Frequently Asked Questions
What time are your services?
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Holy Communion or Eucharist (which you may hear called Mass) happens at 8 am (Rite I) and 10:30 am (Rite II) on Sunday mornings. During the summer, we typically go down to one service (Rite II or Morning Prayer) at 9 am until Labor Day weekend, when we resume two morning services.
Where do I park?
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​There is a small parking lot located to the south of the Church Building along Ambrose Whitlock Lane. There is also another parking lot located to the north of the Whitlock Fellowship Hall along Pike Street. There is also street parking available on both Green and Pike Streets.
I'm _. Am I welcome in your church?
Yes.
We know that there are plenty of churches that turn people away. There are plenty of preachers that are sure they know who's going to hell, and there are plenty of congregations that make it clear who's in and who's out. We try not to be like that.
So if you're divorced, gay, unmarried and living with a partner, in recovery, dealing with addiction, struggling with your self-confidence, facing health issues, uncertain about this whole "God" thing, angry at the church, hurt, sad, poor, young, old, or anything, you're welcome here.
Lord knows we aren't perfect. If anything, we're a little shy at first, because we know it takes time to feel out a place and see if this community is for you. But ultimately we want to know Jesus, and we want you to know Jesus too. We believe that Jesus loves each of us as we are, and we believe Jesus wants each of us to become more than we are now. It's a pilgrim journey, and we'd love to have you walk with us.
Can I fully participate in your worship services and other church activities?
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Absolutely. Anyone, non-Episcopal Christians and non-Christians can come and participate in everything the church offers. This applies to worship and non-worship activities. During worship you can participate in every part of the service including communion, although the way that you participate changes a little bit depending on whether you’re baptized or not. Everyone who is baptized in any Christian church in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit can come up and receive the bread and the wine. This is true whether you were baptized as a baby in a Roman Catholic Church or as a teenager in a nondenominal church. If you haven’t been baptized, you are still able to come up and receive a blessing from the priest. At the same time, there is no requirement to receive communion or a blessing and if you’re more comfortable simply coming and observing that’s fine too! If you’re not baptized but want to explore what baptism would mean and how to get baptized, Fr. Christian is ready and willing to talk to you any time about it.
Will you ask me for money?
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We do take a collection as part of the Sunday services. As a guest or first-time visitor, you aren't expected to contribute.
This is a spiritual virtue: we give thanks for God's blessings to us, and we freely return a portion of the gifts we have received to aid the work of the the church. Members of the church typically make an annual pledge to support the parish financially (and in other ways). If you become a member, you'll be invited to make a pledge too. You'll not be required to, but those who do often say that they feel a greater depth in their spiritual lives for having made the commitment.
We always welcome donations and contributions, of course!
What accommodations can St. John's make for disabilities?
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Mobility concerns: The Church Building is accessible to those in wheelchairs and motorized scooters. An elevator that services both main floors of the Church Building is located near the south door of the church, which is also near Whitlock Hall. We also have a designated pew space for wheelchairs near the front of the Nave (the main worship space).
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Hard of hearing: The Nave (the main worship space) is equipped with a Hearing Aid Loop. Set your hearing aid to T-Coil for services.
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Gluten intolerances: We offer gluten-free rice wafers for Communion. When you come to the Altar rail, either tell the Eucharistic minister that you require gluten-free, or hold out your hands palms down.
What is a Sunday morning worship service at St. John's like?
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Worship as a community is the centerpiece of Christian life. It’s also probably the strangest thing we do for people with no experience with Christianity. Sunday’s purpose is first and foremost to praise God. It is also a time to learn more about God, read the Bible, and have communion. Through learning about God and by taking communion, we believe that God heals us, brings us closer together, and gives us energy to love and serve the world.
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If you’ve ever been to a Roman Catholic or Lutheran service, that’s about what you can expect from a Sunday at St. John's. If you’ve been to Methodist or Presbyterian services it’ll still be pretty familiar. You’ll sit in a pew (a long church bench), read from a service book, hear a sermon ( a speech from the priest), and come forward to have a small bread wafer and some wine (communion). People will stand, sit, and kneel at different times. The priest and other people leading the service will be wearing special robes to identify them as having special roles. Worship will probably feel more formal than most other parts of our everyday lives, and, if you’ve never been to something like this it may feel a little weird or even uncomfortable at first. This kind of worship is like an acquired taste, but like with most acquired tastes people who get past the initial discomfort find the experience really, really rewarding. And if you want to check out what one of our services is like, you can watch them pre-recorded or live streamed.
Do I have to wear special clothes?
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St. John's does not have a dress code. People can and do come to St. John's in a range of different kinds of clothes, and it is not at all abnormal to see people wearing t-shirts and shorts to church. While you really can come in whatever makes you comfortable, if you’re worried about being underdressed and are looking for a rule of thumb then we’d suggest wearing what you’d put on for dinner at a nice restaurant.
Do you offer Sunday school?
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Unfortunately, we do not offer Sunday School at this time. In the past, we did have a much larger group of children, and we offered Sunday School during the sermon. We have dreams of re-starting it again someday. If you're interested in doing that, please let us know! For now, we love and enjoy having children a part of our liturgies along with adults. After communion (which all baptized children can receive), all children are invited to get a snack from the coffee hour table.
What about nursery?
We encourage children to come to our liturgies along with adults. Our congregation understands and expects a certain amount of kid noise. It's a sign of a living congregation! Children are invited to utilize our our “prayground” at any time during the service. This is a designated area with books, crayons, stickers, and toys where children can be children and still participate in worship.
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If your little one is having a melt-down that is making it too difficult for you to stay in the service, head to the lower level of the church (ushers can direct you to the elevator or the stairs). Downstairs you will find:
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A restroom with changing table
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A nursery room, which is stocked with toys.
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Undercroft area, if you need privacy for breastfeeding.