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Click on the links below to go directly to that section of the newsletter.
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JOIN US FOR
Worship Services:
8:00 and 10:30 a.m.
Traditional
9:15 a.m.
Praise and Worship
THIS SUNDAY,
March 24, 2019
3rd Sunday of Lent
Wipe Away Every Tear
"Do Not Be Afraid"
Pastor Janice
Matthew 10:24-33
215-357-6998
CHURCH HOURS
Monday - Friday
9:00 AM -2:00 PM
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Wednesday, March 20
10:00am
Lenten Study: Simon Peter
Sunday, March 24
Prayer Shawl Blessing
Family Promise Volunteer Training
9:15am
Children's Sunday School
10:30am
Adult Sunday School
10:30am
Children & Youth Sunday School
Tuesday, March 26
6:00pm
Divorce Care
6:30pm
Griefshare
7:00pm
Praise Band Rehearsal
Wednesday, March 27
10:00am
Lenten Study: Simon Peter
Thursday, March 28
7:00pm
Security Task Force Meeting
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|  PRAYER LIST Please click to view
All "Ongoing Prayer Concerns"
will be listed for
2 weeks.
Please submit a new prayer request card if you desire to renew the listing for 2 additional weeks.
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If your contact information changes:
address, phone, email, etc.
please notify the church office at
215-357-6998 or stjumc@aol.com.
You may also indicate any changes on the
sign-in sheet during worship and we'll be sure to update your information in our files.
Thank you!
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"Dig In"
St. John's Sunday School
9:15
All Children Pre-K thru 6th grade go directly to Room D (Holywood)
10:30
All children go to Fellowship Hall
Youth grades 9-12 go to the Youth Room.
Please click Kid's Church Registration
or go to stjohnsivyland.com under Children's Ministry to register.
NURSERY
Available at both
9:15 and 10:30.
We welcome all children birth through 4 years old. The nursery is equipped with a calling system and will alert you in worship if your child needs you.
Help is needed in the Nursery at the 9:15 AM Service.
Please contact David Bigam if you are available!
For more information about our Children or Youth Ministries, please contact Director,
David Bigam, dbigam@gmail.com
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ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL
Sunday Morning Study
led by Howard & Beppie Heinrich
Sunday mornings at 9 AM
Parlor
On-going study and drop-ins are welcome!
Please see This Week's Calendar for current Bible study opportunities. Contact Lara Bolte (215-357-6998, stjadultministries@gmail.com) if you are interested in joining an existing group.
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MOBILE GIVING
- Just go to our website stjohnsivyland.com
- Click on the donate now button and register.
Once you've registered, you can either make donations by debit or credit.
OR try
TEXT GIVING
All you have to do is text the amount you wish to give to 215-398-1617.
You will immediately receive a one-time registration link, then just follow the prompts to complete your donation!
It's quick and secure.
The same vendor that handles electronic giving for us, Vanco Services, has state of the art encryption, so you can rest easy that your transaction is 100% safe and confidential.
If you have any questions about mobile or text giving,
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SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT!
When you enroll in 'Amazon Smile', Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible "AmazonSmile' purchases to a charitable organization of your choice. St. John's United Methodist Church - Ivyland is a participating group!
'AmazonSmile' is the same Amazon you know - same products, same prices and same service. This is an easy way to contribute to St. John's without any extra cost to you!
St. John's United Methodist Church - Ivyland - as your preferred charitable organization.
each time you shop and help make St. John's smile!
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DAILY DEVOTIONALS
Looking for a little inspiration during the week?
Try an online devotional.
(has many devotionals to choose from)
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Thank you for supporting the Village of El
Naranjito
in the Dominican Republic and
"Fighting for What's Right One Cup at a Time
Order Forms available in the Grace Cafe.
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The Grace Cafe is open Sunday mornings for fellowship
and refreshments.
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Red Bird Trailers will be opening on Saturday, March 30, 2019.
They will be open daily from 9 AM - 5 PM
Donations of clothing and household furnishings are accepted. See trailers located in the back of the
St. John's parking lot.
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RONALD McDONALD HOUSE TABS COLLECTION
Naomi Circle is collecting tabs from beverage cans for Ronald McDonald House. You will find a container under the sign hanging on the UMW bulletin board. Please place them in a plastic bag and put it in the container. This is an ongoing collection, so keep bringing them in as you collect them. Thank you.
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DONATIONS ALWAYS NEEDED
Donations of non-perishable food for the Eastwick Food Pantry are always needed through-out the year. Please place contributions in the shopping carts located in the narthex and fellowship hall lobby.
Volunteers are also needed to deliver food and clothing to the Eastwick Food Bank.
if you are available to help.
Thank you for your support.
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New members of the ministry group are always welcome; lessons and guidance can be provided for beginners and those with rusty skills.
The group
meets mon
thly on the second Tuesday to knit or crochet together and to pray over the completed items. For more information, contact Carol Rice at 215-357-1203.
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click to view the thank you letter
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MUSIC MINISTRY NOTES
All vocal and handbell choirs at
St. John's are open to anyone who loves music.
There is no formal audition, and your participation in our Music Ministry is welcomed.
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UMC LINKS
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There's a fairly good-sized piece of furniture in my living room that, most of the time, I forget is there. It was something I wanted very badly about ten years ago and I was so happy when someone was looking to re-home their piano. I thought for SURE I'd pick up exactly where I left off - I must have had at least 6-7 years of piano lessons, maybe more. I even took lessons as an adult. And I couldn't wait to start playing again.
I remember excitedly buying a number of music books - I picked them out very carefully. A book of my favorite hymns, a book of contemporary praise songs, Beethoven piano pieces, the music from Le Miserables, a book of Beatle's songs, and a book called, "I Used to Play the Piano." Yep - I was going to start playing again and maybe I'd somehow become "good" at it this time!
So I had the piano tuned. And I had all kinds of good intentions. And I even started to slowly refresh my skills by working my way through "I Used to Play the Piano." And it was really great. For about a week, maybe two. Then the books sat open on the piano for the next year or so. I might have sat down a couple more times after I tried to shame myself in playing again. But then somewhere along the line, I put the books away. I had started out with good intentions but I suppose I just wasn't disciplined enough to follow through. Which kind of reminds me of the many times I've joined a gym and went faithfully every day for a week or two, and then ... well, you know ...
So I'm making this confession, but I strongly suspect it's not just mine. I suspect it's your confession too. We start things with such good intentions and such great hope, but we fizzle out.
We're now a few weeks into Lent. How are you doing with the commitment you made to your Lenten devotions and prayers? How are you making out with your decision to make a new start this Lent when it comes to your relationship with God? Are you just as committed and just as faithful as you were on Ash Wednesday, or have you started to slack off? Sometimes all we need is a little nudge to remind us of our commitments. Which is probably what I needed a long time ago - a nudge to remind me to practice the piano more faithfully. So allow me be your nudge right now. You still have several more weeks to make right on your Lenten promises. You can still renew and revive your faith in preparation for Holy Week and Easter. You can still put a smile on God's face!
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2019 HOLY WEEK WORSHIP SCHEDULE
Please note changes in worship times for
Palm Sunday and Easter.
APRIL 14, 2019 PALM/PASSION SUNDAY
2 Worship Services Only
9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Nursery (up to 3 years) at both services
Sunday School (4 yrs. to 6th grade) at both services
Youth Sunday School at 10:30 a.m. only
APRIL 18, 2019 MAUNDY THURSDAY
7:30 p.m.
A dramatic service of
Tenebrae, Communion, Choral and Handbell Music
APRIL 19, 2019 GOOD FRIDAY
Noon to 1:00 p.m.
"Seven Last Words"
North & Southampton Reformed Church
1380 Bristol Road
Southampton, PA 18966
Participation of clergy and choirs from our local ministerium
APRIL 21, 2019 EASTER
9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Worship Services
Nursery (up to 3 years) at both services
Sunday School (4 yrs. to 6th grade) at both services
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Sunday Nights from 7-8:30 PM
Fellowship and fun for youth grades 7 thru 12.
Changes have come to St. John's Youth
Being that 2 of 3 school districts in our area consider 6th grade as Middle School,
then I believe it's time we do the same.
St. John's Youth Group - 6th thru 12th Grades.
Welcome to all our 6th graders!!!
This Week at YG!
Stunning upsets at last week's Jeopardy!
Come out Sunday night to see what we are doing this week!
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Morrisville Food Bank Monday
Monday, April 8th
Please contact David Bigam.
Do Not Miss This Opportunity!
Come and experience great Fellowship
on the 2nd Monday of every month!
Morrisville is open to EVERYONE interested in going to help make 220 grocery bags full of food.
Families are always welcome!
Following this event we always head to Chick-fil-a for Milkshakes!!!!
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Coming soon...
Escape Room - St. John's Youth
Do you have what it takes to "Escape" my room?
I don't think you do!
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And as always
Bring a Friend and Bring a Can!
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Have you HELPED anyone today?
Have you SAID SOMETHING NICE to anyone today?
David Bigam, Director of Children and Youth Ministries
dbigam@gmail.com
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St. John's Ivyland
Vacation Bible School 2019
July 22-26 9 AM til Noon
For children ages 4 years thru 6th grade
Registration begins May 1
$15 per child with a MAX of $30 per family.
For more information, please contact David Bigam
215-357-6998 or dbigam@gmail.com
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SPACES STILL AVAILABLE - SIGN UP NOW!
SIGHT & SOUND AND SHADY MAPLE
If you've been thinking about signing up for this,
now is the time!
- May 4, 2019
- Bus will leave from St. John's at 8:45 AM and return around 6:30 PM
- We will see the 11:00 showing of Sight & Sound's production of "Jesus"
- Lunch at Shady Maple after the show
- $130 per person; make checks out to St. John's
- Payment is due NOW.
- No refunds for cancellations after April 1
- Bus is contingent up on us having at least 40 people signed up.
- Sign up in the Narthex!
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: R.I.S.E. SUNDAY!
Believe it or not, we are already thinking ahead to R.I.S.E. Sunday 2019. We are in need of people to fill leadership roles for specific projects, as well as handling clean-up and delivery of items made for R.I.S.E. Sunday. Contact Lara Bolte at
stjadultministries@gmail.com
or 215-357-6998.
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 BOOK CLUB
Tuesday, April 2, 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM in the Church Parlor.
Her name is Dinah, in the Bible her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that tell of her father, Jacob, and his 12 sons. Dinah's story reaches our from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past.
All are welcome. Please join us.
Leaders Barbara Schneider and Carol Campbell
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Our first Hosting week is April 7th - 14th
Sign Up Genius is active, please see where you can help at this link:
Sign Up Here
Contact Sharon Byle - smbyle@gmail.com or 610-888-1329 with questions or concerns.
March 24th all volunteers are asked to meet in the library after you attend service. Sharon Byle will be there after each of the services. We will go over in detail the volunteer job details, make sure everyone has all their forms turned in and go over any questions.
We need volunteers with Safe Sanctuary clearances for:
Overnight Hosts
8:00pm-6:00am - super easy job, come hang out for a few hours, then sleep. Responsibilities include making sure building is locked up and that the guests are safe, comfortable and have what they need.
Evening Host
- 5:30pm-8:00pm - 2nd easiest job, eat and hang out. Some guests will interact, but many will spend time in their rooms. Responsibilities include making sure that the guests are comfortable and have what they need. Preparing an activity (movie, games, crafts) is encouraged but not required.
Meal preparers
- 5:30pm -8:00pm Provide a meal for 10-16 people. Menu ideas are given, and flexibility is a must! These families, like yours, have busy lives and may not be "home for dinner" every night, so how many to cook for is variable each night. And of course, just like at home, we deal with picky eaters and allergies.
Volunteers who don't need clearances:
Set up team
- Sunday after 10:30 service, set up classrooms as bedrooms for guests
Breakdown team
- Sunday at 8:30, break down bedrooms and make them classrooms again
Shopper
- Sunday afternoon, shop for breakfast and lunch items for the week. Wednesday evening check in and see if any other items are needed.
Laundry Team
- Sunday morning after 9:00am pick up some laundry and return it next Sunday.
3 more ways to help:
- At 10am on Friday March 29th a couple people are needed to sort and verify that we have all the linens we need and stored for use during hosting.
- We are responsible for feeding and sheltering our guests for a week, this includes buying food for use at the day center for lunch and breakfast. If you would like to make a donation toward those purchases you may write a check to St. John's and put Family Promise Food in the memo line. Let Sharon know that you contributed so I can follow up. Thanks for your generosity.
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The Day Center in Levittown is also looking for volunteers, if evenings don't work for you maybe you can help this ministry during the day
Day Center Help
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We are pleased to announce that St. John's will be sponsoring a GriefShare group for our church family as well as for our community facilitated by
Chaplain Erin Maurer, United Methodist Deacon.
GriefShare is a twelve-week, faith-based program for anyone dealing with the loss of a loved one.
The first session will be on Monday, March 25 at
6:30 PM in the Grace Cafe. You may register at the sign-up table in the narthex or online at griefshare.org. There is a $15 fee for the workbook payable at the first session. For further information, contact Pastor Janice or
Ruth Portzline or go to griefshare.org.
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If you or someone you know has experienced separation or divorce, either recently or a long time ago, we want to invite them to a new group.
- Weekly meetings are Tuesdays, from 6pm to 7:30pm in the Grace Café.
- Just go to divorcecare.org and put in our church zip code (18974) to find our future group listed and then register.
- The format is a light meal and viewing of expert information on DVD, followed by a time of sharing and discussion.
- There is a $25 fee for a workbook but scholarships are available.
- Each rotation lasts 13 weeks but you can miss anytime and make up the session during the next rotation if desired.
- We are also looking for people to help welcome visitors, make coffee, and provide support to our facilitator.
- Contact sarah@ifloyd.com or call the church office for more information.
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ST. JOHN'S NETWORK DIRECTORY
We are working to create a St. John's Network Directory of goods and services provided by St. John's members (and regular attenders) in their business lives.
- The goal is to help members and regular attenders who wish to patronize the businesses of their church family.
- The ultimate format of this directory will depend upon the number of entries we receive.
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If you own or manage a business or provide a good or service, we invite you to complete the form below. You may also fill out the form in Sunday's bulletin and place it in Lara Bolte's mailbox (by the church office) or email the information to her at stjadultministries@gmail.com.
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TABLE TALK - TUESDAY NIGHTS!
Join the Conversation! Bring a Friend!
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St. John's
Helping Hands
If any member of
St. John's has been ill and needs a meal, please contact Ruth Portzline, Pastor Janice or Carol Messina. If you would like to help, call Carol Messina at 215-491-1461.
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St. John's is bringing back our "Hearts for Missions" theme. Our Missions Team met recently and identified some hands-on mission projects you may want to be a part of.
- April 27 - Block Blitz sponsored by Interfaith Housing Visions. A day of clean-up, landscaping and small repair projects for a block of low-income housing in Bristol.
- One Great Day of Service - detail coming soon.
- Habitat for Humanity - working on construction/finishing of four homes in the Morrisville Area.
- Third annual R.I.S.E. Sunday, October 6, 2019.
You are invited to join us as we work to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those in need.
Questions? Contact Pastor Ruth
215-357-6998, ext. 306
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WOMEN'S COMMUNION BREAKFAST
"Lamb of God"
Saturday, April 6th
9:30 AM
All Women of St. John's Invited!
Feel free to bring friends, neighbors and relatives.
Please sign-up on the sheet in the narthex or contact
Laura Paulus @ 215-794-8764 for more information.
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Please support the United Methodist Women as we collect new items of clothing for families in need in our area.
We will be collecting socks, underwear, baby and children's pajamas, diapers, disposable underwear for men and women as well as nonperishable baby formula.
Please place your items in the laundry basket located close to the UMW bulletin board. Should you have any questions please contact Kathy Keppol at 215-357-7404 or speak to any UMW leader.
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SAVE THE DATE
United Methodist Women
MEET AMELIA EARHEART
Wednesday, May 1st, 6 p.m.
Spring Banquet
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THE UNITED METHODIST MEN ANNOUNCE
A special annual event is happening soon
St. John's UMC 35th Annual Chicken BBQ 
May 18, 2019
We need volunteers in the following areas
PIT CREW
HOSTS FOR THE INSIDE DINING PATRONS
DINING ROOM SERVERS AND KITCHEN HELP
SET-UP AND RESTORATION HELP
Please volunteer to be a part of this annual tradition
that provides a special outreach to our community !!!
Sign-up sheets have been placed on the bulletin board,
located in the hallway, in front of the Grace Café
The UMM Truly Appreciates Your Help !!!
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Invitation to Become a Member
If you feel you have found a church home at St John's, we invite you to become a member!
Our next
"New Member Sunday" will be
Sunday, May 19, 2019. Those wishing to become members of St. John's will be invited to take the vows of membership at any of our three worship services.
The only "requirement" for membership is that you feel a commitment to Christ and a desire to make St. John's your church family. If you feel God calling you to take this next step on your faith journey, we welcome you with open arms!
If you are considering membership, please check off "wish to become a member" on the sign-in tablet and/or contact outreachstjohns@yahoo.com for further information.
Prospective new members will have the opportunity to meet informally with the pastors on Wednesday, May 15 from 7-8 pm for coffee and dessert in the church parlor.
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