Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pastor Meehan and Jennifer have returned from their respective vacations and are back in the office this week. Welcome back, Pastor and Jennifer!

From the Pastor's Desk - June 2022

The funeral service will take place in the Sanctuary at St. John's on Saturday, July 2 at 10:00AM. The funeral service will be live streamed at www.sjlc.com/live to view on Facebook or YouTube. Immediately following the service, a luncheon will be held in the Fellowship Hall. Burial will be at 2:00PM at National Memorial Park, 7482 Lee Hwy, Falls Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions (select "Varner, Laura Memorial") have been directed by the family to St. John's Lutheran Church. Please ensure that all gifts are designated "in memory of Laura Varner." Cards and expressions of sympathy may be sent to this address:

A Celebration of Life memorial service will take place in the Sanctuary of St. John's on Saturday, July 9 at 11:00 AM. The service will be live streamed on St. John's YouTube Channel. A luncheon will be held in the Fellowship Hall following the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions (select "Nass, Pastor Bernard Memorial") have been directed by the family to St. John's Lutheran Church. Please ensure that all gifts are designated "in memory of Pastor Ben Nass."

Have you had an interest in joining the choir but didn't have the time or didn't want to commit to singing every Sunday? Summer Choir is just the thing for you. Everyone is invited—including children with choral experience—to join us to learn an easy anthem or hymn on Sunday mornings, starting July 3. We will meet at 8:30 AM and prepare for the service.

We would love to have you! If you or your child are interested in joining, please complete the CCB form. Questions? Please contact David Leahey, SJLC Director of Music.

Share Sunday is the first Sunday of each month at St. John’s, which will be next Sunday, July 3. Please consider picking up some extra non-perishable items from Koinonia's most recent "needs" list when you are at the store. Your donations can be left in the shopping cart at the church on Sunday, July 3, or you may drop them off at Koinonia. Please share the blessings God has bestowed on you by helping those in need through Koinonia, the Franconia-Kingstowne community service agency. Thank you!

  

Join us this summer for our Nurturing Your Faith Sunday morning Bible study. Pastor Meehan and Jennifer Hills will lead this series as we explore this two-part series from Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Part one Nurturing Your Faith: Life Together explores the letter of 1 Peter and its implication for believers. We are transformed by God through faith. Led by His Spirit of hope to live holy before Him, we love and serve those in our communities while struggling against the world's influence. Our churches, too, should be welcoming places to non-believers who are looking for integrity, relevance, and a commitment to God's truth. Study author and host Dr. Dale Meyer introduces each video session.

Part two Nurturing Your Faith: Called is based on Ephesians. God calls us to faith through His Word, through Baptism, through Communion, and through the witness of faithful Christians. In Nurturing Your Faith: Called, learners will see how God's call changes us and shapes us into His people. Called from the world to be new creations, by faith we recognize God at work in our lives. There will be challenges; however, as we find our voice to speak the truth in love, the world will try to silence us. Thankfully, it is God's Spirit who empowers us, giving us the words to say.

Teens and adults are invited to join us for this summer series. This series begins July 10 and will wrap up on August 28. Each session will be from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm in the fellowship hall. This is a hybrid class. Participants may attend in-person or virtually. Advance registration is requested.  Please click here to register for this class.

During the summer season when many people travel and are on vacation, be sure to worship with fellow Christians wherever you may be. Should you worship with another faith tradition, observe what is different and what is similar to our own worship patterns as these give glory and praise to our triune God. Bring a bulletin back and post it in the Narthex. Go to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) website to find another sister congregation near to where you’ll be vacationing.

Please ensure that your tithes and offerings for the ministry and mission of our congregation continue while you are away. You may want to consider electronic funds transfer which allows your contributions to take place automatically weekly, monthly, or on whatever frequency you choose. If you’d like more information about how this might work for your household, please contact Jennifer Smith, St. John’s Finance Administrator. 

St. John's Lutheran ECEC is looking for a positive, motivated, and fun-loving teacher to join our team! We have a full-time lead teacher position currently available. The candidate must be available to work flexible hours Monday-Friday between the hours of 6:30am-6pm. For a list of other duties and requirements, and to apply for the position, click here.

St. John's ECEC is looking for a positive, motivated, and fun-loving teacher to join our team for the summer! We have a seasonal floater position currently available. The floater will provide support and assistance throughout the school, and assist in different classrooms as necessary. This can be either a part-time position (25-30 hours per week) or a full-time position (30-40 hours per week), but the candidate must be available to work Monday-Friday between the hours of 12PM-6PM. For a list of other duties and requirements and to apply, click here.

Please save the date for National Night Out which will take place on Tuesday evening, August 2 on our westside campus at church. Food trucks, fire and police officials, music, and children’s games are planned. National Night Out is an annually occurring event that brings neighbors together to ensure the safety of the community. Watch for more information about National Night Out! Please contact the church office if you’d like to help or would like more information.  

We continue to offer Holy Communion each Wednesday at 12 noon. Based on feedback from individuals, we will continue with this midweek time of worship throughout the summer. All are welcome to join us. Please register here or feel welcome to contact the Church Office (703-971-2210).

Many of you may be aware that there has been an increase in COVID-19 cases in the Fairfax Health District (the "District" is comprised of Fairfax County, Fairfax City, and Falls Church City). Our policy is to follow the CDC guidance and since the first week in May, our "community level" has been at "medium." This is a change from our previous "low" transmission level!

The CDC website provides a link for anyone to check the current status of COVID transmission in their locality. Simply click here to keep up to date on the status of COVID transmission in your county or city.

Please be aware that, at this point, our "CDC Mask Guidance and St. John's" policy as shown in the article below, has not changed.

St. John’s policy has been to follow CDC guidance (Use and Care of Masks | CDC). Although health officials have now indicated it is okay not to wear a mask, even in indoor settings, members of our congregation may choose to mask at any time. Those exhibiting symptoms, or who have tested positive for COVID, or who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 should certainly strongly consider wearing a mask. Pastor Meehan and the Lay Assistants will continue to wear masks during the Distribution of Holy Communion.

Please note that if circumstances change and the transmission category for COVID is on the rise in our area, we will once again encourage everyone to wear a mask indoors. Feel welcome to contact the Church Office, 703-971-2210, should you have questions or concerns.

www.sjlc.com | 703-971-2210