Hello St. John’s Family,
I hope you had a good Thanksgiving, and an opportunity to share the blessings of food and fellowship with people you love. The Leight family was able to have 2 uninterrupted days together, and it was good!
In my note last week, I encouraged you to embrace the opportunity to pause; to reflect on and give thanks for the good things present in your life. An extension of that pause for reflection is the opportunity to ponder – a key aspect of the Advent season. To ponder is to pause and spend time in reflection, while seeking to understand how God is at work in a situation. Perhaps the best-known example of pondering in scripture is when Mary “treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart” at the creche as Christ is born (Luke 2:19). Yet that is hardly the only example of pondering in the story of Christ’s birth. Elizabeth, Mary’s relative and the mother of John the Baptist, spent five months in seclusion upon becoming pregnant after many years of being unable to conceive. She emerged with praise to God, saying “This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me…” (Luke 1:25). Mary herself shares a beautiful song of praise to God when visiting Elizabeth in Luke 1:46-55. The next verse shares how Mary remained with Elizabeth for 3 months, no doubt pondering what God was going to accomplish through them, and the children they would birth.
Do we need to go into seclusion to ponder? Thankfully, no! We do need some quiet moments, where we can pray and read some scripture or a devotional to help attune and focus us on how God is working in our world. As we do that, we begin to see how God works through us personally. Often that occurs in ways we hadn’t anticipated or may have missed due to the hectic nature of our daily lives. Pausing to ponder is a meaningful way we can look back and see God’s presence and work in us.
We’re fortunate that we have a wonderful aid to help us ponder during this season. The moving Advent devotional to which many of you contributed is a great start to spending quiet time with God while pondering God’s work in your life. I hope you’ll do that: spend some quiet time with God to see what God is revealing to you and bringing forth in your life. I pray that God will meet you in your quiet moments, strengthening and blessing you as you’re encouraged to extend those blessings to others. As you do that, please don’t hesitate to share what God reveals! Few things are more uplifting that hearing of how God is working through you, the living Body of Christ.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Brad
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WORSHIP - SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
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Please click below to read the latest Congregational Update regarding COVID-19 measures:
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Worship this Sunday,
December 5, 2021
2 in-person services offered in the Sanctuary
Contemporary Worship
at 9 AM
and
Traditional Service
at 10:30 AM
The 10:30 AM service can be viewed LIVE through
St. John's Youtube Channel
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or on our homepage:
www.stjohnsivyland.com
Past worship service videos can also be found:
Auto-generated closed captions are usually provided by YouTube about a week after the service has posted for the hearing impaired.
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Community Thanksgiving Service
St. Andrew's UMC, Warminster
November 23, 2021
Watch on YouTube link below
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- Children's Christmas Play - Kids & Youth/Adult Helpers
- Living Nativity - Set-up & Breakdown Helpers
- UMW Angel Tree Gifts
- Tech Team Volunteer Opportunities
- Children's Ministry - Sunday School Teachers/Assistants
- Ushers and Greeters - 9:00 and 10:30 services
- Nursery Attendants - 10:30 service
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Children's Activities This Week
All children age 4 through Grade 6 will check in at the mobile check-in cart located in the Narthex. Please remember to arrive early to check your child in.
Joyful Voices - rehearsal Sunday, 11:30 AM in the Sanctuary
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Pre-K - Grade 6
Sunday 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
For many of us, Christmas lights are the best and brightest part of Christmas celebrations. It doesn’t matter if it’s the high-rises in the big city or houses lining Main Street; when the lights come out, it’s a wonderland! People celebrate big at Christmas because there’s Someone big to celebrate: Jesus! The best gift God ever gave was Jesus. Because of Jesus, it’s possible for us to have a relationship with God that will last forever. As we remember the Christmas story, we will take time to celebrate the greatest gift the world has ever known!
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Youth Activities This Week
Sunday School - 10:30 AM
Movie Meet-Up December 05
Festival of Carols December 05
Confirmation Activities - Advent Church Participation, Reading & Reflecting, Movie Meet-up
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Grades 7 - 12
Sundays 10:30 - 11:30 AM
BYOC (bring your own chair)
and Bible!
Join Mrs. Gutsch and Mrs. Zesinger as they continue the series -
"It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas"
YOUTH SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENTS MEET
IN THE PARKING LOT OR THE YOUTH LOUNGE
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Confirmation Experience and Youth Group
Movie Meet Up “Christmas with The Chosen:
The Messengers”
Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Thank you!
Date: Sunday 12/05/2021
Time: 12:00pm - 2:00pm EST
Location: 403 Middletown Blvd, Langhorne, PA 19047
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Youth Night
Grades 7 - 12
Sunday 7:15 - 8:30 PM
No Youth Group this Sunday night. See you at the Festival of Carols at 6:00 PM
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Opportunities at St. John's to prepare your heart and your family for Advent
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Creche and Banner Presenters Needed
for the January 6th Epiphany Worship Service at 10:30
Children aged 4 - 12 to present a manger figure
Several Youth to present Advent banners
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The Christmas Story
Jesus Christ is the Same - Yesterday, Today, and Forever!
December 24th at 5:30 PM
Contact Susan Seamans for additional info
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St. John's 22nd Annual Festival of Carols
Sunday, December 05, 2021 at 6:00 PM
Please come with family and friends to usher in the Advent Season with an evening of music from our choirs, bell choirs and orchestra guests. Our traditional collection of non-perishable foodstuffs will go to local food pantries.
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UMW Angel Tree Gift Lists
Now through December 12th
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St. John's Gift to the Community
4th Annual Drive-thru Living Nativity
Sunday, December 12
5:00 to 8:00 PM
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"Christmas Caroling for
Youth and Young Adults
Sunday, December 19th
7:15 to 9:00 PM
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December 5th at 6:00 PM
22nd Annual
Festival of Carols
December 19th -
Music Services at
9:00 and 10:30 AM
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If you are missing a set of keys with a Scripture verse token on the keyring, please contact the church office at 215-357-6998 Monday through Friday morning.
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Please save your aluminum tab tops for the UMW Naomi Circle collection for Ronald McDonald House. The collection bin is beneath the UMW bulletin board just off the Narthex.
Thank you for supporting this worthy cause.
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Advent Offering 2021
Bright Future Academy
Pre-School
at El Mesias UMC, Kensington
Bright Future Academy is a small, but essential, child development center at
El Mesias United Methodist Church in Kensington.
The Academy welcomes children of low-income working parents who rely on the security of the quality childcare provided by Bright Future. However, the children can no longer use the playground at El Mesias Church as it has been overrun by rats. The Academy and Church desperately want to pave the playground with asphalt which will eliminate the rat infestation. Our Advent Offering this year will go toward making that dream a reality.
For a church named El Mesias (the Messiah)
and a preschool named Bright Future,
located together on a street named Hope,
their hope is that with the help of their new friends at St. John's, all those names will prophesy a very bright future for the children and their parents.
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WARRIOR COFFEE
AT ST. JOHN’S WE ARE
FIGHTING FOR WHAT’S RIGHT -
ONE CUP AT A TIME
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Warrior Coffee Makes a Great Christmas Gift!
PLACE YOUR ORDER BY DECEMBER 5th TO ENSURE FRESHLY ROASTED COFFEE FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SEASON
Please sign up on the bulletin board or contact Paul Henry (text or voice) at 215-962-6719 or via email at phenry605@verizon.net.
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Donations Needed of
Non-perishable foods
Please place contributions in the shopping carts located in the narthex
Volunteers are also needed to deliver food and clothing to the Eastwick Food Bank.
Thank you for your support.
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The final session of our four-week Advent Study based on the book "Faithful, Christmas through the Eyes of Joseph" by Adam Hamilton, will be at 7:00 PM on Wednesday evening, December 15th. Facilitator, Ken Lee.
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YES, VIRGINIA THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS . . .
Only this Christmas, his name is not Saint Nick but Saint John's.
Once again the Lord has presented us with the opportunity to share his love and abundant blessings with others. We had such success last year with our virtual Angel Tree that we are using the same system again. The sign up link and all instructions are in the Advent Section above and on the website.
Thank you and have a safe and Blessed Holiday Season.
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The next meeting will be the third week of
January 2022. Have a blessed Advent and Christmas!
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Prayer requests can be submitted
Prayer requests are reviewed
Monday-Friday AM.
All "Ongoing Prayer Concerns"
will be listed for two weeks.
Please submit a new prayer request
if you desire to renew the listing for 2 additional weeks.
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PRAISE!
Christy Li Scheibeler
&
Brock Bondurant
will be united in marriage on December 2, 2021.
Christy is the daughter of our former Associate Pastor
Shelly Scheibeler.
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PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY
Meets the 2nd Tuesday of the Month
10 AM in the Parlor.
Come join us in knitting/crocheting various items for those in need.
Contact Carol Rice for more information.
Requests for prayer shawls or lap robes to comfort those experiencing serious illness, bereavement, or other major life issues may be made through the prayer request form on the church website, or by contacting the church office
at 215-357-6998 or stjumc@aol.com.
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MOBILE GIVING
- Just go to our website stjohnsivyland.com
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Click on the 'Give' button in red, Donate Any Amount and register.
Once you've registered, you can either make donations by debit or credit. Lenten Offerings may also be received through our website.
TEXT GIVING
Simply text the amount you wish to give to 877-960-2396.
You will immediately receive a one-time registration link, then just follow the prompts to complete your donation!
You may also send your tithes and offerings to the church office:
820 Almshouse Road, Ivyland, PA 18974
If you have any questions about mobile or text giving,
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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
and we'll be sure to update your information in our files.
Thank you!
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WHAT'S HAPPENING!
The latest Devotionals, News and Worship Videos can be be accessed below, as well as, under the
"What's Happening"tab on our website.
www.stjohnsivyland.com
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CCLI Streaming License #CSPL049266
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St. John's Ivyland
820 Almshouse Road
Ivyland, PA 18974
stjohnsivyland.com
Rev. Brad Leight, Sr. Pastor
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