The Joyful Witness. St. John S Lutheran church and SchooL. Message From our Pastor

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1 The Joyful Witness St. John S Lutheran church and SchooL MONTH In this issue: Message From Pastor News from the School 1 3 Elders message 2 Serving Schedules OCTOBER 2017 Issue St. Johns on Facebook Like us on Facebook at 5 StJohnsLutheranChurchGlenArm St. John s Website stjohnslcms.org Check out all the features on our website, such as Bible Studies Calendar of events Weekly sermon broadcasts Newsletter If you have any questions or submissions to the newsletter just contact Mary Parker mnpltr101@gmail.com NEWSLETTER ARTTICLE SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS October 15, 2017 Message From our Pastor October is a beautiful month as we see the leaves turning brilliant colors and have time to enjoy God s creation. Here at St. John s, we have plans for some events in October. On Sunday, October 1 we will celebrate Lutheran Women s Missionary League Sunday. This group finances tremendous mission projects through their popular mite boxes. Please bring your mite box on Oct. 1. On Sunday, October 29 we will celebrate the 500 th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. There will be a blended worship service at 10 am in our fellowship hall. The service will feature special music by St. John s musical groups (praise team, choir, and bell choirs). Holy Communion will be celebrated. Following the service a special fellowship meal is planned. The fellowship board will provide the meat. Members and friends are asked to bring a dish. If your last name begins with the letters A through M the fellowship board asks that you bring a side dish or salad and if your last name begins with N through Z that you bring a dessert. For your advance planning, I want to remind you that our Thanksgiving Worship will be on Thanksgiving Eve, November 22 at 7:30 pm in the church sanctuary. Special music will again be an element in this service. Also, please note that the Sunday after Thanksgiving (November 26) is NOT the first Sunday in Advent this year. Because of that our annual White Gift service will be at 10 am on Sunday, December 3 which is the first Sunday in Advent. Instead of our longstanding Progressive Dinner, there are plans to have an Advent fellowship event immediately following the White Gift service. This event will be for the whole family. I know you are probably thinking that Christmas is on the way as well. It may be early, but because Christmas Eve is a Sunday this year, I want to announce the plans for our worship services on December 24. There will be a Service of Lessons and Carols in the church sanctuary at 10 am on December 24 to celebrate the Fourth Sunday in Advent and there will be a Family Christmas Eve service at 4:30 pm in our fellowship hall. Holy Communion will be celebrated in both of these services. Please note these times in your planning for Christmas Eve. God bless you. Pastor Prayer List Carl Green Andrew Oberle Sandy Beyer Our Military Family Matthew St. Clair Brad Thurlow Chris Lewis All Military Troops If you place someone on this list, please provide the office with any updates. Thanks! 1

2 Our Cave of Adullam When you think about the state of the world today, or the struggles you or a loved one are facing in your personal life, do you feel fearful and afraid or at peace and full of hope? Scripture tells us that David's low-point was when he had to escape the fury of Saul to the Cave of Adullam. David fled to his cave and was alone and totally distraught. David penned the following words in Psalm 142 at the low point of his life. "I cry out to the Lord with my voice; with my voice to the Lord I make my supplication. I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk. They have secretly set a snare for me." We will all enter the Cave of Adullam at some time in our life. Doubt may be such a cave. Persecution may be such a cave. Sickness may be such a cave. Bereavement may be such a cave. Conflict in relationships can be such a cave. However, there is no cave dark enough to shut out God. Adullam was a place of safety for David but it was a place to do business with God, not knowing whether he would avoid the sword of the very man he supported, honored and promoted. Some of us will be forced to retreat to our own cave of Adullam to avoid being destroyed by the Sauls in our lives. Betrayal becomes our place of Adullam. God uses this time to sanctify our lives for the purpose and calling He has for us if we are willing to repent and gain the freedom this process is designed to achieve in our lives. The Elders 2

3 The new school year is off to a calm and happy start. This year we welcome one hundred and thirty five children and their families to our school. In this 62 nd year of early childhood education at St. John s we are emphasizing what has been true since the very first class of 14 children with one teacher way back in 1955 and that is that It is Still All About Jesus. It is through Scripture alone, grace alone, and faith alone that we know and live with our Lord. We are mindful daily that our gracious God is walking through each day with us in our hallways and classrooms. St. John s has been given the great blessings of dedicated and faithful teachers, up -to-date teaching curriculums and resources, bright, cheerful, clean classrooms in a well -maintained building, beautiful grounds and playground. St. John s strives to do well what God has given us to do. We have the added gift that many schools do not that is the privilege and freedom to tell and show all who walk through our doors that this is a place where we walk with and get to know our great God. Many thanks to those who continue to volunteer to make our school the best it can be. Please help our school collect BoxTops found on many products. Collection containers are located in the Narthex and school entry way.. We will be having Chapel regularly again this year on Monday (and the first Tuesday of each month Oct. - May) in the Sanctuary from 9:30 10:00. You are welcome to join us for this special time of worship. As we go through our days please join us in asking God daily for His guidance, wisdom, patience, and love in all that we do with our children, families, and each other. To God be the glory. Jan Watson Director 3

4 St. John s Ministries Support Groups Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship Groups The Joy Group Dining Out Group Small Group Bible Study Outreach Groups Baptismal Prayer Partners Mite Box For Missions Youth Ministry LWML SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1ST PLEASE BRING MITES TO CHURCH LWML Chesapeake Christian Life Retreat Stepping Out: To Life on the Edge Will be held October at the Carousel Hotel in Ocean City, Md. Retreat registrations are on the bulletin boards. Registration deadline is September 20 th, 2017 Tom Hemmeter Given by: Mr. & Mrs. Frank Miller Gifts from Heart: Gift Cards for seminarians, Toiletries & nonperishable food items Flip flops & new underwear There will be a basket for these items in the narthex and fellowship Hall. These items will be collected till Oct I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME PHILIPPIANS 4:13 4

5 Serving 8:45 service AV Techs Ron Jasion Scott Jasion Ron Jasion 22nd Tracy Jasion Ushers/Greeters The Otto Family Reatha Burk & Chris Otto Ken & Peggy Hemmeter 22nd TBD 29th Readers Blended Srv FH 10am Robin Ewers Brian Beyer Tracy Jasion 22nd Ron Jasion Communion Assistants Jerry Potter 22nd Andy Pullen Acolytes Carter Phillips 22nd Joshua or Taryn Schertz ALTAR GUILD Serving for the Month of October will be Wockenfuss, Mazikas, Blecki SCHEDULE OCTOBER 29TH 10 AM Greeters/ Ushers Reader AV Tech Sound Communion Acolyte Altar Guild OCTOBER 29TH 10 AM A BLENDED SERVICE IN FELLOWSHIP HALL CELEBRATING 500th ANNIVERSARY OF THE REFORMATION FOLLOWED BY OCTOBERFEST IN FELLOWSHIP HALL Vince & Lisa Fiorvante Ron & Tracy Jasion Shellee Hauer Jerry Potter Marge Potter Ken Hemmeter Cameron Hauer Wockenfuss, Mazikas, Blecki 5 Serving 10:45 service Greeters Terry & Bev Donlon Ushers Peggy Lambros & Diane Trimble Ron Hammond & Terry Donlon Ron Hammond & John Funkhouser 22nd Don & Gail Matte 29th Readers Blended Srv FH 10am Diane Trimble Brent Beach Gail Mattes 22nd Don Matte Communion Assistants Jim Hobbs John Funkhouser Acolytes 22nd Carol Mazikas & Gladys Schuller Mel & Betty Richter 22nd Frank & Scharley Miller 29th Blended Srv FH 10am USHERS NEEDED 10:45 srv.

6 Sunday 10/1 LWML Sunday Sunday Oct 29th 10:00 am Blended Service in Fellowship Hall 500th Anniversary of Reformation Octoberfest to follow Saturday Nov. 4th SET CLOCKS BACK 1 HOUR Sunday Nov 5th 08:45 am, 10:45 am All Saints Sunday & Stewardship Friday Nov 17th 6:00 pm School Family Fun Night Wednesday Nov 22nd 7:30 pm Thanksgiving Eve Service Monday Nov 27th 6:00 pm Congregation Forum 1-Oct 1-Oct 2-Oct 5-Oct 8-Oct 8-Oct 10-Oct 11-Oct 12-Oct 13-Oct Michael Gillum Jr. Kevin Hartzell Hester Schmidl Bob Raunig Alexandra Lambros Susan Richter Yolande Glaser Scharley Miller Amanda Otto Christi Schertz Molly Seaborn Gretchen Reichard Chris Lambros Gorman White, Jr. 15-Oct 15-Oct 17-Oct 21-Oct 24-Oct 24-Oct 24-Oct 26-Oct 27-Oct 28-Oct 2 30-Oct 31-Oct 31-Oct Bridget Ludwig Andrew Trimble Gail Mattes Bonnie Drummond Brinley Fox Keith Going Kristen Wells Bonnie Duggins Michael Pastore Robert Rye Brian Beyer Annmarie Lerch Terry Donlon Betty Lipinski 6

7 Genesis Ringers is looking for youth, 4 th grade and up; no ringing experience needed. Rehearsals are on Wednesday nights at 6:15 for 45 minutes, prior to Confirmation class. We had a dynamite group last year that rang 5 times at services during the church year and ended with an outreach trip to Glen Meadows. Bells of Blenheim could also use an additional ringer for anyone who is interested in an adult ringing experience. It is helpful if you can count to 6, and feel rhythm which really is most people. Many of our current members started with no handbell experience and no musical background!! This group rings about 6 times a year as well, and includes Thanksgiving Eve, and Palm Sunday, among those times. Bells of Blenheim meet once a week on Thursday nights. Please contact Carol Walker at if you, or your child are interested in either group. These are great fellowship opportunities as well as an inspiring musical experience. Vocal choir singers needed Rehearsals have begun for the upcoming church year and we can always use more voices. Rehearsals are held on Sunday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 am 7