As we begin to meet indoors for worship, you will undoubtedly notice several new things at St. John’s!
New Technology
First, due to the incredible generosity of several St. John’s members, we now have a new screen and projector in BOTH the sanctuary and the parish hall that can be used in all sorts of creative ways. In the sanctuary, the screen box is mounted high on the wall above the stone arch over the altar. Although it might seem strange to have modern technology in so traditional and sacred a space, that’s St. John’s – the innovative and the traditional all wrapped up together. Also due to the generosity of a St. John’s member, we have greatly improved lights on the pulpit and altar area—and all the pendant lights in the sanctuary are now LED lights, which as we all know is so much better for our beloved earth. This was a project that took much time, elbow grease and financial generosity, and we can’t thank those responsible enough.
New Accessibility
Our own Bob Seavey is a gifted woodworker, and he crafted the truly beautiful handrail that now sits on the organ side chancel steps, which will help those with mobility challenges.
We are also experimenting with replacing several pews on the organ side with chairs in order to accommodate wheelchair space closer to the side entrance of the sanctuary, and also to accommodate the need to place a camera for ongoing livestream of services. After several months we will determine if this arrangement is accomplishing what we hoped, and make a decision whether or not to keep the chairs where they are.
New Repair
Our beloved chapel, which houses the columbarium in which so many of our loved ones are interred, has had significant water damage and is now being repaired. There is a new roof, and the masonry on the eastern wall is being repaired. The need for this project has been known for years, and is fully funded by existing savings in our capital asset reserve, thanks to the ongoing generosity of St. John’s members. Of course, extreme care is being used to ensure the continued pristine condition of the columbarium and to treat it and the entire chapel with the reverence they deserve.
Please contact our Rector Lisa Wiens Heinsohn our our Wardens, Stacy Walters or Mark Lindberg, with any questions, comments, concerns or compliments!
