Who We Are

(an informal snapshot of the parish)

Adult Formation

• We offer many educational programs:

  • Sunday morning series;

  • Lenten series;

  • Inquirer series;

  • Preparation for Marriage (couples meet with Rector);

  • Preparation for Baptism (parents and godparents meet with the Rector).

• We have both a parish website and an adult education website.

• We have a strong organization of Episcopal Church Women (E.C.W.).

• The Adult Education Committee is reforming and exploring other opportunities for faith formation, such as retreats and special speakers.

Communication

• We have the Voice, our mailed monthly newsletter, and the Small Voice, our Sunday bulletin.

• We have established a “Youth Voice” that is mailed to youth in grades 6 through 12.

• We are building a Communications Committee to improve formal and informal communication within the parish and to the community.

• We have built and carefully maintain an extensive website.

• We are exploring how to follow up with children and youth who are not actively engaged in learning, social, and service activities.

• We have developed new materials, such as our Parish Life Directory and Parish Information cards, to welcome newcomers and help new members better understand our faith community.

Evangelism

• We are planning strategies to help make the church more visible and accessible.

• We are re-establishing a St. John’s presence at Marketfest, White Bear Lake’s summer Thursday night community gatherings.

• We will increase our visibility as a valued community resource with strong community ties.

• We seek to be welcoming to the unchurched.

Facilities

• Our historic church is the oldest church in the city of White Bear Lake.

• We have a historic cemetery situated on the original site of the church on White Bear Avenue overlooking Goose Lake.

• We have an active gardening group which maintains our English garden as well as other garden areas.

• We have begun phase two of a three-phase renovation of our offices.

• We are assembling a seasonal schedule and long-range plan to guide maintenance and repair for all aspects of our facilities.

• We are enhancing our entryway and parish hall to make both more welcoming.

Liturgy

• Our three separate liturgies plus weekly healing service reflect a diverse parish.

• In our 9:00 family/youth service, we seek to incorporate new liturgies/songs with the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and traditional hymns.

• We invite and celebrate homilies given by our youth, youth minister, and guests.

• In our Lenten series and summer services, we have experimented with liturgy, such as the New Zealand prayerbook.

Ministry to Youth and Children

• We have regular education programs:

  • grades pre-K through 5^th;

  • pre-Confirmation classes for grades 6 through 8;

  • Confirmation classes for grade 9;

  • Mentor program for confirmands in grade 10;

  • Junior High and Senior High programs directed by a dedicated youth minister.

• We foster youth and child participation in liturgy, such as:

  • youth written and read Prayers of the People at 9:00 family service;

  • youth and children as acolytes, lectors, choir members, singers, preachers, ushers, and chalice bearers.

• We celebrate special events throughout the year, such as:

  • October Pet Blessing;

  • Christmas pageant;

  • St. Nicholas Celebration;

  • Shrove Tuesday;

  • Lenten Pretzel Making;

  • Maundy Thursday youth service and overnight “Watch”;

  • Special Easter Vigil service and party;

  • Confirmation Banquet;

  • First Communion event;

  • Teacher and Youth recognition services.

• We support and encourage participation in Teens Encounter Christ (T.E.C.), Cass Lake Episcopal Camp (C.L.E.C.), mission trips, service projects, and diocesan events.

Music

• Music is important to our worship experience:

  • new pipe organ in 2000;

  • established chancel and youth choirs;

  • established Advent Lessons and Carols program.

• We frequently experiment with music, particularly at the 9:00 service:

  • handbells, piano, and other instruments;

  • special soloists/instrumentalists;

  • special ensembles, including youth singers;

  • use of “call and response” songs;

  • use of techno service and Taize chant.

• We are working to strengthen our music program in our Sunday School classes K-12 and to provide more opportunities for children to sing during Sunday service.

• We are working to better coordinate music for the 9:00 family service.

New Connections

• Vestry members are working more closely, ministry to ministry, to plan and execute special events.

• We have actively recruited new lay leaders.

• We are developing house groups.

• We are strengthening our newcomer greeter program.

• We have established lay eucharistic visitors for shut-ins.

• We have an informal group of mothers with youth in college;  this group gathers once a month to share how teens are becoming adults away from home. This group also works to keep young adults connected to the parish.

• We are reactivating more all-parish activities, such as the potluck dinners, fellowship activities, and all-parish “clean-up” days.

• We are discussing how to attract and keep young adults.

Outreach

• Different groups from the parish volunteer to sponsor and prepare a monthly “Out-to-Lunch” program for area residents. 

• As a parish, we support special programs throughout the year, such as

  • Adopt-A-Family, an annual Christmas giving program;

  • Family Alliance Hope Chest, an annual soft goods drive;

  • An annual Blood Drive;

  • Ongoing collection of groceries for the White Bear Lake Food Bank;

  • School Supplies Ingathering in the late summer/early fall;

  • Thanksgiving and Advent ingatherings;

  • Monetary donations to various groups;

  • United Thank Offering.

Pastoral Care

• We encourage lay and clergy pastoral visits to those who desire them.

Prayer

• We encourage and practice the inclusion of prayer during committee meeting times.

• We emphasize prayer exploration and practice in our Junior and Senior High programs.

• In February 2003, we hosted a diocese-wide youth event focused on prayer, which included a labyrinth, praise dance, and Taize meditation.

• We are trying to gather interested persons into a “prayer group” to focus on prayer requests from members of the parish.

Stewardship

• Through the dedication of time and talents, we have strengthened and maintained our programs through strong lay leadership.

• We have an active Gifts and Memorials Committee that reviews gifts and gift requests.

• To grow, we need to increase our membership and our pledging units.

• We need to continue to build our endowment.