Click on the links below to go directly to that section of the newsletter.
IN THIS ISSUE
Join us for worship
Calendar
Prayer List
Sunday School
Bible Studies
Text Giving
Red Bird Trailers
Eastwick Thank You
Warrior Coffee
Table Talk
Drive Thru Prayer
Amazon Smile
Snow Policy
Pastor's Reflection
Advent/Christmas Schedule
Advent Devotionals
Poinsettia Plant Orders
Festival of Carols
Christmas Music Sunday
Drive Thru Living Nativity
Sunday School Class Project
Creche Presenters
Christmas Eve Pageant Rehearsals
Youth Group
40 Days of Prayer
Bible Study
Book Club
Wednesday Walkers
Angel Tree
Divorce Care
   
JOIN US FOR
WORSHIP  
  
Worship Services:
8:00 and 10:30 a.m.
Traditional
 
  9:15 a.m.
Praise  and Worship
  
THIS SUNDAY, 
2nd Sunday of Advent

December 9, 2018
"The Perfect Christmas Gift"
Pastor Janice
Micah 5:2-5a
      
215-357-6998
 
CHURCH HOURS
Monday - Friday
9:00 AM -2:00 PM  
 
 
THIS WEEK'S CALENDAR

Sunday, December 9
  2nd Sunday of Advent
  Angel Tree
 
9:00am
 
Sunday Morning Study  
 
9:15am
  Children's Sunday School
 
10:30am
  Adult Sunday School
 
10:30am
  Children & Youth Sunday School
 
11:30am
  Joyful Voices
 
12:15pm
  Holy Handbells
 
6:00pm
  Festival of Carols
 
6:00pm
  No Youth Choir
 
7:00pm
  No Youth Group
 
Monday, December 10
6:30pm
 
Girl Scout Troop 2395 Meeting  
 
7:00pm
  The Gift of the Nutcracker - Advent Study
 
Tuesday, December 11
10:00am
  Prayer Shawl Ministry
 
10:00am
 
The Gift of the Nutcracker  
 
5:45pm
  GENesis Bells
 
7:00pm
  Naomi Circle
 
7:00pm
  No Praise Band Rehearsal
 
7:00pm
  Table Talk
 
7:30pm
  AA
 
Wednesday, December 12
10:00am
  Rebekah Circle
 
1:00pm
  Joanna Circle
 
7:00pm
 
Bible Study  
 
7:00pm
 
Book Club  
 
Thursday, December 13
6:45pm
  Ring of Faith
 
7:30pm
  Al-Anon
 
8:00pm
  Adult Choir

 

 

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.
SUNDAY SCHOOL

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, dbigam@gmail.com  


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!

_________________________________________
 
 The Wired Word
led by Eileen Phillips
2nd and 4th Sundays
10:30 AM
Church Library (by the Youth Room)
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, stjadultministries@gmail.com) if you are interested in joining an existing group.
GIVING
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 confidenti
al. 
 
If you have any questions about mobile or text giving,
email Lou Lescas at  stjohns820@gmail.com

MISSIONS
Red Bird Trailers  
Open Daily 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
 
Thank you for your support this year.  
Our final truck load of 2018 will depart  
St. John's around the end of the December. We will be accepting donations through Sunday December 9, 2018. After this date the donation drop off area will close for the season. Please do not drop anything off after this date. We will re-open in the spring of 2019.

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.  



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. 
Please contact  
Lou Lescas,  stjohns820@gmail.com
 if you are available to help.  
 
Thank you for your support.  
   
Prayer Shawl Ministry
 
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.                                         
YOUTH CHOIR
COAT DRIVE UPDATE

Thanks to your generosity
we donated 150 coats and winter items to  
A Woman's Place in Doylestown!

DAILY DEVOTIONALS
Looking for a little inspiration during the week?  
Try an online devotional.    
(has many devotionals to choose from)
(Devotional for Women)
(Devotional for Men) 

 
If you would like to purchase Warrior Coffee, order forms are available in the Grace Café. Thank you for helping to fight for what's right one cup at a time!

The Grace Cafe is open Sunday mornings for fellowship and refreshments. 
Join the Conversation!  Bring a Friend!  
 
St. John's    
Drive Thru Prayer 
will resume in the Spring! 
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!

To support, go to https://smile.amazon.com, fill in your Amazon account email and password, then choose -
St. John's United Methodist Church - Ivyland - as your preferred charitable organization.

Simply log in to smile.amazon.com
each time you shop and help make St. John's smile!

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.
UMC LINKS umc logo
 
  
  
December 7, 2018
PASTOR'S REFLECTION
            Last month, I mentioned the fact that a conversation had sparked my interest in renewing my lapsed subscription to Ancestry.com after a hiatus of a couple of years. I also mentiomed that I discovered I had received a message from a cousin I knew nothing about. After many phone calls and text messages, my sister & I spent a wonderful Sunday afternoon and evening last week with FOUR of our new-found cousins who live in New Jersey.
            The story of how this all came about is quite interesting. When I was a child, my grandfather and his brothers would occasionally make mention of their brother John who had "disappeared." No other explanation was ever given. So that's where the mystery started. And, despite the fact that John had even changed his name, I was able, with a little work, to discover that he eventually settled down in Minnesota.
            Well, there is a whole lot more to the story, but let's just say that there is now a large group of cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews, some from New Jersey, some from Minnesota, along with my sister Carol and I, who are planning a large-scale family gathering in the Spring. Some of these relatives had no idea until last week that the rest of the family even existed, and everyone is incredibly excited.
            Sometimes life takes strange turns. You never know what to expect. One day you think you have it all figured out. The next day, you have a whole new family. Seems that God has a great sense of humor!
            I think there are a couple of lessons here. One of them, I suppose, is to realize and be thankful for the fact that life always has a brand new adventure in store for us - something we never expected. The other one is that God often brings people into our lives for a reason - because, after all, we are here to be blessings to one another. And so I'm looking forward to being blessed (and hopefully being a blessing) to some new folks God has sent my way.
                                                                                     
Pastor Janice
ADVENT

2018 ADVENT/CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9th
8:00 a.m., 9:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Worship  

Festival of Carols
at 6:00 p.m.
An evening of Christmas Music and Caroling
Presented by St. John's Choirs
 
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16th    
A service of Christmas Music presented by the Choirs
at 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. only
(PLEASE NOTE TIME CHANGE)

Drive-Thru Living Nativity  
5:00 p.m. - 8 p.m.
 
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23rd
8:00 a.m., 9:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Worship  

MONDAY, DECEMBER 24th
Christmas Eve Candlelight Services
5:30 p.m. 
Children's Christmas Pageant 
Children's Choirs

 7:30 p.m. 
Youth Choir, Adult Choir and Handbell Choirs
 
 9:30 p.m. 
Christmas Eve Communion Service
Music Meditations
 
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30th
8:00 A.M., 9:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Worship 
____________________________________

REMEMBER TO SUPPORT OUR  
ADVENT MISSION OFFERING  
 
YOUR ENVELOPE MAY BE PLACED IN THE MANGER
IN THE NARTHEX
 
Please make checks payable to:
St. John's United Methodist Church

   
St. John's 2018 Advent Mission Project 
Pravaham means "ever-flowing stream" and is a 12-month residential Christian training program in South India that prepares marginalized young women from the lowest caste - the poorest of the poor in India - to care for others as nursing assistants.  
 
Sarah Floyd and her 17-year-old daughter, Laura, traveled to Pravaham this summer to assist her elderly mother who has been a missionary and nurse-consultant to Pravaham for many years.  While there, they caught a vision of the life-changing work that's going on.  This program creates a self-sustaining well that changes lives and changes the entire community.
 
YOUR ADVENT MISSSION OFFERING ENVELOPE MAY BE PLACED IN THE MANGER IN THE NARTHEX.
 
PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO ST. JOHN'S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
 


Our 2018 Advent Devotional are available in the Narthex.  Please be sure to get one for yourself and one to share with a family member or friend, as well!


CHRISTMAS POINSETTIA PLANTS 
We will be having our Poinsettia Garden on Sunday, December 16, December 23 and on Sunday, Christmas Eve.   
If you would like to order a plant, please fill out a flower envelope and place in the offering plate.  Please be sure to indicate if your poinsettia is in memory or honor of someone or to the glory of God. 
PAYMENT MUST BE ENCLOSED WITH YOUR ORDER.  The cost of each plant is $6.50.   
Deadline for ordering is This Sunday, December 9th. 
 
MUSIC
20th Annual
Festival of Carols
Sunday, December 9, 2018
6 PM
Join us for an evening of Christmas Music and Caroling.  Presented by the St. John's Choirs.
 
11th Annual Dan Smalley Food Drive
Please bring non-perishable items to the Festival of Carols to support the Eastwick Food Bank in memory of our friend, Dan Smalley.

 
Music Sunday
"A Christmas Music Celebration"
December 16, 2018
A service of Christmas Music presented by the Choirs at  
2 services only at 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. 
(Please Note Time Change)

LIVING NATIVITY

 St John's Christmas gift to our community!   
December 16, 2018     5 PM- 8 PM  
"Drive-Thru Living Nativity"
Experience the complete Christmas story as you drive through the church grounds!
 
HELP NEEDED!
ST. JOHN'S LIVING NATIVITY
We are asking for your help with the food for the night of our Living Nativity.  We want to have food and drinks to warm up the participants between their shifts out in the cold.  Our Refreshment Team has posted a list of items they are asking you to donate - there is a list on the bulletin board outside of the Grace Cafe as well as an online sign up: Sign-Up Here
Thank you so much for your help.
 
ATTENTION:
ALL LIVING NATIVITY PARTICIPANTS
Costume Fitting - Sunday, December 9 after each of the three services. Please go to the Youth Room immediately following your service so you can be fitted for your costume and receive further instructions.
 
CHILDREN  MINISTRIES
6th thru 8th Grade Sunday School
Class Project

The young people in our 6th - 8th grade Sunday School class are using their imagination and creativity to help kids who need school supplies.

On December 9th  the students will be collecting money to purchase supplies for school kits. A school kits consists of: 1 pair scissors, pack of 24 crayons, 3 one subject note books, 1 pack loose leaf paper, 1 pencil sharpener, 1 ruler, 6 pencils and 1 eraser.
As a group they are excited to be going out to shop for these items and then packaging them into kits that can be distributed to children in need across the U.S.
Our children have worked long and hard putting this project together and are very excited to see it through and to serve kids like them in this way. Thank you to everyone who is able to support them!

This project falls under UMCOR relief efforts and kits will distributed where needed.

CRÈCHE PRESENTERS
Would your child like to be a Crèche Presenter at the 10:30 service during Advent? Participants will carry one of the manger figures up to the altar and hand it to one of the pastors. For any child 4 - 12 years old. Siblings can walk together if needed. Please sign up at table in education wing or contact David Bigam if interested.
CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS EVE PAGEANT
 
Rehearsal schedule:

December 8 (Saturday)    9-11 AM
All children 
            
December 15 (Saturday)   9-11 AM
All children (Dress rehearsal) 
            
December 22 (Saturday) IF NEEDED 9-11AM

YOUTH GROUP
 
Sunday Nights from 7-8:30 PM
Fellowship and fun for youth grades 7 thru 12.
  
NO Youth Group Sunday Night!
December 9, 2018 - Festival of Carols

YOUTH PROGRESSIVE DINNER
Saturday, December 15, 2018
4 PM
Sign-ups are on the bulletin board at Youth Room
We are looking for (1) More Host Parent
______________________________________

NO YOUTH GROUP ON THE  
FOLLOWING DATES:
   
DECEMBER 9 - FESTIVAL OF CAROLS

DECEMBER 16 - LIVE NATIVITY

DECEMBER 23 AND 30 - CHRISTMAS

WE WILL RESUME JANUARY 6, 2019
 
______________________________________________

Morrisville Food Bank Monday
Monday, December 10th
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!!!!
_____________________________________________

And as always
Bring a Friend and Bring a Can!
_______________________________________________

Have you HELPED anyone today?
Have you SAID SOMETHING NICE to anyone today?

David Bigam, Director of Children and Youth Ministries
dbigam@gmail.com

BIBLE STUDIES
COMING IN JANUARY
 
40 Days of Prayer
Throughout the 40 Days of Prayer sermon series and study, you will learn how to cultivate a powerful prayer life and experience breakthrough in your relationship challenges, financial difficulties, bad habits, health crisis, and many other areas of your life. 
    • 6-week small group study, 1/23 through 2/27
    • Led by Pastor Janice
    • To be offered on Wednesday mornings and Wednesday evenings
    • 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. OR 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. (choose one)
    • Workbook cost: $13
    • Location: Parlor (most weeks)
    • Sign up using the tear-off in bulletin or the sign-up sheet on the yellow bulletin board by the Grace Café
     
The Rock, the Road, & the Rabbi

In this study, Kathi Lee Gifford and her co-author, messianic Jewish Rabbi Jason Sobel, will visit sites in Israel and share fascinating background details that make the story of the New Testament come alive. As the authors reveal in this study, Jesus is indeed the Rock and the Rabbi whom we follow along this Road in life.
  • 6-week small group study, 1/14 through 2/18
  • Led by Carol Campbell and Barbara Schneider
  • Monday evenings at 6:45
  • Location: Parlor
  • Workbook cost: $8
  • Sign up using the tear-off below or the sign-up sheet on the yellow bulletin board by the Grace Café
 
ST. JOHN'S BOOK CLUB
Tuesday, January 22, 2018
10 AM and 7 PM  
in the Parlor  
 
The One-In-A-Million By
by: Monica Wood 
The story of your life never starts at the beginning.  Don't they teach you that in school?  So says 104-year-old Ona to the 11 year-old-boy who's been sent to help her out every Saturday morning.  As he refills the bird feeders and tidies the garden shed.  Ona tells him about her long life, from first love to second chances. Soon she is confessing she has kept secrets for decades.  We learn that the world can surprise us at any age, and sometimes sharing a loss is the only way to find ourselves again.


ADULT/FAMILY MINISTRY
 
WEDNESDAY WALKERS!
  • Weekly walking group!
  • Wednesdays at 10:00 AM
  • Meet in the Narthex.
  • We will walk outdoors on nice days, indoors on cold/inclement weather days
  • No need to sign up - just show up.
  • WALKERS OF ALL SPEEDS WELCOME!
  • Contact Lara Bolte with questions: 215-357-6998
 
UMW/UMM
CHRISTMAS ANGEL TREE 2018
 November 11th - December 9th
This giving season is fast approaching and once again the United Methodist Women are decorating our St. John's Angel Tree with names for needy families in our Philadelphia and Bucks County area. 

Please consider taking a tag from the tree and return it to the Narthex with your unwrapped gift and we will do the rest.  Should you have a gift receipt, please attach it to your gift with tape.  This is a big help for the parents, should they receive duplicates or if there is a change in size.

Thank you for sharing in this wonderful tradition and may you all have a truly blessed Holiday Season.  Any questions, please contact Kathy Keppol at 215-357-7404.
At the November meeting of the Deborah circle members viewed videos and pictures of the students of the Octobre de 28 school in Cienega Redonde,  Ecuador.  Instead of doing a gift exchange the circle has given a Christmas gift to the students.  Their contact in Ecuador purchased notebooks and markers for the 99 students.  The school is in a very rural and poor area.  They also prepared cookie trays for shut ins.  
New members are always welcome.   
Contact Arlene Williams   arlenew13@aol.com   215-355-0162

OUTREACH
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 starting Tuesday, February 5th through April 30th from 6pm to 7:30pm in the Grace Café.
  • Just go to divorcecare.org and put in our church zip code 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 sarah@ifloyd.com or call the church office for more information.