Return to In-Church Service May 23

Dear Friends,

Alleluia! In the course of only a few weeks we have gone from the red zone (extreme risk), to orange (high risk), and now yellow (medium risk). There is only one zone—green—that is lower than our current pandemic status. Moving to the yellow zone means a new, more relaxed, set of guidelines from the Bishop, which I have tried to make as succinct as possible below.

This week’s Pentecost service will be at 10:00 in the Church, with all windows open and fans on. Your “Going Forward Safety Committee,” is working hard to ensure your safety—and I certainly hope you will come—but only you can decide if an indoor in-person service feels comfortable. If not, the service will be recorded “live” on Zoom and Facebook for you to enjoy from home. 

After Pentecost we enter the green season of “Ordinary Time.” Let’s hope there are green pastures ahead and we can all return to ordinary time soon—this time with a new appreciation of how extraordinary ordinary time really is!

Stay safe--Candace+

SERVICE TIME: limited to 45 minutes.

MASKS: required by all whether or not you are vaccinated. If needed, extra masks are available at the door.

SOCIAL DISTANCING: will continue to be six feet apart. Every other pew will be cordoned off to facilitate this. Families may continue sitting together as we did in the fall.

TEMPERATURE TAKING: no longer necessary.

ATTENDANCE: indoor limit now 50% of capacity, which is 60 people at St. John’s.

RSVP: no longer necessary as we will certainly be under 60.

RECORDED ATTENDANCE: we will record who attends in case there is a need to do contact tracing.

COMMUNION: will be offered every week going forward and will remain bread only.

SINGING: choral/congregational singing allowed with all distanced by six feet and masked. One congregational hymn allowed at close of service.

COFFEE HOUR: outdoors only, masked as needed. We hope to resume Coffee Hour in June.

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Welcome to St. John's!

St. John’s is an inclusive, progressive, authentic, and joyful community. We dare to see the world as it is, and strive to change it into the world that God would have it be.

We are glad you are visiting our web home, and invite you join us for worship and fellowship.

We are an Episcopal congregation located in beautiful Montclair, N.J. just blocks from the Walnut Street train station and shopping district. We offer two services each Sunday during the school year, at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. (one service at 9 a.m. during the summer).  Children gather for Church School prior to the main service, then join their families for Holy Communion.