Newcomers Class Spring of 2026
Are you new, recently returning, or are reconnecting with your faith and with St. John’s? Join us this spring Sundays at 9:30a beginning February 22nd for our Newcomer’s class! In this class, Father Ben will go over the steps to formally join St. John’s and give those gathered a chance to ask questions about God, church, life, and anything in-between. Participants will set the agenda for our time together. For this gathering, we are asking you to sign up, even if you can’t make every class. Please do so by emailing Fr. Ben no later than February 27th.
Since we are in a transitional year in our Diocese, we are not able to hold Confirmation, which is administered by the Bishop in the Episcopal Church. Instead, we will recognize those who are making a commitment to St. John’s on April 19 with a special liturgy and welcome at the 10:30a service. Those who complete this class will be eligible for Confirmation, Reception, or Reaffirmation the next time we have a Bishop’s visit and will be invited to do so when that time comes. More information about membership in the Episcopal Church is given below.
Class Dates and Topics (all Sundays at 9:30a in the Chapel)
February 22 - Welcome, overview, and choosing topics for our class
March 1 - Topic chosen by you!
March 8 - Topic chosen by you!
March 15 - Topic chosen by you!
March 22 - Worship and Sacraments, combining with Chapel Chat!
More about Membership in the Episcopal Church
All people Baptized are members of the Church. Episcopalians recognize Baptism as a sacrament, a sign of God’s action in our lives and the universal standard of becoming a Christian. If you are not baptized, that is the first step! Reach out to Father Ben and we can begin a conversation about being Baptized. If you have been baptized, then read on.
To be official members of the Episcopal Church, specifically St. John’s, we must have a record of your baptism. This is often called “transferring in;” for those who are baptized or baptized and confirmed in another denomination it can be done by contacting your previous church to confirm their record and notify them that you are transferring out of their church. The process varies much on a case-by-case basis as we try and get in touch with your past church. For those already confirmed in the Episcopal Church who are not officially members, they simply need to call the office to begin the process of transferring in or confirm their membership status. For those coming from another denomination, we can accept you as Baptized members and would love to celebrate you as such this year. We also would invite you to be confirmed or received (see below for details) at a later time as a formal initiation and welcoming into our tradition, and a sacramental acknowledgement of your faith. Once confirmed in the Episcopal Church, members are eligible to hold leadership positions by serving on Vestry or representing St. John’s at larger church gatherings.
We know membership can be a bit confusing, so for those who are not sure, contact us and we will review our records and let you know what your next steps are!
Confirmation
Confirmation is open to youth and Adults who have been Baptized, in either the Episcopal Church or another tradition, but not received the laying on of hands by a Bishop. Once confirmed, one becomes a confirmed member of St. John’s. In addition to its practical merit, confirmation is a spiritual process of learning more about one’s faith, the church, and the Christian story. Class will be offered Sunday mornings during Lent (see above) for those to be confirmed. Confirmation is the way most baptized Christians join the Episcopal Church, even those who may have been confirmed in some other denominations. As stated above, we will offer confirmation to those who complete then Newcomer’s class this spring as soon as we can!
Reception
Reception is for those who have been confirmed by a Bishop in the Roman Catholic church. Those who wish to be received into the Episcopal Church are received by the Bishop to mark their inclusion into the wider Episcopal Church and the wider Body of Christ, as well as St. John’s. Those who are to be received will join those being confirmed on Sunday mornings for class.
Reaffirmation
Reaffirmation is open to anyone in the church who feel that they would like to make a public reaffirmation of their Baptismal vows. We invite specifically those who are joining from another Episcopal Church, or those who have a family member being confirmed to join them and reaffirm your own faith. While we do this together every time we Baptize and on certain feasts of the church year, if one chooses reaffirmation they will also receive the laying on of hands from the Bishop. Many people have experienced huge changes in their personal and faith lives, and are coming back to the church for the first time in years; others may want to mark a major life transition with a reaffirmation of faith. If you are interested in this, contact Fr. Ben! Preparation will look a little bit different than those being confirmed or received, and will depend on the schedules of those registered. It will be less about “the basics” of the Episcopal Church and more about spiritual growth and deepening our faith lives together.
For Youth: Confirmation
At St. John’s, we invite youth who are around driving age (16+ or turning 16 this spring) to go through our confirmation process. Once confirmed, one becomes a confirmed member of St. John’s. In addition to its practical merit, confirmation is a spiritual process of learning more about one’s faith, the church, and the Christian story. In 2026, we are delaying our youth confirmation program until we are able to schedule our first visit with our new Bishop-Elect Karin to confirm youth and adults at St. John’s.
If you are interested in Confirmation, please contact Father Ben or Lalla Johnson so we can alert you when we get ready to put together our next cohort!
“In the course of their Christian development, those baptized at an early age are expected, when they are ready and have been duly prepared, to make a mature public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their Baptism and to receive the laying on of hands by the bishop.
Those baptized as adults, unless baptized with laying on of hands by a bishop, are also expected to make a public affirmation of their faith and commitment to the responsibilities of their Baptism in the presence of a bishop and to receive the laying on of hands. ”