St. John's Group Email Monday, January 9, 2012

DEVOTION: 
 I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry." But God said to him, "Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?" So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. Luke 12:19-21

When I read the news, there are times when the Scriptures just come to life. Today's devotion speaks to one such example. It rightly begins ...

Once upon a time, that is, early in the 18th century, a high nobleman in Passau, Germany, had laid up for himself a great fortune in gold and silver coins.

Not wishing to pay taxes on his wealth he gathered up his money, put it in a plain box and hid his coinage in the state library.

The nobleman had everything figured out except for one thing: he died before he could use his fortune and before he told anyone else about its whereabouts.

So the cash stayed in that library. The calendar changed, centuries passed by, empires rose and fell, but that cash stayed unnoticed and unclaimed until, a few centuries later, a custodian stumbled upon the box.

According to the library officials, that story is the best explanation for the multi-million dollar fortune in ancient gold and silver coins that was recently discovered.

You see, Scripture can come alive, and so can the message the Word of God wishes to convey.

The Lord wants us to know that while money is important for our day-to-day living, it's pretty powerless when it comes to eternity.

When it comes to our salvation, there is one thing and only one thing which is needful. There is only one thing which is valuable: faith in Jesus Christ as your Redeemer, your Rescuer from sin, death and devil.

Only faith in the crucified and risen Son of God can forgive our transgressions; only faith can adopt us into the family of faith and only faith can guarantee that we will be given a warm welcome into heaven.

That's why faith in Jesus is the treasure that should be treasured and never forgotten.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, during the course of our lives we will pursue many treasures. Help us realize that no matter which road we travel, the greatest and only needed treasure is having Jesus as our Savior. This we ask in His Name. Amen.
 

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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ:    What were Abraham and Sarah's names before they got their new names?  Abram and Sarai (Once again, Dianne is the winner!)
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TODAY's QUIZ: What did Abraham call the place where he almost sacrificed his son Isaac and why? 
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CATECHISM: 
8th commandment: You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Question: What does God require in the eighth commandment?
Answer: 
a. We should defend our neighbor, that is we should speak up for and protect our neighbor from false accusations.
b. We should speak well of our neighbor, that is, we should praise our neighbor's good actions and qualities.
c. We should put the nest meaning on everything, that is, we should expalin our neighbor's actions in the best possible way.
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CHURCH CALENDAR
Mon- Whispering Pines worship 10am; confirmation 5pm
Tues- Quilters 9-2; Bible study 11:30-12:15; trustees 7pm
Wed- Bells 6:30; choir 7:30
Thurs- nothing
Fri- Bible study at Hendershot's 7pm
Sat-  worship 5pm
Sun- Bible Study 8; worship 9; Bible Study and Sunday school 10:15
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NEWS: 
 
 
PROJECTOR SCHEDULE:  Please sign up!!!!!!!!  (Please note than, beginning on January 29, we will need two projector's on Sundays.)
STILL LOTS OF DATES OPEN, ESPECIALLY THE 11am SERVICE!!
 
 
Jan 14-
> 15- Denise Schlesselmann
>  
> Jan 21-  Perricone
> 22- Mckenzie
>  
> Jan 28-
> 29-  9am- Schaumberg                        11am-
>  
>  
> Feb 4- Mckenzie
> 5- 9am-                                                11am-
>  
>  
> Feb 11- Perricone
> 12- 9am- Schaumberg                            11am-
>  
>  
> Feb 18-
> 19-  9am- Denise Schleselmann               11am-
>  
>  
> Feb 22- (Ash Wednesday)  Mckenzie
>  
>  
> Feb 25- Perricone
> 26- 9am-   Mckenzie                                           11am-
>  
>  
> Wed, Feb 28- Mckenzie
>  
>  
>  
> Mar 3- Mckenzie
> 4- 9am-                                                11am-
>  
>  
> Wed, Mar 7-  Denise Schlesselmann
>  
>  
> Mar 10- Perricone
> 11-   9am-  Schaumberg                        11am-
>  
>  
> Wed, Mar 14- Mckenzie
>  
>  
>  
> Mar 17- Perricone
> 18- 9am- Denise Schlesslemann          11am-
>  
>  
> Wed, Mar 21-
>  
>  
> Mar 24- Mckenzie
> 25-  9am-                                            11am-
>  
>  
> Wed, Mar 28- Denise Schlesselmann
>  
>  
>  
> Mar 31-
> Apr 1- (Palm Sunday)  9am-                                      11am-
>  
>  
> Apr 5- (Maundy Thursday) Mckenzie
>  
>  
> Apr 6- (Good Friday) Mckenzie
>  
> Apr 8- (Easter Sunday)
> 6:30am- Schaumberg                                               10am- Mckenzie 
 
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TRIVIA NIGHT COMING UP SATURDAY NIGHT, JANUARY 21, RIGHT AFTER CHURCH!!!!
Trivia Night!  Sign up your team of 8 for the New Year's Trivia Night to be held January 21 immediately following the Saturday night service.  $40 per team; bring drinks and snacks for your team.  50-50 raffle; proceeds to go to the Building Fund;  winners will receive their entry fee back.  For more information, call Lois Boeger at 456-8621.  Sign up sheet is on the counter in the narthex.
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New worship service starting on Sunday, January 29 at 11am.  
 
 It will be modeled after the hundreds of chapel services I, and many of you, attended and led as students and teachers in Lutheran schools and churches across America. 
 
It will be geared toward young people, young families, and the young at heart. 
 
Below are some details of the service:
 
1. We will have more interaction with the congregation during our songs and during the message.  (Think doing motions and other fun things during the songs and question/answer time during the sermon.)  There will be more teaching and more explanation of things. 
 
2. We will incorporate more multimedia (video and audio). 
 
3. The service will be a bit shorter to accomodate younger families.  We should be done by noon every Sunday, even on communion Sundays.  ( Consider it "Wiggle" friendly.)
 
4.  Music will be a variety of more "modern" songs and songs from "All God's People Sing" on piano.  We will also do many of the old favorites.  (We don't have a praise team right now, but I am still hopeful that some folks will volunteer to help us out with guitars and things.)
 
5.  Communion will be on 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month.
 
6. Most importantly, as with all of our worship services, it will be done in the name of our Trinue God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
 
 
What we ask of you from now until January 29 is that you support this endeavor, that you invite people who would, for whatever reason, like to attend this type of worship, and that you pray for this endeavor and for our church in general that it owuld be blessed beyond measure in 2012.
 
If you have any skills or talents that you feel would benefit this service please contact me at 359-1061. 
 
Then on January 29, COME to the service and participate. 
 
The vision is that this will be a great blessing to our church and that it will fit the needs of young families, kids, teenagers, and the young at heart so that we can bring more people into the body of Christ this year than ever before.  
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PASTOR NOW HAS TEXTING ON HIS PHONE
I know it is about five years too late, but I have finally joined the 21st century's most used form of communication.  If texting is the best way to communicate with you, I urge you to give me your cell phone number so I can communicate better with you in 2012.  I am even thinking of sending out a "Bible Verse Text of the Day" to all who would want it. 
 
I especially want to urge our young people to send me their cell numbers so I can better communicate with them.   
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YOUTH GROUP STEAK DINNER AND AUCTION
***SAVE THE DATE***  The date of the Youth Group Steak Dinner and Auction has been set for Saturday, February 11, 2012.   Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m.  Please join us for a night of fun and fundraising.  We will be having the old favorites:  silent auction  and 50/50 drawing as well as the new favorites: live auction, dessert dash, wine raffle, and the WILD HEARTS JACKPOT DRAWING where there is a chance to win $500.00.
 
Tickets for the WILD HEARTS $500 DRAWING are on sale now.  Please ask a youth group member to get  yours.  The tickets are 1 for $10 but for an additional $10 you can get 10 more tickets and have 11 chances at winning! 
 
The youth will begin selling dinner/auction tickets at the beginning of January in the narthex after services. Tickets are $15 per person.  Bid only tickets are $5.00.   You may also contact Marilyn to reserve tickets.
In order to guarantee that you get to sit with a special group of family or friends, you may want to consider purchasing a table of 8 for $120.
 
BUY A POINSETTIA FOR THE ALTAR FOR CHRISTMAS IN MEMORY OF OR IN HONOR OF SOMEONE!!
Please sign the sheet in the narthex by Wednesday, Deember 14.  They are $12.50 each. 
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A MOMENT OF GRACE FLORIST IS DONATING 10% oF EACH ST. JOHN'S MEMBER'S SALE BACK TO THE CHURCH
Each time you purchase flowers and other gifts from A MOMENT OF GRACE and tell them you are a member at St. John's, the church receives a tithe from them.   A Moment of Grace is located at 511 N Hwy 47 and the phone number is 456-9334.
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PRAYERS: (If I have missed anyone please let me know.)
For the FAMILY OF DOT DAEHNKE, as she passed away this past Thursday.  Memorial service is still pending. 
 
For ANNA HOELSCHER who is recovering at Jonesburg Nursing Home after falling and breaking her hip.
 
 For MRS SISSON (1st grade teacher at Daniel Boone) AND HER NEW BABY, CHLOE, as they both grow stronger with each passing day.  Baby Chloe has about 2 mor emonths in the hospital.   
 
For KEN SUTOR, Lisa Rausch's dad, who is was brought home and is on hospice care, but is in good spirits.
 
For KEN WAGNER who is home and is doing well, although he still has a LONG way to go.
 
For JONAS BORCHERT, grandson of Don Nolte, who continues to be up and down because of chemotherapy treatments.   
       


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