Worship and the Arts
St. John’s to host four services for Christmas Eve
By Susan Shinn Turner St. John’s is hosting four Christmas Eve services this year: 11 am, 2 pm, 5 pm and 8 pm. Because of Covid-19 restrictions, each service will be limited to 100 worshippers, so a reservation system has been set up through our website (CLICK HERE), or you can contact the church office.…
Read MoreSo Great A Cloud of Witnesses!: The Story of the Hymn “For All the Saints” (ELW #422)
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning…
Read MoreThe Church’s One Foundation: A Hymn for the Reformation
The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord; she is his new creation by water and the Word. From heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride; with his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died. (ELW 654) By Rob Durocher, Deacon Minister of Worship and the…
Read MoreMeasuring Online Attendance: Expanding Our Digital Reach
By Angel Owens Communications Specialist Gathering attendance numbers can be tricky these days. How many people are actually joining us in worship each week? There is no way to know just how many people are actually in each home clicking in, but we can gather and compile how many clicks we get each week. On…
Read MoreConsecration Sunday is October 11, 2020: Make Your Move!
By Michael DeNise Consecration Sunday Chair I hope you have marked your calendars for Sunday, October 11 – what we call “Consecration Sunday” at St. John’s, the day we offer our financial pledges to support of the mission and ministry of the church. Let October 11 be the day you “make your move.” There are…
Read MoreTaylor Hutchins Leads Efforts To Stream Online Worship
By Susan Shinn Turner After St. John’s closed its campus in mid-March because of the coronavirus, the media team had to step up its efforts to provide a Sunday service which solely relied on the livestream. Fortunately, the team had started live-streaming in November 2018, according to Taylor Hutchins, who leads the team. “We used…
Read More“How Can I Keep From Singing”
By Rob Durocher Minister of Worship and the Arts For many of us it can be said that without the musical voices of the faithful worship might be somewhat inconceivable. We know that in both church history and in the scriptures that the earliest Christians sang as part of their worship. They sang in thanksgiving…
Read MoreEven When Steeples Are Falling
by Rob Durocher A little over a year ago on April 19, 2019 the world was stunned to hear that the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris was literally burning down. While this tragedy was unfolding there were many people lining the streets singing together. Many of them were singing a beautiful song Je Vous…
Read MoreThe Traditions of Holy Week
By Susan Shinn Turner The observance of Holy Week — the re-enactment of events of Jesus’ last week on Earth — traces its roots to the 4th Century. This year, Easter Sunday will be remarkably different, but we’ll still proclaim, “Christ is Risen, he is Risen indeed!” Holy Week starts with triumph, moves to travesty,…
Read MoreAnd a Little Child Shall Lead Them: St. John’s Men’s Chorus Dec. 8 at 4 pm
By Susan Shinn Turner St. John’s is blessed to have a vibrant music ministry — especially at Christmastime. As part of that ministry, the St. John’s Men’s Chorus will present its annual Christmas concert, slated for 4 pm Sunday, Dec. 8, in the Sanctuary. This year’s theme is “And A Little Child Shall Lead Them,”…
Read More