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Family Ministry at St. John's
Nursery Care
St. John’s is blessed to
welcome Diane Ellis as a professional caregiver and Nursery
Coordinator. Diane comes to St. John’s with years of experience
working with children in a variety of settings, including the
Saginaw Township School District as a classroom aide for special
needs children, a librarian, and a mother herself. As one can see
and even hear from the great sounds of children playing, the need
for early childhood ministry is growing. To best accommodate this
need, we are evolving the program into two distinct areas:
An infant & toddler nursery (newborns to 36 months);
as well as
Godly Play – a distinct program, utilizing the
Montessori philosophy just for our children (ages Pre-K – 1st
grade). Godly Play will be offered along-side our regular Church
School program with the same schedule as the upper-level.
The nursery is here to
serve any and all families who would like their infant/toddler to be
cared for in this special way during our 10:30 service and even the
choral rehearsal hour before-hand. All told, St. John’s provides
over three hours of quality nursery care every Sunday! To have your
little one participate, simply stop by the nursery and complete a
registration form.
Godly Play
A vital and growing part of our ministry at St. John’s. Godly Play
(for Pre-K-1st grade) is much more than simply a curriculum; it is a
teaching method and philosophy that combines Montessori with the
biblical stories. The result is an incredibly engaging and fun way
for our children to discover biblical teachings and their own
faith through drama, reflection, art, prayer, worship, and their
sharing with one another. Come discover a world of fun and faith!
Living the Good
News
In 2006 St. John’s is introducing Living the Good News, which
is a fresh approach to learning about our faith and heritage. The
curriculum is lectionary-based which means the stories that the
young people are working with is the same text we are hearing in the
Eucharist. Working with our new Lead-Teacher, Elizabeth Stuber,
our 2nd—5th graders will have an opportunity
to have their own “Service of the Word”—exploring the
Lessons of the Day in a variety of ways with activities that are age
appropriate and fun!
Youth
When a young person enters
the 6th grade, they become a part of our wider community
at St. John’s with opportunities to serve and lead; not to mention
have some extra fun, including:
· Sunday
Mornings—Our principal service of 10:30 offers our young
adults the opportunity to serve and be leaders in a number of ways:
with hospitality, serving as a greeter/usher; in worship,
serving as an acolyte, lector, lay eucharistic minister and/or
singing in the choir; in leadership, serving as an assistant
to one of the younger grade levels. Youth who are interested in
singing in the choir can also have the opportunity to participate in
a “pilot program” that offers private voice lessons and basic
musicianship training – helping them grow into their full potential.
· Sunday
Afternoons—Youth Ministry offers a special time just
for them to grow with faith, service and fellowship. Once a month,
there will be an opportunity to “get out there” and have some fun
and grow—either by doing a special outreach project together,
sharing a meal and/or just going out to enjoy some great fellowship
together and invite a friend. This year, we are blessed to welcome
back Andrew Downs as our seminarian intern, whose major focus
will be working with our young adult leaders. Drew is in his final
year of seminary study for the priesthood at Huron College in Canada
and has been a very active part of the life in our diocese for years
before seminary.
· Community Gathering Sundays—In addition to our
monthly event/activity, we encourage all of our
young adults to come be a part of our Community Gathering Sundays.
After worship on these Sundays (generally the second Sunday),
the whole St. John’s community is invited to share a meal and be a
part of our parish visioning process. Our leadership firmly
believes that our youth are not just the future, they are the
present. As such, we welcome their voice, hopes and dreams
as part of the vision we are building together at St. John’s!
Acolytes
"Crosses, torches, vestments, choirs,
assorted acolytes and servers, all serve to move
the congregation of believers out of
secular time and space into sacred time and space."
(Cf
"A Sermon for the 3rd Sunday in Lent A" by
Kathie Sandmaier)
Acolytes - In contemporary Anglicanism, a general term which covers not
only servers, torchbearers, and lighters of candles but also crucifers,
thurifers, and banner-bearers. Acolytes are mentioned as a minor order
(along with porters, lectors, and exorcists) as early as a letter of Pope
Cornelius to Fabius of Antioch in 252. They were also mentioned in
Cyprian's writings. They assisted deacons or subdeacons at the preparation
of the table. Later they carried candles in processions. In Rome they
carried fragments of the bread consecrated at the papal Mass to other
churches. In the late middle ages, when candles began to appear upon
altars, they lighted the altar candles. Eventually lay servers or
sacristans performed duties earlier associated with acolytes, and the
order of acolyte was normally conferred upon a candidate for priesthood in
the course of his training. The minor orders were not perpetuated in
Anglicanism. Some of the duties earlier performed by persons in the minor
order of acolyte were taken over by lay clerks. In the later nineteenth
century the clerks were suppressed and their duties were largely taken
over by lay "acolytes" and sacristans or altar guilds. See Minor Orders.
(Cf. A New Dictiol1OJJ'for Episcopalians)
Servers or Acolytes - are
representatives of the congregation who take part in processions
(bearing the censer, the processional cross, torches, bam1ers, books)
and assist the clergy in various ways to facilitate the services
.
lighting and extinguishing candles,
.
incensing the clergy and people,
. assisting at the preparation of the table and at the ablutions,
.
carrying extra incense or books or other
items which might be needed in the rites).
(Cj A Manual of Ceremonial for the New Prayer Book,
by Marion J. Hatchett. Sewanee: St. Luke's
Journal of Theology, 1977. p.17)
We currently are blessed in having this role be an intergenerational
ministry with twelve adults and young adults who serve as Acolytes or
Servers; and are always open to welcome new people into this great
ministry or hospitality. If interested, please contact the parish office
at 793-9575.
Greeters/Ushers
Although it is easy to see the ongoing duties performed by this group,
this is our hospitality team-most often providing the first impression to
first-time attendees at our services. There are currently forty-three men,
women, and children in this ministry, which is always ready to welcome new
members. Our Junior Ushers are in the 4th or 5th grade age group.
Currently, we have thirty-eight adults who serve as Greeters/Ushers and
four Junior Ushers; there's always room for more! Please contact the
parish office if you are willing to offer a small part of your time to
this important ministry.
Lectors
Lectors are those who assist at the Eucharist by reading one or more of
our Bible readings for the service. While considerably different from the
traditional role of the traditional "Lay Reader," lectors today receive
training in the parish and the ministry has become intergenerational with
a number of our young adults serving alongside our adult lectors. This too
is a ministry that is always open to new people. Currently we are blessed
with fifteen Lectors. If interested in learning how to be a lector, please
contact the parish office at 793-9575.
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