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Click on the links below to go directly to that section of the newsletter.
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JOIN US FOR
Worship Services:
8:00 and 10:30 a.m.
Traditional
9:15 a.m.
Praise and Worship
THIS SUNDAY,
March 10, 2019
"Lost and Found"
Wipe Away Every Tear
Pastor Janice
Gospel - Luke 15:1-24
215-357-6998
CHURCH HOURS
Monday - Friday
9:00 AM -2:00 PM
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THIS WEEK'S CALENDAR
Sunday, March 10
Daylight Saving Time
9:15am
Children's Sunday School
10:30am
Adult Sunday School
10:30am
Children & Youth Sunday School
Caring Ministries Meeting
6:30pm
Misssions Team Meeting
7:00pm
Praise Band Rehearsal
Lenten Study: Simon Peter
Thursday, March 14
8:00pm
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|  PRAYER LIST Please click to view
All "Ongoing Prayer Concerns"
will be listed for
2 weeks.
Please submit a new prayer request card if you desire to renew the listing for 2 additional weeks.
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St. John's Snow Policy
In case of a major snowstorm or other severe weather that would require cancellation of one or more Sunday services, we will attempt to notify everyone by:
- A special e-news sent out
- A message on the church answering machine and website.
If possible, a decision regarding cancellation will be made the night before. Please also be aware that, in the event of a power outage, it is impossible to utilize internet or phone services.
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If your contact information changes:
address, phone, email, etc.
You may also indicate any changes on the
sign-in sheet during worship and we'll be sure to update your information in our files.
Thank you!
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"Dig In"
St. John's Sunday School
9:15
All Children Pre-K thru 6th grade go directly to Room D (Holywood)
10:30
All children go to Fellowship Hall
Youth grades 9-12 go to the Youth Room.
Please click Kid's Church Registration
or go to stjohnsivyland.com under Children's Ministry to register.
NURSERY
Available at both
9:15 and 10:30.
We welcome all children birth through 4 years old. The nursery is equipped with a calling system and will alert you in worship if your child needs you.
Help is needed in the Nursery at the 9:15 AM Service.
Please contact David Bigam if you are available!
For more information about our Children or Youth Ministries, please contact Director,
David Bigam, [email protected]
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ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL
Sunday Morning Study
led by Howard & Beppie Heinrich
Sunday mornings at 9 AM
Parlor
On-going study and drop-ins are welcome!
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The Wired Word
led by Eileen Phillips
2nd and 4th Sundays
10:30 AM
Parlor
Focuses on current events and analyzes them in a Biblical context.
On-going study and drop-ins are welcome.
Please see This Week's Calendar for current Bible study opportunities. Contact Lara Bolte (215-357-6998, [email protected]) if you are interested in joining an existing group.
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MOBILE GIVING
- Just go to our website stjohnsivyland.com
- Click on the donate now button and register.
Once you've registered, you can either make donations by debit or credit.
OR try
TEXT GIVING
All you have to do is text the amount you wish to give to 215-398-1617.
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.
If you have any questions about mobile or text giving,
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SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT!
When you enroll in 'Amazon Smile', Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible "AmazonSmile' purchases to a charitable organization of your choice. St. John's United Methodist Church - Ivyland is a participating group!
'AmazonSmile' is the same Amazon you know - same products, same prices and same service. This is an easy way to contribute to St. John's without any extra cost to you!
St. John's United Methodist Church - Ivyland - as your preferred charitable organization.
each time you shop and help make St. John's smile!
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DAILY DEVOTIONALS
Looking for a little inspiration during the week?
Try an online devotional.
(has many devotionals to choose from)
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Thank you for supporting the Village of El
Naranjito
in the Dominican Republic and
"Fighting for What's Right One Cup at a Time
Order Forms available in the Grace Cafe.
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The Grace Cafe is open Sunday mornings for fellowship
and refreshments.
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Red Bird Trailers are closed
for the winter.
Thank you for your support this year.
We will re-open in the spring of 2019.
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RONALD McDONALD HOUSE TABS COLLECTION
Naomi Circle is collecting tabs from beverage cans for Ronald McDonald House. You will find a container under the sign hanging on the UMW bulletin board. Please place them in a plastic bag and put it in the container. This is an ongoing collection, so keep bringing them in as you collect them. Thank you.
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DONATIONS ALWAYS NEEDED
Donations of non-perishable food for the Eastwick Food Pantry are always needed through-out 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.
if you are available to help.
Thank you for your support.
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New members of the ministry group are always welcome; lessons and guidance can be provided for beginners and those with rusty skills.
The group
meets mon
thly on the second Tuesday to knit or crochet together and to pray over the completed items. For more information, contact Carol Rice at 215-357-1203.
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click to view the thank you letter
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UMC LINKS
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It's the same thing every year. March arrives and my first thought is "FINALLY! WINTER IS JUST ABOUT OVER!" You would think I'd have learned my lesson long ago. We're almost a week into the month now, and so far we've had several snow storms, the temperature is hovering in the 20's or 30's, there is yet another "snow" symbol for Friday lurking on the weather app on my phone, and my winter coat, boots and gloves are still sitting in the hallway ready to be put to good use. All of that adds up to a major disappointment for someone like me who literally lives for warm weather!
Of course, disappointment about the late arrival of Spring ranks fairly low on the list of disappointments we have to face in life. It seems like it's always something. You didn't get the job you wanted. Somebody you love let you down. You put a bid in on your dream home and you didn't get it. The cancer you thought you had beat reared its ugly head again. Your loved one, despite all your worry and all your prayers, passed from this life to the next. Whatever the scenario was, you had prayed about it, you had sought God's intervention, and it didn't turn out the way you expected. It was a painful disappointment - a hard pill to swallow.
All of us will face disappointment again and again. How do you handle that as a Christian?
Well, let's remember that it's okay to have a period where you feel sad about the situation. And it might take time. But pray about it and be honest with God about how you feel. Then release your disappointment to God - don't let it cast a shadow over your life.
We also need to learn what to do when we start to feel hopeless - we need to learn to place our hope solely in God - not in the things of this world because they will always disappoint us.
And finally, it always helps to get our minds off of our own problems, and reach beyond ourselves to help someone else. When one dream dies, pick up another one, and keep moving forward.
Let's remember that it isn't God who disappoints us - it's the people and the things of this world that disappoint us. And when something bad happens in life, it's not a time to blame God, it's a time to run to God!
Looking forward to worshiping with you on Sunday!
Pastor Janice
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Be sure to pick up your copy of this year's
Lenten Devotional - "This is Love"
in the Narthex Sunday morning.
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 Adam Hamilton's
SIMON PETER:
FLAWED BUT FAITHFUL DISCIPLE
Join us on this six-week journey through Adam Hamilton's examination of the life, faith, and character of Simon Peter.
- 6-week small group study, 3/13 through 4/17
- Offered on Wednesday mornings. Please note that the PM session has been cancelled due to lack of interest.
- 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
- Workbook cost: $15
- Location: Parlor (most weeks)
- Sign up using the tear-off in the bulletin or on the sign-up table in the Narthex
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Sunday Nights from 7-8:30 PM
Fellowship and fun for youth grades 7 thru 12.
Youth Group Sunday!
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Morrisville Food Bank Monday
Monday, March 11th
Please contact David Bigam.
Do Not Miss This Opportunity!
Come and experience great Fellowship
on the 2nd Monday of every month!
Morrisville is open to EVERYONE interested in going to help make 220 grocery bags full of food.
Families are always welcome!
Following this event we always head to Chick-fil-a for Milkshakes!!!!
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Coming soon...
Escape Room - St. John's Youth
Do you have what it takes to "Escape" my room?
I don't think you do!
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And as always
Bring a Friend and Bring a Can!
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Have you HELPED anyone today?
Have you SAID SOMETHING NICE to anyone today?
David Bigam, Director of Children and Youth Ministries
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A big thank you to everyone who made
Fat Tuesday 2019 a success!!!!
Great time was had by all!!
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St. John's Ivyland
Vacation Bible School 2019
July 22-26 9 AM til Noon
For children ages 4 years thru 6th grade
Registration begins May 1
$15 per child with a MAX of $30 per family.
For more information, please contact David Bigam
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Coming in May
SIGHT & SOUND AND SHADY MAPLE!
Join us on Saturday, May 4 as we travel by luxury coach to Lancaster, PA. We will see the Sight & Sound Theatre's 11:00 showing of JESUS, then head to lunch at Shady Maple Smorgasbord, a Pennsylvania Dutch favorite!
- May 4, 2019
- Bus will leave from St. John's at 8:45 AM and return around 6:30 PM
- We will see the 11:00 showing of Sight & Sound's production of "Jesus"
- Lunch at Shady Maple after the show
- $130 per person; make checks out to St. John's
- Payment due at sign-up
- No refunds for cancellations after April 1
- Bus is contingent up on us having at least 40 people signed up.
- Sign up in the Narthex!
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ST. JOHN'S CO-ED SOFTBALL TEAM!
We are looking into forming a softball team to play intramural games with other area church teams this Spring.
- This is a slow-pitch, or "arc pitch," softball league.
- Appropriate for youth and adults, aged 14+
- There will be twelve games, with most on Tuesday evenings and some on Thursday evenings, April through June, with playoffs in July.
- At this point, we are in the information-gathering stage, but we wanted to gauge our congregation's interest.
- If this sounds like something you would participate in, please indicate your interest by signing up on the sheet in the Narthex!
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1st Wednesday of each month - 6:45 PM
Fellowship Hall
Next Session - March 13th
No experience necessary - come out and have fun!
No Fee.
Bring water!
All ages are welcome, and feel free to bring a friend.
Call Carol Eberz (215-355-3572) or Jane Horton (215-630-6020) with questions!
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We are pleased to announce that St. John's will be sponsoring a GriefShare group for our church family as well as for our community facilitated by
Chaplain Erin Maurer, United Methodist Deacon.
GriefShare is a twelve-week, faith-based program for anyone dealing with the loss of a loved one.
The first session will be on Monday, March 25 at
6:30 PM in the Grace Cafe. You may register at the sign-up table in the narthex or online at griefshare.org. There is a $15 fee for the workbook payable at the first session. For further information, contact Pastor Janice or
Ruth Portzline or go to griefshare.org.
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If you or someone you know has experienced separation or divorce, either recently or a long time ago, we want to invite them to a new group.
- Weekly meetings are Tuesdays, from 6pm to 7:30pm in the Grace Café.
- Just go to divorcecare.org and put in our church zip code (18974) to find our future group listed and then register.
- The format is a light meal and viewing of expert information on DVD, followed by a time of sharing and discussion.
- There is a $25 fee for a workbook but scholarships are available.
- Each rotation lasts 13 weeks but you can miss anytime and make up the session during the next rotation if desired.
- We are also looking for people to help welcome visitors, make coffee, and provide support to our facilitator.
- Contact [email protected] or call the church office for more information.
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- Family Promise provides services to homeless families through a network of faith-based congregations and community volunteers.
- Host congregations provide overnight lodging and meals for up to 14 individuals (typically 3 to 4 families) for one week about every 3 months on a rotating schedule.
- The guests stay at the host congregation during the evening and overnight. Each morning, they are transported to a day center, where they prepare for and carry out their daily activities - caring for young children, looking for jobs or training, or going to school or work.
Our first Hosting week is April 7th - 14th
Sign Up Genius is active, please see where you can help at this link:
Sign Up Here
March 24th all volunteers are asked to meet in the library after you attend service. Sharon Byle will be there after each of the services. We will go over in detail the volunteer job details, make sure everyone has all their forms turned in and go over any questions.
We need volunteers with Safe Sanctuary clearances for:
Overnight Hosts 8:00pm-6:00am - super easy job, come hang out for a few hours, then sleep. Responsibilities include making sure building is locked up and that the guests are safe, comfortable and have what they need.
Evening Host - 5:30pm-8:00pm - 2nd easiest job, eat and hang out. Some guests will interact, but many will spend time in their rooms. Responsibilities include making sure that the guests are comfortable and have what they need. Preparing an activity (movie, games, crafts) is encouraged but not required.
Meal preparers - 5:30pm-8:00pm. Provide a meal for 10-16 people. Menu ideas are given, and flexibility is a must! These families, like yours, have busy lives and may not be "home for dinner" every night, so how many to cook for is variable each night. And of course, just like at home, we deal with picky eaters and allergies.
Volunteers who don't need clearances:
Set up team - Sunday after 10:30 service, set up classrooms as bedrooms for guests
Breakdown team - Sunday at 8:30, break down bedrooms and make them classrooms again
Shopper - Sunday afternoon, shop for breakfast and lunch items for the week. Wednesday evening check in and see if any other items are needed.
Laundry Team - Sunday morning after 9:00am pick up some laundry and return it next Sunday.
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ST. JOHN'S NETWORK DIRECTORY
We are working to create a St. John's Network Directory of goods and services provided by St. John's members (and regular attenders) in their business lives.
- The goal is to help members and regular attenders who wish to patronize the businesses of their church family.
- The ultimate format of this directory will depend upon the number of entries we receive.
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If you own or manage a business or provide a good or service, we invite you to complete the form below. You may also fill out the form in Sunday's bulletin and place it in Lara Bolte's mailbox (by the church office) or email the information to her at [email protected].
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TABLE TALK - TUESDAY NIGHTS!
Join the Conversation! Bring a Friend!
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CARING MINISTRIES
St. John's Caring Ministries Visitation Team will meet on
Monday, March 11 at 7 pm in the Church Parlor.
Chaplain Erin Maurer will be speaking about
"Walking with Those Who Grieve".
She will help the Caring Ministries Team to clarify popular misconceptions of grief and to learn what is helpful (and not helpful!) to say
when offering care and support.
The Caring Ministries Visitation Team regularly
visits our shut-ins.
If you are interested in becoming a part of this important
ministry of St. John's, please join us for this meeting.
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St. John's
Helping Hands
If any member of
St. John's has been ill and needs a meal, please contact Ruth Portzline, Pastor Janice or Carol Messina. If you would like to help, call Carol Messina at 215-491-1461.
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Sock It To Me Sundays
Sunday March 17th thru April 7th
Please support the United Methodist Women as we collect new items of clothing for families in need in our area.
We will be collecting socks, underwear, baby and children's pajamas, diapers, disposable underwear for men and women as well as nonperishable baby formula.
Please place your items in the laundry basket located close to the UMW bulletin board. Should you have any questions please contact Kathy Keppol at 215-357-7404 or speak to any UMW leader.
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UNITED METHODIST MEN'S BREAKFAST
Saturday, March 16
8 AM
Fellowship Hall
All men invited.
Please sign-up on the sign-up sheet in the Narthex or email Ed Campbell at [email protected]
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 BOOK CLUB
Tuesday, April 2, 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM in the Church Parlor.
Her name is Dinah, in the Bible her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that tell of her father, Jacob, and his 12 sons. Dinah's story reaches our from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past.
All are welcome. Please join us.
Leaders Barbara Schneider and Carol Campbell
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MUSIC MINISTRY NOTES
All vocal and handbell choirs at
St. John's are open to anyone who loves music.
There is no formal audition, and your participation in our Music Ministry is welcomed.
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Invitation to Become a Member
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, May 19, 2019. Those wishing to become members of St. John's will be invited to take the vows of membership at any of our three 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!
If you are considering membership, please check off "wish to become a member" on the sign-in tablet and/or contact [email protected] for further information.
Prospective new members will have the opportunity to meet informally with the pastors on Wednesday, May 15 from 7-8 pm for coffee and dessert in the church parlor.
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