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to St. John’s Episcopal Church

About the Episcopal church

Learn more about the Episcopal Church and its rich history.

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Orientation Process

We welcome you to St. John’s and to the Episcopal Church. By worshipping with us and joining with us in our common life together, you are a member of our church. We need you to complete a newcomer card which can be found in the pews or obtained from an usher. That information will be stored in our database, so that you will receive electronic and printed materials about our life together.

If you are interested in formally becoming an Episcopalian, we offer an Inquirers’ Class that is held periodically during the year. The class will provide instruction for you to be confirmed (if you have not already been confirmed in another tradition) or to be received into the Episcopal Church—both of which will be officiated by a Bishop in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. That instruction will include familiarity with The Book of Common Prayer, important history of the Episcopal Church, our governance, our liturgy, and what makes us unique in our Christian faith as Episcopalians who are part of the wider Anglican Communion. For more information, contact Chelsea and she can make arrangements for you to speak with one of the clergy. We look forward to having you join!

contact us

how to find us

St. John’s Episcopal Church
3 Cross Street in Essex, CT 06426

how to join

For more information, please contact the church office and schedule a discussion with a member of the clergy.

(860) 767-8095  |  chelsea@stjohnsessex.org

Hours of Worship

Join us on Sundays for worship inside our sanctuary or by livestream!

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  • 8:00 a.m. | Holy Eucharist with Communion 
  • 10:15 a.m. | Holy Eucharist with Communion
  • 5:00 p.m. | “Come As You Are” Holy Eucharist (paused during the month of August)

From Our Parishioners

“Inspirational leadership that connects church to daily life via messages of hope or missions of thankfulness.”

“There is an unspoken understanding that we’re each seeking relationships with God in our own ways.”

“Opportunities for spiritual growth for both adults and youth.”

“The congregation always steps up to help when needs arise.”

“Those who are sick or shut in are not lost sheep.”

“Commitment to the community.”

“Strong friendships developed as a result of common church activities.”

“A spiritually welcoming community for everybody, no matter where you are on your journey.”

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Weddings at St. John’s

In the Episcopal Church, Christian marriage is a sacramental rite in which two persons, regardless of gender, enter into a life-long union, make their vows before God and the Church, and receive the grace and blessing of God to help them fulfill their vows.

All active parishioners and their family members may be married at St. John’s.  If you are currently not a member, or would like to know more about St. John’s or the Episcopal Church, we sincerely invite you reach out to us and make an appointment to visit with the clergy and get to know more about our worshipping community.

This is a place where you are very welcome, and we would be honored to be a part of your celebration of love for each other, which you have discerned the need to be grounded in God’s love for all of us.

Baptisms

Through Baptism, God’s children are made “members of Christ’s Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God” (Book of Common Prayer, 1979).

It marks the initiation of a person in her or his walk with Christ. This sacrament is usually celebrated within a service of the Holy Eucharist on a Sunday morning in order that those who are gathered together can acknowledge their responsibility to help nurture those who are being baptized.

For more information about baptism, please contact the church office at (860)-767-8095, or chelsea@stjohnsessex.org, and schedule a discussion with a member of the clergy.

We look forward to visiting with you further!

Funerals

Lord Jesus Christ, by your death you took away the sting of death: Grant to us your servants so to follow in faith where you have led the way, that we may at length fall asleep in your likeness; for your tender mercies’ sake. Amen.

When a member of the parish dies or is near death, the church office should be notified immediately at (860) 767-8095. The Rector and staff are ready to be of assistance at any hour and are willing to be with the family while burial arrangements are made at the funeral home if their presence is desired.

It is highly recommended that either the family or the funeral home call the church office before a burial date and time is set and publicized so that no time conflicts occur.