St. John's Connections E-Newsletter

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Connections E-Newsletter - April 1, 2021

Holy Week

Maundy Thursday: April 1

Thursday: 3:30 PM, 6:00 PM (Livestream)

Good Friday: April 2

Friday: 1:00 PM, 3:30 PM, 6:00 PM (Livestream)

Easter: April 4 Weekend

Saturday: 6:00 PM

Sunday 6:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 9:30 AM (Livestream), 11:00 AM

Watch all Livestreams HERE

Much like our plans from this past Christmas services, Easter worship will require preregistration. St. John’s is hosting five worship services for Easter worship on April 3 and 4:

Saturday 6:00 PM, Sunday 6:00 AM, Sunday 8:00 AM, Sunday 9:30 AM, and Sunday 11:00 AM. We will continue to utilize the same socially distant seating pattern that is currently in place. Check-in ahead of each service will also be required, so please plan to arrive a few minutes early.

When you register for your preferred service time, you will see four seating options: Sanctuary, Balcony, Narthex (area before entering the sanctuary), and Gathering Space. Seating in the Gathering Space will utilize a video feed for participation. Seating options will be removed from that list as the available seating in that space is filled. Utilizing these spaces and options gives us additional seating and helps you and your household plan your Easter around worshiping together.

Please note that Maundy Thursday worship and Good Friday worship do not require preregistration at this time. However, we have added a 3:30 PM service for Good Friday along with the usual 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM services.

On Wednesday the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the statewide mask mandate, leaving counties and local organizations to enact their own individual policies. While we celebrate another opportunity to “return to normal”, the timing of this ruling is especially challenging for us at St. John’s as plans and policies for our Holy Week worship services have already been communicated over a period of several weeks. Numerous households have planned and registered for worship with confidence and understanding of St. John’s policies, prior to this ruling. Similar Covid related legislation changes have occurred in the past, and as communicated, our intent is to continue our practices through the weekend, await any local government expectations, and communicate the next phase of plans for St. John’s ministries the following week.

For this reason, masks at all of St. John’s worship services throughout Holy Week are strongly encouraged. We are asking that you please wear a mask out of love and support of your neighbor and in the Christian unity God calls us to as His congregation.

We understand the struggle this has been for many people of our community and congregation. We also know that the journey God has for us in worship this Holy Week brings us to the cross of Jesus; where our struggles, brokenness, and the sickness of sin have been securely dealt with through a Holy sacrifice, that we might come by God’s Grace, through faith, into His presence as forgiven children of God. How fitting it is that this Holy Week we would be called to “Return to the Lord.”

Resting In God’s Promises,

St. John’s Pastoral Team & Worship Ministry

2021 Men's Retreat - ReUp

We are back and ready to re-engage with you. 2020 was a year that challenged all of us. Whether it was physically, emotionally, or spiritually, this last year, was one many would like to forget. As we reflect on 2020, we are reminded of the one who is in control. God is God, and we are not. We are calling all men of St. John’s to ReUp their commitment to the Lord. An opportunity to reconnect with guys, re-establish our foundation in our faith and to be reminded of the great love our Father has for us.

The prefix “Re” means “again” or “back to the original place.” The theme “ReUp'' is not a question for us to consider. It is a reminder of our Confirmation in Faith; who we are and what it means to live our life as a Christian. Gentlemen, whether you have attended in the past or are considering attending for the first time, prayerfully consider joining us this year. It will prove to be a weekend that you won’t regret.

Pack your duffle, a coffee mug and Bible. This is going to be an impactful experience that will reinforce your faith, reunite you with your brothers in Christ, and reaffirm your faith in our Father. Men: It’s time to ReUp!

Connecting, Caring, and Sharing in Christ

Come join the Campus Care Team at St. John’s!

St. John’s has a full-time position available for the right team member to help keep our beautiful campus clean and well maintained inside and outside. St. John’s is a robust Lutheran Christian ministry with a highly reputable Elementary/Middle School (K-8th grade) and Early Childhood Center (Infant-K4). Experience in cleaning/light maintenance is preferred, but not a requirement. The successful candidate will have a great work ethic, be on-time, exhibit a good attitude and have a desire to become part of the team. We will train. This is an hourly position with wages based upon experience and skills.

St. John’s offers excellent health and retirement benefits that include vacation, retirement plan (403-b), pension plan, health insurance, LTD/STD, and other benefits.

If interested in interviewing for this position, please contact:

Janet Hatland

Director of Campus Care

St. John's Ev. Lutheran Church

809 S. 6th Ave., West Bend, WI 53095

262-334-4901 ext.316

jhatland@stjohnswestbend.org

Our New Guide Book & Directory is Here!

Check your mailbox for our new 2021 St. John's Guide Book & Directory. It should be arriving in the coming week!

The Advertisers helped provide this service at NO cost to our congregation. We encourage you to think of them in the future as your needs arise.

In Wisconsin, you definitely don't know what the weather will be like. What started off as a light rain turned into a heavier downpour. Thankfully we had wonderful volunteers to help switch last minute from hiding Easter Eggs on the Son Shine Community Park to putting together bags for families to pick-up for our Drive-thru Easter Egg Hunt. Thank you to all the families that drove out in the rain and picked up a bag of eggs to take home to hide and find them there. Also, thank you to Texas Roadhouse for donating free kids meal coupons for our Easter Egg Hunt! Our first Drive-thru Easter Egg Hunt was successful. We had a total of 104 kids receive a bag of Easter eggs & free kids meal coupon. Thank you also to everyone who helped stuff almost 4,000 eggs for our Easter Egg Hunt!

School Town Hall, 4/20/21, 6:30 PM, Church Sanctuary

The Parent Partnership Organization invites you to attend our school town hall. Mr. Jim Van Dellen will present on the year in review, a look ahead to the 2021-22 school year, and answer questions. Your family is encouraged to send at least one parent for this event. Due to protocols, child care will not be provided.

Please RSVP HERE

Have a question? Click HERE to complete the form for your question to be answered.

Email Camp Director Marcia Milam for any questions or to apply for a scholarship at mmilam@sjswb.org.

Confirmation of Faith

Confirmation has probably been a word at the back of your mind, if at all, in these troubled days. Due to the Coronavirus, our plans and routines have been thrown into disarray as businesses, churches, schools, and jobs have closed their doors. Even as society begins to open up again, it may take some time before we're "back to normal." So, what does that mean for those seeking to confirm their faith?

To use the old phrase: "There's no time like the present."

At St. John's, we do confirmation a little differently. Our approach is built around voluntary confirmation, which is confirmand-driven, and church-supported. Pastors work one-on-one with families in a relaxed, conversational atmosphere as we seek to help our confirmands take ownership of their faith and step forward with confidence in their beliefs alongside the rest of the church. When pastoral conversations are concluded, confirmands join the next available Promises of Grace class to complete the process and be both welcomed and celebrated with the rest of our new members.

Unsurprisingly, this "small scale" approach to confirmation allows both families and pastors a great deal of flexibility for scheduling, and even for taking proper precautions in the midst of times like these. Confirmation conversations have successfully been ongoing, even now.

God's promises are good at all times, and these times, in particular, are rich for exploring how faith and life come together in real ways. Don't add it to the always-growing list of "I'll get to that later." Come and see; come and be blessed!

Whether you're seeking to confirm your faith or want to support someone in your house as they seek to confirm theirs, give the church office a call (262-334-4901), and we'll see how we can walk together with you.

I was glad when they said to me,

"Let us go to the house of the Lord!" (Ps. 122:1)

It's Good to be Together in the Lord

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On this night known in the Church as Maundy Thursday, Jesus invites us to join Him once again at His Table. He knows our need for strengthening and reassurance. The place in which we gather is filled with the blessing of fellowship as we remember the new command of our Lord Jesus to love one another. Our Lord serves us in many ways, most singularly as the Host at His Table, where we receive His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. Time and again we are invited to return to the Table, where truly we experience a foretaste of the feast to come.

Peter addressed the people in Solomon’s Portico at the temple in Jerusalem after the time of Pentecost, and said directly, “Men of Israel . . . you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life” (Acts 3:12, 14–15). In the service of Good Friday, we reflect on that truth and remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for each of us. In the hymn "O Dearest Jesus," the hymnist describes the event with poignant beauty: “The Shepherd dies for sheep that loved to wander” (LSB 439:4). Good Friday, the day our Lord laid down His life, is good for us; it is the horrible day that had to happen to bring about our salvation.

The Day of Easter appeals to all of the senses—especially the sense of sight. With joy-filled eyes, we view our place of worship, which has a singular beauty at Easter. We return and see and rejoice. But the greatest visioning of Easter on this holy day is that we are called to come and see the risen Christ. By faith, we see the salvation won for us. This is the feast of victory for our God—and by His grace, once again, we get to view it “up close and personal”! Because of Easter, we can proclaim: "Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!"

Discipleship in as many places as possible.

Faithful Disciples, Academic Excellence, Christian Leaders

St. John’s Early Childhood Center is hiring! Part-time or Full-time positions are available. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the St. John’s Early Childhood Center at ecc@stjohnswestbend.org or 262-429-1061 ext 501.

Click HERE to Register

Contact St. John's Elementary & Middle School for Enrollment Options: 262-334-3077 or email school@stjohnswestbend.org.

Contact St. John's Early Childhood Center for Enrollment Options: 262-429-1061 or email ecc@stjohnswestbend.org.

Partner Ministries

Living Word Youth Summer Camps

Are you looking forward to summer? We sure are...which is why we are excited to announce our 2021 Living Word Youth Summer Camps! For more information regarding camp offerings and online registration, visit www.lwlhs.com/camps. Discounts are available for attending multiple camps and we offer sports, music, art, and more, so spend your summer with us!

Living Word Jr Wolves Football Program

The Living Word Jr. Wolves Football Program is offering 2021-2022 5/6th Graders Flag Football and 7th/8th-grade Tackle Football. Each team will practice 2-3 nights per week with games in SE Wisconsin. The season runs August-October. For more information, visit www.lwlhs.com/jrwolves.

SWD Student Financial Aid

Students attending a Concordia University or Seminary, preparing for full-time church work in the LCMS (pastor, teacher, DCE, DCO, DCM, deaconess, DFLM, DPM) and are a member of a congregation in the South Wisconsin District - LCMS are eligible to apply for financial assistance from SWD. For more information and the two applications required to be considered for Financial Aid, visit the SWD website – swd.lcms.org – under Resources. The deadline is May 15.