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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. | |
In the appointed Gospel lesson for last Sunday, Mark 10:2-16, Jesus is confronted by the religious leaders over the issue of divorce. The intent was to trap Jesus in his own words, but Jesus reaffirmed God's original design and purpose for marriage that we heard in the Old Testament lesson, Genesis 2:18-25.
Jesus then turned his attention to little children who were brought to him. The disciples wanted to turn them away, thinking that Jesus was too busy for this, but Jesus overruled them, and welcomed the children. In doing so, Jesus reminded his disciples (and us) that unless we become like little children, we will not enter the kingdom of God.
The sermon for last Sunday pointed out that God calls us to relationship, not isolation. The cleansing blood of Jesus that forgives all of our sins leads us into a restored and right relationship with God and with one another.
Pastor Meehan's Blog - October 2024
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Building for Eternity Campaign Update
I am pleased to announce that we have had a very enthusiastic response to our Building for Eternity Campaign! As of Monday, we have received pledges and gifts totaling over $1.544 million! Again, I want to thank every individual and family who has pledged their support towards the church’s renovation and modernization.
That said, there are a number of households that have not yet made a commitment. While we have exceeded our initial goal, the total project price is expected to be about $2.8 million, meaning the more we raise in this campaign, the less borrowing and associated interest the church will pay over time. We know everyone’s situation is different — all we ask is prayerful consideration of any support you can provide. You can return your pledge in the offering plate at Sunday service or directly to the church at any time.
Also, some have asked when and how they should they start fulfilling their pledge commitment. For the project’s sake, earlier is better, so if you are able to begin now we would appreciate it. Online, recurring giving is the easiest way to fulfill a pledge, but we will receive your gifts in whatever way is most convenient for you. If you have any questions at all, please contact Jennifer Smith, SJLC Financial Administrator in the church office or at finance@sjlc.com
While you will see the direct appeal phase of our campaign wind down, please know that the project will continue to gather steam. In fact, the Church Council will meet this weekend on next steps, including finalizing project scope and securing financing. It is an exciting time to be a member of the St. John's community as we improve our infrastructure for future generations. I can’t wait to see this project get started!
Greg Auld
"Building for Eternity" Campaign Chair
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Hurricane Helene Relief
Churches in our Southeastern District were hit hard by Hurricane Helene. The Southeastern District Disaster Response Team has been activated. We are coordinating with local and state officials as well as our partners at Lutheran Servants for Christ, LERT, and LCMS Disaster Response. Resources will be needed to assist in the recovery efforts. We invite you to give toward this effort by clicking the button below. We thank you for your continued prayers and generosity during this time. Every week we will continue to update you on the situation through our weekly email, our social media, and our website here.
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Praying in Color
Adults and teens are invited to join us for Praying in Color this Saturday morning, October 12th in the Church library. We gather to pray in a special way using Scripture to listen and then placing prayer on paper not so much with words but with simple shapes and colors. We are not creating art, simply letting our prayers flow onto the paper making it visual prayer. All supplies are provided. This is a good way to start the weekend! If you are new to this prayer form, please arrive at 9:30AM for orientation. Our hour of prayer begins at 10:00am.
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11th Annual SJLC Men’s Octoberfest & Pig Roast
Men of St. John’s, come join us for our 11th Annual Men’s Octoberfest and Pig Roast on Saturday evening, October 12, from 5:00 – 9:00PM. This event is for the men at St. John’s. If you are a father, bring your son along. We will meet at the fire pit by the back parking area at St. John’s. Come early if you plan to play corn hole and pitch horse shoes. We will build a camp fire, tell stories, share our faith and enjoy fellowship. We will have smoked pulled pork, beef hot dogs, veggies, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, salad, soda, water, and some desserts. There are benches around the fire pit, but you may want to bring a chair and your own favorite beverage.
Additionally, we are inviting the local Franconia Police to join us as part of the National Faith & Blue Weekend. Please RSVP by Thursday, October 10, by emailing SJLCMen@sjlc.com and let us know if you plan to attend so we can get a count and estimate how much food to prepare.
If you would like to bring a dish or dessert, please let us know. If you have any questions, please email us or contact Joe Godwin, Greg Miller, Rodney Smith, Paul Swicord, Jim Burroughs, or Greer Putnam.
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Leahey & Lane
Our St. John's 'Friends of Music' series continues this month! Our very own Director of Music, David Leahey, will join singer (and long-time friend) Ian Lane on Sunday, October 20 at 5:00PM.
A small reception will follow the concert. For more information on our Friends of Music series or to make a donation, please visit the Friends of music webpage.
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2025 Lutheran Witness Subscriptions
CURRENT LUTHERAN WITNESS SUBSCRIBERS
Lutheran Witness Renewal Packets for 2025 have been sent out in the mail to all current Lutheran Witness subscribers. Please update and return the information by Sunday, October 20.
CONGREGANTS WHO WISH TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE LUTHERAN WITNESS
Interested in subscribing to the Lutheran Witness Magazine? Now is the time to act! Please click here to sign up and pay for this year's subscription ($22.00/year). Sign up will be available until Sunday, October 20.
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Collecting Candy Donations for Trunk or Treat
We are accepting Halloween candy donations for our SJLC & ECEC Trunk or Treat. Please make sure all donations are nut-free. This means no peanut butter candy. All donations can be left in the church office or given to Jennifer Hills. All donations should be dropped off by Wednesday, October 23.
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Trunk or Treat 2024
Join us Friday, October 25 at 5:30PM for a combined SJLC and ECEC Trunk or Treat! We’re looking for families or SJLC ministry groups to work together to host a trunk for Trunk or Treat. This is a combined event for our families at SJLC and our ECEC families. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet and mingle with these two groups of people.
Here’s how to host a trunk for Trunk or Treat!
*Candy and decorations will be provided, or choose your own theme and provide your own decorations.
For questions or more information, please contact Jennifer Hills via email or call 703-971-2210.
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Update from the Mantey Family
Dear Faithful Members of St. John’s,
Greetings in Christ. Mark and I are grateful for your partnership for the Lord’s work in Africa these past eight years. We looked forward to being together during our scheduled home service this September-November. It is always so meaningful and fulfilling to engage with you all.
After prayerful consideration, Mark and I are retiring from missionary service in Africa. We praise God that he could use our God-given gifts in business, education, and mercy work. We used these gifts to equip church workers in Uganda and regional workers based in Kenya. We worked with over 25 countries in Africa. God is most certainly good!
As my dad continues to live with dementia, the vocation of being a daughter is pulling at my heartstrings strongly. We both want to be able to provide support to our family and continue to serve the Lord with our gifts. I recently accepted a position as the Director of Counseling and Wellness with the University of Maine system. Mark and I feel called to go serve there, as it is another mission field. We have the great responsibility of sharing the love of Jesus through our gifts and actions.
Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to serve the Lord. We will need them over the days, weeks, and months ahead. Please pray for our families as we work towards coming back to the United States. And continue to pray for the churches, church bodies, and leaders who faithfully spread the Gospel throughout Africa. They are the heroes of the church! Lastly, please pray for our colleagues who continue to serve as LCMS missionaries throughout Africa.
Thank you again for your ongoing partnership, support, encouragement, and prayers over the last eight years. We are grateful.
Serving Jesus with Joy,
Megan and Mark Mantey
LCMS Missionaries serving in Kenya
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Be On the Lookout for SCAM texts
As a friendly reminder, scam texts are a part of our digital lives. Please be on the lookout for scam texts that are not from a staff member or a church leadership phone number. The above pictures show an example of a text message that you may receive that is NOT from Pastor Meehan even though it looks like it is.
If you ever receive a message like this one, please send a snapshot to the church office at office@sjlc.com so that we can make everyone aware. You can also call the church office at (703)971-2210 if you have any questions.
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Volunteer Needed
Our St. John's Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) is seeking a volunteer to be the Secretary for the ECEC Board Committee. Are you looking for a low commitment position that allows you to give back to the church in a meaningful way? Join the ECEC Board! They meet every other month via Zoom with up to two meetings in person in a year.
If you are interested in learning more about the position, please email Pat Zissios.
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St. John's 29th Annual Craft and Bake Sale - November 9, 2024
Did you know that this annual event is a success because of you? Many creative people make craft items all year that they contribute to the Craft Sale. Many others donate home-made delectable goodies for the Bake Sale. Bars, cookies, candy, and small breads are always needed. We can package your items for you if time is limited. We appreciate everyone's efforts. We need everyone's participation.
Ways you can help:
- Your prayers - always welcome; always needed.
- Your attendance and support; shop the Craft and Bake Sale; enjoy a hot dog or BBQ lunch with us.
- Contribute hand crafted items if you are a home crafter.
- Donate home-made food items to the Bake Sale.
For more information on how you can help, please contact Karen Kemmet or reach out to anyone on the Creative Fellowship team.
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Looking Ahead
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October 13 - Church Council meets
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October 14 - Church office and school closed for Columbus Day Federal holiday
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October 27 - Reformation Sunday. Remember to wear red to church today!
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November 3 - Fall back one hour - Daylight Saving Time ends! All Saints Sunday with a chili cook-off after worship.
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Important Links
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Facebook Live for viewing live services or educational opportunities as well as those previously recorded.
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YouTube for viewing church services
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Click here for the bulletins
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Stay up to date on all things SJLC.
Download our church app at by texting "app" to (877)776-1304.
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