THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF ST. JOHN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF ST. JOHN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH PEKIN, ILLINOIS Volume 39, Issue 3 March 2013 TRUE WORSHIP "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth." (John 4:24) The word "worship" is used all too frequently today in Christian circles in addition to worship services, we now have worship choruses, worship teams, worship manuals, worship seminars, worship DVDs, etc. Just as often, however, the real meaning of the word worship is misunderstood. In the original Hebrew and Greek, the respective words translated "worship" mean simply to "bow down"! The Hebrew is so translated the first time it is used. When Abraham saw God in the form of three men approaching, " he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground" (Genesis 18:2). That is, he recognized God's "worthy-ship" and knew to humble himself in the presence of The Divine. The last time in Scripture where the word "worship" is used is when John "fell down to worship before the feet of the angel." He was corrected by the angel with these words: "See thou do it not... worship God." (Revelation 22:8-9) Only God, our Creator and Savior, is worthy of true worship - and that worship involves simply bowing down in submission to His will. That is why it must be "in Spirit and in Truth." Our spirit must be fed & guided by God Who is *The* Spirit, and this can only be by He Who is Truth Incarnate. Remember the words of our Lord Jesus concerning The Spirit whom He would send to indwell His followers? "When He, The Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all Truth... He shall glorify Me." (John 16:13-14). The Holy Spirit would do this by revealing The Father s Word to the writers of the New Testament, just as He had for the Old (2 Peter 1:21). In His prayer to The Father, recorded by John, Christ prayed for us, saying, "Sanctify them through The Truth: Thy Word is truth." (John 17:17). This is why Lutherans have for centuries used the term Service rather than worship, as the latter focuses attention on the works of fallen man, while the former focuses on God s Serving up ( Divine Service, lit. Gottesdienst) His grace & mercy to us, and for us. As such, true worship is simply rejoicing in receiving all that God delivers in His House i.e., His Holy Word and blessed Sacraments. O Savior, precious Savior, Whom, yet unseen, we love; O Name of might and favor, All other names above, We worship Thee, we bless Thee - To Thee, O Christ, we sing; We praise Thee and confess Thee, our holy Lord and King. Amen [TLH # 352:1] Yours in His Service, Pastor Niemann

Christian Education Sunday School Perfect Attendance January 2013 First Grade Tristen Norman Fourth Grade Emma Norman Seventh Grade Quest Dobbelaire High School Naomi Niemann MARCH ANNIVERSARIES March 02 William & Theresa Isenberg March 03 Danny & Patricia Sego March 05 Gary & Lisa Pool March 09 Robert & Debra Dant Monroe & Dorothy Sheckler March 20 Keith & Terry Gleason Mar 29 Bruce & Gayle Gettman Mike & Deana Thompson MARCH BIRTHDAYS March 1 Gerold Bohannan Mary Depew Nathan Ronna March 02 Penny Bollinger Terry Gleason Elizabeth Kammeyer Emilie Kesselmayer March 03 Amy Ashbaker Darla Schorr James Widby March 04 Benjamin Donovan Jeffrey Hillman Gary Pool March 05 Matthew Gudzinskas Cooper Theleritis March 06 Heath Norman William Sidell March 07 Donna Hansen Karen Nafziger Dorothy Sheckler March 09 Gerald Norman Jacob Norman Robert Scott March 11 Douglas Tiona March 13 Adam Becker Justin Emery Kaitlyn Gudzinskas March 14 Nicholas Kesselmayer Virginia Pitsonbarger Samantha Whitlatch March 15 Marilyn Liescheidt March 16 Rick Alexander Delaine Gardner March 17 Merle Wiseman March 18 Jennifer Kesselmayer March 19 Waltrand Hupke Blair Ivey March 20 Pastor Darwood Kesselmayer Paige Oschwald March 21 Henry Lappie Marjorie Schoedel Heather Jenkins March 23 James Heidbreder Stephanie Whitlatch March 24 Ruth Negley Shirley Schott

March Birthdays (Cont d) March 25 Roy Dagit Laura Dobbelaire Diane Gould March 27 Rachel Bresnahan E. Scott Stewart March 28 Mary Jane Draves March 29 Donald Schoedel March 30 Julie Widby March 31 Kevin Wieland PARISH NOTES Church Attendance. Attend. # of Serv Jan 2013 646 12 Jan 2012 1027 15 Jan 2011 1202 16 January Sunday School Attendance 2013: 208 2012: 206 2011: 393 March Videographers Adam Bollinger Rod Bollinger March Worship Committee Laura Niemann March Acolytes Mar 03 8:00 Quest Dobbelaire 10:30 Quinn Theleritis Mar 10 8:00 C.J. Carlson Tyler Carlson 10:30 Maesyn Theleritis Mar 17 8:00 Abi Dagit 10:30 Joli Andrae Mar 24 8:00 Robert Whitlatch 10:30 Danielle Watson Mar 28 7:00 Olivia Driskell Mar 29 7:00 Olivia Theleritis Mar 31 Sunrise (6 am) Quest Dobbelaire 10:30 Quinn Theleritis March Communion Assistance Mar 03 8:00 a.m. Dan Rees 10:30 a.m. Ross Gould Mar 18 8:00 a.m. Tom Ivey 10:30 a.m. Howie Proehl Mar 24 8:00 a.m. Dan Rees 10:30 a.m. Mickey Pitchford Mar 31 8:00 a.m. Dan Rees 10:30 a.m. Ross Gould 8:00 Ray Barnes Daryl Dagit John Gillespie David Kesselmayer Garret Kesselmayer Daniel Rees Mar 03 8:00 March Ushers March Greeters Donna & Darrell Hansen Mar 10 8:00 Dave & Jennifer Kesselmayer 10:30 Matt & Beth Ruder Mar 17 8:00 Mar 24 8:00 Mar 31 6:00 10:30 Bruce Gettman Ken Memken Dan Watson Gus Knieriem Ken & Mary Beck Del Reis Life is like a mirror If you frown at it, It frowns back; If you smile, It returns the greeting. TREASURER S REPORT January 2013 January Y-T-D INCOME $28,877.53 $28,877.53 EXPENSE 24,794.74 24,794.74 INCOME-EXPENSES $ 4,082.79 $ 4,082.79 LIABILITIES Note Payable-HVAC/Roof Loan 20,284.09 Payroll Liabilities 460.76 Misc. LCMS Orgs Fund 282.86 TOTAL LIABILITIES 21,027.71 CURRENT Checking & Link General Fund 44,093.01 Good Shepherd School -40,564.50

January 2013 Treasurer s Report (Cont d) Educational Grant Fund 4,286.16 Building Fund 8,045.85 Sunday School Fund 7,299.25 ACT Fund 1,700.00 Memorial Fund 36,900.57 Library Fund 148.19 Total Checking & 61,908.53 Link Money Market CDS & COMMON STOCK Educational Grant Fund CD #1 99,629.77 Educational Grant Fund CD #2 75,625.45 East Bluff Property Fund CD 103,292.00 Cat Stock at FMV 39,060.83 Total CDS & Common Stock 317,608.05 TOTAL ASSETS 379,516.58 Checking Account Balance 36,022.99 Link Account-Cash Portion Only 25,885.55 61,908.54 FUND BALANCE Funds to Pay Note Payable -21,885.36 Net Income (Loss) 4,082.79 Capital Accounts 376,291.44 TOTAL FUND BALANCE 358,448.87 TOTAL LIABILITIES & FUND BALANCE 379,516.58 MARCH LIBRARY CORNER By Eileen Tiona He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:32 We have some new books in the library. The first was donated by St. John s Fellowship club in memory of Richard Berger. The book chosen was Vanished by Irene Hannon. Reporter Moira Harrison is lost in a thunderstorm. When a lone figure appears in the headlights, Moira slams on her brakes and feels a thump against the side of her care before crashing into a tree. A man opens her door and promises to call 911. When she comes to, she is alone. No man. No 911. As clues begin to surface, it becomes obvious that someone doesn t what this mystery solved. (Library Corner cont.) The following books were purchased by the library. Lethal Legacy by Irene Hannon. The police say her father s death was suicide. His daughter Kelly sets out to prove it was murder. A detective discovers information linking her to a long-buried secret and danger escalated. The second book is the The Fiddler by Beverly Lewis. A wrong turn in a rainstorm leads Amelia Devries to the community of Hickory Hollow where she meets Michael Hostetler. Amelia and Michael both feel hemmed in b the expectations of others and struggle with how to find room for their own hopes. Please come in and check out all the great books that are available. I am sure you can find something that you would enjoy reading. St. John s Fellowship Club will be in the church basement on Saturday, March 9, 2013, at 6:30 p.m. The ORGANIZATIONS FELLOWSHIP CLUB By Veva Martin Kenny Crawford will be presenting a film on Jesus which is very interesting. Come and enjoy the evening with us. BETHLEHEM SOCIETY By Addie Weyhrich Bethlehem Society will meet on Tuesday, March 26th at 1:30 p.m. The program presented by Wilmadean Habberfield will be a video on Before Abraham Was I Am; The Last Journey to Jerusalem Hostess for the meeting will be Marian Allen. There will be no Fun(d) Day potluck this month because of Lent.

WOMEN S GUILD By Deb Lakamp The St. John s Ladies Guild will meet for their White Elephant Auction in March. We have a conflict with the original date, so be watching in the March Church bulletin for details on the date change. Please bring your used treasures from home that you think others would like to bid on. All proceeds will go towards Missions. All ladies of the congregation are welcome and we look forward to seeing everyone there! The serving committee is Joyce Lonergan (chairperson) and Carol Long. Please stay tuned for the new date. We apologize for any inconvenience this conflict may have caused. HI-LITES OF ST. JOHN S VOTERS ASSEMBLY February 11, 2013 President Ray Barnes called the meeting to order. A quorum was present. Pastor Niemann opened with the devotions. The January 2013 Parish Report was presented. Nancy Drockelman made a motion to accept, seconded by Carl Johnson, the motion carried. The minutes from the January 14, 2013 voters meeting and January 27, 2013 special voters meeting were approved. Treasurer s Report - Ron Reising presented the January 2013 treasurer s report. Carl Johnson made a motion to accept, seconded by Gregg Swibold, the motion carried. Board of Trustees Thank you to Ken Beck for painting the nativity scene. Tucker Plumbing repaired a broken water line and floor drain line at the parsonage. Volunteers are needed to assist the Trustees with projects at the church. The scheduled workdays are February 23 and March 16 at 8 am. Gary Pool reported that an interested party has expressed their desire to lease the Bristow building for purposes of a non-profit thrift shop. Board of Finance Daryl Dagit will serve as chairman. Thank you to Terry Norman for his past years of service. Nancy Drockelman made a motion to establish a $200. petty cash fund to be used for any purchases under $10. Seconded by Howie Proehl. Motion carried. Discussion was held regarding the Good Shepherd families not meeting their financial and/or church and Sunday School obligations. Daryl will discuss further with the Elders. An Endowment Fund was discussed and a formalized plan will be presented to the voters later this year. Board of Elders Mickey Pitchford will serve as chairman, Howie Proehl as vice chairman and Tom Ivey as secretary. Pastor Daniel Bishop, our pastor elect, along with his wife visited Pekin and toured the Good Shepherd Lutheran School. A special thank you to Sandy Ferguson, Gary Pool, Pam and Curt Woolsey and Daryl Dagit for their assistance during the senior pastor calling process. The Elders will begin the process of identifying members who are no longer attending church services and schedule visits to address their concerns. Board of Worship Jim Lonergan reported that our organist, Rachel Keehner, has received several interview requests (initial step of the call process) from other congregations. She currently is being paid $65. per service 188 services. Jim Lonergan made a motion to increase Rachel Keehner s pay from $65. to $125. per service 188 services. Ross Gould seconded. Motion carried. Board of Christian Education John Gillespie will serve as chairman and Paula Jensen as secretary. Linda Norman and Debbie Dant will serve as co-superintendents of Sunday School. GSLS will host a Jog-A-Thon sometime in October. The Board will host a Soup & Sandwich Supper on March 6. The church picnic will be held on September 29 at the 4-H shelter in Pekin Park. Board of Stewardship Allison Gillespie will serve as chairman. The tithing envelopes still remaining in the gym will be distributed to church members. There is still one vacancy on the Board. Grace Church in Canton has closed their doors effective February 1, 2013. Discussion was held regarding the monies budgeted for this church. Board of Evangelism - Pastor Kesselmayer will serve as chairman along with members Nancy Swearingen and Gene Woolsey. Gift certificates were mailed to college students and military personnel. An ad for the church was placed in the yellow pages. Long Range Planning Committee They will meet immediately following the Voter s meeting. One member from each committee is recommended to attend. Unfinished Business None New Business None The meeting adjourned and closed with the Lord s Prayer. Respectfully submitted, Sue Swibold, Secretary

GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN SCHOOL MARCH 2013 NEWSLETTER PS/K Round-up Time: Well it s that time of year again!!! GSLS will be holding our annual Pre-K and Kindergarten round up on Tuesday, March 5th from 6:30 to 8 p.m. We are holding open enrollment to the public. If any family knows of anyone who would be interested in attending, please encourage them to attend. Refreshments will be served. Congratulations: Mrs. Mac and Mrs. Ruder held a readying challenge for their 2 preschool classes called Winter Time is Reading Time. It was meant to encourage families to read together while being stuck indoors during the winter. The challenge lasted for 1 month and each class had a goal to meet within that time. Mrs. Mac s class had a goal of 300 and far exceeded it with 358 and Mrs. Ruder s class had a goal of 200 and exceeded it with 220 books read. Both classes were rewarded with an Ice Cream Sundae Party. Way to go guys and remember to never STOP reading! Thanks: A Big THANK YOU to everyone who sold pizzas and Subway cards! The money we raised from both of these fundraisers will go a long way in the support of our sports and other programs. Auction: Only ONE MONTH remains until March 23, Good Shepherd s 7th ANNUAL BENEFIT AUCTION, Back to the 50s! Stop by a SCRIP table, call the school 347-2020, or call Ann Fuelberth 347-9027 to purchase tickets. Some Live Auction, Silent Auction and Dinner Table Sponsorships are still available. Contact Ann Fuelberth or Faye Kesselmayer 346-0569 fi you or your business is interested in supporting the auction through a sponsorship. Highlighted items can be found on GSLS s website page: Www.goodshepherdpekin.com/Auctionlist.htm. education. Early Dismissal on Thursday, 3/21 for Parent/Teacher Conferences No School on Friday, 3/22 for Parent/Teacher Conferences. No School on Good Friday, March 29. Spring Break March 29 to April 7. Classes will resume on Monday, April 8th. The Church Mouse Easter Parade Style Show and Tea Featuring fashions from The Church Mouse Saturday, March 16th, 2 pm St. John Lutheran Church 6614 W. Old Smithville Road Bartonville, IL Cost is $10 per person. Proceeds support Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. (Matching funds applied for from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans). For reservations, call: Pepper Bauer 697-5762 or Connie Trent 264-3766 Door Prizes and Church Mouse items for sale. ************************************************ Lenten Worship will be every Wednesday at 11:00 A. M. and 7:00 P. M. Every Wednesday will include a Soup and Sandwich Supper as a convenience for worshipping families, starting at 5:30 P. M. March 06: Board of Christian Ed March 13: March 20: Fellowship Club Be sure to make this an important part of your personal and preparatory devotions as we make our annual trek to Mt. Calvary. Make plans now to attend our Lenten and Holy Week Services.

In Our Prayers If you know of anyone who needs to be added, please let the church office know. All our shut-ins Walt Dozard - GSLS student Nathan Barth - member of Armed Services Dale & Shirley Schott Addie Weyhrich Larry Massa - son of Helen Massa Ruth Keil Darlene Meyer What you CAN DO you OUGHT TO DO, and what you OUGHT TO DO by the help of God DO EWE S TREASURES RENOVATION EWE S TRASURES will be closed Saturday, March 16 through Saturday, March 23 for some major renovations. We are in need of many volunteers during that week to help with the renovation. Saturday, March 16, we need to empty all the racks and begin removing the carpet. On Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday, (18th to 20th) we will complete the carpet removal and paint and clean all the rooms. On Thursday and Friday (21st & 22nd) new carpet will be installed. On Saturday morning, the 23rd, we will restock the shop with our Spring merchandise. PLEASE consider helping at any time during this week. Call June @ 347-7441 or Suzy @ 353-8855 if you are able to help. The Lord has richly blessed he work of Ewe s Treasures. We were able to give Good Shepherd Lutheran School $36,400 in 2012. Since opening in 1986 we have given the school $649,982. PRAISE THE LORD! With a small boy, cleanliness is not next to godliness; it s next to impossible. CAMP CILCA Are you looking for something exciting and meaningful to do this summer? Do you love the outdoors? Are you passionate about sharing your faith in Jesus? Do you want to impact the lives of youth and families? Camp CILCA is looking for a Summer Program Director and Summer Counselors to serve on staff for summer 2013. Download a job description and application at www.cilca.org. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EASTER DINNER Pekin Township will be serving Easter Dinner to anyone who would enjoy a meal. We will also do home delivery to shut-ins and handicapped. If you know of anyone who would like a meal, please tell them about the Easter Dinner. Where: Pekin Township 420 Elizabeth St. When: Saturday, March 30, 2013 Time: 11 am to 12:30 pm (For home delivery call: Kevin Cone, Pekin Township Supervisor @ 346-3194.) Finding Spring Again is a free Educational Grief Seminar offered by Methodist Hospice Services to persons experiencing the loss of a loved one. The Seminar will take place Thursday, March 14, 2013 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Methodist Atrium Conference Room in Peoria, IL Please RSVP by March 12, 2013 to 309-672-5746. Remember to change you clocks on Saturday, March 9, 2013. Spring ahead one hour

LIFE ESSAY CONTEST Illinois Central College Educational Foundation Peoria Area Lutherans for Life announce its 15th Annual Life Essay Contest for students in grades 5 to 8. Essays should reflect the student s feeling on life issues. Where possible the student s thoughts, as expressed in the essay, should be substantiated by God s Word. If other works are used for research or are quoted, they should be credited with footnotes and bibliography. All entries should be submitted to: Peoria Area Lutherans for Life 908 W. Hanssler Place Peoria, IL 61604 Entries must be submitted no later than March 25, 2013. Be sure each essay has student s name, grade and school (or congregation) listed on title page. Suggested subject areas for essay: Abortion, Euthanasia, Stem Cell Research, Sanctity of Human Life, The Unborn. Scholarship Application Information Students planning to attned Illinois Central College next fall (2013-2014 academic year) should apply now for scholarship assistance. It s easy for students to seek assistance by completing one online application to apply for every ICC Foundation scholarship at: www.icc.edu/scholarships Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m., April 1, 2013 Scholarship applications must be completed online. Computers are available for use in the ICC libraries. Anyone with extenuating circumstances and requiring assistance to complete the online application should call (309) 694-5324 by March 15, 2013. Essays judged at 2 levels: 5th & 6th 200 words or more 7th & 8th 300 words or more Prizes for each level: 1st prize $50.00 2nd prize $40.00 3rd prize $30.00 4th prize $20.00 5th prize $10.00 They also announced its 7th Life Essay Contest for High School students. Essays should reflect the student s feeling on a life issues and the impact of that issue on the student s life. All thoughts expressed in the essay should be substantiated by God s Word. If other works are used for research or are quoted, they should be credited with footnotes and bibliography. Essays should be between 1500 and 2000 words. All entries should be submitted to the address listed above no later than March 25, 2013. Be sure each essay has student s name, grade and school (or congregation) listed on title page. Suggested subject areas for essay: Abortion, Euthanasia, Stem Cell Research, Sanctity of Human Life, The Unborn. Prizes to be awarded: 1st prize $100.00 2nd prize $50.00 Winners may have excerpts from their essay printed in our newsletter with their pictures. Please address questions concerning this contest to the address listed above, call 309-688-4321 between 9 am and 3 pm weekdays or e-mail to MTCALVARY@MTCALVARYPEORIA.ORG. The Foundation offers scholarships based on need, academic excellence, specific areas of study, certain interests, and ethnic or family background for both full and part-time students. This year, the ICC Educational Foundation offers over 900 scholarships to assist individuals in pursuit of a college education. A booklet regarding the different scholarships is in the church office for your review. Information received from the Lutheran Heritage Foundation But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power and will testify of Me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the world. Acts 1:8 Siberia surly fits the farthest Parts of the world reference and because of the Spirit s power and because of your gifts, we are there. The farthest parts of the world reference surly includes China. We are just starting to receive requests for help to translate and publish Lutheran theological books and materials. WE will be less public about our activities here because of the continuing persecution of Christians. All around us the power of God is still evident. It is evident in the fact that you chose to support our work with your recent gift. Your gift enables us to be in the farthest parts of the world, including Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and many other places.

Transferred To The Church Triumphant Mildred Becker Richard Berger July 14, 1922 May 1, 1926 January 28, 2013 February 6, 2013 Eva Waldmeier September 2, 1930 February 13, 2013