First Friday Concert - 4/4/2025 12:10 p.m.

The First Friday concert at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1000 Michigan Ave., La Porte, will be April 4 at 12:10 p.m. for half an hour. The performer will be Bruce Johnson, singing his  greatest hits from La Porte Little Theatre.


Johnson has been singing as long as he can remember. Both his parents' families were singers in church choirs and other musical groups for generations. Johnson is a La Porte native and graduate of LaPorte High School where he sang in A  Capella, Swing Choir, and performed in  “The Music Man” his Senior year under the direction of his mentor, Eddie Burk.

Johnson graduated from Ball State and Valparaiso Universities and completed post-graduate work in Comparative Education, History, and Culture at the Universities of London, Paris, Mosco, and Beijing. He taught at schools in the West Indies and Liberia and eventually for the South Central Community School Corporation for 40 years. He was guest lecturer in the Education Department at Purdue North Central for 7 years

Johnson has been a member of the La Porte Little Theatre Club for 53 years and  performed in 43 different productions. He also performed for several years with Susie Richter and Rose Marie Dure in “Sentimental Journey” and with Robert Dure and Matthew Daniel in “Tenors Three” for 20 years, and has been singing at Bethany Lutheran Church for more than 60 years.

Johnson is currently serving as the County Historian for La Porte County and serves on numerous boards of directors.

The concert is without charge, but a free-will offering box is available to help continue th.e series. People are encouraged to bring their lunches. The church is handicap-accessible from the Harrison Street entrance.

Stations of the Cross, Soup Supper, & Study - Wednesdays 3/12-4/9 2025

Join us Wednesdays in Lent (3/12 - 4/9) for a service of Stations of the Cross (in our worship space) followed by a soup supper and Lenten study in our parish hall (basement). Come for part or all of it.

This Lenten Journey we will use Life Transformed: The Way of Love in Lent as our study curriculum. Using the readings from the Easter Vigil, we will study The Way of Love with a lens toward the resurrection. We will double up on some sessions in order to complete the program within our 5 Wednesdays of gathering. All are welcome.

Social Sunday - Chili Cook-off on 3/9/2025

Join us on March 9th for our Social Sunday Chili Cook-off. We had so much fun with it last year this year we invited the Scouts to join us. There is no fee for the event, however in order to vote for your favorite chili you will want to bring cash to purchase voting tokens.

If you'd like to enter a chili in the cook-off, drop us an email @ info@stpaulslaporte.org.

All monies raised will be given to our local Scout Troop 321 and Scout Pack 880. Join the fun and enjoy some delicious chilis, of many varieties.

First Friday Concert - 3/7/2025 12:10 p.m.

The First Friday Concert at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1000 Michigan Ave., La Porte, will be March 7 at 12:10 p.m. for half an hour. The featured musician will be St. Paul's organist and choirmaster, John Gouwens.

Gouwens served as organist and carillonneur at Culver Academies from 1980 to 2019. He is now organist and choirmaster at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and carillonneur at the Presbyterian Church, both in La Porte.

He is very active in every aspect of the carillon field, including composing and arranging music, authoring a method book for teaching, performing throughout North America and Europe, and consulting on carillon installations (including the

Children’s Carillon at the Presbyterian Church).

He studied organ at Indiana University (with Clyde Holloway), the University of  Michigan (with Robert Glasgow and Robert Clark), and at the University of Kansas. At the latter, his main emphasis, ultimately, was carillon, which he studied with Albert Gerken. He proceeded directly from Kansas to his position at Culver.

He has made eight recital tours in Europe, most recently in the summer of 2023, playing recitals in The Netherlands, Belgium, and Poland.

There is no charge for the concert, although there is a free-will offering box to sustain the series. Visitors are encouraged to bring their lunch and the church is handicap-accessible through the Harrison Street entrance.

Ash Wednesday Service - March 5, 2025

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, our journey with Jesus to the cross, his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. It marks a time set aside to be present to and to resist some of the temptations of life that draw us away from our love for and relationship with our Savior.

Join us on his Holy Day to remember our many sins and weaknesses, to confess them, and to begin our own personal journeys through the Lenten season. All are welcome. Ashes will be imposed, if desired. Holy Eucharist will be celebrated.

FREE Community Dinner - March 4, 2025

Join us on Tuesday,March 4, 2025 at 6 p.m. for a delicious free meal of pancakes, sausage, applesauce and more. As our community dinner falls on Shrove Tuesday, we will be celebrating the last meal of decadence (think lots of butter and sugar) before entering into Lent. Doors open at 5:30 for drinks and popcorn and close at 7 p.m.

Everyone is welcome. Bring a friend. Share this post. Hope to see you there!

St. Paul’s is located at 1000 Michigan Avenue but please enter from Harrison Street doors.