St. John's Lutheran ChurchWarrenton, MO: St. John's Group Email Thursday, August 4, 2011

DEVOTION: You save a humble people, but Your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down. For You are my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my darkness. 2 Samuel 22:28-29

Can you name the world's youngest country? Could you find it on a map?

The answer to the above questions are

1. South Sudan

2. Under North Sudan (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

For years the Islamic majority who control the government and inhabit the provinces of northern Sudan have been persecuting the Christians of the south.

It is estimated that two million people have died and four million have been displaced by the ongoing hatred directed against Christ and His followers. It was almost expected: any time a Christian community wanted to build a church, the structure would be forcibly removed.

But then something happened. The people of the south were allowed to say if they wished to remain part of greater Sudan or form their own country. Ninety-nine percent of them said they wanted to begin over -- freed from the fear which had become commonplace.

A few short weeks ago the nation of South Sudan was born. They established a capital in Juba and are trying to form all the infrastructure necessary for a country to function. But there is far more happening than just the creation of a bureaucracy. Refugees are returning from exile, and people are filled with hope.

For people like you and me, it is difficult to imagine what these people must be experiencing.

* One day they had a cruel master -- the next a loving ruler.

* One day they lived with fear and sorrow; the next day they were given peace and joy.

* The days which had once been filled with dread of the future now see only a future of hope.

* The days which had been filled with dread of what the future might hold were replaced by a future which seemed golden.

Did I say it is hard for us to imagine what they are feeling? Maybe not so hard. You see, their earthly story is our spiritual tale.

You see there was once a time when each of us had a cruel master. There was a time when our destinies were eternal damnation and the future was intolerable.

But then, when Christ entered our lives, in a moment, in an instant, all was changed. With Christ as our Redeemer and Ruler our sins were erased, their penalty disappeared and we had the promise of an eternity in heaven ... an eternity where time is meaningless and joy is never ending.

Yes, maybe we can -- at least a little bit -- understand what these folks in South Sudan are feeling.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, today I give thanks for the complete and total change which has happened in my life. This change was not brought about by my will or ability, but solely through the sacrifice of my Savior. May I live in joy and, just as importantly, an appreciation of You who have made my salvation possible. I pray it in the Name of the Savior. Amen.

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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: How long was Josiah king? 31 years starting at age 8

Someone needs to knock Doug Herzog off his championship post. He has been the first one to answer the question four days in a row.

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TODAY'S QUIZ: Where is Carchemish?

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CHURCH CALENDAR

Thurs- Jonesburg Nursing Home worship 10:30am; Red Cross Blood Drive 3-7pm; visitation for John Howard family at Stygar 5-8pm

Fri- Private funeral 10am

Sat- worship 5pm
Sun- Bible study 8am; worship 9am; Bible study 10:30
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NEWS:

VISITIATION AND FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR JOHN HOWARD

Public Visitation will be on Thursday from 5-8pm at Stygar funeral home on Mid Rivers in St Peter's. Private Funeral (family only) will be on Friday at 10am at St. John's.

Memorials may be made to St John's General Fund.

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WE NEED PROJECTOR HELP!!! Please sign up!!

Projector Schedule August-November

August

6- mckenzie

13-

14- McDowell

20-

21- Panhorst

27-

28-

September

3- mckenzie

4- Panhorst

10-

11-

17-

18-

24-

25- mckenzie

October

1- mckenzie

2- Panhorst

15-

16-

22- mckenzie

23-

29- mckenzie

30-

November

5- mckenzie

12-

13-

19-

20-

23- (Thanksgiving Eve) mckenzie

24- (Thanksgiving Day)

26-

27-

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UPDATE ON GOLF OUTING

Coming to the home stretch, I show 32 golfers who have signed up to play, and another 12 "players to be named later" - in other words, a team member or family group indicated they will bring enough other players to round out their team of 4 - but I don't have names or confirmation yet. Only 19 players have sent in their entry fee.

I have contacted most of those groups and asked for confirmation and names by next Monday August 8 so I can start to see where there are team "holes" to pair-up individuals and to finalize things with the golf course. If you know anyone who said they will play or bring others but has not signed them up, please have them e-mail me as soon as possible.

We also have 20 Hole Sponsors paid and I have passed the order to John Meier of SignDesigns to make up the signs. If any more Hole Sponsors come in this week (some others were invited but never responded or paid) I can't promise they'll get done in time, so probably best not to push any more at this point.

So, to summarize, 32 players (19 paid) with 12 more "probable" but I need names! 20 hole sponsors paid and sign order is at the printer.
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HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH NEWS AND NOTES

We had a meeting Sunday night and talked about the purpose of the group which is to

1. Make disciples of all nations.

2. Proclaim the forgiveness of sins.

3. be Christ's ambassadors.

4. always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you about the hope that you have.

We will be gathering together on a monthly basis on the last Sunday of the month (Just the kids), to gather around God's Word and to do these four things in various ways through service, fellowship, and fun.

We also talked about possible servant events for next summer. Possibilities include an Indian Reservation up north to do VBS, Lutherhaven Camp in Idaho, Poland, and a few others. No decision has been made.

The one request from Mrs. Mauch and me is just to be regular in your participation! Go to Sunday school as often as you can. Participate in group activities. Be there for our monthly gatherings.

A more specific letter will be mailed out to all high school kids and parents shortly.

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It's Time to start thinking about our MEN'S RETREAT!!

The ninth annual T-3 Men's Retreat is set for Friday-Sunday, September 23-25, 2011. This promises to be another great experience for the men of St John's and other Lutheran congregations in the St. Charles area. In fact, men from all over the metro area have joined this special time in the past. Men 18 years of age or older are eligible and they need not be Lutheran to attend. The retreat will be held at Mark Twain State Park at the Si Coburn Group Camp. This is a beautiful setting for a weekend of adventure and growth. The theme of this year's retreat is "Respectable Sins" and the study times during the retreat will be spent exploring the areas of our lives where we have come to accept less than God might want from us.

The retreat will feature great food and a lot of activities A scramble golf tournament, fishing tournament, trap and skeet shooting competition, and euchre tournament all take place on Saturday morning. If none of these interest you, you may choose to spend time reading, hiking , biking, site seeing, or napping. Prizes are awarded to tournament winners at dinner on Saturday evening. Campfires on Friday and Saturday nights provide the opportunity to get to know others better under the stars. Music is a big part of the camp experience and you will enjoy hearing and singing familiar songs with the 100+ men who typically attend. The culminating worship service on Sunday morning is a special time of praising God for all His gifts to us and a great way to prepare us to return to our homes and lives.

The cost of the retreat is only $42 and this includes meals and a commemorative tee-shirt. Attendees have the option of staying in group cabins or tent camping on the grounds at no additional charge. You can even arrange to stay in a local motel near the camp at reduced rates if you like.

A brochure with all information and a registration form will be available soon in the narthex. You can also register online at www.t3mensretreat.org using PayPal. It is really easy and you can see pictures of the camp and facilities there, too.

This is the year for you to go to the T-3 (trap-tackle-tees) Retreat. Sign up, meet new friends, bring old friends, and join in the fun of growing your faith. For more information, contact Don Hugo at Zion –636 441-7425 ext 246 or home 636 441-9954.

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PRAYERS: (If I have missed anyone please let me know.)
For MOLLY HENDERSHOT who is back at home, but will have to make a lot of trips to the hospital for infusions for the next few weeks.

For the HOWARD FAMILY at the death of their 15 month old son John.

For MICHELLE WOOLF as she is doing much better and won't have to have radiation treatment (at least for the time being).

For PEGGY GILKEY who is having knee replacement surgery on the 18th

For JONAS BORCHERT, grandson of Don Nolte, who is doing a lot better.

For EVELYN SHERMAN at Cedar Crest Rehab and Nursing in Washington for rehab on her hip.

For LIL WINTER'S GRANDDAUGHTER AND UNBORN GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER as they are experiencing trouble during pregnancy and as the baby will probably be born two months early.

For LIL WINTER who is struggling to regain strength in her knee.

For RUTH CANTRELL who is at home and STILL recovering very slowly.

OUR CHURCH as we continue the CARE PROCESS.

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St. John's Lutheran Church
Warrenton, MO

St. John's Group Email Thursday, August 4, 2011

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