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Hi, everyone! Below, you'll find your assigned role for Youth Sunday! Don't worry, we'll go everything during the Sunday school hour, but don't wait to start thinking about the nature of your role NOw!

Finally, don't forget that there will be a light reception afterwards, to honor Elias as he prepares to graduate and move to Utah!

1. Acolytes – Sully & Piper Nickels
2. Ushers – Leo Salerno, Anne Hatcher Thompson, and Eliza Wilder
3. A/V Technician – Ezra Lokken
4. Prelude (or Postlude) – Jonathan Ackerman(tentatively)
5. The Lessons – Sara Reed Thompson
6. The First Lesson – Acts 17:22-31 (Click to see the text as it will be used in the pulpit)
7. The Psalm – 66: 7-18 [Chanted in unison (move into the chapel for psalm)]
8. The Epistle – 1 Peter 3:13-22 (Click to see the text as it will be used in the pulpit)
9. The Gospel – John 14:15-21 (read by Sam)
10. The Sermon – Elias Lokken
11. The Prayers of the People – Jake Wilder
12. Form III, as it will be in the pulpit, is attached! (Please note that some names may be added, depending upon the circumstances in the intervening two weeks).
13. Offering (i.e., carry up) – Freida Pressnell & Leland Pressnell
14. Oblation Bearers (i.e., carry the Bread & Wine to the altar) – John David Calame & Gus Greenbaum
15. “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”, Bach (played in between Communion Hymns) – Jake Wilder
16. Cookies, Cake, and Lemonade at Reception – Sully Nickels & Kim McCain, Anne Hatcher Thompson, and Eliza Wilder
17. Flower Rearrangers – Leo Salerno and Gus Greenbaum (with Sarah Beth Mulikin’s help!)

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Søren Kierkegaard

Teach me, O God,

not to torture myself,

not to make a martyr out of myself

through stifling reflection,

but rather teach me

to breathe deeply in faith.

Amen.

Today is Danish theologian, Søren Kierkegaard's, birthday! In keeping with our theme last week, Kierkegaard knew that we human beings are prone to making ourselves the heroes of "the story." Specifically, he knew that we are good at making ourselves tragic heroes, martyrs, who give up so much to be such good people.

But to all of that, he seems to say: "Yuck. Give me a break." Kierkegaard's true gift to us is calling us out for the games we play in life, love, and faith. He's especially good to read as a teenager... before we get older and so practiced at playing games with God, ourselves, and others that we can no longer tell the "game" from real life.

But you can read more about that below!

☀️ Jr. High Summer Outreach | Grades 7–9 ☀️

Join us for a meaningful and fun summer outreach experience! From May 31 – June 2, Jr. High students (rising grades 7–9) are invited to gather at Camp McDowell for a few days of service, connection, and encouragement.

Participants will:

✨ Learn about the ministries of Special Session and Sawyerville

🍪 Prepare snacks, activities, and host a Happy Hour for campers at Special Session.

🚐 Travel to Greensboro to visit Sawyerville camps and spend time with campers and staff.

🍽 Help support the Sawyerville team by providing dinner for their staff.

🗓 Dates: May 31 – June 2

📍 Start: Camp McDowell (arrive Sunday at 3 PM)

📍 End: Birmingham pickup on Tuesday at 5 PM (location TBD)

💲 Cost: $200

💛 Financial assistance is available



This is a great opportunity for Jr. High students to learn about outreach ministries in our diocese, build friendships, and serve others in meaningful ways.

Interested in joining us? Space is limited, so sign up today! Registration is available HERE.

Join me in the sanctuary at 9:30 am to go over our roles in the liturgy and make sure we're adequately prepared to lead the service! See you then!

Søren Kierkegaard

Kierkegaard was a pretty provocative guy in his day (the early 1800s).

A scholar himself, he is most well-known for his harsh criticism of Biblical scholarship. Here's what he said:

Christian scholarship is the Church’s prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. Oh, priceless scholarship, what would we do without you? Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament.

Ouch.

But there's truth there. I don't know about you, but I'd rather the Bible not come too close to me most of the time. It - along with Church and its liturgy - are the kinds of things that can really change you.

How has the Bible, the Church, or the liturgy changed you? Talk about that with someone this week!

School's out and there's ice cream to be eaten - what more needs to be said?!Bring a friend and join us at Tess' Place downtown to close out the year!

Inspired by the lives of saints like Francis and Martin or Tours and Therese and Catherine, St. John’s Hero Academy VBS invites children to consider how following Jesus’ call to love and serve others is the most heroic thing of all. Children will create projects in the Hero Maker Design Studio, play high-energy games in the Gamer’s Gauntlet, hear stories of the faithful in the Hero Archives, and relax with a treat or two and the Holy Hero Caf?. All the while, they will discover that we can indeed serve like the saints!

This year, we are partnering with the 3^rd Street Boys and Girls Club once more and hope to show God’s love and care to even more children than last year! But this means that WE NEED YOUR HELP! IF you would like to volunteer to help with VBS, read the volunteer descriptions HERE. Then sign up next to your desired work area with your name and availability HERE.

Acolytes for Sunday

You can find the NEW acolyte schedule from now - June, 2026 HERE!

Questions? Contact Sam

sam@stjohnsdecatur.org |662-656-653