Fellowship and Outreach at St. John's

Fellowship — St. John's sponsors a variety of events during the year, designed to promote fellowship and closeness within our parish membership, as well as within individual families.

Gift Basket Auction
A recent addition to our fellowship has been the annual Gift Basket auction sponsored by the Episcopal Church Women (ECW).  This event is held in April, and is supported and attended by many in the congregation.

Spaghetti Dinner
Our Spaghetti Dinner at St. John's is an annual event supported and enjoyed by many throughout the area. This event is one of the largest single fundraiser for the Parish and provides camaraderie and fellowship for all who get involved in selling tickets, and preparing and serving the meal. 

Sunday School Picnic
Hosted by the Vestry, our annual Sunday School picnic derives its name from the Sunday School registration that is held after the family service on the Sunday after Labor Day. Tables and barbecue grills are set up in the rear parking lot behind the Parish Hall for a buffet lunch. Many of the salads and desserts are homemade for the enjoyment of all. Games are provided for the children, with young and old alike sharing vacation stories. During this time, families register their children for Sunday school classes, renew old friendships and welcome newcomers.

Outreach — The ECW, Church School and the St. John's community initiate and participate in a number of programs throughout the year — reaching out to those less fortunate in our community, across the United States, and around the world.

St. John's 2008 Spring Outreach is for the Seaman's Church Institute in Philadelphia.
We are collecting men's clothing, such as socks, caps, gently used T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters and jackets. In addition, we are collecting DVDs (action movies preferred) and CDs. A box is available in the parish hall for your donations.

Alcoholics Anonymous
St. John's provides a meeting room each week for a 12 step AA meeting, held at 7:00 pm each Thursday evening.

Church Periodical Club
A penny jar for loose change is available in the rear of the church. Proceeds go to the Church Periodical Club for the purchase of books for those in need.

Church School Outreach
Our Church School is involved in several Outreach programs, such as the Wish Tree Project at Christmas, which collects gifts for less fortunate children, and the Lenten Project, which raises money for Episcopal Relief and Development. The Church School has collected backpacks filled with back-to-school items each September and sponsored clothing drives for the homeless.

Episcopal Church Women (ECW)
The dedicated members of ECW at St. John's meet regularly on the first Monday of each month for fellowship and for the good and welfare of our church, locally, the Diocese, and even world-wide. They hold fund raisers during the year to benefit the parish and encourage parish-wide contributions to the United Thank Offering, Mission Outreach, and Student Service awards. They have ongoing outreach projects such as the Caring and Sharing food collection, delivered once a month to the county distribution food pantry. They collected toiletries for needy people, and school supplies for needy students locally and outside our parish. The ECW is an important, dynamic force at St. John’s.

Senior Citizens United Community Services (SCUCS)
St. John's posts a list of canned meat, vegetables, fruit and other items needed. Cash donations are accepted, as well. Everything collected is given to SCUCS to help stock food packages and to enable staff to purchase extras for senior citizens in need.

St. John's Youth Outreach
Each September, the young people have sponsored a Church family yard sale. Proceeds went to charity work in the community and/or into a Church scholarship fund for Church School students. Additionally, they have helped with the IHOC homeless program in the fall. During Advent the youth group sponsors a project to help needy local citizens. This includes providing Christmas presents for families in Gloucester Twp. and providing necessities for adult residents of boarding homes who suffer with chronic mental illnesses in Camden County.

Threads of Love
This is a a new group for anyone who knits or crochets — or anyone who wants to learn. Normally, this group meets on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month from 10:00 am - noon in the Parish Hall. During the summer months, the group will meet every Monday morning at 10:00 am. Projects are designed to meet the needs of organizations that donate to infants and others. We make blankets and afgans for the Linus Project, scarves and caps for merchant seamen, and prayer shawls, as well as items for our parish Christmas bazaar.

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