June 24, 2022

Omelet Bar Mix-and-Match This Sunday

Omelet Bar Mix-and-Match happens the fourth Sunday of each month, so the next one is coming up on Sunday, June 26! Omelet Bar is in The SonShine Cafe between 7:45 a.m. and 1 p.m. As always, you can get a made to order 3 egg or egg white omelet that you can choose to fill with a generous selection of meats and veggies plus a piece of toast with jam or butter. All for just $7 per omelet with a drink included! Bring a friend and enjoy a quality, made from scratch breakfast and great conversation around the cafe tables with folks from all 3 Sunday services! 

We need volunteers to take money and be a runner—no running required. Use the button below to sign up to volunteer. If you have any questions, text or call Nancy Douglas de Baca at 505-238-5895.

Family Spirit Sunday School Begins Study on Questions God Asks Us This Sunday

Pastor Randall began a ten-week sermon series on Questions God Asks Us last Sunday, June 19. The Family Spirit Sunday School Class will begin its ten-week study of this book on June 26 at 9:30 a.m. in room 252. We will read a chapter in the book each week that corresponds to the previous week’s sermon and use the discussion questions from the book’s chapters. 

The Family Spirit Class meets at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday on the second floor in the education wing (Room 252). The age of the members range from young adult to seniors. Attendance ranges from 7 to 20, singles and couples. We do short-term studies usually lasting four to seven weeks. At various times a book is available for purchase especially for the Advent and Lenten studies. The majority of the class sessions use DVDs during the studies and a one-page discussion is usually emailed to class members and available the Sunday we meet. Guests are always welcome for any of our studies! Also, several times a year we gather at Doug and Ann Edenfield Sweet’s home for food, fellowship, and to watch a movie.   

If you have questions, please contact Doug Sweet (505-554-6047 or email DougSweet52@gmail.com) who serves as the lead teacher.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Youth News

Sunday 6/26: Reel To Real will resume from 4-6 p.m. this Sunday. Movies will be Encanto (mid high) and Dead Poets Society (Sr. high).

Mission Trip to Sacramento Camp 7/10-7/17: Forms are located at https://www.stjohns-abq.org/youth-ministries. If you need the Health form notarized, contact Joy our church secretary, she is a notary!

Independence Day Cookout July 3

The St. John’s Food Ministry is inviting everyone to an Independence Day Cookout on Sunday, July 3. Come enjoy grilled burgers, brats and hotdogs in the Family Life Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Just $12 for adults, $6 for ages 12-17, $3 for ages 5-11, and under 5 is free. Freely celebrate food, fellowship, and fun. No reservation required. All are welcome!

We need volunteers to help put on the lunch. If you are available, please sign up using the button below. If you have questions, text or call Nancy Douglas de Baca at 505-238-5895.

Youth Summer Music Sessions Start July 6

Have you always wanted to write your own music but didn't know where to start? Interested in the skills to play ukulele to take your songs everywhere you go? Join us for St. John's Summer Sessions with singer, songwriter, and guitarist Oscar Butler and the always entertaining music educating team Sean Umstead and Judy Castro. All youth grades 6-12 are encouraged to join us each Wednesday in July from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. for only $10 a session OR purchase all four sessions for a savings of $5! Reserve your spot now by clicking the button below. For more information contact tmacali@stjohns-abq.org.

Are You Being Called? Certified Lay Minister Classes on July 8 & 9

They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32) Have you felt your heart burning within you these past few months as you’ve heard the Scriptures opened up to you? Do you feel the nudge to serve others but just don’t know what to do or where to start? The Certified Lay Ministers at St. John’s is here to help you answer that call! Maybe you don’t know what you would be good at. Larry Luna will be leading a class in “Discovering Your Spiritual Gifts” that can help you find your strengths and skill set. Do you want to help with those who are homebound or in the hospital? Joe Marshall will be leading the class called “Lay Pastoral Care Giving”. Maybe you are being called into a deeper connection with Christ? Mike Furnish is leading a class on “Embracing Personal Prayer”.  

Classes are offered in-person at St. John’s on Friday, July 8, from 6–9 p.m. and Saturday, July 9, from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., with a limit of 8 participants per class – so register today to secure your spot. Refreshments and lunch will be provided. After registering for the class you will receive a confirmation email which includes the materials needed for the class.  

Courses Offered:

• “Embracing Personal Prayer” – This course will enhance your prayer life and your personal relationship with our Father.     
• “Discover your Spiritual Gifts” – This course helps participants understand spiritual gifts and how the church can use them to fulfill its mission and ministry.   
• “Lay Pastoral Care Giving”- This course offers insights into the life span and the dynamics of contemporary life to help the church reach out with God’s love and care to others.  
• Cost for the class is $45.00 

Use the button below to register for the Lay Servant Course of your choice.  

Men's Summer Bible Study: Joseph and Daniel

Starts July 11

This summer we'll study two 'strangers in a strange land', Hebrew men who find themselves in the court of a foreign king. Hopefully, we'll discover ways of coping when we find ourselves 'out of place,' in situations that are unexpected and challenging.

We'll be meeting for FOUR MONDAYS, July 11 - August 1. We will have both morning and evening sessions, either 10-11:30 a.m. or 7-8:30 p.m. We'll also be taking advantage of the hybrid possibilities at church allowing men to attend both morning or evening sessions live or via Zoom. If you want to meet in person, come to Room 257, which is set up with camera, microphone, and screen to also allow Zoom participants.

If interested, please contact Jack Nuzum at jcnuzum@juno.com or 505-221-9522.

Women's Bible Study on Forgiving What You Can't Forget Starts July 12

Our next Women's Bible Study will be on the book Forgiving What You Can't Forget by Lysa Terkeurst:

• July 12 - August 23 (7 weeks), Tuesdays, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. IN PERSON
• Facilitator: Shanlii Payment
• Register by emailing donnabruce@comcast.net



When you've experienced hurt upon hurt or your heart has been completely shattered, offering forgiveness can feel unrealistic. We know God commands us to forgive. But how? Why? When? And are there exceptions? Though forgiveness is a major part of the Christian faith, most of us have never been taught much about it and have many unanswered questions. After over 1,000 hours of theological study, Lysa has discovered and will share Scripture that not only provides the truth about forgiveness that our souls desperately need, but offers practical ways to let go of our bound-up resentment and finally heal.

United Women in Faith Rummage Sale:

July 29 & 30 

As you begin accumulating donations for our rummage sale, here's a few tips to remember: 1) There's no need to pre-price books or clothing --- we will simply post price signs for these two general categories; 2) As you price your other items, please note that we've set a minimum price of 50 cents, so you may find it necessary to group a couple of items together to equal a value of 50 cents; and 3) Please remember that we are unable to accept: TV's, computers, and other electronics, as we have no way to test their workability for the customer; mattresses; underwear; soiled pillows; unclean kitchenware; gigantic furniture; and magazines, law books, or textbooks. It takes a lot of good and clean donations to make a successful sale, so we truly appreciate your willingness to make this happen! Thank you, and enjoy the rummaging!

Call to Action on Responsible Gun Ownership

Dear Beloved of St. John’s,

Last week at the New Mexico Annual Conference, we were challenged and invited to add our voices and our names to a Call to Action on Responsible Gun Ownership in response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas as well as the mass shooting in Buffalo, New York. This Call to Action frames some of these tragic issues around the reality of gun violence in our culture, around a theology of care for the vulnerable, especially the children, and calls on our elected officials in New Mexico, Texas, and Washington, DC to support and act upon responsible firearm legislation. If this is something that you would like to lend your voice to, and add your name to, you can find more information by clicking this link.

Blessings,

Randall

COVID Cases on the Rise

COVID cases are on the rise in New Mexico and church members and participants have reported catching the virus. We ask everyone to take the necessary precautions to keep themselves and everyone safe. If you would prefer to attend worship online during this time, you can access our full schedule of livestream services on the Online Worship page of our website. 

Volunteers Needed to Serve Communion

We are needing volunteers to assist our pastors in serving communion to our congregation Sunday mornings at both the 8:15 a.m. and the 11:00 a.m. services. We need two people to stand next to each pastor to offer the cup to our congregants. For more information, please contact Brenda Rogers, by phone (505) 293-7948, or by email wewasus@hotmail.com.

Virtual Hospitality Team Needed

Online, livestreamed worship is something we moved to out of necessity during the pandemic but is something that we will carry forward as part of our regular services of worship. We are wanting to build a core team of “online greeters”—volunteers who are willing to engage in chat and comments with others during our online services. If you worship online with us regularly (or at least fairly often) and are willing to help us engage with the hundreds of folks who are part of our online community, please let Pastor Randall or Pastor Tiffany know. This is uncharted territory for many congregations, but we are eager to learn how to love God, love others, and change lives in new ways!

June Special Offering: Ministries to Refugees 

The number of refugees all around the world seems to only increase. People from Afghanistan and Ukraine are the latest, and we have a number of opportunities to help those who are settling in New Mexico.

We may donate items and/or donate funds. We are partnering with Lutheran Family Services, the group currently coordinating refugee resettlement in Albuquerque. As the Bible tells us, "God loves foreigners and gives them food and clothing, and you too must love foreigners for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt." (Living Bible- Deuteronomy 10:18) If you would like to donate items, these are the supplies that are being requested:

• Cleaning supplies: dish soap, paper towels, laundry detergent, bathroom cleaner (Ajax, Comet, 409, Clorox spray, etc.)
• Kitchen: trash cans (13 gal), trash bags (13 gal)
• Furniture: tables, side tables, couches, chairs
• Other items: mops, shower curtains, toilet paper, alarm clocks

Some of these items are duplicates with what we are collecting for Silver Horizons this month. If you have a preference where your item(s) go, please tag the items with "SH" (for Silver Horizons) or "Refugees". Otherwise, we will divide duplicate items equally between the two organizations. Thank you so much for all you do for those in need!

Fire Relief Update

Thank you for your generosity! St. John’s contributed just over $6900 for Fire Relief efforts in our Annual Conference!

Pastor 24-Hour Hotline | (505)585-5435 

Pastor care is available for after hours emergencies. Any congregational care needs, please send those to Pastor Tiffany at thollums@stjohns-abq.org as we all work together to love one another well.