Coordinators: Karen Tenney|757.651.3714| and Andrea Lopshansky | 757.472.0472 | [email protected]

Goals & Purpose: To prepare the church for Lent, Easter, Advent, and Christmas.

Responsibilities: Purchase and place flowers, change candlesticks, and set up Altar of Repose.

Helpful Attributes: Ability to give your time and have a creative eye for placing flowers.

Commitment: Assist four to eight times each year. No training required. Any meeting will be announced in advance.

Coordinator(s): Jamie Ridgway | 757.573.8871 | [email protected]

Goals & Purpose: To provide help for bereaved families by giving a reception following the funeral Mass.

Responsibilities: Four teams take care of the receptions, taking turns. Other members provide side dishes, desserts.

Helpful Attributes: “We work with our hearts and hands.” Having a caring attitude.

Commitment: When scheduled, receptions require from 2 to 5½ hours from each participating volunteer. No training required. Any meetings are announced in the bulletin.
 

Funeral Ministry (Liturgical)
 

Funeral Ministry (Liturgical) Coordinator(s): Mike Walsh | [email protected]| 757.544.1678

Goals & Purpose: To assist Fr. Rob at funeral Masses.

Responsibilities: To set up for a funeral Mass. To work with the funeral home and family to prepare the Commons area as needed.

Helpful Attributes: Commitment to the time required to help the team.

Commitment: Generally, three hours per funeral is required, as is specialized training. Meetings as announced.

Coordinator(s): Jerry Kane | 757.427.3860 | [email protected]

Goals & Purpose: The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) provides a program for young people that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship and develops personal fitness. The Boy Scouts of America is one of the nation’s largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations. The BSA believes (and through nearly a century of experience, knows) that helping youth is a key to building a more conscientious, responsible and productive society.

Responsibilities: For nearly a century, the BSA has helped build the future leaders of this country by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. Those who work with the Scouts assume the responsibility for teaching and advancing Scout goals and values in all manner of activity.

Helpful Attributes: A desire to interact with Scouts of all ages, helping them to develop in many aspects of life.

Coordinator(s): Kathleen McClelland |[email protected] | and Megan Brassart |[email protected] 

Goals & Purpose: To promote parish fellowship and socialization.

Responsibilities: To help serve coffee and doughnuts after each Sunday Mass on the first Sunday of the month.

Coordinator(s): Bobbie Vinsand | 757.717.4601 | [email protected]

Goals & Purpose: To provide quality religious merchandise for sale to our parishioners. Items for sale include rosaries, statues, crucifixes, jewelry and books. Responsibilities: To express a friendly greeting to all parishioners visiting the gift shop. To assist in selection of merchandise -- and if not available, devote sufficient time to complete a special request form. To replenish merchandise with extra inventory on hand (when available). To process all purchases through the Gift Shop computer system.

Helpful Attributes: Possess a warm, friendly smile and demeanor. Have appropriate computer experience.

Commitment: On scheduled weekends, spend 15 minutes before and after Mass. Advance schedule is provided. Training is a requirement. Be able to attend a meeting once a year, or as needed

Coordinator(s): Joy Catalano | 757.635.7679 | [email protected]

Goals & Purpose: To welcome all parishioners and visitors to our parish as they arrive for Saturday and Sunday Masses.

Helpful Attributes: A smile, a warm handshake, and a desire to make all feel welcome in the House of the Lord.

Coordinator(s): Grand Knight Shawn Knight | 757.718.2668  Deputy Grand Knight Patrick Mayette| 757.394.2882

Goals & Purpose: To provide support to Fr. Rob and the parish.

Responsibilities: Work with brother Knights to support Fr. Rob and the Knights’ functions to promote our core ideals of charity, fraternity, unity and patriotism.

Helpful Attributes: Willing to share your faith, time and talents with brother Knights and your parish community.

Commitment: Business meetings conducted on the second Tuesday each month; social meetings on the fourth Tuesday.

Coordinator(s): Deacon Joe Grillo | 757.426.2180 | [email protected]

Goals & Purpose: To ensure every parishioner can receive Holy Eucharist once a week.

Responsibilities: An Extraordinary Minister to bring Jesus to those who cannot attend church.

Helpful Attributes: Have ability to drive, are good with people, and have utmost respect for the Eucharist.

Commitment: When asked for assistance, time involved is about one hour per week. Training is required. Any meetings are announced in the bulletin.

Coordinator(s): Chris and Stephanie Finocchio | 757.430.1493 |[email protected]

Goals & Purpose: To teach the Couple-to-Couple League’s sympto-thermal method of natural family planning.

Responsibilities: To train and support engaged and married couples in the Art of Natural Family Planning by instructing them in how to chart the woman’s fertility cycle and to apply various rules to either postpone or achieve pregnancy with 99.6% method effectiveness. Classes also teach God’s plan for marriage.

Commitment: Live on-site classes meet three times at one-month intervals. Each class is three hours long. Self-paced online classes are also available. Couples need to register and purchase course materials at www.livethelove.org. If published class dates do not fit your schedule, please contact the coordinators directly.

Coordinator: Amy Kirner | 732.803.9211 | [email protected]

Goals & Purpose: To provide a safe and fun environment for children ages 9 months to 3 years during the 9:15am and 11:00am Sunday Masses.

Responsibilities: To provide age appropriate care and to interact with the children in a loving manner.

Helpful Attributes: Enjoy spending time with young children.

Commitment: Flexible. Any help is appreciated; you can volunteer as much or as little time as you are able. All volunteers must be VIRTUS trained and have background checks. No scheduled meetings/other training.

Coordinator(s): Patti Crimmins | 757.737.0783 | [email protected]

Goals & Purposes: Acknowledge the importance of the gifts from the parish community in accurately counting cash and checks for Parish Operations, Building Funds and Outreach.

Responsibilities: Follow the procedures, count the collections from the weekend and holy day Masses, as well as prepare/review the deposit. The counters work in teams of 9 or more. Teams rotate each week and generally count once a month.

Helpful Attributes: Experience with using an adding machine and balancing cash or checks, attention to detail and accuracy.

Commitment: Count on Sunday mornings 3-4 hours. Start time 10:15am (after 9:15am Mass). Onsite training. Minimum age 18 years old. Must be a registered St. John the Apostle parishioner.

Coordinator(s): Jeri Kislow | 757.427.9646 | [email protected]

Goals & Purpose: This ministry creates and manages social events that enhance the spirit of fellowship among the SJA parishioners. Events include dances, special events, and other social events that may occur throughout the year.

Responsibilities: To assist the co-chairs in developing and organizing special events. Individuals will form teams, which will be responsible for different aspects of the event, such as food, beverages, set up, clean up, etc.

Helpful Attributes: Creativity, organization, supportiveness. Ability to work as a team member and to collaborate with other teams.  

Commitment: Committee meets the third Tuesday of each month at the parish. Other time commitments as needed to prepare for and attend the specific event.

Coordinator: Ms. Miriam Cotton, Principal | 757-821-1100 | [email protected] org

Goals & Purpose: To create and manage social events that will enhance the spirit of fellowship among the parishioners of Saint John the Apostle Church and families of SJA School Student Services

Coordinator: Jackie Grasman | 757-821-1100 | [email protected] org

Services provided to support SJA students: • Before & After Care • Nurse’s Office • Cafeteria & School Library • Reading Partner

Coordinator(s): Jim Snead | 757.427.2855 (h); 757.575.6950 (c) | jimsnead @gmail.com

Goals & Purpose: Assist at Masses, as scheduled.

Responsibilities: Take up collections; assist with seating; identify handicapped for communion; handle possible emergencies as needed.

Helpful Attributes: Cheerful, welcoming, honest and dependable. Commitment: Four to eight hours per month, generally on Sundays. No training required and no special meetings. 

Coordinator(s): Betty Rosignolo | 757.437.8662 | [email protected]

Goals & Purpose: To support an atmosphere that says, “All Are Welcome” to anyone who enters St. John the Apostle Church.

Responsibilities: Staff the Welcome Desk at each Mass in order to answer questions and distribute registration packets to potential parishioners.

Helpful Attributes: Friendliness and a bright smile. Commitment: Availability to staff the Welcome Desk before and after Masses on a rotational schedule.