December 30, 2021
Pastor's Reflection
Hello St. John’s Family,
 
Merry Christmas! I pray you have had opportunities to worship our Lord, to pause and reflect on the amazing gift the world has received, and to safely share in the celebration of Christ’s birth with cherished family and friends. It was so good be together Christmas Eve as we worshipped, communed at our Lord’s table, and again saw the silent beauty of the Light of the world overtaking darkness. At a time when the world desperately desires good news, we again experienced the Good News that can save and transform all people. Rejoice and celebrate – our Lord has come!
 
Christmas celebrations for the Leight family, though, haven’t proceeded as anticipated. Late in the day on Sunday (12/26), a tickle in Jen’s throat became worse. By Monday, a fever had arrived. A trip to the doctor returned a negative Covid test, yet Jen clearly had some type of virus. By Tuesday, that gift was passed to me. Yesterday, after waiting 4.5 hours in the urgent care parking lot, my test was positive. While not fun, the symptoms we have are manageable and seem to be passing quickly. We are both fully vaccinated and received a booster in late November; I’m confident that has lessened the impact of our symptoms.
 
I recognize this news will bring many questions – most critically, is the St. John’s congregation at risk? From the best we can tell, most of you are not at any greater risk from attending Christmas Eve services than you experienced from going out into the grocery store. All services and functions at St. John’s were fully masked (including when I was preaching) in the week leading up to Christmas, and there was a significant distance from me to you during those services. There is a slight risk for those who were at worship on Sunday, 12/26, as that date was approximately 48 hours prior to when I first had symptoms. For those who attended worship last Sunday, please be very mindful of any potential symptoms, and see your physician promptly if any develop. I haven’t been inside the St. John’s facility since Sunday (the office was closed Monday and Tuesday), so there shouldn’t be concerns regarding entering the facility.
 
As to the source of our infection, our best guess is that it came from the school system. As many parents are likely experiencing, we receive multiple notices of our child being a “possible Close Contact” from the local school each week. As Jen – who has much less contact with others than I do – exhibited symptoms first, we’re guessing this came from inside our house, and not from me or the congregation, though we cannot be certain.
 
This will obviously impact our worship services this weekend. I will be forwarding my sermon manuscript to Pastor Ruth, which she will share on Sunday. Be kind to her, and remember she’s sharing my preparations, not hers! Also, the Sacrament of Communion will not be celebrated this Sunday. Once all my symptoms diminish, I will wait 5 days before returning. At that point, I will be masked at all times, and will keep significant distance (without physical contact) for another 5 days to do all I can to limit any possibility of unintended transmission. I hope to return to worship Sunday, January 9th.
 
Clearly, much has been going through my mind. I will share more thoughts on that in the coming days, yet the overriding thought I keep returning to is thankfulness. That may sound silly, but it’s true. I’m thankful that I have immediate access to quality medical care, vaccines, and treatment when I’m ill. I’m thankful that, despite a LONG wait, I received a clear diagnosis. I’m thankful that I’m generally a healthy person, who tends to recover quickly, and that I have a safe, secure house in which to recover. The Christmas season is marked by rejoicing, and I am thankful that I am still able to do that, albeit from home. Philippians 4:4-7 has been the foundation of my devotions over the past few days – check that out when you have a moment. One thing I can say with certainty is that the peace of God does transcend all.
 
 Grace and peace,
  Pastor Brad
St. John's Office Schedule:

In observance of the New Year's Holiday, and to give our staff some well-deserved time with their families, the Church Office will be closed Friday the 31st. Thank you.
WORSHIP - SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Please click below to read the latest Congregational Update regarding COVID-19 measures:
WORSHIP

Worship this Sunday,
January 02, 2022

Contemporary 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.
OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY
Children's Activities This Week

Children's Sunday School will resume on
January 2nd.

Have a blessed New Year's
with family and friends!
Children's Message this Sunday!
All children age 4 through Grade 6 will check in at the mobile check-in cart located in the Narthex. Please remember to arrive early to check your child in. 

Pre-K - Grade 6
Sundays
10:30 - 11:30 AM

We trust God no matter what. Even when we face unexpected circumstances, we can respond to them with self-control. We can trust that we don't need to rush in or take matters into our own hands. We can trust that God is working. Please come and join us!
YOUTH GROUP

Youth Activities This Week


Have a blessed New Year's with family and friends!






Grades 7 - 12



YOUTH SUNDAY SCHOOL WILL RESUME ON JANUARY 9TH

Youth Night

Grades 7 - 12

January 9, 2022
7:15 - 8:30 pm
 Youth Lounge

Have a blessed and joyous New Year's!


EPIPHANY
Creche and Banner Presenters Needed
for the January 6th Epiphany Worship Service at 10:30

Children aged 4 - 12 to present a manger figure

Several Youth to present Advent banners
MUSIC MINISTRY
All God's Children Have a Place in the Choir!

Join the choir - you'll be glad you did.
MISSIONS/OUTREACH
Please save your aluminum tab tops for the UMW Naomi Circle collection for Ronald McDonald House. The collection bin is beneath the UMW bulletin board just off the Narthex.
Thank you for supporting this worthy cause.
Advent Offering 2021

Bright Future Academy
Pre-School
at El Mesias UMC, Kensington

For a church named El Mesias (the Messiah)
and a preschool named Bright Future,
located together on a street named Hope,
their hope is that with the help of their new friends at St. John's, all those names will prophesy a very bright future for the children and their parents.

Thank you to all those who have generously supported our Advent Mission Project, as we assist the Bright Future Academy at El Mesias UMC in North Philadelphia in providing a safe outdoor play surface for their young students. If you missed the video of our visit to Bright Future, please click the link below.

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
Starting January 12, 2022
Wednesday nights
at 7 PM in the parlor

Throughout Scripture, the people who were moved by the Holy Spirit knew Him in a personal way. In this study, we will gain a better understanding of the role the Holy Spirit played in the lives of early believers, and how we too can personally know the Holy Spirit in our own life.
Ken Lee, facilitator
Please contact the Church office or Lynne Tomlinson (215-378-9574 or Billynne1978@gmail.com) to order a book, Cost is $20.00
 The Upper Room
Devotionals
for
January/February 2022
are available in the Narthex

Be sure to pick up one for yourself
and one for a friend.
St. John's Book Club

When God Winks
by Squire Rushnell substantiates that every single one of us can constantly be guided by God. When you think about your own life, you realize just how important coincidences are. The question is are they really coincidences?

Join us Wednesday, January 12, 2022 at 10:00 AM or 7:00 PM in the Grace Cafe'. Carol Campbell & Barbara Schneider, facilitators.
UMW/UMM

Our heartfelt "thanks" goes to Maryanne May for her tireless efforts to serve our Lord. UMW recently acknowledged Maryanne with our Special Mission Recognition Pin.
January is a great time to join one of our Circles. You will make new friends, study and discuss selected faith-based topics, and work on one of several service projects. Contact Arlene Williams for more information.

ST. JOHN’S HAS TALENT!
 
St. John’s congregation has talented people with many wonderful and exciting experiences to tell. To showcase this talent, United Methodist Men will be featuring this talent at their monthly meetings on the third Saturday of each month.
 
Our January speaker will be Dr. Richard (Rick) Gray, who will be speaking on “Our Trip to Israel: My Spiritual Awakening”. Rick has a great story to tell and one I think everyone will find personally meaningful.
 
Please join us at The Sycamore Grill, 255 North Sycamore Street, Newtown on Saturday, January 15th at 10 a.m. We will enjoy a great breakfast, good fellowship and camaraderie, as well as Rick’s inspiring words.
 
Other talent who will be sharing with us in future months will include Sandy Rice and Jonathan Seamans.
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
820 Almshouse Road
Ivyland, PA 18974

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