St. John Journey may 2013 A message from The pastor Seasons on the Lake I look out the front window of our house onto South Holston Lake and the South Holston Mountains and from this vantage point I watch the seasons change. I have noticed this Spring that the leaves just don t magically appear on the trees immediately dark green. The buds and other pollen things (okay, I am not a tree expert) come out first and we have experienced a mini-fall. The colors are not as vibrant as the Fall, but yet there is a hint of color that is reminiscent of Fall. It is a reminder of the time before the Winter Season last year, and a foretaste of the summer to come. A reminder. Every Sunday in Worship we are reminded of the Love that God has shown us through giving us His Son, Jesus as our Savior, we find signs of this love all around the Sanctuary, reminding us of the great cost. We experience a foretaste of the feast of heaven as we are nourished at the Lord s Table. We walk past the Baptismal Font, dip our finger in the water and remember that we are walking wet in the waters of Baptism, forgiven children of God. We are reminded of the gift (GRACE) we are given that even though we do not deserve this gift and there is nothing we can do to earn our way, Jesus reaches out to us from the Cross and from the Empty Tomb as says, Come to me, all you who are weary, and I will give you rest In Holy Baptism and Holy Communion we are reminded of the past, the love of Jesus and the gift of Grace. It is time of reminder of Lent, and the time before Easter when things looked bleak, but then we are reminded of the future yet to come. Peace, Pastor Scott
P a ge 2 Lutheran Domestic Hunger Grant Healthy Families-Family Farms, a program of Appalachian Sustainable Development, received a $3,000 grant from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Domestic Hunger Grant. What a difference this grant will make in the lives of many! These funds will support local farmers by purchasing their seconds and then these fresh nutritious vegetables will be given to families at local food pantries. The grant will also help some households to become more self-sufficient by growing some of their own fresh food through the Earth Box Project. ASD and HFFF are grateful for this support to the growing needs in our community. Annual Abingdon Muscular Dystrophy Lock-Up June 5, 2013 The Annual Abingdon Muscular Dystrophy Lock-Up will take place on Wednesday June 5th, and Joan Shaver has been chosen as one of the participants. She will be arrested from the church at noon on June 5th and will be taken to lockup until she satisfies her bail. There is more information on the church bulletin board, and you can contribute to her bail by going to the MDA Lock-Up website and choosing her name from the list of jailbirds. Also, Joan will be able to take cash, check, or credit card donations toward her bail before and/or after the 11:00 Worship on Sundays and during her office hours at the church through Wednesday, June 5th. St. John Ladies Book Group St. John Ladies Book Group has chosen the book Mama s Shoes, by Rebecca D. Elswick. The date for our next meeting is yet to be determined, but we plan to be at the home of Jean Harley. 2
P a ge 3 The St. John Quilters are meeting on Tuesdays at 9:30AM through May 21st. The last day of quilting will be May 7th on the 14th the quilts will be arranged in the sanctuary for Dedication Sunday, and on the 21st they will be taken down and packed. The Quilters are looking for volunteers to make quilt tops over the summer please see a quilter for details. Quilt Dedication Sunday will be held on Pentecost Sunday, May 19th. Tuesday Afternoon Bible Study. The Tuesday afternoon Bible Study continues through May 21st at 1:00PM in the Fellowship Hall. We are currently studying the Book of Esther All interested folks are welcome to come and join us! Also, we start arriving at noon, with bag lunches, to have a time of fellowship while we eat lunch. St. John Choirs St. John s rehearses on Tuesdays at. The 9:00 Choir will rehearse at on Wednesdays, with instrumentalists asked to arrive at 6:30PM All interested singers are welcome no experience (or ability to read music) is required just come and make a joyful noise unto the Lord!! Congratulations to Our Graduates Congratulations to Julie Kroll, who graduates from John Battle High School this spring. She will be attending Brevard College in the fall. Congratulations to Spencer Black, who graduated from Emory and Henry College. He will be moving back to Roanoke until he enters Seminary. Congratulations to Jared Lovett who is graduating from Yale. 3
$ P a ge 4 St. John s Financial Summary March was a much better month than February, but income is still running below budget while expenses are running on budget. Please give generously and help us get St. John s budget back on track! 250,000 St. John's Financial Summary March 2013 Income to Date Projected Income Expenses to Date Projected Expenses 225,000 200,000 175,000 150,000 125,000 100,000 75,000 50,000 25,000 0 Budgeted Income = $226,300 Budgeted Expenses = $224,400 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Month Gardening News Thanks for all the help on Work Day (plus before and since). My surgery went great but the doctor said no driving for "6" weeks. Weeds can get very big in that amount of time. So, if you can spare an hour or two: Weed most of the forsythia. Where the woodchips are deep, the weeds come out easy. Where the ground is hard, I suggest a little spray so they don't take over. Weed from the center out in the main island. Nothing is sacred in there except the sign for Linda and her gorgeous flowering weeping crabapple tree. Empty the rain gauge and call Edie (628-5533 or 608-8060) if it has not rained at all for seven days straight. (It rained 4/28) Adopt a section of the garden to care for and call Edie with all your great plans. Plant the leftover Pentecost Geraniums in the space left from removing the Alberta Spruce trees. Rejoice, Spring is finally here and I am stuck at home. Your sister in Christ, Edie Hiltebeitel 4
Page 5 Assistant Minister may Stewardship 9:00AM service May 5 May 12 May 19 May 26 Charles Sansing Ray Whitner Ray Whitner Ray Whitner Lector Dave Morris Linda Garnett Debbie Kluttz Joel Rosen Christine Usher Bob Wolfe Cheryl Carrico Bob Wolfe Fields Altar Guild Louise Sansing Jean Harley Dianne Suhrbier 11:00AM service Carole Ann Rosen May 5 May 12 May 19 May 26 Assistant Minister Ed Davis youth Joan Shaver Ken Croghan Lector Bill Spencer youth John Gifford Linda Brumleve Acolyte Henry Davis youth William Gifford Chris Dixon Reception Joan Shaver Linda Brumleve The Bonhams The Spencers Counters David Henninger Helen French Parker Keen David Henninger Richard Brumleve David Henninger David Bonham David Henninger Ushers The Keens youth The Spencers The Meachams Altar Guild Carol Halverson Helen French Helen Findley Rana Daston Lectionary Readings for the Month May 5 Acts 16:9-15 If you cannot serve on your scheduled day, please make arrangements with another person and call the office to let the secretary know. May 12 Acts 16:16-34 May 19 Acts 2:1-21 May 26 Proverbs 8:1-4,22-31 Revelation 21:10,22-22:5 John 14:23-29 Rev. 22:12-14,16-17,20-21 John 17:20-26 Romans 8:14-17 John 14:8-17[25-27] Romans 5:1-5 John 16:12-15 5
Page 6 May 2013 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 2 8AM-2PM Yard Sale 3 8AM- 2PM Yard Sale 4 8AM-12 noon Yard Sale 5 9:00 AM Worship 10:00AM SS. 5:00PM Youth 6 7 8 9:30AM 6:30PM Quilters musicians 1:00 Bible Study 9:00 choir 9 6:00PM Ascension Crabcake supper and worship, Rural Retreat 10 11 12 Youth Sunday 9:00AM Worship 10:00AM SS Mother s Day 13 Evangelism 149:30AM Quilters 1:00 Bible Study 15 6:30PM musicians 9:00 choir 16 Council 6:30 PM Closing Program 17 18 19 Pentecost 9:00AM Worship 10:00AM SS Quilt Dedication 20 21 9:30AM Quilters 1:00 Bible Study 22 6:30PM musicians 9:00 choir 23 24 25 26 Holy Trinity 9:00AM Worship 10:00AM SS 27 Memorial Day 28 29 6:30PM musicians 9:00 choir 30 31 6
St. John Lutheran Church 807 E. Main St. Abingdon, VA 24210 Phone: 276-628-6215 E-mail: stjohnlutheran@embarqmail.com http://www.stjohnabingdon.org We are a community of believers, gathered by the Spirit, washed in Baptism, marked with the cross of Christ, nourished by Word and Sacrament, called to respond to God's gifts of grace, and set apart as disciples of Jesus Christ for a life of learning, witness, and service. St. John Lutheran Church 807 E. Main St. Abingdon, VA 24210 Address Service Requested Staff G. Scott Homesley pastorscottsj@embarqmail.com Home Phone: 276-739-7740 Cell Phone: 276-525-5801 Joan Shaver, Parish Secretary stjohnlutheran@embarqmail.com Office hours 9-12 Tuesday-Friday Council Bill Spencer Jim Lovett Marshall Hatfield Helen French Carol Halverson Kelly Read Debbie Kluttz Tammie Kroll Charlie Garnett Linda Brumleve, Financial Secretary Steve Kluttz, Treasurer St. John Lutheran is a congregation of the Virginia Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Rev. Mark S. Hansen, Presiding Bishop, ELCA The Rev. James Mauney, Bishop, Virginia Synod May 2013 7