Chimes

In this issue

• Message from Rev. Lisa - Life at St. John's!
• Outreach News - Midnight Run - Friday, May 15
• Stained Glass Windows Update
• St. John's 2026 Easter Appeal: The STEM Alliance
• A Day of Celebration: June 7th at 10 AM
• Vacation Bible School - Last chance to register!
• Music Updates
• ECW Updates
• Coming Events - Mark Your Calendars!
• Celebrating Our Good News!
• Scenes from Eastertide at St. John's
• Recipe of the Month: Jmel's Double Lemon Muffins

Thank you to all who submitted photos for this issue, including Matthew Lewis, Rev. Lisa Mason, Ryan O'Connell, Luke Palmer, and Paul Schwendener. Special thanks and recognition go to Lori Wilson, who generously shares her incredible eye, talents, gifts, and quick fingers to capture most of the images of life at St. John's that I am able to share in our communications. Thank you!

Life at st. John's!

Spring is in the air and summer is just around the corner! The air is bursting with energy and enthusiasm for the array of beautiful garden colors, blue skies, boats dotting Long Island Sound, and children’s laughter. Looking ahead through the month of May, St. John’s calendar is full. We will celebrate several baptisms, go on our next Midnight Run (5/15), celebrate Pentecost—the gift of the Holy Spirit! —and recognize our wonderful children and youth formation teachers (5/24), and enjoy the children’s spring musical (5/31). June 7th will be a very full day, including a visit from Bishop Heyd (for details, see Lori Wilson’s article and Coming Events, below). During June we will celebrate St. John’s Nursery School graduation, all manner of end-of-the-year programs, and Vacation Bible School (VBS)! We will have several pop-up Adult Formation Classes over the summer, as well; dates to come. I want to express gratitude to Matthew Lewis for the fabulous Music in the Manor concert earlier in May, as well as planning for a super 2026-27 season to come. Thank you to all who support this concert series. I also want to thank the amazing St. John’s staff for their dedication, creativity, teamwork, and all the ways they support me and the community of St. John’s. Prayers abound, Lisa+

Our next Run is this Friday, May 15, 2026

St. John’s is preparing for our next Midnight Run, a program in which volunteers bring food, clothing, toiletries, blankets, and compassionate conversation to homeless persons on the streets of New York City. Our next run is scheduled for Friday evening, May 15, 2026. We have lots of items thanks to your generous donations from the last run. At this time, we are in need of only the items listed below. Please clean out your closets and put the following items in the bins outside the Church Office: New or gently used:  --men’s t-shirts (long and short sleeve)  --men’s sneakers (sizes 9 through 14) --men’s hoodies / windbreakers (no sports jackets or blazers) --men’s sweatpants / jeans / khakis --backpacks Most of the homeless persons being served are men, so please do not donate dress clothes, baby clothes, or items for children. We are in need mostly of men’s items, but we will take some appropriate women’s clothing along as well. Families with small children are invited to help pack lunches and pack toiletries. We’ll also need volunteers to help prepare food and beverages for the run, sort and size our donated clothing, and load up the van. A volunteer or two to help clean up on Saturday morning would also be greatly appreciated. If interested in participating in any way or if you have any questions, please text Joe Conte @ 914-473-4425. 

Stained Glass Windows Update

by Chris Plunkett, Junior Warden

Dear Parishioners, I wanted to share an update regarding our ongoing preservation, restoration, and repair efforts for the stained glass windows at St. John’s Church. This work is part of a long‑term maintenance program—continuing for more than 30 years—to responsibly care for these important features of our church. As part of our regular review, we engaged J & R Lamb Studios to inspect the windows. They reported that, overall, the windows remain in reasonably good condition and recommended a follow‑up evaluation in three years. During this inspection, it was noted that a lower sill beneath the rear stained glass window has deteriorated and should be replaced to prevent future issues. Addressing this early helps us avoid more extensive repairs later.

We have contracted J & R Lamb Studios to replace the sill and upgrade the exterior protective glazing, including the addition of ventilation portals, which are now the industry standard. This work will take place during the summer months—between June 1 and Labor Day—to minimize disruption to church activities, with the exact schedule still being finalized. Because moisture can affect both the building and the stained glass over time, Lamb Studios also recommended upgrading the protective glazing on six additional sets of windows as a preventative measure, which has been incorporated into the project. J & R Lamb Studios has over 160 years of experience in stained glass preservation and holds the highest accreditation from the Stained Glass Association of America. We are confident in their expertise and in the thoughtful, proactive approach being taken. If you have any questions about this work, please do not hesitate to reach out. Thank you for your continued support and for helping us care for St. John’s Church.

St. John’s 2026 Easter Appeal:

The STEM Alliance “Summer Matters” Campaign

Be a Hero to Westchester’s Children this Summer!

Please take a minute to watch this video to meet Mika as a child and then hear her full remarks today. It will help you understand how summer helps recreate children’s lives—and how you can help such miracles happen through your generosity to the St. John’s 2026 Easter Appeal.

The STEM Alliance’s mission to our community is to provide STEM education and equity, narrow the digital divide, and provide access to summer camps and enrichment to our children.

If you were lucky enough to hear Meg Kaufman speak at St. John’s during Lent, you already know about the transformative effect The STEM Alliance has had on the lives of Westchester (including many Mamaroneck) residents. But The STEM Alliance has always had a special connection with our youngest citizens. Think about how much time we put into planning enriching summer activities for our children. Unfortunately, too many children in our area face barriers to these kinds of opportunities. Why does summer matter so much?

• Summer slide: both reading and math skills decline significantly, with math especially vulnerable.
• Loss compounds over time: small setbacks accumulate, leading to substantial academic lag by mid-elementary school.
• Cost remains a major hurdle: affordability continues to be the foremost reason low-income families can’t enroll children in summer programs.
• Inequitable access widens gaps: The stark difference in participation rates—38% vs. 67%—shows low-income children are systematically missing out on critical learning opportunities.

The STEM Alliance’s $1.5 million Summer Matters Campaign is an initiative to ensure that every child, regardless of family income, has access to the transformative impact of quality summer programs. This campaign will bring STEM’s services to over 900 children each summer across Westchester County, provide youth employment for teenagers seeking leadership development, and expand the reach of middle school offerings. The STEM Alliance is also the lead administrator of the Co-Op Summer Enrichment program, Mamaroneck’s only summer program for underserved children in our community. Its quality summer experiences help bridge the ‘summer slide’, keep students inspired, and ensure young scholars are prepared for success year-round.

What can you do to help?

LISTEN: Check out this video of Mr. Manny Rawlings, a STEM Alliance alumnae and now administrator who visited St. John’s on April 26 and offered additional first-person testimony about the effectiveness of The STEM Alliance initiative. DONATE: Please give generously to St. John’s 2026 Easter Appeal.

100% of all gifts will go directly to The STEM Alliance “Summer Matters” Campaign.

The Easter Appeal is one of St. John’s most beloved traditions. It is one more reason why this church is famous for its generous support of its community. Thank you for your support!

A Day of Celebration: June 7th at 10 AM

by Lori Wilson

Some Sundays hold more than others, and June 7th is one of those days. We invite the entire St. John's family to gather for our 10:00 AM liturgy as we mark several profound moments of faith, growth, and gratitude—all in one morning. A Warm Welcome to Bishop Heyd We are honored to welcome Bishop Heyd as our celebrant for this liturgy. His presence with us makes this day all the more meaningful. Confirmation We will have the great joy of welcoming three young people into full membership in the Body of Christ. Cate Vance, Lulu Kenney, and Hewett Kenney will be confirmed in the faith. We give thanks for their journey and for all who have walked alongside them. Senior Blessings We will pause to bless our high school and college seniors as they step into new chapters. This is one of our most beloved traditions—a moment to honor where they have been and to send them forward with the prayers of this community surrounding them. St. John's Youth Empowerment Council The St. John's Youth Empowerment Council will be presenting their grant on this day—a powerful witness to what young people can do when they are trusted with real responsibility. We will also take time to honor and thank four outgoing board members who are completing their terms: Wyatt Lonegro, Morgan VanderWoude, Luka Mincemoyer, and Daniel Wetmore. Their dedication and leadership have been a gift to this community. Picnic on the Lawn We close the morning the best possible way—together on the lawn for a picnic. Bring your appetite and your lawn chairs, and plan to linger. This is a Sunday not to miss. We will see you there.

This month's recipe comes from the voice of a familiar friend, quoted in What's Cooking at Fountain Square Past & Present (St. John's Church 1891-2007). Enjoy!

Jmel's Double Lemon Muffins

BATTER: 3 1/2 C. flour 1 T. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 C. sugar Zest of 2 lemons (yellow part only) 1/4 C. fresh lemon juice 1 C. milk 2 eggs 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 18 large muffin tins (or use LOTS of mini muffin tins). FOR THE SYRUP: Combine sugar, water, lemon zest and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cover and boil over medium heat for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

FOR THE BATTER: In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar. Stir well. In a small bowl, combine lemon zest, milk, lemon juice and eggs. Stir well. Add egg mixture and melted butter to dry ingredients. Stir quickly, just enough to combine. Pour the batter into greased muffin tins, filling almost to the top. OPTIONAL: Sprinkle each muffin with about 1 teaspoon sugar. Bake about 20 minutes (less for mini muffins) until rounded and golden. Remove from oven and place pans on a wire rack. With a thick skewer, poke 4 or 5 holes in each muffin, from top to bottom. While muffins are still warm, spoon the lemon syrup over the muffins. The muffins are great warm, but even better the next day when the syrup has had time to permeate thoroughly.

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Have a recipe to share? Join the fun and send it to communications@stjohnslarchmont.org. Yours just might be the next Recipe of the Month!

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Likewise, your photos and news from your ministries are always welcome. Please forward your submissions to communications@stjohnslarchmont.org. Let your ministry's light shine through Chimes!