NEW TO ST. JOHN'S?
WELCOME
If you are visiting, or plan to visit one of our Sunday Masses for the first time, welcome to St. John the Evangelist! Our Sunday Mass can be an unfamiliar experience for our visitors. We want to help you feel comfortable. Here is a short explanation on some of the things you will experience.
ACTIONS
There are three main actions during Mass: stand, sit and kneel
STAND
When we stand, it is time for us to use our voices. We say prayers to God, and we sing to God about His love and glory.
SIT
When we sit, it is time for us to receive. We sit, listening with the best of our ability, to the Bible readings and the sermon.
KNEEL
People have knelt before earthly kings and queens throughout history. When we kneel during Mass, we do so because Jesus is physically present in our Church. We kneel before our King.
EXPERIENCES
Our senses are engaged during Sunday Mass. Here is a short explanation of just a few of our experiences
HEAR
Our music is centered around the worship of God. The organ is our main instrument. Cantors and a choir lead us in our vocal worship of God. Frequently, we join in singing with our musicians, but we also connect with God by listening to the beauty of the music.
We have three Bible readings during our Mass. We look at life before Jesus, after Jesus, and during the time of Jesus. A priest or deacon will deliver a sermon on the readings.
SIGHT
Our church is filled with many different objects. Each serves a purpose. Our altar is where Jesus physically enters our Mass. The tabernacle houses Jesus permanently in our church.
We also see statues and a crucifix. These objects serve to help us focus our worship on God. We do not worship the objects themselves.
INTERACT
We interact with each other toward the end of Mass during the "Sign of Peace". We take a moment to offer peace to the people around us by offering a handshake.
At our time of communion, Catholics come forward to receive Jesus into their bodies. When Catholics come to the front of the church, the Priest will give the bread, which is now Jesus, to the person and they consume the host. Only Catholics can receive Jesus at communion. If you are interested or curious about this type of union with Jesus, you may speak with Fr. Gregerson or someone from our welcoming team after Mass. You can also email jevangelista@stjohncatholic.com
FOUR PILLARS OF ST. JOHN'S
Every event has a purpose. That purpose is best described in our four pillars
INVITE
Not everyone is a member at St. John's. We invite visitors to come experience who we are and what we do. We hope you'll find us a community of love and friendship. Come check us out!
ENCOUNTER
God is a person and we can have a friendship with Him. The starting point of our Catholic Faith is encountering Jesus. We host events that help us encounter Jesus during the year. If you are interested in an encounter with Jesus, we invite you to attend an upcoming encounter event.
GROW
Once someone has encountered Jesus, many have the desire to dedicate their lives to Him. Our grow events teach you what it means to follow Jesus. This occurs for us in small groups. If you want to become a follower of Jesus, we invite you to join one of our small groups.
SEND
After someone has committed to Jesus, they want to know how they can impact the world. This can take on many shapes and sizes. In our send events, we try to help people discover their gifts as well as their calling from God. This helps provide a specific way to serve the community and the world.