Stewardship Program Update
The Stewardship Team (Linda, Aleta and Emma K.) continue to work hard to bring you our annual Stewardship campaign. You should have received the lates mailing, which included another letter by me, with two Sunday bulletin inserts content on the back side. You can also view and read that letter HERE. There will be several more mailings in the program, including the sending out of "Intent Cards" the first week of November. Please read, engange, and respond to these materials, and keep on Living Generously!
CCLI License Added
Council approved at their meeting Tuesday night to purchase a CCLI License, which will enable our worship musicians to choose a wider range of music for singing duruing Sunday worship. We had previously purchased a license from OneLicense, which covers most of the hymns in ELW not in the public domain. CCLI covers most songs in Worship and Praise, as well as countess other contemporary worship songs. This license will also enable me to display words to songs that I use during confirmation, as well as other possible worship services. The cost of the CCLI license (annual) is $167.
Healthy Congregations Leadership Series
Today (Friday was the second of eight monthly meetings in what the Healthy Congregations organization calls the Leadership Series. On one Friday a month, we gather via Zoom for lectures and other didactic content, take a break for lunch, and spend the afternoon in a small group as we share "genograms," or charts of our family history, and apply Bowen System Theory to our family history and experiences. This helps us better understand family dynamics, and by association, the dynamics that come to play in the larger family that is a congregation. It's interesting, challenging, and in the end, I think, helpful.
Thursday Morning Live!
Thursday Morning Live! (Zoom Bible study) continues its study of the Book of Acts, a study written by Bishop Daniel. This weeks lesson included the conversion of Saul, and his transformation from being a persecutor of Christians into the first Christian missionary who brought the gospel to "the ends of the earth."
Transitional Leaders Zoom
Synod Transitional Leaders (interims, call process facilitators, vice-pastors, anyone who is currently leading a synod congregation in transition
Confirmation - First Article of the Apostles' Creed
While last week we did a general introduction of the Apostles' Creed, including the meaning and purpose of creeds, and the concept of the Triune God which is inherent in the creed, this week's focus was on the First Article: * believe in God the Father Almight, maker of heaven and earth.* With the weather still cooperating, we met again outside in the parking lot, and after a brief game of four square, I divided Luther's explanation of the First Article into seven sentences, which youth wrote with chalk into 7 parking spaces. Those/that sentences/explantion were/was as follows:
- What we believe God is up to in the First Article:
- I believe that God has created me and all that exists.
- He has given and still preserves to me my body and soul with all their powers.
- He provides me with food and clothing, home and family, daily work, and all I need from day to day.
- God also protects me in time of danger and guards me from every evil.
- What we believe is the reason that God does all these things.
- All this he does out of fatherly and divine goodness and mercy, though I do not deserve it.
- What we believe our response to what God has done and continues to do for us:
- Therefore I surely ought to thank and praise, serve and obey him.
- What we believe about the truth of all this:
- This is most certainly true.
We than talked about the meaning, importance and application of each these sentences.
Jan, tell us it isn't true!
Jan LaBonte submitted a letter of resignation from her position as choir director at St. John's to the Worship Committee at their October meeting, and was announced to Council on Thursday night. Jan begin her position 24 years ago, and has served faithfully and extremely well. She indicated in her letter that, with the choir on hiatus because of the pandemic, that now is a s good a time as any to make this move. It has been a privilege to work with Jan -- in addition to leading the choir, she has assisted in the choosing of hymns for Sunday and special services, not always an easy task. Jan, we thank you for your faithful service!!
Preschool Scrip
One of the Preschool's regular fundraisers has been the sale of "Scrip," which are gift cards sold by local, regional and national retailers. Participating organizations receive anywhere from 2.5% to 16% of the value of the cards sold. Here are the guidelines for purchasing and using Scrip:
- Make checks payable to St. John’s Christian Preschool.
- Check or money orders only, do not enclose cash.
- Orders are placed on the 3rd Wednesday of each month.
- We will contact you when your order arrives the following week.
- If you have any questions, please call Liana Miller 419-656-4997.
To purchase Scrip, all you have to do is complete the order and submit with your payment to Linda Lilly at the Preschool office. You can view and download the order form HERE.
Next Sunday is All Saints
Just a reminder that next Sunday is All Saints Day. We will light a candle for each congregation member who has died since last All Saints. Those persons are:
- Charley Baum
- Marlene Buck
- Ellen Dubbert
- Bernice Ferry
- Donald Koser
- Kenneth Linder
- Florence Owens
- Harley Polley
- Clara Recktenwald
- Marabelle Smith
- Caleb Stockmaster
- Richard Sutter
- Robert Wagner
Those who would like a loved one nameswho has died since last All Saints can can submit his or her name to me via email HERE, or for those attending in-person worship, give to Heather when you arrive in the lobby. Those persons will also be named and a candle lit in their memory.
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