There has been a Men’s Ministry, in one form or another, at St. John’s since the church first became a parish 1873. Our men’s group was previously affiliated with the Brotherhood of St. Andrew; an Episcopal men’s organization originally formed in 1883. So you can see there is some history here. The Mission of our Men’s Ministry is to help the men and youth of St. John’s experience the deep love of our Lord Jesus through prayer, study, and service, and to bring others with us on this amazing journey. Our purpose is three-fold. To pray together for each other, our families, our congregation, our community, and the world. To study the teachings of Jesus so we can readily share his love with others where ever we may go. And, to serve our congregation and our community in ways that demonstrate we are the body of Christ in this world.
We serve God through our service to others. The Men’s Ministry serves our congregation through the “Helping Hands” ministry, which is available to all parishioners that might need a little extra help with a task that you just can’t do by yourself, but need to get done. This spring you could find us building the new fence around the St. John’s organic garden that brings fresh fruits and vegetables to our local food pantries. We also serve those in our community through the St. John’s food distribution ministry that provides much needed assistance to a number of families in our congregation and surrounding community. At other times, you will find us fund raising through our fellowship activities, which allows us to donate to a variety of organizations.
The Men’s Ministry provides leadership and labor for several events each year at St. John’s. We run a fall Barbeque and Chili Cooking Contest that cannot be missed. There are some amazing chili cooks in our congregation and you will want to sample as many as your tummy will allow in one sitting, come September. We assist with the St. Patrick’s Day corned beef dinner that has been so capably run by Lois Valliere for many years, and is a special event for many each March. And for the few of you that may not yet know it, the Men’s Ministry runs an annual summer Pig Roast Barbeque that has been described by many as the tastiest church picnic this side of the Mississippi.