St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church has long stood on Greene Avenue in the village of Sayville on Long Island's south shore. Members and visitors gather here for liturgical Lutheran worship centered on Word and Sacrament, and the parish frames its life together under a simple motto: Rejoice in God's grace. Live as disciples. Love one another. The congregation belongs to The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and is one of the parishes of the Atlantic District of that body. From Sunday morning worship through a graded program of catechesis for children, a music program that spans ages, and pastoral care for the milestones of baptism and marriage, St. John's takes its place as a steady Lutheran presence in the village.
Worship on Sunday Mornings and Wednesday Nights
Worship is the center of life at St. John's. The parish holds a Divine Service at 7:45 a.m. and a second at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, and a midweek Divine Service on Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. These services follow the rich, historical liturgical tradition of the Lutheran Church, drawing on Lutheran Service Book, the most recent hymnal of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Worship is built around a fixed order that the congregation knows by heart, with the congregation's voice as the primary instrument, supported by choir and organ.
The services follow the lectionary of the Lutheran Church, which aligns closely with the Revised Common Lectionary used by many Christian traditions. This means the Scripture readings and preaching follow a three-year cycle that exposes the congregation to a wide range of biblical texts and opens the door for shared conversation with other Christians from week to week. Lutheran hymnody plays a large role in worship: many of the hymns sung at St. John's are shared with other Christian denominations, while others are uniquely Lutheran, and all of them aim to keep Christ at the center.
The Lord's Supper is celebrated at almost every service throughout the year. St. John's teaches that in the Sacrament of the Altar, Christ feeds His people with His very body and blood given under bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins and as a foretaste of the heavenly feast. Visitors who wish to receive the Lord's Supper at St. John's for the first time are asked to speak with the pastor beforehand.
Bible Study meets on Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m., between the two Divine Services. The study does not meet on the fifth Sunday of any month.
What Lutherans Believe at St. John's
St. John's teaches in continuity with the Lutheran Confessions. As Lutheran Christians, the congregation confesses one God in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - each coequal and coeternal. The Father is the creator of all things, especially of man and woman made to bear His image. The Son is the Savior and Redeemer whose holy birth, perfect life, once-for-all sacrifice on the cross, and resurrection from the dead pay the price for sin and bring new life. The Holy Spirit is given to the Church and to every Christian to create and sustain faith.
All that the congregation confesses about God is revealed in the Bible, which Lutherans hold to be the inspired and inerrant Word of God. Alongside Scripture, St. John's also confesses the Book of Concord of 1580 as a right exposition of the Scriptures. The Book of Concord includes the Augsburg Confession, the Apology to the Augsburg Confession, the Small and Large Catechisms of Martin Luther, On the Power and Primacy of the Pope, the Smalcald Articles, and the Formula of Concord.
The parish holds to the guiding principles of the Reformation, summarized in the five solas: grace alone, faith alone, Scripture alone, Christ alone, and glory to God alone. Two sacraments are confessed as the means by which God delivers His grace: Holy Baptism and the Sacrament of the Altar (Holy Communion). In Baptism, sins are washed away, the name of the Triune God is placed upon the baptized, and the baptized is made a partaker of Christ's death and resurrection. Lutheran Christians baptize both infants and adults, recognizing every person's need for God's grace from the earliest moments of life.
Faith at St. John's is never merely private. The congregation teaches that being together as the body of Christ on the Sabbath supports, rejoices with, and receives from one another all that the Lord is doing. Reading the Bible and praying at home is encouraged, but the church is meant to be gathered and active in the world as ambassadors for Christ - through service on Sundays, in administrative work, and in mercy ministry in the community.
Music as a Second Language
Music has a special place at St. John's. Following Martin Luther's own practice, the congregation is taught much of its faith through song, and the Lutheran conviction that hymns and liturgy give expression to the Christian faith and convey knowledge of it shapes everything that happens in the chancel. The congregation's voice is the primary one, supported by choir and instruments, and together they sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs in the liturgy of the Divine Service. The choir and organ stand behind the altar, surrounding the place where the congregation meets its Lord at His Table.
The Chancel Choir is open to all in their teens on up. It rehearses on Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 9:15 p.m. in the Music Room and leads the singing at the 9:30 a.m. Divine Service from September through June, as well as at feast days. The Eagle Eye Ringers, an advancing handbell choir, rehearses on Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:20 p.m. from September to June, using the church's three octaves of Malmark handbells and four octaves of Malmark handchimes. The bells ring one to two times per month in services and also take part in community events, with the hope of resuming a yearly festival in time.
Music is also offered to children through St. John's Arts in Mission, a program that explores the musical arts through singing, bell-playing, and music reading. Arts in Mission prepares elementary-age children to grow and contribute their talents to the praise of God in the Sunday Divine Service. A visual-arts segment is being developed alongside the musical work. Families interested in the program are invited to contact the Director of Music.
Parish Education for Children and Youth
St. John's takes seriously its commitment to the instruction of children in the faith promised at their baptism. Sunday School is open throughout the year for children from preschool through sixth grade and coincides with the 9:30 a.m. Divine Service. Children begin in church with their families and are dismissed for class following the readings.
Two catechetical programs prepare older students for a lifetime of receiving the Lord's gifts. First Communion is typically for sixth-grade students and walks them through a course of preparation for receiving Holy Communion for the first time. Confirmation, for seventh- and eighth-grade students who have completed First Communion, takes a deeper look at the Small Catechism and the Biblical narrative surrounding each of its six chief parts. Both classes are taught by the pastor, and parents are asked to attend the first and last sessions of First Communion. The Arts in Mission program also gives children the chance to participate in the 9:30 a.m. Divine Service as singers and bell players before heading to Sunday School each month.
Baptisms and Weddings
Baptism is offered at St. John's from infancy through adulthood, and baptisms are normally performed during one of the regularly scheduled services rather than privately. Usually only one baptism is performed per service, so reserving a date in advance is important. First-time parents and adults meet with the pastor beforehand to discuss the meaning of Baptism in the Lutheran tradition and to walk through the practical details of the day. There is no charge for baptism; those who wish to make a gift to the church in honor of the baptized are welcome to do so.
The usual practice at St. John's is to perform marriage ceremonies only for couples in which at least one partner is a member of the congregation; exceptions may be considered by the pastor. Weddings are preferred on-site, and off-site ceremonies may be considered based on location and availability, with possible additional fees for time and travel. Engaged couples are encouraged to confirm an available wedding date at the church before booking a reception venue.
Getting in Touch
The church office is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and can be reached by phone at 631-589-3202 or by email at admin@stjohnsayville.org. The pastor is available at Pastor@stjohnsayville.org, and the Director of Music at Music@stjohnsayville.org. Online giving is available through the parish's giving page, and a free mobile giving app is also available. Weekly service recordings are posted on Vimeo for those who want to see what Lutheran worship looks like or who want to revisit a service they missed.