Ministries and Organizations

Listed below are brief descriptions of many ministries and organizations offered at St. John's, Norwood Parish. Links to pages with more information are included along with the descriptions (where applicable).

Acolyte Guild

Acolytes assist at Sunday services and are boys and girls nine years and up as well as men and women. More>>>

Adoption Ministry

If your life will be or has been touched by adoption or fostering, you are part of our community. St. John's members and others are welcome at our meetings and activities. Our faith-based ministry strives to provide opportunities to celebrate our choices and support each other with our challenges through education, fellowship and shared resources. Although our current participants are mainly adoptive parents and their adopted and biological children, foster families, adult adoptees, extended family members and supporters of these methods of family building are invited to join in our meetings and activities. More>>>

Altar Guild

The Altar Guild's men and women are responsible for supplying and maintaining all objects used in worship services, including weddings and funerals. They prepare the vessels, sacraments, candles,linens, and hangings used during each service. The Altar Guild Rota is available online. More>>>

Christian Education

St. John's offers a full program of Christian Education designed to develop and nurture faith in people of all ages. More>>>

Connections

The Connections Committee is responsible for the integration of people into the life and programs of the parish by welcoming newcomers and following up, updating and consolidating informational materials on the church, and creating a clearinghouse for interests and opportunities.

Family Life

The Family Life Committee ensures that the needs of families with children are met in a variety of formats. Seeks to make St. John's a family friendly community with active and enriching involvement for younger members and their parents.

Flower Guild

Flower Guild members arrange altar flowers for Sunday services, weddings and funerals. New members are always welcome. More>>>

Lay Eucharistic Ministers

Serving as lay assistants to the ordained clergy at all Eucharistic services, Liturgical Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEMs) have various duties. More>>>

Men's Book Club

The Men's Book Club is open to men of all ages. All that is required is a love of good books and a willingness to engage in lively discussion about the books we have read. More>>>

Music

St. John's dynamic music ministries primarily supports the worship life at St. John's by offering opportunities for inspiration, exploration, unity, development and nourishment of both mind and spirit. More>>>

Norwood Parish Fund

The Norwood Parish Fund is a new fund established in January 2002 by the Vestry of St. John's to consolidate existing gifts and endowments in one place, and to create a means of funding outreach and development projects outside the regular operating budget of the parish. More>>>

Opportunity Shop

St. John's Opportunity Shop opened in 1951 by the Women of St. John's (WSJ) to serve church and community needs. It sells everything from dollar sandals to Russian samovars, ice skates to typewriters, paintings to copper pots, and is a heaven for browser and bargain-hunter alike. More>>>

Outreach

We strive to make a difference in our community in the best Christian sense while having fun and enjoying fellowship with each other. Activities involve hands-on assistance in the community; work on issues to improve housing opportunities, literacy or elder care and education for those most in need; participation in activities to raise money for a variety of programs. More>>>

Parish Life

The Parish Life Committee coordinates fundraising events such as fairs, rummage sales, ball/auctions; social events such as progressive dinners, chili/bingo nights, day trips, Renewal Sunday BBQ, Parish Appreciation Day, new member receptions, Christmas Eve wassail, and more.

Pastoral Care

At life's turning points, whether birth or death, hospitalization or health restored, shattering trauma or hopeful new beginning... More>>>

Stephen Ministry

The Stephen Ministry provides the confidential services of their highly trained caregivers to parishioners who are facing difficult situations or changes in their lives. This one-to-one ministry offers support in situations involving a broad range of problems such as relationship conflicts, health and career changes, challenges in rearing children and the loss of loved ones. Referrals and requests for more information may be made to Harrison West or the Stephen Leaders.

Welcome Team

The mission of the St. John's Welcome Team is to ensure that everyone who walks through the doors at St. John's for worship feels that they are welcome, desired, and significant and that their return is important to the Church. It is also to ensure participation by parishioners in important roles of services. More>>>

Women's Book Group

The Women's Book Group is made up of women of all ages and varying interests and meets at members' homes one Monday (usually the first) evening each month. More>>>

Youth

Youth (grades 7-12) meet each Sunday 5:30 - 7:30 PM (September-June) to enjoy each other's company and to explore Christian faith and its relevance for their busy lives. More>>>

St. Barnabas' Church of the Deaf

St. Barnabas' Church of the Deaf meets for Sunday worship in St. Mary's Chapel at St. John's Church, Norwood Parish, and exists to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to deaf people in the diocese and to promote the spiritual and temporal welfare of the Deaf community. More information is available at the St. Barnabas' Church web site.