This Week at St. John's

In This Issue

Stewardship Reminder

Children's Ministry

Small Groups

Midweek Music

WELCA October Mission

Seeking Council Candidates

Hope for the Hungry

AMOS Action Summit

SHIIP Update

Highchairs Needed

Quick Links

St. John's Website

St. John's Staff

ELCA

Lutheran World Relief

After School Arts

AMOS

Urban Food DSM

DMARC

SE Iowa Synod Newsletter

October Artist of the Month

Beverly Young

Find out more on our website

This Week at St. John's

Oct. 23 - Oct. 30, 2011

Stewardship Reminder

Stewardship packets that were not picked up at the church were mailed this past week.

All of life is a wonderful and generous gift of God. Sharing your life in a way that makes God known to others is part of being faithful. Consider being good stewards of your wealth, your passions and your time through the ministry of St. John's. Return your Commitment Card in the stewardship envelope to church by November 6. Thank you!

What's Happening This Sunday

Kisasa Choristers Rehearsal at 8:20 am - Fuller Music Room
Sunday School at 9:55 am - Please see room assignments below.
Breakfast Club (7-9th Gr) at 9:55 am - Room 307
Chamber Orchestra at 9:55 am - MPR
Brass Quartet Rehearsal at 9:55 am - Le Chambre du Vent
Adult Forum at 10:00 am - Dr. Mark Mattes - Denominational / Confessional Traditions
Photography at 10:00 am - Neumann
WIRED: "Open the Door" Retreat / Luncheon at 12:30 pm - Weertz, Sanctuary, Chapel (Books available for purchase)
Youth Hayrack Ride and Bonfire at 5:00 pm - Newton

Weekly Calendar

Monday, October 24

9:30 pm WELCA Board Meeting - Neumann

Tuesday, October 25

9:30 am Quilting - Room 308

9:30 pm Eagle Call Processing - Room 8

9:30 pm Staff Retreat - Off Site

5:00 pm Council Meal Prep - Kitchen

5:30 pm Centering Prayer - Chapel

Wednesday, October 26

6:30 am Souljourners - Weertz

9:00 am Hardanger Group - Neumann

10:00 am 3D - Off Site

12:05 pm MidWeek Music - Two Davids Piano Duo - Sanctuary

12:30 pm MidWeek Music Lunch - Weertz

4:30 pm Recreational Reading - Rose Holm

5:30 pm Beloved Community Costume Night - Weertz

6:10 pm Beloved Community Worship - Weertz

6:30 pm Adult Education - Neumann

6:30 pm Kisasa Choristers - Fuller Music Room

6:30 pm KIDZ @ SJLC - Room 5

6:30 pm Joyful Noise - Room 7

6:30 pm Confirmation (9th Gr) - Room 307

6:30 pm Confirmation (7th - 8th Gr) - MPR, DDI

6:35 pm Cantorei - Choir Loft

7:30 pm Cathedral Choir - Choir Loft

8:00 pm JIF: Journeys in Faith - MPR, DDI, Room 307

Thursday, October 27

3:30 pm ASAP Fall Session - Weertz, Kitchen, MPR,

Rooms 7, 8, 208, 209

5:45 pm WIRED Yoga - Fireside Lounge

Friday, October 28

No Events Scheduled

Saturday, October 29

8:30 am Saturday AM Bible Study - (For location, contact

Ellen (ellenfisher123@yahoo.com) or Rod (rsnavely@aol.com)

5:00 pm Worship - Chapel

5:00 pm Confirmation Dinner - Weertz

5:30 pm Couples / Singles Progressive Dinner - Off Site

Sunday, October 30 ~ Reformation Sunday

7:45 am Worship - Sanctuary

8:45 am Worship - Sanctuary

9:55 am Breakfast Club (7th - 9th Gr) - Room 307

9:55 am Chamber Orchestra - MPR

9:55 am Brass Quartet Rehearsal - Le Chambre du Vent

9:55 am Sunday School

9:55 am Confirmation Reception - Weertz

10:00 am Photography - Neumann

11:00 am Worship

12:30 pm WIRED: Cooking @ All Spice - East Village

Children's Ministry

All kids are invited to Sunday School at 9:55. Age 3 years meet in room 5, Preschool-room 6; Kindergarten-room 7.

First through sixth grade will start in the chapel and then move to their classrooms on 2nd floor.

Small Groups

Recreational Reading is meeting Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 4:30 pm in Rose Holm. The book they are reading and discussing is The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock.

The Couples/Singles Group will have a progressive dinner Saturday, Oct. 29, beginning with appetizers at Jacque Warming's and continuing with the main course at Judy & Phil Latessa's. RSVP to Judy/Phil (philjudy4209@gmail.com). Also, save the date for the Couples/Singles Group December event on Sunday, December 4.

WIRED Cooking Group will meet in front of All Spice in East Village on Sunday, Oct. 30, at 12:30 pm and walk to the East Village Bazaar on East 5th Street between Locust & Walnut. RSVP to Carol Lunde at carollunde@q.com if you can attend.

BOOK DISCUSSION: On Open the Door, by Joyce Rupp-the book she will be talking about today's WIRED luncheon and retreat. There will be three discussions after the retreat: Monday evenings, November 7, 14, and 21. Discussions begin in Neumann at 6:00 pm for about 1 hour. You may bring your meal in a bag or can bring food to share. All are welcome whether a part of WIRED or not. If you were unable to attend previously, you may still participate beginning on the 7th. If interested, please contact Mary at ritchie82@gmail.com or Karen Zaabel at kzaabel@msn.com or (515) 225-8476.

Upcoming Midweek Music Schedule

October 26 - Two Davids Piano-Duo, David Liljedahl and David Piersel

November 2 - Central College Chamber Singers
November 9 - Objet d'Art, Gypsy Jazz
November 16 - Hurley & Dancers with
Opus 3
November 23 - Anne Stein, flute, and Ray Songayllo, piano
November 30 - Grand View Choir

View the full schedule

WELCA - October Mission

Please remember to bring your jars of peanut butter for the DMARC food pantry to reach our goal of 100 jars. Please leave them on the table in the Fireside Lounge. Thank you!

Seeking Council Candidates

Share your God-given time and talents for the ministries of St. John's by serving on the Church Council. Six 3-year terms and one alternate position are up for election at the 10:00 a.m. Decmber 4 Congregational Meeting. If you are interested in being considered as a candidate for one of these positions or would like to place the name of a fellow member of the St. John's congregation for consideration, please contact Council Vice President Mike Hanna (mikehanna48@gmail.com) or Council President Kris Gregersen (Kris@ps-promotions.com). The Nominating Committee will be meeting the first part of November to verify, notify, and compile a slate of candidates for December 4 elections.

Third Hope for the Hungry Conference . . .

Will be held on Saturday, Nov. 12, at Trinity United Methodist Church (1548 8th Street, DSM). Doors open at 8:00 a.m., and the conference runs from 8:30 to 4:00. The "go-forth" goal and challenge to those who attend is End childhood hunger in the Greater Des Moines area by 2015. Speakers include: Elisabeth Ballstadt, Food Pantry Network Director; Jason Grimm, Food System Planner with the Iowa Valley RC&D; Sarai Rice, Executive Director of DMARC; and St. John's own Diana Sickles, leader of the Coalition in Support of Hungry Children. Workshop leaders are local and regional experts in growing, procuring, distributing and preparing food for the hungry. Registrants may choose one morning and one afternoon workshop to learn how we can all take part in building a strong local and sustainable food system for everyone, especially for hungry children and their families. Workshop titles are How to Garden; Urban Farms Beyond Yards; Starting a School Garden; Starting a Faith Garden; Preparing Nutritious Meals; Joining Food Rescue Programs; Raising Urban Chickens; Starting Farm to School Programs; Food Policy and Action -- Iowans Making a Difference; and Preserving Foods. The conference is hosted by DMARC Food Pantry Network and Healthy Urban Food and Farming (HUFF). Registrations must be postmarked no later than Nov. 5. Visit UrbanFoodDSM.org to download the registration form.

AMOS Action Summit

Fulling the Promises will be held on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2011 at 3 p.m. at Corinthian Baptist Church, 9th & School. You are invited to: Create a better pathway to good jobs through Project IOWA, Reform our state's mental health care system, and Invest in our youth. Invited guests to this event include Governor Terry Branstad, key state legislators, business leaders, religious leaders and YOU-the AMOS constituency. St. John's is a member institution of AMOS (A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy).

Senior Health Insurance Information Program

SHIIP is a federally-funded program operated in Iowa through the Department of Insurance. The program's mission is to provide trained volunteer counselors to assist seniors, disabled persons on Medicare, and those about to turn 65 navigate through the complex world of Medicare. Counselors assist, on a no-fee basis, those about to enroll in Medicare, helping them select Medigap plans, choosing between regular Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, as well as aiding them in selecting and enrolling in a prescription drug plan (Medicare Part D). Four downtown Des Moines congregations are members of The Bridge, which is a sponsor organization for SHIIP. If you are a member of one of these congregations and would like assistance, you can call SHIIP directly at 800-351-4664 or call the receptionist at St. John's Lutheran Church at 515-243-7691. A volunteer counselor will then contact you to help make appropriate Medicare decisions.

Special Request

We are in need of a few more high chairs in Weertz. We are blessed to have more children at our Beloved Community meals and need seating. If you have outgrown the need for one in your family, or know of someone with a spare, we welcome the donation. What a wonderful need for our congregation!

Peace,

Scott LaBlanc

Director of Parish Operations
businessoffice@stjohnsdsm.org

515-243-7691 x. 113