More Information

Music and Choir

Music is a vital part of our Anglican heritage and plays a prominent role in our lives and worship. Our music program is the responsibility of the rector, choir director, and organist.

Parish Choir
The parish choir sings Sundays at the Holy Eucharist (September through May). It is composed of parish members of various ages and abilities. Most material is from the 1940 Hymnal with the choir periodically singing selections from other sources. Practice is usually conducted after Sunday Mass.

All members of the parish are invited to participate in the choir.

Fellowship

As Christians we seek to give of ourselves in community. St. John’s affords a variety of opportunities for our members to do just that. In addition to service opportunities listed elsewhere, the following groups provide fellowship at St. John’s.

Anglican Church Women (ACW)
This group of women meets once a month to discuss how the group can be of general assistance to parish and rector. Women of the parish also meet to plan for special events and to work on craft items for various benefits.

Church Family Activities
Activities are usually scheduled on a monthly basis. Some traditional social events are the St. Patrick’s Day party, All Saints/All Souls party, Nine Lessons & Carols, and the Annual Parish Picnic.

Parish Events
Several traditional events at St. John’s provide opportunities for fellowship and friendship including pot luck dinners and the annual parish picnic in the summer. At Christmas parishioners decorate the church with evergreens and poinsettias. The Seder meal is celebrated frequently on Maundy Thursday. A variety of tasty treats and refreshments are served at the Sunday coffee hour following the Sunday service at which time birthdays are celebrated and other announcements made.

Outreach

“What you do for the least of my brothers, you do unto me.”

As a Christian community St. John’s is committed to responding to the concerns and needs of the world around us. Although we are relatively small in number, we offer financial and personal support in several ways.

On the first Sunday of each month, parishioners are asked to bring non-perishable food items to church for distribution to needy individuals and families, members and non-members.

Holiday Outreach
At Thanksgiving and Christmas our men’s group (ACM) coordinates the collection and purchase of non-perishable food items and the preparation and delivery of freshly cooked holiday meals through collaboration with local businesses. The St. John’s Christmas Giving Tree provides parishioners the opportunity to provide gifts for families in coordination with the Family Resource Center of the Dayton (KY) Independent School System.

Discretionary Fund
In addition to the above, the Rector has a Discretionary Fund through which the poor and needy are assisted with food, clothing utility bills, rental deposits, housing, medical and even funeral expenses when funding is available. Periodically, the fund covers unplanned and perhaps spontaneous expenses that arise in our church life that are not in the budget. This fund is made available through voluntary contributions on the first Sunday of the month, as well as other gifts through out the year from our parishioners.

Pastoral Care

While pastoral care is a primary responsibility of the clergy at St. John’s Church it is a duty shared between them and parishioners. The phrase “to love is to care” is the center of our attitude toward one another especially during difficult times.

This “caring” is expressed in a variety of ways from intercessory prayer to more tangible assistance. The rector is available by appointment for counseling on matters of both a personal and spiritual nature. He regularly calls on the sick, hospitalized, and shut-ins. Parishioners are advised to inform the rector when a loved one is seriously ill or hospitalized.

Baptisms, weddings, and funerals are conducted as required.

The names of individuals who need the prayers of the congregation are listed in the Sunday bulletin and are mentioned in the “bidding prayers” at Mass as necessary.