In my ministry, I try to reflect to the changing needs of today’s world with strong preaching using a variety of styles, dynamic worship that involves the congregation, a heart for young people, especially teenagers, and a deep desire to seek wholeness and healing between God and all His earthly children. While I try to be faithful to the Presbyterian tradition, I don't feel particularly bound by it, personally, since I didn't grow up with it. Since it's not part and parcel of who and what I am, I have little emotional connection with a certain way of doing things. On the other hand, serving folks who have been Presbyterian all their lives means that I have to respect and honour their tradition, something I an happy to do. After all, it is what I learned at seminary, and its a very functional tradition. It's also flexible, allowing my to express myself in prayer and preaching in ways that satisfy tradition without being hidebound by it. Of course, having a flexible congregation helps, and that's certainly the case at St. James. While tradition plays an important part in their worship and service, they realize that folks with little church background don't respond to tradition very well. The result is a praise band that plays regularly and openness to different ways of doing things. In return, I try to explain changes or innovations very carefully, offering enough lead time for folks to get comfortable with the fact that something different is going to happen during worship.

While ministry is my vocation, it's not all the be all and end of John A. Giurin. I try to keep true to the maxim: God first, family second, work third. I try hard to make my family my highest priority within that God first rule. It's not always easy, as the needs of my congregation don't always come at convenient hours, but I am trying. In order to keep myself whole, I also try to find time for myself, times in which I find personal renewal through writing, singing, wood-wrecking, hiking and watching movies.