TIDINGS ST. JOHN S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 109 E. 14th Street, Davenport, IA 52803 December 207 This season we are meant to be together in Advent! Join us in worship and for these special events: Wednesday evenings, 6:30-7:30 pm - Rev. Anne s Advent Study Group Together in Advent Join Rev. Anne, beginning on November 29 through December 20. Learn and grow this Advent! Saturday morning, December 2, 9:00 am-noon UMW Children s Bazaar Children are invited to go shopping for their families! While parents and grandparents are treated to refreshments in our Parlor, Santa s elves will take your child to explore the awesomeness of shopping delights in Fellowship Hall! Sunday evening, December 3, 6:30 p.m. in the Parlor - Traveler s Candlelight Healing Service Some of us approach Christmas with mixed emotions just like those who traveled to be present at the first Christmas. Hear the Christmas story, sing carols, and receive Holy Communion and anointing prayers for healing. Friday evening, December 8, 7:00 p.m. A Cool Yule Does anything get any better than an evening of jazzy Christmas music, delightful drinks and refreshments, and good times with friends? Join Ray Wierson and Friends for a wonderful evening! Sunday afternoon, December 10, 4:00 p.m. Christmas Cantata Come Ye Faithful The Christmas Cantata celebrates the season with our Chancel Choir, along with a small orchestra consort. Be inspired in the Advent and Christmas seasons! Saturday-Sunday, all services, December 16 and 17 Distribution of Children s Nativity Pieces Dedicated volunteers fire up ceramic pieces to give to our children through 6 th grade. Each year a new piece is added, so those who are part of St. John s throughout their childhood will have collected the entire nativity set. Have your child come this weekend to receive this special gift as part of this unique and timeless tradition. Sunday, morning, December 17, 9:45 a.m. Angel Breakfast in Fellowship Hall Christmas is a time for children and families. The Angel Breakfast invites children and their families for a great breakfast and then enjoy fun Christmas crafts and activities. Sunday, December 17 Children s Christmas Program at the 8:30 a.m. Classic Service Once Upon a Time Christmas and children go together like ice cream and cake! Come and hear our children sing and share as they communicate their excitement for Christmas! Sunday, December 24 Musical Drama The Christmas Guest at the 11:00 a.m. Celebration Service The Lord appears to Conrad, a shoemaker, in a dream, saying he will visit on Christmas Eve. All night long, Conrad waits! Come and enjoy this musical adaptation of Edwin Markham s poem How the Great Guest Came. Sunday, Christmas Eve, December 24 Candlelight Services 7:00 p.m. (contemporary service) and 11:00 p.m. (traditional service) A beautiful and enduring tradition! Join us for either service and hear the beautiful Christmas story from the Bible, sing Christmas carols, and light candles as we sing Silent Night. For many people, this is the highlight of the Advent and Christmas season and truly expresses how wonderful it is to be together in this inspiring season!
The Spark...Be the CHANGE and PASS IT ON! St. John s Christian Education and Youth Programs December 2017 Sunday Nights 6:00pm-8:00pm (7th-12th Grade Youth Group) 12/3 Outreach Christmas Shopping 12/10 Big Church Night Out Concert (Confirmation Mentor/Mentee Gathering) 12/17 Family Night Hot Chocolate and Caroling 12/24 No Youth Group***Christmas Eve MERRY CHRISTMAS! 12/31 NEW YEAR S EVE Skatechurch Lock-In 7p-7a (Rides are always available call 309-737-0404) Kid s Advent Events: *Dec. 2nd * Dec. 17th Children s Bazaar (9a-12p) Children s Program (8:30am Worship Service) Angel Breakfast (Following the Kid s Program) Nativity Pieces (All Weekend Worship Opportunities) Children s Christmas Program 2017 Mitzi Harris and Megan Keller are so excited to announce that we will be having a Children s Christmas Program once again this year! ALL CHILDREN AND YOUTH ARE INVITED TO COME AND BE A PART IF THIS INSPIRATIONAL CHRISTMAS FAMILY MEMORY! The Program will take place on December 17 th at the 8:30am Classic Worship Service. Rehearsals are during Sunday School Assembly Sunday mornings at 9:40am-10:00am With special practices on Saturdays December 2nd, 9th, and 16th @11am For questions contact Megan Keller, Director of Christian Education and Youth Programs at megank@stjohnsumcdav.com. This Christmas season will be full of joy and inspiration as we remember what Christmas truly means to us! Wednesday Programs *K-4th Kids Klass *5th-6th Jr. Youth Group *7th-12th Small Groups/Student Leaders *Nursery available :) Ways to Get Involved!!! Afterschool Program Wednesdays from 3pm- 5:30pm (Station Leaders, Tutors, Meal Servers, etc.) Sunday School Teachers and Helpers Wednesday Night Kids and Youth Program Helpers Ask if there is a way to plug in today :) Thank YOU!! (megank@stjohnsumc-dav.com)
We hope in this season of giving, as you dash around trying to find that perfect gift for someone who has everything, that you will bring Christ s light to those who are forgotten or overlooked. Merry Christmas and many blessings in 2018! The Staff of St. John s UMC Don Sprosty Liz Davis HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS The Church office will be closed December 25 and January 1 to observe the Christmas and New Year s holidays. THANK YOU from St. John s Steering/Finance Committee St. John s is blessed by your gifts of time, talent, and treasure! If you have not yet made your commitment or turned in a pledge card, please prayerfully consider doing so. Heartfelt thanks are extended to all who helped with our fall stewardship campaign: Faithful Stewards of God s Infinite Grace, especially to those who have volunteered to share your time and talents and to commit your financial support to the ministries of St. John s and The Center for 2018. At the time of this article, pledges received plus other anticipated income total $689,000 toward a $794,000 anticipated expense budget. As you can see, we have quite a large gap and are not yet where we need to be for 2018. As we both look to the future and attend to the here and now, our goal is to give to God and do what God is calling us to do. Our church has been entrusted with many resources, and our call is to use these gifts well and serve in ministry for the glory of God.
MISSIONS UPDATE Rev. Willie Trusheim, Missions Committee Coordinator December Manna for Missions Offering On the weekend of December 3rd, we have an opportunity to give to the Lit Lit Program in Nigeria. It is an educational program in rural areas for adults who have never been able to attend school. The people learn to read and write in Hausa in an 8 week course of study. The teaching kit includes index cards, pencils, chalkboard, and a Hausa Bible -- $8.00 for the Bible and $11.00 for the whole kit. It is a real help and opens a whole new world to the people in Nigeria. Pray about your gift. You may want to give a kit yourself or help give 40 kits totaling $440.00. Mark your check or envelope Lit Lit Kits. Thank you very much! Did You Know? You can make year-end contributions to any of the following mission projects of your interest: Missionary support to Red Bird School or medical clinic, the Fogelmans in South Sudan, or to Larry and Jane Kies in Zimbabwe. Heifer International which gives animals to help people provide food for themselves, such as chickens, pigs, bees, goats, sheep, water buffaloes, and cows. Your gift will help buy any of these. Blankets provided by Church World Service ($10.00 each) Blankets are the #1 need in disaster recovery. UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) which is the disaster relief agency of the United Methodist Church around the world. UMCOR is always one of first on the scene and one of the last to leave. Kids Against Hunger is a local agency. Every $1.00 provides 4 meals to hungry people. Our Local Food Pantry housed at The Center. Just indicate your desires on your check. All contributions need to be in the office no later than December 31. Thanks to St. John's people for your fine support all year long! ADULT FELLOWSHIP/DESSERT MEETING The next meeting of St. John s Adult Fellowship is Wednesday, December 6, at 1:00 p.m. in the Chapel and Parlor. This will be a dessert and coffee meeting with a program in the Parlor. We will then move to the Chapel where the Central High School Choir will be singing Christmas carols for our annual Christmas meeting. Come join us for fellowship and dessert and a festive time. This is the last meeting until March 2018. For more information or if you re not on our calling list, call Bob Faso at 563-349-8562. PRAYER AT ST. JOHN S FRUITS OF PERFECT LOVE John Wesley s year of quotes concludes this month with this quote: God only requires of his adult children that their hearts be truly purified, and that they offer him continually the wishes and vows that naturally spring from perfect love. For these desires, being the genuine fruits of love, are the most perfect prayer that can spring from it. You can fill out a prayer card at worship and state if you want the request to be on the Prayer Bookmark or the prayer chain. The prayer chain is more private and includes a large variety of prayer concerns. It is important that we get permission to put the prayer request on the bookmark and/or chain. Some people want their prayer needs to be just between them and God. JESUS COUNTRY NEWS Please note: We will no longer be having our Jesus Country potlucks on the second Saturday of the month. We deeply appreciate all who volunteered with this ministry for these many years! TRAVELER S CANDLELIGHT SERVICE: Christmas is a time to celebrate God s great gift of love, but some of us approach it with mixed emotions. While others celebrate, some struggle with sadness and loneliness. Some are excited to travel to spend Christmas with their family but regret missing worship at St. John s on Christmas Eve. The Traveler s Candlelight Healing Service may be just what you need! Join us at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday evening, December 3, in the Parlor. We will consider the feelings of those who traveled for the first Christmas. We will share the Christmas story, sing carols, light candles, and receive Holy Communion with anointing prayers. We will be reminded that, just as God traveled with the first Christmas travelers, God travels with us no matter what journey we are on this season. Come join this intimate candlelight service! ST. JOHN S FOUNDATION BIRTHDAY The Foundation of St. John's wish to thank the following members for their contributions to the Foundation Birthday Fund: Doris Blackburn, Robert Faso, Barb Groenenboom, Paul Holzworth, Christine Ittenbach, Linda & Gary Jantz, Brian Nielsen, Marjorie O'Dell, Betty & Bill Stone, Anita Sundin, Jim Utter, Bob Ward, and Joan Waggoner
Presented by: St. John s UMC Chancel Choir and Chancel Bells Sunday, December 10 th, 2017 4:00 PM St. John s UMC Sanctuary
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN No unit meeting in December. Executive committee meeting in the Conference Room at 10:00 on December 13. FOOD PANTRY Sharon Imming, St. John s Food Pantry Coordinator DVAP: DORCAS DIAPERS: JOANNA CIRCLE MEETINGS Deborah: Hostess: Dorcas: Hostess: Elizabeth: Hostess: Joanna: Hostess: Co-Hostess: Martha: Tuesday, December 19, at 6:00 p.m. Betty Stone - potluck 5310 Baraboo Court in Davenport Tuesday, December 19, at 6:00 p.m. Diane Rogan in the Parlor Wednesday, December 20, at Noon In the Parlor Tuesday, December 12, at 7:00 p.m. Karen Fordyce 2715 Duggleby in Davenport Jo Lawson Wednesday, December 20, at 12:45 p.m. Northridge Party Room at Ridgecrest As you can see by the pictures you, the people of St. John s, have donated 365 items for the Thanksgiving Baskets. We received 124 cans of veggies; 66 boxes of stuffing; 39 packets/jars of gravy; 89 boxes of mac & cheese and 47 boxes of potatoes. There were 3 gift cards to HyVee and 5 Kwik Star gift cards. We collected 650 items for the Food Pantry for a grand total of 1,015. Food items last year were 1,069. Naomi: Hostess: Wednesday, December 20, at Noon Christine Ittenbach at Brookside 3525 Marquette Street in Building 2, Apartment 205, in Davenport CHILDREN S BAZAAR!! It is nearly here!! On Saturday, December 2, from 9:00- Noon, we will hold the 7 th annual Children s Bazaar. We hope you have it on your calendar. If you haven t brought your children or grandchildren, they are missing a fun time. All of the gifts range between $.25 and $3.00. All you need to do is take the children to the Wesley Room and an Elf will take them up to Fellowship Hall to do their Christmas shopping while you go to the Parlor for coffee, hot chocolate and cookies. It is great fun so we hope you will plan to attend. We still need elves and gift wrappers, so if any of you are able to help make this happen, please contact Linda Jantz at 391-6897. Pat yourself on the back for an outstanding job. I personally thank you. Many individuals and families will have a nice Thanksgiving due to your generosity. Please note: Donations are always welcomed and please mark Food Pantry on the memo line of your check. Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving! Thanks again to everyone who has so generously donated items to be sold at the Children s Bazaar. It will be a great time for many children as they do their Christmas shopping.
NEW MEMBERS Patrick and Melanie Mahoney Patrick and Melanie Mahoney joined St. John s on October 22 at our Classic service. HOLY BAPTISMS Landon and Annabelle Johnson Landon and Annabelle Johnson were baptized on October 22 at the Celebration service. They are the son and daughter of Benjamin and Bonnie Johnson. The proud grandparents are Scott and Jan Johnson. GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN 2018? St. John s UMC has scholarship applications available. Two $500 scholarships will be available in 2018. The scholarship is a way St. John s members can express their love and concern for our youth. To qualify, the applicants must be an active member of St. John s United Methodist Church. You can pick up an application in the church office. You are asked to write a 250-500 word essay on how St. John s has helped you develop a belief in God and how that belief will help you going forth in life. We ask that you also give the church ideas on how we can make the church more relevant to youth. Please include 2 letters of recommendation with the application. The application, essay, and letters of recommendation are due in the church office by April 1. Awardees will be announced Mother s Day weekend in 2018. Time to Change the World! WINTER HOMELESS KITS We are asking the St. John s family to participate in a winter Change the World project! We are putting together winter kits for the homeless because the winter weather approaches, and we want to help our homeless friends be ready. The items needed for the kits include, hand/foot warmers, hats, gloves, earmuffs, lip balm, small hand lotion, gallon Ziploc bags. We will also need monetary donations to ensure that each kit is complete. We will be accepting donations through December. Boxes for the items will be located at both entrances. Thank You for your support!!! God Bless! Contact Don Buser at 309-236-1176 or busergolf@gmail.com
ST. JOHN S NATIVITY PIECES CREATING A MEMORY What childhood memories do you have of your church? Perhaps you treasure the memories you have of your friends, the pastor, the good times you shared with your family, or the building. And what triggers those memories? Perhaps it is seeing children doing activities similar to what you did, hearing songs you learned in Sunday School, or holding a candle at worship as you have done each Christmas for as long as you can remember? For the children who attend St. John s, we want to help create a memory a trigger that helps bring back the good memories of their childhood at church. A nativity piece is given to your child as a gift from St. John s to help create that memory. Once a child has completed 6th grade, the child will have a complete set with the exception of the three kings. A complete set is in the Sanctuary coat room display case, if you wish to see it. This tradition was started by Alverta Hatch and her daughter, Judy Ashford in 1992. Judy worked on the project each year until 2010 when it was passed onto new volunteers. Many, many hours are spent each year pouring, cleaning, glazing, firing, wrapping and boxing the pieces. Thanks to all of you who volunteered your time this year helping create these pieces in order to keep this tradition going for the children who attend St. John s. Children receive the following pieces for their nativity set each year Crib Baby Jesus Toddler Mary 2 Yr. Old Joseph 3 Yr. Old Set of Sheep 4 Yr. Old Standing Shepherd Kindergarten Donkey 1st Grade Cow 2nd Grade Angel 3rd Grade Sitting Donkey 4th Grade Sitting Camel 5th Grade Kneeling Shepherd 6th Grade Standing Camel A set of three wise men is also available for purchase. With a donation to the St. John s Nativity Ministry, completer pieces are available for children who have already graduated past some of the pieces. THE WINTER WEATHER TREE HATS, SCARVES, AND GLOVES DRIVE You will notice a bare Christmas Tree at the 14th Street entrance. There is a great need for gloves, scarves, and hats in our neighborhood. Please consider donating these items to fill up our tree and bring physical warmth along with spiritual warmth to our neighbors. Contact Pastor Jae or Megan Keller for more information. MADISON ELEMENTARY CHRISTMAS GIFTS St. John s UMC has the amazing opportunity to bless several students at Madison Elementary for Christmas once again. Monetary donations are needed for gift sponsorship. The Edge Youth Group will then use your donations to shop for the gifts on December 3rd. There will be a wrapping party the following weekend, so that we can get the gifts to each family by the time the students go on Christmas break. Thank you in advance! If you have any questions about the above projects, please contact Megan Keller at megank@stjohnsumc-dav.com
HELPING FAMILIES IN NEED! PLEASE help families at Christmas with $10 gift cards to Walmart or Kwik Star. We will be serving about 75 families. PLEASE if you can help this season, call The Center or visit our Facebook page. Pennie Kellenberger, Director of The Center SkateChurch New Year s Eve Party! We would love it if you could help with any of these items: We have become known for our extravagant PARTY! We keep teens safe for New Year s Eve and raise money for our summer youth programs at the same time. At our event, we have prizes, food, contests, and, of course, SKATE BOARDING! We need your help. This year we are planning on more that 150 students - we figure it will cost about $35 a student. $35 student sponsorship Cases of pop Gift cards to food shops to give away as prizes such as, McDonalds, Subway, or stores in the mall Hamburger for tacos
St. John s United Methodist Church 109 E. 14th Street Davenport, IA 52803 Non-Profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 54 Davenport, IA Address Service Requested One Church, Many Worship Opportunities Classic worship (traditional) Sundays at 8:30 a.m. (Sanctuary) Living Faith! worship (contemporary) Sundays at 9:45 a.m. (The Chapel) Celebration worship (contemporary) Sundays at 11 a.m. (Sanctuary) The Edge Youth Group Sundays at 6 p.m. (The Youth Room/The Wheel) Jesus Country worship Saturdays at 5:30 p. m. (Fellowship Hall) Healing worship service First Sunday of month at 6:30 p.m. (Parlor) Monthly Tidings deadline NOON on December 18, 2017 (covering all January 2018 events) E-mail your articles to: officemanager@stjohnsumc-dav.com