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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,
September 22, 2019
"Making a Hero Out of a Villain"
Pastor Janice
Luke 16: 1-15
John
215-357-6998
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
Monday - Friday
9:00 AM -2:00 PM
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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.
For more information about our Children or Youth Ministries, please contact Director,
David Bigam, dbigam@gmail.com
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THIS WEEK'S CALENDAR
Sunday, September 22
9:00am
Adult Sunday School
10:30am
Children & Youth Sunday School
Tuesday, September 24
6:30pm
Girl Scout Troop 2395 Meeting
Wednesday, September 25
7:00pm
How Happiness Happens - Study
Thursday, September 26
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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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Caring Ministry Visitors Needed
There is currently a need for additional visitors for our Caring Ministry team. Primary responsibility is to visit our homebound members who are unable to attend worship. A training session will be scheduled in the near future.
If you can help with this vital ministry, please speak to Pastor Janice after worship and/or email her at revjanp@gmail.com.
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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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(Click for more information)
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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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The Grace Cafe is open Sunday mornings for fellowship
and refreshments.
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Order forms available in the Grace Café.
An order will be placed in late September..
Thank you for supporting the Village of El Naranjito in the Dominican Republic and
"Fighting for What's Right One Cup at a Time."
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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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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 NEEDED
Donations of non-perishable food for the Eastwick Food Pantry are needed now and throughout 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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click to view the thank you letter
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Red Bird Trailers are Open!
9 AM - 5 PM Daily
Donations of clothing and household furnishings are accepted See the trailers located in the back of the
St. John's parking lot.
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The Red Bird Trailers are in urgent need of bags of clothing. We use the bags to cushion the furniture as the furniture is packed from floor to ceiling in the trailer. 
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Our Missions Team met and identified some hands-on mission projects you may want to be a part of.
- Habitat for Humanity - working on construction/finishing of four homes in the Morrisville Area - this fall
- Third annual R.I.S.E. Sunday, October 6, 2019.
- Compassion Sunday - October 27
- One Great Day of Service - Spring 2020
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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DONATE TO VICTIMS OF
HURRICANE DORIAN
THROUGH UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief)
100% of your donated funds go directly to relief efforts when you donate through UMCOR.
Please use a pink pew envelope this Sunday and write in "Hurricane Dorian." Place the envelope directly into the offering plate. You may also drop off or mail your donations to the church office.
Your donations will be used to fund a grant to the Disaster Ministry of the Bahamas Conference of the Methodist Church as well as any disaster needs in the Southern U.S.
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UMC LINKS
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Having well water at the parsonage has always seemed like a strange and unusual thing to me, always having had public water before. The crawl space, in fact, is filled with all sorts of foreign-sounding apparatus such as a salt tank, well pump, well tank, and an ultraviolet system. I KNOW that some of those items are down there, but I've never actually SEEN them (except for the salt tank at the bottom of the stairs) because I'm simply not curious enough to crawl through a multitude of spider webs and dust to get to the other side of the crawl space.
But regardless of whether it's well water or public water, I still tend to either filter my drinking water or I drink bottled water. Maybe it's the nurse in me, but I like the assurance that the water I drink and cook with is as clean and pure as possible.
I remember the year we did a church-wide mission project of providing water-filtration systems to help families with poor drinking water access in sub-Saharan Africa avoid prevalent diseases such as cholera and dysentery. We had one of those systems here at church which was used for demonstration purposes (it was amazing at filtering even mud and sludge from water). And then a few years later, we raised a significant amount of funds to build solar-powered water systems in remote areas of Puerto Rico following the category 5 hurricane that devastated Puerto Rico and left people without access to clean water.
There are certain things that we take for granted - we don't even think about them - and clean water is one of them. It's one of the bare necessities of human life. By the grace of God, we live in a place where we ARE privileged enough to be able to take many of the bare necessities for granted. Others are not so fortunate. And God's expectation is not that those who have much would hoard and protect the plentiful resources at their fingertips, but that we would instead find ways to share our blessings with those who are not so fortunate.
So let's not forget about helping to stock the shelves of our local food banks (the shopping cart in the hallway helps our needy neighbors in Southwest Philadelphia), volunteering to work with the homeless families who are a part of Family Promise (contact Sharon Byle for more information), participate in the R.I.S.E. Sunday mission projects on October 6th (sign up in the lobby), help stock shelves at the Morrisville Food Bank (talk to David Bigam for more information), support the various United Methodist Committee on Relief projects (most recently, Hurricane Dorian relief), volunteer and/or financially support our Red Bird Trailer Ministry ... it's hard to list the many ways our church family works together to share our blessings. May God bless us and those with whom we partner.
Pastor Janice
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R.I.S.E SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6
ONE WORSHIP SERVICE at 9 AM
followed by MISSION PROJECTS
from 10:15-Noon
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St. John's Kids News
All children and youth please go to classrooms
for Sunday School
Pre-K - 2nd Grade -Room B
Grades 3, 4 and 5 - Room A
Grades 6 thru 12 - Youth Room
Leaders and Co-Leaders are always needed for our classrooms as well as Nursery. If you feel called to help in these areas please let me know! You will not be turned down....
Please contact me anytime and we can talk.
Thank you for your consideration...David Bigam
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Fellowship and fun for youth grades 6 thru 12.
Looking for something meaningful to do on Wednesday nights?
Youth Group has begun! That's right, it's now on Wednesdays!
6:30 - 8:00 PM
Join us for light snacks, a devo and fun.
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Morrisville Food Bank Monday
Monday, October 14th
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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Saturday, October 5, Morrisville Presbyterian is having a
HIKE FOR HUNGER.
Information is available on the bulletin board next to the Narthex. Please join me and a few others for the 5K Hike for Hunger.
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CONFIRMATION 2019-20
Confirmation classes begin Friday, October 18 with a Retreat.
6 PM thru Saturday 2 PM
Please look for a sign up in the Narthex.
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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S
t. John's ASP Crew
ASP Stockholders Luncheon
Sunday, September 29, 2019
following the 10:30 service (noonish!)
If you have purchased stock for ASP 2019,
your dividends are here!
If not, you can still join us for $10.00 per person and hear from our youth what made this year another AMAZING time in Appalachia.
 RSVP's are required.
RSVP by September 23, 2019
Sign up in Narthex, email or text
dbigam@gmail.com
215-206-6779
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Adult Sunday School
Weekly at 9 AM
in the Parlor
Facilitators: Howard and Beppie Heinrichs
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The Gospel of Matthew 
A study by William Barclay
Wednesdays @ 7 PM
Meets weekly in Grace Café
Facilitator: Ken Lee
Take a deep dive into Matthew's Gospel to better understand what he wants you to know. Originally written to first century Jews, it is still relevant for us today! Barclay makes it easy to understand.
 How Happiness Happens
Max Lucado
Begins Wednesday, September 25
at 10 AM & 7 PM
Meets for 6 weeks in the Parlor
Facilitators:
10 AM - Pastor Janice 7 PM - Pastor Sue
In this study, Lucado shares the unexpected path to a lasting happiness, one that produces reliable joy in any season of life. Based on the teachings of Jesus and backed by modern research, He presents a surprising but practical way of living. The book will be ordered for you if you prepay $9.00 ASAP. Please place check in envelope and place in Pastor Sue's mailbox outside the main office.
Overcomer 
Begins Monday, September 30 at 6:45 PM
Meets weekly in the Parlor
Facilitators:
Carol Campbell & Barbara Schneider
You were not meant to live in disillusionment and defeat. God has given you tools to live a life defined not by your trials but by your victories. This 6-week study will show you how. There is a book that will help you while viewing the video and during the discussion. The book will be ordered for you if you prepay $8.50 by 9/20. Please put check in Pastor Sue's mailbox.
Book Payment
In order to better keep track of payments and only order the number of books needed, payments are being centralized to one person. Please write your name and class in upper left corner of the envelope. Then drop it in Pastor Sue's mailbox next to office.
If you have not paid for the book before the cut off date, you will need to order the book on your own. We use christianbook.com, cokesbury.com, or amazon.com depending on who has the best price.
If you are in need of partial or full scholarship to help pay for the book, please contact Pastor Sue through the office.
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BOOK CLUB
Tuesday, October 1
10:00 AM and 7:00 PM in the Parlor.
All are welcome to join us.
Leaders are Barbara Schneider and Carol Campbell
Ordinary Grace is a brilliantly moving account of a boy standing at the door of his young manhood, trying to understand a world that seems to be falling apart around him. It is an unforgettable novel about discovering the terrible price of wisdom and the enduring grace of God.
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Come Sing and Ring with Us!
VOCAL & HANDBELL CHOIRS STARTING
St. John's Vocal Choirs provide opportunities for EVERYONE to be involved in music. From young children through adults, we have a place for you in our music program. Beginning musicians and experienced singers are welcome in our Vocal Choirs.
For more information on our Vocal and Handbell Choirs,
please contact:
Roy Nelson, Director
215-962-8928
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JOYFUL VOICES
Children grades K-5 (6) are invited to be part of the Joyful Voices. Children learn songs to present in Worship Services.
The Joyful Voices usually sing on the First and Third Sunday each month. They also sing at special services throughout the year.
Rehearsal is after the 10:30 Worship Service each Sunday.
Rehearsal will last 25-30 minutes.
(Joyful Chimes rehearsal follows Joyful Voices).
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GriefShare 13 week Sessions
Mondays from 6:30-8:30
2019-2020 GriefShare Schedule:
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September 9-December 2, 2019: 13 Week Session
- Saturday, November 23, 10 a.m. until noon in the Library - Surviving the Holidays seminar
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January 6-April 6, 2020 (no class Presidents' Day): 13 Week Session
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May 1-August 3, 2020 (no class Memorial Day): 13 Week Session
There is a $15 fee for materials. For further information, contact Ruth Portzline or Chaplain Erin Maurer 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 this support group.
Sundays, from 6pm to 7:30pm
in the Church Library
A complete schedule by topic, more details, and sign-ups are at:
Fall Session: Sept. 15 to Dec. 15, 2019
Spring Session: Jan 26 to May 3, 2020
- Each rotation lasts 13 weeks but you can join or miss anytime and make up sessions during the next rotation if desired.
- There is a one-time $35 registration fee but scholarships are available. Payment is done in class, please sign up online so we can communicate with you. (Checks payable to: St. John's UMC)
- No Childcare offered.
- No Class on Holiday Weekends (see schedule online).
- Our facilitators, Sarah Floyd and Donna Hartfeil can be contacted at:
Located at:
St. John's United Methodist Church
820 Almshouse Road
Ivyland, PA 18974
We now meet in the church library classroom which is the first room on the left when you enter from the main parking lot which is on the left side of the church. Knock on the double doors on the side of the church. There are a few stairs up. If you cannot do stairs the leader will greet you and bring you to the handicap entrance.
Contact Information
Sarah Floyd or Donna Hartfeil
Facilitators of Divorce Care Program
215-357-6998
DivorceCareIvylandPA@gmail.com
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Time to dust off your Christmas spirit!
St. John's Christmas gift to our community!
December 15, 2019 5 PM - 8 PM
"Drive-thru Living Nativity"
Last year over 100 members of St. John's family were involved in this wonderful event. We were all blessed to be able to give our gift of
The Drive-thru Living Nativity
to our community.
Over 200 cars drove through to experience the Christmas story - complete with live animals.
We are already working on this year's event.
So, mark your calendar!!!
Sign-ups will be available soon!
If you missed this outreach opportunity
last year, please consider participating this year.
We guarantee that you will be blessed!
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NORTHAMPTON DAY
September 28, 2019
10 am - 4 pm
St. John's will again have a table at Northampton Days on Saturday, September 28, from 10 am - 4 pm. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to be a presence in our community and to tell everyone why
WE LOVE OUR CHURCH
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We need volunteers to be there to talk about St. John's!
You do not have to stay all day - just please consider signing up for a 2 hour shift. We need volunteers to be there to talk about St. John's!
If you would like to be a part of this mission opportunity, contact Pastor Ruth.
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CONTRIBUTE A DEVOTION!!
Advent is the season of preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas. This should be a time for families to come together in prayer and devotion.
St. John's would like to encourage this devotional time by preparing an Advent Devotional containing a reading for each day in Advent that has been written by members of our congregation. If you are interested in contributing a devotion, please contact Pastor Ruth.
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Save the Date!
BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS
Sunday, October 13th
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TWINING VILLAGE MEMORY CAFE
Third Tuesdays
10 AM - Noon
Re-opening October 15
Free to everyone
If you have a loved one with Alzheimer's disease or similar memory-related illness, we invite you to join us at the Twining Village Memory Cafe.
Our Memory Cafe is a monthly get-together of people with memory loss and their friends and family members in a supportive, non-judgemental, compassionate and engaging environment.
The cafe provides a place of warmth and friendship to socialize in a relaxed and less stressful atmosphere. Our goal is simply to bring together people in similar situations to brain health as diet and exercise. The bonds forged in memory cafes often are long-lasting, offering an additional resource for partipants.
Our program is not a support, respite or educational group and does require caregivers to be present. Its range of benefits includes positive change from your daily routine.
In fact, the Twining Village Memory Cafe is a brief time to leave worries at home and simply enjoy yourself. Activities include refreshments, crafts, games, sing-alongs, trivia programs and much more!
For more information, contact the Rev. Erin Maurer, Twining Village chaplain or Beverly Gowton, director of community life,
at (215) 396-7150.
Twining Village - A Diakon Lutheran Senior Living Community
280 Middle Holland Road, Holland, PA 18966
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Family Promise
Family Promise of Lower Bucks is having a
volunteer appreciate day, if you have volunteered for Family Promise please join in:
OCT 5
- Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, honoring the volunteers that support our families. Come for a fun night out, featuring dinner, live music and door prizes, and the opportunity to meet volunteers from other partner congregations. 5:30 to 8:30pm at Woodside Church, 1667 Edgewood Road, Yardley.
Please
RSVP here so we know how many to cook for!
Can't wait to see you there!
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Women's Breakfast
Date: Saturday, September 28th
Time: 9:30 - 11:30am
Place: Fellowship Hall
Cost: $12.00
We are planning a continental breakfast on the
above date for all St. John's women and their friends.
The breakfast will be followed by a presentation on "Labyrinths".
Alix Amar, MSS, LCSW, a social worker at Abington-Jefferson Hospice in Warminster, will speak on labyrinths and how they are effective tools for mindful meditation, self reflection and healing. Everyone will have the opportunity to make their own 12"x12" labyrinth for personal use - no art experience necessary.
Tickets will be available this Sunday 9/22 following each worship service. Please join us and invite a friend. This is also an opportunity to meet new St. John's friends.
Any questions, please contact:
Arlene Williams (215-355-0162) arlenew13@aol.com or Linda Barr (215-773-9865).
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UNITED METHODIST MEN'S BREAKFAST
Saturday, September 21, 2019
8 AM
Fellowship Hall
All Men Welcome!
Sign-up sheet in the church narthex or email edcampbell6@aol.com
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- WHAT is R.I.S.E. Sunday? A morning of worship and hands-on mission projects with local and global impact.
- WHAT projects are available?
- Sewing Projects: Goal: Make 25 dresses and 50 sanitary kits, which are distributed in remote villages and aid in the formation of relationships with mission groups focused on clean water and primary education efforts.
- Bagged lunches for Trenton Area Soup Kitchen: Goal: Make 1000 bagged lunches, including peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, for distribution to people experiencing food insecurity in Trenton.
- Cutlery assembly for Trenton Area Soup Kitchen: Goal: Using plasticware, paper napkins, and adhesive bands, wrap 4,000 sets of dinnerware for use at one of the 4,800 meals supplied by TASK each week.
- Rise Against Hunger: Goal: Assemble 13, 824 meals which will feed 37 children in developing countries for one year, through international hunger relief organization Rise Against Hunger.
- WHEN is it and WHEN can I sign up for a project? R.I.S.E. Sunday is October 6, 2019. We will have a worship service at 9 AM, then two sessions of mission projects from 10:15 to noon. Register now for your projects of choice.
- WHO can participate? EVERYONE! We will have projects for all ages and ability levels, and the nursery will be open for children age 3 and younger.
FINANCIAL AND MATERIAL SUPPORT IS NEEDED
Financial support for Rise Against Hunger and other R.I.S.E. Sunday projects: Although we are seeking material donations, there are some perishable items we will need to purchase directly for the bagged lunches, and we need significant financial support for Rise Against Hunger. Here are some suggestions. You could choose to feed 1 child (through Rise Against Hunger) for a year ($124), 6 months ($62), or 1 month ($10). Donations of any amount are appreciated! Use the pink envelopes in the pew racks and designate "R.I.S.E." on the envelope.
Donated materials needed ASAP: Fill out the included sign-up sheet and place it in Lara Bolte's RISE Sunday/Fellowship Activities mailbox (by the church office).
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R.I.S.E. SUNDAY DONATIONS NEEDED
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ITEMS NEEDED
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NEEDED
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Peanut butter, 40-oz. jars
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3
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Snack packs of cookies, 20-ct. box
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48
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Snack packs of chips, 32-ct. package
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23
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Juice boxes, 10-ct. package
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20
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*See sign-up sheet in Sunday's Bulletin. Please place completed forms in Lara Bolte's mailbox, by the church office
*Donations needed ASAP. Please drop them off in the box in the Narthex. Thank you for your donations!
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R.I.S.E. SUNDAY
SEWING PROJECTS
As part of our R.I.S.E Sunday mission event, we will again be making pillowcase dresses and, new this year, we will also be making sanitary kits for young girls.
We are asking for the following supplies for these projects:
- EXTRA WIDE double folded bias tape
- Packages of girls panties (girls size 14-16)
If you have any questions, please see Pastor Ruth.
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Make dinner a selfless act by joining us for a fundraiser to support
RISE Sunday at St. John's Ivyland.
Come in to the Chipotle at 25 Street Road West in Warminster
this Sunday, September 22nd between 5:00 PM and 9:00 PM.
Bring in this flyer, show it on your smartphone or tell the cashier you're supporting the cause to make sure that 33% of the proceeds will be donated to RISE Sunday at St. John's Ivyland.
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