January 2010

Dear St. John Parishioners,

The St. John ARISE Parish Team invites you to join the ARISE Together in Christ program for Season Four: New Heart, New Spirit.   Signup will take place at St. John's during the period January 16-25.  Enrollment forms may be found at the entrances to the church and rectory or may be dowloaded from this website.  You need not have been in the ARISE program before to join -- ALL ARE WELCOME!

If you are unfamiliar with the program, please read on for answers to some frequently asked questions:

Please tell me again - what is ARISE?
The pressures and time constraints of our daily routine offer us few opportunities to nurture and enhance our spiritual life. The ARISE program is designed to be your opportunity to read, reflect and focus on the Bible in a small group setting. The sessions provide time for discussion of scripture in a supportive, thoughtful manner, all the while encouraging new relationships to be formed and deepened.

When will it take place?
We have been coordinating the times and locations of meetings so that you may choose from a list of options.  We will do our best to accommodate your first choice.  This season, our schedule includes sessions that will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and Tuesday afternoons.  

What is the time commitment?
Each weekly faith-sharing session will be approximately 90 minutes and will continue for six(6) weeks.  The next six-week session will begin during the week of February 14.

Is there a cost?
Participants will be asked to purchase a workbook for the session at a cost of $7.00.

How do I sign up?
Sign-up will take place at Masses during the period of January 16-25.  Sign-up cards will be in the church and rectory entrances OR  click here to download a sign-up card.  All sign-up cards should be completed and placed in the boxes found in the gathering space or at the rectory by January 25, 2010.

It is very exciting to be able to offer this wonderful program to our vibrant parish community.  We hope you will seriously consider becoming part of ARISE.  If you have additional questions please don't hesitate to call Marian Morrison at 781-239-0174 or send an email to AriseTogether@comcast.net.

Sincerely,

Your ARISE Parish Team

Gracious God and Father,
we enter into your presence
realizing you know us better than we know ourselves.
You know the cares and sufferings
we carry in our hearts.
You call us to holiness
and we trust you to lead us together
on our journey to be a renewed Church,
for with you all things are possible.
Create us anew in Jesus Christ your Son.
Liberate us from all that keeps us from you.
Heal us from every form of sin and violence.
Transform us to live your Word more profoundly.
Awaken us to the sacred; rebuild trust among us.
Enliven our parishes; reunite our families.
May your Holy Spirit empower us
to live as a community of love,
freed to share in your work
of recreating our world and restoring justice.
We believe you are doing something new,
calling us to arise together in Christ
to celebrate the fullness of life. Amen.
© 2007 RENEW International