Click on the links below to go directly to that section of the newsletter.
IN THIS ISSUE
Join us for worship
Calendar
Prayer List
Text Giving
Ronald McDonald House Tabs
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Thank you
Pastor's Reflection
St. John's Kids
Youth Group
Book Club
Back to School Drive
Food Pantry Needs
Eastwick Food Bank
GriefShare
Divorce Care
Hearts for Mission
Family Promise
Red Bird Trailers
   
JOIN US FOR
WORSHIP  
  
Worship Services:
8:00 and 10:30 a.m.
Traditional
 
  9:15 a.m.
Praise  and Worship
  
THIS SUNDAY,  
August 11, 2019
"Things Hoped For and Things Not Seen"
Luke 7:1-10
Pastor Janice
John
215-357-6998
 
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
Monday - Friday
9:00 AM -2:00 PM    
 
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.
 
For more information about our Children or Youth Ministries, please contact Director,
David Bigam, [email protected]   
ACOLYTES NEEDED
If your child is in grades 3-6 and would like to be an important part of worship at
St. John's, here is your opportunity!
We are looking for acolytes for the
10:30 a.m. service.
If you are interested, please contact:
Jennifer Haas @ 215-776-1740 or at [email protected]

THIS WEEK'S CALENDAR
 
Sunday, August 11
10:30am
  Children & Youth Sunday School
 
Tuesday, August 13
10:00am
  Prayer Shawl Ministry
 
7:30pm
  AA
 
Thursday, August 15
7:30pm
  Al-Anon


 

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.
If your contact information changes: 
address, phone, email, etc.
please notify the church office at 215-357-6998 or [email protected].
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!
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  [email protected]

(Click for more information)
Log in to smile.amazon.com each time you shop and help make St. John's smile!
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) 
The Grace Cafe is open Sunday mornings for fellowship and refreshments. 
MISSIONS

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.  
   
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.

                     Prayer Shawl Blessing Service
                   

click to view the thank you letter
UMC LINKS umc logo
 
  
  
August 9, 2019
PASTOR'S REFLECTION
            On most summer evenings, right before dusk, there is a group of folks who gather at the boat dock at Bear Creek Lakes (in the Poconos) to chat. It's also a great place to watch the sunset because of the wide-open area around the lake. Whenever I am up there, I try to join them (along with my sheltie, Ollie, who enjoys visiting too - it didn't take him long to figure out that dog treats are a part of the gathering!).
            Last Friday evening, someone announced that the International Space Station would be passing right above us at about 9:30 pm. Did you know that there is actually an app you can get on your phone that enables you to track it? Wow! So we all hunkered down to watch and wait. Suddenly, there it was, traveling slowing across the sky and weaving in and out of the clouds. It was mesmerizing, to say the least. Even the dogs settled down to watch.
            Of course, as soon as I got back to the house, I went on the internet to look up information about the ISS. Sad to say, but up until that night, I didn't have much of a clue about what goes on up there.
            There are so many things we don't know about our universe. We were recently reminded of the awe of the moon landing fifty years ago this summer. But in the whole scheme of things, the moon is really very close to Earth. And the ISS orbits at a mere 248 miles above the Earth. We have gone so far and yet not far at all. We know so very little about our universe - we don't even know how far it extends and what, if anything, can be found on the zillions of planets that exist in billions of galaxies just like ours. Even the thought of such immenseness is too much for our minds to comprehend.
            Every so often, something prompts every thinking person to stand in awe before God. Last Friday night at that boat dock was a moment like that for me, and I assume for all of us who were gathered. The wonderful thing is that moments like that continue to reverberate in our minds, and continue to be reminders of God's greatness and God's presence with us. I pray that you, too, will have a moment like that one day very soon.
 
                                                   Pastor Janice
ST. JOHN'S KIDS NEWS

 
Kids Church News......

One Room Sunday School until the Fall.  
Please go directly to Fellowship Hall for Kids Church.  
9:15 Sunday School will not be available through the summer.  We invite you to our 10:30 Sunday School.

We still need help leading one-room Sunday School...
Please use the sign-up sheet on David Bigam's door to pick a Sunday.  David is always there, as well.
YOUTH GROUP
 
Fellowship and fun for youth grades 6 thru 12.
 
Keep your eyes open for special emails regarding trips we will be taking this summer during the week. 
New 6th graders are invited to participate this summer.
_________________________________________

Morrisville Food Bank Monday
Monday, August 12th
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

BOOK CLUB
The next Book Club will be on
Tuesday, September 3
at 10:00 AM and 7 PM. 

We will meet in the Church Parlor.
Leaders: Barbara Schneider and Carol Campbell.  Everyone is welcome to join us.

Based on a true story, the book spans eighty years, two continents and several U.S. states.  You will come to love this imperfect, ordinary man, with an extraordinary helping of faith, hope, commitment and zest for living merged with a button-busting love for his adopted country.
OUTREACH

BACK TO SCHOOL DRIVE
Congratulations to St. John United Methodist Church on a phenomenal backpack and school supply drive! The donations were delivered to Family Service Association of Bucks County and will be distributed to underprivileged Bucks County children in grades K-12. The youth and families from VBS raised just over $500 toward the drive. As of last Tuesday, this was the count of supplies collected -  this does not include any supplies that came in to church on Sunday. Many thanks for these wonderful blessings!
 
 
56 backpacks  5 book covers 
13 lunchboxes  27 packs of highlighters 
78 composition books  48 scissors 
21 packs dividers  1 sleeve of scotch tape 
77 spiral notebooks  11 bottles of school glue 
112 pocket folders  34 packs of pencil sharpeners 
1 pack construction paper  42 packs of pens  
45 packs of paper  40 packs of index cards 
27 binders  52 packs of glue sticks 
36 pencil cases/boxes  53 packs of markers 
38 packs colored pencils  65 boxes of crayons 
41 packs of erasers  68 packs of pencils 
14 calculators  60 rulers 
 9 USB drives  10 compass/protractors 

 
 

FOOD PANTRY NEEDS

The Jesus Focus Ministry Food Pantry is asking for help to replenish their shelves. 

They are in need of:
Peanut butter
Jelly
Pasta Sauce
Rice
Canned Soup

IF you would like to contribute to this very important mission, please place your donations in the box marked "Jesus Focus Food Pantry" in the Narthex.   
Your help will be greatly appreciated.



DONATIONS GREATLY NEEDED 
Donations of non-perishable food for the Eastwick Food Pantry are GREATLY NEEDED now and throughout 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,  [email protected]
 if you are available to help.  
 
Thank you for your support.


 
August 26  
6:30-8:30 PM - Library 
St. John's Ivyland
 
You may register online at griefshare.org
There is a $5 fee for materials.  For further information, contact Ruth Portzline or Chaplain Erin Maurer or go to griefshare.org.


 
Weekly meetings will begin again in September.  
 
 
HEARTS FOR MISSIONS
Our Missions Team met and identified some hands-on mission projects you may want to be a part of.
  • Backpack Mission Project - later this summer.
  • Habitat for Humanity - working on construction/finishing of four homes in the Morrisville Area - this fall
  • Third annual R.I.S.E. Sunday, October 6, 2019.
  • Compassion Sunday - October 27
  • One Great Day of Service - Spring 2020
You are invited to join us as we work to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those in need.

Questions?  Contact Pastor Ruth
215-357-6998, ext. 306

FAMILY PROMISE

Our next hostings are September 8-15  
and November 10-17.  
 
Currently there are 4 Families being served by Family Promise with a waiting list. This ministry is definitely needed. Please consider helping. Any questions contact Sharon Byle at [email protected].
 
In preparation we will have a training seminar on  
August 25th from noon-2pm in Fellowship Hall.
 
If you are a volunteer that has not attended a training seminar or a new volunteer, this is a requirement of volunteering. Those who have attended one in the past are welcome to attend again, it is led by our local director instead of a national one, so it will be more relevant to our procedures and shorter!
 
Please sign up on the bulletin board outside Grace CafĂ© or  
Sharon Byle is also looking for a co-leader to assist her with this ministry. Please let her know if you would like to help. [email protected]

Red Bird Trailers are Open! 
9 AM - 5 PM Daily 

Donations of clothing and household furnishings are accepted   See the trailers located in the back of the
St. John's parking lot.