Think of this page as your “First-Time Guide to Visiting St. John’s.”
Coming into the bright red front doors of the church, your eye travels forward to a stained glass window casting a glow over the altar where our priest leads our prayers of thanksgiving for Christ’s love for us. To the right, you see the pipes of the 21 rank Möller organ. On either side of the seating area, sunlight filters through stained glass windows that were created at several different point in the church’s 250 year history.
As you enter the church to attend a worship service, you will be greeted by an usher who will give you a leaflet we often refer to as the “bulletin.” It is a guide to following the service in The Book of Common Prayer, the Hymnal 1982 and our 2nd hymnal, Lift Every Voice and Song II. If you’re not familiar with these books, following the service can be a little intimidating at first, but whoever is sitting near you would be glad to help you learn, so don’t hesitate to ask.
Every Sunday morning, we offer worship by celebrating the Lord’s Supper, otherwise know as the Eucharist, Holy Communion, or the Mass. It includes readings from the Bible, prayers for our neighbors and the world, a sermon, and the ritual of receiving bread and wine, the sacramental body and blood of Christ. All baptized Christians are automatically welcome to receive communion, no questions asked. For many generations, Episcopalians have cherished an old prayer for the wellbeing of people of “all sorts and conditions.” At St. John’s, we continue not only to pray for all, but to welcome all, regardless of sort or condition!
The atmosphere at St. John’s is usually a blend of personal warmth and ceremonial beauty. Our service at 9 AM on Sunday includes lots of music and special programing for children. Children are always warmly welcome at all services!
Following the 9 AM service, we continue with a time for socializing and fellowship in the Great Hall, where volunteers serve various goodies, including what we jokingly refer to as the eighth sacrament: coffee!
By the way, parking at St. John’s is mostly on the street, either Trumbull Place, which the church faces, or St. John’s Street. We do have a small parking lot behind the church, accessed from St. John’s Street, but it is no more convenient than Trumbull Place. Coming from either direction, the church buildings are handicapped accessible.