Formation
Sunday School
Our Church School Program is a cornerstone of St. John’s, and is supported by a part-time Church School Director, Alexis MacElhiney. More than a dozen volunteer Church School leaders lead weekly classes. Our Sunday School meets during the first half of our 10 a.m. service, which the children join during the Offertory Hymn.
Activities such as All Ages Worship, two Christmas pageants, an Easter Egg hunt, Shrove Tuesday pancake races, and a bouncy house at our SummerFest event allow our whole church community to embrace our children’s spiritual growth and make St. John’s a fun and welcoming community for all.
Pre-K–Grade 2
Our Sunday School curriculum begins with Godly Play: a Montessori-based curriculum that teaches children the same Bible stories over the course of several years, much as lectionary repeats. Every time the children encounter the story, they access new elements of it as their own language, imaginative, and critical thinking skills develop.
Grades 3–5
Our older Sunday School students use Episcopal Children’s Curriculum, developed by Virginia Theological Seminary. This program offers insights into Bible stories and an introduction to the history and practices of the Episcopal Church. In upper elementary school, our students are presented with their own Study Bibles.
Youth Ministry
Our Middle School and High School Youth are actively engaged in the life and ministry of St. John’s, whether serving on the altar, volunteering at our Not-So-Spooky Haunted House and our Holiday Boutique, helping with Outreach, as a member of the Becoming Beloved Community anti-racism ministry, hosting a supply-packing party for Free., or constructing an outdoor labyrinth as part of a high school senior’s independent project.
Discernment revealed that our youth appreciate and respond to clergy involvement in youth ministry, and that clergy turnover, combined with the COVID pandemic, had a disruptive effect on our programming. Rebuilding the youth program is a priority. We currently offer the following youth ministries:
Middle School
Our Middle School Youth use the Journey to Adulthood/Rite 13 curriculum, which employs Bible study, prayer, rites of passage, and outreach ministries to strengthen their relationship to the church and each other. It typically meets twice per month on Sunday afternoons or evenings.
High School
Our High School Youth Group provides a supportive and inclusive community for young individuals to explore their faith, promoting service and outreach activities once a month to help others in need. Youth members also take part in monthly social gatherings where long lasting friendships are fostered and cultivated. Confirmation class is traditionally offered in 10th grade, although it is available to all high school youth (9th graders by invitation). Confirmands must attend the twice-monthly meetings and complete service hours, and are guided by adult mentors from the congregation who serve as their sponsors.
Adult Formation
Adult education programming varies according to interest and need. Recent classes include Sacred Ground, which was centered on race and racism; a group reading and discussion of Presiding Bishop Curry’s book Love is the Way; a weekly Introduction to the Bible class, and “Episcopalianism 101” for people new to the practice. Other successful past offerings include a 6-week series on prayer, with parishioners actively leading sessions exploring their faith journeys during life transitions, and a Women’s Lenten Retreat, held both in person and virtually during COVID. We also have a lay-led Faith Journey group that meets following the Wednesday morning Eucharist. Discernment revealed that more adult education opportunities would be welcomed.
The mission of the St. John's Sunday School is to educate its children in the Episcopal tradition with an emphasis on teaching them to Know God, Know the Church, and Know the Community.
The St. John’s Youth Ministry is a community of adults and young people dedicated to creating a supportive environment for our youth to explore the ways God is revealed in their lives. We strive to develop friendships; learn empathy and leadership; live Christian values; and work together in service of those in need.
