Worship - St John's Episcopal Church

Weekly Services

8:00AM – Holy Eucharist (Rite I)

The 8:00 AM service uses Holy Eucharist Rite I, which employs a more traditional language. This is a quiet, contemplative, spoken liturgy with no music. The service is held in the Chapel.

Please click here to see the Guild to the Episcopal Eucharist.

10:30AM – Holy Eucharist (Rite II)

The 10:30AM service typically uses Holy Eucharist Rite II, whcih employs a more contemporary language. THis service features the beauty of sacred music with organ and choir. The service is held in the Naave. Following the service, a social gathering with coffee and light refreshments is held in the narthex of the church.

Please click here to see the Guild to the Episcopal Eucharist.

Other Services

Baptism

All people of any age are welcome to baptized. In the waters of baptism, we are lovingly adopted by God into God’s family, the Church.

Holy Baptism, which can be performed through pouring of water or immersion in it, marks a formal entrance to the congregation and wider Church.

Candidates for the sacrament who are old enough make a series of vows, including an affirmation of the Baptismal Covenant, and are baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are marked as Christ’s own forever, having “clothed [themselves] with Christ” (Galatians 3:27).
We believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, as the “bond which God establishes in Baptism is indissoluble” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 298).

Confirmation

Confirmation is the sacramental rite in which the candidates “express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 860).

Those who were baptized at an early age and those baptized as adults without laying on of hands by a bishop are expected to make a mature public affirmation of their faith, recommit themselves to the responsibilities of their baptism, and receive laying on of hands by a bishop (BCP, p. 412). Adults baptized with the laying on of hands by a bishop are considered to be confirmed.

Reception:
Those who have already made a mature Christian commitment in another denomination are recognized as members of the one holy catholic and apostolic church, and can be “received” by a bishop into the fellowship of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion.

Blue Christmas

Held in December in the Chapel, the Blue Christmas liturgy provides a meditative and healing service for those for whom the Christmas holidays may be difficult because of grief, loneliness, loss, or difficult life transition. This service is for anyone in the community.

Worship Participants

Acolytes

Acolytes (from the Greek for “follower”) are people responsible for lighting altar candles and carrying a torch in the procession.
One person in the acolyte guild, the Crucifer, carries the processional cross.
Acolytes can be any age, often young people have this role.

Lectors

Lectors (from the Latin word for “reader”) are people who read lessons from the Old Testament or the Epistles during services. Often a Lector also leads the Prayers of the People; this role is called Intercessor.

Ushers hand out the service bulletin, help people find their seats, collect and present the offering, and help direct people during Communion.

Lay Eucharisitic Ministries

Lay Eucharistic Ministers are laypeople who have been authorized by the bishop and the rector to help distribute Communion, usually by being a chalice-bearer.