Ministries
BFF Cornwall Victorian Tea 
Cornwall Youth Group "Flocks" the Parish House
Youth Head to NYC 
Annual Christmas Fair
Deacon Davids Ordination .jpg)
ACOLYTES
Mission: To serve both God and the Church by assisting on the Altar with Sunday services and special occasions.
Time: Sunday morning for the 8:00 and 10:00 services
ADULT SPIRITUAL FORMATION
Mission: To enhance adult education and spiritual formation by providing a series of presentations on a range of topics.
Time: Typically, on Wednesday evenings or Sunday afternoons in the Parish Hall; occasionally special sessions at a different time. Bring a sandwich; coffee, tea and cookies will be provided.
ALTAR GUILD
Mission: The Altar Guild sets up the church and altar for every service that is held at St. John's. We meet together twice a year to polish, clean, and decorate for Christmas and Easter.
Time: Half an hour during the week for set up and half an hour on Sundays cleaning and setting up before and after each service.
Talents: Willing hands to serve God on His sacred altar.
BACKPACKS FOR FOOD (BFF)
Mission: To provide nourishing food for weekend meals to Cornwall Central School District who receive federal free/reduced lunch at their school during the year.
Time: Schedules are fixed or flexible depending on the assignment. Assignment examples: packer, delivery driver, stocker, fundraiser, shopper.
Talents: Different temperaments fit different needs. Your willingness to help is the top requirement.
BUILDINGS & GROUNDS
Mission: To preserve and maintain the facilities and grounds that belong to St. John's Episcopal Church.
Time: Planning meetings (about 1-2 hrs.) one Saturday morning per month in the Parish Hall, with special work sessions as needed, such as the spring and fall cleanups or specific repair projects. These special sessions are always open to the entire congregation and friends and are announced in the Sunday Bulletin.
Talents: Time and willingness to get dirty a few times a year
CHOIR
Mission: To enhance the worship experience at St. John's 10:00 AM Service.
Time: Rehearsal is Thursday night from 7:15 PM to 8:45 PM. Also, one short rehearsal before the 10:00 am service on Sunday morning.
Talents: A desire to sing! Don't worry if you don't read music. We all help each other at rehearsal. Paul Heckert will play your parts for you to hear before you sing. Also, study recordings can be made for you to use during the week.
CLOTHING SHED
Mission: To provide clothing needs for the community
Time: As needed
Talents: Joy of sorting and merchandising
COFFEE HOUR HOSPITALITY
Mission: A gathering of the early Sunday morning faithful immediately following the service. Most Sundays, home baked goods are provided along with coffee/tea.
Time: Sunday, approximately 3 hours, set up and clean-up
Talents: Willingness to serve. You can bake or buy snacks (i.e., muffins, coffee cake, cheese/crackers, cut-up fruit), bring milk and half-n-half, bring cold drink like iced tea or lemonade in the warmer months, make coffee (regular and decaf are supplied by the Church) in the Bunn machine, heat up water for tea in our electric kettles (tea bags supplied), set up pitchers for milk and half n half, put out sugar/sweetener packets and stirrers (supplied by Church) and clean-up afterward (please take-out garbage bags to shed opposite the parish hall door closest to rectory as a last step). Or you can sign up to pay for a coffee hour (forms in the Parish Hall), and we will do the rest!
COMMUNICATIONS
Mission: Keeping in touch with each other and the wider community. There's much going on at St. John's, and we need to let people know about it. have several tools at our disposal to facilitate this:
Website
Facebook page
Newsletter (Parish Life Insert and weekly email)
Email list
Local press
Time: A suggested schedule of quarterly meetings of about 2 hours, with additional time as necessary to fulfill the action points determined at these meetings.
Talents: A gift with words is useful. Anyone who has ideas about how to promote ourselves to the wider community would be welcome. This will be a team effort, and so the most important requirement is an interest in this mission. Technical skills on website maintenance would also be useful.
COUNTERS
Mission: To count the offering each Sunday, prepare and make the bank deposit. This is of vital importance to the financial stability of St. John's.
Time: Approximately 60 minutes after the 10:00 service each Sunday.
CURSILLO
Mission: The goal of Cursillo is the goal of the Church: to bring all closer to Christ.
Time: The Cursillo Method begins with a spirit-filled Weekend aimed at exploring ways to bring the love of Christ into the environments where we live, work and play in a natural way. The weekend is then followed up by opportunities for on-going growth and sustenance through the development of personal Rules of Life, Group Reunion, Ultreya and service on Weekend teams.
- An experience of living and sharing with others in a caring and diverse Christian community of male and female Episcopalians, lay and clergy - from ages 18 to over 80 – from parishes across the diocese.
- 3 days of music, reflection, prayer, worship, instruction, music, small group discussion, food, fun and fellowship.
- An opportunity to discover and consider one's personal calling as a faithful witness of Christ, our Lord in every area of their lives.
MINISTERS
Mission: The Eucharistic Ministers serve on the altar administering the chalice and reading the intersessions for every service that is held at St. John's.
Time: One hour to an hour and a half for each service.
Talents: The desire to serve our Lord on the altar and minister to God's people.
EUCHARISTIC VISITORS
Mission: Eucharistic ministers work with Mo. Suzanne to make sure that all who want communion can receive, even if they are not able to come to church.
Time: Before starting this ministry, people are trained by Mo. Suzanne. Once trained, each Eucharistic minister has several people assigned to them. Visitations are usually done once a month, but it is very much dependent on the individual Eucharistic minister.
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Mission: To oversee the Church's investments and financial procedures and policies.
Time: Meetings are held once a month for 2 hours at the church. The meetings are usually the Tuesday evening before the monthly Vestry meeting which takes place on the following Saturday.
FLOWERS
Mission: To coordinate flowers for the altar each Sunday. Involves fulfilling special requests, ordering and paying for the flowers, and distributing them after services.
Time: Very little.
GREETERS & ELEMENT BEARERS
Mission: To welcome all of God's children, new and current alike, into His house. To bring the gifts of God to the alter at communion.
Time: Approximately once a month.
Talents: Be happy to greet people in the morning and to carry wine and bread without spilling.
LECTORS
Mission: The Lectors serve on Sundays reading the Old and New Testaments at the services held at St. John's.
Time: Two or three minutes on a Sunday reading the lessons and a few minutes during the week practicing the lesson.
Talents: The desire to speak the word of God and relay it to God's people.
MEN'S BIBLE STUDY
Mission: To increase our knowledge of the Bible and support our members to implement the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Time: Every Tuesday morning in the Parish Hall from 7:00 – 8:00 a.m.
MINISTRY OF DIACONATE
Mission: The focus of Diaconal ministry is outreach, service, pastoral care, and supporting the Bishop's and Rector's directives.
Time: While the duties of a Priest and Deacon may overlap in the areas of preaching, leading, and teaching scripture, Deacons focus on the practice of service. Deacons are called to serve all people – especially the poor, the weak, the sick, and the lonely – and to help lead others in service to those communities. In addition to his liturgical duties during services, Deacon David is assisting with pastoral care visits for the home bound and/or sick parishioners of St. John's Church and the instruction/guidance of Eucharistic Ministers and Visitors.
PRAYER CHAIN
Mission: To pray for people as needed. Most people who are being prayed for by the prayer chain are listed in the bulletin, but sometimes the asked for prayers remain private as requested.
Time: Varies depending on the member of the prayer chain. Prayers are part of each individual's customary prayer routine.
PRAYER SHAWL & CHARITY KNITTING
Mission: To provide prayer shawls for comfort and celebration to parish members and to create handmade items for charitable giving. In the past, donations of baby items and hats and scarves have been made to World Vision, The Seaman's Institute, and The Newburgh Ministry.
Time: As you wish. Many people knit "on their own" and/or attend our gatherings at St. John's on Tuesday mornings. We also invite everyone to join us for "coffee and creativity" or just good conversation on Tuesday mornings from 10:00-11:30 a.m.
SANDWICH AND SCRIPTURE
Mission: To provide women heart-to heart opportunity to explore God's Word and how it can be lived
Time: First Monday of each month; Noon – 1:30 pm. Bring a sandwich; we will supply drink and dessert
SHEPHERDING PROGRAM
Mission: We are a team of parishioners who are ready, willing, and able to help people in time of need. We provide rides to doctors and home cooked meals as well as doing food shopping or house sitting when needed. We call on people often to help our fellow parishioners whenever we can.
Time: No regular commitment — just volunteer whenever you can.
Talents: Team player, compassionate, understanding, gentle. Ability to drive, cook, visit.
SHEPHERD'S KITCHEN SOUP KITCHEN
Mission: To serve and help provide food for the homeless and those in need in Newburgh.
Time: Our church is responsible for the third Saturday of each month which is about 4 Saturdays/year per volunteer, approx. 10am – 2pm including travel time (location: Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Broadway, Newburgh). If there is a month with a fifth Saturday, we ask for volunteers from all groups to fill the extra day.
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Mission: To provide Christian education for the children of St. John's.
Time: Every Sunday at 10 a.m. (youth rejoin before Communion), special family events.
YOUTH GROUP
Mission: To provide Christian education for the youth of St. John's and the Cornwall community.
Time: Every Sunday at 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
USHERS
Mission: Provide usher services which include counting parishioners, collecting offertory, guiding communion, picking up bulletins, straightening all pews including hymnals and prayer books, locking all doors and windows, and turning off lights after each service.
Time: Approximately 2 Sundays per month
