Two Sunday Eucharists on Floral Avenue
St. John's Episcopal Church occupies a quiet stretch of Floral Avenue on the north side of Chico, where an intergenerational and intentionally diverse congregation gathers each Sunday around Scripture, prayer, and Holy Communion. The parish describes itself as a community built on Christ's example of love, service, and compassion, a place where all are welcome, wherever they are on their spiritual journey. Two Sunday services structure the week: at 8:00 a.m., a quiet, spoken Traditional Holy Eucharist (Rite I) with traditional language, Scripture, a sermon, and Communion; and at 10:15 a.m., the principal Holy Eucharist with Music (Rite II), featuring a choir, congregational music, a sermon, and Communion. The 10:15 service is also livestreamed on Facebook.
Worship at St. John's follows the liturgies of the Episcopal Church's Book of Common Prayer, the prayers, collects, and Eucharistic rite that anchor both Rite I and Rite II. The order of service is printed in a full bulletin that worshippers receive from ushers as they enter; a shorter "short sheet" is also available. In the pews sit a red Book of Common Prayer and a blue hymnal for the 10:15 service, and a Wi-Fi code is posted at the entrance for anyone following along on a phone or tablet.
The Liturgy, the Lectern, and the Altar Rail
The principal service is shaped by the three-year Lectionary, with readings from the Old Testament, the Psalms, an Epistle, and a Gospel, followed by a sermon, the Nicene Creed, the Prayers of the People, the Confession, the Peace, and the Great Thanksgiving. After the announcements, the congregation moves into the Liturgy of the Table: the Offertory, the Presentation, the Eucharistic Prayer, the Sanctus, the Fraction, and Communion, ending with a Post-Communion Prayer, prayers for birthdays and anniversaries, a Blessing, and a Dismissal. An organ voluntary closes the service.
At Communion, an usher guides worshippers forward; the congregation typically kneels at the altar rail to receive the Bread and the Cup. The parish makes the table wide open: all are welcome at the Lord's Table, and those who prefer a blessing are invited to cross their arms over their chest as they approach. Two options for reception are offered - drinking from the common cup or intinction (dipping the bread into the wine) - and healing prayer is offered at a station to the right of the altar for those who want it after receiving. If anyone is unable to come forward, the clergy will bring Communion to the pew. A bulletin note also prints the Lord's Prayer in both English and Spanish, a small sign of the parish's bilingual welcome.
Children, Worship, and the Soft Space
Children are an integral part of the community at St. John's. On Sunday mornings, families with infants and toddlers are invited to sit to the front right of the church where a "soft space" - a large carpet and a basket of soft toys - lets little ones engage in worship with freedom of movement. Behind the seating area, a separate nursery is furnished with rocking chairs, age-appropriate toys, a changing table, and a sink with extra supplies for parents who forgot the diaper wipes. Just outside the sanctuary, a quiet art table offers calm, hands-on activities for children who need a breather from the service.
At 10:15 a.m., children from preschool through age 12 are invited out of the sanctuary into the Godly Play classroom (the Jack Hulley room) for the parish's signature children's program. Godly Play is a Montessori-inspired approach to faith formation in which children are not simply taught Bible stories but are invited into them. They hear a sacred story, sit with open-ended wondering questions, and then respond during a quiet "work time" through art, building materials, storytelling, or reflection. The program runs in two age groups: Godly Play for preschoolers through fourth grade, and Godly Workshop for fifth through eighth graders, which builds on the same spirit of curiosity while encouraging deeper conversation. Children rejoin their families in the sanctuary in time for Holy Communion. Godly Play and Godly Workshop follow the school year, meeting from the Sunday after Labor Day through the first Sunday in June.
Music, the 1894 Kilgen Organ, and Handbells
Music is lifted up in song at every 10:15 Sunday Eucharist. The choir, directed by organist Dr. Jeffrey Cooper, rehearses on Wednesday evenings from September through June and sings at the principal service throughout the program year. The congregation is supported by a 1894 Kilgen organ that was expanded and installed by Richard Bond of Portland in 1985, three octaves of handbells, and a Yamaha grand piano, an unusual combination of instruments that allows the choir and congregation to draw on a wide range of styles. All who love to sing or play are welcome to join the choir or bell choir; the music director also serves as artistic director of Butte Baroque.
Wednesdays on Campus
Wednesday evenings are a steady rhythm at St. John's. At 5:30 p.m., adults gather for the Wednesday Night Study & Fellowship, an examination of the Sunday Scripture ahead of time - how the readings connect, what they offer, how they speak to current life, and how the preacher is preparing to preach them. The study is paired with a relaxed table: shared salads and charcuterie boards alongside the conversation. Other Bible study and prayer groups meet throughout the week: a Morning Prayer group convenes on Zoom on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 9:30 a.m.; a Women's Bible Study meets in person on Tuesdays from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.; and a second women's study meets on Zoom on Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. The parish also hosts retreats, book studies, and seasonal classes, with details available through the church office.
Rhythms of Grace and Special Needs Ministry
Once a month, the Parish Life Center is transformed for Rhythms of Grace, a worship service created especially for individuals with special needs and their families. Recognizing that a traditional Sunday service can feel overwhelming, Rhythms of Grace offers a more flexible, comfortable environment with greater freedom of movement and a relaxed atmosphere. The liturgy, music, and worship elements are intentionally interactive and designed for clarity and ease of understanding, making the service accessible for a wide range of abilities. It is a gathering where everyone is invited to participate fully and to experience meaningful worship and connection.
Youth, Young Adults, Families, and Seniors
For young people, the parish hosts a monthly Youth Group - a small but growing community where teens can ask honest questions, build friendships, and discover how faith connects with everyday life. Beginning at age 13, young people can also join the acolyte team, serving in worship and learning what it means to embody faith in tangible ways. Young adults gather once a month for Off Topic, a relaxed lunch around the table that brings together people who are new to church, new to town, or simply looking for a place to belong. Young Families gather once a month over dinner; once they've finished eating, the children head outside to play while the parents continue their meal and conversation with a view of the kids nearby.
For those 65 and older, the Senior Ministry offers weekly in-person and Zoom Bible and book studies, senior concerts and luncheons, intergenerational activities, and regular eucharistic visits and meal trains for parishioners who can no longer easily get to church. Seniors also serve on Sunday mornings as acolytes, readers, ushers, and lay eucharistic ministers and visitors. The campus itself offers quieter spaces for personal prayer and reflection, including a labyrinth, a Stations of the Cross path, and a prayer garden.
Volunteers and the Wider Chico Community
St. John's is a parish that takes its role as a community neighbor seriously. The Volunteer & Outreach ministry keeps the church itself running - worship ministries, the Altar Guild, the Godly Play teaching team, Coffee Hour, and the Annual Bazaar - but it also points the congregation outward. Parishioners serve meals at the Torres Shelter, bake and host Coffee Hour, and assist with a wider Outreach team that collaborates with a network of local partners: the Jesus Center, the Torres Shelter, the Wildcat Food Pantry at CSU Chico, Chico Street Pastors, the Jesus Center Farm, the Blue Bag Project, and Habitat for Humanity. "We are a church that believes in collaborative work within our community. We go where there is a need."
Clergy, Music, and Leadership
St. John's is led by The Very Rev. Tammy Smith, Rector, who studied Religious Studies at Westmont College, earned a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary, and served for more than two decades in Bolivia as an educator, church leader, and pastor before being ordained to the priesthood in 2015 as the first woman priest in the Anglican Province of South America. She returned to California in 2020 and also serves as Dean of the Alta California Deanery. The Rev. Anne ("Annie") Ryder serves as Associate Priest; ordained in 1996, she has served congregations in California, Colorado, and Massachusetts and continued in active ministry through volunteer work and mission trips to Ghana after her retirement from full-time parish ministry. Dr. Jeffrey Cooper is Director of Music. Daniel Law is Senior Warden, Dan Breedon is Junior Warden, and Co-Treasurers are Betsy Clemente and Paul Cayler.
What Visitors Will Find
St. John's makes a point of being easy to visit. Parking is available in the gravel lot on the right as you enter the campus and in the main lot straight ahead. The greeters and ushers will hand you a service bulletin at the door, and the bulletin contains the order of service, hymn numbers, and page references for the liturgy, so first-timers can follow without prior knowledge of Episcopal worship. Come as you are: jeans and a t-shirt, shorts, a skirt, or slacks all fit comfortably in the pews. Hearing assistance is available; ushers can direct anyone who needs it. After the 10:15 service, the congregation gathers in the Parish Life Center, the large building near the parking lot, for Coffee Hour - coffee, juice, cookies or donuts, and a relaxed time to meet one another. There is a Guest Book at the back of the church for anyone who would like to leave their information. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and can be reached at 530-894-1971 or office@stjohnschico.org. Giving is available online through a secure giving portal linked from the Give page.