We are launching a new adult class series for Lent---today
after church and coffee time---Theological ABCs. The Rev. Jill
Zook-Jones will teach on Atonement.
February 22, 2023: Ash Wednesday Services
You are invited to join us for our Ash Wednesday service, including imposition of the ashes, at Noon and again at 6:00 P.M.
January 22, 2023
Annual Parish Meeting--right after the 10 am service, in the church. Come hear more about what St. John's has been doing, lay people who will lead us, and news about exciting ministry opportunities ahead.
2022
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Services
We will have an acoustic music service with a children's story (and nursery) at 4 PM and a traditional service with candles at 9 PM on Christmas Eve (December 24th).
We will also have our traditional 10 am Eucharist on Christmas Day (December 25th).
Spiritual Heroes (Sunday School Class)
Sabina and Richard Wurmbrand joined a long list of persecuted
Christians when they were imprisoned by the Nazis and later the Communists in
Romania. Join us to hear about their lives and witness when the Rev. Jill
Zook-Jones shares her "spiritual heroes."
Thanksgiving & Christmas
Food
We are collecting food for our two families that we are
helping for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Please bring canned food and other
nonperishable items and put them in the box in the narthex by Sunday, November
20th.
Operation Christmas Child
Please pick up an Operation Christmas Child shoebox and a
brochure, fill your shoebox, and return it to St. John’s by noon on
Wednesday, November 16th.
Acolytes & Readers Needed
If you are interested in reading and/or being an
acolyte, you can talk to Father Tim. Please call or email the church
office and let Kathy know so she can add you to our schedule. We plan to have a
reader and an acolyte for each service starting in December.
Organ Addition
There are brochures on the table in the narthex detailing our
new organ addition, along with pledge cards. If you write a check to
St. John’s for the organ fund, please put “Organ Fund” on the memo line.
Pledge Cards for 2023
A letter from Father Tim and pledge cards have been mailed out
to parishioners. Please return your pledge card by November 20 so we can plan
our 2023 budget.
Facebook
For those on Facebook: Please consider sharing on Facebook St. John’s events from our
own St. John's Facebook page. Not all the time and not every week but whenever
you feel moved. This is a modern, low-stress way to invite others to join
us—and a low-key way to evangelize.
Forward Day by Day Booklets
Forward Day by Day devotional booklets are on the table in
the church narthex and in the parish house.
Bad Boys and Bad Girls of the Bible
St. John's gravestones are works of art and links to previous generations. "Bad Girls and Bad Boys of the Bible" continues each Sunday after our 10 AM church service. All are welcome!
Bad Boys and Bad Girls of the Bible "Rahab"
Rahab: Prostitute? Heroine? "Bad Girls and Bad Boys of the Bible" continues each Sunday after our 10 AM church service. The Rev. Timothy Jones and the Rev. Teresa Wilborn are teaching this fascinating class exploring of some of the Bible's most renowned and notorious figures. Worship is at 10 a.m., followed by coffee, and then the class. Please join us!
Art: The Harlot of Jericho and the Two Spies (c. 1896-1902) by French painter James Jacques Joseph Tissot
Bad Boys and Bad Girls of the Bible "David"
We knew David as a king, psalmist, and slayer of Goliath, but we found out he was also a murderer, adulterer, and
#metoo offender! Bad Girls and Bad Boys of the Bible resumes this coming Sunday after worship. Worship begins at 10. Please join us.
Bad Boys and Bad Girls of the Bible
"Bad Girls and Bad Boys of the Bible" begins Sunday, July 10. The Rev. Timothy Jones and the Rev. Teresa Wilborn will teach this fascinating exploration of some of the Bible's most renowned and notorious figures. Worship is at 10 a.m., followed by coffee, and then the class. Please join us!
Art: "Samson and Delilah" by Mexican artist José Salomé Pina, 1851.
Holy Week Services
You are invited to participate in our in-person services throughout Holy Week.
Sunday, April 10th:
Palm Sunday with Holy Eucharist at 10 AM
Join us as we process from the parking lot into the church, if you are able.
Wednesday, April 13th:
Holy Eucharist at Noon in the Chapel
Thursday, April 14th:
Maundy Thursday with Holy Eucharist and Stripping of the Altar at 6 PM
Click here to watch the pre-recorded service for Maundy Thursday.
Friday, April 15th: Good Friday services (no Eucharist) at Noon and 6 PM
The Noon service will begin in the church and proceed to the Stations of the Cross.
Sunday, April 17th: Short outdoor service in front of the church at 8 AM
and
Easter Sunday service with Holy Eucharist at 10 AM
Don't forget to bring live flowers to decorate our wire cross.
Stations of the Cross
We will have the Stations of the Cross up and outside, weather permitting, on Mountain Road on both Thursday (April 14th) and Friday (April 15th) afternoons. The stations are a meaningful way to recall the gift of grace in the Cross of Christ.
Community Clean-Up/Adopt-a-Highway
Saturday, April 23rd is Community Clean-Up Day. We will have our Adopt-a-Highway trash pickup that day. There is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex for volunteers.
Prayer for Ukraine
Almighty God, who sees all those who dwell on earth, we pray for the people of Ukraine today. Have mercy on those who now suffer the miseries and terrors of war. Give peace to the anxious, reassurance to the children, healing to the injured, and your comfort to those who mourn. Though hard pressed on every side, may they not be crushed. Give to our president and other world leaders compassion and wisdom, and overcome conflict through the reign of your Son, our Savior, the Prince of Peace. In whose name we pray, Amen.
Time Change
We "Spring Forward" the weekend of March 12-13, so don't forget to update your clocks so you won't be late for church.
Lenten Class Series
You are also invited to a Lenten class series on how to grow spiritually beginning March 6th right after worship (in the Undercroft).
Ash Wednesday Services
You are invited to Ash Wednesday services at noon and 5:00 pm. These services will include Eucharist and the imposition of ashes.
In-Person Worship
What a joy to be back together! Because of the continued high contagiousness of current variants of the virus, we will be masking for the near term. We will also continue with marked-off alternating pews to allow appropriate distancing. We will be singing, too, beginning with one hymn, along with a full range of organ music throughout each service.
Nursery
Welcome back to in-person worship! We are also offering nursery during church (bottom floor of the Parish House).
2021 Pledges
Don't forget to complete your 2021 pledge before December 31st. If you'd like to use the online giving platform, you can go directly to it by clicking on this link: https://giv.li/x5stgi.
Christmas Eve Services
We will offer two services on Christmas Eve, and the public is welcome to join us in the church's sanctuary. The 4:00 PM service, complete with acoustic music and a children's story, is for everyone, including families with small children. The 10:00 PM service will be a traditional service. The public is invited to both services.
Altar Guild Special Training
There will be a training session for all Altar Guild members on Sunday, December 19 at 2:30 PM in the church Undercroft led by Father Jones. We will learn how to set up the communion wine in individual cups and how to clean them afterwards in the sanitizer machine. Training should last around 30 minutes.
"Angels in Advent"
A new class, taught by our Rector, began on December 5th. It will run until the Sunday before Christmas. The class is held in the undercroft after church and Coffee Hour.
Angel Tree
If you selected an angel from our angel tree, please return your wrapped gift---along with the angel tag---by December 19th.
Christmas Poinsettias
If you want to honor or memorialize someone this Christmas season, please fill out a Christmas poinsettia form and return it with your donation by December 19th.
Trees and Greens
Everyone is invited to assist with the Hanging of the Greens and Decorating the Chrismon Tree on Sunday, December 19th at 3:00 pm in the church sanctuary.
Coffee Hour
We resumed our traditional coffee hour on December 5th with coffee and cookies.
Advent began on November 28
Celebration of a New Ministry
Sunday, October 17th was a milestone day
in the life of St. John’s. Our new Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Susan Haynes, joined
us for the “Celebration of a New Ministry.” Also known as the “Institution of a
New Rector,” it was an occasion to recognize a new ministry partnership between
parish and rector. Special prayers were said. And Father Tim’s son, Abram
Kielsmeier-Jones, a Boston pastor (and great preacher) gave a delightful sermon.
A special reception under a big outdoors tent followed.
Organ Dedication
The pandemic temporarily delayed our organ dedication service last year. We plan to have a special dedication service in September 2021. The details will be released closer to the celebration time.
The Holy Spirit & The Book of Acts
The Revered Jill Zook-Jones will be leading in-person sessions that focus on The Holy Spirit & The Book of Acts. We will meet in the undercroft after Lemonade on the Lawn on Sunday mornings for four weeks, A video of each session will be available on St. John's YouTube channel for anyone unable to be with us at church.
In-Person Worship & Lemonade on the Lawn Return to St. John's
We are very excited that we have returned to in-person services in the sanctuary. Our worship services are now offering congregational singing of hymns too.
***********
Easter Sunday (April 4th)
IN PERSON worship both outdoors & indoors!
We will have a tent set up for an EARLY morning service at 8 AM, sheltered by the covering but also open to the spring early morning AND in-person worship inside the church at 10 AM.
We will also have Flowering of the Cross all that morning, with the cross available right outside the church door beginning just before 8 AM. Please feel free to bring flowers to put on our cross.
Good Friday 2021 (April 2nd)
We will have the outdoor Stations of the Cross set up for individual devotion from noon until 6 PM. A booklet will allow you to have self-guided time for reflection. And then (weather permitting) an outdoor in-person Good Friday service at 6 PM.
Maundy Thursday 2021 (April 1st)
We will have a pre-recorded service on our YouTube channel AND Stations of the Cross with striking contemporary images will be set up from 11 AM to 6 PM outside the church along Mountain Road, along with a booklet to guide you through your own prayers and meditations.
Palm Sunday 2021 (March 28th)
Worship will begin in the church parking lot at 10 AM with a brief service of blessing the palms.
(NOTE: If you are not able to join the procession, simply come to the tent on the church's front steps.)
Once at the tent we will hear the traditional (and abbreviated) Passion Gospel story narrated by members.
Please wear a mask. If there is heavy rain we will simply meet at the tent, rather than the parking lot.
2021
Finding Your Way Around the Bible video series
Father Tim and his wife Jill will launch a five-session weekly recorded class series on Finding Your Way Around
the Bible beginning the Week of January 11,2021. A
link to a YouTube video with the teaching lesson will be posted toward the end
of each week, and there will be instructive and helpful handouts made available
as hard copies (for those who want them) and as attachments. If you ever wanted
to better understand the Bible, its overarching story, and gain some practical
tips on things, like choosing a Bible translation, this series should help!
Homily and Prayers
We will make available during the week of January 11th, Father Tim’s homily and some of the prayers from Dr. Johnson Willis’
graveside burial service from January 9th. The service
attendance was limited to family only by COVID-19 restrictions, so many
parishioners were unable attend. St. John’s can celebrate his life and share in
our committing him to God in this way.
Virtual Services Until Further Notice
Our Bishop has suspended in-person worship for the foreseeable future due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases throughout our diocese. Please join us for our weekly Sunday services online by clicking
here.
2020
St. John's Sanctuary Reopens on July 5th
Did you know that you can attend Sunday services at our actual church building? We are following a strict protocol for in-person worship including face masks; our plan has the Bishop's approval. You can still join us online at our YouTube channel for our virtual services.
Virtual Easter Sunday 2020 (April 12th)
Did you know that you can watch our virtual services from anywhere you have Internet access or data service via cell phone?
Click here to view and subscribe to our page.
Spring 2020 Pictures at St. John's
Stations of the Cross for Holy Week 2020
Are you missing the traditional Stations of the Cross service? Here is a virtual service that was shared on Facebook that we thought you might enjoy watching and listening to from your home.
Click here to watch the stations.
Palm Sunday 2020
These are recent pictures from our empty sanctuary on Palm Sunday at St. John's. The organ installation was progressing well until the pandemic stopped it. But George will be back at work again once the stay-at-home mandate is lifted.
St. John's Welcoming New Priest in 2020
Dear Fellow St. John’s Parishioners,
On behalf of the Vestry and the Search Committee, I am pleased to announce today that St. John’s Episcopal Church has called The Very Reverend Timothy Jones to be our next rector. This wonderful news comes after a year of thoughtful hard work and good old fashioned praying by a group of people dedicated to the perpetual growth of St. John’s. A unanimous decision by the Search Committee and Vestry on Sunday, October 27, 2019 resulted in Father Tim accepting the call which was then approved by The Rt. Rev. James Magness, our Bishop Pro Tempore, on October 31, 2019. Tim and his lovely wife, Jill, will join our church family at the end of February 2020 with Tim giving his first sermon on Sunday, February 23, 2020.
Since 2012, Tim has served as Dean (senior minister) of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Columbia, South Carolina. Prior to this he served as Senior Associate Rector at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Both these churches have well over 3000 active parishioners with budgets over $3,000,000 and with staffs of over 20. However, having served his first church, Germantown Brick Church of the Brethren in Rocky Mount, Virginia, he felt a strong interest in coming back to rural Virginia and being able to work on a more personal level with a congregation. St. John’s is blessed that he has chosen us to share his vast experience and knowledge to help us move and grow into the 21st century.
Tim received his Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Master of Sacred Theology with an emphasis on Anglican Studies from the University of the South, Sewanee. His undergraduate degree is from Pepperdine University. He has led workshops and retreats on prayer and spiritual life in the states and in South Africa and taught theology and spiritual formation to church leaders and seminarians at Alexandria School of Theology, in both Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt. He has indicated a real love of teaching Sunday school, both adult and children, likes to put an emphasis on nurturing newcomers and youth, and strongly believes in actively promoting church participation in mission and outreach programs.
Earlier in Tim’s esteemed career he served as Managing Editor of Moorings division of the Ballantine Publishing Company, Books Editor and Associate Editor of Christianity Today magazine. He has also written several books, The Art of Prayer, Awake My Soul, Nurturing Your Child’s Soul, Workday Prayers, and Celebration of Angels, many of which he used in his workshops and retreats.
On a more personal level, Tim is in his early 60’s and has been married to his wife Jill for over 40 years. They have two sons, a daughter, and three grandchildren. Jill is also an ordained priest who just retired from interim ministry. They met while both attending Princeton Theological Seminary. Tim loves folk music and uses his instrumental and vocal skills to front a bluegrass/old time band, writes CD reviews and does interviews for folk music publications, and loves local coffee shops.
The year 2020 will bring many new and exciting adventures for our church. We will receive a new rector and a new organ. We sincerely hope you will vigorously attend services and join in on the parish-wide celebration to be planned for these new beginnings.
Sincerely,
Lott Rogers, Senior Warden
Christmas Eve 2019
Reverend Doctor S. Paul Rowles led a beautiful Christmas Eve service for the congregation, their families, and visitors to the community. The service ended with everyone lighting small handheld candles and singing a soft version of "Silent Night."
Advent 2019
Annual Thanksgiving Meal 2019
The congregation celebrated a potluck Thanksgiving meal together on November 24th after our regular Sunday service. We had lots of fellowship and delicious food! We had so much fun that none of us took any pictures with each other. Oops!
Happy New Year 2019!
Our interim rector, the
Rev. Dr. S. Paul Rowles, led his first Sunday service at St. John’s Episcopal
Church on January 6th. He and his wife were welcomed by the
congregation with a reception after the service.
Christmas Eve Service
Our new interim
rector, the Rev. Dr. Paul Rowles, celebrated Holy Eucharist with the
congregation on Christmas Eve at 5:30 P.M.
Thanksgiving Celebration
St. John's Episcopal Church celebrated
Thanksgiving with a pot luck dinner. The main course was prepared and
given by Jerry Epps.
Carol Henderson retires
St. John’s bid farewell to our retiring
choir and music director, Carol Henderson with a celebration in her honor.
Hilda Hankins honored
St. John’s honored Hilda Hankins on
Sunday, May 7 for her years of service and dedication to the parish and wished
her well in her move to Richmond.
Meg (Mary Margaret) Bane graduated
from the University of Virginia with a major in sociology on May
20th. She will start on her Master's Degree in Athletic Training at UVA in
June. She is the daughter of Woody and Kathy Bane.
Kyle Epps graduated from Halifax County High School on May 27th.
He is attending Longwood University this fall in their Engineering and Physics
program. Kyle is the son of Sarah Dunavant.
Hannah Gehl graduated from Virginia Tech on May 11th. She is the
granddaughter of Bill and Jane Carlton Confroy. She majored in International
Studies and is looking for a job!
Isabella
Martin graduated from Johns Hopkins with
her Masters in Writing on Monday, May 22nd in Baltimore,
Maryland. She is the daughter of David and Tracy Martin and Cindi Overby.
Ashley Peer graduated on May 6th with a Bachelor's Degree in
Health Care Management from Old Dominion University in Norfolk. She is
currently doing a three-month internship with Operation Smile, in Virginia
Beach, which is a non-profit organization that provides free medically-needed
reconstructive facial surgeries to indigent children and young adults. Ashley
plans to work for a couple of years in the health care industry before
returning the graduate school to get her Master's degree. Ashley is the
daughter of Mike and Aleacia Peer.
Courtney McDowell Rogers earned
a Master’s in Business Taxation from the University of Southern California on
May 12th. Courtney is the daughter-in-law of Janet and Lott Rogers.
The congregation celebrated a potluck Thanksgiving meal together on November 24th after our regular Sunday service. We had lots of fellowship and delicious food! We had so much fun that none of us took any pictures with each other. Oops!
