St. John Lutheran Church THE ST. JOHN NEWSstjohnmedia.org/Newsletters/March_2019_news.pdf · 2019. 3. 1. · Testament, our New Testament faith would be tragically short-changed.

St. John Lutheran Church

THE ST. JOHN NEWS March 2019

There are those in those in Christianity today who have very little use for the Old Testament. Truthfully, much of our attention as Gospel-based Christians is centered on the New Testament, especially the person and work of Jesus Christ, which is not a bad thing at all. Some go too far and say that the Old Testament is obsolete and, so, is no longer needed. Others will view the Old Testament as an old way of living and the New Testament as God’s new way of living. Or that the Old Testament is all law and the New Testament is all Gospel. These beliefs are quite serious because they all are concerning the very Word of God. To think that any of God’s Word to his people are no longer needed is truly dangerous and ill-advised. Rather than think of the Old Testament as obsolete or outdated, we as Christians are guided to view the Old Testament in a new light: the light of Christ! (Luke 24:27, 44–45). Jesus himself fulfills the Old Testament promises and he states that they are all about him! In that spirit, we proceed to the season of Lent much as we did into the season of Advent. We will explore prophecies made in the Old Testament about the suffering, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. God fed his people regularly with the Word of is promise, that he would send them the Messiah, who would be their savior from sin. God established the sacrificial system of the Israelite people to foreshadow the coming sacrifice for all sin. The Lord God dwelt in the midst of his people in the Ark of the Covenant, the tabernacle, and in the Jerusalem Temple. That temple was destroyed and rebuilt, much as Jesus Christ was destroyed in death and raised to new life. We will hear how each of these messianic prophecies is fulfilled by Jesus in his passion. Our beliefs as Chris-tians are firmly rooted in God’s Word of the Old Testament. The Lord Jesus often quoted from those Scrip-tures (i.e. Matthew 22:44; Mark 10:6–8; Luke 4:4, 8, 12), lending divine validity to them. Without the Old Testament, our New Testament faith would be tragically short-changed. Knowing that God’s plan of salvation was in effect from the beginning and that he masterfully weaved the tapestry of history to bring about our sal-vation in Jesus gives a depth to our identity as Christians that would be grossly lacking without the powerful Old Testament. Thanks be to God that he has preserved for us all of his Word, both the Old and the New Testaments, and that he graciously has taught us his will from them both. God grant it that we would always see Jesus in every word of the Scriptures, as Martin Luther once taught, for truly in the Word of Jesus is our light and our salva-tion, the lamp for our feet and the light for our path. Please refer to the Lenten schedule below for more information about our midweek Lenten services in prepara-tion for the celebration of our Lord’s Passion and Resurrection. I pray that we all would find joy and fulfill-ment in worship together as the people of God in this place. To him be glory forever and ever, and to you be his eternal blessings! In Christ’s service, Pastor Caithamer

March Events Friday, March 1 5:30pm Faith and Family Night Saturday, March 2 3pm to 5pm PTF Fun Fair

Messianic Prophecies Made and Kept A Lenten Focus

Sunday, March 3 1pm Adult Information Class Wednesday, March 6 3:30pm and 7:15pm Ash Wednesday Service Imposition of Ashes Friday, March 8 6:30pm School Play “The Prodigal Clown” Sunday, March 10 1pm Adult Information Class Monday, March 11 4pm to 9pm EAT @ Hickory River Wednesday, March 13 3:30pm and 7:15pm Lenten Midweek 1 Sunday, March 17 1pm Adult Information Class Wednesday, March 20 3:30pm and 7:15pm Lenten Midweek 2 Sunday, March 24 1pm Adult Information Class Wednesday, March 27 3:30pm and 7:15pm Lenten Midweek 3 Sunday, March 31 1pm Adult Information Class Do not forget that you are always invited to join your brothers and sisters in Christ each Sunday throughout Lent at 8:00am or 10:45am for the Divine Service with the Lord’s Supper! Lenten Midweek Services, Themes, and Readings

Ash Wednesday March 6 The First Messianic Prophecy Old Testament Genesis 3:8–19 Epistle Philippians 3:7–12 Gospel Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21

Lenten Midweek 1 March 13 The LORD and His Anointed Old Testament Psalm 2:1–12

Epistle 1 Peter 3:18–22 Gospel Matthew 26:57–68

Lenten Midweek 2 March 20 Passover Promise Old Testament Exodus 12:21–28

Epistle 1 Corinthians 5:3–9 Gospel John 1:29–34

Lenten Midweek 3 March 27 The Crucifixion Foreshadowed Old Testament Psalm 22:1–8

Epistle 2 Corinthians 5:16–21 Gospel Matthew 27:32–44

Lenten Midweek 4 April 3 The Suffering Servant Old Testament Isaiah 52:13–53:5 Epistle Colossians 1:15–23 Gospel Luke 23:32–38

Lenten Midweek 5 April 10 Your Redeemer Lives… and You Will Too

Old Testament Job 19:20–29 Epistle 1 Corinthians 15:1–11 Gospel John 5:19–29

For Peace and Comfort: Ruth at the death of close friend and friend of St. John’s, Merv , Bob & Joan and family at the death of Joan’s sister Joyce, the family of Esther at her death February 9th

Following Surgery: Dorothy

For Healing and Recovery: Linda, John, Rebecca -daughter of Marvin & Esther, Roger, Mike Family-Heath brother-in-law, Clint -son of Gary, Esther, Herbert, Roy -father of Anne, Michael, Eunice, Joe, Judy, Judy -sister of Larry, Dan -brother of Bonnie , Bill -son in law of Dave & Donna, Lois, Ellie, Bruce, Rachel-niece of Judy, Todd -grandson of Harold, John, Tom

For Successful Treatments: Phillip -son in law of Steve & Pam, Phyllis, Roxy, Todd -husband of Kim, Dan -father of Beth, Philip -son of Starley, Jeanette , Joan, Nancy, Shawn-sister of Maxine

For Strength and Endurance: Sanna & Ellen

For our Military: Joshua, Nick, Zachary, Mitchell, Taylor, Andy, Brandon, Suzzanna, Ben, Allyson For our Missionaries: Pastor Randrianasolo Dembiniana Havanjanakary and the Madagascar Lutheran Seminary, Pastor Magnus Bengston and Lielsalaca Lutheran Church in Latvia, Pastor Obot Ite and the Lutheran Mission in Kingston, Jamaica

Men's Prayer Breakfast The men of the congregation are invited the second Thursday of each month to Original Pancake House for food, fellowship, devotion and prayers led by Pastor Caithamer. Please join us this month on Thursday, March 14th, at 7:00am.

Let Us Pray

FAITH & FAMILY NIGHT – Families with children of all ages are invited to join us on Friday, March 1, for Faith & Family Night. We’ll meet in the fellowship hall and have dinner together, do a family-based devotion that can be taken and replicated in your own family devotions at home, and play some games for the whole family to enjoy. The times are 5:30-7:00pm, but feel free to come late or leave early if necessary. Sign-up sheets are available by both the fellowship hall or you can e-mail Cin-dy . We hope to see you there!

St. John Youth Group

The youth will participate in a service project for the Champaign County Humane Society. We are asking the congregation to donate newspapers, which the youth will fold for the Humane Society. They use newspaper every-day in the dog and cat cages. By folding the paper, the cleaning process will be sped up for their workers and they can spend more time caring for the animals. We are also collecting items from their wish list. Items include canned dog/puppy/cat/kitten food, dog and cat toys, dog biscuits, critter treats, and much more. For a complete list, see the Youth Bulletin Board or visit the Champaign County Humane Society website at www.cuhumane.org and look under “Donate” and “Wishlist”. Boxes for newspapers and other donations will be in the coatroom. The last day to bring in items will be Sunday, March 10. The youth will meet that afternoon to fold papers and play games in the gym.

E.A.T. @ Hickory River The March E.A.T. night will be at Hickory River in Urbana on Monday, March 11 - 4-9pm! Hickory River is giving back 15% of our purchases! Bring in the flyer to make sure that the proceeds will be donated to St. John Lutheran School.

http://www.cuhumane.org

Ram Rebate Gift Cards Purchase gift cards for hundreds of stores and restaurants through Ram

Rebate and a percentage will go towards your tuition or a school or

church account of your choice.

Stop by the school office or visit www.shopwithscrip.com or www.myscripwallet.com for details. In Stock cards are available during school office hours.

March Order Dates: Orders Due: Monday, March 11 & 25

Pick-up on Friday of the week

Wednesday, February 27 at 3:30pm.

All parents are invited to attend! Save the date

The middle school performance of the “Prodigal Clown” will be on Fri-

day, March 8, 6:30p .

PTF Fun Fair Beat the winter blues at the St. John Fun Fair,

Saturday, March 2 from 3-5 p.m. in the School Gym!

The Fun Fair is a fantastic fête featuring games, face painting, inflatables, prizes, food, and fellowship.

Advanced purchase tickets are on sale for $1 for five tickets or Ticket Bundle for $20 (includes 100 tickets plus 2 coupons for concession items)!

(Same Day Ticket Price is $1 for 4 Tickets.) Tickets may be purchased at the School Office or online via PayPal by following this

link: https://tinyurl.com/stjohnfunfair. Hope to see you there!

Yankee Candle Fundraiser Support the 6th and 7th grade St. John students and their trips to Washington, DC by purchasing Yankee Candle products. The Yankee Candle catalog features spring and summer decorative candle holders and scented can-dles. There are also several seed sets and garden décor items available for sale.

The sale begins Monday March 25th. Catalogs and order forms will be sent home with each student. Orders can be placed online or order forms can be returned to the school office. All orders are due by Monday, April 8th.

If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

Scholarship Drive—Funds are being collected for the Scholarship account for the 2019-2020 school year. Take an apple from the donation board and

return to the school or church office with your donation. Donations given through the offering plate will be kept anonymous. All donations will be included on your contribution statement.

http://www.shopwithscrip.com/http://www.myscripwallet.com/https://tinyurl.com/stjohnfunfair

Mission Statement:

United in faith, we serve the Kingdom of God by building lives that are rooted in the Word, centered on Christ, and motivated by Grace;

to reflect Christ’s love and share His Gospel with all.

Music Notes

Adult Choirs schedule for March

Sunday, March 3 8:00 Men’s Choir (Transfiguration) 10:45 Mixed Choir Wednesday, March 6 (Ash Wednesday) Sunday, March 10 (Lent 1) 8:00 Instrumentalists 10:45 School 4-8 Choir Prelude 10:45 Alleluia Ringers Wednesday, March 13 3:30 School 4-8 Prelude Sunday, March 17 (Lent 2) 8:00 Hymn Sing Prelude – request your favorite! 8:00 Lois, violin 10:45 Mixed Choir Wednesday, March 20 No Handbell rehearsal Thursday, March 21 No Men’s or Mixed Choir rehearsals Sunday, March 24 8:00 Lois, violin 10:45 Men’s Choir Sunday, March 31 8:00 Mixed Choir Sunday, April 8 8:00 Alleluia Ringers (& 10:45 Prelude) A sizeable number of you toured the Buzard factory to see the work in progress on our church’s organ. Thank you all for your interest! Work in the balcony begins March 4, and the organ will be out of service during Lent while the enhancements are completed. Keith will be bringing his little portable organ into the balcony for the duration (this is the instrument that used when we worshipped in the Fellowship Hall some years ago while the sanctuary floor was being redone.) All instruments are invited and encouraged to be in touch with Keith to assist with musical leadership during Lent. Come play a hymn with me!

Soli Deo Gloria! Keith

SECOND SEMESTER CHAPEL OFFERING

Some surveys estimate the U.S. deaf popula-

tion is 95-98% unchurched. The CID

is committed to reaching deaf / hard of

hearing individuals. We will help this min-istry with our second

semester Chapel Offering.

Chapel Offering for the 1st Wednesday of each

month will be food items for the St. John

Food Pantry.

Thrivent Choice Dollar Deadline Approaching Eligible Thrivent Financial members who have available Choice Dollars have until March 31, 2019 to direct them. Don't miss your opportunity to recommend that Thrivent Financial provide funding to your favorite school, church or nonprofit organization. Simply call 800-847-4836 and say "Thrivent Choice" after the prompt or go to Thrivent.com/thriventchoice to designate or to learn more. Thank you for participating.

Girls Volleyball Regional Tournament – games TBD

Track and Field Saturday, March 30 - St. John Track Invite

The 16th Annual St. John Track Meet will be held at the University of Illinois Ar-

mory on Saturday March 30th at 10am.

To hold this meet we need many volunteers from the school and church to help. We need volunteers to take admission, supervise events (shot put, long jump, high jump), help in the hospitality room, etc.

Please contact Kim or stop by the school office for details

ATTENDANCE FIGURES FOR FEBRUARY

Sundays 8:00 Comm 10:45 Comm Feb 3 182 149 111 94 Feb 10 127 107 104 82 Feb 17 118 104 111 88 Feb 24 145 117 88 69 Wednesdays 7:15 Comm Feb 6 15 14 Feb 13 22 17 Feb 20 25 23 Feb 27

1 Esther

2 Roger, Joseph

3 Megan

4 John, Judy, Aimee, Tara

5 Sheree, David, Rollin

7 Nick, Greg, Cole, Maxine

8 Zachary, Lauren, Elizabeth, Dale, Dan, Bryan,

Zach

9 Lucas, Kathy, Tracy, Vicky

10 Nick

12 Anna, David, Rick

13 Richard, Kristina, Beverly

14 Don, Nancy, Jackie , Zachariah

15 Jesse, Clinton, Rod, David

16 Ruth, Kathy

17 Adam, Daniel

18 Michael

19 Sara, Scott, David, Michael, Arnold, Don ,

Susan

20 Will

21 Olivia, Isabella, Rachel

22 Dan, Kendall, Pam, Isaac

23 Kathy

25 Vicki, Roger

26 Bill

27 Audrey, Alex

28 Daniele, Chuck, Fionna, Isabelle,

Jake, Teri

29 Caitlyn, Jaxon, Judy, Shirley

30 Chris, Jed

31 Kevin, Bob, Lois, Gale, Angi,

Ashley

2 Larry & Marilyn (45)

3 David & Anthea (7)

4 Greg & Sue (42)

11 Craig & Shirley (19); Roger &

Karen (42)

23 Taylor & Christina(6)

25 Lon Pitcher & Betty (24)

29 Brian & Donna (16)

MARCH BIRTHDAYS

MARCH ANNIVERSARIES

PLEASE notify the church office (359-1123) if your birthday or anniversary is missing or incorrect. Unfortunately, we don’t have 100% of our members’ birthdays & anniversaries on file. Help us

complete and correct our records by letting us know of any errors or omissions. Thank you!

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

Devotions & Hymn-sing

at Amber Glen

on the 10th & 24th

at 2:30pm

Church Office 359-1123

School Office 359-1714

Pastor Caithamer’s

day off:

Fridays

1 5:30 Faith & Family Night

2 3:00 PTF Fun Fair

3 Transfiguration 8:00 Holy Communion (MC) 9:30 Adult Bible Class, Sunday School 10:45 Holy Communion (MxC) 1:00 Adult Information Class

4 9:15 MOPS

5 10:00 Adult Bible Class 6:00 Fellowship Board, Trustees 6:30 School Board

6 Ash Wednesday 8:05 Chapel 3:30 Holy Communion 5:45 Midweek School, Lifelight 7:15 Holy Communion

7 9:30 Lifelight 12:30 Widow’s Group 6:00 Men’s Choir 6:30 Lifelight 6:45 Mixed Choir

8 6:30 School Play 7:30 Ice Cream Social

9 10:00 LL, K & 1st Meet & Greet

10 First Sunday in Lent 8:00 Holy Communion 9:30 Adult Bible Class, Sunday School 10:45 Holy Communion (AR) 1:00 Adult Information Class Daylight Savings Time Begins

11 6:00 Finance Board E.A.T. Night @ Hickory River from 4-9pm

12 1:00 Reading Buddies 6:00 Elders

13 8:05 Chapel 10:00 Adult Bible Class 3:30 Lenten Service 4:30 Lenten Dinner 5:45 Midweek School, Lifelight 6:00 Handbells 7:15 Lenten Service

14 7:00 Men’s Prayer Breakfast 9:30 Lifelight 10:00 Evangelism 1:30 Mary Martha 6:00 Men’s Choir 6:30 Lifelight 6:45 Mixed Choir

15 16

17 Second Sunday in Lent 8:00 Holy Communion 9:30 Adult Bible Class, Sunday School 10:45 Holy Communion (MxC) 1:00 Adult Information Class

18 6:30 LWML

19 10:00 Adult Bible Class 6:00 Council

20 8:05 Chapel 3:30 Lenten Service 7:15 Lenten Service

21

22 23

24 Third Sunday in Lent 8:00 Holy Communion 9:30 Adult Bible Class, Sunday School 10:45 Holy Communion (MC) 1:00 Adult Information Class

25 9:15 MOPS

26 10:00 Adult Bible Class 6:00 Parish Ed 7:00 Youth Board

27 8:05 Chapel 3:30 Lenten Service 4:30 Lenten Dinner 5:45 Midweek School 6:00 Handbells 7:15 Lenten Service

28 6:00 Men’s Choir 6:45 Mixed Choir

29 30

31 Fourth Sunday in Lent 8:00 Holy Communion (MxC) 9:30 Adult Bible Class, Sunday School 10:45 Holy Communion 1:00 Adult Information Class

2019

D a y S c h o o l S p r i n g B r e a k

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

Newsletter - March 2019cal_of_the_month