| November Artist of the Month |  |
Garry Huffman
Find out more on our website
|
|
|
| This Week at St. John's | Nov. 20 - Nov. 27, 2011 |
|
Notice of Congregational Meeting
| |
Please come to a special congregational meeting on Sunday, December 4 at 10:00 am in Weertz. We will be electing new council members for the 2012 Church Council. Candidates for a three year term include Jim Bernau, Jim Blume, Megan Hartwig, Julie Morrissey, Neil Olson, and Janet Witte. In addition to the elections, we will provide a financial update on 2011 and estimate of giving for 2012. There will also be time for an update from the pastors and your questions. Please join us!
- Executive Ministry Team.
|
|
Stewardship Follow Up
| 
I want to thank everyone who has helped with our fall stewardship emphasis - God Gives...We Share - including those who prepared two congregational breakfasts, developed our stewardship packet, made the Blessings of St. John's thank you video, provided follow-up communication, brought a stewardship emphasis to our children's and youth ministry and more! God has given us both great talent and energy for this task and I am grateful!
Next, I want to thank ALL who have returned their updated information/Estimate of Giving cards. Responses have been received more quickly this fall than ever before! As of November 15, we have received 210 responses, including 21 new commitments from households that did not return a commitment card for 2011. We have also seen a modest increase in those signing up for Simply Giving, the program that automatically deducts your financial gift from a bank account of your choice.
However, we have not received a response from every household of St. John's, which is, of course, our goal! The information/Estimate of Giving cards ask not only for your financial commitment for 2012, but updated household information for our data base, as well as your current availability and willingness to be involved in particular areas of our ministry. So, if you have not returned your card yet, we hope that you will do so very soon! (And if you have misplaced your stewardship packet, feel free to call the church office for a replacement.)
Thank you for your faithfulness in sharing the Good News of God's love with this city and this world through the work & witness of St. John's. It is a privilege to be the church in this time and place. Your generous support of the ongoing ministry of St. John's allows so much good to grow.
Kris Gregersen
2011 Church Council President
|
|
What's Happening This Sunday
|
- Sunday School at 9:55 am - Please see room assignments noted below / Breakfast Club (7-9th Gr) at 9:55 am - Room 307
- Photography at 10:00 am - Neumann (Different date due to Thanksgiving)
- Adult Forum at 10:00 am - Room 8: Elizabeth & Greg Schmieker - "Christ in the Breadline"
|
| Prepare for Worship | 
Sunday, Nov. 20, Christ the King
On this final Sunday of the church year, our gospel is Jesus' great story of judgment. In the end, the faithful are those who served Christ by ministering to those who are poor, hungry, naked, sick or estranged. In the first reading, God is the shepherd who seeks the lost, weak and injured and feeds them with justice. We gather this day to celebrate the reign of Christ and his victory over death, yet awaiting the consummation of all things yet to come. Acknowledging Christ as our merciful ruler, we go forth that his reign may be known in our loving words and deeds.
The readings are Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24, Psalm 95:1-7a, Ephesians 1:15-23 and Matthew 25:31-46. The hymns will be ELW 855, "Crown Him with Many Crowns," ELW 707, "Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us," ELW 531, "The Trumpets Sound, the Angels Sing," and ELW 705, "God of Grace and God of Glory." Cantorei at 8:45 a.m. and Cathedral Choir at 11 a.m. will sing Aaron David Miller's exciting "Laudate Dominum" for offering music. Our Chamber Orchestra will accompany each choir to John Rutter's setting of "The Lord is My Shepherd" during communion.
|
|
Weekly Calendar
| Monday, November 21
9:30 am WELCA Board Meeting - Neumann 6:00 pm WIRED Book Discussion - Room 8 Tuesday, November 22
8:45 am EAGLES leave for West Branch Hoover Library 9:30 am Quilting - Room 308 9:30 am Eagle Call Processing 5:30 pm Centering Prayer - Chapel 6:00 pm AIDS Project of Central Iowa - Kitchen, Weertz Wednesday, November 23
6:30 am Souljourners - Weertz 9:00 am Hardanger Group - Neumann 12:05 pm MidWeek Music - Anne Stein & Ray Songayllo - Sanctuary 12:30 pm MidWeek Music Lunch - Weertz Thursday, November 24 ~ Day of Thanksgiving
Office Closed 10:00 am Worship Friday, November 25
Office Closed Saturday, November 26
5:00 pm Worship - Chapel Sunday, November 27
7:45 am Worship - Sanctuary 8:45 am Worship - Sanctuary 9:55 am Sunday School 11:00 am Worship |
|
Children's Ministry
| 
This Sunday the Sunday School will rehearse for the Children's Advent Program.
► Three year olds-Kindergarten will meet in their regular classroom to hear the Bible story of the Angels Visit (Luke 1:26-38). They will rehearse for the Advent Program for the last part of the session in room 7.
► First-Sixth Grade will meet in room 205 for the entire session for the Advent Program Rehearsal.
|
|
Small Groups
|  ► WIRED Book Discussion for all: Book discussion on Open the Door by Joyce Rupp. Last discussion on Nov. 21 (week 6) in Room 8 at 6:00 pm for about 1 hour. If you have not been part of the WIRED Book Discussion, still feel free to join the group.► The Couples/Singles Group will meet on Sunday, Dec. 4 at the Windsor Heights Community Bldg. Watch for details. ► EAGLES will leave from church at 8:45 am on Tuesday, Nov. 22. The group will enjoy lunch at the Kava House & Cafe in Swisher at 11 am and then will go on to West Branch and tour the Herbert Hoover Library which will have a special display for Christmas. Please email (Jaketurtle@aol.com) or call 277-1161 for reservations. Also, EAGLES mark your calendars for Friday, Dec. 2, to tour the homes of the Holly & Ivy Tour. Meet at church at 9:30 am. Homes on the tour are Salisbury House, Terrace Hill, Chamberlain Mansion and Owl's Head Mansion. (The group will have lunch at a restaurant to be announced.) Cost of the ticket will be $12 if 20 people from our group attend. Call or e-mail by Nov. 26th: Marge Sexton-Randels at mlsexton36@aol.com or phone: 967-2676; or Roma Youngquist at plaallda@aol.com or phone: 285-3810. ► Scrapbooking will meet on Saturday, Dec. 3, 9:30 am to 3:00 pm in Room 8. ► A New Beginning: Young adults, both singles and couples, are invited to enjoy a free cup of coffee and a leisure break from the hectic December schedule at Smokey Row on Monday, Dec. 12, at 6:30 pm to brainstorm ideas for a new group-whether you might want strictly a social group, a Bible Study, community service, or all of the above. You may just show up (come to the private room) or if you can't make it but are interested, contact Megan Clausen at meganc@stjohnsdsm.org (phone: 243-7691) or small groups coordinator, Darla Stiles, at darlastiles@stjohnsdsm.org. |
| Upcoming Midweek Music Schedule | 
- November 23 - Anne Stein, flute, and Ray
Songayllo, piano - November 30 - Grand View Choir
- December 7 - Heartland Youth Choir
- December 14 - Scott Davis and Brass
Quintet - December 21 - "A St. John's Christmas"
- December 28 - No Midweek Music
View the full schedule |
|
WELCA - November Mission
|  ► The November WELCA outreach project is a collection for the Lutheran Services in Iowa Care program. We are focusing on the needs for babies. Suggestions are: diapers, baby wipes, shampoo, Similac formula, and cabinet door safety devices. As always, the boxes for your donations will be marked LSI and will be near the office reception and in the hallways outside Neumann Hall.
► Women of the ELCA Group meetings will be held Thursday Dec. 1. Sarah Group will meet at 9:30 am at church in Neumann and should bring cookies for shut-ins and gifts for New Directions. Lois Group will gather in Neumann at 12:30 pm for their Christmas program. Everyone is to bring unwrapped children and mothers' gifts.
► Christmas for the Homeless: We have NEW DIRECTIONS (shelter for women and children) as our outreach project for December. The congregation is invited to buy Christmas gifts for mothers and children that they can give to each other. Please bring the UNWRAPPED gifts to church by December 15th. Boxes for donations are by the office and reception area, and hallway outside Neumann. The children are largely elementary age, and some early teens. Suggestions: hats, scarves, gloves and mittens. They will have the opportunity to chose a gift and wrap it.
► The Annual Cookie Walk and Silent Auction is Dec. 10 & 11! Get out those cookie recipes, cookie sheets, warm up those ovens and start baking! AND, while you're at it, look around and find a treasure or two in order to make our Annual Cookie Walk and Silent Auction a huge success! Questions? Need a Pick-up? Call Janie Clemenson 274-0924 or Lou Johnston 287-2424. Please bring your donation of cookies to the church on or before Dec. 10, 9:00 am-noon. Silent Auction items may be delivered to the church office earlier. The Cookie Walk will be open Saturday evening after the evening service. Sunday morning it will open at 8:30 and close at 11:00. Bring your red buckets or purchase one there and fill them for $10 if you have your bucket or for a dollar more if you need one. |
Wellness Ministry Invitation
|  Listen, listen God is calling - is God calling you to be a healing minister?
Many who attend St. John's come forward for prayer and for anointing each Sunday. We provide this ministry at 8:45 and 11:00 each week and all services the second weekend of the month. But, we often find that we don't have enough people to serve. If you feel so called, don't worry - we provide training! If God has called you to this ministry, please contact Sandy LaBlanc, Wellness Ministry Coordinator at 243-7691 or email at: sandyl@stjohnsdsm.org. |
|
Prepare the Way (Isaiah 40:3)
|  An Advent evening of rest, renewal, and preparation for women and men of all ages Thursday, Dec. 1, 7:00 - 8:30 pm in St. John's Chapel and Fireside Lounge. Welcome the Advent season with...
- simple and beautiful Taize melodies accompanied by instrumental ensemble
- an opportunity to walk a lighted labyrinth
- time and space for prayer, meditation and quiet reflection
Nursery Care will be provided. For more information contact Linda Christensen, kinderlinder@msn.com.
|
| Smitten with Mittens | 
The Mitten Tree is ready for your gloves, mittens, scarves, and hats. Adult mens gloves are especially needed for the shelters. The donations are delivered to schools and shelters in January.
|
|
|
Due to the holidays there will not be a "This Week at St. John's" email next week. Have a happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the long weekend.
Peace,
Scott LaBlanc
Director of Parish Operations
businessoffice@stjohnsdsm.org
515-243-7691 x. 113
|
|
|
