Table of Contents
2025 Annual Meeting Minutes
The 2025 Annual Meeting was held in hybrid format, in person and via YouTube Livestream, on Sunday, January 26 following 10am worship. Thank you to everyone who attended, participated, submitted reports, and voted at the meeting, for your vitality and enthusiasm in faithfully embracing innovative new formats of annual meeting!
Stewardship Report
Submitted by the Very Rev. Jered Weber-Johnson
What a year for Saint John’s Stewardship – there is so much to celebrate and so much for which we can give thanks! We began 2025, working with our consultant team at Vandersall Collective, in the final stages of learning from a listening process that dug deep into the hopes, prayers, and dreams of St. John’s for ways we wanted to use our building and our financial resources for the mission of God. That listening phase then moved into a feasibility study where we tested with our whole congregation what were the projects and costs that most aligned with our highest values and our ability to accomplish them. Out of that feasibility study we then continued in partnership with Vandersall to establish concrete plans, guided by architects and the wisdom of our faith community, to raise funds for a range of capital improvement projects, a building reserve fund for future needs, and a bridge fund to help our annual budget in times when annual income didn’t align perfectly with our yearly mission and ministry. We set goals to continue to speak faithfully about and to address our own money narratives, in hopes to align them more closely with the values God calls us to embody as people of faith. We set goals to engage more leaders in the work of stewardship, and to engage as many of our members in acts of faithful giving, recognizing that all gifts of all sizes are necessary for the work of ministry. We also aimed to have a little fun and lots of fellowship along the way.
This year our financial goals were multiple:
- $2,755,500 for main projects
- $716,000 for annual campaign
- If possible, $209,012 for a stretch goal
We achieved all of these goals and then some.
- We raised 100% of our capital campaign goal
- We raised 100% of our annual campaign goal (plus a little more that shows up in the following goal)
- And, as of today, I am pleased to announce that we raised $230,546 or 110.30% of our stretch goal which becomes our Bridge Fund
In total we have raised $3,702,046 for the mission of raising up the foundations of many generations! We engaged over 50 people in the work of stewardship as leaders and volunteers! We built new capacity for the work of planned giving, annual stewardship, and an ability to address the capital improvement needs of a historic and beautiful building well into the future. And, perhaps most important of all, we had difficult, vulnerable, and honest conversations about our money narratives and are even now beginning to grow more deeply into the honest and faithful work of seeing our resources as a part of God’s healing and repairing work in the world. We did all of this in the midst of a federal occupation of our cities and state and all while giving more and working harder than we ever have to care for our neighbors and to seek justice in our community.
We are so thankful to all who gave, all who served, and all who led in this vital work. Truly you are making St. John’s a place that repairs and restores, and that more deeply engages the work of seeking justice through the mission and ministry of this place and the building we call home.
Thank you!
2025 Financial Report
will be uploaded as soon as finalized by vestry
2026 Financial Statement of Mission
will be uploaded as soon as finalized by vestry
Gratitudes
St. John’s is a community of many gifts. Some are very visible, others less so. All are an important witness to the love of Jesus in the world. We are deeply grateful for our beloved staff and volunteers who have served in 2025.
We recognize the leadership of our outgoing vestry members:
- Jeff Chen
- Tisha Colton
- Barb Tani
- Sally Sand
As well as David Bressoud, stepping off the vestry to take on the position of treasurer; and our outgoing senior warden Bette Ashcroft. Heartfelt thanks to all of you for serving on the vestry of St. John’s.
Thank you to Kelly Russ, who passed leadership of St. John’s Project Home ministry to Patty Ball in November.
Last, but not least, our special thanks to Rick Rinkoff, who has served as Treasurer since 2011. Over those years, Rick has guided, supported, and advocated for the financial health of St. John’s. We so appreciate the time, energy, ability, and the countless ways you have so generously partnered with us in faith, not only with your lips, but in your life. The good news is that Rick will continue to serve as a Trustee of the Cornerstone Trust and as a member of the Finance Committee. The groaner jokes, which we so desperately need, will continue; thanks be to God.
And thank you to any other ministry leaders who have reached the end of a term of service that we have not been made aware of. We are grateful for you and for your dedication to the life and ministry of St. John’s.
The ministry of St. John’s depends on the many gifts of time and talent that have been shared by all of us in the name of Christ.
Election Slate
Vestry Members — 3-Year Term
Patty Ball – Faith in Action Liaison
Maura Donovan – At Large
Caleb Moxley – At Large
Jim Pfau – At Large
Vestry Members — 1-Year Term
Betsy Wehrwein – Pastoral Care Liaison
Wardens – First 1-Year Term
Bob Baumann—Senior Warden
Brad Parsons—Junior Warden
Cornerstone Trustees — 3-Year Term
Tom Baxter
Jay Debertin
Candidate Bios
Vestry Members
Patty Ball
Patty Ball was officially received into the Episcopal church in December and has been part of St. John’s since 2023, often attending online. One thing that drew her to St. John’s was the volunteer work around hunger support. Before attending in person, she started volunteering at both First Nations Kitchen and Project Home with other St. John’s parishioners. Patty also likes to engage in supporting worship at St. John’s; you may see her as a Thurifer at Compline, a Verger, a reader, or a chalice bearer at the 10am service. Patty is mom to two beautiful adult daughters and has been happily married to her spouse for over 30 years. As she begins steps to prepare for retirement (hopefully in the next 5 years), she wants to build her connection to assisting others in need as a glide path to becoming a full-time volunteer in retirement. She is excited to continue to serve at St. John’s.
Maura Donovan
Maura Donovan has been a member of St. John’s since 2021. A life-long Episcopalian and long-time resident of the Twin Cities, Maura and her husband, David, were initially drawn to the parish through their connection with the Rev. Barbara Mraz and St. John’s distinguished music program. Over the past four years, Maura has deepened her connection to the parish by helping as a volunteer in the office, serving on the Fellowship Committee, ringing in the Handbell Ensemble, and most recently joining the Faith Formation Commission and serving on the Capital Campaign team. Additionally, she felt very fortunate to travel with fellow parishioners as part of the 2025 Iona Pilgrimage. She is now excited about the opportunity to serve the parish by joining the St. John’s Vestry and contributing to its important leadership work.
Maura is currently semi-retired and works part time as the Academic Program Director for Innovation Scholars, a biomedical experiential learning program for students from Minnesota’s colleges and universities. Her prior professional experience includes a decade in higher education administration at Marquette University and the University of Minnesota preceded by over 20 years of leadership experience at Medtronic, Inc. Maura is a graduate of Macalester College and holds a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Washington. She serves as a Trustee Emerita at Macalester College and on the Board of Directors for the Saint Paul Parks Conservancy. She has previously served on the boards of Medical Alley and University Enterprise Laboratories.
Caleb Moxley
Caleb was reared in the Southern Baptist tradition in rural Alabama and grew up with missions and revivals, Sacred Harp and shape notes, evangelicalism and dispensationalism. He describes these early years as a time when he was passionate, committed, and convicted. “But,” he says, “one day at the lunchroom table, I hurt a friend I loved through my witness—I used my faith like a cudgel thinking I was using it like a life preserver.” He goes on to describe how he had a hard time after that. He looked for the soft parts of his faith, the parts that healed. Caleb says he eventually found them when a friend invited him to sing with her church’s choir at St. Mary’s on the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama.
When he moved to Saint Paul, he found these beautiful things again at St. John the Evangelist, and, as he says, “I have been so grateful to be a part of our church’s ministry and life.” Caleb has served on the Congregational Gifts Committee supporting the Capital and Annual Campaigns and with our Children’s Formation program Whirl. He is excited to serve on the vestry. A mathematician by training and an actuary by profession, Caleb is hoping to help St. John’s fulfill its mission with an understanding of its financial needs.
Jim Pfau
Jim Pfau spent the first 40+ years of his life as a Roman Catholic before finding a home at a nearby Episcopal Church in Saint Paul in 2005. As the pandemic wound down, he describes how he was looking for a new Episcopal church home, “mostly because of my affinity for a music-free 8am Sunday service.” Upon visiting St. John’s, Jim noted how the staff and clergy made him feel welcome before and after each service. What’s more, says, Jim, “the fellow congregants were friendly (in an early morning Minnesotan way), and many of the sermons were among the best that I have heard. I was fully hooked by the first time that I heard Craig quote Howard Thurman and Jered quote Karl Rahner. Their exploration of The Word combines deep theological understanding with humanity, practical reflection, and eloquent enthusiasm.”
Although his participation in activities at St. John’s has, for a variety of reasons, been somewhat limited outside of being a reader at and attending the 8am service, Jim is honored to serve on the vestry and provide his assistance and insight.
Betsy Wehrwein
Betsy Wehrwein has been coming to St. John’s since January 2023; she is a cradle Episcopalian but left the church for 20 years before returning and embracing St. John’s as her home parish. She is involved with Migrant Support, Pastoral Care, and the newly formed Justice Team, to name a couple of ministries. She looks for the Holy Spirit out in the world and finds it all the time now.
Betsy “has eclectic tastes and experiences life in many ways, including through a camera’s lens and community organizing.” She has held various administrative jobs in the non-profit and public education sectors. Betsy is now retired and her time is her own. She is the mother of four adult sons and loves to get her arms around them. She feels truly blessed to call St. John’s her home.
Wardens
Bob Baumann
Bob is standing for his first year as Senior Warden of the vestry. With his husband Bill Sherfey, he joined St. John’s about 24 years ago. They attended one service just to hear Howard Don Small play organ; Jim Johnson welcomed them, and they’ve been here ever since. Bob served as usher and as Clerk of Vestry for a number of years and currently is a member of the Fellowship Committee and the Capital Campaign Team. He taught students as a classroom teacher in grades 2 through 4, ending his career as a Reading Recovery teacher and literacy specialist when he retired a few years ago. St. John’s has served as a most welcoming and fun community where he and Bill can embrace the mysteries of faith through liturgy, music, and service to others.
Brad Parsons
Brad came to St. John’s nearly 15 years ago when his family moved to the Twin Cities from western Minnesota. He came from a very small parish in Alexandria, and had numerous stints there as vestry member and wardens. “Honestly, the size of St. John’s was a big draw,” Brad says. “I needed a place to just worship, and not worry about the place. But very quickly it became so much more. The people, and their devotion, and love and care for their fellow human and the world. The clergy and their reverence for the sacraments and liturgy. All of it, and feeling the real presence of the Holy Spirit.” Brad eventually served a term on vestry; has been an active Men’s Group member and lector; and took on leadership of the annual Hanging of the Greens. Last year he became a trained lay eucharistic minister and is part of St. John’s Circle of Care. He is eager to do his part in maintaining and growing our people, their love, and our mission serving God in all persons.
Ministry Reports
Liturgy
Submitted by Rev. Craig Lemming, Associate Rector
As people of Common Prayer whose spiritual identities, faith beliefs, and moral imaginations are shaped, deepened, and inspired by the words, music, and rituals we share in as we mark the seasons and cycles of our earthly pilgrimage, here are some of the ways our liturgies impacted St. John’s community in 2025:
- St. John’s partnered with Holy Trinity Episcopal Church for the annual diocesan celebration of Absalom Jones with Bishop Craig Loya as celebrant and Fr. Shawn Evelyn as preacher followed by a festive luncheon in Holy Trinity’s undercroft.
- Black History Candlemas included the illumination of sacred icons of biblical characters and Christian saints who embodied healing across racial lines of difference. Our installation of sacred icons remained in St. John’s sanctuary through February.
- Monthly celebrations of The Holy Eucharist for Racial Reconciliation honoring saints who lived and worked for racial healing included an eclectic roster of lay and ordained guest preachers: the Rev. Canon Dr. Lauren Stanley, Mary E. Johnson, the Rev. Anna Ostenso Moore, Dr. Mark McInroy, the Rev. Dr. Daniel Handschy, the Rev. Christopher Rogers, the Venerable Archdeacon Rena Turnham, Edwin Schenk, the Rev. Phillip Romine, the Rt. Rev. Bishop Craig Loya, and the Rev. Judy DesHarnais.
- Partnerships with the Creation Care Ministry included Earth Day Sunday; Creation Care Sunday in honor of St. Francis of Assisi; The Season of Creation liturgies in the Fall; and the Advent Wreath Prayers for the Earth composed by St. John’s Creation Care team.
- In partnership with the Women’s Group and the Liturgy Committee, Kathy Brown and Dr. Lynn Hartmann curated an installation of sacred images and icons in St. John’s sanctuary of Holy Women titled Behold, Women of Light in honor of the Marian month of May and National Women’s Health Month.
- Partnerships with Children, Youth, and Family Ministries included a fabulous Epiphany Pageant, an all-ages “Starshine and Clay” Ash Wednesday liturgy, an all-ages Good Friday Triduum, Prayers of the People for Creation Care composed by St. John’s youth, and the annual processions for the Quinquagesima burial and the Easter Day resurrection of the Alleluias.
Altar Guild
Submitted by the Rev. Karen Mosso
The women and men of St. John’s Altar Guild are a small but mighty and dedicated team. We mostly work behind the scenes but enjoy knowing that we touch almost every parishioner through the sacraments – “an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.”
Throughout 2025, as in decades past, we set up the linens and vessels for regular weekly worship and for mid-week and special occasions such as funerals and weddings. After services, we “washed the dishes” and then set up for the next service.
Big cleaning days were scheduled before Easter and Christmas to polish silver and brass, put out fresh candles and put on fresh altar linens. Karen Mosso is our “Linen Lady” and washes the weekly Communion linens and the altar Fair Linens. Karen is also our “mender” repairing vestments, linens and occasional requests from parishioners. Last year we purchased new matching glass cruets.
We continued to order flowers from Johnson Bros. Florists on Grand Ave. After church, a volunteer usually takes them to the Church Home to share them. Donations towards the cost of the altar flowers are always appreciated.
We also honored Diane Power’s years of faithful service as Altar Guild Director.
The Altar Guild participated in outreach through preparing the Home Communion kits for hospital or home visits.
Altar Guild service is flexible and coordinated by Katie Madsen, Guild Director. We are always welcoming new members. Contact Katie to find out about joining us!
Faith Formation
Submitted by Rev. Craig Lemming, Associate Rector
As followers of Jesus and his way of love, we are called, equipped, and empowered by the Holy Spirit into the spiritual discipline of renewing our minds in Christ. The people of St.John’s grew in their knowledge and love of God in the following ways in 2025:
- The Season after the Epiphany: Dr. Mark McInroy, the Rev. Craig Lemming, Jay Clark, Dr. Laurel Potter, Marjorie D. Grevious, Betsy Wehrwein, and Dr. Judy Stack led a series of Sunday Faith Forums on liberative spiritual practices that free us from self-righteous victimhood so that we can engage in the fully human and fully divine justice of Jesus.
- Lent: Referencing Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search For Meaning as our guiding Lenten text, Dr. Mark McInroy, the Rev. Susan Moss, Mary E. Johnson, the Rev. Craig Lemming, and the Rev. Kate Stebinger offered a series on Making Meaning Out of Suffering: An Applied Pastoral Theology for Caregiving in Christian Community.
- Eastertide: a series of presentations by four of the authors featured in a new collection of theological essays titled Pathways to Belonging (Wipf & Stock, 2025): Finding Christian Identity by Belonging in Resurrected Community with Erin Weber-Johnson, Voice & Verse: Breathing and Belonging Together by the Rev. Craig Lemming, Honoring Women in Sacred Iconography by Dr. Jennifer Awes Freeman, and Fostering Belonging through Afrofuturist Design by Dr. Mike Dando.
- Creation Care Season: two Sunday faith forums on “Journeying Home: Pilgrimages into Belonging” were offered by St. John’s Croatia Youth and Adult Pilgrims and Iona Pilgrims. Two Sunday faith forums with Ritchie TwoBulls of First Nations Kitchen and Kara Breci of Soul Space Farm were offered. A public lecture and discussion with St. Thomas University’s Dr. Steven Jorissen on “Tackling Carbon Emissions: Embracing the Power of Change” was offered in St. John’s Sanctuary.
- Stewardship and Thanksgiving Season: St. John’s Capital Campaign Committee and members of the Vandersall Collective led three Sunday faith forums on the theological tenets grounding the three construction and refurbishment projects in St. John’s building. Jamselle Dukule, Kevin Russ, the Very Rev. Jered Weber-Johnson, the Rev. Robert TwoBulls, Marjorie D. Grevious, Destiny Jones, and the Rev. Dr. Daniel Handschy led a four-part Wednesday community dinner and Sunday forum series on how sharing in meals, the Holy Scriptures, and prayer knits us together in the communion of saints
- Brad Neary, Director of the St. John’s Bible Heritage Program led a lecture on Dwelling in the Illuminated Word in which participants could experience the four Gospels and the Book of Acts folios up-close and turn the pages together.
- Advent: Delving into our Advent Parish Read, The Sabbath by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, the Rev. Dr. Daniel Handschy, Terri Fishel, the Rev. Craig Lemming, and Dr. Lynn Hartmann offered a series of Sunday faith forums on resisting hyper-individualism; resisting hyper-consumerism; and preparing for the incarnation of the God of Sabbath.
- Book Group met every first and third Thursdays. We studied and discussed Where Do We Go From Here? by Martin Luther King, Jr., The Bondwoman’s Narrative by Hannah Crafts, The Book of Joy by Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama, James: A Novel by Percival Everett, and The False White Gospel by Jim Wallis.
- Bible Study with Art continued on Zoom on second and fourth Thursdays. Holly Stoerker led this series with assistance from Bette Aschroft, Betsy Wehrwein, Otto Paier, and the Rev. Craig Lemming.
Children, Youth, and Family
Submitted by Shelley Byrnes, Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministry
Children:
- Hired new Nursery Administrator – Jade Larson a preschool teacher with three years experience in Montessori and traditional classrooms.
- 19 students in the Epiphany Pageant – More intergenerational participation
- Godly Play and Whirl classes split again with combined average of 7 students per Sunday.
- Tell Me the Truth About Racism curriculum instituted on fourth Sunday of each month to coincide with Racial Reconciliation Sunday taught to combined Godly Play and Whirl Class
- Christmas Party with 25 children
- 8 dedicated Godly Play Leaders with three trainings a year
- 4 dedicated Whirl teachers with recruitment continuing
- SJE hosting 2nd annual MLK Day of Love and Action with St Clements, St Mary’s, and St John in the Wilderness (35 students kindergarten – 5th grade attended in 2025)
- Received $6000 grant for Imaging and Imagining God in order to incorporate art as a way to bring children more actively into the liturgy. Advent/Christmas installation included projections of constellations, binoculars for children to find stained glass windows and stickers representing themes for the four weeks of Advent and Christmas. Watch for the Lent/Easter/Pentecost installation!
- 6 new babies this year!
Youth:
- Fundraised $20,000 for pilgrimage!
- Pilgrimage to Croatia with 7 students and 4 adults
- Spiritual Growth
- Community Growth
- Youth joined with LGBTQIA+ group to serve Croatian Cevapi at Christmas party
- 4 students and 2 adults in Confirmation discernment (2 additional students in class but already confirmed)
- 6 Mentors for Confirmands
- 5 students preparing for the next pilgrimage in summer of 2027
- 3 Dungeons and Dragons events with St Clements, St Mary’s, and St John in the Wilderness
Families:
- First Nourish Parents Brunch held in March
- Gained a CYF vestry representative! (thanks Edwin)
- CYF Committee has 6 solid members (always welcoming more!)
- Easter Egg Hunt/ Parents’ Brunch was extremely successful
- Dolly Parton Drag Pancake Supper!
Pastoral Care
Submitted by Rev. Craig Lemming, Associate Rector
Following the way of Jesus, our teacher, healer, and good shepherd, who calls us to love one another, especially in times of trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, and adversity, here are ways St. John’s pastoral caregivers joined the Holy Spirit in loving and caring for our community in 2025:
- Cammie Beattie, Cindy Bertheau, David Bressoud, Kathy Brown, Patty Byrne Pfalz, Jax Collins, Keith Davis, Linda Lindeke, Kathy McGill, Brad Parsons, Holly Stoerker, Jill Thompson, Jennifer Tianen, Betsy Wehrwein, and Roger Wilson continued to serve as commissioned lay pastoral caregivers, attending monthly Circle of Care meetings, monthly small group gatherings, and two annual spiritual retreats.
- Circle of Care focused on deepening our pastoral caregiving in four ministry areas: Children, Youth, and Families; Invite, Welcome, Connect; Faith in Action; and Migrant Ministries.
- The Pastoral Care Committee: Kathy Brown, Holly Stoerker, Roger Wilson and the Rev. Craig Lemming organized and led monthly Circle of Care meetings. Each month, we focused on one of our ongoing pastoral ministry areas: maintaining our intercessory public and confidential prayer lists, pastoral visits, eucharistic visits, healing prayer and anointing, and card writing. Kathy Brown completed her term on the Pastoral Care Committee and will rotate back into the Circle of Care. Jax Collins joins the Pastoral Care Committee for a three-year term.
- Circle of Care partnered with St. John’s Liturgy Committee to provide Healing Prayer and Anointing during the distribution of Holy Communion in the seasons of Advent and Lent. Our Pastoral Care Committee hosted the annual Blue Christmas liturgy, with Judge Nicole J. Starr as guest homilist, for those who struggle with grief, loss, or stress during Advent and Christmastide.
- The Rev. Craig Lemming and Jack George from Bradshaw Funeral Home and the Very Rev. Jered Weber-Johnson led two Funeral Planning Parties to assist St. John’s members both at the church and at Episcopal Homes in providing the pastoral gift of a well-prepared death to their loved ones.
- The Rev. Craig Lemming led the annual Healing Prayer and Healing Anointing training with the assistance of Roger Wilson and Kathy Brown.
Faith in Action
Submitted by The Rev Judy DesHarnais, Deacon
Hallie Q. Brown
Impact: Our work with Hallie Q. Brown (HQB), a valued and historic African American community institution and service provider in the Rondo neighborhood, continues to be a multifaceted partnership. Our primary way of connecting with HQB has been through their vital food shelf program, which raises funds and receives thousands of pounds of donated food each year to feed our hungry neighbors in the Rondo and Frogtown neighborhoods and beyond. Patty Byrne Pfalz leads efforts to connect with this community organization.
Highlights:
- Sponsored 2 food drives
- Pack the Pews (March) – 140 pounds of food
- Hope Fair Holiday Food Drive (November/December) – 400 pounds of food donated
- Volunteers helped in the playground garden that raised vegetables for the food shelf.
- St. John’s volunteers helped out at the HQB Farmers Market in July and August
- Partner farmers delivered fresh produce to HQB weekly during the growing season with financial support from SJE (see “Hunger Relief” below)
Hunger Relief
Impact: Hunger relief, the outreach arm of the St. John’s-Holy Apostles Farmers Market, had another successful year. Volunteers at the market greet visitors, creating community between neighbors, SJE members, and farmers. The farmers deliver fresh produce weekly to the Casa Maria and Halie Q. Brown food shelves. Volunteers delivered produce from the market to First Nations Kitchen. This mutually beneficial approach to serving our community allows both the farmers and those who receive the food to be edified in the process.
Highlights:
- More than a dozen volunteers – both members of SJE and some neighbors served in this vital ministry
- $4,882 was used to buy produce from farmers that volunteers delivered to food shelves
- $11,220 paid to the farmers for weekly deliveries to food shelf partners.
- $1,200 donated as cash to each food shelf partner.
First Nations Kitchen
Impact: In 2025, St. John’s once again engaged in the powerful ministry of preparing and serving meals to the guests and neighbors of the All Saints Episcopal Indian Mission as part of the First Nations Kitchen (FNK) Ministry in Minneapolis.
Highlights:
- prepared and served well over 1,000 individual meals at FNK
- packed and distributed over 500 bags of groceries
- SJE community members committed nearly 400 volunteer hours to this ministry, not only participating during St John’s scheduled days, but also filling in when needed.
- SJE volunteers committed to delivering groceries from our farmer’s market.
St. John’s Clinic in Kayoro, Uganda
Impact: St. John’s continues to be a principal partner in the work of Give Us Wings (GUW), a non-profit based in St. Paul whose mission is entirely focused on education, community development, and medicine in Uganda. In 2010 St. John’s raised funds and helped build a clinic in Kayoro Village, that has expanded and grown to today where it is now a thriving medical center complete with maternity ward, staff quarters, diagnostic equipment and so much more. It is literally changing and saving lives by the hundreds each year.
Highlights:
- Saw the completion of a new and more modern Laboratory at the clinic. It was built with the possibility of a 2nd floor for future expansion. The lab workers are thrilled with the new space!
- To complement the new laboratory building, SJE supported the building of a covered walkway between the clinic and lab. We used money saved from Don Husband’s memorial and will name the new walkway after Don in his honor.
- Give Us Wings sent two teams of volunteers to Uganda in 2025, in September a group of folks from SJE were able to travel to Uganda with donations from church members to support the maternity ward.
- SJE invested in a project to expand the maternity ward. So many babies are being born, that a second maternity bed and this expansion of the maternity ward is needed. Half the cost was provided in 2025.
- SJE supported a range of Give Us Wings fundraising efforts throughout the year
- Riding for GUW
- Christmas boutique
- This winter St. John’s hosted Give Us Wings executive director, Peter Carlson to greet the congregation and report on these and many other successes in Kayoro thanks to our prayers and efforts.
Project Home
Project Home is a partnership between St. Paul faith communities of many traditions, and the St. Paul Interfaith Network and is an outreach directly to the unhoused neighbors of our city. In 2025, they moved from the campus of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet to Bandana Square.
Impact: St. John’s now regularly participates in serving the guests in that program through a range of activities, most principally a monthly meal cooked and served by St. John’s members.
Highlights:
- Served dinner to 30 or more people each month!
- Engaged 24 individual volunteers from our faith community
- Served nearly 400 individual meals to Project Home families
- Delivered 30 busy bags created during Hope Fair for the children
Creation Care
Impact: The St. John’s Creation Care Team is a combination of direct action/service work and advocacy for the environment.
Highlights:
- Liturgy focus on Creation Care
- Large Advent Wreath creation from local Minnesota materials, including dried flowers from the gardens of Mary Ann Jackson and Jo Anna Herberger.
- Creation prayers offered at the lighting of the wreath each Sunday in Advent.
- The Season of Creation was organized by Cynthia Bronson-Sweigert with input from other members of Creation Care, and accomplished over four Sundays this fall.
- Solar Panel Project – 55 solar panels will be installed on the roof of the parish hall. Members of the congregation can sponsor a solar panel for $200. The downpayment has been made and installation will be completed in 2026. Thanks to Alex Knoll for his leadership on this project
- Volunteers expanded the native plant gardens in the parking lot as well as the Hosta plantings. They met weekly during the growing season to maintain the gardens. We received many accolades from passing dog walkers and neighbors for the beauty of the gardens.
- Creation Care had a booth on Minnesota native Oak trees at the Hope Fair.
- Creation Care beyond SJE included work in partnership with other faith communities in the neighborhood.
- Helped organize the first ecumenical EcoFair this past May. Initially, a vision of Josh Colton the event expanded to involve 6 other churches in the Summit neighborhood. St. John’s donated $1000 to the effort with plans to support the next EcoFair in May 2026. Creation Care members involved include Josh Colton, Sarah Gettel, Alex Knoll and Dan Vogel.
- Jay Clark organized a climate change lecture by Dr. Steve Jorisjen of St. Thomas University, which was broadcast live on YouTube.
- Co-sponsored an “Active Hope” book group at Unity Unitarian.
- Co-sponsored a talk by Canadian Anglican minister and poet, the Rev Emilie Teresa Smith, with Unity Unitarian. She traveled through 10 countries to attend the COP 30 conference in Brazil and gave this talk on Nov 20th.
Migrant Ministry Support
Impact: This year migrant support continued. Volunteers helped a family relocate to more affordable housing. Many volunteers have helped with rides, school support, and friendship.
Welcome and Connection
Submitted by Dr Judy Stack, Minister for Welcome and Connection
We saw significant growth and success this year in our goals of connecting with more people, deepening our connections with each other, and building stronger connections with our neighborhood.
- Visitors were up by 50%. (75 visiting units in 2024; 110 in 2025.) This only counts visitors who filled out a visitor form. Visitors to Easter and Christmas Eve services and Lessons & Carols–at which there were many unfamiliar face!–were not services where folks signed the guest book, so there were many more visitors than we have numbers for.
- Average Sunday attendance was up again by about 8% (from 145 to 157) but the big jump from 2024 to 2025 was in Easter, Christmas Eve, and Lessons & Carols attendance–Easter: 275 to 330; Christmas Eve 4 & 10pm combined: 390 to 460; Lessons & Carols: 245 to 270. And comparing 2025 to 2023, attendance at Easter 10am and Lessons & Carols services are each up by 100 people! Clearly, when folks want to celebrate spiritually significant events and connect or reconnect with those traditions, they are coming to St John’s.
- There were also expanded and strengthened ties to our community. Pups and Cups continues to attract a consistent mix of neighbors (from 4 to 10 each Tuesday), and the Blessing of the Animals was very well attended (despite rain). Our first Sip & Sing in October had 60+ attendees–over half of whom were not St John’s members. Our deepened connection with the Ramsey Hill Association resulted in a neighbor finding a way to fix our carillon for a tiny fraction of what we’d been quoted. Through Big Wonder and the Ramsey Hill association, St John’s is becoming a hub for community meetings around a variety of areas of concern for our neighbors.
Spiritual Life
Submitted by Dr Judy Stack, Minister for Welcome and Connection
2025 saw the deepening and growth of connection within the St John’s community. This included a very successful round of connection dinners and the relaunching of the LGBTQIA+ and the Young(ish) Adults groups. It also saw the launch of the LGBTQIA+ Bible Study and MakerSpace Saturdays, and the flourishing of the Men’s Group and Men’s Breakfast, Women’s Group, Spiritual Discernment Group, and Casual Bridge Gathering—all places where members report experiencing deep levels of care and community.
Music
Submitted by Richard Gray, Director of Music; Jaena Smith, Music Commission Chair; and Priya Schulze, Music Vestry Representative
In 2025, our music ministry continued to enrich worship, maintain relationships across the wider ecumenical community, and foster spiritual and musical growth amongst our choirs.
- Choir Retreat: To kick off the Fall 2025 season, the SJE choir held a two day choir retreat at St. Paul’s Episocal Church in Duluth, MN. The goal of the retreat was to reconnect as a choir after the summer break, rehearse new music, reflect on our goals for our music ministry, and enjoy fellowship and connection. The choir spent a day in rehearsals, as well as enjoyed meals and activities (like hiking) together. Importantly, the choir discussed their ministry theme for the year: musical hospitality.
- Events: In addition to our weekly liturgy participation, we offered a variety of services and concerts, including two Choral Evensongs and Choral Vespers, John Stainer’s The Crucifixion, John Rutter’s Requiem, and A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. Our two most highly attended choir events were Rutter’s Requiem with 161 people in attendance and Lessons and Carols with 268 people in attendance.
- Growth and Development
- Parish Choir: Our parish choir continues to retain steady participation with 30 members
- Handbells: Our 9 member handbell choir continues to grow and enhance our worship, providing music at four services.
- Ecumenical & Community Connections: We continue to build connections through community and ecumenical partnerships. Some of these partnerships are ongoing, such as our choral vesper services held in collaboration with the choir and parishes of St. Thomas More Catholic Church and St. Paul Reformation Lutheran Church. These events provide us with an opportunity to practice hospitality by inviting other choirs to collaborate on music in our sacred space, as well as to extend hospitality when we sing together in their churches. In 2025, we forged a new ecumenical connection when we participated in the Byzantine Choral Festival at St. Contastine’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Minneapolis, MN. We ensure that our Winifred Bean Sacred Music series features excellent music from the broader community. For example, in 2025, our music series included the Kenyon College Chamber Singers and the Artaria String Quartet.
Fellowship
Fellowship and Hospitality remain a central and essential part of our life as a faith community. How we gather and the way we care for one another in acts of intentional and joyful fellowship shapes our identity as followers of Jesus. 2025 was a year full of opportunities for fellowship, community, eating together, and laughter. Some highlights and accomplishments from the year include:
- We continue to enjoy a broad and shared leadership of this ministry by many volunteers who are involved in fellowship. Our team has grown such that each event has been well supported and staffed by our fellowship volunteers and we’re guided by our leaders Lynn Hertz (vestry rep) and Susan Creel (chair).
- Kicked off the year with a successful Annual Meeting with food provided by vestry members and wardens.
- This year saw the addition of a major fellowship event in the Capital Campaign kick-off. This event, while sponsored by our Capital Campaign leadership team, was greatly supported by our parish fellowship committee and wouldn’t have been successful without their faithful involvement. We were delighted to partner with woman owned catering company, Chowgirls, ensuring that our fellowship also supports our values of diversity.
- We were pleased to partner again with El Burrito Mercado an immigrant and minority owned establishment whose delicious food was a hit.
- Coffee hours continue to garner volunteer signups and to be a source of joyful fellowship.
- Other recurring events that were once again well attended, well supported, delicious and fun included: Easter Vigil Reception; The annual Christmas Party with a diverse array of parishioner chefs and plenty of dessert; as well as the Lessons and Carols reception.
- We continued to emphasize composting when possible and also to rely more heavily on washable dishes and silverware over disposable. This was enabled by good support from volunteers who made clean up and dish washing less cumbersome.
Communications and Media
Submitted by Ebby Watkins, Communications and Media Manager
Throughout 2025 we continued to work hard on our ministry of communication, connection, and accessibility.
Livestreaming:
- We were able to livestream 100 offerings including:
- 10am Sunday Worship and 7pm Thursday Compline (Night Prayer) every week
- Winifred Bean Sacred Music Series events and concerts
- Offerings taking place in the church, such the lecture “Tackling Carbon Emissions: Embracing the Power of Change” by Steven Jorissen, PhD.
- Several funeral services to make these liturgies accessible for loved ones far away from St. Paul
- Thank you to our livestream coordinator Gabe Dull and our livestream volunteers Bob Linehan, Chris Sanders, John Madsen, and Clinton Kunhardt! Thank you also to Richard Gray and Priya Schulze for livestreaming Compline and many music offerings.
Connections:
- Strengthened our partnership with Ramsey Hill Association and improved our communications with them, allowing more people from the neighborhood to learn about and be invited to our events.
- Passed the 400 subscribers mark for weekly email newsletter (overall, a steady 10% rate of growth from the start of the year)
- Passed the 600 subscriber mark on YouTube (an increase of more than 100 subscribers since last year!)
- Reached 1,300 followers on Facebook (an increase of more than 300 followers since last year!)
Communications:
- Continued to use a wide range of media to get the word out about church offerings and share the stories of all we are doing here at St. John’s, including:
- Weekly bulletin insert
- Weekly “What’s Happening” email newsletter
- All-parish emails for important announcements
- The “E-vangelist” digital magazine
- Nextdoor
- YouTube
- Church website
- Church app (did you know we have an app? You can get it on Google Play or in the Apple Store)
- Seasonal postcards and mailings
- Local newspapers
- Neighborhood association email newsletters
- Outdoor signage
- A huge thank-you to everyone who submits items for inclusion in our communications. We are just the microphone here in the church office; we can’t create the invitations, we can only amplify them. Additional huge thanks to all our contributors to the E-vangelist digital magazine in 2025 (too many to list here). Your thoughtful pieces are what tell the stories of St. John’s.
Property
Submitted by Chris Tegeler, Building Manager
In 2025 we were able to make some improvements, especially in regards to Big Wonder on the second floor. Mechanically the building was maintained but there were not any major improvements. Our mechanical systems are a little old but in fair condition. The 50s building is very functional, but we are looking forward to possible improvements thanks to the capitol campaign. Overall, we are doing well, but there are areas that will need attention in the coming years.
- Prepared for and cleaned up after many parish, community, 12-step, Big Wonder and other events.
- Along with Big Wonder, we removed a wall on the second floor in order to combine two classrooms into one allowing for more students.
- Added tile flooring to Big Wonder classrooms for student lunch areas.
- Assisted in Capital Campaign planning.
- Replaced malfunctioning A.C. and boiler components.
- Replaced failing choir spotlights with longer lasting LEDs.
In Memoriam
We recall those parishioners whom we lost in the last year, their gifts, and the many ways they cared for this community:
Phyllis Frisby
Kathryn Severance
John Graham
Kathie Farseth
2026 Pledgers
Thank you to those who have pledged to support our annual campaign and/or capital campaign:
| Sarah Gettel and Alex Knoll | Sister Julian Smith-Boyer | Andy Pole |
| Erika Alin | Mark and Terry Henneman | Melissa Porter |
| Ernie and Bette Ashcroft | Lynn and Dennis Hertz | George and Diane Power |
| Cara Bailey | Emily Hogan | Susie and Larry Ragland |
| Patricia Ball | Robert Horn | Richard and Sandy Resch |
| Bob Baumann and Bill Sherfey | Mary Ann Jackson | Haley Reyerga |
| Tom and Aimee Baxter | Christine Jacox | Beth Rhodes |
| Rob and Cammie Beattie | Juanita Janeczko | Bill Tiedemann and Michael Richards |
| Heather Bender | Jim Johnson | Rick Rinkoff and Julia Ferguson |
| Fred and Sylvia Berndt | Pauline Johnson | Sandra Roe |
| Brett & Jessica Berry | Todd and Alice Johnson | Jennifer Rosendale |
| Cynthia Bertheau | Lucy Jones | Kelly and Kevin Russ |
| Dean Billmeyer | Shelby Jones | Anne Russell |
| Katherine Boardman | Lois Kapteina and David Truckenmiller | Edward Rutledge and Lacey Ellingson |
| Phil Bradley and Janice Frankman | Carrie Keillor | Anne Rutter |
| David Bressoud | Heidi Kim | James Ryan |
| Nicholas Brezny | George and Jennifer Kinkead | Shirley Sailors |
| Cynthia Bronson Sweigert | Judy Kinkead | Sally and Charles Sand |
| Allison Brown | Jennie Walker Knoot | Trevor Sannes |
| Kathy and Marty Brown | Laura Kochevar | Edwin Schenk |
| Richard Brynteson | Clinton Kunhardt | Patrick and Lea Anne Schmidt |
| Rachel Burry | Jon Lahti | Emma Schultz |
| Patty Byrne Pfalz | Don Postema and Gabrielle Lawrence | Priya Schulze |
| Shelley Byrnes | John Lawyer | Phillip Takemura Sears |
| Marvin and Sue Cadwell | Rev. Craig Lemming | Jay Severance |
| Karen and Brian Chatt | Nan Lightner | Jaena Smith |
| Jeff Chen | Barbara Lindeke | Emily and Craig Solid |
| Enid Choloh-Dukule | Eizabeth Lindeke | Stephanie Sommer and Stephen Spencer |
| Jay Clark | Linda Lindeke | Judy Stack |
| Tony Clark | Bob and Emily Linehan | Chris Steadman |
| Brad Clary | Debbie Longley | Nanette Stearns |
| Sara Clements and Devin Bruce | Gail Lorenz | Sarah Stengle |
| Jax Collins | Josephine Lottsfeldt | Ed Stieve and Otto Paier |
| Pat & Liz Collins | Bishop Craig Loya | Holly Stoerker |
| Josh Colton | Jonathan and Eliza Lundberg | Phil and Jessica Stoltenberg |
| Ed and Monica Cook | Sue MacIntosh | Paul and Judy Strasen |
| Sarah and James Cooper | Katie Madsen | Gene and Angela Strickland |
| Kenneth Cordle | Dusty Mairs | Linda Sturtz and James Robertson |
| Susan and Howard Creel | Mark Maronde | Elaine Sutton |
| Keith Davis | Gayle Marsh and Robyn Schmidt | David & Annette Swanson |
| Jay and Becky Debertin | Grace Martin | Charles Swope |
| Judy DesHarnais | Antonieta Martinez | Barbara & Paul Tani |
| Margaret Dexter | Christopher and Rianna Matter | Eloise Teisberg |
| John Docherty and Marylin Conklin | Maria May | John and Jill Thompson |
| Matt & Rachel Doll | Michael May | Gregory Torrence and Nate Clark |
| Maura Donovan and David Whitman | Edwin McCarthy | Chris Vinsonhaler |
| Iain Dove McAfee | Kathy McGill | Dan Vogel |
| Alden and Mimi Drew | Lyndsay McGlynn | Patty Voje |
| Sarah Dull | Sarah Mensen | Madeleine Wagner Sherer |
| Dorothy Ek | Susan Mercier | Kevin and Michelle Wall |
| Tom Evans | Phyllis Merrill | Martin Warren |
| Sean Fahnhorst | Stephen and Helen Michaels | Jered and Erin Weber-Johnson |
| Brian Fay | Rev. Karen Mosso | Jude Weber-Johnson |
| Terri Fishel | Caleb Moxley | Simon Weber-Johnson |
| Sara Georgensen | Tom and Patti Murakami | Tessa Wegenke |
| Richard Gray | Katie Nichol | Betsy Wehrwein |
| Christine Gregory | Philip Nichols | Holly and Don Weinkauf |
| Gary and Paige Hagstrom | Roberta O’Connor | Nancy Wellington |
| Andrew Waldo and Mary Halvorson Waldo | Jeff and Peggy Olsen | Tim Welsh |
| Dan Handschy | Tim Olsen | Emily Wiant |
| Owen and Mary Hansen | Rick & Wendy Olson | Michael Wickman and Stephen Shearer |
| Gar Hargens and Missy Thompson | Lyelle Palmer | Roger Wilson |
| Mary Johnson and Lynn Hartmann | Bradford and Dyanne Parsons | Becky and Jerry Woelfel |
| Jo Anna Hebberger | Jim Pfau | Tamara Zurakowski |
