Rev. Paul Escamilla offers the message, "Belonging," based on Romans 14. The Chancel Choir will sing in both the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services.The children's choir, Spirit Singers, will offer special music in the 11 a.m. service.

mySaint John's

Our church directory is now available through mySaint John's, an online directory designed to help you get plugged in to the life of the church. Registering is simple and the benefits are great!

Click on the blue button to get started.

With mySaint John's, you can:

keep your contact information current
find other Saint John's members
view the directory on your smartphone
connect with ministries
register for events
give online to Saint John's

mySaint John's is a database that integrates with our church records and for security purposes requires that you log in. Click here to get started.

Miriam UMW Circle to register voters

Miriam Circle is offering a neighborhood voter registration drive on two Saturdays, September 13 and 27, from 10 a.m. to
2 p.m. at Saint John's. Tables will be set up outside the church, so tell your friends and neighbors to stop by.

Voter registration will be offered to the Saint John's family during two Sunday mornings, September 28 and October 5. If you need to register or change some of your voting information, stop by the table in the Gallery. October 6 is the last day to register to vote in the November 4 election. For more information, contact Janice Curry, [email protected].

Godspell comes to Saint John's this spring

The Saint John's music ministry will hold open auditions for singing and speaking roles on Thusday, October 9 for a lively production of the musical Godspell. Auditions will begin at 6 p.m. in the Saint John's sanctuary.

The show will be presented on March 6 and 7, 2015. Auditions for youth and children will be held at a later date.

Audition materials will be provided by contacting production manager Sandy Fivecoat at [email protected]. If you are interested in singing, you will get an excerpt from the song "Day by Day." A script excerpt will be sent to those interested in speaking lines. The deadline to sign up for an audition is October 1.

There are also many opportunities to get involved with the production aspects of the show. They include costumes, props, crew, lighting, etc. Please express your interest in working in any of these areas, or offering some other expertise that you might have.

Welborn to speak at tonight's MFSA meeting

Rev. Teresa Welborn, the new district superintendent of the Austin District, will be the featured speaker at the first meeting of the Southwest Texas Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) for 2014-2015 on at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 11 at Saint John's.

Teresa will talk about her background and experience, her visions for the District's future, the challenges the District is facing, and the formation of the new Capital District (the Austin District's new name as of January 1, 2015). She will talk about new territorial boundaries and new member congregations, including Hispanic United Methodist Churches in our area. Snacks and mingling begin at 6:30 p.m.; the program begins at 7 p.m. Childcare is provided; to reserve it, please send an email to

[email protected] to indicate how many children you will bring and their ages.

Seniors movie of the month - September 26

How long has it been since you've seen the film, "Gone with the Wind"? Saint John's is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the movie with a special showing at 10 a.m. Thursday, September 26, in Room 208 on Thursday. There will be a break for lunch during the intermission midway through the film.
Free popcorn and lemonade will be offered. Please sign up in the Gallery this Sunday.

Dealing with back-to-school stress

A message from the Mental Health Ministries Team

Going back to school can be stressful for kids, especially if they are making major transitions such as moving from elementary school to middle school, or from middle school to high school. Most everyone gets nervous when making a change or doing something new, but a few incur stress or anxiety that remains for extended periods of time and can wear down the body's natural defenses.

Some of the warning signs of chronic stress include difficulty sleeping, aches and pains, indigestion problems, change in appetite, sleep problems, irritability, headaches and muscle tension.

Pay attention to your children during the first few weeks of school to see how they are adjusting. If you notice they remain stressed, the following tips can help: ensure that they have a healthy diet, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep and have some "down time." Additional tips include yoga/meditation, taking time for hobbies and engaging in social activities. If you have questions about stress and anxiety, you can contact the Saint John's Mental Heath Ministries Team chairperson Jo Kretzler at [email protected].

Reading together at Saint John's

This week's recommendation is Got Religion?: How Churches, Mosques and Synagogues Can Bring Young People Back by Naomi Schaefer Riley. The book begins by providing statistics about young people in churches then shares examples of how and why some young people come back. Got Religion offers refreshing, surprising and sometimes counter-intuitive insights on how to attract young people to the church

This book was recommended by Saint John's member Steve Rooks. Each week, the Intentional Faith Development Committee will recommend a theological or spiritual book through this column.

To submit an idea, contact Associate Pastor Hilary Marchbanks at 512-452-5737 or [email protected].

Meet our new members

Courtney and David Bain along with daughters, Mia and Liliana Arredondo and Ellis Marie Bain, joined Saint John's on August 31. Courtney was introduced to Saint John's by her mom, Barbara Glenn. Courtney is an editor and enjoys reading, tennis, travel and art. David is a stylist and enjoys reading, baseball, styling and art.

Mark and Jeanne Stewart and their children, Larsen and Olivia, joined Saint John's on September 7. Jeanne is the sister of long time member, Ruth Airhart. Mark enjoys art, music and cricket while Jeanne enjoys art and going to live music.