Accessible to All

Walter Wink reminds us that, “Jesus Never Said “BE PERFECT”! In the popular mind, there are two kinds of people: normal and abnormal, normal and deformed, normal and disabled. Some are okay, others are not. But if pressed, we soon discover that almost everyone has disabilities, and that we are not talking about an either/or, but a continuum that runs from slightly disabled to extremely disabled.”

We are all made in the image of God with all the small or big things that make each and everyone of us unique and special. At St. John’s United Church of Christ every body is welcome and we will do our best to accommodate your needs. Here a few examples that we hope make your time at church easier and more enjoyable:

RESTROOMS
Our facilities offer two ADA compliant restrooms: One for women and one gender neutral. Besides the men’s restroom there is a second non-ADA but gender-neutral restroom.

SPECIAL NEEDS PARKING
Parking for persons with decreased mobility is specially marked and close to the main entrance. Please only use them with the appropriate tag displayed on your vehicle.

WHEELCHAIR
If you find yourself in a situation that you cannot bring your own wheelchair just honk and an usher will bring a wheelchair to your vehicle. In the sanctuary you will find several shorter pews that leave room for wheelchair seating.

SPECIAL NEEDS SEATING
If the pews don’t work for you there is a more comfortable couch area in the Narthex. Sound is transmitted from the sanctuary and communion will also be served in the Narthex.

GLUTEN-FREE
At the time of Holy Communion you will find an individually wrapped wafer on the bread plate. It is gluten-free and kept separate from the other breads. Should your tray already be out of it, please feel free to request another one.

ALCOHOL-FREE
For those managing their alcoholism, we congratulate you. We help you by offering grape juice as a fully acceptable wine substitute at the time of Holy Communion. You will find white grape juice in the cups in the center of the communion tray.

HEARING
Should the sound from the speaker system not meet your hearing needs, please ask an usher for help. They can give you a receiver with an earphone that transmits directly from the various microphones throughout the sanctuary.

CD-RECORDINGS
If you prefer to listen to the service again throughout the week or cannot attend any given Sunday, we offer audio recordings on CD that can be picked up at the church office during regular business hours.

LARGE PRINT BULLETINS
The outline of our service along with prayers and hymns is printed in a bulletin. Besides the regular print we offer large-print bulletins with at least font size 18 throughout. Please request one as needed.

ACCESSIBLE TO ALL
As a United Church of Christ congregation we believe that God’s love is accessible for all. That is why we strive to be open, inclusive, affirming and accessible in all aspects of our life, including buildings, worship, education, fellowship and service, and thereby enabled to proclaim God’s word with and to all persons. You are welcome here!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *