St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, ELCA 915 Federal Avenue Downtown Saginaw - Saginaw, MI 48607 Pastor: The Rev. Carl E. Ballard Pastor email: cballard123@msn.com Office: (989) 754-0489 Pastor: (517) 515-3129 Worship w/communion Sundays 9:30 a.m. Office Hours: 9am 1pm, Monday-Friday Office Email: sjc915@sbcglobal.net stjohnlutheranelcasaginaw.weebly.com SPIRIT NEWSLETTER May 2018 Issue 118, Volume 5 Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ, It is an interesting time to be church today, figuring out ways for renewal and vitality since information from a recent magazine says, the glory days of churches are gone. The days when pews were full, Sunday Schools were bursting at the seams, there were choirs and bell ringers, programs were well attended, giving was enough to pay the bills, when every family had 4.2 kids and a housewife who would devote volunteer time to the church, or keep the house in check and a husband who worked hard to support his family. Sorry, but the experts agree that those days are over. What happened? Many Baby Boomers quit attending church but not enough to take notice, but then when their children stopped coming suddenly it became very noticeable. Those days are over at all levels. Society has changed, attending church is no longer the norm, especially for our children and grandchildren. Churches, pastors, leaders who could remember those days seemed to be universally bound and determined to somehow bring that glory back. Get the young people back, get the families back, fill the pews, resurrect the Sunday Schools, meet and exceed the budgets. Is it possible we can reverse that trend? There is no template that each congregation can use because every congregation serves a specific community and all are different. What can we do? Some information gathered by David Sprang and published on mittensynod.com says the ELCA and mainline churches gathered research and can be a starting point for us to have conversations. LISTENING TO GOD S WORD Renewal and Vitality is a revolving circle of listening, acting, and reflecting. We always begin with listening to God through Word and prayer. Then we listen and build relationships with each other. Then we listen and build relationships with our community. And then we start again. Here is what some selected scriptures say about what the church is to do and be: Matthew 28:18-19 18 And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Matthew 22:37-40 37 He said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Acts 1:8 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Luke 4:18-19 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord s favor. Philippians 2:1-3 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Matthew 16:24-25 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
The are some common themes running through these verses. Making disciples, living for others, denying self, and being witnesses. As the disciples spent time with Jesus and the early church began its ministry the focus was always outward. It began with a relationship with Jesus. And then always grew from that to inviting, serving, and welcoming to all. Congregations are either in a constant state of renewal, or on a downward trajectory. The most common factor in a declining congregation is being inward focused. Next month I will share what mainline churches say are the 7 most effective plans for renewal in the church. We will be working on strategies and action plans for the future. If you want to talk before then I ll listen. Blessings on you and all you are because to God through Christ, who you are and who we are as a faith community are good enough. Pr. Carl St. John Lutheran Numbers April 2018 Pray for Our In-Home & Care Facility Members Date Attending Deposit 4/1 56 $2,118.00 4/8 38 $1,163.00 4/15 No service $0 4/22 31 $2,473.00 4/29 26 $825.00 Memorials/Gifts Received January 1, 2018 April 30, 2018 Memorials: $310.00 Holidays: $1001.00 Mission: $158.00 Outreach Ministry: $24.00 Year-to-Date Income January 1, 2018 April 30, 2018 Offering: $19,759.75 Rental: $8,153.00 Summer Thrivent Choice Dollars Thrivent Financial no longer sends reminder communications for distribution of your Choice Dollars. If your funds were not directed by March 31, 2018, Thrivent will redistribute the funding, which may be directed into the marketing of this program. Please visit thrivent.com/thriventchoice, to find and designate your Choice Dollars to St. John Lutheran. You may also call the Member Connection Center at 800-847-4836.
Summer Day Camp June 18 August 10 the building will be bustling with activity between 8:30am and 3:00pm in grades 1 8. How can you help us do God's Work? We will begin accepting staff applications mid-february age 18+. We will interview for the staff in early March. We could use your help in that area. Do you have a life-skill you would like to lead: Sewing up a tear in a seam, sewing on a button, hem up their pants? Maybe a craft you could teach? Work with the kids practicing for the talent show? Or show them basic fishing: I could envision recreation some day with weighted practice lures aiming for hula hoop targets in the grass. A big storage container with water to show them what the lures do in the water, etc. Then fishing at Haithco Park perhaps? Could you open or close the day with a simple bible story or prayer? We plan to have Michigan State Extension teach some things about food and a little cooking. We have someone who has offered to teach a safety class which will include gun safety, drugs and a couple of other areas. We will then be accepting registrations for the campers who will attend beginning in early-april. Staff training will be Thursday and Friday, June 14 and 15. Maybe you could put together a simple lunch for them those days. We attended an event at SVSU recently and spoke with students. 10 of them gave us their contact info because they were interested in either working or volunteering. One of them attended the camp as a camper herself. We are applying for grants now, 3 of which we have already been assured acceptance. The opportunities are endless. Ask God to guide you now. Scholarship Opportunity: The Saginaw Lutheran Scholarship Bowling League Scholarship Fund Committee is offering scholarships to those individuals who are preparing for full time church work in the preaching or teaching ministry at one of synodical schools. These scholarships are available to those who are members of a Lutheran church within Saginaw County. Critera: 1) Interest in serving the Lord. 2) Scholastic standing in class. 3) Financial need. These are open scholarships for any year of schooling after 12 th grade. Applications are available in the church lobby. St. John Lutheran Church Servant Schedule DATE ASSISTING MINISTER ACOLYTE ALTAR GUILD USHERS May 6 Kurt Aven Group 1 Group A May 13 Ruth Sharper Brandy Blohm Group 2 Group B May 20 Mark Oswald Group 3 Group C May 27 Carl Quackenbush Group 4 Group D
MAY 02- Mikayla Aven 04- Kurt Keaner 06- Rebecca Schulz 08- Ryan Beers 09- Sarah Schulz 16- Ashley Specht 18- Andrew Marcet 24- Virginia Geese, Nancy Keaner, Tracey Peters 26- Laura Pytlik, Colleen Taylor 29- David Hagar 12- Jacklyn & Wayne Marcet 13- Jennifer & Michael Hoffman 22- Don & Sue Albrecht 26- Colleen & Scott Taylor THE SAGINAW METRO MINISTRIES FOOD PANTRY VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION DINNER Has been postponed and will be re-scheduled for later in the fall. If you would like to choose a Sunday to honor a loved one with flowers, a sign-up sheet is posted on the Altar Flowers bulletin board outside the church office. Cost of flowers is $42.50. Wednesdays 1 pm Sundays 11:00 am Bible Study Opportunities St. John Meeting Room The Book of Revelation St. John Sanctuary The Book of Acts Please note: The men s bible study on the second Saturday of the Month at Fuzzy s is off the books for now. St. John would like to thank Mark Oswald for his years of dedication to this prayer breakfast. SAGINAW METRO MINISTRIES SUMMER OUT DOOR FOOD GIVEAWAYS 2018 May 17 th at Parking lot across from St. John Lutheran 915 Federal St May 23 rd at Resurrection Lutheran Church 2110 Brockway St June 5 th Parking lot across from St. John Lutheran 915 Federal St August 9 th at Ascension Lutheran Church 8695 Gratiot Rd Note time of Giveaway is 6pm September 26 th at Parking lot across from St. John Lutheran 915 Federal St All sign up for giveaways will be at 6:30am. Truck from FBEM will arrive at 8:30am Food handing out by 9:00am. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Dewey Burke, Co. Director SMMFP at 989-971-4316
St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church 915 Federal Ave., Saginaw, MI 48607 989-754-0489 May 2018 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 May Day 2 3 4 CANCELED Food Appreciation 5 Dinner Canceled 6 7 8 9 10 8 am Food Pantry 5:30 pm Free Community Dinner 11 12 13 Mother s Day Noisy Offering 14 15 16 17 Parking lot Food Giveaway 18 19 Armed Forces Day 20 21 22 23 24 8 am Food Pantry 25 26 9 am Breakfast for the Hungry 27 28 Office closed Memorial Day 29 30 31
St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church 915 Federal Avenue Saginaw, MI 48607 Worship with us at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays Serving the Saginaw Community Since 1857 God s Work. Our Hands. Council Members as of July 1, 2017 Officers to Serve One Year July 1, 2017 June 30, 2018 President... Robert Morgan 793-4202 Vice-President... Mark Oswald 799-1247 Treasurer... Carl Quackenbush 770-4129 Secretary... Ruth Sharper 245-2965 Boards to Serve Two Years July 1, 2017 June 30, 2019 Stewardship & Finance... Carl Quackenbush 770-4129 Building & Yard / Camp Ministry... Michael Basner 598-0101 Worship & Music... Janet Goodeman Congregational Life... Marcy Andersen 791-3657 Parish Education... Madeline Blohm 274-8398 FOOD PANTRY SCHEDULE Thursday, May 10 th & May 24 th 8:00 a.m. FREE COMMUNITY DINNER Thursday, May 10 th 5:30 p.m. BREAKFAST FOR THE HUNGRY Saturday, May 26 th 9:00 a.m. If you are interested in serving the church, please see Pastor Ballard.