Hello St. John’s Family,
I want to begin with a quick update from last week: there are now 5 eggs in the parsonage bluebird box, dutifully attended to by mom and dad! I received a number of comments and notes with personal birding experiences over the past week; thank you for sharing those with me. They all provide a vivid reminder of the beauty of nature around us, and our God-given charge to be good and mindful stewards of the amazing world God provides – not merely on Earth Day, but every day. As for the progress of our newest neighbors, I’ll do my best to capture some pictures for future updates.
Yet the beauty of nature and the anticipation of new birth cannot mask the heaviness of a trial that concluded this week. Wearied relief is probably the best description of the collective response to the conviction of a former police officer in the death of an unarmed and subdued black man. Words like “accountability” and “justice” have been applied to the verdict; I sense only time will tell, though, if meaningful change will emerge from George Floyd’s horrific death. The ongoing debate over the multitude of issues and systemic biases that yielded this tragedy signals how our nation’s struggle to process what occurred will continue for some time. In the midst of that, we cannot forget or minimize the reality that what happened to George Floyd was WRONG.
George Floyd’s death was wrong, and we saw it was wrong, because we viewed his final breaths through the eyes of a 17-year-old girl. A 17-year-old girl – essentially a child – who saw graphic injustice and videoed that injustice, knowing the powers of this world would not trust the witness of a young black youth. Questions would be raised, and exceptions would be offered, and ultimately another black man would die without true reckoning of the actions that led to his death. Thus, she did the only thing she could: hit record.
For some, that may seem like a naïve take at best – perhaps even childish. Yet Christ’s words to his disciples in Matt. 18:3-4 ring in my ears: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Too many times we humans have a way of complicating things; of offering caveats and considerations and codes that are needed to effectively navigate the “adult” world. In that process, biases that ultimately yield racism, sexism, nationalism, and a host of other sins flourish in direct opposition to the kingdom of heaven that Christ ushered in. Change is needed; I believe that change must start with a humbling of our hearts.
Friends, the beauty of resurrection is that God definitively shows us how nothing – not even death – is beyond the redemptive power of God. I pray that God will work to bring redemption and good from George Floyd’s death. May that begin with a humbling of all of our hearts, such that the good and just ways of God’s kingdom are lived out as an alternative to the broken ways of this world.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Brad
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WORSHIP - SAFETY PRECAUTIONS |
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Given the overall decreasing trend in Covid cases and the expansion of vaccinations, St. John’s leadership has investigated options for additional seating in the sanctuary. All discussions have focused on maintaining a safe environment for our most vulnerable attendees while expanding the number of persons who can attend.
Worshippers will be seated in an alternating pattern, where one row has attendees seated at each end, a row is left vacant, and the following row has attendees seated in the middle of the row. The next row will remain vacant, then the pattern will repeat. Utilizing this approach can potentially increase attendance by 50%, depending on the number of people in each registration.
Please note that all other mitigation measures, including wearing a mask or face shield, maintaining six feet of distance, and pre-registering for worship attendance via Signup Genius will remain in place at this time. Pre-registration is critical in enabling our Ushers to safely and efficiently seat all worshippers. We recognize this is a sacrifice and appreciate your compliance in this endeavor.
One final reminder: if you are not feeling like your normal, healthy self, please do not attend worship. Thank you for your perseverance as we eagerly anticipate the day when Covid mitigation measures are a thing of the past.
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Worship this Sunday, April 25. 2021
2 in-person services offered: One at 9 AM in the Sanctuary and
one at 10:30 AM in Fellowship Hall
Reservations via SignUp Genius required.
Baptism of Luella Rose Glenn, daughter of Sean and Megan Glenn,
will be celebrated at 9 AM
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WE HAVE REACHED CAPACITY AT BOTH SERVICES THIS SUNDAY. |
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The Sign-Up Reservation for next Sunday
will be emailed and posted to the website by Noon, Monday.
Please update the SignUp Genius or contact the church office if there's a need to cancel your reservation so another may have the opportunity to attend.
Thank you!
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We will celebrate Holy Communion next Sunday, May 2.
Drive-Through Communion will be available at 10:30 for those not able to attend in-person. Communion offering will support the Red Bird Trailer.
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Sunday School classes K-6 will continue on Zoom this Sunday. Links to Zoom meetings will be emailed separately. Our Youth will have Sunday School outside in the church parking lot this week weather permitting! Parents, please check emails for any updates. Note that Pre-K to Grade 6 will have a video component and will also include follow-up materials that guide parents in talking about the concepts throughout the week. Hope to see you on Zoom! For more information, please contact Susan Seamans, Director of Children's Ministry: childrensministry.stjumc@gmail.com
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Young Children (Pre-K - Grade 2)
What's In The Bible?
Sundays @ 11am
Join Buck Denver and a group of hilarious friends as they journey through the Bible and discover what it means for us. Amy Scarlett will lead us as we discover What's In the Bible! Lesson length: 20-25 minutes.
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Older Elementary Children (Grades 3 - 6) Orange 252 Kids Sundays @ 11am
When we make peace with others, it’s like we're building a bridge across to the other side. This month we will talk about building bridges to reconnect and prove we care more about each other more than winning an argument. Lesson length: 25-35 minutes
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Youth Study - Orange High School XP3
Sundays @ 11:30 am
Church Parking Lot (weather permitting)
Masks required
Bring your own chair and pen and paper!
What is it that makes temptation so tricky? How is it possible that we know something is bad for us and do it anyway? This month our youth will talk about the temptations Jesus faced and how He managed to overcome them and discover that whether we win or lose with temptation, the battle is often fought in our minds before anywhere else.
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During this Easter season we celebrate the resurrection of
our Lord and Savior and the new life it brings to us.
As a symbol of this new life, we gave packets of seeds to everyone on Easter Sunday morning. We invite you to plant
these seeds and watch as they burst forth
from seed to beautiful flowers.
When your flowers are in full bloom,
Take a picture and share it with us.
Please share your photos to:
Thank you for helping us share the beauty and love
of new resurrection life this Easter season!
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The Wednesday Evening Bible Study with Ken Lee Wednesdays, 7 PM
Letters of John and Jude
using the William Barclay New Study Bible.
The group will meet each Wednesday at 7pm in the Parlor. By studying this Gospel in Fellowship, the group aims to develop and grow our personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Please contact the office by phone or email if you plan to attend. 215-357-6998, stjumc@aol.com.
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HANDBELL FESTIVAL/CONCERT
April 25th
3 PM
At the present time, there are no seats available.
All seats are occupied by choir members and their families.
A video of the Festival will be posted to our website on Monday! www.stjohnsivyland.com
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The United Methodist's Men Breakfast, held on April 17th, was enjoyed by all!
Lots of Laughter and Discussions:
The next UMM's Breakfast will be held
Saturday, May 15th at 10 AM
Sycamore Grill, Newtown
Contact Paul Henry or Jack Donovan if interested in attending!
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Naomi Circle Future Mission Project
What: new bath towels, hand towels and wash cloths.
Where: to be sent to Red Bird Mission for their Christmas gift boxes.
When: Month of June
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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
Hand made prayer shawls (or lap robes for men) are again available for those experiencing serious illness, bereavement, or other major life issue. Each comes in a sealed plastic bag. Recipients need not be members of St. John's. Requests can be made via the comments section of the prayer request form on the church website, by calling or emailing the church office, or by calling Carol Rice at 215-357-1203. Requesters will be notified of contactless pickup arrangements at the main entrance of church building.
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The Red Bird Mission Trailers will be open for Donations on Weekends from 8:30 - 5:00 starting Saturday, May 8th.
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The Upper Room Devotionals
for May/June will be available in the Narthex,
outside of Fellowship Hall, and in a container on the front porch of the church beginning Sunday, April 25.
Be sure to pick up one for yourself and one for a friend.
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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. Please contact Lou Lescas, stjohns820@gmail.com if you are available to help.
Thank you for your support.
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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.
OR try TEXT GIVING
All you have to do is 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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Gmail account users:
In addition to your inbox,
please check your "Promotions" file for any St. John's emails.
Bulk emails may appear there. Simply by moving the message from Promotions to your primary inbox or by adding
St. John's as a contact should allow our messages to go directly to your inbox.
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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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HELP NEEDED
Two significant needs and great opportunities to serve at St. John's!
A small team of dedicated audio-visual ministry volunteers enable us to offer meaningful online worship each week. We're in need of additional help, as there's very little flexibility within the team in the event someone needs to be away. While some aspects of this ministry requires technical expertise, other aspects are very straight-forward. If you have the ability to advance PowerPoint slides, you can help us offer online worship!
Similarly, ushers are needed for in-person worship to greet worshippers, direct them to their seats, and assist with questions. This is a simple yet meaningful opportunity to serve God by serving our St. John's family.
Please consider serving God by assisting with one of these this crucial ministries. Those interested in serving can contact the office at stjumc@aol.com or (215) 357-6998. Thank you for your faithful support of all we do in service to Christ at St. John's!
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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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