St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
St. Johnsbury, Vermont
Mission Statement
We believe God is calling us – through our Baptismal Covenant and the example of Jesus – to a ministry of worship and study, witness and service. In this we strive to be an inclusive community of faith, offering all people sanctuary, healing and fellowship.
We continue to live out our mission statement through our mutual ministries which include: Worship, Christian Formation, Administration, Stewardship, Outreach and Pastoral Care.
Who we are:
v We are a small, diverse, enthusiastic congregation of 35-40 active members. We have recently welcomed two new young couples and their little children who they brought to be baptized. We have a good number of inactive members who return for special occasions. We also welcome a small number of summer visitors.
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v St. Andrew’s has a small but active lay ministry and worship team who lead monthly Morning Prayer, serve our shut-in members and lead worship at a home for the elderly on alternate months. They have been invaluable during our transition time without a priest. Recently, we began to meet with the congregation of St. Peter’s, Lyndonville, for Eucharist on the 4th Sunday of each month.
v We enjoy a basic sense of optimism and hopefulness.
v We intentionally turn outward rather than inward, particularly when welcoming new people to our congregation.
v We strive to enhance a community spirit through a Sunday morning Coffee Hour, picnics, fundraising events and family gatherings.
v A healing prayer team is available after services to minister to those in need.
v We have historically used Rite Two in our Worship Services except for 1st Sundays, when we use an alternate inclusive language Eucharistic liturgy.
v In our determination to keep our church life alive, many members of the congregation have, in the last two years, taken on the jobs usually done by hired staff.
v Several of our members are active participants in Diocesan leadership roles.
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v On average, 10 to 12 children ranging in age from 1 to 17 participate in Sunday worship as acolytes, teen child-care providers or church school attendees.
v A faithful team of adults devote themselves to providing childcare and children's worship on a regular basis.
v We have had a growing Christian-based discussion group for St. Andrew’s Teens and their friends, with two adults as leaders.
v We have a small but lively LifeCycles group.
v Our fully functioning vestry welcomes constructive discontent.
v The majority of our members are employed in the field of Human Services and are active in several community service endeavors.
v A small group is working on updating our library and relocating it around a welcoming space in our hall.
v Our Building Committee is currently working with an architect on a Feasibility Study to determine how our beautiful 1877 building on historic Main Street might be made handicap accessible and more available to the community.
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v We have a faithful music director. We also have several capable musicians who are willing to play the piano and other instruments in order to enhance our worship. We have a lovely, antique organ and a grand piano; we host occasional community concerts, readings and other presentations.
v We are grateful for sound financial management and controls. Also for endowments that contribute substantially to our income.
v While Episcopal membership in Vermont has been relatively stable, for various reasons we have lost a significant number of members in recent years.
v We have an active website. We maintain electronic communication with online members including the monthly newsletter, and reach those not online by phone or by mail.
Who we seek to become:
Our overall expectations of future ministry are to:
v deepen the spiritual lives of our members
v bring in people from the local community to be a part of our church family so that their lives may be deepened as they come to know God’s love.
Call it church growth, outreach, evangelism, whatever the term, our major expectation is to bring people to know - and know more deeply - the love of God. This work can only be done by the participation of all members of our congregation along with the help and support of a priest. By his/her support of all we are already doing as Christians, by working together on the following expectations and by inviting others to join us, we will find God in our midst.
Our expectations are to:
v continue on with our current ministries
v expand our ministries more into the local community, including the prison.
v increase our church membership to a level where each member is not wearing so many hats.
v improve our ability to communicate well and honestly with each other.
v deal with the realities of our dwindling financial resources and aging building.
v continue the search for an organist and new choir members
v find ways for our property to be used more as part of community life.
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St. Johnsbury and surrounding areas:
Visit www.discoverstjvt.com
National Geographic named St. Johnsbury as the "#1 Small Town for Adventure". St. Johnsbury combines an energetic business district with a rich cultural life, year-round recreational opportunities, and beautiful historical buildings.
St. Johnsbury lies at the confluence of three rivers. It's conveniently located at the intersection of Interstates 93 and 91. There are 7500 residents in St. Johnsbury, making it the largest town in northeastern Vermont and New Hampshire. It's just 45 minutes from the Canadian border, an hour's drive from Dartmouth College and many ski resorts are nearby, including the hidden gem of Burke Mountain.
St. Johnsbury is a Preserve America and Main Street Community. The town cares about its history, architecture, cultural and authentic small town life.
Education in St. Johnsbury:
St. Johnsbury has a rich tradition of education. St. Johnsbury Academy, founded by the Fairbanks family in 1842, is a top-ranked private preparatory school which also functions as the local high school. It offers one of the most diversified education programs in the country, with course offerings that range from an extensive technical program to a wide selection of advanced placement offerings. The school population of almost 1,000 students includes approximately 200 boarding students from around the world, giving the school a strong international flavor. The beautiful facilities and innovative faculty bring St. Johnsbury Academy national acclaim. Visit www.stjacademy.org
St. Johnsbury has a public school system for pre-K through 8th grade, located in the heart of town. Several private elementary and middle schools are also available in the local area.
Eight miles from St. Johnsbury, in Lyndonville, VT, is Lyndon State College, one of the four state colleges of Vermont. Besides providing higher education for about 1,200 students, the College reaches out to the local community through its course offerings as well as its many cultural events, which are open to the public.
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Brief history of St. Andrew’s:
On August 3, 1881 the parish church of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Society was consecrated as a “House of Worship”. The first public service using the Book of Common Prayer in St. Johnsbury was in 1856. Attempts to form an Episcopal congregation were abandoned at the outbreak of the Civil War. Early in 1876 three leading citizens called a meeting to discuss the possibility of having regular services and calling a rector. A call was extended to the Rev. E.R. Atwill. A year later the Rev. Nathaniel Putnam was called to be the rector and 20 men of the local congregation associated themselves as a religious society known as the Parish of St. Andrew’s Church. On Nov.15, 1877 ground was broken for the building of a church. From then until 1981, the parish has had approximately 26 rectors. The full history record is on file at St. Andrew’s church and in the local archives.
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
1265 Main St.
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
Phone: 802-748-2121
Sunday Worship: 10:00AM
Church School & Nursery: 9:45AM