June 09, 2022
Pastor's Reflection
Hello St. John’s Family,
 
I think most people will agree that many things in our society and world are not as they should be. Be it a cursory scan of our newsfeed, or hearing the 30 second “teaser” of the upcoming stories on the evening news, we are quickly reminded of the multitude of concerns that afflict our lives. These problems are real – we don’t want to deny that. Yet constant focus on the messiness of the world will cause us to miss the goodness and beauty and blessings we experience on a daily basis. How do we break that cycle? The answer to that is simple: pause weekly and gather to worship.
 
Worship. Pausing, gathering together, and praising God for the goodness and mercy we experience each and every day is an essential rhythm in our lives. The intentional act of pausing to praise and worship; to acknowledge our mistakes and receive God’s grace; to return a portion of our resources back to God and offer our gifts in service for God’s glory; to present to God our prayers and listen for God’s voice – each of those things are essential acts. As we join together in those acts, we make an incredibly strong statement regarding the prevailing forces in this world. First, we remind ourselves that God is good, and full of steadfast love for all people. While there is brokenness in the world, that’s not because of God. As our Communion prayer reminds us: “when we turned away, and our love failed, God’s love remained steadfast.” That reality never changes. I sense that we cannot hear that reminder often enough.
 
Second, worship serves as a respite from the brokenness and mess that’s all around us. I often hear how it’s difficult to make time for worship with today’s busy schedules – which I respect. Yet I have to ask: how can we not make time to worship? How can we not step out of the world’s craziness for a few brief moments and experience God’s goodness? I don’t know about you, but I need that pause. Worship uplifts and re-centers us, preparing us for another week of life in a hectic and uncertain world.
 
Worship also reminds us that we are not alone. We’re not the only one who struggles with the challenges of daily life. Gathering in worship draws us together, reminding us of the love and support we have in the Christ’s Church.
 
This Sunday, June 12, we have a special opportunity to praise God through meaningful and uplifting worship, as we celebrate Music Sunday. Both our worship services will be full of powerful, uplifting music that glorifies God and strengthens our connection as the Living Body of Christ in the world. I urge you to come, ready to sing and praise God! Join together with our Praise Band (at 9am) and Choirs and Bell Choirs (at 10:30) in song. Meditate on the powerful truths that the words contain. Be uplifted by the beauty and power of these musical offerings, and be strengthened to go forth in joy, ready to face whatever challenges the upcoming week may bring.
                                                                                         
Grace and peace,
Pastor Brad
WORSHIP - SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Please click below to read the latest Congregational Update regarding COVID-19 measures:
WORSHIP



Come Worship with us this Music Sunday,
June 12, 2022

Contemporary Praise Service
at 9:00 AM

Traditional Service
at 10:30 AM

This service can be viewed LIVE through
St. John's Youtube Channel
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.
Fellowship & Community Outreach
Our 2022 St. John's Family Graduates!
On Sunday, June 26, 2022 we will welcome new members to our St. John's family. If you would like to become a member, please contact
the church office at 215-357-6998.
The pastors will host a Meet & Greet on Wednesday evening,
June 22 at 6:30 PM in the Parlor.
Now through July 1st
Collection boxes are located in the narthex

We are partnering with the Family Service Association of Bucks County to collect school supplies needed to support local children. If you don’t have time to shop, we will gladly take cash or check donations made out to St. John’s United Methodist Church (memo: school supplies). Thank you so much for your support! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to
Amy Scarlett @ drandmrsscarlett@yahoo.com
or Lily Scarlett @ lilygscarlett@gmail.com

Supply List:
*TI-84 plus calculators
*Backpacks
Marble composition books
Spiral Notebooks
Pencil cases
2-pocket plastic folders
Binders (All sizes)
Lined paper
Zippered pencil case
Highlighters
Red pens
Black sharpies
Boxes of assorted colored pencils
Boxes of crayons
Washable Markers
Scissors
Packs of Post-It notes 3x3 (not accordion style)
Packs of white 3x5 index cards
Black Expo markers
Expo marker erasers
Glue Sticks
Earbuds and headphones

  • These items are especially needed. (You may also make a cash donation or partner with another friend or family to purchase these items.)

We are pleased to announce that
the Grace Café is open!
  We are looking for volunteers to help with the coffee. We need folks to help start the coffee at 8:30 - great for people attending the 9:00 service. We also need people to help clean up any time after the 10:30 starts. Please contact Sharon Byle (smbyle@gmail.com/610-888-1329).

Plan on joining us for coffee/tea and snacks and a wonderful time of fellowship after the 9 am worship service.
WARRIOR COFFE - NOW AVAILABLE TO ORDER!

The ship is pulling in to port! Order your coffee now and your freshly roasted favorite will be ready within a week. Specify number of bags, regular or decaf, and whole bean or ground. Pay when you receive the order.
Contact Paul Henry at  phenry605@verizon.net
Fighting for What’s Right - One Cup at a Time
Mark your calendars for two big events!
St. John's/American Red Cross Blood Drive

Friday, July 8th, 2022


More info to follow on donor sign-ups and volunteer opportunities

St. John's Chicken BBQ

Saturday,
September 17, 2022

food, fun, fireworks
(ok, no fireworks unless the grill flares up)

More info to follow
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY
Children's Activities This Week

  • Children's Sunday School at 10:30 AM
  • Parents, children will check-in at the mobile cart
in the Education Wing
A Reminder . . .
 
The hallway for Classrooms A – E IS CLOSED to general traffic on Sunday mornings. Only children and their parent/guardian(s) will be permitted in this hallway. If you enter the church through the back door and do not need to check in children for Sunday School, please turn right down the hallway past Fellowship Hall and around to the Sanctuary. If you are checking in your child for Sunday School, please proceed to the mobile check-in cart outside Classroom A in the Education Wing.
 
St. John’s has an “absolute and unwavering commitment to the physical safety and spiritual growth of all of our children and youth” and your assistance is greatly appreciated!

Children's Sunday School
10:30 AM
God is strong and faithful, always working in our lives. We might get knocked down from time to time, but when we put our trust in God, we find the strength we need to get back up again. Jesus showed us how to face life with resilience. No matter what happened, Jesus relied on God to help Him accomplish the mission set before Him. This month, we will learn that because of Jesus, we can trust God no matter what. We can bounce back from whatever knocks us down and complete the mission God has for us.
YOUTH GROUP MINISTRIES




Youth Activities Calendar

Regular Sunday night Youth Group will resume in the fall. Check back regularly for summer happenings including Community Campfire nights, which start June 29th.

10:30 AM in the Youth Room
Youth Sunday School
Grades 7 - 12

Sometimes it takes a song to express what we don't know how to say, or to remind us of what we have forgotten. Join us as we are reminded of the great love. importance and forgiveness we now have because of the great work Jesus finished long ago.
Check back for Community Campfire Info starting Wednesday, June 29th and for
Small Group Meet-ups during the summer
We had a great time bowling a few weeks ago. We had 12 in our group and Ryan Southard was the winner of lane one and Mark Floyd was the winner of lane two. We will try to schedule a re-match during the summer!
MUSIC MINISTRY
Music Sunday is June 12, 2022 at 9 and 10:30 worship services.
Vocal choirs, bell choirs, Praise Band and musicians will all join together to praise God in music. Make a joyful noise!
MISSIONS/OUTREACH

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. 

Please contact Lou Lescas at stjohns820@gmail.com if you are available to help. 
 
Thank you for your support.
BIBLE STUDIES & DEVOTIONALS

St. John's Book Club

Date changed to Wednesday, July 6th
10 AM and 7 PM

This beautiful, thoughtful novel illuminates a world turned upside down, one where the women are in charge, engaging in dangerous, physical work, and the men take care of the children. A classic Lisa See story - one of women’s friendships and the larger forces that shape them - The Island of Sea Women introduces listeners to the fierce and unforgettable female divers of Jeju Island and the dramatic history that shaped their lives.

Facilitators: Carol Campbell and
Barbara Schneider
Starting in the Fall of 2022

Think you know all about the Old Testament prophets? And why should you care anyway?
You may be surprised!

Our next study on Wednesdays evenings will be Disciple III FastTrack. This is a 24-week comprehensive study with manageable daily scripture readings. The first half focuses on Old Testament prophets; the second half on the Letters of Paul.

Ken Lee, facilitator
Disciple III FastTrack study guide on The Prophets available at Cokesbury or Christianbook.com or other online providers.
UMW/UMM
To view the video shown on UWF Sunday, please click
 the link.


United Methodist Men

UMM will meet again in the fall but stay tuned for Chicken BBQ planning sessions and announcements.

Have a blessed summer!

PRAYERS & PRAISE


Prayer requests can be submitted
online (click here).or through the church email at stjumc@aol.com
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.


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. 
GIVING
MOBILE GIVING
  • Just go to our website stjohnsivyland.com
  • 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,
email Lou Lescas at stjohns820@gmail.com
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!
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
CCLI Streaming License #CSPL049266

St. John's Ivyland UMC
820 Almshouse Road
Ivyland, PA 18974

215-357-6998/stjumc@aol.com
stjohnsivyland.com
Rev. Brad Leight, Sr. Pastor