A religious ceremony inside a church with stained glass windows, clergy and congregation members dressed in white and red robes. A young woman is holding a silver chalice.

Get Involved

There are many ways to get involved in the worship at St John’s and as well as its core ministries. Some of them are outlined below. If you want to sign up to any of these activities or have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the church office at office@stjohns-edinburgh.org.uk. Anyone is welcome!

  • Our choir provides a core ministry within the church, singing at Choral Matins, Eucharist, and Evensong services. You can learn more about the choir here.

  • Welcome Space provides anyone who wished to attend with light refreshments and a welcoming place to sit and spend a few hours in a warm environment. It has continued to run every Monday from 4–6 pm. More volunteers to chat with our guests and help in the running of the initiative are always most welcome. If you want to know more about the Welcome Space, please click here.

  • Each Sunday after the 10.30am service, the congregation gathers for tea and coffee in the church hall. We always need more volunteers to prepare and serve the drinks and biscuits for the congregation (and the choir following Choral Matins). This is an essential voluteering role and much appreciated by everyone.

  • Altar servers play an important role in the celebration of the Church’s liturgy. They set up the altar for worship and, during the service, assist the priest and facilitate the participation of the congregation in the liturgy. If you want to know more about this, please email the office or talk to a member of the clergy and you will be put in touch with Fred, our Sacristan.

  • Readers read the Old Testament and Gospel readings from the “eagle lectern”. Intercessors lead the rest of the congregation in prayers, when we pray for the congregation as well as the wider Church and world.

  • Two of our services are live-streamed on a regular basis: Sunday’s Choral Eucharist and Choral Evensong. Our live-streams enable people who cannot come to church to join us virtually for worship; it is also an essential part of our outreach. Streaming requires very little IT knowledge - it also comes with the priviledge of following the service from the gallery.

  • Our Welcomers welcome anyone who comes through our doors at our Sunday Choral Eucharist service by handing out the order of service, providing help, and answering any questions visitors might have. The Guardians welcome visitors during the week and when the building is open to the general public. As a busy city centre church, St John’s receives visitors from all walks of life: tourists looking for information, people searching for peace and quite, or others who are just passing through.