ChurcH News

We’re overjoyed and grateful to announce that after our first full year of fundraising for the Addilyn Austin Memorial Scholarship we raised over $20,000. Thank you to everyone that donated to help make this possible. The goal of the fund is to honor individuals that have encountered difficult circumstances during their academic journey but remain steadfast and determined to press forward in life, in spite of mental and/or physical challenges. We also want to recognize the importance of those working hard to teach and encourage others in the value of developing a heart of perseverance. If you know of a K-12 teacher or graduating senior in the Danville/Pittsylvania County area that aligns with the goals of the fund, please submit their nomination for the 2026 award here: Nomination Form. 

We are excited to announce that the Backpack Ministry—a joint ministry between St. John’s Church, Brosville UMC, Whitmell Church of Faith, Whitmell Christian Church and several other community churches offering financial support—has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Dan River Foundation. Members of St. John’s Church worked together as a team to write a grant proposal and then present the proposal before a committee from the Southwest Pittsylvania County Community Council. The proposal was presented by Catherine Parker, who also plays the piano for our worship services. The Council announced the decision immediately after the presentation on November 20, 2025. Through this grant, students living with food insecurity that attend one of the schools served by the Backpack Ministry will be able to focus more on school and less on hunger. Thank you to the Dan River Foundation and the Southwest Pittsylvania County Community Council for assisting us in fulfilling this important need. 

On January 1, 2025, St. John’s Church established the Addilyn Austin Memorial Education Fund. Today, August 4, 2025, the church donated $5,000 from the fund to support educational interests. The recipients of the funds are Mrs. Brittany Smith ($2,500) and River Mill Academy ($2,500) located in Graham, NC.

Thank you to everyone that helped make this possible. The fund remains open for donations, and we look forward to selecting our next recipients. We will begin accepting nominations from schools in Pittsylvania County in the Spring of 2026.  

Read the Blog to find out more! 

We are excited to announce that St. John’s Church has completed its first project related to the Adopt-A-Home Ministry. The Church received word of a homeowner living in fear that the roof over the front porch to her house would collapse. Members of the Church met and quickly approved funds to make the necessary repairs. Materials were purchased by the Church and the labor to make the repairs was donated by Jason Austin. On what was the hottest week of the year, the Gospel of Jesus was shared in both word and deed. Through the dedication and love of the people of St. John’s Church, we helped share the blessing of peace! 

God continues to answer prayer! On June 1st, the piano in St. John’s Church was played during worship service for the first time in almost two years. Catherine Parker found out that we didn’t have a piano player and immediately volunteered to play for us. She graciously added our small church to her busy schedule. She already plays for another church, but since we have an earlier worship time (9:45 a.m.) she’s able to play for us and then drive to her home church about 10 minutes away and play during their service. What an awesome champion she is for serving Jesus and what a blessing for our church.   

St. John’s Church:

Average Sunday attendance 8 people.

The Addilyn Austin Memorial Education Fund was started and received its first donation in late December 2024. 

26 unique donations have been received to date. 

Four months after the first donation, the fund has nearly $11,000 and growing. 

Faith lived! Thanks to God and to you for your support.   

Read the Blog to find out more! 

In our continuing effort to live the Gospel, St. John’s Church delivered 6 meals to shut-ins and those battling health issues. Compostable storage containers were used to pack each meal that included a boneless carver ham, 32-ounce containers of green beans, baked beans, mac-n-cheese, and potato salad, dinner rolls, and various cookies and cakes for a little something sweet. In addition, a daily devotional was given to each family. Our message to those that we visited: we love you and are continuing to pray that you experience increased strength, peace, and well-being. 

For the past few years, our worship leader, Jason, has been involved with Impact Missions Camp. This yearly camp is sponsored by the Baptist General Association of Virginia. For more information, you can follow this link:  Impact Missions - Strives to connect individuals and churches in Virginia. The purpose of the camp is to offer kids from across Virginia an opportunity to help people maintain adequate living conditions in their homes. 

Last year, for example, a new access ramp and porch area was built for a person that experienced a sudden, life-changing health crisis that required the use of a mobility chair. The necessity of the mobility chair made access to the home extremely difficult. The homeowner did not have the resources to pay a contractor thousands of dollars to install a ramp. With the help of Impact Missions Camp, a ramp was built at no cost to the owner and there is now more freedom and less worry about getting in and out of the home. Camp participants helped improve a person's life through hard work, generosity, and living the Gospel of Jesus.   

Jason serves as the Danville/Pittsylvania County area construction coordinator.  He identifies, plans, and then ensures the completion of each project. If you know of a person or family in the area experiencing difficulty maintaining a home due to illness or other matters, please email Jason at stjohns@becometruthstrong.com. 

We are happy to announce that you can now connect with us through the Nextdoor social media platform. Search for St. John's Church and add us as a neighbor!

We are pleased to announce the official launch of the fund created to remember the life of Addilyn Austin. For more information and to donate to the fund, please click the following link:  Education Fund.