Mission Teams at St. John’s support outreach operations and ministries of the church in a variety of ways. Below is a list of the Mission Teams at St. John’s and a description of the work they do for the church and community.
Adult Ministry Mission Team
This team supports education, fellowship, and spiritual growth opportunities for adults and their families. Adult Education Classes, Small Groups, St. John’s History, Archives and Library Resources, the Reading Group, and Golf Ministry are all included in the Adult Ministry Mission Team.
Every Sunday from 10-11 AM there is a Lesson Discussion regarding the Bible passages that are read during worship that day. This discussion is held in the Blue Room (3rd floor). All are welcome, come and listen or participate, whatever your comfort level might be. No knowledge of the Bible is needed to attend!
From September-May there are also themed Bible studies that take place in the early afternoon and evening each Wednesday. More specifics on these studies are posted to the website as they are planned or you can call the church office to receive info. (845-452-1550)
Children’s Ministry Mission Team
The Children’s Mission Team (CMT) connects children from birth to 5th grade and their families with the life and teachings of Jesus. This involves instructing them in faith related activities, encouraging regular participation in family worship services, providing Christian fellowship activities and service opportunities. JAM (Jesus and Me Program similar to Sunday School for pre-school through grade 5), Holy Communion Education, Chapel Choir are important programs the CMT supports.
Communication Mission Team
Communication within the congregation and in the community is vital for St. John’s as we try to connect people to Jesus and our mission. The Communication Team publicized events and services through a variety of ways, including emails, Facebook, the church website, posters, signs, texts and media announcements.
Evangelism Mission Team
The word evangelism opens up many definitions in the minds of people, but basically this mission team tries to connect people to God. They support new members, sponsor a regular Adopt-a-Highway program, organize a Greeter’s Program, and other outreach activities. This mission team provides support and leadership in growing our congregation spiritually, helping people see the Good News of what Jesus offers all: hope, forgiveness, love, and grace. Here is a picture of some team members working at the Arlington Street Fair at the St. John’s Lutheran booth.
Finance & Administration Mission Team
This team oversees the financial affairs of the congregation and is responsible for ensuring that all financial activities are handled in an efficient and effective manner. They review the process for improvements on a continual basis. This team is responsible for preparing the annual budget and work in conjunction with the Audit Committee to provide for annual audits of church accounts. The Financial Secretary is responsible for the daily financial operations of the church.
Hospitality Mission Team
If you like a party, this team is the one for you! The Hospitality Mission Team arranges both special and regular events, parties and other gatherings. Th
e team works to help our church family celebrate events, bonding through fellowship and time spent together.
Parish Care Mission Team
The purpose of this team is to provide information and help regarding specific issues in the realm of personal health and care giving. This team is very active with regular blood pressure screenings the 2nd Sunday of the month (open to the public), maintenance of the First Aid boxes and the defibrillators, community blood drives, periodic informational meetings with speakers regarding health, care-giving and other issues, weekly hospital visits to congregants, bereavement and other care-giving support. The well being of our congregation and the community at large is a high priority for this team as evidenced by their dedication and number of activities/events in which they engage and offer.
Property Mission Team
The church facility has many maintenance needs, and the Property Mission Team works to keep the building and its grounds in top-notch order. They schedule days when congregants come together for spring spruce up, leaf raking, and minor building repairs.
The church building is used by many, many groups in our community. Opening our doors and sharing the beautiful facility with others is an important ministry of St. John’s Lutheran Church.
Social Ministry Mission Team
This team shares Christian compassion and helpfulness to the ill, aged, orphaned, underprivileged and to all in need of aid in body or soul locally, nationally and internationally. The Social Ministry Mission Team has ongoing projects, such as food drives and monthly egg salad sandwich making for Dutchess Outreach and The Lunch Box (local soup kitchen), providing for a St. John’s Food Pantry, partnering with LOVE Inc. (Love In The Name of Christ – an organization that mobilizes area churches to meet the needs of the poor), making meals for the homeless shelter once a month, organizing holiday baskets for the needy, collecting clothing, and various other special projects, throughout the year. Wrapped in Love is a ministry of St. John’s in which participants knit or crochet handcrafted items to serve others in the greater Poughkeepsie/Dutchess community. The Prayer Shawl Ministry is another crafting ministry in which participants make shawls to be given to the sick/hospitalized.
Stewardship Mission Team
Stewardship is how we care for and use the things with which God entrusts us: time, money, and talents. This team encourages people to make godly, biblical choices when facing decisions that affect how we share and use the blessings God has given to us.
Worship & Music Mission Team
The Worship & Music Mission Team has the responsibility for providing appropriate worship experiences for the congregation. The team leads and directs others in the congregation to provide lay worship leaders (communion assistants, lectors, acolytes, assistant ministers, etc.), ushers, altar guild support, etc., as well as a rich music program for each worship service planned.
Youth Mission Team
While the Children’s Mission Team works with the younger children, the Youth Mission Team is responsible for providing educational and fellowship opportunities for students in grades 6-12 and their families as well. It is the goal of this team to provide the youth with opportunities for the tools they need to grow spiritually and be involved with the life of the congregation.
Other Ministries Supported by St. John’s Lutheran Church:
Love In The Name Of Christ (LOVE Inc)
Mission Statement: To mobilize churches and to transform lives in the name of Christ. This ministry is built on the partnership of local churches to help meet the needs of the poor and establish relationships with neighbors in need. All is done in order to share the love of Jesus and point others towards His transforming love in their lives.
St. John’s Lutheran is a LOVE Inc partner church; there is an ongoing collection at St. John’s of personal care products for this ministry. For more information about Mid- Hudson Valley Love Inc, please click here. http://www.mid-hudsonloveinc.org/
Here is a picture of one of the big fundraisers Love INC has during the year, the Annual Cookie Walk.
Habitat for Humanity
Vision: A world where everyone has a decent place to live.
Mission statement: Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.
Parishioners at St. John’s have participated in Faith Builds, Make a Difference Day and ongoing projects Habitat for Humanity of Dutchess County have had going on. For more information about this ministry, please click here. http://habitatdutchess.org/
St. John’s Lutheran is a partner church for Faith Builds and other projects. For more info, go to the Habitat for Humanity website above.
Dutchess Outreach
Mission Statement: Dutchess Outreach acts as a catalyst for community revitalization and exists in Dutchess County as an advocate and provider of hunger and relief services in order to ensure that everyone, regardless of income, has access to fresh, healthy food, and the support they need.
St. John’s Lutheran monetarily supports Dutchess Outreach and has food drives to provide items for the Dutchess Outreach pantry. For more info about this organization, please click here. http://dutchessoutreach.org/mission/
Seafarers International House
Seafarers are often onboard for months on end. In that isolation, they are at risk of piracy, abusive co-workers, depression, and accidents. When they finally enter a US port, many are denied shore leave because they are viewed as security risks. When allowed to disembark, they often have no transportation. Seafarers International House staff show Biblical hospitality and welcome by visiting those on the ships while they are in port as well as by helping those who are allowed entry to get around NYC.
Seafarers International House staff and volunteers also visit asylum seekers being held in detention centers. In the centers, asylum seekers are confined for many months, sometimes even years, without fresh air or windows, sharing space with many others. Detainees have very limited access to the outside world. The visits organized by Seafarers International House nurture their minds and to give them hope. Once granted asylum, Seafarers is able to continue the relationship that has been established and help these people to build new lives.
For more information about this ministry, please click here. https://www.sihnyc.org/
Dutchess County Interfaith Council
“As people of faith, we hereby affirm our common humanity is deeper than our divisions. We are aware of the richness of our varied religious traditions. We join to work together for the good of the people and for reconciliation among all races and conditions and ideologies.”
The purpose of the Council is expressed in the Guiding Values and Mission.
Guiding Values:
To bring a spiritual perspective to community issues.
To weave the thread of community by honoring the diversity of religious expression & ethnic background.
Mission:
To promote understanding and respectful relationships among diverse faith communities by offering opportunities for education, worship, fellowship and service together.
St. John’s promotes DCIC activities and has active involvement in events such as the Crop Walk, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and the Annual Interfaith Music Festival. St. John’s has a liaison/representative who sits on the DCIC board.
VOLUNTEERS
The outreach programs and ministries at St. John’s are mostly supported by dedicated volunteers who use their gifts and talents to the glory of God. We encourage people to use our questionnaire tool to determine how God has gifted them so they can have a better understanding of how God might be calling them to serve. For more information on how to discover your special gifts, please contact Jeanne Jones.
jjones@stjohnselc.org (845) 452-1550.