St. John's Episcopal Church

Trivia Night
2025-10-19 17:00 (America/New_York)
Join us for one of our semiannual Trivia Nights! Hosted by the youth group (but open to EVERYONE), Trivia Night is all about gathering for food, fun, and friendly competition. You might even learn an interesting fact or two. Bring your own team or get matched up with a team at the event. Pizza dinner provided, with cash donations accepted to defray costs. Please RSVP to the parish office by Thursday, October 17 so we know how much pizza to order!

Chili Cook-off
2025-10-24 18:30
A favorite annual event, the Chili Cook-off is an all-ages gathering featuring a chili competition plus lots of other good food and drink. Please come and bring a friend!

Christmas Festival
2025-11-21 - 2025-11-23
The annual Christmas Festival fundraiser will take place earlier this year, in late November, to give you a chance to get ahead of your Christmas decorating and gift-giving! The festival will offer many items for sale, including uniquely decorated evergreen wreaths, upcycled Christmas decor, baked goods and other treats, hand knit items, and more. Stop by the Festival Café for a cup of soup and a sandwich, or try your luck at winning one of several fabulous raffle baskets.
This year we also have an expanded schedule:
Friday, November 21: Preview Gala at 6:30 pm
Saturday, November 22: Festival hours 10 am to 1 pm
Sunday, November 23: Festival hours 12 to 1:30 pm

Twelfth Night Celebration
2026-01-04 17:00
Join us for St. John’s unique celebration of the end of the Christmas season, where we (safely!) burn Christmas trees and wreaths outdoors. Refreshments are provided by the youth group to raise funds for their annual collection in support of Dignity Grows, a nonprofit that provides period and hygiene products to those in need. Bundle up and come check it out!

Annual Meeting
2026-01-25 09:00 - 10:30
The St. John’s Annual Meeting will be held in Hubbard Hall at 9 a.m. on Sunday, January 25. All parish members (adults and youth 16+) are encouraged to attend as we review the year just ended, look ahead to what’s next, and elect new vestry members and officers. Bring something for a potluck continental breakfast if you’re able.

Perpetual Happiness Tour event
2026-01-30 17:30 - 18:30
The Parish Life Committee and Jeff Verney (a.k.a. the “Troubadour of Happiness”) will present the Perpetual Happiness Tour event on Friday, January 23 at 5:30 p.m. This event includes original songs, stories, and discussion on how to enhance happiness in our lives. The event will last approximately one hour. Light refreshments and beverages will be provided.

Becoming the Church of Tomorrow with the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers
2026-02-02 18:00 - 20:30
The Episcopal Church in Connecticut welcomes author, priest, and prophetic leader the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers to spur conversation and transformation among us in February 2026. Based on Canon Spellers’ new book, Church Tomorrow?: What the ‘Nones’ and ‘Dones’ Teach Us About the Future of Faith, the Rev. Canon Spellers will help us to wrestle with the decline of traditional religion, the firsthand wisdom of nonreligious Millennials and Gen Zs, as well as our call to be courageous, bold representatives of Jesus Christ in the world.
The Rev. Canon Spellers will offer this presentation at several churches in the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, including at St. John’s on Monday, February 2 at 6 p.m. Click here to register to attend (free of charge).
Sessions will also be held at St. Luke’s, Darien on February 1; Yale Divinity School on February 3; and Trinity, New Haven on February 22. Click here to register for one of these sessions.

Spring Fling & Auction
2026-04-24 18:30 - 21:30
The Spring Fling is an annual gathering and fundraiser for St. John’s. All adults (parishioners and friends!) are welcome to join us for an evening of good company and lots of fun, including food and beverages, live and silent auctions, and items to purchase and take home. Tickets are available to purchase on Sundays leading up to the event, or at the door.

Newcomers Gathering
2026-05-17 15:00 - 17:00
Whether you’ve come to church just a few times or have been attending for a while, please join us for an informal gathering where you can meet people and learn more about St. John’s mission and ministries. The reception is at the home of the rector and his wife, Todd and Amy FitzGerald. Please call (860-523-5201) or email the church office to RSVP and get the address. Food and beverages will be provided.

Church by the Pond
2026-05-23 12:00 - 15:00
On Saturdays at 2pm, people gather for communion in Bushnell Park, after which bagged meals are distributed. Church by the Pond is a ministry of Christ Church Cathedral, with churches in the area providing clergy and meals each Saturday. On Saturday, May 23, Margie Baker (St. John’s associate rector) will preach and preside at the service, and then we will distribute meals. Parishioners are invited to meet at St. John’s at noon to prepare meals, and/or to meet at Bushnell Park around 1:45 for worship and to help with meal distribution. Children and families are welcome! Email Margie if you plan to attend for some or all of the afternoon, and sign up here if you can provide supplies for the bagged meals (sandwich fixings, fruit, cookies, etc.).

Youth Sunday
2026-06-07 10:30 - 12:00
We will celebrate all that our children and youth contribute to the St. John’s community at the 10:30 service on Sunday, June 7.

Parish Picnic
2026-06-14 12:00 - 13:30
Let’s close out the 2025–2026 program year with a picnic! Weather permitting, we’ll gather outdoors after the 10:30 service on Sunday, June 14. St. John’s will provide hot dogs and beverages; please bring a side dish or dessert to share if you’re able.

All-ages Vacation Bible School (VBS)
2026-06-15 - 2026-06-18
People of all ages and stages are welcome to attend our evening VBS from Monday, June 15 through Thursday, June 18, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Each evening’s program includes scripture, activities, prayer, and dinner. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. $25 per person; $75 maximum for families of 4 or more people. Click here to register.

Dine & Dance: Celebration of American In(ter)dependence
2026-06-26 17:30
Come celebrate America’s 250th birthday with an evening of food and fun…and learn the Virginia Reel! We will provide a main dish. Please bring a side or dessert that is a childhood favorite or that represents your family’s heritage. All ages are welcome!

Church by the Pond at Bushnell Park
2026-08-01 11:45 - 15:00
Each Saturday, people gather in Bushnell Park for 2 p.m. worship led by clergy from area churches. On August 1, St. John’s clergy will preach and preside, and we will also prepare bagged lunches to distribute after the service. Join us at St. John’s at 11:45 a.m. to prepare lunches, and/or meet up at 1:45 at Bushnell Park for worship.

Kids Community Music Camp
2026-08-17 - 2026-08-21
Music at the Red Door (St. John’s nonprofit music series) sponsors this weeklong day camp where local children explore the joy of music through singing, violin, dance, and drums. The camp is for children entering grades 3, 4, or 5 in the fall. This year’s camp is Monday, August 17 through Friday, August 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost is $50 per child, and financial assistance is available. Click here for more information and to register a camper.

Blessing of the Backpacks
2026-08-23 09:00 - 12:00
At both services on August 23 (9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.), we will pray for students and educators and give them a tag for their backpack (or lunch bag, laptop case, tote, etc.) as a reminder that God is with them as they start a new school year.

New program year & Celebration of Ministry
2026-09-13 08:00 - 12:00
On September 13, we will return to our program year worship schedule (spoken Holy Eucharist at 8 a.m., choral Holy Eucharist at 10:30 a.m.). Sunday School for all ages will begin, and the professionally staffed nursery will re-open for children age 0 to 6. The adult education program will feature our annual Celebration of Ministry, when parishioners will share information about some of our core ministries, with a light brunch provided.
8 a.m. – Spoken Holy Eucharist in the church
9 a.m. – Nursery opens and primary (age 3–6) and elementary Sunday School classes begin
9:30 a.m. – Celebration of Ministry for adults; Sunday School begins for middle and high school
10:30 a.m. – Choral Holy Eucharist in the church (and livestreamed)
11:45 a.m. – Coffee hour

Church by the Pond at Bushnell Park
2026-10-17 11:45 - 15:00
Each Saturday, people gather in Bushnell Park for 2 p.m. worship led by clergy from area churches. On October 17, St. John’s clergy will preach and preside, and we will also prepare bagged lunches to distribute after the service. Join us at St. John’s at 11:45 a.m. to prepare lunches, and/or meet up at 1:45 at Bushnell Park for worship.

Christmas Festival
2026-11-20 - 2026-11-22
The beloved annual St. John’s Christmas Festival has grown into a multi-day celebration and fundraiser. The festival begins with a gala on Friday evening, November 20, with food, beverages, and a festive holiday atmosphere. On Saturday, November 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., visitors may shop for gifts, Christmas decor, baked goods, and more. Enjoy a cup of soup and sandwich from the Festival Café, and enter to win one of our fabulous raffle baskets. On Sunday, November 22, any remaining items will be available to purchase after the 10:30 worship service.
