St. John's Lutheran Church and School
The Mission
The Journal of St. John's Reaching Farther
February 8-14, 2020
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Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
Sunday, February 9th, 2020
8:00 A.M. & 10:45 A.M.
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"With You Always ... on the Mountain"
Preacher:
Pastor Ben Roberts
Worship Leader: Pastor Mark Stapleton
Old Testament:
Exodus 19:9-20
Epistle: Hebrews
12:18–24
Holy Gospel:
Matthew 5:1-12
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When Jesus declared, “I will be with you always” (Matthew 28:20), He meant that He would be present with us in our lives forever. Throughout the Bible, God has always sought to be present with His people, but often appeared to them in “natural” ways. One of the places He meets His people is on mountains. There He meets them with His power and might and grace and love. As we begin our series, “With You Always”, we will consider how our God, Jesus Christ, continues to meet us on the “mountains” of our lives. When He does, He assures us that we are blessed because of His loving, powerful presence.
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Join us on Saturday, February 15th for The "505" Service at 5:05 p.m.!
(Every 1
st and 3
rd Saturday of the month at 5:05 p.m.)
505 Worship Songs for:
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Missed a sermon from a past Worship Service?
Catch up by listening to the audio here:
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Sermon Series:"
WITH YOU ALWAYS”:
The Presence of God in Our Lives in “Super-Natural” Ways
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“WITH YOU ALWAYS”: The Presence of God in Our Lives in “Super-Natural” Ways
Throughout the Bible, God meets with humanity at certain places. These places were often “natural” places for the presence of our almighty Creator to come among us: a high, lofty peak in the desert…slabs of stone constructed into a massive building…a mass of water vapor that comes down to settle over the earth. With the coming of Jesus Christ, the presence of God in nature shifted dramatically forever…and changes us in the same way. In this 3 week series, we are going to be looking at some of the places God made His powerful, yet grace-filled, presence known. We are also going to be looking at how this “super-natural” presence shows up in our lives today, so that we can always be certain that God is with us in places and ways that are not “out-of-this-world”.
2/16: “With You Always”: Temples
2/23 (Transfiguration Sunday): “With You Always”: Clouds
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RED LETTER CHALLENGE IS COMING THIS LENT 2020!
The mission of the Red Letter Challenge is to help people live more like Jesus. Sadly, when people think of Jesus-followers it is a far cry from who Jesus actually is. After all that Jesus has done for us, we cannot be content with the picture and representation that we are sharing. We must change the story and perception of who Jesus is.
So how do we change the story that we are telling?
We go back to Christ’s words. You know, those red letters in your Bible.
Starting on March 1
st, the first Sunday in Lent, St. John’s will be engaging in the Red Letter Challenge, a 40-day journey of literally following the words of Jesus…the “red letters”…in the Gospels. There are many ways to participate:
1.
A new, six-week message series based on 5 common themes of Jesus’ red letters: Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving and Going.
2.
Pick up a copy of this year’s St. John’s Devotional, “Red Letters: Invitation and Challenge in the Words of Jesus”.
3.
Grab a copy of the Red Letter Challenge book, full of devotions, Bible readings and specific, doable challenges based directly on the words of Jesus. There are books for both adults and kids!
4.
Start or join a Small Group and do the RLC with others! Small group videos and guides are free!
Empowered by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, are you up for the challenge this Lent? Purchase Red Letter Challenge books for both adults and kids at the following websites:
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Want to gather a Small Group for the 7 weeks of the RLC? Already have a Small Group but want to invite others along for the challenge? Contact Pastor Mark at
m.stapleton@sjlagrange.com.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25)
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Adult Bible Study: "A Radio Tower of Strength"
Sunday, February 9th at 9:30 a.m., Heritage Room
Led by Kirk Farney
This multi-week course will explore the history of Christian broadcasting, with particular focus on the medium of radio, as an avenue though which forward-thinking Church leaders brought together historical, scriptural preaching with the technological advances of broadcasting, to evangelize and provide pastoral care to millions. As part of our study, we will review the leading role that the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod played in these global efforts.
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Sunday Morning Youth Bible Study
Sunday, February 9th at 9:30 a.m.
Youth Room
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Parenting Bible Study
Sunday, February 9th at 9:30 a.m.
The Nursery
This 6-part DVD series will help empower parents to be the primary nurturers of their children's faith. Families will be transformed as they learn how to create space for God-encounters in everyday life.
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Sunday School at St. John's, February 9th
9:30 a.m. Class, MUSIC ROOM, 2nd FLOOR
10:45 a.m. Class, KINDERGARTEN ROOM
Come and find out what happens when
God gives Moses the Ten Commandments.
It's an exciting story!
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Women's Bible Study
Tuesday, February 11th at 10:30 a.m.
Church Narthex
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Early Risers Bible Study
Thursday, February 13th at 6:15 a.m.
Church Narthex
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Men's Weekly Bible Study
Thursday, February 13th, 7:00 p.m.
Church Narthex
We are continuing our study of Genesis with Warren Wiersbe's Be Obedient: Learning the Secret of Living by Faith, which covers the life of Abraham. For further details, please contact Jon Fredrickson at
jon_fredrickson@yahoo.com.
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SHARE
...with Your Service
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Mission Cafe Sunday Morning Coffee Hour hosts are needed! This is a great way to volunteer for a short period of time to enjoy fellowship and meet new people. It is not difficult... making the coffee is easy and you can provide breakfast pastries if you would like, but not necessary.
Please see attached link and consider hosting!
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February’s Mission Café offerings will be donated to the
Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Lutheran Hour Ministries is a trusted resource in global media that equips and engages a vibrant volunteer base to passionately proclaim the Gospel to more than 125 million people worldwide each week. Through its North American headquarters and ministry centers on six continents, LHM reaches into more than 50 countries, often bringing Christ to places where no other Christian evangelistic organizations are present. LHM’s flagship ministry,
The Lutheran Hour®
, airs weekly on more than 1,800 radio stations and the American Forces Network.
Lutheran Hour’s Impact:
·
More than
125 million
people hear or read the Gospel each week through LHM programs, services, or materials.
·
More than
1 million
listeners to
The Lutheran Hour
each week
The Lutheran Hour can be heard on WGN AM 720 in Chicagoland at 6 AM on Sunday mornings.
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Food Pantry Item for February:
Rolls of Paper Towel.
Donation bins by Connection Center
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A CAPPELLA CHOIR from
Concordia Lutheran High School
to visit St. John’s on
Wednesday, March 18th,2020 &
Thursday, March 19th, 2020
HOST FAMILIES NEEDED!
St. John’s is excited to host the A Cappella Choir from Concordia Lutheran High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana on Wednesday, March 18 and Thursday, March 19, 2020 as part of their Annual Spring Tour.
On
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
- the A Cappella Choir will be joining us at our Midweek Lenten Dinner at 6:00 PM. Following the dinner they will be providing some pre-service music at 6:45 PM for our Midweek Lenten Worship Service at 7:00 PM. Following the Worship Service they will be singing a 30 minute choral concert for all of us to enjoy.
On
Thursday, March 19, 2020
- the A Cappella Choir will also be presenting a Choral Concert for St. John’s School beginning at 8:20 AM and concluding at around 9:00 AM.
HOST FAMILIES NEEDED:
St. John’s
NEEDS YOUR HELP
– we need 30 host families to accommodate the 75 voice choir. Please consider hosting two or more youth for the evening of Wednesday, March 18, 2020. The hosting will begin at 8:15 PM and conclude at 7:45 AM the following day (Thursday). All we are asking for is housing for Wednesday evening and breakfast on Thursday morning.
Please contact David Lincoln at
d.lincoln@sjlagrange.com
, or you can call 708-354-1690 (ext. 222) if you have any questions about the hosting arrangements or the choir visit.
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Scholarships available for the
LUTHERAN SUMMER MUSIC ACADEMY AND FESTIVAL
Don’t miss out on Lutheran Summer Music (LSM). LSM is a residential performance and training program for young musicians grades 8th–12th. LSM is hosted on different Lutheran college and university campuses each summer. Join over 25 nationally recognized faculty artists and a team of dedicated counselors in our supportive, academic community. This year the academy is being held at Valparaiso University from June 28th – July 12th, 2020 (Half Session); and June 28th – July 26th, 2020 (Full Session).
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Thanks to many generous donations, the tuition was reduced in 2019 by $1,000 from the past several years. You also can apply for Matching Grants that can reduce your out-of-pocket costs substantially.
APPLICATION: Please complete the application by February 15th, 2020. Application Link:
http://bit.ly/LSM2020
Please contact David Lincoln at
d.lincoln@sjlagrange.com
if you have any questions on the scholarship application process. Any student from St. John’s Church can apply for a scholarship.
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Join us and be included in our new directory.
There's still time reserve your spot! Lifetouch will be here next week to photograph and create a new directory for us. Our faith community is stronger when we know one another!
- No session fees
- Be included in our new directory
- Plan on 60 minutes for photography and time to view your images and an assortment of products offered
You will receive:
- One FREE 8x10 standard print
- Free printed directory
- BONUS: FREE Shutterfly gift with purchase
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Or, call 1-866-756-0281 to make an appointment.
We also need volunteers to help assist the photography team. Please see sign up for times & dates.
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Weekly Report from Board of Finance
Weekly Statics on Congregational Giving to St. John's Lutheran Church & School
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Anyone wishing further information on Congregational giving or the Church’s overall financial situation is invited to contact either Marty Haugen, Chair, Board of Finance, or Jeff Baker, through the Church office,
churchoffice@sjlagrange.com
or (708) 354-1690 x210.
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Worship Questionnaire
The Board of Worship would like to thank everyone who took the time to fill out this questionnaire. Approximately 150 surveys were received from a diverse group of members and non-members, young and old, who attend each of our three service offerings. Many excellent comments and suggestions have been submitted and are being reviewed and compiled by the board. A more detailed summary will be available soon. Again, thank you for your input!
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Youth Group Laser Quest Night
February 15th, Meet at St. John's at 6:00 pm and we will be back by 9:30 pm
The Cost is $20 per person
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L.W.M.L. Meeting
Tuesday, February 25th at 7:00 p.m.
Heritage Room
Please join us for the first meeting of the Lutheran Women in Mission in this new year.We have many events to discuss that will be occurring in this new year. So please plan to join us! All women from high school age and older are welcome to attend, to enjoy refreshments, and to learn how we can be a reflection of God and His love to the world around us. We hope that you can be with us that evening!
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Lenten Walk Inspiration
Saturday, March 7th at 8:15 a.m.
Our Savior Lutheran Church
If you are looking for encouragement on your Lenten walk, you are invited to attend Lenten Inspiration on March 7 at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 1910 Black Road, Joliet, IL 60435. Fellowship begins at 8:15 am with Matins at 9:15 am. The Keynote Speaker is Rev. Dr. Allan R. Buss, President. Northern Illinois District LCMS. Bible Study led by LWML Pastoral Counselors and a Mission Speaker, Bill Indelli, Executive Director Walcamp will also be featured. Advanced registration is required online at WWW.LWMLNID.org (click on the Led by the Spirit Logo) or see your local LWML members for details.
Teach me to do your will for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Psalm 143:10
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Click on the TRIP logo above for more information!
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Whether you are starting your Valentine’s Day shopping, or updating your wardrobe for the season, don’t forget to order your TRIP cards! If you just plan on dining out or treating yourself, take time to evaluate your shopping needs and order your TRIP cards! If you are hosting or attending any gatherings, start your shopping with TRIP cards. There are many choices for your shopping needs…
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There's still time to purchase your tickets for ...
St. John's Lutheran School Annual FUNdraiser
this Saturday, February 8th, 2020, 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Visit the Website Today to Purchase tickets or
Bid on Auction Items!
Contact Renee Hull for more information at r.hull@sjlagrange.com or auction@stjohnslagrange.com
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Kindergarten Eagles in Action
In February, the kindergarten class will
be supporting Chicago HOPES for Kids.
Chicago HOPES for Kids provides educational support for children living in Chicago's homeless shelters. Their mission is to provide students with the resources and encouragement needed to succeed academically, despite the challenges of homelessness. For more information on their program, please visit their website:
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Seniors Lunch ‘N More
Aging Care Connections and Hope Lutheran Church invite you to
Lunch, Fellowship and Entertainment.
When: February 12th, 2020
Time: 12:00pm - Luncheon
Where: Hope Lutheran Church
6455 Joliet Rd, Countryside, IL 60525
RSVP: Call Aging Care Connections at 708-354-1323*
Cost: Suggested donation of $2.50
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Weekly Worship Attendance
February 1 & 2 = 212
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Saturday Schedule
Worship Service 5:05 p.m.
(1st and 3rd Saturday)
Sunday Schedule
Worship Service 8:00 a.m.
Education/Sunday School 9:30 a.m.
Worship Service 10:45 a.m.
Sunday School 10:45 a.m.
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Church Office
Office: (708) 354-1690 x210
r.suarez@sjlagrange.com
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