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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
November 10, 2019
"Tradition, Tradition,
Tradition!"
Pastor Janice
Luke 20: 27-40
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, [email protected]
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THIS WEEK'S CALENDAR
Sunday, November 10
Family Promise Hosting Week
9:00am
Adult Sunday School
10:30am
Children & Youth Sunday School
Monday, November 11
Family Promise Hosting Week
6:30pm
Girl Scouts Daisies Meeting
6:45pm
Not a Silent Night
Tuesday, November 12
Family Promise Hosting Week
10:00am
Prayer Shawl Ministry
6:30pm
Girl Scout Troop 2395 Meeting
7:00pm
Advent Planning Team Meeting
Wednesday, November 13
Family Promise Hosting Week
6:30pm
Living Nativity Meeting
Thursday, November 14
Family Promise Hosting Week
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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.
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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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 877-960-2396.
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.
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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Come Sing and Ring with Us!
VOCAL & HANDBELL CHOIRS for ALL
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.
Joyful Voices NEEDED!
Any children grades K-4 are eligible to participate.
Rehearsals are on Sunday morning, following the 10:30 Worship Service.
For more information on our Vocal and Handbell Choirs, please contact:
Roy Nelson, Director
215-962-8928
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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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This has been a busy ten months for the Prayer Shawl Ministry! Since January, 54 shawls or lap robes have been distributed, 8 baptismal shawls presented, 4 prayer hearts (for those who already have a shawl) created, and almost 50 baby and child hats delivered.
Pictured are the latest group of hats which went to World Vision (4 child size) and The Baby Bureau in Warminste
r (14 baby size)
Look for the nice thank you letter received from the The Baby Bureau on the prayer ministries bulletin board next to the Grace Café.
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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.
Please Note:
The Red Bird Trailers will be closing for the winter on Saturday, November 30, 2019 and reopen Saturday, March 21, 2019.
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BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS
Pictures are available in the Narthex
What a wonderful day it was giving thanks for all God's creation, and celebrating His gift of creatures, great and small!
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UMC LINKS
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Pastor's State of the Church Report 2019
This year, I again give thanks to God for the blessing of being called to pastoral ministry and for the privilege of serving as Lead Pastor at St. John's, along with our talented and devoted staff, leaders, and other very generous and committed servants who make up our church family. Together, we believe that God is calling us to grow in faith, to be His hands and feet wherever and whenever we are able, and to serve Him by reaching out to the many people in our community who are searching for hope and meaning for themselves and for their families.
The reality that we face, and one that we've been addressing for several years was summarized just this past week in an article found in, of all places, the Washington Post. It stated this: "... studies tracking America's religious landscape found that although religious beliefs and practice have been declining at a rapid pace for people of all ages, the drop-off has been most pronounced among people ages 23 to 38. In 2019, roughly two-thirds attend worship services "a few times a year" or less, and 4 in 10 say they seldom or never go. A decade ago, it was more than half and only 3 in 10, respectively."
To be blunt, the end result is that fewer people of all ages, but especially young families, choose to be a part of any church family. They may believe in God, they may even believe in Christ as the Son of God, but they do not choose to join or attend a church.
On the surface, these are troubling times for the Church in general, and although we at St. John's are certainly seeing some of the results of this trend, we've been fortunate to have our worship attendance figures remain stable for the last several years. And the good news is that we know exactly where our mission field lies. Our Leadership Board continues to strategically plan for the future and to find new ways to reach new people. The most important current goal is to find ways to reach young families with children.
St. John's continues to have an effective small group/adult study ministry with multiple opportunities each week on weekday morning, on several different evenings, and on Sunday mornings. As far as Missions at St. John's, we continue to be involved in a number of hands-on mission projects, including the Red Bird trailer ministry which has been collecting and sending goods to the Red Bird Mission for many years. In addition, we had our second very successful "R.I.S.E. Sunday" at the beginning of October which allowed several hundred people to be involved in hands-on mission work on-site. The most notable project of the morning was the packaging of over 13,000 meals for the international hunger organization, "Rise Against Hunger."
Our congregation's commitment to be Christ is the driving force behind all that we do at St. John's. It drives us to find new ways to faithfully fulfill our call to pass on the faith through word and action. And it drives us to love one another and to step beyond our comfort zones to reach our community.
Looking back on the past year, I give thanks for God's wisdom and direction. The ministry we've been engaged in has taken a lot of effort and energy. It was a lot of work. But we had fun. And we came further than we thought was possible because we worked together. We've continued an excellent ministry of worship, education, outreach, children & youth ministries, men's and women's ministries, and mission opportunities. We have so many reason to be thankful to God for this past year, and even more reason to be people of hope and promise in 2020.
Thanks be to God,
Rev. Janice A. Puliti
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THANKSGIVING EVE SERVICE
Wednesday, November 27
7 PM
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St. John's Kids News
10:30 Service Only
All children and youth please go directly to classrooms for Sunday School.
Pre-K - 2nd Grade - Room B
Grades 3, 4 and 5 - Room A
Grades 6 thru 12 - Youth Room
Youth - please go directly to the Youth Room for Sunday School
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! Clearances are required! Please contact me anytime and we can talk. Thank you for your consideration...David Bigam
Church 215-357-6998
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We are proud to be bringing you this year's pageant...
"The Not-So-Silent Night"
Schedule for practice will be available Sun., November 10. If you have signed up to be in the show, I will have all parts posted in the Education wing this Sunday!
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Fellowship and fun for youth grades 6 thru 12.
Looking for something meaningful to do on
Wednesday nights?
YOUTH GROUP - Wednesday Nights!
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, November 11th
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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CONFIRMATION CLASS
Sunday Mornings at 9:15 - Room E
This week's topic is "The Church"
Do we know who the church is?
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And as always
Bring a Friend and Bring a Cn!
Have you HELPED anyone today?
Have you SAID SOMETHING NICE to anyone today?
David Bigam, Director of Children and Youth Ministries
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Not a Silent Night
Begins Monday, November 11
at 6:45 PM
Facilitators:
Carol Campbell & Barbara Schneider
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Down to Earth
Tuesdays, November 26 to December 17
10 AM and 7 PM
Facilitators:
Pastor Janice and Pastor Sue
More than 2,000 years ago a baby was born in a backwater village of the Roman Empire - and the world was changed forever! In this 4-week Advent video study, Mike Slaughter explores the extraordinary story of how the Son of God chose to become a lowly human. We are challenged us to respond during Advent with down-to-earth love, humility, and obedience.
Please sign-up by November 10th. See sign up table in the Narthex.
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UNITED METHODIST MEN'S BREAKFAST
Saturday, November 9th
(Note: Date Change)
8 AM - Fellowship Hall
All Men Welcome!
Sign-up sheet in the Narthex or email Ed Campbell at [email protected]
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UMW HEIFER PROJECT SUNDAY
This Sunday, November 10th
Narthex 8 AM - Noon
The International Living Animal Gift Market is now open. All manner of wonderful creatures can be purchased in the narthex November 4th and November 11th. These gifts of animals provide an entire new way of life for the people who receive them. They provide food, income, health care & educational opportunities for poor families worldwide. Since 2001, St. John's through UMW has donated over $76,000 to Heifer. Thank you for your support!
If more information is needed, please call
Rosemarie Malizia at 215 598 8567.
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Thanksgiving Turkey Collection
Thanksgiving is a time for a grateful heart, family togetherness and food. Most of us are blessed with all three. Many families, however, do not have the means to celebrate with the traditional feast we are accustomed to enjoying. For years, the members of St. John's have worked diligently to try to correct this situation by donating turkeys for needy families. Once again, we are collecting turkeys, free turkey certificates and monetary donations to provide a holiday meal for the less fortunate.
Please bring donations to the church by November 24th. Frozen turkeys may be placed in the freezer in the kitchen. Certificates and donations can be placed in the bag on the UMW bulletin board.
Thank you in advance for your support of this project.
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CHRISTMAS ANGEL TREE 2019
Sunday, November 17th -
Sunday, December 8th
Where does Santa keep his Elves?
Why, right here at St. John's United Methodist Church!
The Elves are busy decorating our Angel Tree with the names of needy families in our Philadelphia and Bucks County area.
Please take a tag from the tree, purchase a gift and return the unwrapped gift with the tag attached to the Narthex
by Sunday Dec. 8th.
Should you have a gift receipt, please attach it to your gift with tape. This is a big help for the parents, should there be a change in size or a duplicate gift.
Thank you for sharing in this wonderful tradition and may you all have a truly blessed Holiday Season.
Should you have questions please contact Kathy Keppol at 215-357-7404 or speak to any of the United Methodist Women.
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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.
Volunteers Needed!
Sign-ups sheets are available in the Narthex!
If you missed this outreach opportunity
last year, please consider participating this year.
We guarantee that you will be blessed!
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HUNTERDON HILLS PLAYHOUSE TRIP!
- Bus leaves St. John's at 9:30 AM
- Matinee production of Our 2019 Holiday Musical, a musical with songs, comedy sketches, dance numbers, and orchestra
- $95 per person (includes deluxe motor coach transportation, full course meal, dessert buffet, tax & gratuity.)
- Sign-up sheet in the Narthex, or contact Lara Bolte (610-945-5750 or [email protected]).
- Sign up by 12/10. Payment due ASAP. Make checks out to St. John's and write "Hunterdon" in the memo line.
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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.
TUESDAYS, from 6pm to 7:30pm
in the Church Library
A complete schedule by topic, more details, and sign-ups are at:
Fall Session: Sept. 17 to Dec. 17, 2019
*No Class on November 5
Spring Session: Jan 28 to April 21, 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.
- 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 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.
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Dr. Andrew DeSaro will be offering an evening of CPR/First Aid/AED training
Tuesday, January 14th
6:30-9 PM
$35 per participant
Each participant will receive a book and will receive CPR certification.
Please sign up in the narthex ASAP!
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NEWTOWN GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY
Learn - Pray - Act
Honor those lost to gun violence, seek sensible gun regulation and eliminate illegal handguns from our community.
Event Program
2 PM - Educational forum & call to action at Newtown Friends Meeting House, 219 Court St. Newtown
2:30 PM - Witness Walk through Newtown to Macedonia Baptist Church, 218 N. State Street
3 PM - Remembrance service at Memorial to the Lost tee-shirt display on front lawn.
3:30 PM - Opportunity for advocacy activities and refreshments
Questions: Contact Heeding God's Call to End Gun Violence at 251-238-8550 or contactheeding@gmail
Sponsored by: Newtown Friends Meeting, Macedonia Baptist Church, Presbyterian Women of Philadelphia, St. Andrews Episcopal Church, St. Andrews Catholic Church, Trinity Reformed United Church of Christ, The Peace Center of Bucks County, Congregation Beth El, Buddhist Sangha of Bucks County, Episcopal Church of the Holy Nativity, Congregation Kol Emet, Zubaida Foundation, Middletown Friends Meeting, Orange Wave for Gun Safety, Anti-Gun Violence Commission of the Episcopal Diocese of PA, Birmingham Friends Meeting.
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Our next FAMILY PROMISE hosting starts
this Sunday, November 10-17
- Sign up at: Signup Genius
- Or Call Sharon Byle or Amy Scarlett if you prefer not to do it on the computer
Training/Clearances:
- This ministry needs you! Ask our current volunteers, this is easy and provides so much help to our guests. If you would like to join the volunteer team in helping with the guests, you will need clearances and training.
- Clearance links can be found here Clearance links make sure to keep a copy for any other volunteer organizations you work with.
- No clearances? No worries, we have jobs for you too....set up/break down, shop and laundry!
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