Striving to be faithful stewards of our gifts and talents to build a caring and spiritual family; open to all; gathered to worship the Lord; nurturing disciples for Jesus Christ.  We are the Christian community of St. John the Evangelist.

Outreach Ministries

St. John's hosts an AA group which meets on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings.  Meetings start at 8:00 p.m.

We also help support a number of ministries and charitable causes.  Parish income is immediately set aside for such purposes. In addition, special offerings are taken throughout the course of the year to help provide support.   Organizations we have supported in recent times include:

• Episcopal Relief & Development (provides disaster and developmental assistance throughout the world)

• The Hope Center (serving families and individuals that have established residency in Dickinson County)

• The American Red Cross

• Hospice of Dickinson County

• Abilene Area Food & Clothing Center

• Christmas Aid (a ministry of Church Women United)

• United Thank Offering (provides ministry and social development grants throughout the Episcopal Church)

• Church Periodical Club (offering taken to supply books, magazines, tapes, videos and computer programs free to those who cannot otherwise obtain them)

• Bishop Wolfe’s Discretionary Fund (provides disaster and emergency assistance to persons and congregations in the Diocese of Kansas)

• Kids in Crisis (assistance to students in Abilene Public Schools as identified by faculty and staff)

• Open Door (provides assistance to individuals and families in Junction City, Kansas)

In addition, through the payment of our Diocesan Assessment, we participate in providing a wide variety of ministry and services through the Diocese of Kansas, the Episcopal Church in America, and the Anglican Communion. 

It is always both amazing and humbling to see what is achieved through the giving of small gifts. The loaves and fishes are blessed and multiplied before our very eyes. We are constantly reminded of Christ’s love and concern for all people.

The Staff of St. John's

Clergy:

The Rev. Jerry D. Rankin, Rector

The Rev. Dr. Frank Holtz, Vicar Emeritus

Organist: Phyllis Nelson

Parish Administrator: Richard Cowan

Parish Clerk: Jo Royer

Vestry:

Senior Warden: Charles Volland

Junior Warden: Paul Dennis

Treasurer: Jim Nelson

Lorraine Geist

Art Nease

Pattie Mayhew

LaDona Selock

Delegates to Northwest Convocation/Diocesan Convention

Phyllis Nelson

Richard Cowan

LaDona Selock (alternate)

Marla Jo Batchelder (alternate)

New online offerings from the Episcopal Church Center
Episcopal Life Online, a newly launched web site combines the newsgathering efforts of Episcopal Life and Episcopal News Service to keep readers better informed of news around the church. It is updated throughout each day to provide access to a variety of resources. It is available at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/episcopal_life.htm.

epiScope is a new blog produced by the Episcopal Church Office of Communications that helps track, among other things, secular news reports about happenings in the Episcopal Church. It also offers a listing of Episcopal blogs from a variety of perspectives, identified as “eyes left, eyes center and eyes right,” as well as a number of helpful links to web sites. Read it at http://episcopalchurch.typepad.com/episcope/.

Our five priorities for ministry:

1. Foster spiritual growth through worship, fellowship, and small groups.

2. Connect with those outside the church and welcome non-Christians.

3. Engage in outreach ministries, both personally and financially.

4. Support and nurture our families, children and youth.

5. Become a clear presence in Abilene.

We have developed a strategy for meeting these goals:

To form small working groups of two to three persons, each group led by a member of the Vestry, to implement key areas of the congregation’s vision, based around the goals expressed above. These working groups are:

Child Care & Nursery

Communications

Spiritual Formation & Fellowhsip

Stewardship

Outreach

The Vision Path Covenant for St. John’s Church, Abilene

In the name of God the Father who creates, the Son who is our Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit who sustains and strengthens us. Amen.

At the end of our Vision Path, we seek God’s help as we make a covenant to become the people God call us to be.

+ We commit ourselves to the Mission and Vision that God has called us to   embrace as baptized members of the Body of Christ - the Church.

+ We commit ourselves to becoming more attentive and responsive to what God  is doing all around us, both here at St. John’s and wherever we are during each week.

+ We commit ourselves to the personal learning and growth we need to be effective disciples of Jesus Christ.

+ We commit ourselves to being a welcoming and diverse Christian community, united in Christ.

+ We commit ourselves to nurturing and using our gifts in ministries of love and service.

+ We commit to being a community of faith, open to the challenges that come from putting God first.

+ We commit ourselves to shaping our congregational life to better serve God’s mission of healing and reconciliation.

Together we exist to love and serve both God and our neighbor, inviting all to share in the joy of Christ’s healing love.