Hello St. John’s Family,
This Sunday, 12 amazing young people will come before God and their church family to publicly profess their faith and be confirmed into full membership. Standing before you in worship will be twelve youth who have experienced God’s presence and explored what faith in Jesus means in their life. They studied together. Laughed together. Prayed together. Asked questions (some very serious, some not as much) together. Reflected on the liturgical donut together (ask them about that!). Each young person has felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit and is eager to make a commitment to God publicly as they are confirmed. And on top of all that, this group has waited together. Their opportunity will finally arrive on Sunday and I cannot wait to welcome them with joy!
Waiting is something we’ve all experienced over the past 14 months. It’s been a difficult time, with many diverging perspectives on the best approach forward – or even when the waiting will end. I sense we’ve all had moments when uncertainty and emotions have gotten the best of us. Yet holding firm to our foundational faith in Christ, despite uncertainty and diverging perspectives, serves to strengthen our promise to live together as Christ’s Church as a powerful witness to His strength and grace. I believe this is our calling, as it gives a tangible picture of what faith looks like in the real world.
The picture I just described is exactly what 12 young people waiting to be confirmed have lived over the past 14 months of waiting. At a time when their confirmation journey should have been culminating in joy together, a pandemic forced waiting and significant separation. Last fall, when the group faced a decision on whether to move forward or wait for more normalcy, the group had diverging perspectives. Some were ready to proceed, others were not. Still, the most frequent response – by far – was “I’d prefer this, but I feel it’s most important we all proceed together.” Though their personal perspectives were very important; the highest importance was being confirmed together. Their witness powerfully impacted me, showing me these confirmands understand the vows they are about to take, as they are living those vows right now.
St. John’s Family, I pray we all will have the faith and conviction to follow the example of these youth. Please pray for them as they prepare to (finally!) be confirmed. Love and support them through any challenge the coming years may bring. And give thanks to God that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we all are being formed more and more into Christ’s Holy Church each and every day!
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, May 23, 2021
Pentecost/Confirmation Sunday at 9 AM
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.
A recording of the 9 AM service will be posted to our website upon completion
www.stjohnsivyland.com
Past worship service videos can also be found:
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SEATING AT THE 9 AM SERVICE HAS REACHED CAPACITY
Reservations are open until until capacity is reached or Noon on Friday, whichever comes first.
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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May 23 - Confirmation Sunday at the 9 AM service |
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After a long wait, the 2020 Confirmation Class is excited to profess their faith in Christ
and be officially welcomed as members in the St. John's family.
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June 6 - New Members Sunday and Graduate Recognition |
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NEW MEMBER SUNDAY
If you feel you have found a church home at St John's, we invite you to become a member!
Our next "New Member Sunday" will be
Sunday, June 6, 2021. Those wishing to become members of St. John's will be invited to take the vows of membership during the worship services.
The only "requirement" for membership is that you feel a commitment to Christ and a desire to make St. John's your church family. If you feel God calling you to take this next step on your faith journey, we welcome you with open arms!
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GRADUATE RECOGNITION
Sunday, June 6th
9 AM Worship Service
Please call or email the church office the name and school
of any St. John's graduate completing high school or college this spring.
Congratulations to the Class of 2021!
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We are all meeting outside this week weather permitting! Pre-K - 6 will meet in the church parking lot at a NEW TIME 10:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Our Youth will meet in the church parking lot from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. as usual. If it rains, everyone will resume Zoom Sunday School.
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Young Children (Pre-K - Grade 2)
What's In The Bible?
Sundays @ 10:45 am
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 @ 10:45 am
Growing in faith is not something that happens by merely cramming more information about the Bible into a child’s brain. That knowledge means nothing if we don’t help our kids experience what that knowledge can do in their hearts. This month, we will talk about how to experience faith, how to practice faith, and how important it is to stay committed to our faith.
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!
People talk about “loving God” all the time, but how do you connect to someone who you can’t see and never seems to audibly respond? Join us as we try to answer this question and explore the faith habits that make it possible to connect with an invisible God.
Please Note: Youth Sunday School will not meet on 5/30 - Memorial Day Weekend.
6/6/21 will be our final Youth Sunday School class until the fall.
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For more information, please contact Susan Seamans, Director of Children's Ministry: [email protected]
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SEWING GROUP
St. John’s Mission Sewing Group is continuing our work on Sani-Panis for young girls in Africa.
We are in need of donations of flannel material and
sew-on Velcro. There will be a box in the Narthex as well as one outside of Fellowship Hall for donations.
215-357-6998, ex 306. Thank you for your Heart for Missions. Pastor Ruth
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During the 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 Ken Lee or the office by phone or email if you plan to attend. 215-357-6998, [email protected].
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MOSES BIBLE STUDY
In the Footsteps of the Reluctant Prophet
Thursdays beginning May 13
Six week course
2 sessions offered at 10 AM and 7PM on ZOOM.
Book and Video components
Please contact the church office if interested in attending.
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The Zoom Class, “Thinking About God” has ended for the summer months. Thank you to those persons who faithfully attended and participated. We will begin again in September, we hope you will join us for spiritually enriching conversation and thought-provoking study of the scriptures and Christian themes.
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TOWELS FOR RED BIRD
Naomi Circle will be collecting new bath towels, hand towels and wash cloths, every Sunday in June. They will be sent to Red Bird and be used in their Christmas boxes for residents in the area. There will be containers in the Narthex and outside of Fellowship Hall. Thank you in advance for your generosity. If you have any questions, please contact Carol Campbell, 215-364-0942.
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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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EAGLE SCOUT BOOK DRIVE
From Thursday, May 20th to Sunday, June 6th, Matthew Floyd will be collecting new and gently used books of any genre for his eagle scout project with Troop 147 in Holland, PA. The books will be going to people recovering from addictions and groups such as Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous.
The collection locations are:
St. John's United Methodist Church:
The Floyd's House:
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The Red Bird Mission Trailers are currently closed.
Please check the E-news and website for updates.
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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, [email protected] 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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If your contact information changes:
address, phone, email, etc.
please notify the church office at 215-357-6998 or [email protected] 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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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!
Please contact Sarah Floyd, Director of Video Ministries at
or sign up here!
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 contact the church office if you are interested in serving as an usher.
(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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