Hello St. John’s Family,
What were we thinking?!? Have you ever found yourself pondering that question? Recently, that phrase has been blurted out on a regular basis in the Leight household.
For some time, we had contemplated getting another dog. Our Lab, Finn, wasn’t showing all the youthful energy he had for his first 6 years, and we were thinking it may be a good time for a new addition. Beginning in the spring, we attempted to adopt a puppy multiple times, but it always fell through. That all changed in early September, as we brought home an 8-week old little girl (later named Tate, short for Tater Tot) on September 3rd. With a child just off to college, we brought home a puppy. What were we thinking?
It seems that thought now comes to mind on a daily basis. As Tate yelps to go out at 3:30 in the morning… what were we thinking? When a puddle appears on the kitchen floor 10 seconds after she was just outside (and did nothing)… what were we thinking? When, in a moment of apparent quiet and calmness, Tate suddenly trots out of the laundry area with her nose covered in kitty litter from the litterbox… what were we thinking? I will never claim to be the smartest person in the world, yet I like to think I have common sense. Common sense apparently went out the window on this decision. Common sense – or wisdom – would have taken a hard pass on this “opportunity.”
Just the other day, during one of the more trying moments, a new thought popped into my mind: does God ever wonder what God was thinking when looking at us? As we humans repeatedly make foolish choices, create messes, disregard God’s guidance, and turn away from God’s love, does God get frustrated with us? I’m quite certain (and scripture affirms) the answer to that question is yes. And while our Lord experiences plenty of frustrating moments in our relationship, I’m very thankful that God never turns away. Never gives up on us. Never sees us as hopeless cases, doomed to the messes we get into. God’s love and desire for us is infinitely greater than the frustration we generate. Nothing we do can diminish God’s love and desire for us – thanks be to God!
In the world of puppies, trying moments can quickly give way to unbridled love and joy. Tate will look at us with big brown eyes, wag her tail, and run to us exuberantly, wanting to be near us and be loved on. We can’t help but oblige. I can’t think of a better example of what we humans experience from God as we turn to our Lord: unbridled love and affection! Hold on to that, especially if you’ve found yourself caught in some messes recently.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Brad
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WORSHIP - SAFETY PRECAUTIONS |
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Please click below to read the latest Congregational Update regarding COVID-19 measures: |
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Worship this Sunday,
October 03, 2021
2 in-person services offered:
Contemporary Worship at 9 AM
in the Sanctuary
and
Traditional Service 10:30 AM
in the Sanctuary
The Communion offering will be used to support the
Red Bird Trailer Ministry
The 10:30 AM service can be viewed LIVE through
St. John's Youtube Channel
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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.
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ADULT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
twice per month to help with Youth Group
- Greet Youth coming to and leaving meetings
- Help with snacks & clean-up
- Be an "extra" adult in attendance during meetings
Please contact Sarah Floyd at
sarah.sjumc@gmail.com
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Tech Team Volunteer Opportunities
(Anyone age 12 to 112 years old is welcome)
Come join our Tech Team!
Run camera, operate video switcher, scroll the projector slides,
monitor audio, and run YouTube software.
Click the box below to sign up for the YouTube LIVE
traditional service or the non-broadcast contemporary service.
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Please contact
Sarah Floyd, Director of Video Ministry
at sarah.sjumc@gmail.com
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Please contact the church office to sign up to serve as an usher or greeter.
215-357-6998
or
Thank you for your faithful support of all we do in service to Christ here at St. John's.
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Ushers & Greeters Needed
for in-person worship services to greet worshippers, direct them to available seats and assist with questions. This is a simple yet meaningful opportunity to serve God by sharing His love with others.
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SHARE YOUR STORY!
Advent is the season of preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas. This should be a time for families to come together in prayer and devotion.
Please consider writing a devotion for our Advent Devotional. As always we will have paper copies of the devotional available and in addition, we will be posting each day’s devotion online.
Please submit your
Advent Devotional to Pastor Ruth by October 10th.
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Children's Sunday School is Back!
10:30 am
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Parents, please have your children age 4 thru 6th grade check-in at the mobile check-in outside of the Education wing. |
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Pre-K - Grade 6
Sunday 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
We will talk about and discover who we're meant to be
and live out the individuality
God gave us.
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Thank you for your generosity in sponsoring our Readers for Heifer International's
Read to Feed Program!
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$2,000 raised for
Heifer International
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The children chose:
1 mating pair of cattle
1 water buffalo
2 goats
2 sheep
1 alpaca
3 chickens
2 bee hives
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BECOME AN ACOLYTE!
Bring the light of Christ into the Sanctuary and then take the light of Christ out into the world
This is a great opportunity for our children to become involved in worship here at St. John’s.
Grades 3-6 Training included
If you are interested, contact Jennifer Haas
@ 215-776-1740
or
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This Sunday,
October 03rd
Grades 7 - 12
Sunday 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
BYOC (bring your own chair)
and Bible!
For better or worse, change shows up in our lives and tests what we're made of. There's good change like getting the date or making the team, bad change like divorce or medical diagnosis, and complicated change like switching schools or choosing a healthy break-up. Change brings so many emotions which makes us ask all kinds of questions. Am I strong enough to face this? Is it even worth it to go through this? Can I handle this alone? Should I handle this alone? Our Youth will be challenged this month to rethink how they view change, and we'll explore how God's commitment to us doesn't change, even if everything else does.
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Meeting outside in the parking lot!
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Youth Nights Are Back
Grades 7 - 12
Sunday 7:15 - 8:30 PM
Our Youth get together every Sunday to hang out, play games, and talk about everything from theology to current events.
Join us this Sunday at 7:15 PM in the Youth Room!
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Confirmation Experience
First of six Confirmation Workshops Sunday, October 17th
from 11:30am – 2:00pm
- Attend 6 Sunday workshops on various Sundays from 11:30am to 2:00pm. (make-up dates available)
- Student participation in worship as outlined in syllabus
- Retreat with Pastor Brad and Sarah Floyd
Confirmation Introductory Meeting
(Mandatory for Parent & Confirmand)
Sunday, Oct. 10th
from 11:30am – 12:30pm
in Fellowship Hall
For 7th and 8th grade plus any high school students
who have not yet participated in Confirmation.
Register by asking Sarah for the link or referring to the email that went out.
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Share your talent by participating in one or more of our choirs. It's is a wonderful way to praise God and serve in our church.
Joyful Voices Choir
has resumed rehearsals. The choir is for children grades K-5th grade. We rehearse after the 10:30 service.
Our next rehearsal for Joyful Voices will be on October 10th. We will NOT rehearse this week, October 3rd.
As you return to in-person Worship, please consider having your child participate in the choir.
The YOUTH CHOIR (grade 6-12)
has resumed rehearsals on Sunday evening, 6:15-7:15. We will rehearse this Sunday, October 3rd. We sing on the 2nd and 4th Sunday each month.
We will be singing on October 10 (2nd Sunday) with the Adult Choir at the 10:30 service. As you return to in-person Worship, please consider having your child participate. We need to re-build our choirs with your help.
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SUNDAY, October 3rd
4:00 PM
ST. JOHN’S IVYLAND
820 ALMSHOUSE ROAD
IVYLAND, PA
(Across from Solly Farm)
(Front Yard of Church. In case of rain we will move to Fellowship Hall)
Everyone is invited to attend with their animals (properly restrained, of course).
If you wish, you may instead bring a picture of your pet to be blessed.
We will give thanks for all God’s creation,
and celebrate His gift of creatures, great and small.
Each animal will receive a personal blessing,
a gift, a treat and a free picture
of this special event.
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Weekly meetings at 6:30 pm - GriefShare at St. John's
Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 PM in the Church Library.
Erin Maurer, GriefShare Facilitator, at 267-265-3515
or email erinamaurer@aol.com
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The Red Bird Mission trailers are open until further notice for your usable donations every Saturday and Sunday between 8:30am and 5pm.
(no TVs or books please).
Thank you to our congregation and friends for your support.
We are pleased to announce that another trailer full of your donations went to the Red Bird Mission in Kentucky on Sept. 2.
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WARRIOR COFFEE
AT ST. JOHN’S WE ARE
FIGHTING FOR WHAT’S RIGHT -
ONE CUP AT A TIME
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“FIGHTING FOR WHAT’S RIGHT - ONE CUP AT A TIME”
ORDER NOW!
If you wish to order coffee, please contact me (text or voice) at 215-962-6719 or via email at phenry605@verizon.net. Alternatively, you can complete the order form located on the church bulletin board in the narthex.
The cost is $15.00 per bag and remember there are no administrative fees taken from the profits received. Every penny is returned to the people of El Naranjito as higher reimbursement for the beans or to subsidize various projects such as water treatment and early education.
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DONATIONS NEEDED
Donations of non-perishable food for the Eastwick Food Pantry are needed throughout the year. Please place contributions in the shopping carts located in the narthex and fellowship hall lobby.
Volunteers are also needed to deliver food and clothing to the Eastwick Food Bank.
Thank you for your support.
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St John's Drive-Thru Prayer Ministry
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Join us the 3rd Wednesday of each month 4:30-6:00 PM. Our next Drive-Thru Prayer will be on Wednesday, October 20th.
If you would like to join us and be a part of this ministry of St John's, please contact Pastor Ruth by calling the Church office at 215-357-6998.
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A Faith-based approach to Money Management
The CAP Money Course was devised by the award-
winning charity, Christians Against Poverty, in
2008, with over 10,000 people benefitting from it
each year. No obligations, no hidden fees.
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The Zoom Class continues to meet online Tuesday mornings from 10:30-11:45 am to learn about and discuss various topics related to our Christian faith. Upcoming topics include:
“What’s Up with Revelation” – a five week understanding of the Book of Revelation and what it means for us today
"Questioning Christianity" - Utilizing a book by Dan Patterson & Rian Roux, we will explore the nature and relevance of the Christian Gospel.
If you are interested in being a part of any of these discussion groups, please contact Paul Henry at phenry605@verizon.net
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New Wednesday Night
Bible Study
Mysteries of the Messiah
by
Rabbi Jason Sobel
Facilitator: Ken Lee
Wednesday Evenings
7 - 9 PM in the Church Parlor
Join us for a six-week video Bible Study featuring Rabbi Jason Sobel as he walks the land of the Israelites of the Old Testament and explores the connections to Jesus the Messiah.
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Six Total Sessions including:
- Oct 06 - Finding Jesus in the Story of Joseph and Judah
- Oct 13 - Finding Jesus in the Story of Moses
- Oct 20 - Finding Jesus in the Story of Ruth and Boaz
- Oct 27 - Finding Jesus in the Story of David
Please contact Ken Lee or the office by phone or email if you plan to attend.
215-357-6998, stjumc@aol.com.
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ST. JOHN'S BOOK CLUB
Wednesday, October 6th
10 AM in Parlor
7 PM in Grace Cafe'
Leaders: Barbara Schneider and Carol Campbell
The Giver of Stars
by
Jojo Moyes
A breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond in Depression-era America.
We will follow St John's policy on masking.
Please wear a mask or shield inside the church.
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A new small group Bible Study will be starting on Monday, September 27th
Coming Together Through God’s Word:
An Interactive Look at Sunday’s Scripture
This small group is open to anyone interested in furthering their understanding of Scripture . We will meet Monday evenings at 7:30 PM in the Library starting September 27th through November 22nd, 2021. Participants are welcome to join any one or all of the meetings without the need to commit to every Monday.
The primary format of this small group will be the interactive part where questions and comments about the Scripture can be openly shared to further the faith development of each member of the group. All are welcome!
Please sign up in the narthex at church or contact Denise Clark at dclark.prayer@gmail.com
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Upcoming Bible Study
starting Thursday, October 14th
Breaking the Code:
Understanding the Book of Revelation
by
Bruce M. Metzger
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While many Christians find the Book of Revelation to be full of great beauty and comfort, others find this part of the Bible bizarre, bewildering, and sometimes frightening. Prolific scholar Bruce M. Metzger (who chaired the Committee on Translators that produced the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible) provides one of the most important and trustworthy guides of Revelation, and now it includes findings from the most current biblical research. In Breaking the Code Revised Edition, you’ll still find Metzger’s rich content and insights presented in his approachable, non-academic style, with additional teaching from New Testament scholar David de Silva.
Previous Bible study groups have requested a study on Revelation… so here’s your chance! This six-week study will be led by Pastor Brad and begins on Thursday, October 14th at 10am in the Parlor. If desired, an evening option via Zoom will be offered. To register and order the book ($12 cost), contact the St. John’s office.
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United Methodist Women
Thank you for your generosity! You are truly sharing God's love with others.
Sock It to Me Sundays!
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2021 - Another Successful
St. John's Chicken BBQ!
Thank you to all of our wonderful workers and everyone who supported the BBQ. This year's Chicken BBQ netted $1,843 after expenses. Great job and lots of fun and fellowship!
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Men's Breakfast Meeting
10:00 AM October 16, 2021
at
Sycamore Grill
255 North Sycamore
Newtown, PA
(BYOB - Buy Your Own Breakfast)
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Prayer requests can be submitted
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.
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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.
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MOBILE GIVING
- Just go to our website stjohnsivyland.com
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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!
It's quick and secure.
The same vendor that handles electronic giving for us, Vanco Services, has state of the art encryption, so you can rest easy that your transaction is 100% safe and confidential.
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,
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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!
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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
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CCLI Streaming License #CSPL049266 |
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St. John's Ivyland
820 Almshouse Road
Ivyland, PA 18974
stjohnsivyland.com
Rev. Brad Leight, Sr. Pastor
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