Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness
Our worship at St. John’s follows the ancient liturgies of the Christian Church. On Sunday we have 2 different Eucharist services. Eucharist is another name for Holy Communion, or Mass. At these services we enter into a time of worship where we hear God’s word, receive his presence in the Eucharist, and then are sent out to go and serve Jesus and our community. After both services we have a time of fellowship with snacks and coffee.
8:00am Rite 1 Eucharist
This service uses traditional English (Similar to the King James Bible). It is a contemplative and quiet service with no music. This service lasts around half an hour.
10:00am Rite 2 Eucharist
The 10:00am is our churches principal service on Sunday. The language is contemporary, and the service is accompanied by our choir, the St. John’s Singers. This service lasts around an hour.
Sunday is traditionally when Episcopalians gather for worship. In most Episcopal churches, worship is accompanied by the singing of hymns, and in some churches, much of the service is sung. For example, at St. John's, music is integral to our 10 AM service.
We hope you will feel comfortable with our liturgy. All baptized Christians are invited to make their communion with us. You may kneel or stand throughout the service -whichever is your personal preference. This is also true at the altar rail. The Episcopal church generally offers communion in "two kinds", both the consecrated bread and wine. If you prefer to receive only the bread or only the wine, please know that you have made a full communion. Children are always welcome in the church throughout the service.
Music is a key part of our liturgy and worship. The Anglican–Episcopal heritage places a strong emphasis on music, especially choral and organ music. Our music program draws from this heritage by emphasizing choral singing and the music of the pipe organ.
Children in Worship
The PrayerGround at the front of the sanctuary makes it easier for children in worship to be involved in what is happening by making it easier for them to see and participate. In this space we will provide age-appropriate materials for children to use during worship.
Jesus told his disciples, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:13-14)
Children belong in church. They are part of this parish family and we share the responsibility for nurturing their spiritual life. We embraced this role at their baptism. They will thrive with our loving acceptance of them as partners in the faith of Jesus Christ, and we will benefit from their perspective and glimpse of the Kingdom.
Children add richness to the community gathered at worship. They bring new ways of seeing old familiar rituals, they show a unique understanding of the wonder and mystery of the sacraments, and they have a fascinating way of taking nothing for granted. Their presence is essential to the vitality and growth of this church. It is through our worship service that children can come to know God and not just know about God.
Little ones cannot be expected to sit still all the time and that is why we created this space. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, children can bother those around them. Sometimes children may need to be taken out of the service for a few moments, but our hope should be that they come back and continue worshiping with us.
