Everywhere you go in our community, you discover people from St. John’s serving others with joy. They’re coaching youth teams, leading scout troops, serving as volunteers, providing leadership to community boards, delivering meals, picking up trash, raising money to fight cancer, and on and on. God has moved “into our neighborhood,” enabling us to serve with confidence.
Weekly Food Collection
St. John’s collects canned and dry good for PACS, our community food pantry, year-round at our two food stands – one in the narthex, the other just inside the double glass doors. Twice a year, in February and August, we have a special food-drive emphasis to fill the shelves at PACS.
Phoenixville Relay for Life
For six years, St. John’s has participated in the Phoenixville Relay for Life, which takes place the second weekend in May. St. John’s congregants provide leadership and walking teams. We have helped our community raise over a million dollars to fight cancer. Our teams include children, youth and adults – everyone can walk!
Adopt-a-Highway Clean Up
Four times a year, St. John’s lives out our commitment to caring for God’s world by cleaning up the three-mile stretch of Route 113 from the Veterans Memorial Bridge north to the Schuylkill River. The clean up begins with an organizational meeting on a Saturday morning at 9 a.m. and concludes with breakfast together at a downtown coffee house.
Phantom Food Packs
During the school year, volunteers gather on Thursdays at St. John’s to fill 50 to 60 backpacks with non-perishable food for children who received “free or reduce lunch” so they’ll have food on the weekends. Working with the Chester County Food Bank and the Phoenixville Area School District, the food packs program is coordinated by members of St. John’s and provides resources for families who are food insecure in our community. Volunteers are from other congregations and indivduals in the community.
Serving by Supporting Local Agencies and Groups
Phoenixville Area Community Services, or PACS, provides people in our area with community resources and emergency assistance. Twice a year, in February and August, St. John’s holds food drives to fill their pantry. Volunteers from St. John’s also serve in the PACS office and on their board. PACS is located at 257 Church St. in Phoenixville.
St. Mary’s Franciscan Shelter, the Good Samaritan Shelter and The House provide housing and support for those who are homeless. St. Mary’s, located at 209 Emmett Street in Phoenixville, focuses upon families. The Good Samaritan Shelter, located at 141 High Street in Phoenixville, assists homeless men. The House, centrally located in Phoenixville, provides transitional housing for homeless and low-income women. Beyond special offerings for these shelters, St. John’s provides meals as well as volunteers.
The Clinic, located at 143 Church Street in Phoenixville, provides quality health care for the uninsured in an atmosphere which fosters dignity and respect. We support The Clinic with offerings, volunteers and board leadership.
St. John’s people also serve through our community service clubs including Kiwanis, Rotary and Lions; scouting and sports, the Historical Society of Phoenixville, the Public Library, Phoenixville Hospital Thrift Store, Phoenix Village Art Center, , Phoenixville Area YMCA, Phoenixville Chamber of Commerce, Phoenixville Community Health Foundation, Phoenixville Senior Center, Phoenixville Interfaith Council and the Social Concerns Committee. For connections to these groups, please contact Pastor Krommes.
Serving within our Region and Nation
Emanuel Lutheran Church, Philadelphia
Serving with our Urban Mission Partner
For a decade, St. John’s has enjoyed an urban mission partnership with the people of Emanuel Lutheran Church in Philadelphia. Begun and nourished by our ninth grade confirmation students, our relationship with Emanuel has included picnics, women’s retreats, work days, special monetary offerings, worship and prayer. As part of their Philadelphia Mission Day, our ninth graders visit Emanuel to learn about ministry in the city. The day also includes preparing a meal at Feast Incarnate, a ministry of University Lutheran Church, for people living with HIV.
Lutheran Disaster Relief
At Home and Around the Country
2006 began with a crew of 21 from St. John’s heading to New Orleans to help homeowners clean out their devastated homes. That fall, when the Schuylkill River flooded right in our community, work teams were sent out to help our neighbors in Mont Clare. Then in the Spring of 2007
, two more people went back to New Orleans to assist with the rebuilding efforts. In 2010 through Lutheran Disaster Relief (LDR), St. John’s helped Haiti recover from a devastating earthquake through special donations of money and school supplies. Working with LDR, we respond to those suffering disasters throughout our country and around the world.
Youth Senior Projects
Most of our High School students are expected to do a Senior Project as a graduation requirement. St. John’s encourages them to do a project in connection with Social ministry. Projects have included organizing meals for Feast Incarnate, collecting coats and winter gear for Cradles to Canyons and raising money for a families with special needs children.