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There is a welcome mat being laid out for you. St. John’s Anglican Church is reserving you a seat for their new contemporary worship service. It will be held in their parish hall located at 230 Southland Road on Sunday evenings at 5pm. The Americus Times-Recorder sat down for a conversation with the church’s rector, Jim Barton. The excitement over creating something new is tangible at St. John’s. They have long invested much prayer into this adventure and are looking forward to opening their doors on Sunday evenings. “This whole service came out of our prayers. We feel like this service is something God has called us to do, and we hope he is calling a lot of folks in our community to be with us.” Jim describes Anglicans as “gospel centered, spiritually focused group of Christians.” St. John’s is home to many of our neighbors, and as Jim describes them, “our congregation relies on prayer. It is such a key in our story and journey. We are known as a group of people who are very much committed to worship.” Jim explains why worship is so vital. “People were created for worship. Whether it be God or something else, there is something in the core of our being that is yearning to serve and love something greater than ourselves. Worship is where we declare our love for God, express our gratitude for the grace God has shown to us, where we declare our faith and in rejoice in God’s faithfulness to us.”

It is with worship on their minds that St. John’s will be designing a new worship experience. While they will still be centered on prayer, Jim will bring a message he hopes to be more “conversational in nature.” Authenticity is going to be a designating element of the service. “We want to bring a level of authenticity, a place to express the cry of faith in your heart. We want to give you a spot to utter that in a way that feels natural.”  Jim also states St. John’s has heard the cry of those who want to be a part of a tradition, to belong to something which will stand. St. John’s is equipped to offer a firm foundation to people longing to be part of something both established and growing. Coming to the service casual is more than welcome. A special music team has been developed to offer their brand of praise. Children are welcome and those first grade and up are invited to join the service as it is a time also designed to meet their needs. For those a little younger, a “children’s church” will be offered as will a nursery for those who need it.

St. John’s is aware of all the offerings for worship in the Americus and Sumter County areas. They are looking to create something special among the great offerings. Jim is quick to admit, “There are so many great folks doing wonderful ministry in Americus and Sumter County, the challenge for us is which door to walk through.” St. John’s has enjoyed partnerships in our community as they work side by side in service. Perry Wellness Center, Fuller Center for Housing, Harvest of Hope Food Pantry, Hands of Hope Pregnancy Center, and they are currently working with inter-varsity chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes at GSW. In addition to these partnerships the church can be relied upon to bless our men and women of law enforcement every year. Jim sees the church and St. John’s in a very straightforward way. “We are trying to do what the church has always done. We want to worship together, we want to break bread together, pray together, and we want to serve together. That is what the church in the Bible does and by history that’s what the church does when it is faithful to its call. We are really good at a lot of that.” Currently St. John’s is bringing back some of the events which make their community rich. Corona had slowed or put a halt to some of the community-oriented activities. On the second Tuesday of every month a men’s gathering fires up the grill and enjoys steak and a time for fellowship. There is a book club for those who enjoy reading. They are currently offering a solid Sunday School curriculum. St. John’s will continue to bring back their offerings and add to them as they can take on more. The new contemporary worship service is part of growing the fellowship.

Jim admits he prays for the “faithfulness and fruitfulness of St. John’s every day.” It is clear this prayer is being blessed. To see and hear the story of St. John’s unfolding more and more everyday is to see the prayer has legs. The church is a great neighbor to all of Sumter County. They continue to seek out ways to share both their faith as well as their fruit. Both will be seen in full at the new worship service. Your seat has been prayed over and put aside for you to be a part of a tradition where they are intentionally making space assessable and feel like home. Come as yourself, your faith and your fruit are welcomed.

St. Johns Anglican Church is located at 230 Southland Road, here in Americus. The contemporary service welcomes all to come as they are at 5pm on Sunday evenings starting August 15, 2021. There will be a nursery provided. For more information, please contact them via telephone at 229. 924. 3380 or by email at stjohnsanglicanamericus@gmail.com.