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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. | |
The Gospel lesson for this past Sunday was the account of Jesus' healing of the man who was deaf and had a speech impediment (Mark 7:31-37). Jesus' one word, "Ephphatha!" ("Be opened") brought this incredible gift to this unnamed man. In doing this, Jesus fulfilled the promise of God through Isaiah that we heard in the Old Testament lesson.
Nothing is too hard for the Lord! What is it in our own lives that needs to "be opened?" What does the Lord need to set free so that our ears are opened and our tongues released to tell of God's great mercy? As the sermon pointed out, our lives have been released and set free by the cleansing blood of Jesus, and so we can proclaim with those who witnessed this healing first-hand: "He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
Pastor Meehan's Blog - September 2024
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Building for Eternity Campaign Update
Building for Eternity Campaign Update
Our Building for Eternity Campaign enters its next phase this Sunday, September 15th. When you arrive for worship, you will receive a sealed envelope with an individualized pledge request. We are asking you consider the amount shown on your personalized request as a starting point in your prayerful consideration for our campaign. Every family’s financial situation is different, but experience has shown that most people prefer receiving a specific request upon which to deliberate. The suggested amount on each pledge request is based on individual giving over the last twelve months (September 2023-September 2024).
You will also see the status of our campaign in the narthex. We have already received some generous support from members and the greater SJLC community, so it is exciting to see progress made toward our $1.0 million goal!
Pledges can be returned during worship, by dropping in a box in the narthex, or be direct mail to the church. Our goal is get all pledges returned by Sunday, September 29th.
If you have any questions about the campaign, feel free to contact me by email or (703) 785-1574.
Greg Auld, "Building for Eternity" Campaign Chair
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Bible Study of the Book of Acts
The Midweek Bible Class is led by Pastor Meehan, and meets twice each month on the second and fourth Wednesday at 10AM in Rooms 307-309 on the upper level of the Education Center. The first session is today, Wednesday, September 11 at 10AM. Although the class is made up mostly of retirees, anyone is welcome to participate. Study guides will be needed for the class, and are available for purchase at $12.99 each.
What was the fledgling Christian church like in the New Testament era after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension? What challenges did the apostles face as they brought the good news of Jesus to people, both Jews and Gentiles? What can we learn from these early believers for our own life in Christ today? The book of Acts will be the subject of an in-depth study in the year ahead through St. John’s Midweek Bible Class. Using materials from LifeLight Bible study through Concordia Publishing House, the book of Acts will be studied over the course of the year ahead in a two-part series.
To register for the class, click here. If you would like to pay by check, please stop by the office during normal business hours Monday to Friday 8:00AM to 4:00PM.
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Church Council Meeting
St. John's governing board, the Church Council, will meet on Sunday, September 15, at 1:00PM. This will be a virtual meeting and, as always, needs and concerns from members of the congregation are welcome and invited. Questions? Please contact Jim Burroughs, Congregational President.
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Early Childhood Education Center Clean Out Sale
St. John’s Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) is having a Clean Out Sale on Saturday, September 21 at 8:00AM in our Fellowship Hall. We are looking for donations! All items must be in good condition. If you have clothing for babies, kids, and/or adults, shoes, toys, games, books, furniture, or home items that you would like to donate to the sale please drop them off at the church no later than Friday, September 20. Items can be left on the stage in Fellowship Hall. Please note that no tax donation forms will be provided for the items being donated.
We are also looking for volunteers to help with the event. For more information, please contact Angela Schulze or (703) 795-8398.
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Food Truck Thursday
Our first Food Truck Thursday was last week on September 5 in the church parking lot. As a service to the community around St. John's, we will be hosting food trucks in our church parking lot on a trial basis once a month for the fall season. This new initiative was brought before the Church Council at its August meeting, and after consideration, approval was given.
There is no cost to our congregation for hosting this, and each food truck vendor is fully licensed with insurance and bonding. The trucks will be parked in our church parking lot and will be open for business on the following dates:
October 3 from 4:00 - 7:30PM - Bliman Indonesia
November 7 from 4:00 - 7:30PM - El Sazon Mexicano
We will be publicizing the above information to the local community, and you are encouraged to share this information with friends and neighbors.
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How the Reformation Influenced Faith and Work Today
Martin Luther never met Johann Sebastian Bach. The two Germans were born more than 200 years apart. But without Luther, there would have been no Bach.
At 48 years old, when Bach received a copy of Luther's translation of the Bible, he made extensive notes in its margins, allowing it to shape his theology of music. Near 1 Chronicles 25, a listing of David's musicians, he wrote: "This chapter is the true foundation of all God-pleasing music." At 2 Chronicles 5:11-14, which speaks of temple musicians worshiping God, he wrote: "At a reverent performance of music, God is always at hand with his gracious presence."
To read more from our Director of Music, David Leahey's blog, click here.
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Changing Paths Update from the Wasmund Family
Dear friends and family,
Post summer greetings from Seoul!
We give thanks for a safe summer. We give thanks for you, our friends and family, for the warm welcome and encouragement you gave us as we traveled many miles across many states. We thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. Below you should find our post summer update, which is also downloadable here for viewing, printing, or posting. If you aren’t able to view the attachment, please let us know.
Peace to you in Jesus,
The Wasmunds
Matt, Dee Dee, Lily and Olivia
LCMS missionaries in East Asia
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August Church Council Meeting
The SJLC Council had their monthly meeting August 18th. The members voted and approved previous meeting minutes and discussed the status of various issues. The Church Renovation capital campaign is beginning, starting with the congregational prayer shared August 18th. The congregation can expect regular communications throughout the campaign. The Council voted and approved the new SJLC Personnel Manual and tentatively approved, pending answers to questions on insurance and permitting, the extension of the local neighborhood association's weekly food truck event at St John's through the end of the year. The Council discussed two additional issues. The first is a potential change to the constitution allowing an alternative to in-person voting. There is a very prescribed process for constitutional changes which will be followed, starting with drafting a charter for the workgroup to lead the process. The second is the need to fix the electronic sign in front of the church that is malfunctioning. Church Administrator Michelle May is assembling bids to determine the best way forward. Our meeting concluded with updates from all the ministries, and kudos to Angela Schulze for leading National Night Out and to Greg Miller for sponsoring the recent CRASE training. Our next meeting will be September 15th.
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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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