Greetings people of Saint John’s!  Our Liturgical Exploration Workshop is fast approaching and NOW is the time to sign up.  Please read through the description of what is offered that weekend, sign up for those that interest you, and make your plans to attend now!
The weekend will kick off with an Evensong celebration with Organ Concert at 6:00 on Friday, September 8^th followed by a Newcomers Ice Cream Social.  Our Newcomers Ice Cream Social is open to all who have recently begun attending St. John’s ANDthose who have been here for years who would like to welcome new faces to St. John’s.  Join us for an evening of food, fun and fellowship.  Come meet new friends and re-connect with old ones.   R.S.V.P to the parish office or by signing up on the sheet in the sacristy hallway or right here!Saturday, September 9^th Liturgical Exploration Workshops
Lector Training (Reading in the Church Service) – Katrina Cox will take lectors, new and seasoned, through a presentation on how to effectively prepare to read both by understanding more fully what you are reading and tips for preparing the lesson to effectively read.  There will also be a laboratory on diction and effective public speaking.  Her aim will be to coach the lectors to help them have a commanding presence and an effective and captivating delivery.  Her coaching will not only help with public reading in Church, but in your day-to-day life.Usher Training – Mr. Geof Galaher will lead this workshop that will train new ushers, bring attention to some of the usher responsibilities for those who serve already and hopefully bring all of those whose serve into a more uniform pattern of service.  We will discuss timeliness, greeting visitors and protocols of shutting down the church as well as security of the church proper.  As our Sunday services evolve and change, it is important that we meet as a group to discuss the changes in the duties and expectation.  We are always looking for new volunteers who can serve our parish on Sunday mornings and for special services.

Altar Guild – The Altar Guild is delighted to offer two sessions. In the first session, current altar guild members have the opportunity to glean from Father Jeff any and all questions that may be looming regarding the procedures, items, history and/or theory behind the altar guild and its current position and responsibility in our church.
In the second hour, the current altar guild warmly invites anyone who may be interested in serving or simply learning more about what we do and how we serve in the church, and give a complete and thorough run through of all the roles we play from setting up the Eucharist for services, to weddings and funerals and baptisms. The altar guild hopes that our youth will be interested in helping out as well!

Writing the Church’s Song:  An introduction to Hymn-writing – Do you enjoy writing poetry?  Have you ever wondered how a hymn is conceived and then paired with the appropriate tune?  Join Organist-Choirmaster Derrick Meador at the 10 o’clock hour on Saturday, September 9^th to take a closer look at The Hymnal 1982 and learn to compose your own hymns.  We will have a tremendous amount of fun selecting hymn tunes and singing your new hymns.  Anyone can do it!

An Introduction to the Anglican Musical Tradition – Please consider joining Organist-Choirmaster Derrick Meador for a historical overview of musical traditions associated with the Anglican Church worldwide.  We will discuss British traditions from the time of the Reformation through modern times in United Kingdom and America.  We will also take a closer look at different service types found in The Book of Common Prayer and The Book of Occasional Services.

Junior Acolyte Training – For children who want to serve as acolytes but are not yet confirmed. In this training, Mrs. Pat Bailey will teach proper behavior and give instruction on bearing torches. This class is designed for new acolytes as well as for those who are already serving. If you have children ready to serve or who are already serving, this is the class to attend!
Senior Acolyte Training – This class is designed for youth who have been confirmed.  Mrs. Pat Baily and Fr. Jeff will lay a foundation for service while honing skills and helping standardize practices.

You are invited to join us Sunday morning, September 10^th as we continue Back to Church weekend with a Brunch in the parish hall beginning at 9:00am.  The idea behind the brunch is to give us all an opportunity to share a meal as a parish family… and to make it that much easier to give Sunday school a try if you haven’t.  We are blessed with tremendous talent in our Sunday school teachers!  In our modern world, there are very few places to learn, shape and practice the Christian faith, so things like Sunday School are becoming ever more important.
Invite and encourage those who have fallen out of the habit to come back to Church… invite those who may not have a church home to come and see what we have to offer as a family of faith.  We have meaningful Liturgies, outstanding education, and warm and welcoming fellowship in a shared meal and conversation.