WORSHIP
Being nourished through the Eucharist is the center of worship at St. John's. Our Sunday services are an 8:30 Rite II service and a 10:30 Rite I service. A midweek Morning Prayer service is also available. To support our worship services, we have an active laity that helps each Sunday as lay readers, lectors, chalice bearers, ushers and greeters, and altar guild members. Through the pandemic, we have had to alter our service schedule making adjustments to meet the safety measures that have been implemented. We currently have a single service at 10:30. We have been able to stay connected to the church family by first videoing a service and placing it on YouTube and then moving to live streaming on our Facebook page. Our lay leadership did an amazing job filling in with Morning Prayer until supply priests were able to join us and celebrate the Eucharist.
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We have been blessed over the years to have organists who have offered their talents as a give of music to the church at the 10:30 service. Our long-time organist and church member passed away 3 years ago after playing the organ and providing music for various church functions for 80+ years. We tried various ways to fill the gap with some success. A year ago God provided another organist who is donating her time and talent of music to our service. At our 8:30 service, another member has shared his time and talent by providing praise music with his acoustic guitar. Others have joined in to help us "make a joyful noise to the Lord".
As a Christian community, we meet for various services throughout the church year each adding to the variety of worship opportunities. During both Lent and Advent, we share a meal and study always ending with Compline. Stations of the Cross provide a meditative opportunity during Holy Week. From using the outdoor chapel in "Fr. Hop's Woods" for the blessing of the animals to have Eucharist at the annual All Saints BBQ Homecoming at our BBQ pit, we worship wherever we gather. We are always open to different ways of worship that can draw us closer to Christ. The complement to worship is Christian Formation. As a small church with a fluctuating number of children and a wide range of ages, Christian Formation provides a challenge. It necessitates a wider definition of formation. Everything that we do with children and adults is "forming" their lives in the church. Providing children's sermons (talks) during the service, allowing them to participate in various parts of the service, engages them and makes them feel part of the church family. Lenten and Advent Study along with Men's and Women's weekly Bible studies provide an opportunity for adults to pray together, share and grow in faith. At St. John's worship is a family matter and all are welcome to join!