Welcome to St. John's United Church of Christ on Madeline Island

Whether you are here for the first time, have lived here all your life, or find yourself somewhere between those two extremes like most of us...we're glad you're here.
Whether you are here starting a search for some basic truths about your individual relationship with God, or are a long-term active Christian wanting to express your faith through worship while you live or visit on this beautiful Island...we're glad you're here.
Regardless of your home church affiliation, your denominational or personal doctrines...we're glad your here!
We hope you will see the light and love of God in our worship and in our actions.

A Church for A Whole Community
We think of ourselves as a church for a whole community.
Whole can mean different things as it describes community.
A whole community is one made up of mentally and spiritually healthy, or whole, people.
We want to be an important factor in maintaining and improving that wholeness on the Island.
We can also think of a whole community as meaning a united community; not one split into many segments or factions.
We should be a force behind bringing this kind of unity to the Island community.
The third meaning of a whole community is the entire community.
We recognize the importance of being a church willing and able to serve everyone who lives on or comes to this Island.

Our Congregation
Our congregation formally consists of our members, associates (those with membership elsewhere, but also wanting an official tie with St. John's), and Friends (attendees and contributors unofficially calling this their church home on the Island.). Informally, our congregation is everyone who lives on or visits Madeline Island and wants to be part of our family.

Our Services and Programs
The cornerstone of our church activities is our Sunday morning worship at 10 AM. In the winter, you would see about 30 year-round residents at the service. During the summer months, you'll find about 100 in attendance; most of them summer residents, weekenders, vacationers and other visitors. For the months of July and August, we have an additional worship service beginning at 8 AM. It is more contemporary in style. We celebrate Communion on the first Sunday of each month; all are welcome to participate in this service. Following the worship service, coffee and other refreshments are served downstairs in the fellowship hall. This helps us get to know each other better.

Special services and activities during the Christmas and Easter seasons are an important part of our worship together. These include a Maundy Thursday Passover meal, Good Friday services, an Easter Sunrise service on Russell Bay, Advent candle lighting and the burning of the green on Epiphany. We hold a special remembrance service in early November for All Saints/Souls Day. We look forward to special choirs and to talented musicians sharing their vocal and instrumental gifts with us throughout the year.

In the early 1950's, St. John's, under the guidance and vision of Rev. Otto and Velma Schroedel, organized local craftspersons to build Woods Hall Craft Shop. It has been a community ministry and cooperative of weavers and other artisans since that time. It is open for business from Memorial Day in May through Applefest in early October.

From October through April, children have church school on Wednesdays, from 3:30 PM-5 PM in the fellowship hall of our church. Adults have a Bible study on Wednesdays, beginning with a soup supper during the winter months at 5:30 PM. Summer months have our Bible study on Wednesday evenings beginning at 7 PM. Confirmation instruction takes place every other year. The next class will begin the fall of 2003.

Our committees supervise several projects including the annual Bazaar in August with clothing, furniture, toys, food and white elephant items; women's workshops in February, July and September, Children's Christmas and Easter parties. To stay in touch with all those who are a part of this ministry, we publish The Lighthouse quarterly.