APRIL 2019 REPORTER St. John Lutheran Church

Transcription

1 APRIL 2019 REPORTER St. John Lutheran Church We welcome Pastor Mitchel & Penny Schuessler to St. John Rev. Mitchel Schuessler was born in Decatur, IL the son of John and Veta Schuessler. He was raised in Decatur by his maternal grandparents Harry and Genevieve Foerster. He attended the Lutheran School Association of Decatur and Eisenhower High School, Decatur, IL. Rev. Schuessler graduated from Millikin University, Decatur in 1983 with a major in Religion and a minor in German. He graduated from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO in 1987 after serving his vicarage year at St. John s Lutheran Church, Osage, IA. Rev. Schuessler married Penny Rex in 1984 in Decatur, IL. They have been blessed with two children, Rachael and Matthew. Penny has served in various capacities in early childhood education. She was instrumental in the startup of Open Arms Early Childhood Center, Altamont, IL, serving as the 1 st director. She was the Preschool-3 teacher at St. Paul s, Troy, IL; Preschool 3 teacher at Trinity, Edwardsville, IL. Rachael is a 2011 graduate of SIU-E and married Brandon Beckemeyer and they live in Collinsville, IL. Matthew is a 2016 graduate of Concordia, Seward, NE and married Chelsey Seipel and they live in Lincoln, NE. Rev. Schuessler has served at St. Paul s, Troy, IL ( ), Immanuel, Altamont, IL ( ); Bethlehem, Ferrin, IL ( ); Trinity, Harvel, IL ( ), and Immanuel, Auroraville/Trinity, Borth, WI ( ). He served 9 years in prison ministry while at Ferrin, serving at Centralia Correctional Center and Big Muddy Correctional Center. He also served as supervisor for vicars during that time. Pastor Schuessler has served on various boards and committees in the Southern Illinois District. He was the SID Zone #3 Circuit Counselor. He also served as chairman of the SID Stewardship Committee. In the past he served as a member of the SID Board of Directors, SID Youth Board, SID Ministerial Health Committee, chairman of the SID Stewardship Committee and the SID nominations committee chairman for 2 district conventions. He was SID LWML District pastoral advisor 2 different times and SID Midstate, Upper Kaskaskia, and Metro Central LWML pastoral advisor. Pastor Mitchel and Penny Schuessler have also served as Community Life Builders at the National Youth Gatherings twice in San Antonio, TX; three times New Orleans, LA; Atlanta, GA; and twice at Orlando, FL. He has also been on the committee for 2 CID/SID Youth Gatherings and 1 SID Youth Gathering. Pastor Schuessler is an avid railfan and model railroader. He enjoys photography and has an extensive collection of photos. He also greatly enjoys reading. Pastor Schuessler is a dedicated husband and father and enjoys spending time with his family. Pastor and Penny enjoy traveling by train and driving around in order to visit interesting sights. The Installation service for Pastor Mitchel Schuessler is Sunday, March 31, 3:00 p.m. After the service we ll gather in the fellowship hall for a reception to welcome Pastor & Penny. We hope that you will join us for this special day!

2 Midweek Lenten schedule continues Join us Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. Our offering will go to Noah s Ark. A supper follows (hosts listed below). Themes: March 27, Lent 4 Covered Sin Psalm 32:1,11 April 3, Lent 5: To Be Near God Psalm 73:28 April 10, Lent 6 Our Heart Is Glad in Christ Psalm 33:20-23 Lenten suppers... Enjoy a delicious supper and fellowship each Wednesday after the Lenten service. A free will offering will be taken to support various ministry areas. Hosts are: March 27 Board of Ed April 3 Mission Board April 10 LWML Easter lilies Those who want to share an Easter lily this year are asked to bring them to the Altar Guild sacristy. Thank you! Please join us for our Holy Week services: April 18, 7 p.m. Maundy Thursday Communion April 19, 7 p.m. Good Friday April 21, 7 a.m. Easter Sunrise April 21, 10:30 a.m. Easter Festival 2019 Confirmation Class The following 8th graders will profess their faith and be confirmed at St. John Sunday, April 14, 2019: Rylan Henke, son of Ed & Erika Henke Erica Van Fosson, daughter of Josh & Lucinda Van Fosson Taylor Wagoner, daughter of Jake & Kristin Wagoner No Touch of Love Breakfast in April. We invite everyone to join us for the Easter breakfast Sunday, April 21, from 8:00-9:00 a.m. in the fellowship hall. The Elders will host our Easter breakfast on Sunday, April 21, from 8-9 a.m. in the fellowship hall. Everyone is invited to join us for a tasty breakfast and fellowship! Everyone is invited (including adults!) to join the kids for a special Sunday school lesson and egg hunt Easter morning. Sunday school starts at 9:15 in the chapel. If you want to donate candy for the egg hunt, please contact Stephanie ( ) or leave donations in the Sunday school office. Attention Children! Join us for a Kids Canvas Painting Party Sunday, April 7 from 2-4 p.m. in the church basement. Kids, age 8 and up, will create their own canvas painting. Painting supplies and snacks will be provided. Bring a friend! Spaces are limited so text Stephanie at by March 29 to reserve your spot Interest Distribution Distribution of Endowment interest will be decided at the May Voters meeting. Members can nominate a project to be considered. Requests are to be submitted in writing to the church office or put it in the Endowment mailbox in the education hallway. Deadline is April 8. 2

3 Noah s Ark Greetings from Noah s Ark! We are busily preparing for the summer camp program as well as registration for the preschool year. Preschool open house will be held on April 28th from 1-3 p.m. All families are welcome to meet our teachers and check out our program. We will have registration information available as well as Tuition Assistance Applications from Corner Counties Early Childhood Agency. Families can also access the registration information by visiting our website: noahsark.html or by ing the director at stjohn.noahsark@gmail.com. Families can also call ( )and registration information will be mailed to them. Thank you for your assistance in spreading the word about St. John s 3 thru 5 year old Christian Preschool Program. Information about your Summer Camp Program will become available in May! God Bless, Melinda Norton - Director LWML highlights for December Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17 We are collecting standard size hand towels [25 x16 ] to make personal hygiene kits for the homeless and paper towels, toilet paper, facial tissues, high efficiency laundry detergent for Hope Ministries. Please place your donations in the designated boxes. Wednesday, April 3, 10:00-2:00 we will all meet for fellowship and servant activities. Some may assist making casseroles for shut-in members while others make thinking of you cards or assist in the work of the quilt ministry. Lunch will be included. In the afternoon we will deliver casseroles and visit with our sisters in Christ. You won t want to miss the LWML Spring Inspiration at Our Savior Church in Leon Saturday, April 6. Kathy Coady will speak about women and children services through Hope Ministries. We will carpool from our church parking lot at 7:30 a.m. Please call Rosalie at to arrange for a ride. We hope to fill several cars!! The LWML board members will provide food for the Lenten supper on April 10. Menu will be casseroles, rolls, brownies and ice cream. We will have a joint meeting of all circles on Wednesday, May 1, 6 p.m. Joy - decorations; Hope/Love - Hostess. It has been suggested that we have a speaker from SW Iowa Families (one of our mission projects for 2019) to hear about their special programs and outreach to the community. St. John LWML invites all ladies to join us and experience the Christian fellowship and spiritual growth that will be yours!! For a more detailed report of LWML activities please see the monthly publication of the Going Round in Circles available at a circle meeting or the church office. UPCOMING DATES Wed. April 3, 10:00-2:00 Hope/Love/Joy Circles (church basement) Sat., April 6, Zone Spring Rally in Leon Wed., April 10, LWML Board serves Lenten supper Tues., April 23, LWML Board meeting Serving the Lord with gladness, Rosalie Neumeyer 3

4 CLS Update Chapel is Wednesdays, 8:30-9:00 a.m. -- join us! Results of Mathletics in St. Joe, MO... 4th grade team of Ryan Wagoner, Jayla Fasnacht, Sydney Hanson placed second; 4th grade team of Noah Wellhausen, Malcolm Taylor, Isaiah Stogdill placed third; the 6th grade team Jared Fasnacht, Carson Turner, Kyle Wagoner placed first. Congratulations students! Congratulations to Riley Nothwehr who placed 6th at the Omaha Regional Spelling Bee on March 2. March 7 we had a sledding party. Students and staff spent the last hour of our day sledding down the hill. A lot of fun was had by all. Thank you to all the grandparents who came March 15 to enjoy a day with your grandchildren. It was great having you with us. We enjoyed having Chapel with you and showing you different parts of our day. Open House If you have a child who will enter Kindergarten for the school year please come and join us Tuesday, April 2, 5-7 p.m. (pizza provided) or Sunday, April 7, 1-3 p.m. (snacks provided) - to learn what CLS has to offer your child. [Gym supervision while you meet teachers and tour classrooms. Please call to R.S.V.P. Tuesday, April 9, is Kindergarten Round Up for kids entering Kindergarten during the school year. Students will come to CLS from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. and enjoy a day of Kindergarten while getting to know Ms. Hodges and their classmates. Lunch is included. [Our current Kindergarten class will not have school on this day.] Spring Musical is May 10 with performances at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the gym. Free will donation. 8th grade graduation is Friday, May 17th at 7 p.m. CLS garage sale Saturday, June 1st (Clarinda Citywide Garage Sale Day) and Saturday, June 8th. You will be able to begin dropping off your items the last week of school. Watch your update for the exact date. CLS Events at a Glance: K-3 choir sings at Trinity Mar. 31; at St. Paul April 28 Tuesday, April p.m. Kindergarten Open House Sunday, April p.m. Kindergarten Open House Tuesday, April 9-9:00-2:00 Kindergarten Round Up April Easter Break. Classes resume April 23. Friday, May 10 - Spring Musical - Performances at 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Sunday School: Age 3 thru Grade 12 at 9:15 a.m. (Sept.-May) Adult Bible Class at 9:00 a.m. Worship Schedule: Saturdays at 6:00 p.m. Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Communion Celebration: 1 st & 3 rd Sundays of each month and the Saturdays before these Sundays Facebook: St. John Lutheran Church-Clarinda Youth Facebook: St. John s Lutheran Youth Group STAY CONNECTED! We want to know Did you move? Change your ? Disconnect the landline? Need someone to pray for you? Keep us updated so we can keep in touch! stjohnlcms@mediacombb.net 4

5 2019 Bus trips to Creation Museum and Ark Encounter Two trips Aug. 5-9 and Dec. 2-6 to the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter are set for The trips are basically the same. However, the December trip also includes an additional Imax show Food Pantry Sunday is the 4th Sunday of each month... There are baskets in the narthex and the education hallway for donations -- nonperishable food, paper products, cleaning supplies, and personal care products. Items collected are taken to the Clarinda Community Center. Grandma s Bible study meets at 5:00 p.m. the 1st Tuesday at Lois Wagoner s and the 3rd Tuesday at Clythia Brown s. If you want to know more, contact Clythia at The Christmas Star and a Christmas dinner in the cafeteria and the spectacular Christmas lights. Currently, there are seats available. A $100 deposit per person is required to reserve your bus seat. Mail deposit to Roger & Ellen Bauer, 806 Juhl Ave., Waverly, Iowa For more details call or ellen.bauer@mchsi.com. Visit our website: bauerbustrips.com. Bell Tower There are moisture issues in the bell tower that need repaired at a cost of $23,800. To donate directly to this project, make checks payable to St. John and indicate capital project on the memo line. Three things to remember about stewardship: 1. Stewardship is not a technique, a program, or a law to obey. Stewardship is an attitude and a lifestyle. 2. Stewardship is the Abundant Life acted out in countless actions every day by each Christian and each congregation. 3. Christian Stewardship is a response to the love God has for us in Jesus Christ. [The Center for Stewardship, Concordia Seminary] Porters Lake Reminders Family skating is held the 1 st & 3 rd Fridays of the month from 6-9 PM. Skating is open to the public and cost is $4 per skater. Volunteers are needed to assist with skating parties. If you are interested or have questions please call Ron Eichhorst, The Lutheran Hour is aired every Sunday. Area station listings: 7:00 a.m. KOIL (1290 AM), Omaha, NE; 7:30 a.m. WHO (1040 AM), Des Moines, IA; 7:30 a.m. KMA (960 AM); 8:00 a.m. KCMO (710 AM), Mission, KS; 8:30 a.m. KFEQ (680 AM), St. Joseph, MO; 9:30 a.m. KJAN (1220 AM), Atlantic, IA. Joyful Response is a voluntary, electronic offering service. Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly contributions can be gifted directly to the church. Stop by or call the church office to learn more about this service and/or to pick up an enrollment form. There is no cost for this service. 5