October 31, 2019

Daylight Saving Time Ends this weekend.   

Remember to turn clocks back one hour this Sunday!

Occasionally, and for no discernable reason except that I've always had allergy problems, I'll have a major sneezing attack. Despite the fact that I take Allegra every single day of my life, I'll start sneezing, and for the next five or ten minutes, there is nothing I can do to stop sneezing. My common sense tells me to sit down calmly with a big box of tissues and wait it out because it's totally out of my control.   And P.S. it's only by the grace of God that this has never happened on a Sunday morning!

And isn't that the way with so many things in life? A major storm pops up out of nowhere - there's thunder and lightning, the rain is coming down in sheets, and then the power goes out. Common sense tells us that there's nothing we can do except to sit down calmly and wait it out (of course, there's never anything wrong with prayer!) because we know that we have no control over that storm.

            But sometimes there's another type of storm that comes out of nowhere. It's a physical storm, or an emotional storm. In other words, some type of crisis hits and suddenly all you-know-what breaks loose. Common sense tells us that this storm, too, is out of our control. But how often does our common sense win? Not too often. Instead of sitting back calmly, waiting it out, praying, and trusting God (who is the only One with any control!), we begin to frantically attempt to get control. So we run ourselves ragged; we fret; we stew; we cry; we worry; we beat ourselves up; we lash out at others ... you know the kinds of things we resort to. For some reason, we forget that none of those strategies have worked for us in the past, so why should we think that they will work for us now?

            I hope and pray that the next time one of those other kinds of storms happen in ANY of our lives, that we'll take a moment to allow our common sense to speak to us. Let's try to sit back calmly, rest in God's hands, and wait that storm out. God is always in control, especially when we aren't.

                                                                                     

                                        Pastor Janice

 

St. John's Kids News

10:30 Service Only 

All children please go to the Sanctuary first. 

You will then be dismissed to Fellowship Hall.

Youth - please go directly to the Youth Room for Sunday School

Leaders and Co-Leaders are always needed for our classrooms as well as Nursery.  If you feel called to help in these areas, please let me know!  Clearances are required! Please contact me anytime and we can talk. Thank you for your consideration...David Bigam  

[email protected] or cell 215-206-6779;  

Church 215-357-6998 

 

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We are proud to be bringing you this year's pageant...

"The Not-So-Silent Night"

 

Sign-up now for this year's Christmas Pageant!  

We have speaking and non-speaking parts.   

Sign-up sheet is on table in Education wing.  

Come Sing and Ring with Us!

 

VOCAL & HANDBELL CHOIRS for ALL

St. John's Vocal Choirs provide opportunities for EVERYONE to be involved in music. From young children through adults, we have a place for you in our music program. Beginning musicians and experienced singers are welcome in our Vocal Choirs.

 

Joyful Voices: HELP NEEDED!

Children are urgently needed to join our Joyful Voices Choir!! At the present time, we only have seven children participating in the choir.  Any children grades K-4 are eligible to participate.  Rehearsals are on Sunday morning, following the 10:30 Worship Service.  Please, PLEASE consider having your child participate in the Joyful Voices choir.

 

Vocal and Handbell Choir Information   

 

BOOK CLUB

Tuesday, November 5

10:00 AM and 7:00 PM

Church Parlor

 

The story is set in the 1950s and revolves around a young woman named Kya Clark, who is from extremely rural North Carolina. Known by others as the Marsh Girl, she lives alone in nature but the draw of other people, and specifically love, brings her into contact with the greater world. This novel has a mystery at its core, but it can be read on a variety of levels. There is great nature writing; there is coming of age; and there is literature. Crawdads is a story lovingly told, one that takes its time in developing its characters and setting, and in developing the story.

Facilitators:  

Carol Campbell & Barbara Schneider

Spend some time with Mary during this Advent season. In

Not a Silent Night, Adam Hamilton looks at Jesus' life through the eyes of his mother. Imagine what Bethlehem must have looked like from Mary's point of view. Focus your own gaze on the Savior she knew as her beautiful child! Beginning with the crucifixion and resurrection, then backtracking through Jesus' life and ministry, Hamilton paints a fresh and moving portrait of the Messiah's life in this 5-week Advent study.

Please sign-up by November 3rd. See sign up table in the Narthex.

Down to Earth

Tuesdays, November 26 to December 17

10 AM and 7 PM

 

Facilitators: 

Pastor Janice and Pastor Sue

 

More than 2,000 years ago a baby was born in a backwater village of the Roman Empire - and the world was changed forever! In this 4-week Advent video study, Mike Slaughter explores the extraordinary story of how the Son of God chose to become a lowly human. We are challenged us to respond during Advent with down-to-earth love, humility, and obedience.

 

Please sign-up by November 10th. See sign up table in the Narthex.  

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN'S ELECTION DAY BAKE SALE

Election Day is Tuesday,

November 5th.

We will be seated in Fellowship Hall during voting hours selling baked goods. Please help out by volunteering to bake a few goodies or man the table for one 2 hour shift. 

There will be a sign up sheet on the UMW bulletin board.

As always, we appreciate the great support provided to us by our generous congregation.

Thank you. 

Any questions, please contact Kathy Keppol at 215-357-7404 or speak with any UMW Officer.

 

Time to dust off your Christmas spirit!

St. John's Christmas gift to our community!

December 15, 2019   5 PM - 8 PM

"Drive-thru Living Nativity"

Last year over 100 members of St. John's family were involved in this wonderful event. We were all blessed to be able to give our gift of

The Drive-thru Living Nativity to our community.

Over 200 cars drove through to experience the Christmas story - complete with live animals.

Sign-ups sheets are available in the Narthex!

 

If you missed this outreach opportunity

last year, please consider participating this year.

We guarantee that you will be blessed!

• Bus leaves St. John's at 9:30 AM
•  Matinee production of Our 2019 Holiday Musical,  a musical with songs, comedy sketches, dance numbers, and orchestra
• $95 per person (includes deluxe motor coach transportation, full course meal, dessert buffet, tax & gratuity.)
• Sign-up sheet in the Narthex, or contact Lara Bolte (610-945-5750 or [email protected]).
• Sign up by 12/10. Payment due ASAP. Make checks out to St. John's and write "Hunterdon" in the memo line.

CPR CERTIFICATION

First Aid - AED Training

Dr. Andrew DeSaro will be offering an evening of CPR/First Aid/AED training

Tuesday, January 14th

6:30-9 PM

$35 per participant

Each participant will receive a book and will receive CPR certification.

Please sign up in the narthex ASAP!

TWINING VILLAGE MEMORY CAFE

Third Tuesdays

10 AM - Noon

Free to everyone

If you have a loved one with Alzheimer's disease or similar memory-related illness, we invite you to join us at the Twining Village Memory Cafe.   

 

Our Memory Cafe is a monthly get-together of people with memory loss and their friends and family members in a supportive, non-judgemental, compassionate and engaging environment.  

 

The cafe provides a place of warmth and friendship to socialize in a relaxed and less stressful atmosphere.  Our goal is simply to bring together people in similar situations to brain health as diet and exercise.  The bonds forged in memory cafes often are long-lasting, offering an additional resource for partipants.  

 

Our program is not a support, respite or educational group and does require caregivers to be present.  Its range of benefits includes positive change from your daily routine.  

 

In fact, the Twining Village Memory Cafe is a brief time to leave worries at home and simply enjoy yourself.  Activities include refreshments, crafts, games, sing-alongs, trivia programs and much more!

 

For more information, contact the Rev. Erin Maurer, Twining Village chaplain or Beverly Gowton, director of community life at (215) 396-7150.

Twining Village - A Diakon Lutheran Senior Living Community 

280 Middle Holland Road, Holland, PA 18966

www.TwiningVillageSeniorLiving.org