Kickoff Sunday is only days away, and the staff and volunteers at St. John’s are all buzzing busily to prepare for our new program year. Some updates for you to notice for children and youth:
Kickoff Sunday is THIS SUNDAY, September 11th. At 9:30, children and youth are invited to the lower level of Thaxter Hall for a welcome gathering and introduction to the new year together, while parents are invited to join The Rev. Rob Stevens upstairs in Thaxter Hall to get excited about coming back into our community for a new program year at church!
We hope you’re able to join us for one of the kickoff parties.
Families with children are invited to the FAMILY NIGHT on Sat, 9/10 at Rob and Jen’s house. More info and RSVP here: https://forms.gle/D2evv8Zvsubps1Cy6
Youth group members are invited to a POOL PARTY and lunch on Sun 9/11. More info and RSVP here: https://forms.gle/rgjVjpkgNbuJf1PVA
Upper elementary students and youth members are invited to join the worship service as acolytes, greeters/ushers, and readers. Immediately following the 10am service on 9/11, Rob will meet any acolyte-curious students at the altar for a training session. This is a great opportunity to brush up on your acolyting skills or learn how to do the job. You can sign up for any of these positions with this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E49AFAC2DA2F5C16-church (Disclaimer: you do not have to complete the acolyte training on 9/11 to acolyte in the future. Rob is happy to bring new students into the fold whenever they’re ready, however we wanted to offer this for kiddos who may feel more confident with some extra hands-on experience with their friends!)
Cherub choir will kick off on Sunday after church. This is for the youngest singers age 4-8. We will rehearse for approximately 1/2 hour in the choir room on Sundays until 11:45am. A light snack will be served. Parents have often volunteered to bring fresh fruit or crackers as an offering to these rehearsals, which is very appreciated! There is no formal registration for this group, just show up and email me if you have any questions.
The Junior Music program will kick off on Wednesday at 3:30, with a snack/hang time, followed by rehearsal until 5pm. All students in grade 3 and up are welcome to join this program at anytime throughout the year. We will be singing choral music, working on the pageant, and resurrecting our annual musical production! Friends are always welcome. Registering helps us know you’re in! https://forms.gle/JXEk7BntrWezqmYg6
The parish retreat is starting to fill up! Its awesome! I’m getting really excited for that weekend at Merrowvista. I really hope your family will consider breaking away from the ‘real world’ and escaping to this special place with us for the weekend, September 23-25. Children, teenagers, singles, couples, young and old are all welcome and its more fun when we all come together in our messy diversity. RSVP to reserve your spot: https://forms.gle/p5vwPzduoMgE8VGr7
I look forward to seeing everyone at church, to help find places for everyone to feel at home, and to live alongside each other as we make space for fun and community this year! We are still working to finalize the events schedule for the youth group and family programs which we’re feeling pretty excited about too! If you have any time or energy to do some leadership the children’s or youth programs, I’d love to hear from you.
Lots of love and gratitude,
Ashley