Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. | |
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Jesus' ministry continues as He brings healing to Peter's mother-in-law, as well as many others in the Gospel lesson from this past Sunday, Mark 1:29-39. But in the midst of so many demands placed upon him, Jesus also seeks out quiet time to be in prayer with his heavenly Father. This is something we should pay attention to! Jesus, who is both our sacrifice for sin and our model of the godly life, strikes a balance between active serving and quiet contemplation. If Jesus needed that quiet time apart, how much more do we, as the sermon pointed out. When the demands of life are heavy and we feel out of balance, the unchanging love of Jesus for us draws us back, reminding us that nothing in all of creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Join us for worship next Sunday, February 11, as the Epiphany season comes to a close and we celebrate the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ. We sing "farewell to Alleluia" as the season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 14.
In Christ,
Pastor Meehan
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Church Council Meeting on Sunday, February 11
St. John's governing board, the Church Council, will meet next on Sunday, February 11 at 1:00PM. This will be a virtual meeting and, as always, needs and concerns from members of the congregation are welcome and invited. Questions? Please contact Denise Canter, Congregational President.
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Scout Camp Cards - Sunday February 11
Members of the Scouts will be in the narthex Sunday morning before and after worship selling camp cards. You can help them travel to the Northern Tier by purchasing cards.
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Tackle Hunger - February 11
In 1990, Souper Bowl of Caring began in another state with a simple prayer from a single youth group: "Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those without a bowl of soup to eat." Since then, more than $170 million has been generated for local charities across the country through the Souper Bowl of Caring. A merger with the group Tackle Hunger created a powerful movement that transforms the time around the Big Game into the nation's largest celebration of giving and caring for those in need.
You can join in and make a positive difference by placing food or money into the St. John's soup pots which will be located in the narthex on Sunday, February 11. Demonstrate care and compassion for our local community and share in God's love for our neighbors in need. All donations collected will go directly to Koinonia which, in turn, provides food for client families.
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Shrove Tuesday - Pancake Supper
Please plan on attending St. John’s Pancake Supper on February 13 from 5 to 7 PM. This is the last day of Epiphany and the carnival season.
Shrove (derived from the word shrive) Tuesday in years past, was a time when Christians confessed their sins preparing themselves for the austerity of the Lenten season. Food such as bacon, sugar, eggs, and fats were forbidden during the 40 days and were used up so as not to be wasted. Come for some fellowship and food!!
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Prospective Member Class
For anyone interested in making St. John's their home congregation, a prospective member class will be held in the Library during the Sunday morning Education Hour starting on Sunday, March 3, at 9:15AM. "Discipleship 101" is a 7-week class that uses Scripture and Luther's Small Catechism to explore both our faith as Lutheran Christians and our life together at St. John's, weaving together visits from our ministry servant leaders with our congregation's mission and vision.
St. John's New Member Team, together with Pastor Meehan, will lead this course. All materials will be provided. Please click here to register through the Church Office or call 703-971-2210.
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Lenten Devotional Booklets
Lenten devotional booklets through Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) are available for you to use in your personal and family devotions.
In Lamb of God, we rejoice that God’s Son has come to earth as the eternal Word, Jesus Christ. Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus is made known to us as both God and Man, full of grace and truth. He has come into the world to seek us out—you and me—to rescue us from the power of evil, and to make us His beloved children forever.
Jesus was born for sacrifice and servanthood. As God’s beloved Lamb, He intimately joined our lives in the flesh, compassionately healing, teaching, and loving us as our Good Shepherd. On the cross, He gave His life for our transgressions, and three days later He rose triumphant in victory over sin, death, and the devil.
These daily Lenten devotions will help strengthen and encourage your faith as you do the same for others. E-devotions for Lamb of God are available at Lamb of God (English) :: E-readers. Hard copies of the Lenten devotional booklet will be available in the Narthex at church starting next weekend.
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Special Lenten Worship Services
The 40-day Lenten season is a time of special devotion for Christians throughout all the world. Please join in these special worship services as we journey to the joy of resurrection and new life in Christ at Easter!
Wednesday, February 14
12 Noon & 7:30PM Ash Wednesday with imposition of ashes and Holy Communion
(livestreaming available)
Sundays, Lenten Worship Services
10:30AM - Holy Communion
February 18 and 25, March 3, 10, 17, and 24
Wednesdays, Midweek Lenten Worship
Noon - Holy Communion
February 21 and 28, March 6, 13, 20, and 27
(livestreaming available)
Thursdays, Lenten Bible Study with Compline
7:45PM - ONLINE ONLY (not recorded)
February 22 & 29, March 7, 14, and 21
Sunday, March 24
10:30AM Palm/Passion Sunday
(Holy Communion)
Thursday, March 28
7:30PM Maundy Thursday
(Holy Communion and stripping of the altar)
Friday, March 29
12 Noon & 7:30PM Good Friday
(No Communion)
Saturday, March 30
7:30PM Holy Saturday/Great Vigil of Easter
(Holy Communion)
Sunday, March 31
8:00AM & 10:30AM Resurrection of Our Lord: Easter Sunday
(Holy Communion)
Easter Breakfast and Easter Egg Hunt between worship services
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Online Lenten Bible Study
The season of Lent is a time for us to pause and reflect on the work the Lord is doing in our midst. This reflective time is the perfect time to set a part time from a very busy schedule to spend with the Lord and your brothers and sisters in faith. You are invited to join an online Lenten Bible study that will meet on Thursday evenings. Week by week, we will work our way through the Passion narrative of Jesus' suffering and death as found in Mark's Gospel.
Using Zoom as our online gathering space, each evening's session will begin with fellowship and conversation from 7:45-8:00 PM, and the Bible study will begin at 8:00 PM. The evening will close out with Compline, which is prayer at the close of day so that we are done by 9:00 PM. Pastor Meehan and Jennifer Hills will lead the Bible study.
The dates for these sessions are as follows:
- Thursday, February 22
- Thursday, February 29
- Thursday, March 7
- Thursday, March 14
- Thursday, March 21
Zoom login credentials will be shared with those who sign up, so please register in advance! Please click here to register for this class. Questions? Please contact the church office.
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Town Hall Meetings Next Month
Plan to participate in one of the town hall meetings next month to learn more about the proposal to renovate and expand our church facilities. Design drawings are posted in the Narthex at church, so please review and study these to see what our architect has proposed. The drawings have been presented to St. John's Campus Projects Team (CPT) as well as the Church Council, and both groups have given their approval. The next step is to bring these to the members of our congregation, which is the purpose of the town hall meetings next month in March. Your participation and input is crucial to this process! There will be both in-person as well as virtual town hall meetings, and our architect (John Recny) will be at each meeting to help answer questions. Each meeting should last approximately one hour.
Town hall meetings will be held as follows:
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Sunday, March 3 at 12 Noon (in-person) - This meeting will take place in the Fellowship Hall immediately after the 10:30AM worship service. Food and child care will be provided. Please sign up in advance so we know how many to plan for. If you signed up in the Narthex this past Sunday, your name has been added to the CCB sign-up form. No need to sign up again. Sign up here or through the SJLC app.
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Monday, March 11 at 7:00PM (virtual) - This meeting will take place on Zoom. Log-in credentials will be supplied to those who register to participate. Sign up here or through the SJLC app.
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Tuesday, March 19 at 7:00PM (virtual) - This meeting will take place on Zoom. Log-in credentials will be supplied to those who register to participate. Sign up here or through the SJLC app.
If you have questions or concerns, you are welcome to reach out to Mike Waring, Campus Projects Team chair or Denise Canter, Congregational President.
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Teen Bowling
Teens are invited to an afternoon of bowling on Sunday, February 18, at Bowlero in Alexandria. The cost for the afternoon is $20 and includes 2 hours of bowling and lunch. We will leave after church, and teens should be dropped off and picked up at the bowling alley. Click here to sign up for bowling.
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SJLC App - Feedback
Thank you to all of you who downloaded our new app. How is it going? We hope that you are enjoying using it and it is helping you to feel more connected to the church and to your fellow members. We would like to know what you think. Please click on this link to fill out the form and give us your feedback. We can't get better if we don't know that we need to. Thank you in advance for your feedback.
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Hypothermia Shelter 2024 - THANK YOU!
A big THANK YOU to all who supported our congregation's participation in the Hypothermia Shelter this year. Your prayers, food donations, time spent preparing and serving dinners and breakfasts, socializing and interacting with the guests, and staying overnight, all contributed greatly to meeting the needs of those who have no homes. Those we served were very grateful and often expressed that.
The people of St. Mark's Lutheran Church who host the shelter greatly appreciate our partnership in this effort. You truly embodied what "Being SJLC" - Serving Jesus, Living in Community is all about!
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The Resolution for Men Bible Study
On Wednesday, February 21, 2023, the SJLC Men's Group will begin The Resolution for Men Bible Study. The men's study group will meet on Zoom once a month on the 3rd Wednesday, from 8:00-9:00PM for eight sessions from February to September in 2024.
This study was inspired by the resolution challenge featured in the movie COURAGEOUS. The resolution contains 12 commitments related to characteristics that all men of God want to pursue, such as responsibility, faithfulness, honor, justice, forgiveness, integrity, and courage. In early October we will hold a Resolution Ceremony on the St. John's lawn by the three crosses with family and friends. The men and their families will be presented with resolution certificates.
If you are interested in joining this study or have questions, please email SJLCMen@sjlc.com or contact Greg Miller or Joe Godwin to sign up and get a copy of The Resolution for Men book and study guide.
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Missionary Spotlight Updates
Did you know that St. John's has the honor and blessing to support families who work around the world representing The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod by serving the Lord through missionary work. We recently received two updates from the Mantey and Wasmund Families.
Mark and Megan Mantey serve the Lord in Africa, while Matt, Dee Dee, and their girls Lily and Olivia Wasmund have been traveling to schools in Taiwan to help continue the beautiful Christmas traditions and by help to design original Sunday School material for schools across the Asia region.
If you would like to read more about these families, help support them through Mission Central, and/or make a donation through LCMS please click on the following links.
The Mantey Family
The Wasmund Family
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Financial Update
The December 2023 financial report closes out 2023 and the operating budget fared better than expected with a loss of $21,805 versus an expected loss of $62,311. Although operating revenue was not as high as anticipated, ministry leads practiced financial restraint and kept costs lower than expected. I truly hope our congregation will be blessed in 2024 as we tackle a challenging budget with a projected shortfall in income. Please prayerfully consider steps to meet the challenge in 2024.
The ECEC dipped into savings to pay half of the cost of renovating the playground up front. The $132,077.25 cost was not part of the budget for 2023 and explains the majority of the negative budget experienced by the ECEC. The operating budget of St. John's Lutheran Church has a dedicated line item for capital improvements and the remaining $132,077.25 will be paid for out of the capital improvement line item which leaves approximately $15,000 remaining.
May God bless you all for your abundant generosity!
More details are posted in the narthex or may be obtained from Jim Burroughs, Minister of Finance.
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Looking Ahead
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Sunday, February 11 - Transfiguration Sunday, Souper Bowl of Caring, Council Meeting
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Wednesday, February 14 - Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the 40-day Lenten season. Worship services will take place at 12 noon and 7:30 PM.
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February 18 - Teen Bowling, after church
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Important Links
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Facebook Live for viewing live services or educational opportunities as well as those previously recorded.
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YouTube for viewing church services
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Click here for the bulletins
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