Message from the Rector

     Our mission at St. John’s…building bridges for Christ one heart at a time.  I think that the very first word of that mission statement says it all.  In this very special place we are building relationships with Christ and with one another…the Spirit is alive at St. John’s and God’s glory is most certainly revealed and reflected in the people that call this place home.  We are building God’s church…steadily growing in numbers and in ministry opportunities so that we may focus our energy on the calling that God has placed on our hearts.  At St. John’s there are no strangers…we really do mean that.  Once you pass through our doors you become part of our family.  St. John’s offers worship services that give you a taste of both traditional and contemporary music.  Our youth group is strong, our Sunday School Ministry offers something for all ages, we fellowship together whenever we possibly can, and our mission and outreach is beginning to increase.  If you are searching for a church to call home I encourage you to pay us a visit.  When you do you will find the arms of our Savior opening up to you from the moment you arrive.

May God bless you always…

Father Mike Besson, Rector

Becoming a Member of St. John’s:  

You are welcome and encouraged to become a part of our family!  Continue to worship with us on a regular basis and you are considered a member.  To assist us with all the paperwork, simply call the church office so that we can begin the process of transferring your “letter” to St. John’s.  If you would like to become an Episcopalian, then you can join us for confirmation classes offered once a year.  Once you have completed the classes, and have been baptized in the Christian Faith, then you will be either confirmed (from other faith traditions) or received (from the Catholic faith) into the Episcopal Church.

Mission Statement

Building bridges for Christ

One heart at a time

Vision

St. John’s vision is to strengthen our relationship with God and our community by focusing on our mission and outreach programs, commitment to youth, worship, Christian education for all and communication.

Core Values

We strive to be a loving community

1. We build community through parish wide events, small groups and one-to-one caring.

2. We practice listening to one another and giving honest responses.  We value each person, no one is dismissed.

3. With God’s help we are committed to treating each other with dignity and respect through home visiting, sharing the Eucharist and taking food when needed.

4. We are committed to a ministry of hospitality that includes a welcome to those who join us in our parish activities.

We are committed to our youth, i.e., the ‘not yet adults’ of all ages.

1. We reinforce the lectionary lessons during Sunday school.

2. Children worship together during Sunday services twice a month.

3. Elementary school aged children gather for seedlings

4. We encourage our youth (6-12 grade) to participate in AWOL (Another Way of Life) weekly.

We are here to carry out mission and outreach to La Porte

1. We seek to express God’s love for us in outreach and service to our neighbors of La Porte.

2. We emphasize generously offering our time, talent, and treasure to serve the needs of children and families through our After School program.

3. We support our young people with our time, talent, treasure, and presence as they embark in mission work.

4. We support local charities around the area:  food pantry, habitat for Humanity, Seaman’s Center, and the Inter Church Council.

We value joyful worship in the breadth of the Episcopal tradition

1. We strengthen our connection to God and to one another through liturgical worship in the Episcopal tradition.

2. Our worship experiences foster our core values as a community.

3. We welcome the participation of all people, including children, young people, adults, and seniors.

4. Our music supports congregational participation in our worship, provides inspiration, and reflects the richness of our traditions.

5. We rejoice with contemporary music during the ‘Gathering’.

We practice strong, shared servant leadership.

1. We are devoted to serving the needs of St. John’s La Porte.

2. We strive to develop others to follow us into leadership.

3. We listen to each other and work to build community.

4. We encourage and nurture each other through all levels of service.

St. John’s History

When the nine founding fathers of St. John's La Porte met on a cold January evening some fifty-two years ago, little did they imagine that some day their church would be attended by men who would carry a psalm to the moon, bring it back, and present it to St. John's…

On that night, it was agreed that Evening Prayer would be held as the first service three weeks later in the Music Room of the old La Porte High School building. The tiny congregation developed rapidly. They met every two weeks at the High School and then on Maundy Thursday, May 29, 1945, the La Porte Methodist Church was borrowed for the first service of Holy Communion.

Construction began in early March 1947 on the first building of St. John's Mission, a Christian education building that would be used for church services until the sanctuary could be built. The first service held in the new building was Easter Sunday, April 16, 1947, a day of great celebration and thanksgiving for the mission which had worshipped in borrowed places for two years. (That original building is now a private residence in La Porte.)

Our current sanctuary was dedicated in 1953 and we added a new narthex. There are two other structures on the property. Stein Hall houses our after school program and our Godly play Sunday school classrooms. Faith Hall, houses our fellowship hall and commercial kitchen. The area currently in use at Faith Hall is the completion of phase one of a two-part vision. The vision will be completed with a second story for Faith Hall that will combine Christian education and fellowship, and renovation of Stein Hall that will include additional rooms for the After School Program and elevators for both buildings.

Through the years, our congregation has been blessed by these loving and shepherding priests:  P. Walter Henckell-Vicar 1945-1948, Cabot Stein-1948-1954 David McGirr-1955-1956, Robert Lane-1957-1961, Donald Raish-1962-1971, Leighton Younger 1972-1997 Father Younger is our Rector Emeritus., Will Hood-1999-2003, Bill Deforest-2003-2004, Michael Besson 2006-present

Our interim clergy included: Joseph De Paola, Robert Johnson (who started as an assistant to Will Hood) and Linda Wilson.

Together, our clergy and members have successfully realized the completion of many visions. Including:

· The buildings: the sanctuary and narthex, stained glass windows, two parish halls (Stein Hall and Faith Hall), an administrative building, and the purchase of adjoining property to accommodate our growing parish.

· Worship services: both Rite I an d Rite II are used, a choir, musicians to add to our Sunday morning experience, a contemporary service once a month, a strong youth program, and a Daughters of the King Chapter.

· Equipping of lay persons as: worship leaders, lectors, chalice bearers, Eucharistic ministers, acolytes and altar guild.

· Christian education:  Church school for youth and adults, children’s church, men’s Bible study, women’s ecumenical Bible study and Wednesday evening worship.

· Community service: the After School Program, participation with Habitat for Humanity, and participation in other community activities.

At St. John’s, we honor our past and look forward to riding the crest of saints who have gone before as we continue our adventure toward “all such good works as God has prepared for us to walk in.”

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