Ministries

MLK Day of Service: School on Wheels

Please join St. John’s in supporting School on Wheels in Massachusetts for this year’s MLK Day of Service! School on Wheels provides educational support—including tutoring, mentoring, and school supplies—to Massachusetts students facing homelessness and poverty. Over 11,000 students in the Bay State have received backpacks and school supplies from School on Wheels. More information about the organization can be found at sowma.org.

You can help in two ways: 

  • Sign up here to volunteer January 20th at their site in East Bridgewater; and/or

  • Donate NEW books and school materials. Books for children grades 5 and higher are particularly needed. (Buttonwood has a wonderful selection!)

Donations can be left in the bin at the side entrance or in the donation bin in the narthex.

Thank you for your support!

South Shore Deanery Sacred Ground Series: An Invitation

It’s hard to watch the news these days and not feel helpless and heartbroken about the state of race relations in America. Yet this is not a new story. Indeed, the current divisiveness and fissures across lines of perceived difference in our country have resulted in fear, indifference toward one another rather than understanding and acceptance.

This year, we invite our siblings in the South Shore Deanery to participate in a journey over the sacred ground of racial introspection and reconciliation. It won’t be an easy walk, but it will be a transformative one. We hope you will give serious consideration to participating in Sacred Ground, a film- and readings-based dialogue series on race.

We will walk through the chapters of America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity.

This 11-part series, put together by the Episcopal Church and co-led by St. John the Evangelist parishioners Dr. Holly Carter and Dr. Caitlin Slodden with facilitated small group discussions, is built around a powerful in-person and online curriculum of documentary films and readings that focus on Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific American histories.

This is not intended as a series to make white people feel bad about themselves. Rather, it is a chance to look at hard, often minimized truths about race and culture in a world that so desperately needs racial healing and understanding. Participating in Sacred Ground is a tangible way to engage our continuing struggle with racial identity and difference in the context of our lives as fellow children of God.

We won’t leave with all the answers and perhaps it will only raise more questions. But when we view such an educational opportunity as a first step towards greater reconciliation, God is praised and our potential to serve agents of healing is realized.

Our Sacred Ground series will be offered in hybrid format with in-person sessions held on Sundays at 12:30–2 p.m. at The Parish of St. John the Evangelist (172 Main St., Hingham), beginning on Feb. 9. The virtual sessions will be held on Monday evenings 7–8:30 p.m. beginning on Feb. 10. Both the in-person and virtual series will begin with a brief presentation followed by small and whole group discussions. Recognizing that schedules are complicated, we are asking those participating in this program to attempt to attend all 11 sessions, as the group aspect is an important component. If you are interested in serving as a facilitator for the small group discussions, training sessions will be scheduled during the weeks of Jan. 26 or Feb. 2.

For additional information or questions about this program, and, most importantly to sign up for the in-person or virtual Sacred Ground series send an email to sacredgroundsouthshoredeanery@gmail.com or contact Holly Carter at 617-610-8508. We ask that you sign up by Jan. 19, 2025. There is a 40-person limit for the in-person sessions and a 30-person limit for the virtual sessions.

Angel and Warming Trees

Starting Sunday, Nov. 24, you will see two decorated Christmas trees in the church entryway. One is a Warming Tree to go with our traditional Angel Tree.

On the Angel Tree, each ornament is a gift tag with a gift request on the front and instructions printed on the back. Please help us make a Christmas wish come true for a person in need by taking an ornament or two, purchasing the requested gift, and returning the gift and tag to the church office by Tues., Dec. 6.

A second tree, our Warming Tree, is also in the narthex. If you would like to provide hat and gloves/mittens for age 0–18, feel free to take a reminder flyer from the tree. Kindly return your gift and hang it on the tree by December 6.

Please leave all gifts unwrapped.

Thank you for your generous support. The gifts will be distributed to the following organizations in time for their Christmas gatherings:

  • Quincy Family Resource Center helps families to access and navigate resources in the local community.

  • Wellspring provides support and skills to people facing challenge to their financial, physical and/or emotional well-being to help them achieve independence and self-sufficiency.

  • South Shore Healthy Families offers home visiting services for young parents and their children, providing information about parenting and child development.

  • Youth Programs of St. Stephen’s in Boston serve neighborhood children by providing them with a safe, challenging and supportive community in which they can thrive.

America Recycles Day—November 15

Check out these five tips from Cleaner Greener Hingham, with some specific tips on how to recycle in Hingham!

  1. Recycle E-Waste Properly: Find designated drop-off points for electronics, as they require special handling. Household electronics can be recycled at the Transfer Station. 

  2. Use a Reusable Bag: Reduce plastic waste by bringing reusable bags for shopping instead of relying on single-use bags. Remember to wash your bags regularly. 

  3. Donate Before You Dispose: If items are still usable, consider donating them instead of recycling. The Hingham SWAP Shop at the Transfer Station is a great option for giving your gently used items a new life. 

  4. Use Recyclable Packaging: When shopping, opt for products with recyclable (like aluminum) or minimal packaging. And always remember your reusable bags and refillable water bottles! 

  5. Participate in Local Cleanups: Join community cleanup efforts to help keep your neighborhood clean and raise awareness about recycling. Keep an eye out for more information on Cleaner Greener Hingham Day coming in spring 2025!

Greening Advent brought to you by your Creation Care Ministry

This Advent season, let’s embrace sustainability and care for our planet with these simple yet impactful actions:

  • Shop Locally: Support local businesses to reduce shipping emissions and strengthen our community, such as the holiday boutiques Nov. 23 at St. John’s and Hingham High School.

  • Use Recycled Wrapping: Choose recycled or reusable wrapping materials without glitter to minimize microplastics and waste. Some additional tips and wrapping paper alternatives here.

  • Compost Your Christmas Tree: After the holidays, compost your tree to enrich the soil instead of sending it to the landfill here via the Hingham Boy Scouts and Weir River Farm 

Together, we can make a positive impact this Advent. Thank you for joining us in this green journey!

The History of St. John’s Needlepoint Guild

Hand stitched kneelers are a long tradition in the Anglican community. They are both an adornment and an expression of faith. St. John’s Needlepoint Guild was formed in 1989, when the first two kneelers were gifted to us by our sister church, St. Andrew’s Parish in Hingham, England. Since that time nearly 100 people have provided their time and talents creating these works of art and expressions of faith.

Each row of 6 or 12 kneelers has a different theme. The designs are inspired by the Bible and Christian lore and represent the many symbols of our faith. Our designs range from the very traditional symbols to stories intended to appeal to the children of our parish. Each kneeler is dedicated by a parishioner, family, friend—or the stitcher—in memory or in celebration of a loved one. Next time you are in church, lift your eyes to the Lord, but look down too!

Cohasset ASP Pumpkin Patch opens!

The Cohasset ASP Pumpkin Patch opens tomorrow! It will be open every day from 10 a.m.–7 p.m. through Halloween. The patch, a major fundraiser for ASP, is located at Wheelwright Farm on N. Main St. in Cohasset. For more information about the Appalachian Service Project and its upcoming trip in July that serves the poorest families in Appalachia, contact Dave Clinton by email or by phone: 617-650-5813.

Creation Care update

Monarch butterfly on echinacea

Creation Care has two opportunities to help care for our planet this weekend:

  • On Saturday, Sept. 21, join St. John’s Green Guardians to add a few new plant species to our pollinator garden. Some plants are best introduced in the fall and diversity will strengthen our garden and attract pollinators until winter. Bringing your own gloves and trowel is helpful, and no prior experience is needed! We will also discuss future plans for the garden. 

  • On Sunday, Sept. 22, our Ministry will gather for its first formal planning meeting. Join us to discuss how we can continue “greening” St. John’s including updates to our building and improving our outdoor spaces. We will also discuss liturgical resources on climate and how we educate our Parish and the wider community on issues of environmental concern.

We still have a few dates available to water, please sign up here:

,

Save the Dates: Not-So-Spooky Haunted House Returns

,

Are you ready for some Not-So-Spooky fun?

We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help bring our 7th annual Not-So-Spooky Haunted House to life once again this year! There’s a role for everyone, whether you are 8 or 98, so please join us in welcoming the community for this special event on four nights: October 18, 19, 25 & 26. Sign up today and let’s make this the most fun-filled haunted house ever!

Questions? Please reach out to Kaja and Dan Fickes and look for the Haunted House table at coffee hour through September. 

Make a joyful noise to the Lord!

Do you like to sing? Fall is a great time to join St. John's Choir. If you can carry a tune, you can sing in the choir. Bonus points if you can read music or have choral experience! All voice parts are welcome, especially tenors and basses. Rehearsals are on Thursday evenings at 7:30. Contact Buffy Gray, Organist-Choirmaster, for more information during coffee hour or by email.

Does your child like to sing? Children in grades 3 through 8 are invited to join St. John's Choristers for musical education through singing and lots of fun. Rehearsals are on Tuesday afternoons at 4:00. Second-graders who are advanced readers and have a long attention span are welcome, too. Contact Buffy Gray, Organist-Choirmaster, for more information during coffee hour or by email.

Be an Acolyte!

Serving at the altar is especially rewarding and incredibly educational, not to mention fun!

We are looking for young folks to fill in the ranks of our acolytes. Typically acolytes age between 9 years old through high school, but we have had acolytes as young as 7 or 8 depending on the individual.

If you would like to try your hand at this ministry, we ask that you try three Sundays to start. Please contact Tom Daley, David Clinton, or Will Buckley and let us know, or even better, show up at 9:30 any Sunday morning and ask to give it a try. We can use as many as 7 acolytes on a typical Sunday morning!