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St. John’s Vision of Worship
The corporate Sunday worship of St. John’s Episcopal Church centers on the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, follows and respects the historical rites of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, and offers three Sunday morning services, each with a distinct approach and personality reflecting a diversity of worship interests.
The parish highly values sermons, which the Rector and other clergy prepare to connect and apply the Scriptures to the challenges of daily living. Parishioners leave with a message that can help them during the course of the week.
Because music reinforces prayer and communal worship for many, members find many ways to be involved in music. Besides the mostly volunteer vocal and bell choirs, musical parishioners and even their musically inclined friends and acquaintances organize occasional singing or instrumental groups, lead forums or share articles to edify everyone’s understanding of our hymns and liturgy.
Strong volunteerism enlivens all of St. John’s lay worship ministries. Parishioners of all ages are involved, and they not only benefit by offering their time and talents but also from the fellowship they share by working and being with others.
Recognizing that parents at St. John’s sometimes find the need to worship quietly and alone to recharge; recognizing that older members sometimes want to connect with babies; recognizing that traveling people can’t always get to church each week; St. John’s strengthens personal faith through occasional special services—such as Evensong, evening prayer meetings, outdoor gatherings, and other worship events that parishioners suggest and help organize. These occasional services are often combined with dinners or other events and they provide a connection among the groups of parishioners who always attend one of the three Sunday morning services but who want to see and meet those who normally attend one of the others.
Our sanctuary is a special, sacred place that is beautifully maintained. It is where we gather strength, it is where we feel close to God, and it is where we come to enter into a prayerful and peaceful mood. It is here that we seek and offer support to fellow parishioners, finding great strength in both our corporate and private prayers.
Our relationships are vital to our corporate worship. Parishioners and newcomers alike find St. John’s to be a safe place to rejoice and mourn, a place where young and old can mix easily, and a place where one and all can experience the enveloping feeling of group prayer and God’s presence among us.