Five Decades of Spiritual Life
ByDanielJ.Carlson: withtheassistanceofJeanetteBeck,FrancesBernhardt, LouiseCaccamise,ClaudiaGatewood,BobLaFleurandJoan,and LaFleur ShannonFinley
AsfairlyyoungasJKVis,alreadythereare Anorganizationalchartfortheo-ceofthe decadesofministrybehindus–fivetobeexact. chaplain,datingbackto1985,listsmusic Fromtheperspectiveofthisstillfairlycommittee, new Sundaychimes,MedicalCenter, resident,allonehastodotodiscernthat John Sunday morningservices,prayerchain,prayer KnoxVillagehassomethingofabackground groups,Biblestudies,literaturetracts,s inspiritualmatters,besideslookingto our events, prayerfellowshipandspecialservic community’sname,istoscantheframedhistory allaspartofresidentlifeatJohnKnoxVilla ofthiscommunitywhichispostedbothacross Onenotablemainstayfromtheearlyyearsof fromthelibraryintheBarkerCenterasthe well asin community istheweeklyprayerlist.Thela MajesticOaks,thankstoresidentBobLaFleur. NormaGimpel,oneofthelist’searlypreparer isquotedashavingsaidthatthelistexist Originallyfoundedin197/2byAldersgate, longbeforeherarrivalhereinToday, 197. areligiouslyorientedretirement-village company continuetoassistwiththepr volunteers withlocationsinKissimmee,OrangeCity,and anddistributionoftheweeklyprayerlist,a twootherlocations(KeyWestandEnglewood) . Vespersasgreeters,ushers,projection at Aldersgatewasthenpurchasedin1978by andaudiovisualtechnicians, Communion ChristianServicesInternationalanddistributors renamed,orasonewhotendstolecternand John Knox Village. altarparaments,andeditingofVesperprogr andmemorialserviceprograms.Andlet’snot Aldersgate’sphilosophywastobuilda-•ordable forgetthesome35singerswhoconstitutethe housingforretireesinmuchthesamewayas VesperChoirandtheMen’sChorus.There churchgroupswouldbuildchurches,parsonages isalsoaPrayergroupthatmeetsweeklyto andschoolsusingtithes,o-•erings,donations and prayfor theresidentsandsta-•membersofthe endowmentstopayo-•debts. community.Otherministriesincludeneighbo serving-neighborsinavarietyofhelpfulways ThenameAldersgateisderivedfromastreet frompickingupameal-to-gowhenaneighboris inLondon,England,whereintheearly18th unable,thentosimplyo-•eringalisteningear centuryCharlesWesleyhadadeeplyspiritual wordsofencouragementwhenneeded. experience,onethatledhimtofoundwhatwas knownastheMethodistmovement. AstheJohnKnoxcommunitycontinuedtogrow andtheCentrecommonsareawasconstruct Ourcommunity’srelationshipwithChristian in1980,itincludedplansforachapel.In198, ServicesInternationalwasterminated in198 astainedglasswindowwasinstalledasa whenwebecameJohnKnoxVillageofCentralmemorial.Also,thesedaysonemighthear Florida–anon-profit501(C)(3).Wewere hymnsringingoutfromthenoondaychimes. alreadyoneofthelargestlife-careretirement Althoughthechimeshavebeenmodernized communitiesinCentralFlorida. throughtheyearstobecomputeroperateda timed,thebellshaveconsistentlytolled Intheearlyyears,thechapel,completewith 1970s. steepleandchimes,waslocatedat 1Aand1BJonquilCourtandwasthehubof Stillanothersignoftheimportanceofspiri residentactivities.FromKo-•eeKlatchesto lifeinourcommunityisthatJKVhasemployed birthdayandholidaygatheringstoSunday afull-timechaplainsinceA1978. glanceatthe Vespers,manyoftoday’sactivitiesand cover of the Village Weeklystilladvertisesnot traditionstookroot. ofSundayeveningVespers. 8
Village Life Magazine - March/April 2022
