Statement of Purpose, Our Mission and Safe Church Policy for St. John's Episcopal Church
Our Mission
Loving and following Jesus Christ
Our Vision
Together we journey toward wholeness of Body, Mind, and Spirit; by being a Welcoming, Feeding, and Healing Community
Our Core Values
1) We are an open-door church. We seek to be a welcoming, safe, nurturing family. We enjoy fun, fellowship, and food--both spiritual and physical--through our weekly Communion, our gatherings, and our outreach activities.
2) We know that all persons are at different places in their spiritual journey and that growing in faith is a life-long process.
3) Our worship is structured but flexible and centers on the Word of God (the Bible) and Holy Eucharist (Communion).
4) Baptism is our entry into the Life and Love of Christ and His works of mercy, justice, and healing.
5) Prayer connects us to God and is central to all we do and are.
SAFE CHURCH POLICIES & PROCEDURES
St. John's intends to provide a safe church environment for all who participate in any church sponsored activity as a member of the congregation, the clergy, a visitor, or an employee. All persons are welcome here and we seek to keep all persons safe from any form of abuse or exploitation, and to promote well-being including physical, emotional, and spiritual. We seek also to teach and model Christian behavior exemplifying Christ's love, nurture, and compassion and to live out our baptismal covenant to respect the dignity of every human being in an atmosphere of trust.
To that end, St. John's has appointed a Safe Church Advocate and a Safe Church Team. We do screening and we conduct criminal background checks on all clergy, staff and volunteers who work with any at-risk vulnerable portion of our population, such as children, youth, or the vulnerable elderly, or in our public outreach programs.
