St. Johns Messenger

Volume 95, Issue 12 December 16, 2015

Merry Christmas!

Dear St. Johns Church family and friends,

It is a gift to wish you all the joy and wonder of the Christmas season!

Jesus Christ has come and is coming into our lives every single day. Whether you are gathering with family, friends, traveling, or staying home this Christmas or New Years .whether youre alone and content, whether youre worried and lonely, whether youre surrounded by happiness or sorrowthis is the season we celebrate our Lord with us, Emmanuel. The baby Jesus smiles this season into your face of joy OR tears and is with you through all of the moments of all your days.

Thank you so much for your warm and loving welcome to St. Johns this year and the love you show to Keith and me every day. Our family sends you Merry Christmas wishes and the blessings of a new and wondrous year in 2016.

We are so grateful and happy that the Lord sent us your way to do the work of Jesus together. God bless your part of the journey through this adventure we share.

See you in church!

Pastor Pat

Glory to God in the highest!

Luke 2:14a

What is Gods Mission at St. Johns?

We are called to serve Jesus Christ our Lord:

By responding with love and compassion to human needs

Faithfully sharing the Gospel

Working for peace

And growing in unity with all Christians

JOIN US

Thursday, December 24

Family Service with Communion

6:30 p.m.

Candlelight Service with Communion

10:00 p.m.

Festive holiday music will begin hour prior to services

ELVES HEAD BACK TO NORTH POLE

Once again our Christmas Bazaar is history. If you missed it, you will have to wait a whole year for that wonderful coconut cream pie and the great broccoli cheese soup!

Many thanks to everyone who donated baking and cooking ingredients and a special thank you to the kitchen staff who gave up a week of their time to bake cookies and pies for our sale.

Thank you to all who donated the great craft items, the wreath and arrangement makers and those who came to buy them.

And, a thank you to all who spent time as cashiers, wrappers, Santa helpers, the setter uppers and cleaner uppers. Last, but not least, a thanks to Santa who came to visit with the children.

Through our combined efforts we had a profit of more than $3600. This money will be divided between St. Johns, the Preschool; and the ELCA Refugee Initiative.

Birthright Tree donations may be dropped off at the church office on or before Dec. 20 or you may bring them to the Family Christmas Eve Service, Dec. 24th @6:30 p.m. to place at the altar. Please wrap donations in white tissue paper.

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS

The Church Office will be closed

December 24, 25, 31 and January 1.

2015 FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

As we approach the end of the year,

please be reminded that if you want your

financial contributions to be recorded on your Contribution Statement for calendar year 2015 they must be received by noon, December 31st. Any contributions received after December 31st will be credited in 2016.

Your Mission Words Requested.

What slogans for products do YOU recognize?

Its the real thing

Built tough

Mmm mmm good

Youre in good hands

If youre like me, Coca-Cola, Ford, Campbells soup, and Allstate came right to mind.

Were journeying to discover the mission God has given St. Johns by resurrecting our current mission statement and seeing if anything has changed over the years.

So.we want YOUR help. What words come to your mind as you think about your congregation? What do you and what might others in our community think when you hear our name? Wed love for you to send a one-word description that says just that!

One day, we hope that St. Johns has its own slogan to define our mission for Jesus Christ.one where folks will immediately think St. Johns when they hear it.

So. send in your word to the church (by email, by regular mail, or phone it in) and wait to see how things develop in our discussion and planning in 2016.and be sure to join us, too, in that process, when we begin!

INSTALLATION OF

COUNCIL MEMBERS

Council members will be installed on Sunday, January 10th, at both services.

Our annual congregation meeting will be held on January 31st during the 10:15 a.m. service.

Purpose of the meeting will be to briefly review our 2015 year and committee reports. Please plan to attend.

In case of inclement weather or not having a quorum, the meeting will be postponed by one week until a meeting will be able to be held.

ITS THAT TIME OF THE YEAR!

To All Committee Chairpersons

After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season winds down and as you sit back and relax a little, please remember that year end reports for our Annual Report are soon due. Please have a copy of your report to the Church Office by January 15th.

Highlights

The following motions were made and passed at the December meeting, along with information regarding our heating:

that the name of the Memorial Funds be changed to Restricted Funds.

that at the end of the year all but $500 of the Funeral Luncheon Committee money be transferred to the General Fund.

that the pink envelope donations remain the same for next year.

that online banking and transfers with a maximum amount at one time of $5,000 be initiated in January.

To proceed with the outside lighting project.

Annual Congregation Meeting with Annual Reports will be January 31, 2016.

Information was reported that since the repairs last year to the heating system, the church has saved about $11,000.

CONTRIBUTION ANALYSIS FOR NOVEMBER 2015

Assigned

EnvelopesWeekly Range

240No contributions

0.01-1.00

91.01-3.00

123.01-5.00

245.01-10.00

1510.01-15.00

715.01-20.00

1520.01-25.00

725.01-30.00

230.01-35.00

335.01-40.00

140.01-45.00

345.01-50.00

250.01-60.00

260.01-70.00

270.01-80.00

280.01-90.00

090.01-100.00

9100.01-200.00

0200.01-300.00

0300.01-400.00

2400.01-500.00

WEEKLY ENVELOPE OFFERING

Needed to meet weekly budget of $3026

11/22/15$2751.00

11/29/15$3228.00

12/6/15$2710.00

12/13/15$3493.00

THE MEANING OF EPIPHANY

Epiphany, which comes from the Greek word epiphaneia, means an appearance or a revealing. Centuries ago, the church set aside January 6, the 12th day after Christmas, to mark the revealing of Jesus as Christ to the wise men, who were Gentiles. Jesus first followers were Jewish, so the revelation of the divine Christ to the non-Jewish magi reminds us that Jesus came to earth to save the whole world.

Symbols of Epiphany include light, a star, a crown (or three crowns) and a globe or stylized portrayal of the world. The color of Epiphany is green to symbolize life, growth, hope and eternity.

On the church calendar, the Epiphany season lasts until Ash Wednesday, which is determined by the date of Easter.

Cup of coffee, hot cocoa or sweet treat fundraiser

Social Ministry will be holding a fundraiser every Sunday in January. For a donation, you will be able to enjoy a cup of coffee or hot cocoa, or a chocolate sweet treat, prior to and following both church services. Proceeds will go towards the purchase of coffee seedlings and cocoa seedlings through Lutheran World Relief Gifts.

A healthy coffee farm is a constant state of motion. Thats because most coffee trees only produce good amounts of beans for seven to eight years. A farmer must plant new seedlings each year and remove old trees to create a successful crop. Help us buy coffee seedlings for farmers in Latin America, Asia, and Africa and support your favorite morning routine.

Whats not to love about chocolate? Especially when the sweet treats help farmers rise out of poverty. Enjoy one of our sweet treats and give farmers around the world access to valuable crops that change lives.

The cost of seedlings - Coffee seedlings - $75; Cocoa seedlings - $100. Help us provide a trade and an income to support their families.

Angels Among Us

When God wants to speak and deal with us, said Martin Luther, he does not avail himself of an angel but of parents, or the pastor, or of our neighbor. Never underestimate how powerfully God can use you in the life of a child, a church member, a friend or a stranger.

The Hebrew word for angel also means messenger. You may be specially chosen to deliver to someone the message of Gods love or guidance. Listen intently for what God would have you share with others, then do so faithfully and caringly.

Pastor Pat Bill Sue

From the Staff and their families --Wishing everyone a very blessed Christmas and

happy New Year !!

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS

December 16Psalm 119:105-112

December 17Matthew 26:36-45

December 18Romans 5:1-5

December 19Luke 12:22-34

December 20Romans 8:31-39

December 21John 20:24-29

December 22Luke 2:8-20

December 23Hebrews 2:1-11

December 24Luke 2:1-20

December 25 1 John 4:7-12

December 26Acts 7:54-60

December 27 John 3:1-21

December 28Matthew 2