Present Needs

The St. John's parish is growing, with a Sunday attendance at over 100 and a parish roster of 135 adults and 50 children and infants. Recent parish growth can be attributed to multiple factors, including:

• A strong liturgical base with a consistent message of God’s grace and mercy
• An active Sunday School and Sunday nursery
• A well-regarded bi-lingual pre-school, Pine Village
• Special events, programs, and worship services open to the community beyond the parish, especially JP Concerts, performances by A Far Cry and other musical groups.
• A commitment to diversity – in our membership, liturgy, programming, and our outreach to the community.
• Promotion in print, our signage, and our web site. We have been selected "Best Place of Worship" in Jamaica Plain for three years in a row. Our lawn features a banner proudly proclaiming "We Rejoice in Equal Marriage."
• Yearly Every Member Canvass to better understand the needs of parishioners.

The vestry and parish community desire continued growth, both in numbers and mission, in order to live out our mission statement: "Let all who enter here be received as Christ."

Despite the vibrant life of St. John's as a community, the physical structure of our historic church building is in an advanced state of decay. The marvelous structure bequeathed to us by previous generations is becoming a danger to congregants, concert-ers, children in daycare and other users of the building.

The structural problems are very basic: Cracking masonry, loose stones, water leaks and storm danmage as well as aging lead in stained glass windows and warped and weathered doors. The requirements for restoration are likewise very basic: New mortar, stabilized stonework, plugged leaks and repaired roof,, preservation of stained glass with new lead and reset pieces.

However, given the architectural and artistic value of St. John's, any and all work must be done carefully and with an eye to the long-term preservation of a building which is not only listed on the National Register of Historic Places but the centerpiece of the Sumner Hill Historic District.

We have worked with architects and engineers to understand the challenges in preserving the building. If you would like more information on the prioritized requirements, please look at the October, 2010 "Envelope Restoration, by Phase". Building elevations showing prioritized requirements can also be viewed.