The Messenger. January-February 2019 A Publication of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia

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1 The Messenger January-February 2019 A Publication of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia Church Office: Phone - (902) stjohnsmahonebay@gmail.com Pastor Adam: Phone - (902) adamgsnook@gmail.com Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation had come: the old has gone, the new is here! -2 Corinthians 5:17 It s January, and by now, either the tree has been taken down, or soon will be. The stockings and lights have been packed away, and the candies and sweets have been replaced with their less exciting counterparts carrots and apples. Christmas has come to an end! I ve always found it strange to walk through my house and/or church after all the decorations have been removed and things return to normal because everything looks bare. I m guessing that most people know the feeling I m talking about. If you re anything like me, January can be a bit of a challenging month. With its return to normal ways of living and daily life, it can seem a far cry from the joyous celebration of Christ s birth that we ve just journeyed through. This first month of the year often feels as though we re starting back at the beginning again. BUT THE GOOD NEWS, is that God is known to do, incredible, wonderful things with new beginnings. After all, when there was nothing, God created a world. When Abraham and Sarah had nothing, God gave them a child. When there was nothing in store but a flood, God told Noah to build an ark. And lest we forget, when there was nothing left God sent God s son into the world to bring light and grace to God s children. God has always worked miracles amidst new beginnings and that means that God will surely lead us as we begin fresh in this new year, and throughout the days to come. And so, rather than feeling the gloom that often accompanies the months of January & February, let us instead walk with hope and excitement as we marvel at the wonder of the many astonishing things that God has in store for us in For we may not understand where the road leads, but we can know with sureness and certainty that it will be just as God intends. Happy New Year! And may the days ahead be filled with adventure and excitement! Pastor Adam Annual Meeting The Annual General Meeting will be held on Sunday, February 3rd 12pm & Business 1pm). Please submit your reports to the office by January Council Nominees Anyone wishing to serve on council is asked to please speak with Pastor Adam ASAP. The council is also seeking a Youth Representative for a 1 year term.

2 + Winter Storm Policy Our cancellation policy states that in the event of inclement weather, a decision will be made by 9:30am. An announcement will be made on CKBW, Facebook, and Answering Machine. + Week of Prayer of Christian Unity Each January, we pause to give thanks and pray for unity amongst Christian communities! Please plan to join us for a 1/2 hour noontime service followed by lunch at each of the Christian churches in Mahone Bay. Whether you can attend one or all of these services, we welcome you. Please see the January Calendar for the schedule of services. + Offering Envelopes Offering Envelopes are now available for If you do not currently receive envelopes, but would like to, please speak with Kelly Wentzell in the church office. + Gift Card Fundraiser Anyone interested in buying gift cards is asked to see Sandra Hill or Ethel Joudrey before February 23, Gift cards will be available for pick-up on Sunday, March 3. + ELFEC Jeff Pym, director of the Evangelical Lutheran Foundation of Eastern Canada (that oversees church-wide investment & grant opportunities) will visit St. John's on March 2. Anyone interested in participating in this opportunity is asked to please speak with Pastor Adam. + Christmas Market & Yard Sale Our third annual Christmas Market & Yard Sale was a great success. We raised $3, this year. Thank you very much to everyone for your donations of quality yard sale items, Christmas decorations, silent auction items, crafts and delicious baked goods. Special thanks to Wayne Kincaid for his donation of the bench for our draw. Thank you also to everyone who helped with sorting and pricing, those who worked on the sale days and those who helped with cleanup. Thanks to Pastor Adam, Holly and Kelly for all your support. All was greatly appreciated. We hope to continue with this annual fundraiser so please save your yard sale items, Christmas decorations, silent auction items and crafts for the 2019 sale. (Jane Winchcombe) + Turkey Burger Fundraiser Mt. Calvary will be hosting a fundraising dinner at the Turkey Burger Family Restaurant on January 30. Tickets must be pre-purchased for $20/person. Options include Fish & Chips or Roast Beef (with potatoes, carrots & beans), your choice of pie (Key Lime, Apple, Chocolate, Strawberry/Rhubarb or Turtle) plus beverage. There will be a 5pm & 6:30pm sitting...with Take-Out also available. To purchase a ticket or for more info, please speak with Pastor Adam. + Joy Journal Jan & Feb Birthday greetings are extended to: Jan. 1 Ruth Wawin, Jan. 4 Emma Lohnes Jan. 7 Jane Kristenson Burleigh Ernst Arnold Fralick Jan. 11 Pr. David Maginley Jan. 13 Donna Naugler Jan. 15 Justin Barkhouse Jan. 19 Christopher Barry Jan. 22 Rachel Whynot Jan. 23 Kevin Swinimer Jan. 24 Valreta Langille Jan. 25 Larry Eisnor Jan. 28 James Bowles Jan. 30 Beverly Eisnor Juliet Wamboldt Jan. 31 Ruby Bowles Colleen Joudrey Alex Roy Feb. 1 Lynn Slack Feb. 2 Evelyn Knickle Sheila Barkhouse Feb. 5 Isen Norman Feb. 11 Kaylee Temple Feb. 13 Michelle Temple Feb. 14 Katherine Kelley Feb. 18 Roxanne Martin Jane Winchcombe Feb. 19 Jean Crossland Feb. 20 Vicky Hirtle Feb. 21 Lydia Brake Feb. 23 Myrtle Andrews Feb. 26 David Eisnor Feb. 28 Nevaeh Corkum Jan & Feb Anniversary Wishes are extended to: Feb. 7 Judy & Joseph Verge

3 St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church MAHONE BAY GROCERY CARD FUNDRAISING PROGRAM (Includes Sobeys, Lawtons, Sobeys Gas and Foodland) NoFrills) (Includes Superstore, Independant and Participate in the Grocery Card Fundraising Program and benefit the work of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church with every dollar you spend on your regular, everyday grocery purchases. Purchase the cards at facevalue and the church receives as much as 5% of your purchase depending on the total volume purchased through the program. Every purchase, in any amount, adds to the total volume. For example, if your family spends $500 per month on groceries, you could be adding $25 to the church without adding to your personal expenses just by purchasing grocery cards through this program - WIN, WIN! The cards are not redeemable for cash, have no service fees, have no expiry dates and operate on a declining balance basis. Cards are available in $50, $100 and $200 denominations. Please note: Purchase of grocery cards via this program are not considered charitable donations to the church. St. John's Ev. Lutheran Church is not responsible for lost or stolen cards Name Phone Number Address Address Order Details: x $50 Grocery Cards x $100 Grocery Cards x $200 Grocery Cards TOTAL ORDER x $50 Grocery Cards x $100 Grocery Cards x $200 Grocery Cards $ Submit cheque (payable to St. John's Lutheran Church) together with order form to Ethel Joudrey or Sandra Hill no later than Saturday, February 23. Delivery of Grocery cards is scheduled for Sunday, March 3, 2019.

4 St. John s Evangelical Lutheran Church + January 2019 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday :30pm - New Year's Levee Epiphany Sunday (Word) 9am - 2pm - Office 2:30pm - Mahone Nursing Worship Baptism of our Lord 11am - Worship 7pm - Council (MB) 5pm - VON 5:30pm - Common Table 10am - Clergy Mtg Epiphany 2 11am - Worship (Word) 12pm Fellowship (United) (Lutheran) (Anglican) (Pentecostal) (Baptist) Epiphany 3 12pm - Worship Cmmt. 5pm/6:30pm - Turkey Burger Fundraiser (Mt. Calvary)

5 St. John s Evangelical Lutheran Church + February 2019 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Additions to the calendar will be printed in the bulletin. An updated calendar can be viewed on our church website. Announcements for the March 2019 calendar are due to the church office by February 15, pm - 3CF Epiphany 4 (Word) 12pm - Pot-Luck 1pm - Annual Meeting Love Mahone Bay Festival Epiphany 5 9am - 2pm - Office 2:30pm - Mahone Nursing Worship 10:30am - Bereavement Support Planning Team Clergy Retreat - Pastor Adam Away Epiphany 6 11am - Worship (Word) 7pm - Council 3pm - Interchurch Council (Baptist) 5pm - VON 5:30pm - Common Table Gift Card Orders DUE 24 Epiphany Looking Ahead March 2 - ELFEC Presentation March 6 - Ash Wednesday March 13-April 10 - Mid-Week Soup & Service April 21 - Easter Sunday