Worship Service DescriptionsOur supply priest The Rev. Dr. David S. Pollock x221
Note: All of the services listed offer Communion. We invite and encourage all people to receive Communion with us.
Paid nursery attendants are available throughout Sunday morning, from 9:00am until the conclusion of the 11:00am service. Our nursery is located through the Parish Hall and past the kitchen, near the restrooms. Please ask an usher to assist you in locating it.
SUMMER WORSHIP: Our schedule does not change during the summer months.
HEALING MINISTRY: Wednesdays at 9:15am. St. John's offers a mid-week service of prayer for healing at 9:15am Wednesdays. Anointing with holy oil and laying-on-of-hands form the basis of our prayers for physical, mental, and/or spiritual health for ourselves, loved ones, the people of our parish, and others. This healing ministry is also available in the home for the sick and dying. Please contact the church office at 301-774-6999 for more information.
SCHOOL CHAPEL SERVICES:
Worship MinistriesNote: For more information about, or to join, any of the following, please contact the office at 301-774-6999 or admin@stjohnsolney.org.
Acolytes: Our participatory worship enables children to be of critical support in the conduct of our worship. Beginning at around age 8, children can become "acolytes." Younger children serve as Gospel Book bearers and Torch bearers, while older youth serve as Cross and Banner bearers.; Acolytes are trained quarterly, during which time they also enjoy fun and fellowship. This ministry is coordinated by Carl Ridenour.
Altar Guild: Members of the Guild prepare for each worship service, from Baptism to Communion, from Weddings to Funerals. They are essential for the conduct of our liturgies, especially during such special times as Holy Week, Easter, and Christmas. This ministry is chaired by Pam Brekke.
Catechists: These mature Christians assist priests in the preparation of adults for Baptism by sharing their faith and studying the Bible with baptismal candidates. Our catechists are trained and supervised by Margo Williams and the rector.
Eucharistic Ministers: These are lay people authorized by the Bishop and trained by the parish to administer the consecrated elements (bread and/or wine) at Communion. At St. John’s, our Eucharistic Ministers also assist at Communion by reading lessons. This ministry is coordinated by Alan Soukup.
Eucharistic Visitors: These are lay people authorized by the Bishop and trained by the Diocese to take the consecrated elements (bread and wine) from Sunday Communion to those who were unable to be present because of an illness or infirmity. Beverly Upshur coordinates and oversees this ministry.
Memorial Donations: Parishioners and others regularly choose to remember a departed loved one, or celebrate a joyous blessing, by offering the Sunday Altar Flowers, or by making a donation towards the upkeep of the Sanctuary Light or for the Bread and Wine. Flower donations are $50, the Sanctuary Light $10, and Bread/Wine $5. To make a donation in memory or thanksgiving, please contact the office at 301-774-6999 or admin@stjohnsolney.org. Memorial and Thank-Offering donations are listed in the Sunday bulletin, and prayers are offered for the one in whose name or memory the offering was made. Roberta Ridenour oversees our flower memorial ministry.
Music Ministers: Members of the adult choir make up the bulk of our music ministers. The choir leads congregational singing and provides special music at the 11:00am service and at special events. Practices are on Thursdays from 7:00pm – 8:30pm and on Sundays before the 11:00am service (in the basement choir room). New members are always welcome to join! Contact our Choir Director Musheer Kamau for more information.
St. John's also has a group of contemporary musicians who lead our Family Worship Service. Like the choir, they also provide music on special occasions. This group is led by jazz pianist/blues guitarist Mark Deffenbaugh (our Associate for Contemporary Music Ministry), and accepts new members by audition. Contact Mark Deffenbaugh for more information.
Additionally, we have numerous soloists and ensembles that offer special music on a regular basis, especially at the 11:00am service and during the summer.
A children's choir and a youth band offer special music on a regular basis at the Family Service and other venues. The children’s choir is an aspect of our Sunday School program, while the youth band is assembled on an ad hoc basis several times a year. Contact Mark for more information about our children's choir and youth music programs.
Lectors (Readers): These are dedicated lay people comfortable with and gifted in public speaking who read Bible lessons during worship. This ministry is coordinated by Alan Soukup.
Spiritual Formation Ministries
Margo.Williams@stjohnsolney.org Adult EducationFor information about our Baptismal Preparation program (the "catechumenate") for adults, please see Baptismal Information St. John's offers a wide variety of adult Bible study and theological discussion groups, designed to deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ and empower our service to His world.
In addition to our regular offerings, listed below, we usually have several special classes, seminars, retreats, and one-time events. Check "Announcements" for updated information, or call the office at 301-774-6999 or email your inquiry to admin@stjohnsolney.org.
Please check the above sources for current information as to what each regular group is studying, where it is meeting, and who is leading it.
Call the church office 301-774-6999 to enroll in any class.
Parenting SeminarsA regular parenting group is offered for during the 11:00am service by qualified personnel using an established curriculum. This group offers parents the chance to learn and to process in company with other parents, and is held in the school library (schematic map). Its timing allows parents to attend Family Worship with their children and then to be in group while their kids are in Sunday School. Adult ForumOur Sunday adult forum is held during the 11:00am service in the Spring and the 9:30 service in the Fall. Topics and leaders vary, although classes are often led by one of the clergy of St. John's, or by a lay specialist from within or outside of the parish. Check "Announcements" for updated information, or call the office at 301-774-6999 or email your inquiry to admin@stjohnsolney.org. Children’s EducationFor information about our Baptismal Preparation program for infants and children, please see Baptismal Information. St. John’s Sunday School
Margo.Williams@stjohnsolney.org
"Come Join the Circle" is the name of our rotational style Sunday School for children in pre-school through the elementary grades. This style of Sunday School is designed to make use of the multiple intelligences and learning styles that all children have, including: linguistic, musical, logical, spatial, kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist and existentialist.
Children are divided into three age groups: Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten; Lower Elementary (grades 1-3); and Upper Elementary (grades 4-5); Junior Youth (begins at grade 6). The curriculum is divided into story units. Examples include: God Makes a World; Adam and Eve; God Calls Abraham and Sarah; and Jesus is Born. Each unit is taught for three or four weeks. Each week the children gather for storytelling, then experience two separate rotation activities which help them learn the primary message of the unit in different ways.
The Amazing Bible Race is a scavenger hunt through the Bible, which ends up being read in its entirety over six 12-week legs. Teams with participants from all over the country end up "competing" to see who can advance the fastest with the greatest comprehension. Our Junior and Senior Youth will be checking in with Team leaders about their "racing" progress on Sundays.
In the Amazing Bible Race, there are reading assignments, fun quizzes and challenges, along with community service projects and field trips. Teams work together to solve weekly challenges, encourage each other, and build community as all "race" toward each leg's goal.
Our group accrues points as they complete their readings, and at the end of the official Race, the top ten point-getters nation-wide will receive $500 toward a mission organization of their choice or toward their youth mission program.
In addition to the Amazing Bible Race, our youth are integrally involved in the planning of our monthly youth worship service. Youth help write the prayers, select and perform music, research and present the Bible lessons, and lead the service. St. John’s Episcopal School
John.Zurn@stjes.com x 101
St. John's also administers a coed K-8 day school called St. John's Episcopal School The school was begun in 1961 by the Rev. James Valliant, Rector of St. John's Church, as an outreach to the Olney community. Today the school enrolls 18 students per class (for a total of 320 students) and offers challenging curricular programs, sports, arts, languages, theater, choir, field trips, and other opportunities for student growth and success. Weekly chapel services and religion classes offer students a strong foundation in ethics and the responsibilities we show in a Christian Community. Families from all religious backgrounds are welcome to St. John's Episcopal School.
The mission of St. John's school is to "graduate students of great scholarship, character, and spiritual faith" – with a vision to do so by being the best independent school in the country! St. John's school is the church's largest effort to reach out to and nurture people in the up-building love of Jesus Christ. Graduates regularly advance to the area's most prestigious High Schools, and go on from there to do exceptionally well in the country's pre-eminent colleges. Often they write or return as adults to tell us how formative St. John's was in their intellectual, moral, and spiritual development. As one former student recently wrote:
"I owe…thanks for nine wonderful years I spent at St. John's. There isn’t a memory I have that is not somehow tied to the school. From solar system reports with Mrs. Morrow to check writing with Mrs. Anthony, my father and I contracting poison ivy from clearing brush….to the "fuzzy pickles" school photographer, counting candy in Kindergarten Spanish to International Festivals, Blue and Gold days, and Friday chapels; every memory I can conjure of my childhood during those years is intimately associated with the school. The school implanted in me, and then nurtured the values of kindness, compassion, honesty, and respect."
"...The aspect of St. John's that brings me most joy... is not what the school did for me. I am most pleased when I remember how the school united my entire family. With my sister in the hallway beside me, my mother working on costumes for various productions, and my father doing whatever it is that lawyers do behind closed doors, I was overwhelmed with happiness when my parents were awarded with honorary diplomas at graduation. St. John's was the one place we could all go as a family. It really was second home to us. Working and consulting at other private schools in the area, I understand how truly unique this aspect is."
"All of that however, is impersonal, which is unbefitting St. John's. The school as an institution did a great many things for me and for my family, but it is the people who shaped my life so profoundly. The school gave me room to grow and refine my talents. You bent over backwards to encourage, help, and guide me along the path I have followed. I could not possibly be where I am today without your support and involvement. When you gave me a problem or a challenge, you treated me like a peer. More than that, you gave me that challenge. You allowed me to search out the solution and learn from experience. You set the stage for the rest of my life."
As a part of its community life, the school itself also undertakes numerous outreach projects throughout the year, all of which are designed to share the love of Christ in concrete ways with people in our community and throughout the world.
For more information about the academic excellence and Christian values of this outstanding school community, please refer to the school's website at www.stjes.com or email
Headmaster John Zurn.
St. John's parishioner Caroline Elmendorf chairs the St. John's School Board.
Youth Education
Margo.Williams@stjohnsolney.org
Johnna Benson youthjb@stjohnsolney.org x 218
youthrs@stjohnsolney.org x 218
St. John's Youth Group is ever-growing!
The Jr. Youth Group is made up of middle schoolers 6th through 8th grade. The Sr. High Group is made up of high schoolers 9th through 12th grade.
Each Youth Group is actively involved in outreach and service projects both in and outside of the Parish. Youth play an integral role in the life of the parish as readers and Eucharistic Ministers during church services, and as volunteers and participants throughout our various ministries.
Regular youth worship services are also held on Sunday mornings, usually once a month. Youth actively plan and participate in these services, which are designed to address their worship desires and spiritual needs.
Once a year, the youth undertake a week-long Group Workcamp, which many afterwards describe as the most meaningful event of their lives. Workcamp brings youth together from around the country in Christian solidarity to help some of our nation’s most needy people. Youth play a hands-on role in building and renovating homes in order to offer people new hope and better lives.
The Youth of St. John's work hard to play hard. Regular youth teachings are held, usually on a Sunday evening, and youth participate in our Sunday morning Christian formation program. Youth fellowship activities include:
Through our every youth activity, we seek to build strong faith and a proactive love for one another and God.
Come join our dynamic, worshipful, growing, and fun youth ministry as we rejoice in and serve our Lord and Savior, the Risen Jesus Christ!
Prayer and Spiritual EnrichmentTo request prayer on behalf of yourself or for some particular person or need click here.
For further information on Spiritual Enrichment, please see the Worship, Adult Education, Children's Education, and Youth Education sections above.
Caring FellowshipPastoral CareSt. John's offers pastoral care and spiritual guidance through its clergy, staff, and trained care-giver volunteers, who meet with people to pray about and discuss life issues and faith questions, or to simply offer Christian fellowship with folks going through a time of need. Clergy and licensed lay ministers also offer sacramental comfort such as Communion, Unction (healing prayers), and Last Rites.
Contact the office at 301-774-6999 or admin@stjohnsolney.org with any pastoral care need and/or to request that a priest contact you to set up an appointment.
Contact the office as well if you would be interested in serving on our pastoral care team, the members of which call and visit the homebound, coordinate meals and transportation for those in need, and assist the clergy with regular pastoral care monitoring and follow-up.
Emergency care is available to parishioners by calling the emergency contact numbers given in the weekly worship bulletin.
Beverly Upshur coordinates our lay care-giving team. Health MinistryFor a description of our healing liturgy (worship service), please see "Healing Service" under Worship.
Prayers for healing and help are also offered through our parish intercession lists. To request prayers for yourself, a loved one, or a friend please send the person's first (and, with his/her permission, last) name to admin@stjohnsolney.org. Prayers normally are left on our lists for one month before needing to be renewed by those who initially offered them.
Women of St. John'sThe Women of St. John's meet regularly for fellowship, learning opportunities, and service projects. In its past, the Women were responsible for the formation of our "African Palms" outreach ministry – a work in which many women remain deeply involved. To obtain contact names in order to learn more about the Women of St. John's, please call the office at 301-774-6999 or email to admin@stjohnsolney.org.
Parish FellowshipSunday Brunch is offered weekly from 9am to Noon and consists of one hot dish, fruit, pastries, juice and coffee. A "continental option" consisting of a pastry and coffee or juice is also available. First time guests are free, while others are asked to pay a nominal fee to cover costs of $4/person or $20/family.
Foyer groups are also organized. These consist of several households who get together monthly for dinner at a parishioner's home. Anyone can sign-up to attend Foyers, which offers a chance for new and established members alike to get to know one another and care for each other as part of the larger community of faith. Foyers has no agenda, project, or program other than to increase Christian Fellowship.
In addition, our Events Coordinator along with our Parish Life forum organize numerous recreational and fellowship opportunities throughout the year, from our church picnic to our annual bazaar, from recreational retreats and family gatherings to group attendance at plays, sporting events, and concerts. Check the Parish Calendar and/or Announcements for up-to-date information.
EvangelismSt. John's evangelism ministry undergirds and interweaves all of its ministries and activities, for our mission is to "restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ Jesus" (Book of Common Prayer, p858).
To this end, our Welcoming Team seeks to make St. John's known as a place where the multi-faceted needs of many people are met as they develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, as He is present within His Church.
The Welcoming Team is thus responsible for all parish advertising and marketing, and for the warm welcome of visitors and the full incorporation of new members. The Team seeks to ensure that parish programs match the felt and actual needs of real people, and works with other parish groups to make sure that newcomers are nurtured and cared for. It also works with newcomers and other parish groups to see that people have every opportunity to use their unique gifts and abilities for the service of God in ways that build them up to become all that God envisioned.
Note: Those interested in knowing more about, or participating in, one of the following may contact the office at 301-774-6999 or admin@stjohnsolney.org. Jay Lozier oversees our welcoming ministries.
The Welcoming Forum oversees the following ministries: Greeter's MinistrySt. John's greeters welcome visitors to our worship services. They offer a friendly, helpful presence as they assist newcomers in becoming oriented to our building and worship. Greeters can introduce parents to our nursery, offer folks unfamiliar with Episcopal worship a brief service tutorial, and make sure interested people receive information and a follow-up call from our Pastor and staff.
Greeters meet people at the door of the Church as they arrive, and staff our "welcome table" following services. Parish VisitorsSt. John's visitors take a basket of goodies and information to households who recently visited one of our worship services. The intention is to reinforce our welcome with a tangible "Thank You for Coming!" gift, and encourage people to ask questions and become a part of our Church family. UshersUshers assist greeters in welcoming people to St. John's, specifically to its worship space. They stand ready to help orient people to Episcopal worship in a more detailed way than is possible for our greeters, and they can also assist newcomers with finding their way around the building.
Ushers play a further role in our worship services as they present bread and wine for use in the Eucharist, and as they collect and bring forward the offering. Ushers always are available to help any attendee who is in need during worship.
Rick Miller coordinates our Ushers.
Jay Lozier oversees all our ministries.
OutreachThe Outreach Committee reaches out to those in need within our local, regional, and global communities through hands-on and financial support. Members participate in activities sponsored by the Committee, advise in allocation of outreach funds, as well as take leadership roles in spearheading initiatives. Among those supported include local women's shelter, United Thank Offering, Samaritan Ministries, Montgomery County Cribs for Kids, Salvation Army Christmas Angels, Episcopal Children's Center and Senior Ministries, Frontier Horizon, Community Ministries, and Olney Help.
Those who would like more information about these ministries, or who would like to get involved, please contact the office at 301-774-6999 or admin@stjohnsolney.org.
Dawn Hohl chairs our Outreach team.
If you would like to make a financial gift to one or more of these ministries, please click here to be linked to Pay Pal.
African Palms
africanpalms@stjohnsolney.org x 219
The Women of St. John's founded African Palms USA in 1976 as an outreach to Africa. Since then, African Palms has awarded $1.7 million in micro-grants for human relief and economic development projects throughout Africa. African Palms is St. John's largest human relief outreach ministry.
The mission of African Palms is to "witness to Jesus Christ by working together to empower people to alleviate the many dimensions of poverty in Africa." Our vision is to accomplish this mission by, "nurturing the development of vibrant communities in which individuals lead healthy, safe, and productive lives in harmony with one another and creation, in the full vision of Christ."
African Palms conducts its ministry by purchasing crosses made from palm branches by villagers in nine rural Tanzanian villages. Income from the production of these crosses sustains many families, improves the local standard of living, and gives children the opportunity to attend school.; When the priest of one of these villages visited St. John's while studying for an advanced degree in the United States, he recalled how as a child he helped his family make palm crosses. The money his family made enabled them to send him to school.
Purchased crosses are then sold by African Palms to churches and other institutions throughout North America. Nearly 1.5 million crosses are sold annually and are used in Palm Sunday services and for other significant occasions. Net proceeds raised from the sale supports our grant program, with between $50,000 and $100,000 granted to worthy projects each year. Water development, disease prevention, and AIDS treatment have been the focus of recent grants.
The life-changing ministry of African Palms is made possible by the many, many people who volunteer in our office and to help prepare and ship crosses. If you are interested in more information, please email our African Palms Director africanpalms@stjohnsolney.org or go to www.africanpalmsUSA.org.
Jim Cooper chairs the African Palms board.
World Community GridThe World Community Grid uses personal and business computers world-wide in order to conduct and advance research designed to cure some of the world's most deadly and debilitating diseases.
Research "tasks" are given to a person's individual computer so that that computer can work on the solution to the task by utilizing that computer's available computational power. All together, participating computers form the world's 5th largest "supercomputer" and have advanced medical research by generations.
Proven safe from viruses and security breaches, the World Community Grid is an easy way to play a significant role in the ending of some of humanity's most virulent plagues.
The combined staffs of the St. John's community, as well as many individual parishioners, have registered their computers as a part of the Grid.
For more information, or to register your computer, go to www.worldcommunitygrid.org.
St. John's participates in "Jessica's Team" – a subgroup of Grid participates dedicated to preserving the memory of Jessica, a St. John's parishioner who died as an infant from an incurable disease. Other Outreach ProjectsSt. John's Outreach Committee oversees parish involvement in and funding of several additional projects throughout the year, including several Holiday projects and regular support for various local shelters and relief organizations. Among those supported: the local women's shelter, United Thank Offering, Samaritan Ministry, ABC Quilt for HIV babies, Cribs for Kids, and the Salvation Army.
The Rector's Discretionary Fund is an additional means by which St. John's supports human relief, charitable, and outreach ventures. Money is used for immediate relief in order to assist individuals with basic human needs, and to support various organizations.
To offer your financial assistance to any of these causes, please link to PayPal and designate your offering as desired.
Mission TripsFrom one to several times a year, St. John's will organize a mission trip, involving adults and/or youth, to a place where volunteer hours are needed for human service. Group Workcamp trips have been an especially important annual outreach of our youth group. For more information about Group Workcamp, go to www.groupworkcamps.com.
What follows is a description of one such mission trip. For pictures, please go to the gallery.
Scouting
St. John's supports a wide array of scouting opportunities for girls and boys with the presence of highly active Scouting groups on site. To obtain contact names in order to learn more about St. John's Scouting, please call the office at 301-774-6999 or email to admin@stjohnsolney.org.
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Organist/Choirmaster:
Musheer Petersen-Kamau x213 
Our
Associate for Contemporary Music Ministry: Mark Deffenbaugh x217 
Margo
Williams Director of Christian Formation x 212
John
H. Zurn, Headmaster, St. John's School 
Our
Associate for Youth Ministry and Fundraising: 
Our
Associate for Youth Ministry: Ryan Smith
Our
African Palms Office Manager: Pat Martineau
