About | St. John's-Powell

Worship on Sundays at 10:00 AM

We extend the welcome and love of God to all who come to church. Our worship is something we do together. The complete service each Sunday is printed in a program – no book shuffling or seemingly secret ways to get the hang of – and your voice is welcome and necessary. Worship is rooted in Scripture, which we take seriously but not literally, and follows the rhythm of The Book of Common Prayer, although we often use other prayer sources. Most Sundays there is Holy Communion and the table is open to any Baptized person and every seeker of Christ. Following worship, there is coffee, treats and socializing.

The front door is accessible from the driveway, and an elevator goes to the basement, where there are restrooms. The sanctuary is air-conditioned in the summer.

Worship

Hospitality

We aspire to provide hospitality throughout the year to all comers. There is a social time each Sunday after the service. There is always coffee, almost always treats, and occasionally a rich spread and sometimes lunch. You may sign up to host coffee hour on the board downstairs.

There are other church events

In Advent, there is the annual Tree Trip to Five Springs for Christmas tree cutting, sledding, campfire and food
Game Night for all ages
Bishop visitation dinners, work-day BBQs, annual meeting, Friday lunch in the park and speaker series

We laugh a lot, eat, and enjoy one another’s company.

Leadership

At St. John’s all ministry is shared. The call and authority to minister comes from our baptism, and our church works to shape our organization and ministries around the gifts of all our people so they may respond to God’s call with grace and joy.

We avoid hierarchy, and instead work as a series of overlapping circles. In no particular order, these are our areas of ministry and leadership:

Congregational Care

Attends to the spiritual and pastoral concerns of individuals in crisis, in transition and in celebration, and to the social well-being and connectedness of the congregation.

Susan McEvoy, convener

Outreach

Plans and carries out the work of caring for the those with food and housing insecurities, the aged, the young, and overlooked. This ministry includes The Thrift Shop, First Stop Community Help Center, Pantry Project, and all other financial support we grant to the community, often in partnership with other agencies.

Sue Woods, convener

Deb Bush, First Stop liaison

Diana Anderson, Thrift Shop

Formation and Social Justice

Offers Bible study and other education opportunities to nurture both the head and the heart for deeper relationship with God and with our neighbors.

Megan Nickles, convener

Tim Glatzer, classroom guide

Administration

Oversees the care and maintenance of our campus, our spending plan, fund-raising, communication, and marketing.

Lynda Ramier, Sr. Warden

Laurel McKeen, Jr. Jarden

Martha Moewes, Clerk

Worship

Plans all services, schedules and trains all roles in leadership, including preaching, reading, serving bread and wine.

Diana Anderson, Convener

Jane Woods, Altar Guild

Leadeship

Pastoral Care

Praying together, being together and caring for one another is at the heart of St. John’s communal life. Companionship, presence and a listening heart in times of illness, grief, caregiving and the celebrations of life is central to our health and wholeness. We believe that by accompanying one another through our times of sorrow and joy, we will find God ever more deeply present. Praying with others, bearing witness to their grief and delight, asking for or giving practical, ordinary help, opens us all to receive what Jesus calls “life, abundant.”

At St. John’s, pastoral care is the responsibility of a healthy and mutually ministered community. Our work is largely peer-based, serving church members, their friends, visitors and the larger community as we are able.

We offer practical, logistical support for patients and their families at times of emergency and illness; prayer, calls, visits, and pastoral presence during times of illness and death; spiritual and emotional support through individual and family meetings. We visit homebound members and friends, as well as those in the hospital, nursing home or in hospice care.

If you are in need of or know someone in need of pastoral care, please contact us. To make additions or changes to the prayer list, please contact Diana Anderson (754-2113). If you have more imminent pastoral concerns, please contact Megan Nickles (254-0811) or Susan McEvoy (754-7079).

Pastoral

Nursery & Godly Play

Nursery

Noisy and active children are welcome to be upstairs with the congregation. Children and their care-takers may be more comfortable (especially during the sermon) if the children go to the nursery room downstairs. The nursery is staffed year-round for infants and children up to three years old. There is a place to change diapers, a crib for napping, an armchair for nursing or feeding, and toys.

Godly Play with Jane Woods

Children from 4 to 12 years old are encouraged to be in Godly Play, a multi-age Sunday school. Teaching begins at 10:00 am downstairs. Children come upstairs in time for Communion. After receiving the bread and wine, they return to the classroom to finish any work or go to the playground outside. Our Godly Play minister is Jane Woods. Jane taught preschool for three years and elementary school for 19 years before come to Powell Middle School to teach art.

Godly Play believes all children have an innate sense of the presence of God. The Godly Play approach helps them to explore their faith through story, to gain religious language and to enhance their spiritual experience though wonder, play and art. Based on Montessori principles and developed using a spiral curriculum, the Godly Play method serves children through early, middle and late childhood and beyond. More about this program here: godlyplayfoundation.org

Safeguarding

St. John’s is committed to welcoming and protecting all people who participate in activities in our church. Sexual misconduct on the part of any clergy person, employee or volunteer violates the mission of the Church, is prohibited and will not be tolerated.

Relationships among people are at the foundation of Christian ministry and as such are central to the life of the church. Defining healthy and safe relationships through policies and codes of conduct is not meant, in any way, to undermine the strength and importance of personal interaction in our ministries. Rather, it is to assist in more clearly defining behaviors and practices that allow the church to more fully demonstrate its love and compassion for children and youth in sincere and genuine relationships.

Each Vestry member and all persons who work with our children are required to take training and sign a Code of Conduct.

This Code of Conduct has been adopted by the Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming (“the Diocese”) to help the Diocese and all parishes within the Diocese and all organizations related to or affiliated with the Diocese create safe environments for children and youth and for those who minister to them.

Safeguarding God's Children is an in-depth educational and training program for preventing and responding to child sexual abuse in everyday life and in ministry. The Safeguarding God’s Children & Safeguarding God’s People courses teach how exploitation and harassment occur, the awareness we need to prevent such occurrences and how to respond, should an incident of exploitation or harassment occur.