single Parent Family Ministry on our campus was not yet a dream anyone had dreamed. But the spirit behind all of those things was already present. The belief that the church exists to serve people, and that serving people in the name of Christ changes both the server and the served. That belief has carried this congregation through good years and hard ones. I want to be honest about something. Celebrating seventy years could easily become a kind of self-congratulation. We did it! Look at us! And I understand the temptation. Reaching this milestone as a small congregation in a city full of large and well-funded churches is genuinely something to be grateful for. But I think the truer celebration is this: God was faithful. Generation after generation of people at St. John's said yes when they could have said no. They gave money when money was tight. They showed up to committees and Session meetings and fellowship dinners when they were tired. They welcomed strangers. They prayed for each other by name. God worked through all of that ordinary faithfulness to keep this church alive and keep it useful. That is what is worth celebrating. What do the next ten years look like? Or the next seventy? I do not know, and I suspect that is fine. The people who started this congregation in 1956 probably could not have imagined the church we are today. They just tried to be faithful with what they had in front of them. So that is still the job. Worship well on Sunday mornings. Study Scripture together. Tend the garden. Bring food to Braes Interfaith Ministries. Sit with people who are grieving. Welcome whoever walks through the door. If we do those things, we will probably still be here in 2056. And some pastor who is not yet born will walk into this congregation and receive what you have been building, and they will feel the same weight of gratitude I felt in 2007. God willing, they will also feel the same joy. Seventy years is a long time. And we are just getting started. Peace, Pastor Jon Burnham Welcome New Members: New Faces, Familiar Grace Last night, our Session had the joy of receiving new members into the life of St. John's. We welcomed the Layman family: Zach, Jessica, and their two little ones, Mark and Eric. They did not stumble upon us by accident. They came looking specifically for a congregation that takes the gospel seriously enough to live it out even when it costs something. Some of you will remember the opposition that arose when PCHAS brought its Single Parent Family Ministry to our campus. The Laymans heard about that, and it told them something about who we are. They will be scheduling baptisms for their boys here soon, and we look forward to that celebration. We also received the Rev. Valerie Bell into our fellowship. Valerie is an honorably retired PC(USA) pastor who now makes her home in Meyerland. She has served congregations in Florida and Arkansas, and she brings with her real gifts for teaching and pastoral care among others. As a minister, Valerie will be joining our presbytery rather than our membership roll, but in every way that matters she is one of us, sharing her time and her talents alongside the rest of the congregation. We are glad she is here. Receiving new members during the month of our 70th anniversary year feels like exactly the right kind of gift. God is not finished with St. John's yet. Welcome home, Laymans. Welcome home, Valerie. We will share their photos in the Epistle as soon as they become available. A Word of Celebration We received a wonderful note this week from Loic, grandson of our own Leonie. He wanted the St. John's family to know that he is graduating this May 15th with a 4.0 GPA and an Associate's Degree of Science in Chemistry. After that, he plans to pursue a bachelor's degree in Energy and Environmental Engineering at a four-year school in Canada. He wrote to say thank you, and his words were simple and sincere: "Y'all really made it easier for me." Pastor Jon replied: "A 4.0 in Chemistry does not just happen. That takes discipline, long nights, and a steady kind of determination. And now you are stepping into Energy and Environmental Engineering, which tells me you are not only thinking about your future, but about the future of the world God has given us to care for. We are proud of you, Loic. Truly." Please keep Loic in your prayers as he heads into this exciting next chapter. He carries St. John's love with him all the way to Canada. Tomorrow: PCHAS Luncheon at Lakeside Country Club The annual PCHAS luncheon is tomorrow, Wednesday, April 16th, at noon. It will be held at Lakeside Country Club, 100 Wilcrest Drive, Houston, 77042. The theme this year is "Hope Outlives Hardship." The one-hour program will share updates on the many services PCHAS provides across Texas, Louisiana, and Missouri, with real stories of lives changed. It is a heartwarming event and always worth the time. We are glad to say that 20 people from St. John's are registered and ready to go. St. John's has had deep ties to PCHAS for many years, and especially since partnering with their Single Parent Program right here on our campus beginning in 2012. There will be an opportunity to give toward this ministry if you feel led to do so, but it is not required. If you are registered and have questions about tomorrow, please call or text Shirley at 713-598-0818; or Ann at 713-240-2690. Men of the Church The next meeting of the Men of the Church will be 15 April at 6:30 PM in the Session Room. Come for a time of study and service projects that benefit the church. Fellowship and Caring Committee Meeting this Sunday after worship Our Caring Committee will be gathering near the Session Room for a meeting on Sunday, April 19 , immediately following our worship service. We invite all members to join us as we reflect on our recent outreach efforts and discuss new ways to support and uplift our church family in the coming months. Your heart for service and your thoughtful ideas are what make this ministry so vital. We look forward to seeing you there! Myrtis McPhail Scholarship Attention all high school seniors, undergraduate college, and/or technical/trade school students! St. John’s is once again ready to accept applications to the Myrtis McPhail Scholarship Fund . These funds are available to any church member or relative of a church member who will be enrolled full time in undergraduate college or a technical/trade school in the Fall of 2026. You must reapply for the scholarship each year, and you may apply for a maximum of 5 years. Applications are available by email request to Kathy Barnhill ( jabarnhill@comcast.net ) or Mindi Stanley ( mstanley@bcm.edu ) or click on this link: Applications will be accepted until May 15, 2026 and we hope to distribute funds to recipients in June. The Scholarship Fund also is open for donations! If anyone would like to donate, please indicate the McPhail Scholarship Fund on a check or via Zelle. McPhail Hall Temporarily Closed This past Sunday, we discovered that several ceiling tiles had fallen in McPhail Hall. Unfortunately, additional tiles fell later in the week. While we have cleaned the area and secured the immediate surroundings, our top priority is the safety of our congregation and guests. Therefore, all events scheduled in McPhail Hall are canceled until further notice while we investigate the cause and ensure the space is fully safe for use. We apologize for the inconvenience and will provide updates as soon as we know more. Healing Hearts: A Ministry of Care and Encouragement Healing Hearts will meet in the church office building in the Prayer Room of the church office building. Healing Hearts is a grief and bereavement support group. Led by Lisa Sparaco , a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and member of our church, this group will provide a safe and faith-filled space for sharing stories, receiving encouragement, and walking together through seasons of loss. This is not a therapy group, but a ministry of care and prayer for all who grieve. Next Meeting for Healing Hearts Wednesday, April 8, 7:00 - 8:00 PM in the Prayer Room Monday, April 27, 11:00 AM to Noon Prayer List Becky Crawford, hip surgery Glen Risley, recovering from surgery Scenacia Jones family Jessica Ivete Robles, a friend of Alice Rubio, awaits a kidney transplant Family of Sue Benn Tom Edmondson, recovering from spinal surgery Holly Darr, health concerns Kelsey Wiltz, health concerns Madalyn Rodgers, Kathleen Captain's sister Joe Sanford, Scott Moore and Alice Rubio St. Johns College Students Raina Bailey and the families in our PCHAS homes One Hope Preschool families and staff Caring for One Another in Prayer Our prayer list is a vital way we support one another, lifting up joys and concerns before God. From time to time, we update the list to ensure it reflects current needs. If a name has been removed and you would like it added back, please reply to this email and let us know who they are and why you would like them included. Your input helps us pray more intentionally and stay connected to those in need of ongoing support. Thank you for being part of this ministry of care and intercession. Happy Birthday Jo Ann Golden (April 8) Winnie Georgiev (April 9) Samuel Okwudiri (April 9) Emmanuel Okwudiri (April 9) Pat Ragan (April 12) Tom Edmonsond (April 13) Allen Barnhill (April 14) Austin Gorby (April 14) Jenny Pennycuff (April 17) Kennedy Muanza (April 24) Jon Burnham (April 26) Wednesday, April 15 6:30 pm Men’s Group, Session Room Thursday, April 16 12:00 pm PCHAS Luncheon. Church Office Closed 5:00 pm Exercise Class in Building 2 7:00 pm Maundy Thursday service, Sanctuary Sunday, April 19, Third Sunday of Easter 9:30 am Sunday School for Adults, Systematic Theology, Session Room 11:00 am Worship Service, live in sanctuary and on Facebook, Rev. Herron preaching 12:00 pm Brunch, hosted by the Worship Committee 1:30 pm Book Study, Zoom 3:30 pm Girl Scouts in Session Room and Room 203. Wed, April 15, Men’s Group Thurs, April 16, 12 pm, PCHAS Luncheon; Church Office Closed Sun, April 19, Fellowship and Caring Committee meeting after worship Mon, April 27, Healing Hearts, 11 am Thurs, April 30, BIM Gala (tentative date) Church Calendar Online For other dates, see St. John’s Calendar online: https://www.stjohnspresby.org/events/ 2026 Session Members and Roles Elders on the Session: Class of 2026 Ann Hardy: Finance and Stewardship Michael Bisase: Buildings and Grounds Jan Herbert: Christian Education Elders on the Session: Class of 2027 Lynne Parsons Austin: Worship Omar Ayah: Faith in Action Marie Kutz: Personnel and Administration Elders on the Session: Class of 2028 Mary Gaber: Christian Education Peter Sparaco: Faith and Action Tina Liljedahl Jump: Fellowship and Caring Other Session Leaders and Support Staff Jon Burnham: Moderator of Session Lynne Parsons Austin: Clerk to Session Tad Mulder: Church Treasurer Tap Here to leave a Google Review for St. John's Presbyterian Church 👉 Tap here to leave a review: [ Direct Google Review Link ] (Currently 4.9 stars from 37 reviews – thank you!) Sermon Series Resurrection Disruptions Most Easter sermons make a promise that is hard to keep on Monday morning. Death is defeated. Christ has risen. And then the diagnosis is still real. The grief hasn't lifted. The loss is still just there. This Easter season we are going to be honest about that tension. The series is called "Resurrection Disruptions: When Death Gets Interrupted," and it runs from Easter Sunday through the Day of Pentecost. Eight weeks, eight stories of God showing up for people who weren't ready, weren't expecting it, and probably weren't facing the right direction when it happened. Ezekiel in a valley of dry bones. Thomas with his hand near a wound. Disciples huddled behind a locked door. Each week is a disruption story. Each week the resurrection interrupts something that looked finished. The arc moves from the disorientation of early Easter morning all the way to Pentecost, from silence to fire, from a sealed tomb to a wide open street. If you have ever wondered whether faith has anything real to say to people who are actually suffering, these eight weeks are for you. Bring someone who is carrying something heavy this spring. We'll start at an empty tomb and see where the risen Christ takes us from there.