CONNECT...in Worship
Saturday, November 7, 2020 at 5:05 PM (The 505)

Sunday, November 8, 2020 at 9:00 AM (Traditional)

"The End!
The Beginning of Greater Preparation"

Preaching: Senior Pastor Ben Roberts
Worship Leader: Associate Pastor Mark Stapleton
Old Testament Lesson: Amos 5:18-24
Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Holy Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13

Have you ever run out of something when you needed it the most? A kitchen item? Batteries? Medicine? What if running out means you lose an opportunity forever? As we begin our series, “The End!...Or The Beginning?”, we hear Jesus tell the story of 10 women with lamps…and only 5 of them have enough oil. When the other 5 run out and have to get more, they miss the boat and are shut out of the marriage feast…for GOOD. In the same way, when Jesus comes again, will we be prepared to meet Him? Or will we be caught empty-handed because we “ran out of oil”? If we find that this is the case, today we can engage in greater preparation that can prevent us from being “shut out” of the kingdom of heaven. What good news, however! Jesus does everything to prepare us for His return…and challenges us to greater trust in Him until He comes again!
NEW SERMON SERIES STARTS THIS WEEKEND!

The End!...Or The Beginning?
What Our Lord Calls Us To Focus On Before He Comes Again

If there is one thing the year 2020 has taught us, it’s this: be prepared. Were we prepared for a pandemic? Were we prepared for unrest in our nation? Were we prepared to go back to school? Were we prepared to live a “new normal”? In more ways than one, 2020 has felt like the end of the world! But what about “THE END”, when Jesus comes back in the same way He came, to judge, to resurrect, to save? Will you be prepared? This series, “The End!...Or The Beginning?”, will focus on three sayings of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew as He tells His disciples about “The End”. But in each one, Jesus is not only speaking of the Last Day. He is telling His disciples what to focus on to prepare for His arrival. We will look at three areas we can “begin” to engage in today, so that “The End” will be a “beginning” of eternal bliss in the presence of our coming Lord!

11/7-8: The End! The Beginning of Greater Preparation (Matthew 25:1-13)
11/14-15: The End! The Beginning of Greater Stewardship (Matthew 25:14-30)
11/21-22: The End! The Beginning of Greater Vision (Matthew 25:31-46)
WORSHIP SCHEDULE & SUNDAY MORNING EDUCATION
November 7 - 8, 2020
 
Saturday Schedule
"The 505" - Contemporary Worship Service at 5:05 PM
(In-Person and Livestreamed)
 
Sunday Schedule
Traditional Worship Service at 9:00 AM
(In-Person and Livestreamed)
 
Sunday Education Opportunities

MORE THAN THE MESSAGE IS BACK!
Sundays, 10:15-11:15am
Join Pastor Ben, either in-person at St. John's or online on Zoom, for a study of the passage that his message is based upon. Gain more insights and teachings than can be packed into a 15 minute message! Strengthen your faith in Jesus and the life He has for you!
In-person: St. John's Sanctuary
Online: Zoom (link and description in article below)

10:15 - 11:15 AM - Sunday School Education Hour
(will be held in the Heritage Room)
 
(Everyone should have received an e-mail titled "In-Person / Livestreamed Worship Services" that was sent on Wednesday, November 4. Click "HERE" to view that e-mail and obtain additional information about our In-Person and Livestreamed Worship Services being this weekend.)
More than the Message

“The End!
The Beginning of Greater Preparation” 
Join Pastor Ben, either in-person at St. John's or online on Zoom, for a study of the passage that his message is based upon. Gain more insights and teachings than can be packed into a 15 minute message! Strengthen your faith in Jesus and the life He has for you!

Sundays, 10:15-11:15am
In-person: St. John's Sanctuary
Online: Zoom (link below)

Ben Roberts is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: More Than The Message
Time: Nov 8, 2020 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)
    Every week on Sun, until Dec 20, 2020, 7 occurrence(s)
    Nov 8, 2020 10:00 AM - Dec 20, 2020 10:00 AM

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

Join Zoom Meeting

Phone #: 312-626-6799
Meeting ID: 749 0994 2552
Passcode: 505
E-SUNDAY SCHOOL AT ST. JOHN'S



MOSES MEETS GOD
 ON A MOUNTAIN
Moses had an amazing meeting with God on a mountaintop. God sent a great cloud to cover the mountain, and loud thunder and flashes of lightning filled the sky. The earth shook and Moses heard God speaking directly to him. God had a special message to give Moses, and he stayed on the mountain forty days listening to God’s instructions, the Ten Commandments. What were God’s people doing while they waited for Moses to return? They were having a wild and crazy party. Their singing and shouts were so loud that Moses could hear the noise from far away as he came down the mountain, and he knew that God would be very angry. We’ll find out what happens next in our Bible story.

Lesson materials will be emailed to all Sunday School and Wednesday Bible School families. If you do not receive your package, contact Dalyne Shinneman at dalyne.shinneman@gmail.com or call 630.772.1688.

HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH GROUP
Attention All High School Youth!

Volleyball at Memorial Park
Tree Decorating at the Zoo
This Saturday, November 7, is supposed to be 70 degrees!  We are changing the time and the place to meet. We want to go to play volleyball at Memorial Park again from 2-3:30pm. The youth will be decorating a Christmas tree at Brookfield Zoo on Sunday, November 22nd from 1 -3pm. Once we are done, we can walk around. There is a limit of 15 people, so if you have not RSVPed to join us, you have until November 13 to let me know! Ultimately, we are trying to choose what we feel is safe and what is best for everyone, so if we make changes, we will inform you through an email. If you have any questions about our youth group, please email:  v.wykert@sjlagrange.com

CHURCH NEWS!
St. John's Cemetery Fall Clean Up Day
Saturday, November 7
8:30 am to noon
TASK LIST includes cutting down and raking up perennial flowering plants, removing and bagging old and damaged gravesite decorations for disposal, marking lot corners, and setting snow plow guides along road corners.
BYO rakes and a hedge trimmer or two would be a great help.
LUTHERAN WOMEN IN MISSION - NEWS AND EVENTS!
LWML NID SELECTS NEW MISSION GRANTS FOR NEW BIENNIUM
The votes are in! On August 29/30, delegates of the LWML NID cast their ballots ahead of their virtual Convention on Saturday, September 12. They elected officers, approved bylaws changes, adopted a Mission goal for the new biennium, and selected mission projects to be supported by their mite offerings. With $93,750 allocated for grants, six proposals were chosen to be fully funded by our LWML NID and a 7th grant will receive a portion of what they requested. To learn more please click on the link: "HERE"
HONEY SUNDAY
Since we will not be able to order our honey in person this year, please go to DakotaRanch.org/ORDERHONEY to receive and use the on-line form to order your bottle(s) of honey. On-line orders will go directly to the Ranch and the the honey will be mailed to you. No more than 10 bottles of honey can be mailed to one address; and none can be mailed out of the U.S.
"Thank You All!" from the Board of Stewardship. During these tough times, for those who have been financially able to donate money to St. John's normally spent on things like gas, dry cleaning, auto maintenance, car washes, haircuts and restaurants/entertainment...the church thanks you greatly! Your generosity is appreciated.
CONNECT...in Bible Study and Small Groups
Click "HERE" for additional information on these opportunities!
ST. JOHN'S MINISTRIES (Inreach and Outreach)
 
Everyone should have received our "St. John's Ministries" e-mail that was sent on Monday, November 2. Click "HERE" to view that e-mail and obtain additional information about these wonderful outreach events. 

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONDAY EMAIL THAT WAS SENT ARE BELOW!
As we look forward to Christmas, our nation and our world are still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. Many are looking for comfort and peace and we want to do all we can to help them find hope in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Operation Christmas Child team has been working hard to make sure they can safely collect and deliver shoebox gifts. The National Collection week is November 16-23rd, the week before Thanksgiving. They understand there are challenges of packing shoeboxes in this unusual year. 

  • Boxes are available before and after the 505 service on Saturday evening and before and after the 9:00 am service on Sundays. 
  • The first graders will also be doing Operation Christmas Child boxes for their Eagles in Action project and will distribute boxes to the other classrooms.  
  • You can also personalize a shoebox or two ONLINE for $25 per box at samaritanspurse.org/occ.  

The deadline to turn in or to personalize a box online will be Sunday November 15, 2020. 
Meals To Go

St. John's Meals to Go program was recently highlighted in the LCMS Northern Illinois District News. Here is the link: NIDnews.org

There will be a Thanksgiving Meal provided by Meals to Go for people in need. Also a food pantry collection is shcheduled for November 24 from 11:30 - 1:30 during the pie pick up. The final Meals to Go is scheduled for December 6th.
Note: If your Mission gets clipped in your email, click your "view entire message" link to go on reading about opportunites at St. John's.
FOOD PANTRY NEEDS: November's featured item is BARS OF SOAP
  • Please deposit featured item in the box in the narthex.

CEMETERY FALL CLEAN UP DAY: November 7, 2020
  • More information above

PIE FUNDRAISER: November 1 - 15, 2020
  • Click "HERE" for more information.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD:
  •  Click "HERE" for more information.
  • Boxes are due by November 15, 2020.

HONEY SUNDAY: On your own this year, please donate online
  • Orders can be placed "HERE"

TREE TRIM AT BROOKFIELD ZOO: Sunday, November 22, 2020 at 1:00 PM


(Click "HERE" to obtain additional information about these wonderful events.) 
SCHOOL OFFICE
Click on the TRIP logo above for more information on
how to donate gift cards to families in need during COVID-19
Purchase gift cards through our school’s fundraiser for essential goods such as groceries, gas, restaurants, and cleaning supplies, to donate to those in our community.

As COVID-19 widens and families are impacted by hardships related to closed schools, limited access to childcare, work limitations, and more, we have a unique opportunity to help support our community and families.
Click on the TRIP logo above for more information!
November is here!
Time to start holiday shopping and get ready for cooler weather clothing or for anything – start with TRIP cards. See attached article for regular order dates.

Our next order dates are November 9th, 16th and 30th,
 7:45 am at Door A.
Please email Amy Buonassisi at amybuonassisi@gmail.com
if you are placing an order.


Saturday Worship
505 Contemporary
Worship Service at 5:05 p.m.
(Click "here" for the song playlist)
 
Sunday Worship
Traditional Worship Service
at 9:00 a.m.


PLEASE NOTE: All Worship Services will be available on our Livestream YouTube Page shortly after they are Livestreamed.
Office: (708) 354-1690 x210