Who will survive the 2026 St. John’s Cookbook cook-off? Help us decide which recipes from the 1996 St. John’s Georgetown cookbook will be kept! Starting next week, see Laura Ivey following each service and pick a recipe from the cookbook to prepare. On June 22nd, bring in your finished food product to share at coffee hour! After the tasting, everyone will vote on which recipes stay in the cookbook. There will be music and festivities and Pepto Bismol and prizes! In the weeks to come, we will ask you to submit your own fabulous recipes to be included so stay tuned!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

– Romans 15:13

Joy is an incredibly potent force. It is contagious and resilient and even subversive. It is so powerful that the forces of oppression work diligently to strip people of it through fear and intimidation. Joyful people are not easy to control or manipulate and they don’t readily participate in the joy-stealing of others. In its many forms, joy holds. It holds back despair, it holds hope, it holds hands, it holds energy, it holds the line, it holds on when times get tough. Joy holds.

And so this summer, St. John’s is going to lean in to joy! We are going to preach it, practice it, share it, and grow it. This is not just an excuse to have fun this summer, but we will! And we hope you will join us!