CONNECT...in Worship
Saturday, October 31, 2020 Holy Communion 2-3 pm

Saturday, October 31, 2020 at 5:05 PM (The 505)
Holy Communion immediately following service

Sunday, November 1, 2020 at 9:00 AM (Traditional)
Holy Communion immediately following service 

"A Vision of Heaven for Life on Earth"

Preaching: Senior Pastor Ben Roberts
Worship Leader: Associate Pastor Mark Stapleton
Epistle: 1 John 3:1-3
New Testament Reading: Revelation 7:9-17
Holy Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12
At Christmas is sung “God rest you merry, gentlemen,” with “tidings of comfort and joy.” Those tidings were made because our Lord had entered human history. We will finally realize those tidings for ourselves when we join the saints in eternal glory, they who are seen in the vision we will read from Revelation. In the meantime, in these mean times, we rely on hope to get us through each day, as St. Paul writes in the Epistle. That hope is based on our being God’s adopted children, brothers and sisters of our risen Lord Jesus. It is both comforting and joyful, no matter our circumstances. As Jesus proclaims in the Gospel’s Beatitudes, people with such hope are blessed indeed!
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Remember to set your clocks back this weekend!
WORSHIP SCHEDULE & SUNDAY MORNING EDUCATION
OCTOBER 31 - November 1, 2020
 
Saturday Schedule
In Person Holy Communion from 2-3 pm

"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!

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 and description in article below)

10:15 - 11:15 AM - Sunday School Education Hour
(will be held in the Heritage Room)
WORSHIP INFORMATION
 
(Everyone should have received an e-mail titled "In-Person / Livestreamed Worship Services" that was sent on Wednesday, October 28. Click "HERE" to view that e-mail and obtain additional information about our In-Person and Livestreamed Worship Services being this weekend.)
Brothers and sisters in Christ,

While we are still gathering for in-person worship (and still offering our services online), due to rising case numbers of those infected with COVID-19 in our region, we will be reducing our capacity at our weekend worship services to 50 until further notice, starting this weekend. We thank you for your understanding and patience! We will continue to monitor the situation as it impacts our weekly worship. Above all, continue to hold this pandemic up in prayer to our Lord above. Whatever changes may come as the days, weeks and months wear on, the Lord's steadfast love for us in Jesus will never change!
All Saints' Day

This weekend, on October 31 and November 1, 2020, St. John's will be honoring people who have passed away during the past year (November 1, 2019 - October 31, 2020) at our worship services.

Arthur H. Schroeder, Jr.
Barbara Ann Birmingham
Marilyn Mahn
Wayne A. Solomon
Verne Edward Rezabek
Rev. James Haberkost
Nusie Fernandez
Richard Seeman
Frederick Robert Noerenberg
Steve Pearson
Diane Sutkus
William Craig
Jeannette Louise Mueller
John Tinnon
Geraldine Wasik
Diane Fator
Edgar Swarthout

More than the Message

A Vision of Heaven for Life on Earth
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 1, 2020 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)
    Every week on Sun, until Dec 20, 2020, 8 occurrence(s)
    Nov 1, 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

On Sunday, October 25th, Reformation Sunday, five youth confessed their faith before God and His Church during a private Rite of Confirmation. Our confirmands for the year 2019-2020 are:

Caroline Strubbe
Elise Ferro
Lauren Sanduski
Lizette Williams
Madeline Richard

Congratulations to our confirmands! May the Lord bless and keep them in the one, true faith unto life everlasting!

For additional photos, click Here. To view the Rite of Confirmation, you may go to St. John's YouTube page:


E-SUNDAY SCHOOL AT ST. JOHN'S



ARE WE THERE YET?
Going on a long trip can be tiring, and sometimes we wonder how much longer the trip will take. Have you ever said, "Are we there yet?"  

The Israelites were about to begin a very long trip - their journey to the land God had promised them would take a long time. God had performed many miracles as He defeated Pharaoh and safely guided Moses and the Israelites out of Egypt. They shouldn’t have been worried about the future because God had promised that He would lead them. But now the people found themselves in the desert without a map to follow. They began to complain, asking Moses where they were going and how long it would be before they reached God's Promised Land. "Moses," they cried, "we need water, we need food. We will starve in this desert. We should have stayed in Egypt." Our Bible story tells us how God took care of His people and what happened on their journey.

Lesson materials, including an amazing science experiment you can do at home, 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!

The next date for youth group is Saturday, November 7 from 6:30-8pm. We will be playing Glow in the Dark Volleyball at St. John's Gym.  

If you have any questions about the Youth Program at St. John's please contact Vicki Wykert at 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!

October is the month when the hardworking Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML) committees would gather together for an interdepartmental meeting in St. Louis, Missouri. Like many in-person activities, this year will be completed through a series or large and small group Zoom meetings. Click "HERE" to read the rest of this article and see all the great things that are going on this time of year.
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, October 26. 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: October's featured item is DEODORANT
  • Please deposit featured item in the box in the narthex.

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

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

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

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

TRIM A TREE AT THE ZOO: Sunday, November 22, 2020
  • More information forthcoming.

(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 2nd, 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