Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. | |
|
The Gospel lesson (John 2:13-22 ESV - Jesus Cleanses the Temple - The - Bible Gateway) for this past Sunday (Third Sunday in Lent) was Jesus' cleansing of the temple in Jerusalem. In driving out the moneychangers and animals, Jesus restored his Father's house to its intended purpose: a house of prayer. This action pointed ahead to Jesus' coming death, when the temple of his body would be given on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for our sin. And now, because of what Jesus has done, our own bodies have become a temple for the Holy Spirit, a dwelling place for the Lord. As the sermon (St. John's Lutheran Church: Alexandria, VA > Spring Cleaning (sjlc.com) pointed out, the "spring cleaning" that Jesus did at the temple, as well as through the offering of himself upon the cross, moves us to do some spring cleaning in our own lives as we continue on our journey to Easter joy.
In Christ,
Pastor Meehan
| |
|
Friends of Music Series
The Friends of Music at St John’s invites congregation members and non-members to support our music program, and take part in the musical life of the church through special services and concerts. To contribute to the program, visit our website and choose "Music of Friends" from the Fund dropdown menu. Financial support from The St. John’s Friends of Music will support concerts and musicians for special worship services throughout the year by covering costs that exceed the annual music budget.
Our first concert will be an organ recital by Director of Music and organist, David Leahey. The recital will take place at St. John’s on Sunday, March 17 at 4:00PM.
For more information on the Friends of Music initiative please visit www.sjlc.com/friends-of-music
| |
|
Church Council Meeting on Sunday, March 10
St. John's governing board, the Church Council, will meet next on Sunday, March 10 at 12:30PM. This will be an in person meeting and, as always, needs and concerns from members of the congregation are welcome and invited. Questions? Please contact Denise Canter, Congregational President.
| |
|
|
From the Finance desk...
Did you know that you can give to St. John's directly from your Individual Retirement Arrangement/Account (IRA)? If you are 70 1/2 years old or older you can make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) directly from your IRA that is not taxed by the IRS or included in your taxable income when you file your taxes each year. And if certain conditions are met, QCDs can also count toward the required minimum distributions that those age 73 or older must meet each year if they have traditional IRAs.
For more information on how to take advantage of this arrangement, visit the IRS website or call your financial advisor or IRA trustee today!
| |
|
Girls Scouts - Celebrate Faith Day - March 10
Calling all Girl Scouts to join us for Girl Scout Sunday, March 10 at 10:30am worship. Please wear your uniform and arrive at 10:15am to help the ushers hand out bulletins or to help with other needs for the service. This day celebrates the powerful ties between Girl Scouting and faith. Girl Scouts are encouraged to connect their faith to the Girl Scout Law and earn the religious recognitions of their faith. Let’s honor the Girl Scouts and adult volunteers who give their time and talents in service of others! Visit us at girlscouts.org/faith for more info.
“The motivating force in Girl Scouting is spiritual.” — Preamble, Constitution of Girl Scouts of the USA
At the heart of Girl Scouting are many of the same values most faiths hold:
- Supporting girls
- Making our world a better place
- Building compassionate leaders
| |
|
Easter Flowers
Please donate to beautify our Sanctuary for Easter. Altar Care seeks financial contributions for the variety of Easter plants that will be displayed. Donations can be made online or by leaving an envelope marked “Flowers” in the offering plate or with the Church Office. If you would like a dedication to appear in the worship bulletin, please provide the information no later than Tuesday, March 26. Thank you for your contribution.
| |
|
Town Hall Meetings
Thank you for joining us at our in person town hall meeting this past Sunday regarding the growth potential of St. John's Lutheran Church. The architect, council, and campus projects team thank you for your feedback. For those that were not able to attend please sign up for one of our upcoming virtual meetings. Click here to view the architect's PowerPoint presentation from the March 3 meeting.
The next two meetings will be held as follows:
-
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.
-
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.
| | |
|
|
Early Childhood Education Center Report to Congregation
For updates on St. John's Lutheran Church's ECEC, please click this link to read a letter from the ECEC Board Chairperson, Dr. Pat Zissios.
| |
|
Easter Candy Donations
We are collecting donations of Easter candy and plastic Easter eggs to be used for our annual Easter Egg Hunt. We stuff and hide around 500 eggs so all the donations we receive are a big help to our budget. Please make sure donations are NUT FREE. Donations may be left in the box in the narthex.
| |
Teen Spring Fling - to SKYZONE
Teens are invited to join us on Sunday, March 10, at 2:00PM at SkyZone in Springfield for an afternoon of jumping, climbing, and having fun! The cost is $20 per teen. Teens will need transportation to and from SkyZone. Friends are welcome. Click here for more information and to sign up.
|  | |
Financial Update - January 2024
The January 2024 financial report starts out on a positive note! There was an answer to prayer as more offerings were received than anticipated, and the operating expenses were less than anticipated. As always, a shout out of thanks to the generosity of the congregation.
The ECEC January 2024 financial report also starts out on a positive note! Income was more than anticipated and expenses were less than expected. We look forward to the upcoming commencement of enhancing the playground area.
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, (Council.Treasurer@sjlc.com).
|  |  | |
Looking Ahead
-
March 10 - Daylight Saving Time begins (spring forward - set clocks ahead 1 hour), SJLC Teens @ Sky Zone
-
March 11 - 1st Zoom Renovation Meeting
-
March 17 - Organ Recital by David Leahey
-
March 19 - 2nd Zoom Renovation Meeting
-
March 24 - Palm Sunday and beginning of Holy Week
-
March 31 - Easter Sunday
| |
|
Important Links
-
Facebook Live for viewing live services or educational opportunities as well as those previously recorded.
-
YouTube for viewing church services
-
Click here for the bulletins
| | | | |
