An Introduction to St. John’s . . .

We seek to share the Good News of the Gospel through engaging worship, faithful service, and life-long Christian formation while joyfully living out our faith in this community and the world.

Who we are and the values we hold

Most important to us as Christians is our belief and trust in God as revealed to us in the life and person of Jesus Christ. It is he who reconciles us to God from having been separated by our own sin. In Christ, we are redeemed and given worth and value as people of God. Our response to that gift of reconciliation is to offer love, compassion and forgiveness to others.

We believe that God is revealed to us primarily in creation, redemption, and as source of strength, guidance and holiness. Both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures contain all things necessary for salvation. The church is the community of God that is one, (in Christ) holy, (set apart) catholic, (universal), and apostolic, (sharing the faith from the apostles). Our mission is to restore all people to unity with God.

Our faith is based upon loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind and loving our neighbor as we would love and respect our own self. Christian love gives of itself and loves and respects the dignity of all people. This is the standard by which our faith is lived. We promise as Christians to continue in the teaching of the apostles, in the sharing of the Eucharist each time we gather in Christ's name, in resisting evil, and repenting whenever we fall into sin. We seek to be an example of Christ by proclaiming by word and action to serve Christ in everyone and striving for justice and peace among all people.

Our pastoral ministry includes baptism, confirmation, reconciliation, marriage, and funerals. Baptism is the sacrament by which one becomes a full member of the Christian church. All baptized persons are welcome to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion or the Eucharist which is our central act of worship. Confirmation is the rite by which a baptized person takes on the responsibilities of membership that were taken by godparents at baptism. Reconciliation is the sacrament in which one may confess personal sins in complete privacy and confidentiality in the presence of a priest who assures the penitent of God's forgiveness and reconciliation. Marriages take place in the church with required counseling by the clergy. Divorced persons may be married in the church with permission from the bishop. Funerals can be arranged for anyone. A reception can be arranged in the parish hall afterwards. Arrangements can be made for burial of ashes in our Memorial Garden.