News Bulletin. Jan. 5/ Inside this issue... The Ministry of St. John. St. John

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1 St. John News Bulletin ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH Seward, Nebraska Facebook - St. John Lutheran Church Seward, NE Jan. 5/ sjcstaff@stjohnseward.org Pastor Scott Bruick Pastoral Leader scott.bruick@stjohnseward.org Pastor David Rempfer Pastor for Visitation & Pastoral Care david.rempfer@stjohnseward.org Tim Rippstein Director of Christian Education tim.rippstein@stjohnseward.org Inside this issue... Epiphany Celebration THIS WEEKEND - Jan. 5 and 6 Jr. High Matt Talbot Service Project Jan. 13 Trivia Night Jan. 18 Voting Assembly Jan. 20, 10am, fellowship hall Evening of Prayer Jan. 27, 6-8pm, sanctuary Kindergarten Open House Feb. 10 Volunteers needed in various ministry areas School/CDC/Concordia News Next week s calendar Deaconess Juanita Ebert juanita.ebert@stjohnseward.org Paul Soulek Director of Parish & School Music paul.soulek@stjohnseward.org Amber Fiala School Principal amber.fiala@stjohnseward.org Lisa Aring Director of Child Development Center lisa.aring@stjohnseward.org The Ministry of St. John Proclaiming and Practicing the Love of Christ Church: 919 N Columbia Avenue; School: 877 N Columbia Avenue; Child Development Center: 1053 N Columbia Avenue; For Your Devotional Use This Week Psalm 29 Isaiah 43:1-7 Romans 6:1-11 Luke 3:15-22

2 Worship and Christian Growth Opportunities Nursery for Families with Young Children Nursery is located on the main level and is staffed on Sundays from 10am-12pm. Official Acts FUNERALS: Mary Ann Kruse passed away on Dec. 25, in Lincoln, Nebraska, at the age of 94 years, 4 months, and 14 days. Her funeral service was Jan. 4 (officiant Pastor David P. Rempfer); Norman Norm Gene Luebbe passed away on Dec. 26, in Seward, at the age of 87 years, 10 months and 10 days. His funeral service was Jan. 2 (officiant Pastor David P. Rempfer); BAPTISM: On December 30, Kayce Frederick Hohman, son of Philip and Adeline (Kluth) Hohman, was welcomed into the Lord s family (sponsors Brent and Melissa Hoefelman; officiant Pastor David P. Rempfer). High School Bible Class Jan. 6 10am in the sanctuary Every 1 st Sunday of the month through May meet in the sanctuary All other Sundays meet in the portable Epiphany of Our Lord Observed Jan. 5/6 Communion at all Services What a joy it is to celebrate the Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ (January 6)! This festival day is being celebrated in all three services at St. John THIS weekend. The removal of the greens from the sanctuary will take place immediately following the 11am service. If you and your family would like to help remove the greens, please dress accordingly and plan to be at church at 12pm. Our Attendance: Dec. 24 3:00pm 493 5:30pm 730 9:00pm 281 Dec Dec. 22 5:30pm 151 Dec :00am 420 Dec. 23 Ridgewood: 30 Total 601 Dec. 29 5:30pm 128 Dec :00am 439 Dec. 30 Ridgewood: 29 Total 569 Evening of Prayer Sun., Jan. 27, 6-8PM, sanctuary Join others on this Sunday evening for a quiet time of silent prayer and reflection on the mercy and grace of our Heavenly Father. Participants will be offered a prayer guide when entering the sanctuary. The Heritage Room will be available for those who would like someone to pray with them or would like to pray with others. Tuesday Morning Men's Bible Study Jan. 8 (every 2 nd & 4 th Tues.), 6:30-7:30am, Concordia s cafeteria Current topic: Explaining All the Scary Stuff in Revelation (with Rev. Ken Klaus). All men are invited to join us as we gather for prayer, Bible study, mutual encouragement and faith conversations. 2

3 Praying Parents January 15 & 29; February 12 & 26; March 12 & 26; and April 9, 8:15am, Heritage Room We are blessed to spend time in God s Word with your children every day. We also want to have the opportunity to spend time in God s Word with you too. Please join Deaconess Juanita and Principal Fiala for Praying Parents. The nursery will be staffed for your younger children. We will use Parenting In Christ: Treasures for Parenting from Jesus this year. We will take care of ordering the books (suggested donation of $8). If you have any questions, please contact the school office. General News From the Board of Trustees In Colossians 3:23 Paul writes: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Has the Lord put it in your heart to work for Him? The eight members of the Board of Trustees ask you if you might be ready to take up the work of this board by filling the vacant spot we currently have? We ask that you take it to prayer and serious thought. If you have questions or comments or want to volunteer, please call Bill Peters, ; Doug Zimmerman, or the church office, [During a non-election period, your name would be submitted by the Trustees to the Coordinating Council, which would then appoint you to serve.] Jr. High Matt Talbot Service Project see insert in this bulletin. Special Needs Respite Night Friday, Jan. 25, 6-8pm, fellowship hall The Disability Ministry Committee is hosting this night of respite filled with supervised activities and snacks for those with special needs (and their siblings) while parents eat out, run errands, enjoy some quiet time, or relax on-site with other Seward area families. Register by Jan. 21. Forms can be found and completed in the church office or at and ed to Amanda.geidel@cune.edu or call to RSVP and complete the forms that night. Check-in begins at 5:45pm. It s Mite Box Sunday (Sponsored by St. John LWML Groups) 1 st weekend of every month, narthex Drop your spare change into the big purple box to support missions like this: Do you know about Mission Central in Mapleton, Iowa? They provide many of the necessities of life for those missionaries entering the mission field. As a new missionary, you have many concerns such as what will life be like there? Will the people accept me? Worrying about transportation or insurance shouldn t be on your mind as a new missionary. That s what Mission Central does it assists the new missionaries with these basic needs so they can joyfully spread the Good News of Jesus. For more information about Mission Central, please go to missiongrant- 5. 3

4 New Custodial Staff We have recently added Theresa Price and Bill Nitzsche to our custodial staff. Theresa works during the day hours in mostly the church area while Bill works in the evening mostly in the school area. Please welcome them to the St. John family as you see them on campus. Christmas Thank You! What a blessing you all are! Many of you have shared special expressions of your Christmas greetings with cards and gifts of appreciation and we thank you. The time and effort that you invested into the Christmas greetings is truly appreciated. And we, the Ministry Staff of St. John, feel truly blessed to be able to serve our Lord and to serve you as together we proclaim and practice the love of Jesus Christ, our newborn King. Voting Assembly 10am Sunday, Jan. 20, Fellowship Hall No Adult Bible Classes LWML Upcoming Meeting Jan. 8, 7pm, fellowship hall Elaine Royuk, Pat Holle and Deaconess Juanita Ebert will show slides and discuss their recent trip to the Holy Land. Members will meet with their new circles. Prior to this meeting the executive board will meet briefly in the fellowship hall at 6:15pm. End of the Year Contribution Statements will soon be available for pick-up in the narthex (sorted alphabetically). St. John School Kindergarten Open House Sun., Feb. 10, 3:30-5pm (presentation at 4pm); call school office with questions To be eligible for kindergarten in August, children must turn five by July 31, Presentations by Sandra Royuk and Amber Fiala begin at 4pm. St. John offers a full-day program (with a half-day option) for all students to learn of the love of Jesus and grow in their ability to learn and work with others! If you know of someone who may be interested, please pass this on! Trivia Night 2019 FULL! The 9 th Annual PTL Trivia Night is coming to the AG PAVILLION on Fri., Jan. 18! We have reached our maximum capacity at 50 teams! If your team of 8 would like to be added to a wait list, in the event that a spot opens up, please contact Michelle Meyer at Also, contact Michelle to be a corporate or memorial sponsor for a team or trivia round. Trivia Night Silent Auction Donations As part of the trivia night festivities, we will be hosting a silent auction! Please consider donating new items of value, experiences such as game tickets or condo usage, or valuable antiques for us to auction. 4

5 All profits from the auction items go directly to the St. John PTL for use in supporting our school, teachers, and students! If you have an item to donate or questions, please contact Cari Berner at or us at Have You Ever Considered Becoming a Pastor or Deaconess? If so, Rev. Scott Holder from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, would like to meet with you in the Lincoln or Seward area: Tue. & Wed., Feb. 5 & 6: CUNE, Seward, 8am-5pm; Thurs, Feb. 7: University Lutheran Chapel, Lincoln, 9am- 12pm Rev. Holder is interested in meeting with prospective students of all ages elementary school age through adults. Appointments are individual, informal, and family/friends are welcome to come with you. Appointments are not necessary, but encouraged. If you are interested in scheduling a specific time, please contact Rev. Holder at or holders@csl.edu. Lincoln Lutheran (Community) Choir Spring Season Lincoln Lutheran Choir welcomes new and returning members to the Spring Concert Season! Rehearsals begin with a retreat on Sun., Jan. 20, 2-5pm at Faith Lutheran Church, 1551 S 70 th ST, Lincoln. This spring the choir is pleased to welcome our new conductor and artistic director Ms Julia Marble. Our concert theme is Christ, Light in the Darkness, and Julia has chosen music that speaks to His grace, peace and hope. Come join us on this musical journey! Synodical Nominations (From the Board of Elders, Bd. Reps.: Ken Block & Courtney Meyer) It is the responsibility of St. John Congregation to submit nominations for the following: President, Vice President, as well as the regional vice-president of the Great Plains region. These nominations will be confirmed at the annual congregational voting assembly on January 20. Church members may submit nominations to the floor at the January meeting or to Ken Block or Courtney Meyer in writing through the church office. The Board of Elders has already been advised of potential candidates. Your participation in this process is encouraged. LCEF Nebraska District Scholarship Applications Available Applications are now available for the 2019 $1,000 Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) Nebraska District Scholarship. Go to lcefcentral.org/scholarships to apply. Applicants must be a graduating high school senior or current full-time post-secondary student at an accredited institution with at least one year of courses remaining. Candidates must also be members of a congregation belonging to The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod located in one of the following LCMS districts: Iowa East, Iowa West, Minnesota North, Minnesota South, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, North Wisconsin, South Dakota or South Wisconsin. The application deadline is January 31,

6 Service Opportunities......Fellowship Hall Bible Study Coordinator Needed The Christian Nurture Board (CNB) is looking for an individual to coordinate weekly presenters/leaders for the Adult Education Hour in the fellowship hall every Sunday at 10am. This coordinator would need to contact potential leaders, organize a calendar, and inform the office of the topics being studied. If you are interested, please contact Rachel Jank at or rachelmmol@gmail.com. The coordinator will be provided with a list of previous leaders and topics and will have regular communication with the CNB to assist in this role. School and Child Development Center School resumes for full day Mon., Jan. 7 buses will be running Concordia, Church Family and Community Upcoming Concordia Events Go to to see postings for upcoming events. Citizens For Life/Lutherans For Life News and Events To receive updates for Seward Area Lutherans for Life activities contact Cheri Johnson at m67johnson@yahoo.com. To receive the Citizens for Life quarterly newsletter contact esther.sander76@gmail.com Donations are welcome. Checks may be made to Seward Area Lutherans for Life and mailed to: Bob Gilbreath, th Rd, Seward, NE 68434; Like us on Facebook! "Seward Area Lutherans for Life" LCMS Life Conference Joy:Fully Alive Body & Soul:, Jan , Alexandria, VA online registration open Nebraska Walk For Life, Jan. 26, 10am, north side of Nebraska State Capital building National March for Life, Jan. 18, Washington D.C. Life Quote This is a Life Quote from Lutherans For Life For Christians, then, too many people is impossible. Each additional person affords another opportunity to love and give in the way that brings God Himself the highest joys. And in the neediness of every neighbor more, we encounter and embrace Christ Jesus (Matthew 25:40). Rev. Michael W. Salemink, executive director of Lutherans For Life 6

7 This Week at St. John January 2019 calendars are available at the information tables in the narthex and west entrance. SUNDAY 8:30am Communion Worship Epiphany Celebration, sanctuary 10:00am Sunday School and Youth Bible Classes, various locations [Sunday School classes are available for children ages 2-years-old through 12th grade; however, during certain months of the year, classes may be combined or on break, so please see the Sunday School superintendents in the school workroom. They would be happy to assist you in locating your child s class. Please ask an usher to help you find the school workroom.] 10:00am Sr. High Youth Bible Study, sanctuary 10:00am Adult Bible Class (Gospel of John, Matthias & Jurchen), classroom #108 10:00am Adult Bible Class (Book of Titus, Russ Moulds), Heritage Room 11:00am Communion Worship Epiphany Celebration, sanctuary 12:00pm Removal of the Greens, sanctuary 3:00pm Christmas at Concordia Concert, sanctuary MONDAY 3:00pm Client-Choice Food Pantry, Christ s Cupboard 7:00pm Elders Meeting, Heritage Room TUESDAY 6:30am Men s Bible Study, CU s cafeteria 10:00am Comforters, CDC lower level 6:15pm LWL Board Meeting, fellowship hall 7:00pm Coordinating Council, Heritage Room 7:00pm Disability Ministry Committee, Centennial Room 7:00pm LWL General Meeting, fellowship hall WEDNESDAY 8:25am School Chapel, sanctuary 10:30am Seward Ministerial Association, Heritage Room 3:45pm 3 rd 6 th Grade Midweek Classes, Heritage Room & classroom #09 5:30pm 7 th and 8 th Grade Confirmation, classrooms #129 & #204 7:00pm Adult Choir, fellowship hall 7:00pm Godparent Groups, leaders homes 8:10pm Doxology Bells, sanctuary THURSDAY 8:30am Large Print, Centennial Room 9:15pm CDC Chapel (Pastor Mike Meyer, leader) 6:00pm Client-Choice Food Pantry, Christ s Cupboard SATURDAY 9:00am Client-Choice Food Pantry, Christ s Cupboard 5:30pm Worship, sanctuary 7

8 SUNDAY (Jan. 13) 8:30am Worship, sanctuary 10:00am Hands of Mercy, school library 10:00am Sunday School & Youth Bible Classes, various locations 10:00am Adult Bible Class (Gospel of John, Matthias & Jurchen), classroom #108 10:00am Adult Bible Class (Book of Titus, Russ Moulds), 11:00am Communion Worship, sanctuary 3:00pm Alaska Mission Team Meeting, Heritage Room Stephen Ministry St. John is a Stephen Ministry congregation. If you need someone to help you through a difficult time, call any of the following church office ( ) Deanna Dowding ( ) Deaconess Juanita Ebert ( ) Mary Ann Steinbeck ( ) Marlene Block ( ) Our AEDs are in the narthex and by the school office. - St. John Parish Health Ministry - This Sunday s 10am Bible Classes Gospel of John MUSIC ROOM Ryan Matthias and John Jurchen Book of Titus HERITAGE ROOM Russ Moulds Needed to Meet the St. John Ministry-Funding Plan: The General Fund amount needed per week to further the Lord's ministry at St. John: $38,956 General Fund received last week (12/23/2018): $36,988 Debt amount received last week (12/23/2018): $10 FtCG pledges and gifts received last week (12/23/2018): $5580 General Fund received last week (12/30/2018): $77,698 Debt amount received last week (12/30/2018): $30 FtCG pledges and gifts received last week (12/30/2018): $175 8