St. John's Elora

St. John's Elora Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from St. John's Elora, Anglican Church, 36 Henderson Street, Elora, ON.

03/17/2026

Here’s a video update on the construction progress from inside the new St John’s Commons at St John’s Elora.

The project, called OPEN DOORS, will link a 150 year church building to our Parish Centre with a new community reception hall, accessible washrooms and a commercial kitchen.

The project is designed by SRM Architects, built by the Zehr Group and generously funded by community members who have donated $1.3M towards our goal of $1.5M.

Thank you to the many people who are helping bring this vision to life.

Your generosity is exemplary.

If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to participate in this historic project you are invited to help us raise the remaining $200K to reach our goal. We are getting close and we are counting on your support.

Contact us about how you can make a difference in our community or e-transfer your donation today to treasurer.stjohnselora “at” gmail.com marked “OPEN DOORS”.

Thank you for helping us serve our beloved community and position St John’s Elora for viability for future generations.

With gratitude,
Paul Walker
Rector of St John’s Elora

Here’s an update on the progress made on the new St John’s Commons at St John’s Elora. The project, called OPEN DOORS, w...
03/17/2026

Here’s an update on the progress made on the new St John’s Commons at St John’s Elora.

The project, called OPEN DOORS, will link a 150 year church building to our Parish Centre with a new community reception hall, accessible washrooms and a commercial kitchen.

The project is designed by SRM Architects, built by the Zehr Group and generously funded by community members who have donated $1.3M towards our goal of $1.5M.

Thank you to the many people who are helping bring this vision to life.

Your generosity is exemplary.

If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to participate in this historic project you are invited to help us raise the remaining $200K to reach our goal. We are getting close and we are counting on your support.

Contact us about how you can make a difference in our community or e-transfer your donation today to treasurer.stjohnselora “at” gmail.com marked “OPEN DOORS”.

Thank you for helping us serve our beloved community and position St John’s Elora for viability for future generations.

With gratitude,
Paul Walker
Rector of St John’s Elora

The fourth Sunday in Lent is sometimes referred to as refreshment Sunday. It provides a little breather in the season o...
03/15/2026

The fourth Sunday in Lent is sometimes referred to as refreshment Sunday. It provides a little breather in the season of Lent. Things are lighter in tone, and there are even flowers at the altar. It is sometimes called Mothering Sunday, when traditionally you would pay a visit to the place that you were formed and nurtured in the faith - perhaps pray for or visit your cathedral, the mother church of the diocese. In some countries, this is Mother’s Day.

It is also called Laetare Sunday, meaning “rejoice.” It comes from an introit which begins “Laetare Jerusalem” - rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her. We hear it in the text from Galatians 4 - “Jerusalem which is above is free: which is the mother of us all.”

It is twenty-one days before Easter suggesting that, in spite of the weather, Easter is just around the corner. So far you have survived the Lenten journey in the wilderness so here’s a little rest stop to keep you going.

Today we hear this powerful story of the healing of man born blind. It is one of the seven signs in the gospel of John. It is set up like a court room drama to identify who was responsible for this act of healing on the Sabbath.

The interrogator is described as “the Jews.” John uses this term over seventy times in the gospel. It is important to understand the context of this term in the fourth gospel, particularly as we will hear it in the coming weeks.

John describes how sympathetic the Jews were in the raising of Lazarus, he describes the “Passover of the Jews” or that Nicodemus was a “leader of the Jews” and that Jesus was “King of the Jews.” Jesus says that “salvation is from the Jews.”

Clearly Jesus was a faithful and observant Jew who made regular trips to the synagogue and to Jerusalem to observe the great feasts.

It is important to know that the gospel of John was written sometime after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70AD. Without a temple, Judaism was at a crossroads and various groups were in tension with one another aiming to shape it: the rabbinic way, the nationalistic way, the apocalyptic way or the Christian way. Tensions within religious groups can of course get entrenched and bitter, and this was no exception.

We experience this when we hear of certain Christian groups needing to identify what constitutes a real Christian - your confession, your baptism, your interpretation of the Bible, or your views on any given ethical or social topic. These markers become, like it was for the blind man’s opponents, attempts to identify who is “in” and who is “out.”

The primary audience for John’s gospel was a group of Christians perhaps in Syria who had severed ties with the local synagogue. They were cast out. So the narrative sets up a sectarian “us and them” dimension throughout the gospel. “The Jews” become the dominant group that forms the opposition. And the story of the healing of the blind man becomes a microcosm of the dynamics experienced by this group of first century Jewish-Christians who, like the blind man, were also driven out.

There are many occasions in the gospel which place “the Jews” on the wrong side of the equation and historically these texts are in part responsible for creating the historic feelings and acts of anti-semitism for many generations.

However, particularly in the recent history of Jewish-Christian dialogue, there is a deep commitment to uphold the Jewish people and Jewish faith as significant, valid and foundational. There is also a deep commitment on behalf of much of the Christian church to repent from acts of anti-semitism of the past and abhor it in any present forms of expression. It is also important to clarify that Jews are distinct from the present political state of Israel. To equate the two would be the same as suggesting that all Christians are represented by the President of the United States. It is an outlandish claim.

In this story the interrogators are the Jews, and their inquisition of the parents of the man, and the blind man himself, culminates with the text: “And they drove him out.”

There it is, the blind man, like the Johannine first century Jewish-Christian community, is driven out.

They say that the important places in any community are always on the edges because that is where new life emerges. This is the place that the blind man is sent, and this is the place that Jesus shows up.

“Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
“Who is he sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.”
Jesus said, “You have seen him.”

Here is the irony: the man who was once blind is now able to see the Saviour in contrast to his opponents who who have their sight but cannot see.

This entire story realigns the social and economic structure of the village. Previously the blind man was marginalized to beg in the streets. Now, even though he’s driven out, with his sight restored he has moved from being a beggar to becoming a person with independent agency who is able to offer his own credible and reliable testimony.

This is a significant story of refreshment that provides a powerful reason for those on the margins to rejoice.

“One thing I know,” he says, “I was blind, but now I see.” May we have such an encounter with the resurrected Jesus, that with humility we too can begin to see more clearly. In the meantime today we are invited to offer our thanks for those who inspired us with the gift of faith.

- Paul Walker
Rector of St John’s Elora
Fourth Sunday in Lent
Laetare Sunday

John 9:1-41

See Daniel J Harrington S.J., “The Jews” in John’s Gospel,
The Bible Today, 1989, pages 203-209.

On behalf of everyone in attendance, we wish to extend our heartfelt thanks for this evening’s extraordinary performance...
03/15/2026

On behalf of everyone in attendance, we wish to extend our heartfelt thanks for this evening’s extraordinary performance, Voices by Candlelight, at St. John’s Elora.

Janelle Santi, Autumn Debassige, Emily Burnett, and accompanist Catherine Robertson offered a program of remarkable artistry and grace. Their interpretations of works by Felix Mendelssohn, Antonio Vivaldi, Gabriel Fauré, Stephanie Martin, and others filled the church with a radiant beauty that lingered long after the final note. The voices blended seamlessly, creating an ethereal sound that seemed to float through the candlelight—both intimate and transcendent.

We are deeply grateful for the care, talent, and emotion each performer brought to the stage. It was an evening to be remembered and cherished by all who were in attendance.

Join us at St. John’s Elora Sunday, March 22 at 3:15 when the full Parish Choir performs Bach Meditations for Lent. No tickets required. Pay-what-you-wish at the door ($30 suggested).

In just a few short hours, three members of our Parish Choir at present their trio Voices by Candlelight 🕯️🕯️🕯️joine...
03/14/2026

In just a few short hours, three members of our Parish Choir at present their trio Voices by Candlelight 🕯️🕯️🕯️joined by Catherine Robertson on piano.
Let and envelope you in their seamless blend of sacred songs tonight at 7pm.
Everyone is invited - everyone is welcome!

Pulling over at a rest stop on the highway during a long car journey is often received as an essential relief for passen...
03/14/2026

Pulling over at a rest stop on the highway during a long car journey is often received as an essential relief for passengers in the car. You can stretch your legs, get a treat, and most importantly use the washroom. Tomorrow is Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent, known as “Refreshment Sunday.” It is intended to be a little bit of a break in the journey through the wilderness of Lent to replenish your supplies and get ready for the final leg of the journey towards Easter. It is an opportunity to take a breath (or two) and find your bearings again. After this it is known as Passion-tide, when we begin the final journey to follow Jesus towards Jerusalem.

You are invited to St. John’s Elora this evening as the church will be bathed in candlelight for a concert performed by Janelle, Autumn and Emily from the Parish Choir. It is called “Voices by Candlelight.” No tickets required but you are invited to pay what you can at the door. It will be beautiful.

Come to any of the events this week at St John’s Elora for some refreshment. Immerse yourself in this spiritual journey so that when you are in a wilderness in your life, you have a community and some spiritual muscle memory to drawn upon that can help you to navigate your own wilderness without getting too lost.

God bless and keep you on your journey.

Paul Walker
Rector of St John’s Elora

THIS WEEK AT ST JOHN’S ELORA:

SATURDAY MARCH 14
7:00pm. CONCERT - “Voices by Candlelight”.
Admission is pay what you wish.

SUNDAY MARCH 15
8:00am. Communion. Simple said liturgy using traditional language.
9:00am. Holy Eucharist. Service using more contemporary language, with hymns and a message.
11:00am. Choral Communion with St John’s Parish Choir. A liturgy using Book of Common Prayer with hymns and a sermon.

TUESDAY MARCH 17
5:00pm. Meditation Group.
Meets in the Parish Centre (enter on Geddes Street)

WEDNESDAY MARCH 18
10:00am. Communion.
Simple said liturgy using traditional language.
12:00pm. Ladies Lunch.
Meets in the Parish Centre (enter on Geddes Street)

THURSDAY MARCH 19
12:00pm. Lunch and Learn in Lent. Meets at Melville United Church in Fergus. Presenter is Caroline Laing (amateur painter and past president of Fergus Highland Games)

FRIDAY MARCH 20
10:30am. Song Circle.
Meets in the Parish Centre (enter on Geddes Street)
3:00pm. Book Study. “Faith in the Face of Empire”.
Meets in the Parish Centre (enter on Geddes Street)

St John’s Anglican Church
36 Henderson Street, Elora.

Drop in to the FRIDAY SONG CIRCLE at St John’s Elora where Stan, with his ukulele, leads the group in singing some folk ...
03/09/2026

Drop in to the FRIDAY SONG CIRCLE at St John’s Elora where Stan, with his ukulele, leads the group in singing some folk songs, Broadway favourites, ballads and familiar tunes together.
It’s a fun time of music making and story telling.
Song sheets with words are provided and no experience is necessary.
The group meets in the Parish Centre (yellow house), 168 Geddes Street, Elora.
Fridays at 10:30 to 12:00noon.

It is high noon at Jacob’s well and because it’s hot, after a long journey Jesus is thirsty. The well is deep and he do...
03/08/2026

It is high noon at Jacob’s well and because it’s hot, after a long journey Jesus is thirsty. The well is deep and he doesn’t have a bucket, so Jesus says to a Samaritan woman, “Give me a drink.”

The woman asks, “What are you doing asking me for a drink?”

All of this exchange about water, living water, deep wells with no bucket, and engaging those whom are considered the enemy, or at least “the other,” at the brightest and hottest part of the day is a moment, like so many moments in the gospel of John, of stark revelation.

This story brings to mind the stone monument across the Post Office in Elora, outside the BMO branch, that marks the site of a public drinking fountain, established in 1955 in memory of the Stafford family who settled here in 1855. On this stone is a plaque with the words from a verse in today’s gospel reading, “The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." Isn’t it wonderful that here in Elora we have a reminder in the public square to point us to this great story?

Like the blind man, it is Samaritan woman who becomes the one who sees, and the one who believes, and the one who testifies, and the one who invites everyone to come and meet Jesus.

It is significant that John chooses a woman to be one of the first to give a testimony that is received as both credible and reliable. This is something that Mary Magdalene will offer at the end of the gospel - a reliable and credible testimony.

Here, Jesus, acknowledging privately to a foreigner at the well that he is thirsty anticipates what he will say publicly to the bystanders from the cross. The same thing will happen on the cross when Jesus will say, “I am thirsty.”

And they put a sponge full of wine on the end of a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth.

But at Jacob’s well there’s no evidence that Jesus ever got a drop of water let alone a sponge of wine. He seems to remain thirsty for this whole story.

In fact when the disciples arrive, and the woman leaves to go back to the city, the disciples look at him and think he’s looking a little weak so they strongly urge him to eat something. He’s not only thirsty, he is hungry. But Jesus dismisses their concern and goes on to talk about the spiritual food of doing the will of his Father. This is all very interesting but you still need to eat and drink something. It’s about your physical health as well as your spiritual health.

Fortunately, when the woman departed for the city she left her water jar - thank goodness she left her water jar. So perhaps he did get something to drink.

When she got to the city she offered her testimony. She said to the people, "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?”

So wanting to verify that her testimony was credible and reliable, they rushed out to see him. What they encountered was so compelling that they asked him to stay with them.

This is another recurring theme in John’s gospel - the invitation to stay.

“Where are you staying,” Philip and Andrew ask? “Come and see,” Jesus responds. So they stayed with him.

At the end of the gospel in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus says, “Stay with me, for the hour is at hand.” And they all fall asleep.

But here Jesus and his disciples become guests in a Samaritan home for two days.

It was two days, not three. Because we know what happens on the third day. As the creeds remind us the third day is a really big day, and of course his hour had not yet come.

To stay is to dwell, to abide, to remain with.

This is not only a significant act of hospitality - to welcome in the stranger, the foreigner - but it is also addressing a fundamental human fear.

Jesus will say, “abide in me.”

The act of staying is an antidote to being abandoned. The fact that Jesus stays with people throughout the gospel narrative, and that they long to have Jesus stay with them addresses our very real and fundamental human fear of being abandoned, forgotten or invisible.

After the woman ran back to the city to give her testimony it is recorded that many in the city believed in him because of what she said; and even more believed because they saw and heard for themselves. All of this verifies that the woman’s testimony was both credible and reliable.

This is the whole thrust of the gospel of John. Whether it be the Samaritan woman, the blind man, or Mary Magdalene, they all give their testimony to these things with credibility and reliability. John says, “I have said these things to you so that you might believe. Many more things were said and done that could not be written in this book but these are written that you might come to believe.”

“And,” Jesus adds, “if you don’t believe my words, then believe my deeds, these great signs of power.”

All this stems from Jesus who acknowledges, like we all do, that he was thirsty.

Thirsty for a safe and secure place to belong. Thirsty for a world of peace. Thirsty for community and meaning and fulfillment. We are all so thirsty. In the Great Litany, which we sang this morning, we acknowledge our thirst for all these things. With Jesus and with the woman we say, “I am thirsty.”

“The water that I will give,” Jesus says, “will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” You’ll even see this text engraved on a plaque in the public square.

“Give me this water always.”

Third Sunday in Lent
Paul Walker
Rector of St John’s Elora

John 4

Image from Unsplash, Curated Lifestyle, 2026.

While the news headlines capture our attention and create signs of addictive behaviours we never thought possible for ou...
03/07/2026

While the news headlines capture our attention and create signs of addictive behaviours we never thought possible for ourselves, or measures of anxiety that seem to spiral out of control in our minds, there is another often invisible narrative that overarches these headlines. It is an epic narrative of a much greater dimension that so often gets eclipsed and forgotten by what comes across our television screens, tablets, smartphones or radio air waves.

The season of Lent calls us to prayer and to intentionally adopt some simple exercises to help us refocus, regroup, and rearrange our priorities. You can only take responsibility for yourself and your actions, words and thoughts. So I invite you to not only pray but to find something that helps you create the space to make a little more room over these coming weeks so that, when it comes, you can absorb the good news of the great paschal feast called Easter in a new way, and cope with the state of the world. This is the ancient wisdom bound in the rhythm of the church seasons. I commend to you that these practices might be a good resource to draw upon during these times to console a troubled mind.

God bless and keep you,
Paul Walker
Rector of St John’s Elora

You are invited to attend any of these resources offered at St John’s Elora this week:

Sunday March 8
8:00am - a simple said service of Holy Communion using the Book of Common Prayer.
9:00am - a service of communion using more contemporary language with hymns, prayers for the world, and a message.
11:00am - a service of choral morning prayer using the Book of Common Prayer with the St John’s Elora Parish Choir.

Tuesday March 10
5:00pm - meditation group in the Parish Centre (yellow house - entrance on Geddes Street)

Wednesday March 11
10:00am - a simple said service of Holy Communion using the Book of Common Prayer.

Saturday March 14
7:00pm - Voices by Candlelight; gather in a church filled with candlelight to hear sacred trios performed by Janelle Santi, Emily Burnett and Autumn Debassige. Admission by donation.

An ecumenical movement that has its origins since 1891, the service to mark the World Day of Prayer, initiated, organize...
03/02/2026

An ecumenical movement that has its origins since 1891, the service to mark the World Day of Prayer, initiated, organized and led by women, is hosted at Melville United Church, Fergus, on FRIDAY March 6, 2:00pm.

You are invited to attend as we gather to pray for the world.

The 2026 World Day of Prayer materials from Nigeria bring us a powerful invitation drawn from Matthew 11:28-30. At a time when people worldwide are carrying heavy burdens, our Nigerian sisters offer profound insights into finding rest in God.

Through their exploration of different kinds of burdens - shame, systemic oppression, religious persecution, poverty and despair - the writers help us understand both the weight of human suffering and the depths of divine rest. Their work shows us that true rest isn't just about physical relief, but about transformation through God's grace and community support.

In light of the terrible news yesterday affecting so many people in the middle east, The Most Revd Hosam Naoum, the Prim...
03/02/2026

In light of the terrible news yesterday affecting so many people in the middle east, The Most Revd Hosam Naoum, the Primate of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East issued a Pastoral Letter.

He oversees the churches in the Diocese of Jerusalem (Israel and Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon), the Diocese of Iran, and the Diocese of Cyprus (Cyprus, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, and Yemen).

In his letter Archbishop Naoum states in part:

“Firstly, I call upon the global Church to join us in urgent, unceasing prayer. We implore God to protect the innocent—the mothers, the children, and the elderly—who are caught in the crossfire….

“Second, we must offer each other the sanctuary of Christian love….. our hope is not in the strength of armadas or missile shields, but in the Prince of Peace….

“Finally, we must remain 'Bridge Builders.' Even as diplomatic windows seem to slam shut, the Church must keep the doors of reconciliation open. We refuse to see our neighbors as enemies, whether they be in Tehran, Tel Aviv, or the military bases of the Gulf…

“…. I extend an urgent invitation to the wider Anglican Communion and all people of goodwill: Intercede for us now. The hour is late, and the danger is great. We remain “battered and bruised, but not defeated.”

It’s a powerful and beautiful letter and I commend the full text of it to your reading. Copies are available at the back of the church.

God loved the world; he didn’t condemn it.

God’s love is predicated not on the fact that the world was particularly lovable or impressive. The love of God was not delivered as a reward for good behaviour, or for a certain amount of faith, or a particular level of piety.

Perhaps the hardest thing to believe is the fact that God loves the world; even and particularly while the world seems to be very successful in creating such a mess of things. Why would God love this?

For some they may believe that God loves the world, but they exempt themselves from that equation. They think, “It’s all very well that God loves the world, but I’m not so sure that God would actually love me. I place myself outside of the collection called “the world” because I don’t fit in to the collection of believing people, or praying people, or worthy people. I don’t fit the mold of the church “type.””

The hardest thing for most of us to believe is that God loves the world, and that I am a part of that world.

Sometimes people say that amidst all the tragedy and suffering they have a hard time believing. Then on top of that there’s the Bible stories and the creeds of the church. “You believe that stuff?” they ask.

That virgin birth or the resurrection of the dead; or the great deeds of power - walking on water, feeding the multitude, raising Lazarus, making the blind man see. It’s hard to believe any of that when you take into account the scale of suffering in the world and you wonder where God is. If God really loved the world, then why wouldn’t he do something about all this mess?

Well, what is the role of God in the world? What agency does God have in the world? And what do you understand the event of Jesus coming in the midst of an oppressed and exiled people on the edge of the Roman Empire to represent? And what do you understand the event of Jesus willingly subjecting himself to the suffering and shame of a public ex*****on as a criminal on a cross to accomplish? Because this event, called the incarnation, the descent of God to fully inhabit the flesh of humanity, becomes the central event of the gospel writers and the epistles, and the focus of our worship.

We hear today about Nicodemus, one who was well versed in the scriptures, who comes to Jesus by night because he too struggles with these things.

It’s hard to see clearly by night.

The gospel of John has recurring themes about seeing, knowing, and believing; light and darkness; night and day; about giving and receiving testimony.

And Jesus, in the dark of night, begins to talk to Nicodemus about seeing things from a certain perspective; from the perspective of above.

Jesus says that no one can see these things without being born of the Spirit.

This “from above” bit is about stepping outside of ourselves for a minute and looking in from the perspective of God.

“No one,” Jesus says, “has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven.” So this is a bit of a unique perspective that maybe really only Jesus fully grasps and understands.

But Jesus shows us this perspective as he becomes the cursed one pinned on a pole and raised up for all to see.

In his conversation with Nicodemus Jesus recalls the story of Moses in the wilderness when the people were being bitten by poisonous snakes and dying, and everyone complained and said, ‘take us back to Egypt where we were slaves. At least we were safe there.’

And Moses asks God, “what I am to do?”

“Take one of those snakes,” God says, “make it into bronze and raise it up on a pole; and anyone who looks up and sees it will live.”

This is where the medical and health professions get the symbol of the snake wrapped around a pole, because it is an ancient symbol of healing and life.

Moses couldn’t explain why it worked, and it all seemed a bit outlandish to take the source of death and pin it up on a pole so looking at it became the path for healing. Who knew? You can’t make this stuff up.

Jesus becomes that serpent. Jesus becomes the snake lifted up on the pole. So even those who walked in the shadow of death, or those who lived in deep darkness, or those who were lost in the wilderness and wished they were back in Egypt as slaves, could look up to that cursed one on a cross and live.

The deliverance, healing, and living for those dying in the wilderness was not a result of their great works, or their belief, or their faith, or their piety, or their prayers. It was a result of them looking at or lifting up their hearts to see, in the darkness of suffering in the wilderness, the source of their death raised up on a pole. The psalm today begins with that great line, “I lift up my eyes to the hills.” Jesus raised up on a cross outside the city walls as the cursed one becomes the agency of life for the world. This becomes the symbol and demonstration of God’s greatest act of love: of inhabiting the world’s darkest suffering and redeeming it all. Every bit of it.

So, as we heard in the Bishop of Jerusalem’s Pastoral Letter, we do not lose hope, but hold fast to it, and we embrace it. Because this is the God who gives life to the dead, and calls into existence the things that do not exist, whether we believe it or not. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up unto the Lord.

- Paul Walker
Rector of St John’s Elora

Second Sunday in Lent
Psalm 121
John 3

“You give to me far more than I could ever give back.” That was one of the comments from a member of our annual Vestry ...
02/28/2026

“You give to me far more than I could ever give back.” That was one of the comments from a member of our annual Vestry meeting last week who expressed what it meant for them to be a part of St John’s Elora. Amidst the work of casting a vision for the year and understanding how that vision affects each of us, I was moved by the many expressions of gratitude for how the ministry of this parish impacts people’s lives in real ways. At the end of the day that is what is about. You and I find a spiritual home here and in return we invest our time, talent and treasure as an expression of what we can give back for all that we have received; and then we discover that other people’s lives are transformed too.

Tomorrow we celebrate St. David’s Day, the patron saint of Wales, with a special reception provided by the Altar Guild after the 11am service; and at Evensong (4:00) we commemorate the life and witness of priest and poet, George Herbert, who died at the age of 39 in 1633, leaving a legacy of poems and hymns we know and love. Come to learn and celebrate these great saints of the church and give back in gratitude.

Look forward to seeing you at St John’s Elora.

Paul Walker
Rector of St John’s Elora

You are invited to attend St John’s Elora this week for any of the following events:

Sunday March 1
8:00am - simple said service of Holy Communion using the Book of Common Prayer
9:00am - service of Holy Eucharist with hymns and a message
11:00am - service of Choral Communion with Quartet, hymns and a sermon.
4:00pm - Evensong with Parish Choir to commemorate the life of poet and priest, George Herbert.

Tuesday March 3
5:00pm - Meditation Group (Parish Centre)
8:00pm - service of Compline. A 30 minute choral service to end the day in peace.

Wednesday March 4
10:00am - simple said service of Holy Communion using the Book of Common Prayer
6:00pm - Men’s Dinner. Guest speaker Ken Seiling on the history of the Wellington County Museum and Archives.

Friday March 6
10:30am - Song Circle. Meet in the Parish Centre where Stan leads a small group in singing familiar favourites and folk songs using his ukulele.
2:00pm - WORLD DAY OF PRAYER service hosted at Melville United, Fergus.

Address

36 Henderson Street
Elora, ON
N0B1S0

Telephone

+15198465911

Website

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Our Story

WHO WE ARE The Church of St. John the Evangelist in Elora is a member of the Anglican Church of Canada in the Diocese of Niagara. We belong to the Anglican Communion, a global community of 70 million people in 164 countries. People gather at St. John's Elora to find hope, encounter God, and deepen their understanding of faith through worship, prayer, and study together. Come to be inspired by music, supported by community, and engaged in learning about the Christian faith. St. John's is known for its outstanding choral tradition, local outreach, and care for one another.

WHAT WE DO Worship is the heartbeat of our life together. In worship we are called out of ourselves and into the life of God, who calls us, upholds us, blesses us, and sends us into the world. Music is an integral part of our worship at both the 9 A.M. and the 11 A.M. liturgies. We understand that excellence in liturgy, preaching, and music can be transformative. Presently, St. John's is blessed to have three choirs: Kids Who Sing, the Volunteer Choir, and the professional Parish Choir. See videos of our Parish Choir on St. John’s Elora YouTube channel.

When you arrive for worship, you will receive an order of service to guide you through the liturgy, a hymn book, and a prayer book. If you are new or visiting with us, please sign our guest book in the front foyer or complete one of the visitor cards in the pews. Following worship, there usually is a time for greeting one another over refreshments served downstairs or outside.

OUR FIVE PRIORITIES St. John’s Parish Council has established working groups to address five priorities: 1) Online Presence and Information Technology, 2) Outreach and Social Justice, 3) Welcoming Newcomers, 4) Children and Youth, and 5) Accessibility. If you share interest in any of these working groups, please contact Susan Edwards, secretary of Parish Council.